《天台山志》

The Huiji Zhi (Gazetteer of Huiji) records that the Sima Regret Bridge (Sima Hui Qiao) lies forty li southeast of Xinchang County. According to local tradition, Sima Chengzhen once lived in seclusion on Mount Tiantai. When he was later summoned to leave the mountain, he felt regret on reaching this spot, and the bridge took its name from that moment. Some hold that the bridge's origin should be recorded with special care, as a warning to recluses against leaving their retreats lightly.

Later, local people rebuilt the bridge and inscribed it, but they wrote the character 悔 ("regret") as 晦 ("obscure"), calling it the "Sima Obscure Bridge." Both the writing and the explanation attached to it have only made the original meaning more corrupt.

According to the Yunji Qiqian (Seven Tablets from the Cloudy Satchel), Mount Sima Hui lies north of Mount Tiantai in Taizhou. It is the sixteenth blessed land (fudi) and is overseen by the immortal Li Ming. The mountain stands on the border between Tiantai and Xinchang counties, so the bridge was named after the mountain. One traveler who crossed the bridge wrote a poem, which runs roughly: "The Sima Hui Mountain of the Daoist books is a blessed land of Tiantai. Its peaks are lofty and beautiful, and since heaven and earth were opened it has stood majestic through countless ages. Why does the Yuezhong Zhi record it differently?" The author considers inaccurate the claim that Zheng Ziwei of the Tang (Ziwei being Sima Chengzhen's courtesy name) once passed this bridge, regretted leaving the mountain when summoned to court, and wished to rein in his horse and turn back. The bridge's name has remained on the span across the rocky cliffs, yet the written records have already gone badly astray, and popular accounts are especially sketchy. Now the character 悔 has been written as 晦 and inscribed in large letters on a wooden plaque, so the error has spread. Reading this poem is enough to see roughly where the problem lies.

The compilation in the Yikao Ji also contains serious errors, which shows insufficient knowledge of local conditions. It writes 悔 as 晦 and displays it in large characters on a plaque, so the mistake has been passed down.

The Yuanhai records seventy-two blessed lands among the famous mountains of the world, listing Sima Hui as the sixtieth. It places it on Mount Tiantai in Taizhou, under the care of the immortal Li Ming north of the prefecture. The Chicheng Zhi, the gazetteer of this prefecture, states that Mount Sima Hui lies thirteen li north of Tiantai County, behind Mount Tiantai.

Mount Tiantai lies three li north of the county seat, beginning in the area of the Shenji Stone. According to the old Tujing (Illustrated Gazetteer), Tao Hongjing states in his Zhen'gao (Declarations of the Perfected) that Mount Tiantai is 18,000 zhang high and 800 li in circumference, that its terrain rises in eight tiers, and that its scenery looks the same from all four sides. It lies beneath the celestial zone corresponding to the Dipper and Ox lunar lodges, and corresponds above to the Tai constellation in the heavens; for this reason it is called "Tiantai" ("Celestial Terrace").

The Shidao zhi (Record of the Ten Circuits) describes it as "its summit facing the three luminaries," meaning that the peak seems to stand directly opposite the sun, moon, and stars. The Dengzhen yinjue (Hidden Instructions for Ascending to Perfection) says that the Greater Terrace and Lesser Terrace are located at the center of five counties: Yuyao, Juzhang, Linhai, Tiantai, and Shan. Mount Tiantai is also called "Lingyue" (Numinous Yue). The lines in Sun Xinggong's Fu (Rhapsody), "Shaded by the Ox lodge, it makes its peaks shine; resting on numinous Yue, it sets its proper foundation," refer to Mount Tiantai.

Today, "Tiantai" generally serves as a collective name for this whole mountain range. Tongbai, Chicheng, Pubu (Waterfall), Folong, Xianglu (Censer), Huading, Dongcang, and others are the names of its various parts. Broadly speaking, Chicheng is taken as the south gate and Shicheng as the west gate, according to Shenyong's record; Xu Lingfu's Xiaolu (Short Record), however, calls the Jinting Abbey in Shan County the north gate, probably meaning that the Tiantai range extends as far as that place.

The Baopuzi neipian (Inner Chapters of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity) says that ordinary mountains are unsuitable for refining the Golden Elixir (jindan), because such mountains harbor the spirits of water and stone. Only Taihua, Shaoshi, Jinyun, Luofu, and the Greater and Lesser Terraces are home to true deities who can help people gain blessings, making them suitable for cultivation. Here "refining the Golden Elixir" is a Daoist technical term, referring to the practice of refining and nourishing the Golden Elixir. The Tiantai fu (Rhapsody on Mount Tiantai) says: "Crossing the sea, one finds Fangzhang and Penglai; ascending the land, one finds Siming and Tiantai." Because Mount Tiantai occupies a secluded and hidden place, it was not counted among the Five Peaks. The Shanchen (Mountain Prophecies) adds: "Quyu, Nüt'ai: one can avoid calamity here." From this it appears that Mount Tiantai has been regarded since antiquity as a dwelling place of numinous immortals.

