Penglai Pavilion蓬莱阁
- Type
- Temples and Abbeys (Gongguan)
- Location
- China · Shandong · Penglai, Yantai · Atop Danya Hill in Penglai District, overlooking the Bohai Sea
- Coordinates
- 37.83, 120.74 Map ↗
- First built
- Jiayou 6th year, Northern Song (1061) · The setting of the legend of 'the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea,' forming a complex together with the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, Lüzu Hall, Tianhou Palace, and Dragon King Palace, restored in the Ming and Qing
- Heritage status
- Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (1982)
Overview
Penglai Pavilion was built in the sixth year of the Jiayou reign of the Northern Song (1061), standing atop Danya Hill in Penglai overlooking the sea, and is one of the 'Four Great Towers of China.' Since the Qin and Han dynasties, Penglai has been regarded as one of the legendary 'Three Sacred Mountains' of the fangshi (Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou), and Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han repeatedly sent envoys out into the Eastern Sea to seek immortals there. The Penglai Pavilion complex includes the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, the Lüzu Hall, the Tianhou Palace, the Dragon King Palace, the Amitabha Temple, and the Su Gong Shrine; it is the setting for the legend of 'the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea,' and Su Shi composed poems here while serving as prefect of Dengzhou in the Song. A mirage is often seen over the sea in front of the pavilion. It was designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 1982.
Highlights
- The main hall of Penglai Pavilion
- Hall of the Three Pure Ones
- Lüzu Hall
- The legend of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea
- The sea mirage