The Grand Temple of Mount Heng, or Grand Temple of South Mountain () is located at the foot of Mount Heng, and on the north of ancient town of Mount Heng in Hengshan County of

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangx ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. It is the largest temple on Mount Heng. It is a major component of Mount Heng National Key Tourist Resort Zone.

History

The Grand Temple was initially called Heaven Governor Huo King Temple (), and later, the name changed to South Heaven Genuine Master Temple (). Its founding year is unknown. The earliest documented records show that it was built in 725 CE during the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

. The temple lived through the

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

, Yuan,

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han pe ...

and

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

dynasties despite suffering six fires and undergoing 16 large-scale renovations. At the end of the Ming dynasty, the temple was burnt down. In 1882 during the Qing dynasty, the temple was rebuilt following the layout of

Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is a palace complex in Dongcheng District, Beijing, China, at the center of the Imperial City of Beijing. It is surrounded by numerous opulent imperial gardens and temples including the Zhongshan Park, the sacrifi ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...

, thus it was also called "Little Palace in South China". The majority of the buildings have been preserved till today. During the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...

, all temples were regarded as engendering the values of the "

Four Olds The Four Olds or the Four Old Things () was a term used during the Cultural Revolution by the student-led Red Guards in the People's Republic of China in reference to the pre- communist elements of Chinese culture they attempted to destroy. The ...

", and suffered devastating destruction. The valuable historical stone tablets, inscribed boards, Buddhist statues and scriptures were all destroyed. Starting in 1980s, continuous renovation projects have rehabilitated destroyed buildings and statues.

Architecture

The temple covers a land area of over 98,500 m². Along its axis there are nine major buildings. From south to north, they are Lingxing Gate, Kuixing Pavilion, Zhengchuan Gate, Imperial Tablet Pavilion, Jiaying Gate, Imperial Library Tower, Grand Hall, Refreshing Palace and North Hind Gate. Its eastern and western sides accommodate Eight Temples of Taoism and Eight Temples of Buddhism. The name of Lingxing Gate means abundant talents emerge and serve the country. Usually, "Lingxing" wouldn't be used to name a temple gate. There are only two exceptions in China, and the other Lingxing Gate is in the

Temple of Confucius A temple of Confucius or Confucian temple is a temple for the veneration of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism in Chinese folk religion and other East Asian religions. They were formerly the site of the administration of ...

. Kuixing Pavilion is also called "Panlong Pavilion" (literally, Circling Dragon Pavilion). It has double-eave two-curve roof and covers 139 m². It serves as an opera stage. There is a tablet in Imperial Tablet Pavilion bestowed by the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to ...

, on which "Temple of Mount Heng Renovation Memorial" was inscribed, comprising 279 characters written by the emperor himself. The first sentence reads, "Mount Heng is the giant pillar in South. It corresponds to Star Yu Heng of

Big Dipper The Big Dipper ( US, Canada) or the Plough ( UK, Ireland) is a large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major; six of them are of second magnitude and one, Megrez (δ), of third magnitude. Four define a "bowl" ...

, and is also called Mount Longevity." Mount Heng's another name, Mount Longevity, was thereafter determined by the authority. The original tablet was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution.

Culture

Three religions,

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

Taoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Ta ...

and

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...

, co-exist in the Grand Temple of Mount Heng. Eight Temples of Taoism, Eight Temples of Buddhism and the Imperial Library Tower represent the convergence of three religions. The temple enjoys great popularity among devotees. Large Buddhist festivals are held on Buddhist holidays each year. Pilgrims come not only from nearby Hunan and

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020 ...

, but also from Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia and Japan. There was originally a statue of Mountain God (Yue Shen) in the Grand Hall, to which the past emperors all paid tribute. In the early Tang dynasty, the god was designated "Heavenly Governor Huo King". In the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty, he was titled "Genuine Master of Mount Heng". In the Song dynasty, he was named "Heavenly Governor Zhaosheng Emperor". The "Superior Emperor of Mount Heng" extant today was rebuilt in 1983, for the original statue was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution. There are also two "Treasury Houses" on each side of the Grand Hall. Facing the hall, the one on the left side is designed for worship by living people, while the one on the right hosts the name boards of the deceased. In 1990, the Chinese National Post Bureau issued a series of Mount Heng stamps (T155), comprising four pieces. The first one, "Grand Temple", depicted this temple.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Temple of Mount Heng Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Hunan Buddhist temples in Hunan Taoist temples in Hunan Buildings and structures in Hunan Tourist attractions in Hunan Religion in Hunan Traditional Chinese architecture