Dai Temple on Mt. Tai, Shandong
Dai Temple, the temple of the God of Mt. Tai, was used to be the venue where emperors of the past dynasties held celebrations to worship heaven and earth and bestowed sacrifices to the God of the mountain. It was also the first stop for the pilgrims on their way to the holy Mt. Tai. The construction of the temple began during the Qin (211BC-206BC) and Han (206BC-220AD) Dynasty, expanding in the Tang and Song Dynasties and renovated for many times in the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Most of the present attractions inside the temple were left over from the Han Dynasty. Its design has been a replica of the imperial palace, which makes it one out of three extant structures in China with the features of an imperial palace (the other two are the Forbidden City and the Confucius Temple in Qufu). It is the symbol of the Chinese feudality. Its grand framework and elaborate engravings impress tourists deeply and entice them to visit the temple. The temple is grouped five major halls and many small buildings, colorful and brilliant. The centerpiece is the Palace of Heavenly Blessings, building in 1008, during the North Song Dynasty. A portrait of God, 4.4m high set in the middle of the inside the hall. The hall houses the mural painting “the God of Mt. Tai making a Journey”, 3-meter high and 62-meter long, picturing the wonderful and grand scene of the inspection tour by the God itself. Nest to the palace of Heaven Blessings stand the Yaocan Pavilion and the entrance archway as well as the Bronze Pavilion in the northeast corner. 2,100 year -old cypress trees around the courtyard are very valuable, five of which were planted by Emperor Wudi himself, from the Han Dynasty. Behind the temple is a bonsai garden. Various bonsais are offered for tourists’ viewing pleasure.| Want a quick enquiry ? |
