a. Brief Introduction
Mt. Wudangshan, also called Mt. Taihe or Mt. Xianshi in the past, islocated near the city of Danjiangkou, in central Hubei Province. Thereare 72 peaks, 36 cliffs, 24 gullies, 3 lakes, 9 springs and 10 pondsthere. The main peak, Tianzhu Peak, has an altitude of 1,612 m.
Mt. Wudangshan is well vegetated and boasts rich plant resources.About 600 kinds of Chinese herbs, one third of the total recorded inthe encyclopedic Compendium of Materia Medica written by Li Shizhen inthe Ming Dynasty, grow on the mountain. For this reason, the mountainis also famous as a natural drugstore.
Wudangshan is a scenic resort perfectly integrating naturallandscape with manmade buildings. Taoist temples are prominent here.During the reign of Emperor Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty (627-649), theWulong (five dragons) Temple was built. And in 1412, Emperor Zhu Di, anenthusiastic Taoist, ordered the construction of 33 temples, which werecompleted in 1423. The various Taoist structures cover a total area of1.6 million sq. m. Among them, the most magnificent temple is theGolden Hall, which is made of fine copper on a granite foundation. Theseated Taoist figure in the hall is cast so exquisitely that it isregarded as a masterpiece representing the highest level of ancientChina's copper casting.
b. Cultural Heritage
There are four Taoist palaces, remains of two other palaces, twotemples and a number of cliff temples and halls of worship remaining onMt. Wudangshan. The original features of these constructions are wellpreserved in terms of layout, design, style, materials and technique.Taoist halls are mainly built in secluded nooks or on terraces,surrounded by nunneries and halls of worship. And cliff temples areusually built on prominent peaks, with which the mountain abounds. Thetemples and halls are architecturally superb, and have great culturaland technological value. They are invaluable material for the study ofthe politics of the early Ming Dynasty, the religious history of Chinaand ancient Chinese buildings.
The major characteristics of ancient groups of buildings on Mt. Wudangshan can be summed up as follows:
Superb Techniques The buildings vary in style, and are constructedwith different materials. There are wooden temples, copper halls andstone cliff temples. Statues made from copper, wood, stone and earthare noted for their delicate techniques and artistic creativity.
Treasure House of Taoist Architecture The Taoist buildings on themountain were planned by emperors, and managed by imperial officials.The buildings were designed on such a grand scale, constructed with somuch care, and furnished with so many lavish statues and items ofworship that they are regarded as unprecedented masterpieces amongChina's existing Taoist constructions.
Historical Significance The extensive construction on Mt. Wudangshanwas carried out when Emperor Zhu of the Ming Dynasty was making greatefforts to expand external contacts and promote Taoism in the country.He intended to consolidate his rule by instilling into his subordinatesthe idea that the imperial power is endowed by Heaven. Therefore, theseTaoist buildings are of great significance for the study of the historyand religious belief of that period.
c. Taoist Culture
The history of Taoism at Mt. Wudangshan can be traced back about2,000 years. It began to prosper in the Tang and Song dynasties, andreached its heyday in the Ming Dynasty. Taoism witnessed a decline inthe ensuing Qing Dynasty, but it was revitalized after the founding ofNew China in 1949.
Taoist ritual activities follow a set of procedures handed downthrough generations of Taoist priests. The priests recite ancientscriptures and play Taoist music, following a centuries-old formula.Taoist music has been extensively studied by scholars and experts.
d. Wudangshan Wushu
Wudangshan wushu, noted for its exercise of the internal organs andbreathing techniques, developed along with Wudangshan Taoism. Taoistpriests put equal emphasis on religious practice and promotion of thehealth. They derived the principles of wushu from Taoist theories andapplied Taoist practical approaches to wushu skills, thus graduallydeveloping Wudangshan wushu which integrates ancient Chinese philosophywith extraordinary wushu skills. In the Ming Dynasty, Wudangshan wushureached its height through the outstanding efforts of a Taoist priestnamed Zhang Sanfeng, and gradually became one of the major schools ofChinese wushu.
