Shandong Temple Pagodas and Grottoes

Author: Zhao Pugeng, Zhu Chi (editors)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-04-01
Features: At the foot of the magnificent and towering Mount Tai, in the northwest corner of the ancient city of Tai'an, there is an ancient architectural complex hidden among lush pines and cypresses. With red walls, yellow tiles, and splendid gold and green decorations, this is the Daimiao, also known as the Tai Temple or the East Temple. Local folklore tells a story that long ago, the Daimiao was originally a small mountain god temple, which had fallen into disrepair over the years. A elderly Taoist priest lived there and was determined to raise funds to repair the temple. He would go out every day and return with the silver he had collected, storing it beneath the altar of the mountain god. After several years, he had accumulated a significant amount of money, but unfortunately, it was stolen by a thief. The elderly Taoist priest was deeply heartbroken. He knelt before the mountain god, speaking and crying, eventually falling asleep in his tears. In a dream, he saw the mountain god smiling and descending from the altar, placing three packets of incense ash into his hands. The mountain god said, "The princess in the capital has a deadly sore that no one in the world can cure, but these three packets of incense ash can heal it. You must go to the capital immediately, and the temple repair will have hope." Upon waking, the elderly Taoist priest found that he truly held the three packets of incense ash. He quickly prepared to go to the capital and indeed cured the princess's illness. The emperor was overjoyed and wanted to reward the elderly Taoist priest handsomely. However, the priest refused gold, silver, and fine silks, asking only that the emperor build a temple for the mountain god of Mount Tai. The emperor readily agreed and asked, "What kind of temple do you want to build?" The elderly Taoist priest glanced at the Golden Hall and replied, "I think your hall is fine. Build one like this." The emperor thought, "How could there be two Golden Halls in the world?" So he said, "You can build one like this, but it must be three bricks shorter than mine." The elderly Taoist priest quickly agreed, "Okay, okay, okay." Upon returning to Tai'an, he rebuilt the Daimiao. This legend, of course, is purely fanciful, but aside froming the emotions of the storyteller, it does indeed vaguely suggest that the creation and construction of the Daimiao were directly related to the emperors. The Daimiao is the main temple of Mount Tai, which is revered as the foremost of the Five Great Mountains. Throughout history, emperors have regarded it as a symbol of supreme power. As Sima Qian wrote in the "Records of the Grand Historian," "Since ancient times, emperors who received the Mandate of Heaven have never failed to perform the Fengshan ritual."