The Rhapsody on Mount Tiantai was composed by Sun Chuo (Sun Xinggong) of the Jin dynasty.

Mount Tiantai may be called the most numinous and beautiful of all the famous mountains. Crossing the sea, one finds Fangzhang and Penglai; on land, there are Mount Siming and Mount Tiantai. These are all places where the sage-kings of high antiquity once traveled to teach and transform the people, and where immortals dwell in their cavern-abodes. Mount Tiantai rises high and steep, its auspicious scenery lovely, encircled by mountains and sea, displaying in full the grandeur of both the human world and the realm of the immortals.

It is not counted among the Five Peaks, nor is it recorded in the ordinary canonical texts. Is this not because it is secluded and deep, its roads distant and hard to travel? Its reflection sometimes falls amid layer upon layer of ocean waves; at other times its peaks lie hidden within a thousand ranges. The traveler must pass along roads haunted by chimei (mountain and forest demons of legend), and in the end must set foot in places where no one lives. Few in the world have been able to climb this mountain, and no ruler could come to perform the yinsi (sacrificial rites to Heaven and Earth) here. Thus its story does not appear in common records and has been handed down only under a name of wonder. As for the appearance of pictures and written accounts of it, that too is not without reason.

If one were not a person who had transcended the mundane, loved the Great Dao (Way), and been able to practice bigu (abstaining from grains) and feed on the divine zhi fungus, how could one bring one's whole household here to live? If one were not a person whose aspirations lay far away, who sought the profound and obscure, and who firmly believed that cultivating the Dao could bring communion with the divine, how could one yearn so from afar for this mountain and keep it in mind?

And so my spirit has roamed and my thoughts have turned over and over; by day I have chanted of it, and at night inspiration has stirred me. In the space of a glance, it seemed I had climbed the mountain a second time. Now I am about to untie the yingluo (the tasseled ornaments I wear, symbols of worldly status and entanglement) and take up a long residence on this mountain ridge. I cannot restrain the chanting and musing in my heart, and so I take up my brush for the time being and write, to set my feelings free.

The Great Void (Taixu, the vast boundless sky) is distant and empty, and the myriad things move through it without obstruction. The mysteries of natural creation sometimes gather into rivers and sometimes congeal into mountains. Mount Tai-yue (Tiantai Mountain) rises majestic and strange, as though it were a place upheld and sheltered by divine beings. Its peaks pierce the clouds, its roots connect with the numinous and beautiful land of Yue, and its ridges stretch far to join Mount Hua and Mount Tai. Towering straight toward the heavens, it is fit to be matched with the "heaven" spoken of in the Tang classics, and as lofty as the mountains praised in the Book of Songs.

That distant mountain city lies deep and hidden. Those nearby see only what is before their eyes and do not know its divine wonders; the road is far and hard to travel, and outsiders have no way of learning of it. Like summer insects that do not believe the world holds ice, I put my belongings in order and considered how to climb the mountain in search of the Dao (the Way). The mountain's secrets will in the end be revealed, and two marvels foretell the realm of the immortals: the glow of rosy clouds rises over Mount Chicheng, like a marker set up for the road, and a waterfall rushes down as though dividing the mountain path. Seeing these auspicious signs, I set out.

I am about to depart for Danqiu (the legendary land of the immortals) to follow the Feathered Ones (the legendary immortals) and seek the blessed land of deathless longevity. Since Tiantai can be climbed, why envy the distant city of the immortals? I put aside worldly attachments and give free rein to my aspiration to transcend the dust of the world. I put on a straw cloak, shake my bell-hung staff, push aside wild grass and thickets, and climb the steep cliffs.

I cross the You Stream and head straight for the mountain city, passing the Five Boundaries and hurrying on. I step across high-hanging stone stairs and look down into a valley ten thousand fathoms deep; I tread on slippery rocks overgrown with moss, and cling to cliff walls that stand like emerald screens; I seize the long vines hanging from tall trees and pull on the creepers stretching across empty air. Although the journey seems to verge on peril, it enables one to pursue long life. So long as the heart is devout and steadfast, one's steps feel secure even after passing through layer upon layer of dangerous road. At last I pass the Nine-Bend perilous path, and the mountain road gradually becomes gentler and broader. I let my gaze roam and walk slowly and at ease: beneath my feet is lush, soft green grass, above my head are tall, sparse pines; I watch the luan birds fly lightly and listen to the phoenixes sing in harmony.

Passing the Numinous Stream, I wash in its waters, and the worries in my breast disperse with them; the clear current rinses away worldly cares and frees me from the Five Hindrances (the five afflictions that veil the nature of the mind). I follow in the footsteps of the ancient immortals represented by Xihe and Chenguang, and set foot on the profound path of the Two Elders (legendary immortals). Climbing up and down, I stay two nights and finally arrive at the Immortal Capital. Two watchtower gates rise like clouds, flanking the road; jade terraces hang high in midair, and the palaces and pavilions of the immortals link together among the trees, their splendid halls reflecting the heights. Red clouds swirl as though guarding the spirits, and the bright sun shines on the painted window lattices.

