Changchun Taoist Temple

Located in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, the Changchun Taoist Temple is one of the famous Taoist sites in China and the only extant building of this kind in the area. The State Council listed it as a key national Taoist temple in 1983. The Taoist temple is situated on the south side of Shuangfeng Mountain in Wuhan City. It is said that the ancestor Laozi, the founder of Taoism, once came here, so Taoist buildings were first constructed as early as in the 3^rd century BC. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Qiu Chuji, the representative of the Quanzhen Sect, came here to cultivate himself and propagandize the Taoism, so its scale was further expanded. As Qiu Chuji was called as the Immortal Changchun, the Taoist Temple was called as the Changchun Taoist Temple.

Since its establishment, the Changchun Taoist Temple's influence had been expanded continuously. It was expanded again in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and thus formed the current scale. It faces the south, leaning against the mountain. The main buildings include the Temple Gate, the Lingguan Hall, the Taiqing Hall and the Sanhuang Hall, etc. The layout of the buildings is well organized and the scale of the architectural complex is magnificent. An astronomical panoramic sketch is carved on the wall of the Gongde Temple (the Temple of Merits and Virtues) that is beside the Qizhen Hall. The famous Taoist Li Li'an finished this sketch in the 1930s and it is of high value to research on the ancient astronomy.

At present, the Changchun Taoist Temple is not only the local center of the Taoist activities, but also a beautiful scenic spot.  Many tourists and disciples come here for worship every year.