Lost in time a Taoist temple stands. That’s Yuansheng Palace. Imagine stepping back centuries into the heart of ancient China. Here stands Yuansheng Palace in Beijing. It is a testament to resilience and devotion.
Originally named Zhenwu Temple the palace honored Zhenwu the God of the North. Emperor Kangxi’s given name was Xuanye. In 1716 Shunyi County Magistrate Huang Chengzhang changed the temple’s name to Yuansheng Palace. This was to avoid naming taboo.
Marvel at the architecture. Yuansheng Palace faces south with four grand halls. Once inside, you would have seen seven stone tablets. Sadly some were damaged. Forty rooms built during the Qing Dynasty fill the palace. Pine cypress and ancient Chinese scholar trees dot the grounds. Dragons and mythical beasts decorate the roofs.
Imagine the palace in its prime. Benevolent men and women came to burn incense and make vows. Locals asked the monks for blessings. Before the People’s Republic of China was founded about 60 to 70 monks lived here.
Emperor Kangxi’s seventeenth son Prince Guoqin Yunli visited. He presented the palace with a plaque. It read “Golden Light and Precious Image”. He also gifted a five-character poem. One line read: “Entering the ancient temple in the clear morning the first sun shines on the tall trees…” He also wrote a couplet. It said: “A single rock and lone cloud reflect each other’s color. Clear springs and a bright moon illuminate the Zen mind.”
Inside the main hall murals told Buddhist stories. Though covered in plaster hints of their former glory remain. Heavenly kings appeared powerful. The hall also featured ink landscape paintings.
A complete wall surrounds Yuansheng Palace. It features ridges and tile stacks. Monks were buried behind the palace in a pagoda.
In the early 1950s the palace became a school. It was called Shunyi County Junior High School of Hebei Province. Later it became a high school. In 1985 over 8 million yuan were invested. A teaching building laboratories and teacher dormitories were added. The school became a key high school in Beijing. To protect the palace the school moved west.
Today Yuansheng Palace is a protected cultural site in Beijing. The palace’s main gate once had a wooden archway. It was beautifully carved and painted. Sadly it was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The current archway was funded by later donations.
Outside the main gate stood two white marble lions. They were exquisitely carved. They were moved inside the palace due to vandalism. Stone steps once flanked the main gate. They were higher than the ground. The ground was leveled during road construction.
Inside the gate a path appears. It is made of pebbles in floral patterns. Ancient Chinese scholar trees stand on each side. Their branches stretch towards the ground. They seem to whisper tales of the palace’s past.
The main hall is small but adorned with carvings and paintings. Paths on both sides lead to the back. The front hall features a moon platform. Two side cypresses reach for the sky. One is so large that one person cannot wrap their arms around it.
Originally a statue of Zhenwu the Great Emperor was worshipped in the main hall. Buddhist murals once covered the east and west walls. They were rediscovered during a 2001 renovation.
The rear hall is the most impressive. It has five rooms and a moon platform. Stone lions stand in front. The hall has side rooms on both sides. The roof features yellow glazed tiles with green trim and golden dragons.
Yuansheng Palace stands as a window into China’s past. It showcases its art religion and history. It is more than just a building. Yuansheng Palace is a story etched in stone and wood.