The eight cassia trees stand tall, proudly braving the frost; the Five Zhi (legendary immortal herbs) grow together, blooming at dawn. A gentle breeze lingers in the sunlit groves, giving off fragrance, and sweet springs well up from channels in the shade. The towering Jianmu tree shades the sun, and the Qi trees (legendary immortal trees) gleam brilliantly, with pearls and jade hanging from their branches. Wang Qiao rides a crane up into the sky, and the Yingzhen (realized ones who have attained the Dao) walk on their staffs through the air. They work divine transformations, coming and going swiftly, suddenly appearing, suddenly vanishing.

Having finished my tour, my body and mind are tranquil and my heart at ease; the "harmful horse" within me (stray thoughts that obstruct cultivation) has been removed, and worldly affairs are all set aside. My mind no longer clings, just as Cook Ding wielding his knife no longer sees the whole ox; so I concentrate my spirit (Shen) in contemplation among the secluded cliffs, and chant freely before the vast, flowing river.

Now the sun stands at midheaven and the clouds rise. I raise the ritual drum, and its sound is clear and resonant; the many incenses release their fragrance, and the smoke drifts in every direction. Then I respectfully pay homage to the Celestial Venerable, and the adepts who have mastered the way of the immortals gather here as well. I drink the paste of mysterious jade and rinse in the spring of the Flowery Pool; I listen to teachings that transcend the mundane and talk freely of the chapters on non-birth (liberation from life and death). I come to understand that clinging to "being" cannot exhaust the truth, and that speaking of "non-being" still leaves something unreached. So I dissolve the distinction between form and emptiness, and suddenly perceive the mystery within "being"; I let go of the distinction between "name" and "non-being," and resolve the oppositions brought about by the Three Banners (the attached views concerning being, non-being, and the like).

I talk to my heart's content and rejoice all day long, regarding silence and wordlessness as equally precious. With profound contemplation I merge the myriad phenomena, and rest at ease, becoming one with nature.

Qiongtai (Jade Terrace) and Shuangque (Twin Gate Towers) are two mountains. From Tongbai Temple, go two li to the northwest to reach the shrine of the Perfected One (zhenren) Yuanying. Then follow the road marked by the Immortal's footprints, past the Dragon Pool, for five li in all, to arrive at Qiongtai. Turn south from Qiongtai and you reach Shuangque. Both are emerald-green cliffs that tower ten thousand zhang high and face each other across the gap.

When Master Xing wrote in his "Rhapsody on Mount Tiantai" that "the twin towers part like clouds and mist, flanking the road, while the Jade Terrace hangs high in midair," this is the place he meant. Cui Shang wrote in his "Record of Xiangbai Temple": "Two peaks stand like palace gates, and between them the midair opens wide."

During the Xiangfu era of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song, a mountain recluse named Zhang Wumeng once built a hut and lived here. The emperor summoned him to court by imperial decree to ask about the Dao (the Way). After Zhang returned to the mountain, Zhenzong composed a long poem to see him off and had it carved in stone at Tongbai Temple. The stone no longer survives.

The Tang poet Liu Mi wrote:

Cliffs coil through the high air, and the heavenly road twists and turns;

Only when the white clouds have all dispersed does the Jade Terrace come into view.

The cave gate is dark, veiled by deep clouds;

The golden towers shine bright, as if the halls of sun and moon stood open.

Lord Xia of Ying wrote in his inscription:

The Jade Terrace rises steep and high, with gate towers on its left and right.

Two peaks climb straight up to equal heights, wreathed in tangled vines.

Cloud-vapors gather and scatter, coming and going here, and the sun and moon seem to rise and set within it.

A thousand streams are thin as threads, and the crowded peaks look like fine crumbs.

The peaks press against the clouds and bear down on the sea, as though spanning the sky.

Mount Tongbai lies twenty-five li northwest of the county seat and is over a hundred zhang high. It is part of the Tai mountain range and winds northward from Qingxi. The mountain road turns nine times, with tall pines lining both sides. Climbing the spiraling path to the cave gate, one looks out and the view suddenly opens up, with an immortal palace standing high in its midst. The line in the "Rhapsody on Mount Tiantai," "shaded by tall, towering pines," describes just such a scene.

The Daoist books say that Mount Tongbai holds a Grotto-Heaven named Jinting (Golden Court). According to the old Jing (scripture), the crown prince of King Ling of Zhou governed Mount Tongbai from Jinting, and this is the place meant. Immortal Ge (Ge Xianweng) and Sima Ziwei, drawn by the spiritual beauty of its mountains and rivers, practiced the Dao and refined themselves here until they became Perfected Ones. Many more lofty immortals later appeared here as well, which is also taken to be the result of the spiritual energy gathered in these mountains.

