At the foot of Mount Song lies the Purple Golden City—Zhongyue Temple

Zhongyue Temple, located at the southern foot of Mount Song in Dengfeng City, Henan Province, was founded during the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), originally named 'Taishi Ci' and was built for the worship of the mountain god of Taishi. After several relocations during the Eastern and Western Han Dynasties, it was moved to its current location at Yu'an Ridge during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and was also renamed 'Zhongyue Temple'. Throughout the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, Zhongyue Temple underwent countless repairs and expansions, gradually forming its current scale. Hence, it earned the nickname 'The Forbidden City at the foot of Mount Song'. The majority of the current buildings were reconstructed during the Qing Emperor Qianlong's reign, and their style shares a unique similarity with the Forbidden City in Beijing, yet all the ancient buildings have been preserved in their original form, including stone steles, pagodas, archways, and temple fixtures, among others. The legendary founder of Taoism, Zhang Daoling, is said to have practiced here and left behind the 'True Form Map of the Five Sacred Mountains', which is believed to have been used by Taoist practitioners entering the mountain to ward off all kinds of beasts and evil spirits. With a long history, Zhongyue Temple has almost witnessed the entire development history of the Chinese nation and Taoism. Such ancient temples that have been preserved for thousands of years are rare in the world, and their intact preservation also provides valuable physical materials for the study of Taoist culture. Zhongyue Temple is a Taoist site of the Quanzhen School, and the main deity worshipped here is the Zhongyue Emperor. The Zhongyue Emperor, also known as the Mount Song God, is one of the Five Great Mountain Emperors. He is the earliest deity worshipped among the Five Sacred Mountains, and since Zhongyue is located in the center of China's land, it is associated with earth, which complements heaven, hence it holds a higher status among the Five Sacred Mountains. He was deeply revered by ancient emperors and was the first among the Five Sacred Mountains to be officially enshrined by an emperor. According to 'The Old Book of Tang: Records of Rites and Ceremonies, Volume Four', in the fourth year of the Chuigong era (688) under Empress Wu Zetian, the deity of the Luo River was enshrined, and due to the proximity of Mount Song to the Luo River, Mount Song was renamed as the Divine Mountain, and the title of 'Zhong Tian Wang' was bestowed, along with the establishment of a temple. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, the Zhongyue deity was renamed 'Zhong Tian Wang', and during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, he was enshrined as 'Zhong Tian Chongsheng Emperor'. In the Yuan Dynasty, he was further honored as 'Zhong Tian Daining Chongsheng Emperor'. The birthday of the Zhongyue Emperor is on the 18th day of the third lunar month, and every year from the first day of March, the Zhongyue Temple Fair begins, attracting throngs of visitors and Taoist devotees from all over to gather at Dengfeng's Zhongyue Temple to burn incense and worship, welcoming the sacred birthday of the Zhongyue Emperor! On June 25, 2001, Zhongyue Temple was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection units. On August 1, 2010, the historical architectural complex including Zhongyue Temple was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site.