Taiqing Palace, Luyi (Birthplace of Laozi)鹿邑太清宫
- Type
- Temples and Abbeys (Gongguan)
- Location
- China · Henan · Luyi, Zhoukou · Taiqing Gong township, Luyi County, about 5 km east of the county seat
- Coordinates
- 33.86, 115.53 Map ↗
- School
- Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoism, Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoism
- First built
- 8th year of the Yanxi era, Eastern Han (165) · Emperor Huan of Han sent an envoy to sacrifice to Laozi and build a shrine to him; in the first year of the Qianfeng reign (666), Emperor Gaozong of Tang honored Laozi as Supreme Mysterious-Prime Emperor and built Taiqing Palace; in the seventh year of the Dazhong Xiangfu reign (1014), Emperor Zhenzong of Song paid homage there and erected a stele.
- Heritage status
- Taiqing Palace Site, Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (2001)National Key Daoist Temple (1983)
Overview
Taiqing Palace at Luyi is a memorial temple at the reputed birthplace of Laozi. In the eighth year of the Yanxi reign of the Eastern Han (165), Emperor Huan sent the palace attendant Guan Ba to Ku County to sacrifice to Laozi and build a shrine to him — one of the earliest recorded official state sacrifices to Laozi in the history of Daoism. The Tang revered Laozi as its founding ancestor: in the first year of the Qianfeng reign (666), Emperor Gaozong personally paid homage at the temple of Laozi, honored him as "Supreme Mysterious-Prime Emperor," and built the Zunji (Purple Culmen) Palace; under Emperor Xuanzong it was renamed Taiqing Palace and expanded to a magnificent scale. In the seventh year of the Dazhong Xiangfu reign of the Song (1014), Emperor Zhenzong personally paid homage there and erected the "Eulogy to the Primordial Heavenly Empress" stele (still extant, in Emperor Zhenzong's own calligraphy and seal-script title); it was repeatedly restored under the Jin and Yuan, and Kublai Khan of the Yuan issued an imperial edict for its protection. Surviving today are the front palace's Taiji Hall (rebuilt in the Qing), the ruins of the rear palace's Dongxiao Palace, a Tang stele bearing Emperor Xuanzong's imperial commentary on the Daodejing (first year of the Tianbao reign), Emperor Zhenzong's imperial stele, Jin- and Yuan-dynasty steles, and Tang-Song iron pillars, the Moon-Viewing Well, the Nine-Dragon Well and other remains; archaeological excavation has revealed the foundations of large-scale Tang- and Song-dynasty palace halls. Taiqing Palace is a National Key Daoist Temple, and rites for Laozi's birthday are held there every year on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month.
Highlights
- Tang stele of the Daodejing commentary
- Song Emperor Zhenzong's Eulogy to the Primordial Heavenly Empress stele
- Taiji Hall
- Tang- and Song-dynasty building foundations
- Rites for Laozi's birthday