Jade Empyrean Peak (Yuxiao Feng) lies thirty li north of the county seat, above the Dongtian Palace. Cliffs rise here in layer upon layer, pines and bamboo grow thick, and fragrant thatch grass flourishes as well. In front of the peak, two stones stand apart on either side of a mountain stream. A high pass more than a hundred ren tall is called "Little Tongbai" and forms the third realm of the Tai Mountains.

Jade Capital Grotto (Yujing Dong) lies seven li north of the county seat, on the right side of Mount Chicheng. It is the sixth of the ten grotto-heavens, and is presided over by the Perfected Lord Mao, Director of Destiny (a Daoist immortal who, according to tradition, oversees the registers of human lifespans). The grotto measures three hundred li in circumference and is also known as the "Heaven of Jade Truth and Pure Peace." It, too, is counted as the third realm of the Tai Mountains.

Yujing Cave (Yujing Dong) lies seven li north of the county seat, on the slope to the right of Chicheng Mountain. It is the sixth of the Ten Grotto-Heavens, presided over by the Perfected Lord Mao, Director of Destinies (an immortal venerated in Daoism). The cave is said to measure three hundred li around. It is also called the "Heaven of Jade Perfection and Pure Peace" or the "Heaven of Highest Clarity and Jade Peace"; these names all refer to the same place.

The Dengzhen yinjue, the Biography of Lord Mao, and the Record of Famous Mountains and Blessed Lands all record that Lord Mao was named Ying, with the courtesy name Shushen. A Daoist text says that the Celestial Venerable dwells on Yujing Mountain in the Primal Capital, where he expounds the teachings and gives the host of immortals a place to live. The Records of Kuaiji says that Chicheng Mountain holds five kinds of treasure. Xu Mai of Qiongtai once lived here, and wrote to Wang Yishao (Wang Xizhi): "From Mount Tiantai to Linhai there are many golden halls and jade chambers, as well as immortals and numinous mushrooms and magic herbs."

The Facts of Chicheng also records that in the Eastern Jin, Bai Shuo, a man of Shan County, rode out hunting and went deep into the mountains, where he saw many strange flowers and plants of extraordinary fragrance. Xu Lingfu's Short Record states that beneath Yujing Cave lies another cave terrace, two hundred li around, presided over by Lady Wei of the Southern Peak (a female immortal of Daoist legend). Its territory extends south to Jinyun and north to join the Siming Mountains, borders the sea on the east, and opens onto the Shan River on the west. Within the cave are a sun, a moon, and stars, along with jade-like blossoms and numinous mushrooms.

From the Jin, Song, Liang, and Sui dynasties down to the Tianbao era of the Tang, rites were performed here in accordance with ritual regulations: at midday, people observed the stars and the crows, and sacrificed to the mountain. Today the cave mouth bears the two seal-script characters "Yujing," with no inscribed date. During the Xianping and Tiansheng eras of the Song, golden dragons and jade tablets (ritual objects used in Daoist sacrifices, metal dragon-shaped pieces and jade documents) were cast into the cave on many occasions. Someone later stole them, and the cave mouth is now choked with silt. Beside it is the "Cave of the Daoist," which contains three stone hollows, so steep and perilous that they are difficult to climb into. The Sequel Gazetteer says this place is presided over by the Immortal Earl of Xuanzhou.

The small Danxia Cave lies fifteen li northwest of the county seat, northeast of Fusheng Temple. According to old tradition, the Immortal Ge (Ge Xianweng) once refined elixirs here, and nearby stands the Immortal's Hand-Clapping Rock. Liu Mi, a prefect of the Tang dynasty, also compounded medicines here, and the old site of his residence still remains in front of the cave.

Xijing Spring (Xi Well Spring)

Liquan Well (Liquan Jing) lies beneath the Zhongmiao Terrace of Tongbai Temple. Its water is sweet and, it is said, able to cure illness. Dan Well (Dan Jing), the "Elixir Well," lies beneath the bell tower of Tongbai Temple. Old tradition holds that it was the well in which Ge Xianweng (Ge Hong) refined his elixir.

Temples and Monasteries

Tongbai Chongdao Temple lies twenty-five li north of the county seat. Setting out from Fusheng Temple, one climbs the mountain ridge and follows a winding path that turns nine bends, then descends to the Cave Gate. Suddenly the view opens wide: a level, spacious and beautiful landscape spreads out before the eye, ringed by nine peaks whose forms resemble city walls encircling the temple.

The Tongbai Chongdao Temple (Tongbai Chongdao Guan) lies twenty-five li north of the county seat. From behind the Fusheng Temple, one climbs the ridge and follows a winding mountain path through nine bends. At the Cave Gate the path begins to descend gradually, and the view suddenly opens up: a level plain encircled by nine peaks, shaped like a walled city. The temple stands at the very center of these nine peaks.

