Dai Temple is a famous Taoist temple located to the north of Tai'an, Shandong Province. Initially constructed from Han Dynasty (206BC-220), Dai Temple was built as where the emperors made sacrifice to the gods of Heaven and Earth, and worshiped the god of the Mount Taishan.
Why the Dai Temple is special
Dai Temple is one of the four China’s best-preserved architectural complexes. The other three are the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Temple of Confucius, the Kong Family Mansion and the cemetery of Confucius in Qufu, and the Mountain Resort in Chengde. The Dai temple houses various stylish Taoist buildings and precious stone tablets, attracting millions of tourists each year.
Dai Temple highlights
Taoist Buildings
There are several famous Taoist halls situated in Dai Temple, Tiankuang Hall consecrating the god of Mount Taishan is the most renowned and important one. In front of the hall stand two pails and a huge iron censer of Ming Dynasty. Walls inside the hall are painted a giant Taoist mural. Except for Tiankuang Hall, Linglong Archway, Bronze Pavilion and Iron Tower are all famous attractions reflecting profound Taoist culture. Built in 1672, the Linglong Archway is about 12 meters (39 feet) in height. Various patterns are carved on the archway such as two dragons playing with a ball, a flock of cranes playing with a lotus and the red phoenix in the morning sun. Bronze Pavilion and the Iron Tower are located at the backyard of the Dai Temple. Both of the Bronze Pavilion and the Iron Tower embody the beauty of exquisite ancient Chinese art.
Stone Tablets
Stone tablets situated inside the Dai Temple are worth to see for tourists who are interested in Chinese calligraphy and ancient art. Among all the tablets, the one written by Li Si (the Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty) is the most renowned. All of the tablets are of great value for exploring both ancient Chinese Calligraphy and Taoism history.