Jade Palace in Wudang Mountain: There are not only martial arts, but also Taoist complex of emperors.
due to my work, I am very familiar with Wudang mountain. At the foot of Wudang Mountain, there is a small town called Wudang Mountain Tourism Special Economic Zone, which is a county-level administrative institution. It used to be called Wudang Mountain Town, and the locals used to call it Laoying Town.
The word Laoying comes from Yuxu Palace, a large Taoist temple in the town. In fact, Yuxu Palace has another name, Laoying Palace, which is why local people are used to calling this place Laoying. In the 11th year of Yongle in Ming Dynasty, in 1412 AD, Emperor Zhu Di of Yongle ordered the overhaul of Wudang Mountain, and it took 12 years for the main project to end. During the whole construction period, 3 thousand migrant workers were used, and all kinds of building materials were countless. Such a huge project can't be repaired casually, and there must be unified planning and unified command. At that time, the construction headquarters, that is, the base camp, was in Yuxiu Palace, so Yuxiu Palace was renamed Laoying Palace.
Ancient Chinese architecture pays attention to symmetry, and Yuxu Palace is a very symmetrical palace. It is backed by Wudang Mountain, facing north, and centered on Yuxu Temple. The building structure of the whole palace is spread northward in turn, and the main entrance of the main hall faces the main road. This main road stretches all the way to the north, out of Yuxiu Palace, and then passes through a three-hole tunnel with a temple structure at both ends, enters Wudang Mountain Town, and then continues to the north until it reaches Jianhe. The section from the tunnel to Jianhe is called Yuxu Road, and the Wudang Mountain government has built it into an antique pedestrian street. It can be said that it is not just Yuxu Palace, but the whole Wudang Mountain is based on Yuxu Road.
the * * * three-story courtyard of Yuxu Palace is the first floor courtyard after entering through the gate. This is an open field, and there are no other buildings except two pavilions on both sides, so this courtyard is more like a square.
The two Imperial Monument Pavilions are tall and majestic, built on a huge bluestone pedestal, and the overall external walls are red, which makes them look magnificent under the blue sky and white clouds. On the top of the Imperial Monument Pavilion, there are two layers of upturned eaves, with gray tiles and yellow-green glazed tiles on them. Eight upturned eaves are carved with roof animals, which are vivid and lifelike.
From the inside, the four walls of the Imperial Monument Pavilion are peeling off seriously, with neat blue bricks exposed in most places, and some walls still have residual dark red walls. The top is carved with beams and painted with buildings, and the colors are very bright, but it is said that these paintings are restored in modern times. In the center of the Imperial Monument Pavilion is a tall turtle carrying a monument. In fact, the animal carrying the monument is not a turtle, but a slim one. Legend has it that the dragon gave birth to nine children, and he is the sixth old, and some say he is the boss. In the traditional culture of China, there seems to be only one function of the spindler, and that is to carry the tablet. It is said that the strength is endless. In ancient times, he often carried three mountains and five mountains to make waves in rivers, lakes and seas. Later, he was tamed by Dayu and became his right-hand man in water control. After the success of Dayu's water control, he built a huge stone tablet on his back to make it unable to move, so the tradition of carrying a stone tablet has been handed down. At present, this kind of turtle tablet can be seen in many ancient buildings in China.
The inscriptions of Emperor Jiajing are carried in the two imperial tablet pavilions on the first floor of the courtyard. The inscription in the Imperial Monument Pavilion on the right hand side of the door can still be seen clearly. It is roughly said that Wudang Mountain has been built for decades, and some places have been dilapidated. Officials are ordered to evaluate the repair costs and report them to the Ministry of Industry. The signature is February 19, the thirty-first year of Jiajing. The surface of the stone tablet in the left-handed imperial tablet pavilion has been eroded badly, and the handwriting has been blurred.