According to the Daoshu (Daoist Books), Mount Tongbai holds a cave-heaven (dongtian, a dwelling place of Daoist immortals) called "Golden Court" (Jinting), the place where Wang Zijin (a legendary immortal) cultivated himself. The cave has three bridges, one visible and two hidden. Immortal trees such as su-yu and lin-bi grow there, and its springs resemble stone marrow and golden nectar. Those who consume them are said to gain long life and never age. The Zhen Gao (Declarations of the Perfected) says: "In the land of Wu there is the Golden Mound of Mount Juqu; in the land of Yue there is the Golden Court of Mount Tongbai." This place is untouched by the calamities of heaven and earth, and even floods cannot reach it. It is a blessed land of longevity and a sacred realm for nurturing one's true nature.

In the second year of the Chiwu era of Wu, Ge Xuan, the Elder Immortal of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Left, refined elixirs here, which is why a Dou-Worship Altar (Chaodou Tan, an altar for rites honoring the Dipper) still stands in front of the temple. Below and to the southwest of the altar is a stone shaped like a tortoise shell, inscribed "Altar of Master Xu, Envoy of the Cloud Decree." This is the altar where Master Xu performed jiao offerings (Daoist rites for invoking blessings and averting calamity).

Two hundred and sixty years later, in the first year of the Yongtai era under Emperor Ming of Qi, Shen Yue (courtesy name Xiuwen), who held the posts of General Who Subdues the Barbarians, Prefect of Jihe, and Senior Left Secretary to the Minister over the Masses, abandoned his office with more than ten others to seek the Dao and came to live here. Two hundred and thirteen years after that, in the second year of the Jingyun era under Emperor Ruizong of Tang, the court ordered a temple built for the Perfected Sima Chengzhen (a Daoist master honored with the title "Perfected One"). A forty-li area was designated as forbidden ground, where cutting firewood and gathering were banned so that birds, beasts, grasses, and trees could flourish.

According to Xu Lingfu's Xiaolu (Short Record), a yellow cloud constantly hovered above the Perfected One's dwelling. The Perfected One called himself "Yellow Cloud," and beneath the cloud lay the Altar of True Qi (Qi), named "Yuanchen" (Primordial Dawn). Looking down from above, one saw the Chamber for Refining the Form to the east, the Phoenix Terrace (Fengzhen Tai) to the south, the Retreat for Paying Homage to the Perfected (Chaozhen Jing) to the west, and the Dragon Emblem Pavilion (Longzhang Ge) to the north. There was also the Terrace of Myriad Wonders (Zhongmiao Tai), below which lay a Sweet Spring Well whose water was exceptionally sweet and could heal illness. These buildings later fell gradually into ruin.

During the Dahe and Xiantong eras of the Tang, the Daoists Xu Lingfu and Ye Cangzhi rebuilt the temple. During the Kaiping era of the Liang in the Five Dynasties, the temple was elevated to the status of a "palace" (gong). After the Song court moved south, Cao Xun, the Kaifu Commissioner, once again restored its halls, pavilions, and corridors, and enlarged the temple so that its buildings became more magnificent. When the work was completed in the Dingyi year of the Qiandao era, it was four hundred and fifty-seven years since the second year of Jingyun. Yang Cunzhong, Prince He, and his son Yang Xizhi contributed greatly to this restoration.

Within the palace stood the Hall of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), with a Scripture Tower (Jing) and a Bell Tower before it, and behind it the Shangqing Pavilion, the Imperial Calligraphy Pavilion, and the Terrace of Myriad Wonders. In the sixth year of the Zhenghe era, the Hall of the Original Destiny of Emperor Huizong was built at the rear, and a mountain gate was erected at the front. Outside the gate flowed the Nüsuo Stream, spanned by the Pavilion of Gathering Immortals, and looking due south beyond the ridge, one could see the Cave Gate. The palace also contained the abbot's quarters, a refectory, a cloud hall, an Earth God hall, a Hall of the Three Perfected, a water-powered pestle, and a water mill, along with six courts: the Scripture Repository, the Three Origins Court, the Guest Reception Court, the Court of Pure Emptiness, the White Cloud Court, and the Bathing Court.

Among the gifts bestowed on the temple by the Song court were fifty-three scrolls of imperial compositions and calligraphy by Emperors Taizong and Zhenzong. There were also copies Emperor Gaozong made of Han and Jin calligraphy models, materials on historical events from the Shiji and the Hanshu, and the Hanmo Zhi (Records of Brush and Ink). These were wrapped in two cases of brocade scripture curtains donated by a Goryeo monastic overseer. During the Xiangfu era of Zhenzong, the temple held a Luotian Grand Jiao (a grand Daoist sacrificial rite), and the court bestowed four imperial robes, which were enshrined in the Imperial Calligraphy Pavilion. The King of Wuyue donated ten bronze statues of the Celestial Worthy, complete with flame-shaped halos and bases, as well as a sandalwood shrine carved with images of the Three Pure Ones, totaling two hundred and sixty figures. The Shangqing Pavilion housed eight jade-flower pearls and cast bronze images of the Three Pure Ones, while the main hall enshrined forty scrolls of sacred headcloths donated by the Zhaocheng Crown Prince's Palace of the Muqin Residence. The Court of Pure Emptiness also held a collection of scriptures.

