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Ba Xian An Monastery
- The Eight Immortals Temple
The Eight Immortals
Temple, which was called "Ba Xian An" means eight immortals
temple in ancient China, is located to the north of Changle Fang Street
belongs to the area Dongguan of Xi'an city. It is the biggest Taoist temple
in Xi'an and is a well-known Taoist architecture in northwest China
History
The Eight Immortals Temple is said to be established in Song Dynasty,
with Chang'an Wineshop and Thunder Spirit Temple as its former forms.
During the Tang Dynasty this place was "Chang'an Wineshop",
where Lv Dongbin was transformed by Zhongli Quan and became a Daoist while
drinking. Speaking of the later one, it was built for the purpose of guarding
of the underground thunder sound. The present name was largely drew materials
from the legend came down from the Song Dynasty. With the accident of
a student's staying in the temple, he had encountered the Eight Immortals
who traveled to dine there. on the following dynasties, several times
renovated and expansion have made it a well known Daoist temple then.
During the famous Gnegzi Turmoil in 1900, the 26th year of GungXu, empress
dowager CiXi took emperor GuangXu to escape to Xi'an and CiXi always searched
for her heart peace here in the famous temple. Then after her return,
she entitled the temple as the "Longevity Temple of the Eight Immortals
at the Eastern Pass of Xi'an". Even after the founding of the People's
Republic of China, the government as well has took money to repair and
renovation, which have made it a mere temple only but also an appealing
spot in China.
Architecture
The temple in total covers an area of more than 8,200 square meters. Though
it has gone through series of repairs and renovations, it still possesses
the typical layout of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It obeyed the traditional
Chinese way of construction that lies in the north and faces south and
divided at the central court between the eastern and western yards. Then
we could say that there are three sections intotal. the Linggong Palace,
the Baxian Palace and the Doumu Palace in the middle,the Luzu Palace,
the Yaowang Palace and other features in the east, on the west are Qiuzu
Palace and the Jianyuan Room.
There is a tablet with the emperor's inscription "Dong Tian Yun Ji"
on the lintel of the main hall-he Eight Immortals Hall. In the hall, the
Imperial Sovereign Donghua sits uprightly in the middle and the eight
immortals sit on either side.
Status
The Eight Immortals Temple has been recognized by the State Council as
a national key temple. And in Shaanxi Province, Ba Xian An Monastery is
a popular and important place for Taoist celebrations. The settled annual
temple fair held in the mid-days of the fourth lunar month. Also it turned
out to be a great attraction for people from home and abroad on the Double
Nine Festival.
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