Taiqing Palace

Mount Laoshan, located 40 kilometers from Qingdao, is one of the sacred mountains of China. Among the followers of Taoism, its importance is very great. The heyday of Taoism falls during the reign of the emperors of the Song and Yuan dynasties, when 9 large palaces, as well as 8 temples and 72 monasteries functioned on the mountain. Unfortunately, for various reasons, almost all of them have been destroyed in recent decades.

The only extant Taoist monastery Taiqing, or Palace of Great Purity, is considered one of the main treasures of Mount Laoshan, its architectural pearl. The style in which the palace is built is characteristic of many buildings of the Song dynasty, which ruled from 960 to 1279. This form is quite unique and not often found among the cult buildings of China. Three buildings have survived from the monastery complex: the pavilion of the Three Gods, the pavilion of the Three Emperors and the pavilion of the Taoist Trinity. North of the monastery is a magnificent place called Beijushui, surrounded by small rivers, mountain streams and waterfalls.