Go through a three-hole gate from the first floor yard and enter the second floor yard. In the three-story courtyard of Yuxiu Palace, the second floor space is the largest. On the central axis is a wide road, with nine rows of large stone slabs paved side by side. Most of these stone slabs are antiquities. Due to the sun and rain, they left a strong trace of time, and a few of them were supplemented by modern cement stone slabs. Yuxu Palace is a royal regulation, and nine columns of stone slabs represent the ninth five-year plan. It is estimated that in the Ming dynasty, ordinary people in the middle of the slate could not walk, and they would be guilty of trespassing, which would be beheaded.
On both sides of the stone road are two large lawns with many Chinese tallow trees. Every late autumn, the leaves of Chinese tallow trees turn red, and after the autumn wind, the red leaves roll all over the yard, which is really beautiful. At this time, it is suitable to invite my sister to sit on the lawn under the tree and talk about everything and feel the beauty of falling red leaves. The relationship between Chinese tallow tree and love has long been known by the ancients, so the love poem "Xizhou Qu" in the Southern and Northern Dynasties said: At dusk, the Chinese tallow tree is blown by the wind.
There are also two symmetrical imperial tablet pavilions on the second floor, which contain the inscription of Emperor Yongle. The handwriting on the stone tablet on the right side of the entrance is blurred, and some of the handwriting in the stone tablet pavilion on the left side is illegible. The remaining handwriting generally seems to stipulate some discipline for practicing Taoist priests and punish those who disturb the order with felony.
Counting the two in the courtyard on the first floor, there are four imperial tablet pavilions in Yuxu Palace. These four pavilions are almost identical in appearance and internal structure, and the only difference is the content engraved on the inscription. However, according to my observation, it seems that the two Yongle Imperial Monument Pavilions are slightly taller than Jiajing Imperial Monument Pavilions. I wonder if it is my visual error.
In fact, even if the Yongle Imperial Monument Pavilion is really taller, it completely makes sense, because after all, Emperor Yongle is the ancestor of Emperor Jiajing, and Emperor Jiajing is still his fan. Of course, it is impossible to tell whether he is a real fan or a fake fan.
Now we all know that the temple name of Emperor Yongle became the ancestor, but in the whole history of the Ming Dynasty, there was no such thing as Ming Chengzu for about half the time, because the temple name of Emperor Yongle was Taizong at first. In the period of Emperor Jiajing, Emperor Zhu Houzong of Jiajing thought that the word Taizong could not express the historical achievements of Emperor Yongle, so he changed the temple name to Chengzu. Therefore, if someone sells you cultural relics before Jiajing, with the word Zu written on them, you can directly get rid of this seller who has no historical literacy.
A dynasty had two ancestors, which created a historical precedent and set a bad example for the later Qing Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty, there were three ancestors, the Qing Taizu Nurhachi, the Qing Shizu Shunzhi and the Qing Saizu Kangxi. The most narcissistic emperor in history, Qianlong, specifically told his sons and ministers not to use their ancestral temple names before he died. These formalist emperors have an illusion, as if their greatness could not be reflected without ancestors in the temple number. But they forget that the temple name Taizong also represents honor, and the most perfect emperor in history is Taizong, whose name is Li Shimin, that is, Emperor Taizong.
Of course, some scholars believe that Emperor Jiajing's doing this has little to do with worship, but his real purpose is to invite his biological father, Zhu Shiyuan, to enter the ancestral temple.
Emperor Yongle and Emperor Jiajing have one thing in common, that is, if the handover of the throne is normal, there is nothing between them at all. Yongle Emperor Zhu Di became emperor only after he robbed his nephew Zhu Yunwen of his throne. After Zhu Di's death, the Ming Dynasty experienced seven emperors and eight titles, among which Ming Yingzong was emperor twice, with two titles.
in 1521 ad, Zhu Houzhao, a Ming Wuzong, died, and a big pie fell from the sky and hit Zhu Houzong, who was a vassal in Zhongxiang, Hubei Province, on the head. In the Ming Dynasty, the system of succession to the throne was that the father died and the son succeeded, and the brothers and sisters lived together, and they made a difference. It means that the emperor died and the queen's son succeeded to the throne. If the queen has no sons, let the oldest of the emperor's other sons inherit the throne. If the emperor has no son, let the emperor's younger brother inherit the throne.
