Yuquan Taoist Temple was first built in 1281 of the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), collapsed, destroyed and rebuilt several times. Yuquan Taoist Temple was once named as Chengbei (northern city) Temple, Chongning and Guashan temples. When the local officials submitted a statement to ask the court to build a Taoist temple here, they referred to the place as a famous mountain with a jade spring. So the temple was called Yuquan (jade spring) Taoist Temple later.
Yuquan Taoist Temple is located in the northwestern part of Qincheng (ancient Tianshui), within the Yuquanguan Park. With graceful cypresses towering above, and some great views of Qincheng below, the temple, and the park form a peaceful and pretty ambience. The main constructions in the temple include the Pavilion of Jade Emperor (Supreme Deity of Taoism), Sanqing Temple, and some large-scale grand Taoist building groups built around. Most of the buildings were built against the mountain and face south.
Yuquan Temple is located up on the main hill of the park, with long stone steps leading up to the temple gate. After entering the gate are the two small temples of the sun and the moon and the two halls of black dragon and the white tiger (the black dragon and the white tiger are two immortals in the Taoist legendary). Crossing the two halls, you can see the Pavilion of Jade Emperor, and on the stele hung on the gate of the pavilion are four Chinese characters meaning "Heaven and earth --- a world of difference".
On both sides of the Pavilion are the halls of two Taoist immortals, Leizhu and Sanguan. The main hall here is the Hall of Lord Lao [Chinese philosopher of the late Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC) and the founder of Taoism], where the statues of the Taoist deities are set. In front of the hall is a jade spring (Yu Quan). It is said the water in the spring can cure eye illness, thus the spring is also called "Bright-eye" Spring. |
