The birthplace of Chinese Taoism – welcome to Taoyuan Holy City, Heming Mountain in Dayi, Chengdu6614920

The birthplace of Chinese Taoism – Dayi Heming Mountain is located in the junction of Chengdu Plain and Qionglai Mountains, the elevation difference is one thousand meters, two rivers flow together and pines are verdant. Mountain form is similar to white crane; overlooking from the air, the head, neck, wings and body of the crane is shown clearly, hence the name. For thousands of years, Heming Mountain is peace and simple; it has faded out the bustling with noise and excitement, and is wrapped in the mists of history, flying higher with calm heart. There are dense pines and cypresses of verdant green on the mountain, chirp and bird song heard everywhere, constantly revealing their unique. The people searching for the way and immortality walk through between the temples, everything is covered in mist, and it is good scene. A few red ochre wall, a few upturned eaves, quietly abide by their spiritual beliefs – restricting the active by quietness of inaction, conquering the unyielding with the yielding.

Taoyuan Holy City is situated in the scenic area of Taoist culture in Heming Mountain, about one hour’s drive away from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. It is the only way which must be passed of Xiling Snow Mountain, Colored Water Gulf and other scenic spots, and tourist attraction combining Taoist pilgrimage, cultural tourism, health preserving, leisure and fashion sports in one.

Tourist map of Taoyuan Holy City Several major reasons of travelling to Taoyuan Holy City

Pilgrimage

Taoism originates from China for 1800 years history till now. The aim is immortal life, boundless sending people to heaven, letting everything take its course and governing by doing nothing that goes against nature. The founder of Chinese Taoism, Zhang Ling (AD 34-157), has taken the “Taoism” as the highest religion throughout his life, has entered into Sichuan at an advanced age of more than 90 and settles in Heming Mountain for preaching. The religious sect initially founded by him is commonly called Five Pecks of Rice, that is, any ordinary poor people can be received into the Taoism as long as he hands in five pecks of rice. Later “Five Pecks of Rice” has been developed into the only indigenous religion in China - Taoism, becoming the most important national religion and spiritual pillar of Chinese nation extending for thousands of years. In the China’s long historical river, Heming Mountain is prosperous several times; at the height of period, there are hundreds of hall, temple, kiosk and pavilion on the mountain, and this large scale is uncommon all over the country. Heming Mountain is a place gathering high priests, including Du Guangting in the Tang Dynasty, Chen Tuan in the Northern Song Dynasty and Zhang Sanfeng in the Ming Dynasty, and they have left poems and essays. Now these poems and essays quietly can be seen in the old Taoist temples of Heming Mountain. Through historical changes, several dynasties of wars and calamities, this huge group of temples mostly has been burnt. In 2006, Chengdu Enwei Group invested for reviving Heming Mountain, and built Taoyuan Holy City here. It is based on the style of Han Dynasty, artfully places the position of Taoist Tai Chi, nine palaces and eight trigrams according to unique geomancy and landform of the mountain, and forms distinctive architectural and forest landscape. The main scenic spots include over 20 temples and buildings, such as Hall of Ancestral Celestial Master, Lord Laozi Hall, Taoist Canteen and so on, which have adopted uncommon architectural style imitated the Han Dynasty among Taoist temple groups in China, grand and magnificent and abound in changes, and is a architectural masterpiece blending ancient and modern features; especially are the marker of Taoism birthplace with height of 9.9 meters - Yucong stone carving, Taoist master bronze statue with height of 8.5 meters, statue of Lord Laozi with height of 4.1 meters, five meters high cloisonné statue of spiritual ancestors, and huge copper relief of “Taoist Traces” more than 40 meters long, having highly religious and artistic value.

Marker of Taoism birthplace with height of 9.9 meters - Yucong stone carving Unique Taoist blessing dance Ritual religious ceremonies are unique Taoist blessing dance. The priests set up the mandala for offering sacrifices to the gods, praying for devout worshippers to avoid disasters and releasing the souls of dead from purgatory. Taoyuan Holy City is the birthplace of Chinese Taoism, and is the common home of global Taoist followers. Grand Taoist religious ceremonies will be held on every Dragon Boat Festival, birthday of Taoist master, Spring Festival and other traditional festivals, for praying the gods to bless.

