Dai Temple
岱庙
The Temple of the Eastern Peak, where emperors held grand ceremonies before ascending Mount Tai to perform the fengshan rites. Together with the Forbidden City and the Confucius Temple in Qufu, it is one of China's three great palace-style architectural complexes, and its Song-dynasty murals in the Tiankuang Hall are national treasures.
Dai Temple lies in the urban area of Tai'an, at the southern foot of Mount Tai, at the starting point of the Hongmen climbing route. It was where emperors through the ages worshipped the mountain god and held the fengshan ceremonies. It was first built in the Han dynasty, and its current layout was largely established in the Song dynasty. It covers about 96,000 square metres and is a core part of the Mount Tai World Heritage Site. The Tiankuang Hall on the central axis was built in 1009 during the Northern Song. It has a double-eaved hip roof and nine bays, and together with the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City and the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple in Qufu, it forms one of China's three great palace-style architectural complexes. The 62-metre-long mural 'The Procession and Return of the Mount Tai God', painted on three walls inside the hall in the Song dynasty, depicts the mountain god's tour and his return to the palace, and is a masterpiece of Song-dynasty murals. Other highlights include the stone inscription of the Second Emperor of Qin, in small seal script attributed to Li Si, of which only ten characters survive and which is among China's oldest stone inscriptions; the Han Cypress Courtyard, with five cypress trees more than 2,000 years old; the Tang Locust Tree; nearly 300 stone tablets from successive dynasties, known as the Dai Temple Stele Forest; and the city tower on the temple wall, which visitors can climb. Visiting suggestion: enter at the Zhengyang Gate, follow the central axis to the Tiankuang Hall to see the murals, then take the eastern route to the Han Cypress Courtyard and the stone tablets, about 1.5–2 hours in total. Many climbers tour Dai Temple before starting up the Hongmen route, a gesture of worship before the climb. Admission is about 20 yuan and can be bought together with the Mount Tai ticket. Getting there: it's about 10 minutes by taxi from downtown, several bus routes stop at Dai Temple station, and it's a 20-minute walk from Mount Tai Station. Note that the murals hall is dimly lit and flash photography is prohibited. It's crowded on holidays, so arriving before 9 a.m. is quieter.
Opening hours
About 8:00 am–5:30 pm (park closes at 5:00 pm in winter)
Nearby sights
- Daizong Archway
- Wangmuchi Temple (Queen Mother Pool)
- Red Gate & Middle Heaven Gate
- Puzhao Temple
- Tomb of Feng Yuxiang
- Doumu Palace
- Sutra Rock Valley (Jingshiyu)
- Black Dragon Pool & Longevity Bridge