White Cloud Temple
| White Cloud Temple | |
|---|---|
 The archway in front of the entrance to the temple site | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Taoism |
| Location | |
| Location | Beijing,China |
| Geographic coordinates | 39°53′56″N116°20′17″E/ 39.8989°N 116.338°E |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 14th Century Ming dynasty |
| White Cloud Temple | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | BạchVânXem | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | BạchVânXem | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Templeofthe WhiteCloud(s) | ||||||||
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| Tianchang Temple | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | ThiênTrườngXem | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | ThiênTrườngXem | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | TempleofHeavenlyPerpetuity | ||||||||
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| Changchun Temple | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | TrườngXuânCung | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | TrườngXuânCung | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Palace of EternalSpring Palace ofMaster Changchun | ||||||||
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TheWhite Cloud Temple,also known asBaiyun Templeor theAbbeyorMonastery of the White Clouds,is aTaoist templeandmonasterylocated inBeijing,China.It is one of "The Three Great Ancestral Courts" of theQuanzhen Schoolof Taoism and is titled "The First Temple under Heaven".
History[edit]
The White Cloud Temple was first founded in the mid-8th century during theTang dynastyand was initially called the Temple of Heavenly Perpetuity (Tianchang Guan). During this period, the abbey was state-sponsored and staffed by an elite clergy. From 1125 to 1215 when what is now Beijing was controlled by theJin dynasty,the abbey served as the Taoist administrative headquarters and played an important role in state ceremonies. After Beijing was taken by theMongolsin 1215, the abbey was taken over by theQuanzhenpatriarchQiu Chujiand became the headquarters of the Quanzhen movement until the establishment of theMing dynasty.Qiu—who himself was known by the name Master of EternalSpring—renamed the abbey the Palace of Eternal Spring (Changchun Gong). Upon being summoned byGenghis Khan,Qiu undertook a three-year trek fromShandongto give the great khan an exposition on Taoism, which he completed in October 1222.[1]Qiu's successor, Yin Zhiping (Doãn Chí Bình;1169–1251) built a memorial shrine over Qiu's grave. This shrine became a temple in its own right and became known as the White Cloud Temple. The abbey was damaged when the Mongols took over in the late 13th century and, during the Ming dynasty, the Palace of Eternal Spring was destroyed. However, the White Cloud Temple survived and took over the functions of its former parent.[2]Under the Ming, clergy from theZhengyi schooltook over operations of the abbey but continued Quanzhen traditions and ordination ceremonies. Zhengyi control over the temple continued until the 17th century, when their monopoly ended and the Quanzhen master Wang Changyue (Vương thường nguyệt;d.1680) took over. To this day, the White Cloud Temple remains controlled by the Quanzhen school.[3]The abbey was without an abbot for the 1940s and was closed when thecommunistscame to power in 1949. Unlike many other historical sites which were being destroyed during theCultural Revolution,the White Cloud Temple managed to survived but was also damaged. Today, it is again a fully functioning temple and is the seat of theChinese Taoist Association.[4]
Layout[edit]
Like most other Chinese temples, the White Cloud Temple is laid out on a north-south axis, with the entrance at the south end. There are five main halls built upon the main axis, beginning with the Main Gate, Yuhuang Hall(Ngọc Hoàng điện,"Hall of theJade Emperor"), Laolü Hall(Lão luật đường), Qiuzu Hall (Khâu tổ điện,"Hall of theVenerableQiu "), and finally the Sanqing Hall(Tam Thanh Điện,"Hall of theThree Pure Ones").[3]On either side of the main axis are two smaller axes, each containing halls dedicated to a variety of deities. In the rear of the complex is a garden which hosts the abbey’s ordination platform.[4]
Yuhuang Hall[edit]
This hall was first built in 1661 and was rebuilt in 1788. It is dedicated to theJade Emperor,who oversees the Celestial Bureaucracy inChinese religion.It is three bays long with a gabled roof, and is flanked by drum and bell towers.[5]
Laolü Hall[edit]
This hall has the same design as the Yuhuang Hall and was first built in 1456.[5]The monastic community holds a twice-daily office in the Laolü Hall, and it is where ordination certificates are issued.[3][5]
Qiuzu Hall[edit]
Originally built to enshrineQiu Chuji,this hall was first built in 1228. It is three bays long with a front gallery.[5]
Sanqing Hall[edit]
In 1428, the Sanqing hall was built. It is a two-story, five bay structure with a gabled roof that contains statues of theThree Pure Oneson the top floor and theFour Celestial Aideson the bottom floor.[5]
Ordinations[edit]
Out of 20 Quanzhen ordination seminaries in theQing dynasty,the White Cloud Temple was the most important of all. In order to become a Taoist monk of Quanzhen Order, novices first had to spend three years living in a temple. After accomplishing this, they were eligible to be ordained. The ordination was extremely harsh. Each novice had to undergo 100 days of brutal training that sometimes resulted in death. In modern times, this has been reduced to 53 days and is no longer as dangerous. After this training period, novices had exams on Taoist classics, poetry, and precepts. Afterwards, successful novices were fully ordained asTaoist monks.During the Qing dynasty, an average of 200 novices were ordained every four years.[4]Ordination ceremonies ended after 1927, but were resumed in 1989.[6]
Festivals[edit]
Every year on the 19th day of the first lunar month a festival is held at the abbey in celebration of Qiu Chuji's birthday. It has been thought that Qiu would return to earth as an immortal on this day.[4]The festival was first held during theYuan dynasty,but was suspended after the People's Republic of China was established in 1949. The festival was revived in the 1990s and continues to be held to this day.[7]
Gallery[edit]
See also[edit]
- Taoism&Taoist Canon
- Master Changchun
- Quanzhen School
- Dragon Gate Taoism
- History of Taoism
- Taoist schools
- Chinese Taoist Association
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
Bibliography[edit]
- Goossaert, Vincent. "Baiyun Guan." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 207-210.
- Lai-Chi Tim. "Daoism in China Today: 1980-2002."The China Quarterly,174(2003):413-427.
- Qian Yun.Taoist Buildings: Ancient Chinese Architecture.Springer, 2000.