Unveiling ceremony of blessings in 2010 Spring Festival

Taoist health-preserving spa bath In Taoyuan Holy City, you can enjoy the sight of flowers and go for an outing in spring, go away for the summer and enjoy the cool in summer, climb mountains and view the moon in autumn, see snow scene and soak in the hot springs in winter. It is a good place to relax the mood, and have leisure and health preserving. Characteristic Taoist health-preserving spa in Taoyuan Holy City is medicated bath hot spring made up in accordance with Taoist health-preserving philosophy and Chinese medicine treatment principles. Spring pools are built corresponding to 28 star mansions in the sky; the efficacy is different because of medicinal materials, containing rheumatism pool, anti-fatigue pool, skin health care pool and so on, having a great variety and significant effect. Bathing in the pool, enjoying intimate nourishing of hot spring, with light mountain breeze and delicate smell of leaves, verdant green scene greets the eyes if looking up, and they become more fantastic in the steam, this exciting feeling seems to be in gold paradise, would you like to take a nap, or a little drunk?

Spa herbal pool Taoist characteristic “Tai Chi Health-preserving Fist Position”- Zhang Sanfeng Taoist Tai Chi Tai Chi has the features of aesthetic image, beautiful moving, esthetical martial art and graceful modeling. There is ever-changing movement within a square inch, like pieces of wordless poem, vivid pictures, living sculptures, and pieces of running music, giving endless imagination and having great benefit to cultivate the temperament and tap human potential energy. Chief instructor of Zhang Sanfeng Taoist Health-preserving Tai Chi Seminary in Taoyuan Holy City is acted by Mei Yingsheng, the trustee of China International Yongnian Taijiquan Friendship Association, Tai Chi master, the national outstanding martial arts instructor, and special engaged expert of Taoist Health-preserving Culture Research Center of Sichuan University, to widely accept fellows at home and abroad and provide free training. Meanwhile, the seminary has opened perennial training class of Taoist health-preserving regimen, some Taoist priests proficient in this regimen are responsible for teaching, and the contents include five animal exercises, civil and military eight-length brocade exercises, 24 solar terms regimen, Taoist regimen for getting rid of illness, Chisongzi regimen, Lingjianzi regimen, Peng Zu health-preserving longevity regimen and so on.

On April 22, 2012, launch ceremony of “Tai Chi Chengdu” series activities was held on Taoyuan Holy City Plaza of Heming Mountain in Dayi County. More than 5,000 Tai Chi enthusiasts from all primary and secondary schools, universities and colleges, as well as 19 cities and counties got together, scattered about the various temples of Taoyuan Holy City, began form and did Tai Chi simultaneously, this is an impressive display of power or influence and has spectacular scenes.

Taoist Canteen Taoist Characteristic Health-preserving Delicacy

Health-preserving theory of Taoism believes that there are five basic elements of water, fire, wood, metal and earth in the world, to reinforce or counteract each other, making all kinds of things in the world maintain balance and development. Human body is same, each organ has the attributes of five elements; the food we usually eat is also so, these food with the attributes of five elements are closely related to our internal organs, for example, bitter food matches fire in the five elements, related to the heart, can provide nutrition for the heart and help the heart tissue to grow and enhance its functions. Specifically, the relationship among five elements, five flavors and visceral organs is shown below: Metal - pungent - lung and large intestine - skin - nose Wood - sour - liver and gall - nerve - eyes Earth - sweet - spleen and stomach - muscle - oral cavity Water - salty - kidney and bladder - skeleton - ears Fire - bitter - heart and small intestine - blood vessel - tongue Therefore, the daily food we intake should maintain the balance of five elements, for the purpose of preserving the health. “Taoist Canteen” complies with health-preserving ideology of Taoism, focuses on harmonizing five flavors, and pay attention to five elements collocation of diets, to design a complete set of Taoist health-preserving dishes having simultaneous development of meat and vegetables, which include vegetable dishes imitating meat, nutritious medicinal dishes allocated by using Taoist traditional formula, and fashion dishes carefully cooked with rich products in Sichuan; they are constitutional and delicious, ecological and healthy, reflecting the heavy and mysterious sense of Chengdu food culture, and becoming unique food in the delicacy city of Chengdu.

Address of Taoyuan Holy City: Sanfeng Village, Dayi Heming Township, Chengdu, Sichuan, China Reference website of Taoyuan Holy City: http://info.taoholycity.com/ English website: http://en.taoholycity.com/ Chinese Taoism Contact E-mail: service@taoholycity.com;billchin72@foxmail.com; Iviey@163.com