In those days the temple's lofty towers and great pavilions were majestic and splendid, with cloud-windowed and mist-veiled halls rising and falling in rhythm, half hidden among the trees and the green mountain haze, and the decorations and statues were extraordinarily fine. Later, when upheavals struck the court and the people fled to hide, a great fire broke out from within the temple. The grand and exquisite buildings were reduced to ruins, and the dazzling treasures were all burned to ashes. Only one sandalwood shrine survived, because visitors had asked to view it and it had been kept in the Welcoming Immortals Lodge (Yingxian Fang) east of the stream. All that remains of the old temple today is that shrine and the lodge building.

From the completion of Cao Xun's restoration in the Wuzi year of the Qiandao era to the calamity of the Dingwei year, one hundred and ninety-nine years passed. Counting from the Jiwei year of the Chiwu era of Wu, a total of one thousand one hundred and twenty-nine years have elapsed. Truly, a very long time has passed. Rise and decline, flourishing and ruin all have their own appointed moments.

Mount Tiantai is Mount Tongbai. Ordinary people call it "Tiantai," while those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) call it "Tongbai." The names differ, but they refer to the same mountain. Since the Dao is present everywhere, why cling to whether it should be called Tiantai or Tongbai? Seen in this light, there is no absolute right or wrong.

According to ancient records, Mount Tongbai is eighteen thousand zhang high and eight hundred li in circumference, with eight tiers, and the scenery is the same on all four sides. Within the mountain lies a grotto-heaven called the "Palace of the Golden Court" (Jinting Gong), said to be the dwelling of Prince Jin, the Right Assistant King. It is regarded as a blessed land of immortals and longevity, and a sacred realm for nurturing one's true nature. For this reason, when a temple was first built here, it was only provisionally named the "Tongbai Temple." The old temple fell into ruin long ago. Local elders say that the Immortal Ge was the first to dwell here, and that many cultivators of the Dao later came as well, leaving five or six altar sites whose traces remain today.

In the Tang dynasty, the Master Sima (Lianshi, an honorific for Daoist priests) lived here. During the Jingyun era, the emperor ordered a new Tongbai Temple to be built, in order to glorify the great achievements of Xuanyuan (the Daoist honorific for Laozi) and to pray for the lasting peace and stability of the state.

The temple stands high among the eight tiers of the mountain, overlooking a valley a thousand ren deep. The mountain sits with its back to the shade and its face to the sun, and the site was carefully surveyed; the temple grounds measure several hundred paces from east to west and from north to south. The peaks rise high and the surrounding fields are green; the trees are dense and remain verdant through all four seasons. Before the Great Cliff and upon the Transverse Ridge, two peaks stand like the watchtowers on either side of a palace gate, opening wide between them. A long stream rushes southward, where springs from every direction converge, and a waterfall pours down from a height of a hundred zhang, looking like flying snow from afar and sounding like wind to the ear. The Stone Bridge and the Emerald Screen Mountain can be leaned against and gazed upon, and rare flowers and trees seem close enough to touch. Immortal blossoms and spirit herbs bloom with the turning of spring and autumn, and secluded birds and dark gibbons call to one another from morning till night. It is truly a place worth visiting and enjoying.

Shifeng County lies to the south, where mist-wreathed ridges rise layer upon layer; the Shan River stretches northward, where peaks in the haze join one after another. To the east one can see the vast blue sea, not far from Penglai; to the west lies the broad Changshan range, beyond which there is no other realm. Here the profound and wondrous qualities of mountains and rivers gather, and the scenery is especially beautiful. It seems to have formed naturally by embracing the primordial qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth, steadily guarding the land. If the spirits had not chosen to dwell here, and the immortals had not built it with divine power, who could have created such a magnificent place?

When the Hall of the Heavenly Worthy was first being built, five-colored auspicious clouds floated above it during the day. The Three Wells are where the Dragon-Casting ritual (Toulong) is performed, and strange clouds and vapors often entered the hall from there, then drifted out three times. These sights are recorded in order to note the auspicious signs. Afterwards, the Hall of Emptiness (Xushi) was built, doors and windows were opened, and terraced platforms were constructed. The work proceeded in an orderly fashion and was at last completed in solemn splendor: the radiance of the sun and moon shines upon it, mist and rosy clouds add to its colors, flowers scatter over the golden ground, and the fragrance seems to reach all the way to the profound and distant realm. Fellow cultivators who love the Daoist arts come here to rest and practice. Without Master Sima, who could have brought this temple into being?

