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The Qingyang Palace is situated at the southwest of Chengdu City in Southwest China's Sichuan Province. As the oldest and largest Taoist temple in the area, it is also designated to be a key national temple of Taoism by the State Council. The name of Qingyang Palace (the Grey Goat Palace) came from the two grey goats made of bronze in the Sanqing Main Hall. These two goats have become the symbol of the Qingyang Palace and attracted countless tourists.
The Qingyang Palace was first built in the Tang Dynasty (618-908). The story that one of the emperors of the Tang Dynasty once sought asylum here adds legendary light to it. It was rebuilt in 1667 during the reign of Emperor Kangxi and repeatedly expanded after that. It is magnificent and grand, covering an area of 40,000 square meters. Major buildings include the Temple Gate, Sanqing Hall and Tangwang Hall, etc. Inside, the Hunyuan Hall is tall, big and grandiose. The Bagua Booth (Eight Diagrams Booth) where the statue of Laozi on a bronze cow is enshrined is the best-preserved and most luxurious building among these architectures. The principal building Sanqing Hall where the Sanqing (Taoist Trinity) Statue is enshrined is tall, large and solemn, with a hanging bell of about 3,000 kg and a pair of iron incense-candle canisters of 1,000 kg on the left part.
The most precious relic in the Qingyang Palace is the canon of Taoism Sutra. It is the best-preserved version in the world as well as a precious material for research on Taoism.
In southwest China, Qingcheng Mountain is located in western Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, 48 km away from the city. It features numerous undulating peaks and luxuriant forests. Therefore Qingcheng Mountain is reputed as "the most tranquil place in the earth". Qingcheng Mountain has a long history and is one of the ancient cradles of China's Taoism. It is the fifth among the top ten fascinating Taoist places in China.
There are many famous spots and historical sites in Qingcheng Mountain. The ancient architectures have their distinctive characteristics. Poems, paintings and odes of current and ancient celebrities can be seen here and there. In addition, there are beautiful sights and supernatural legends. Tianshi Cave is the core of all the palaces and temples on the mountain that consist of Jianfu Palace, Shangqing Palace, Zushi Hall, Yuanming Palace, Yuqing Palace, Chaoyang Cave and so on. Qingcheng Mountain has been the resort for bookmen and scholars to adventure or seclude from the earthly world since the ancient times. It was called as the "Dong Tian Fu Di" (the fascinating place and the Happy Land) and the "Shen Xian Du Hui" (the capital of immortals) in ancient times. There were many names for Qingcheng Mountain in the history, such as Wen Mountain, Tiangu Mountain, Du Mountain, Zhangren Mountain, Chicheng Mountain, Qingcheng Capital, and Tianguo Mountain, etc. Qingcheng Mountain is reputed as the Fifth Famous Mountain in China.
The architectural style of the verandas, bridges and pavilions on Qingcheng Mountain is special and unique. Most of them are supported by the logs with barks and knots, roofed with the barks of China firs, and shaded by the roots of the trees. The architectural structure is simple, elegant and vivid.
Nine-Village Valley, with an area of 720 square km, is a scenic spot located in Nanping County, Sichuan Province. Edowed with beautiful lakes, waterfalls, shallows, streams, snow-cupped peaks, forest, and Tibetan culture, the area possesses the feature of highland-valley carbonate barrier lake landform, which is of great value for science and aesthetics research. There are 2,576 species of photophyte, 3O,000 hectares of primeval forest growing in the valley. The blue lakes, dozens of metres deep, are as clear as crystal.