During the period just after Zhu Houzhao's death, the imperial court was in an extremely embarrassing situation, that is, the emperor, who was famous for his nonsense, had neither a son nor a younger brother. Later, after the ministers consulted with the Queen Mother, Zhu Houzhao's cousin, Zhu Houzong, who was a captaincy in Anlu Prefecture, succeeded to the throne, which was later Emperor Jiajing.
Emperor Jiajing wanted to make his biological father, Xing Xian Wang Zhu Shiyuan, an emperor, which was unanimously opposed by his ministers. Later, after several fierce struggles and a series of complicated operations, he finally achieved his goal, among which changing the temple name of Emperor Yongle was one of the operation schemes.
Emperor Yongle and Emperor Jiajing were the lucky ones who succeeded to the throne, and they were also the main promoters of the prosperity of Wudang Mountain. Emperor Yongle was the pioneer of Wudang Mountain complex. On the basis of Emperor Yongle, Emperor Jiajing carried out large-scale repair and expansion of Wudang Mountain, which finally became today's grand scale.
The two emperors were so keen on building Taoist temples for different reasons.
Emperor Yongle took the throne by armed rebellion, so the legitimacy of the throne was questioned. In order to prove that his throne was also granted by heaven, he said that he was reincarnated as Zhenwu the Great. Wudang Mountain is the Dojo of Zhenwu Emperor, so he overhauled Wudang Mountain. At that time, some sycophants were very good at trying to figure out the holy will, so they built an early statue of Zhenwu Emperor in the image of Yongle Emperor.
Taoism may be just a tool for Emperor Yongle, but Emperor Jiajing was really superstitious about Taoism. Anlu Prefecture, where he was a captaincy, is now Zhongxiang, Hubei Province, which is very close to Wudang Mountain. When Zhu Houzong was a child, he often came to Wudang Mountain to worship with his father. He thought that he was able to catch the big pie of the throne because of the blessing of Wudang Mountain. In his later years, Zhu Houzong became more superstitious about Taoism, and the whole palace was often filled with cigarettes. He is also keen on writing green words, which you can understand as a letter from a mortal to a fairy. It is difficult to write and understand green ci, but Yan Shifan, the son of Yan Song, is particularly good at writing green ci, so Yan Song was favored by Emperor Jiajing and experienced a notorious cabinet record career.
The stories of the two emperors have been told a little too much. You who love traveling may be a little tired. Don't worry, let's go back and talk about the Jade Palace.
In the second courtyard of Yuxu Palace, besides the stone road, lawn, Chinese tallow tree and Yongle Imperial Monument Pavilion, there is another thing you can't see in other palaces in Wudang Mountain-the moat. Yes, it's a moat, just like the moat in the Forbidden City. The moat runs in front of the gate to the third floor yard, dividing the second floor yard in two. The river inside comes from the mountain spring, and there are many goldfish swimming in the river. There are many persimmon trees planted on the banks of the river. In autumn, the trees are full of fruits, but when I wrote this article, most of the persimmons had fallen. There is an arched stone bridge across the moat. After crossing the stone bridge, you can walk about 2 meters to the outer wall of the third floor yard, climb a flight of stone steps, pass through the gate and enter the third floor yard, which is also the last floor yard of Yuxiu Palace.
when you enter the yard on the third floor, the first building you pass is two silk burning stoves symmetrically distributed on both sides of the yard. As the name implies, they are a kind of incense burners, but they are not ordinary incense burners. There are only eight silk burners in the Ming Dynasty in China, including five in Wudang Mountain and two in Yuxu Palace, which are national key protected cultural relics and are very precious. This silk burner is made of yellow and green glazed tiles, which looks very beautiful and exquisite. However, there is no incense burner in it now.
