Your Guided Tour

White Cloud is fronted by an ornamental outer gate tower with seven decorative roofs known as Lingxing Gate, said to have been used for observing the heavens in old times.

On the gate hang plaques inscribed with mottoes in praise of the temple. Behind the tower gate is a screen wall known as the shadow wall, shielding the inside from view from the street.

On it are inscribed four large characters reading "the Everlasting Changchun" in the handwriting of the Yuan Dynasty calligrapher Zhao Mengfu.

Central Axes (moving south to north)

Lingguan Hall (Ling Guan Dian)

Lingguan Hall is usually the first hall of Daoist temples. Wang Lingguan is the guardian of Daoism. He has a red face, golden armor, three eyes, with a wheel in his left hand and a steel whip in his right hand. In legend, Wang Lingguan was an upright official of the Tang (618-960) or Song Dynasty (961-1234).

Yuhuang Hall (Yu Huang Dian)

Yuhuang, is the great High God of the Taoists -- the Jade Emperor. He rules Heaven. All other gods report to him. His chief function is to distribute justice, which he does through the court system of Hell where evil deeds and thoughts are punished. Yuhuang's has a lengthy official title: he is the lord of the living and the dead and of all the Buddhas, all the gods, all the spectres and all the demons. Traditionally, it's a good idea to keep on his good side.

Laolü Hall (Lao Lü Dian)

Also the Hall of Seven True Saints: Ma Yu, Tan Chuduan, Liu Chuxuan, Qiu Chuji, Wang Yuyang, Hao Datong and Sun Buer.

Hall of Qiu Changchun the Perfected (Qiu Zu Dian)

Qiu Changchun was born January 9, 1148 in Shandong. He started learning Daoism at 10 and became a Daoist at 19. He then became a hermit for 13 years. He became very famous, temples grew up wherever he gave lectures. Daoism enjoyed its golden age during his time.

Hall of Three Pure Gods and Four Heavenly Guardians (San Qing Ge Si Yu Dian)

The three pure gods are Yuqing (Jade Pure), Shangqing (Upper Pure) and Taiqing (Great Pure). They are believed to be different manifestations of Lao Zi. They are not rulers, but rather seek to save mankind by teaching and benevolence.

Taiqing is the direct manifestation of Lao Zi. He holds a fan, symbol of his powers, on which are written the yin-yang symbol and the Big Dipper.

Halls in the West Yard:

Hall of Yuanjun (Yuan Jun Dian)

Goddess Bixia Yuanjun, was born by nine "qi" and ordered by the Jade Emperor to supervise the kindness and evils of human beings. In folklore, people regarded Yuanjun as the protector of children. She is also called "Taishan Niangniang" (goddess of Taishan).

Hall of the Eight Immortals (Ba Xian Dian)

The eight immortals are very popular, their stories first appearing in the Tang Dynasty (618-960), but the membership changes. In the Yuan Dynasty (1125-1368), the group was finally recognized as containing Zhong Liquan (general), Lu Dongbin (young intellectual), Zhang Guolao (old man, riding a white donkey), Lan Caihe (young hermit), Cao Guojiu (in the image of an official, brother of Emperess Cao of Song Renzong), Li Tieguan (limp, carrying a medicine bottle gourd), Han Xiangzi (handsome intellectual with a flute) and He Xiangu (the only female immortal of the eight).

Hall of Master Lü(Lü Zu Dian)

The hall is actually for Lü Dongbin, one of the eight immortals. He is the most famous, has the best stories. Chinese legends give him a nice selection of hometowns, but generally agree he was born on April 14, when "heavenly music played and a crane flew to Mrs Wang's stomach."

The Hall of Yuanchen, commonly known as 60-year-olds Hall (Yuan Chen Dian)

For each of the 12 earthly branches, there is a representative animal (See Lao Ma, page ). For example, 2000 is in Chinese calendar "the year of dragon." Daoism and superstition believes bad luck in one's own animal year, so it's important that one pays visit to this hall and pray for good luck.

Halls on the West Line of Front Yard (from S to N):

The Hall of Wealth (Cai Shen Dian)

The god worshipped here is actually general Guan Yu, the best fighter of the Three Kingdoms (220-280).

He was loyal to lord Liu Bei, King of Shu. He refused wealth and luxury promised by the enemy Cao Cao.

After his death, he was made a god of wealth. Daoism wants people to worship him he never cared too much about money.

The Hall of King of Medicine (Yao Wang Dian)

Sun Simiao, a magical doctor in Tang Dynasty, is the "King of Medicine". Interested in Daoism, he became a hermit himself in 579.

He wrote 30 chapters of the ancient medicine book "Qian Jin Fang" (a thousand golden inscriptions). His major inspirations came from Daoism. His theories were followed by generations of doctors and cured countless people.

On the East (from south to north)

Hall of Three Officials (San Guan Dian)

The three officials rule over all things in the three regions of the universe, keep a register of good and evil deeds and award good and bad fortune accordingly. Tianguan, the Ruler of Heaven, grants happiness. Diguan, the Ruler of Earth, grants remissions of sins, and Shuiguan, Ruler of Water, averts all evil. Luckily, their compassion for all people is unbounded.