The Master's name was Chengzhen, also called Ziwei, and his title was "White Cloud of Tiantai." He was a native of Wen County in Henei. He was a descendant of Kui, the Minister of Ceremonies and younger brother of Emperor Xuan of Jin. His grandfather, Cui Sheng, served in the Sui dynasty as Grand Commander of the Personal Attendants; his father, Ren Zui, served after the founding of the Tang as Grand Master of Court Gentlemen and Administrative Aide of Xiangzhou. Born into a virtuous family of upright generations, he grew into such an immortal talent. To him, the honor of wearing official robes and riding in a carriage was not worth cherishing, and the pleasures of high rank and generous salary were not true joy.

And so he gave up the path of dukes and marquises to study the way of the immortals. He was well versed in Daoist Keyi (liturgy), Fulu (talismans and registers), and precepts, studied the related teachings broadly without omission, and also explored the profound and subtle principles that words can hardly express. He practiced no thought and no action (Wuwei, non-action), and neither drank nor ate. Looking up at him, one found him lofty like a mountain; probing him, one found him deep like the sea. He was gifted and learned, skilled in calligraphy and fine at writing, yet he paid no heed to these talents.

The Master possessed the virtue of Guangchengzi. Emperor Ruizong, inheriting a sagacity like that of the Yellow Emperor, fasted and stilled his mind, and sought him with an open heart, hoping he would assist in governing the state, but the Master was firm and could not be persuaded. The emperor took filial piety as his standard and also hoped to govern by means of the Dao. He had the heart of Emperor Yao and respected the lofty aspiration of Xu You, who cared nothing for fame and gain, and so he permitted the Master to dwell freely and cultivate at leisure. Hearing of the Master's reputation was enough to stir customs to improvement; seeing his bearing was enough to free people from worldly tangles. He treasured compassion, helped all beings with a kind heart, and could foresee the future as well as know the past. Thus his name was truly enrolled in the registers of the immortals, while his traces remained in the human world, his state beyond measure.

The Dao originally has no fixed name, yet it moves through the ordinary affairs of the world. It divides to give rise to the Three Powers of heaven, earth, and humanity, and disperses to bring forth the myriad things, which is why it is called the mother of all under heaven. Those who practice the great Dao flourish, and those who turn away from it perish, which is why the Dao is most precious. Moreover, by setting aside attachment to worldly learning, one can be free of worry and reach the state of long life and lasting vision.

Practicing the Dao proceeds by stages. The process of cultivation cannot do without quiet mountains and forests, so there must be a temple, something to rely on and visible in form. Here people look up in reverence and practice; without such a dwelling, what would Daoist teaching rest upon? One reduces desires and attachments again and again, until one reaches Wuwei. Once the temple is built, its merit need not be attributed to a single person.

Jia Changyuan, Prefect of Taizhou, was a man of Dao and De (Virtue), able to transform the people through teaching and to nurture all things through virtue. He often said to Cai Qinzong, the Assistant Official, and others: "The Dao is manifested through De, and De brings about what is good. If such virtue exists and is not praised, what will later generations have to see in it?" And so all joined together to erect a stele and compose a eulogy, to make manifest the radiance of the Master, who withdrew from the dusty world and devoted himself wholly to the Dao.

The eulogy says:

Far-off Mount Tiantai, lofty and towering.

Below, it looks down upon the blue sea; in the distance, it gazes toward Penglai.

The ocean of clouds is boundless, as if heaven and earth were joined;

The mountain opens wide, as if the earth itself were unfolding.

Paths connect amid the mist and clouds, and true immortals come and go.

Behold our Master, dwelling on that beautiful terrace of the immortals.

O Master, O Master, the Dao you cultivate is deep and wondrous.

Drawing in the essence of the sun and moon, you sit in peace;

As if about to rise on the clouds and soar through the sky.

The building and revival of this spirit temple are all owed to the Master's merit.

The great Dao leaves nothing undone, and how magnificent is this temple!

Deep and far-reaching, it reaches heaven and sends down auspicious signs;

May it protect our great Tang, that the nation's fortune endure like the mountains.

In the first year of Tianbao (742), the year Renwu, on the second day of the third month, the day Dingwei, the disciples, including the Daoist Fan Huiqu of Kunling, erected this stele.

During the Jingyun era of the Tang dynasty, the emperor had a Daoist temple built on Mount Tongbai for Sima Chengzhen (a Tang-dynasty Daoist), at a site below the Three Wells of Qiongtai. Shifan, Huiqu, and others took part in its founding.

This record was composed by Jun Shu, who held the posts of Chengfenglang (Gentleman for Court Service), Acting Assistant Editor in the Palace Library, Vice Prefect of Taizhou Military Prefecture with concurrent oversight of agricultural encouragement within its jurisdiction, and was granted the scarlet robe on a provisional basis.

During the Jingyun era of the Tang, the emperor had a Daoist temple built on Mount Tongbai for Sima Chengzhen (a Tang-dynasty Daoist), at a site below the Three Wells of Qiongtai. In the Five Dynasties period, rival powers contended with one another and the situation in the Central Plains was in turmoil. King Zhongyi of Wu-Yue invited the Daoist Zhu Xiao to take charge of repairing the temple. Zhu built a hall to the northwest of the Shangqing Pavilion, where two hundred cases of the Jinlu Zijing (Golden Register Scriptures) were stored and carefully maintained.

