Baiyun Temple – The Pinnacle of Taoism

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Pushpitha Wijesinghe
China is renowned for its rich heritage, culture and history, as well as for being a country spiritually enriched with their own authentic religion – Taoism (also known as Daoism).
Taoism was originally the school of philosophy founded by Lao Zi – a great philosopher in China, who lived in the 6th century B.C. This religion consists of many teachings with distinct beliefs emphasizing on refinement in thought, speech and action.

The main Taoist temple Baiyun Guan (Baiyun Taoist Temple) is located in Shanghai – the largest city of China, sprawled in the central eastern coast. This temple today stands as a significant historical site, with a history dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912).

A palace by the name Lei Zu was constructed in 1882 during the Qing Dynasty and was later transformed in to this temple Baiyun Guan in 1888. And in 2006 the temple was relocated to a site on Dajing Ge (Dajing Road). The temple was built as a memorial to Lu Dongbin – one of the legendary 8 Taoist Immortals.

Baiyun Temple of Shanghai is one of the two temples that have preserved invaluable ancient Taoist scriptures originating from the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), and at present you can find these scriptures at the Shanghai Library. The other temple that holds the ancient Taoist scriptures is Baiyun Guan of Beijing, which is also known as the White Cloud Temple.

At the entrance of Baiyun Temple in Shanghai, you will notice a hefty archway inscribed with 4 Chinese letters denoting ‘Sheng Yun De Lu’ which literally means ‘the road to obtaining promotion to the clouds’.

As you pass this gateway and travel forward, you will discover two statues, one belonging to the legendary Lu Dongbin and the other portraying the topmost ruler in Taoist hierarchy – the Jade Emperor.

When you explore a bit further you will discover the 2-storey temple Baiyun, nestled in a charming courtyard surrounded by ruddy walls and resting under the shade of ornate roofs. When the fragrance of incense sticks captures your attention, you will also spot numerous gilded statuettes of Taoist deities, worshipped by the devotees.

You will also spot many Taoist monks, dressed in deep blue robes with their hair tied into a bun at the top, performing religious observances at the temple. And if you arrive at the precise time, you can even witness a vivacious procession of the Baiyun Temple, featuring traditional dancing and music as well as chanting as much as the colorfully dressed monks.

To visit this religiously and historically notable attraction, you can reserve a Shanghai luxury hotel such as The Langham Yangtze Boutique Shanghai. There are many Shanghai hotels dotting the neighborhood, providing very cozy abodes and delectable cuisines completed with an array of excellent services.

Comments are closed.