After passing the silk burning furnace, you need to climb a flight of stone steps and board a platform, on which are pitted stone slabs eroded by wind and rain. It has a sense of historical vicissitudes and looks like the foundation of a destroyed temple, but this is just my guess. I don't know exactly what it is.
Get off the platform and go ahead, and you will find the Jade Palace, the main hall of the Jade Palace. Yuxu Temple, backed by Wudang Mountain and facing Jianhe River, should be what people call a treasure trove of geomantic omen. The whole temple is a double-eaves structure, built on a high foundation.
In ancient China, buildings with specifications always like to put the foundation on a high level. Whether people look up from the bottom or climb long steps into the building, they will feel a sense of awe in their hearts, thus increasing the dignity of the building owner.
The front face of Yuxu Temple is gray, with gray tiles, gray doors and gray colonnades. The beams under the eaves of each floor are painted with complex patterns, adding some lively elements to the whole palace. The two sides and the back wall of the palace are dark red, which is common in palace buildings, and is consistent with the color of the outer walls of the four royal pavilions.
After reading these, it's the Yuxu Temple. Sorry, I don't have any related videos and photos because filming is not allowed in the temple. You can only imagine according to my description. Some people say that cultural relics unearthed in religious sites and tombs can't be photographed, and it is easy for paranormal to happen. In my opinion, this statement can be described by a two-part allegorical saying that a group of eunuchs are chatting-nonsense. The real reason is that the exposure when taking pictures is easy to destroy the color of the surface of cultural relics.
There are three rooms in the Yuxu Temple, with tall red columns supporting the roof. This Jade Temple seems to be rebuilt later, so the column is not the imaginary Jin Sinan or pine, but it sounds like a cement column. Column * * * six rows and four columns, * * * 24. The three rooms are connected, and there is no wall or screen between them. Right in the middle is the worship of the mysterious God, and on both sides are the Zhenwu Emperor. In fact, Xuantian God and Zhenwu Emperor are the same immortal. The god statue of Xuantian is about three meters high, and the Zhenwu Emperor on both sides is a little shorter. The three statues are solemn, and when facing them, both visitors and worshippers will be in awe. There are sacrificial tables in front of the three statues, with bronze incense burners and candlesticks on them. However, it seems that it is not allowed to burn incense watches in Yuxiu Palace now. If you want to burn incense and make a wish, you can only go to Zixiao Palace and Jinding on the mountain. In this way, these incense burners and candlesticks have become furnishings. However, these things are simple in shape, such as antiques, and may have certain cultural relics value.
There is also a parents' hall behind Yuxu Temple, which is the general pattern of Wudang Mountain Palace. There is usually a parents' hall behind the main hall of other temples. However, the parents' temple of Yuxu Palace is being repaired now. Standing behind it, you can only see the dense scaffolding on the outer wall of the palace.
At this point, the visit to the Jade Palace is over. Since its establishment, Yuxu Palace has experienced 6 years of wind and rain. Six hundred years is very short, as short as one page can write the history of Yuxiu Palace clearly; Six hundred years is a long time, so long that it bears the memory of dozens of generations. In Yuxu Palace, you can walk on a row of stone slabs in the middle of the central axis at the risk of "decapitation". You can also wander along winding paths in the lawn. You can also stand on the steps of the tall palace and the Imperial Monument Pavilion and look up and feel the vicissitudes of the 6-year history.
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This article was originally prepared as a commentary for the first video, which was written earlier than the commentary of the last video of Yuzhengong. I have also taken most of the videos of Yuxu Palace, and I want to do an experiment with Yuzhen Palace first to see what the effect is. From the effect point of view, the video I am about to make of Yuxiu Palace will probably jump on the street (there should be a wry smile here). Send it as an article first, and then make a video when you have time.