Yongle Palace

Located in Ruicheng County, Shanxi Province, the Yongle Palace is one of the most famous Taoist temples in China. It was first constructed in 1247. The main buildings including the Sanqing Hall were completed in 1262, but the most famous fresco in the Chunyang Hall was not finished until 1358. The construction period of the architecture lasted over 110 years, almost going through the whole Yuan Dynasty (1271- 1368).

This Taoist temple was constructed to commemorate Lü Dongbin, one of the founders of Taoism. Lü Dongbin is one of the Eight Immortals who are well known among the Chinese people and is reputed as the Taoist immortal. It is said that his original name is Lü Yan, also known as Chunyangzi, born in Ruicheng County, Shanxi Province. The fresco in the Chunyang Hall of the Yongle Palace therefore mainly describes Lü Dongbin's fairy tale from his naissance to the time when he became an immortal.

The Yongle Palace covers an area of over 80,000 square meters. Its main buildings include the Palace Gate, the Longhu Hall, the Sanqing Hall and the Chongyang Hall, etc. The main five buildings are arranged along the axial line, no any house in the west or east, forming a narrow row of buildings as a result. The Yongle Palace also has its special architectural style in terms of structure. The Yuan Dynasty's fresco in the Yongle Palace is a precious treasure in China's fresco arts. The Yuan Dynasty's fine frescoes were drawn on the walls of the four halls in the Yongle Palace and the total area of these frescoes is up to 960 square meters.