Azure Clouds Temple (Bixia Ci) in Mount Tai, Tai’an

Azure Clouds Temple (Bixia Ci) in Mount Tai is also named Shrine of the Blue Dawn (Chinese: 碧霞祠; pinyin: Bìxiá Cí). This temple, near the top of Mount Tai, was first built in the Song dynasty and has been extensively renewed in later times. It is dedicated to Bixia, the Princess of the Azure Clouds and the daughter of the god of Mt. Tai. Bixia assists women during pregnancy, and is also associated with the dawn. Mt. Tai is a focus of the cycle of life and death; here the souls of the newborns come forth, and here the souls of the dead return, to complete the endless circle.

Landscape of Azure Clouds Temple

The Godness of the Azure Clouds, lovingly known as Grandmother Taishan()is Taishan’s premier cult figure, a Daoist deity with a fanatical following among the elderly peasant women who make the difficult climb. Myths claim she was the daughter of the Tianshan god, while others list her as one of the seven special women sacrificed by the mythical Emperor Huangdi to the Taishan gods. Over 40Daoist devouts, identifiable by their distinctive tipknots, live and study here.

Mount Tai

Mount Taishan is the most famous sacred mountain of China, with exceptional historic, cultural, aesthetic and scientific value.  Settled by humans as early as the Neolithic (a Dawenkou site is nearby), the mountain has been worshipped continuously throughout the last three millennia.  A large and impressive rock mass covering 25,000 ha and rising to 1,545 m above the surrounding plateau, Mount Taishan is considered one of the most beautiful scenic spots in China and was an important cradle of oriental East Asian culture since the earliest times. The mountain was an important object of the cult worship of mountains even before 219 BCE, when the Qin Emperor, Huang Di, paid tribute to the mountain in the Fengshan sacrifices to inform the gods of his success in unifying all of China. On the mountain there are 12 historically recorded imperial ceremonies in homage to Heaven and Earth, about 1,800 stone tablets and inscriptions, and 22 temples, which together make Mount Taishan the most important monument in China, a world-renowned treasure house of history and culture. Tai Shan has been climbed by many people important in Chinese history. The emperors of great dynasties had to climb the mount to show that they has been the sole ruler of the country

The Reputation of Mount Tai

Mount Tai is one of the five famous mountains in China. , it covers a total area of 242,000 hectares between Tai’an, Jinan and Zibo. It is known as “the head of the five mountains”, “the dignity of the five mountains” and “the first mountain in the world”. It is a world natural and cultural heritage, a world geological park, a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, a national scenic spot, a national key cultural relics protection unit and a national civilized tourist attraction.

Scenic Spot Activities of Azure Clouds Temple

• Dao Chang(道场)
  Fashi(法事) It refers to the religious activities of offering sacrifices to gods at altars set up by Taoist temples to pray for good men and women to eliminate disasters and to go beyond the limits of the dead. Taoist venues are divided into auspicious Taoist venues and sacrificial ceremonies.
• Auspicious venue
  According to the wishes and requirements of the believers, prayers for disaster relief, blessing, birthday celebration and other activities are held on Taoist festivals. Such as weddings, children, longevity, peace, birthdays, business, finance, travel, relocation, official career, etc. By doing auspicious monastery, we can help people realize their good wishes.
• Sacrifice Society
  According to the wishes and requirements of the religious people, the legal activities for the deceased ancestors on the Qingming Festival and the fifteenth and first October of the seventh month of the lunar calendar are carried out every year.
• Taoist festivals
  It refers to the birthdays of Taoist gods, ancestors and traditional Chinese festivals. Such as the Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Summer Solstice, Mid-Autumn Festival, Chongyang Festival, Winter Solstice, Labor Day and National Day. Every time these important festivals are celebrated, Taoism holds solemn religious activities.