Later, after twenty years of warfare, the state pacified the realm and divided it into prefectures, commanderies, and counties. Fleets of boats stretched for a thousand li along the waterways, reaching east to the seacoast. At that time there was a man styled "Master Lingjing," Meng Xuanyue, who crossed Kuaiji, passed through Wozhou and Chicheng, and arrived at Mount Tongbai. The temple's gate supervisor, Master Chongyi, Ji Changyi, and others asked him to take charge of the scriptures.

In the second year of the Yongxi era, an imperial edict ordered all the scriptures transferred to Yuhang. After copying was completed, the Transport Commissioner and Remonstrance Grand Master, Lord Lei Dexiang, was ordered to send them back by boat, a task carried out at Master Meng's request. Ten years later, the scripture hall was nearly in ruins and could scarcely withstand wind and rain. Master Meng therefore solicited donations from the prominent families of Taizhou and Yuezhou, and led by contributing money himself, raising a total of two hundred thousand coins. He engaged skilled craftsmen to repair the timbers and replace the rotten parts, and had the building coated anew with cinnabar lacquer, black lacquer, and white plaster, making it more complete than before.

Thirteen years after that, auspicious omens were received at the Chengtian Gate, and the court deliberated holding the great Feng and Shan sacrifices. An edict renamed the temple "Chongdao Guan" (Temple Honoring the Dao). In the following year, the emperor, moved by the matter of three Daoist scriptural texts, built the Yuqing Zhaoying Palace in the capital and issued an edict throughout the realm seeking Daoists of renown and virtue, as well as especially precious immortal scriptures; each locality was to submit the relevant registers to the court. Master Meng made ready to answer the summons, and at the same time asked me to record the state of the scripture hall so that it might be inscribed on a stele.

In my view, emptiness is vast and attaches to nothing, and this is what is called the Dao (the Way). It gives birth to heaven and earth without claiming them as its own; it nurtures the myriad things without knowing its own merit. Only sages and spirit-beings may come close to such a state. Laozi's work of five thousand characters values stillness, simplicity, and ease, without rigid adherence; later generations have expounded its teachings in ways that are subtle and manifest. For this reason, Daoism has its marvelous scriptures and secret texts, as well as golden tablets and jade registers. Among them are the Taishang Zhengyi (Zhengyi, Orthodox Unity) methods of refining the body and "flying steps," as well as the cinnabar-and-mineral diagrams and registers of the Bear, Crow, Red, and White traditions. These writings are collectively called jing (scriptures), and when kept in a building they are called a "repository." The Qian family of Wu-Yue built this scripture hall because they truly prized the scriptures, and so had them copied in precious scripts such as gold seal script and silver clerical script. Master Meng, too, has guarded the repository with unfailing diligence. Now, twenty-eight years on, the buildings have been repaired to greater splendor, and not a single volume has come loose or scattered.

If one can view the scriptures here and grasp their principles, so that whether serving in office or in retirement, speaking or remaining silent, one never departs from proper measure, is that not a person of true understanding? Alas, may those who later succeed Master Meng in guarding the repository cherish it well, and may those who come to read it choose from it what is upright and right.

Written in the first month of the year Gengxu, the third year of Dazhong Xiangfu (1010).

West of Mount Tiantai stands a mountain called Tongbai. One must walk dozens of li from its foot before reaching the cave gate, and above the gate lie layer upon layer of secluded, deep regions, each with its own dwellings. Mountain peaks encircle the place on every side like city walls; they need no human hand to shape them, and the cliffs rise steeply through the mist and cloud as though formed by nature itself.

In the mountains are the remains of the site where the Elder Ge, the Immortal, refined elixirs. In the Tang dynasty, Sima Ziwei undertook a large-scale construction of temples and halls here, enshrining an image of the Void Sovereign (Xuhuang) so that cultivators of the Dao could dwell and practice. Jade Mist Peak (Yuxiao) faces east, Jade Terrace Peak (Qiongtai) rises on the west, and the two scenic places of Lingfu and Fangying lie to the north. A waterfall tumbles down the mountain, its water flying and its spray surging with the force of ten thousand galloping horses, flowing southward; in every season water falls from the rocks, and from afar it looks like a length of white silk hanging from the edge of the sky.

The scenery here stretches as far as the eye can see, and so the Zhen Gao (a Daoist scripture) calls Tongbai in the land of Yue the "Golden Court Cavern-Heaven," a blessed land for nurturing one's true nature. The High Perfected (Shangzhen, high-ranking immortals in Daoism) preside here and convene the host of immortals. This is by no means an ordinary mountain or river, but the dwelling place of spirits: it reaches high to the heavens and lies hidden deep in the clouds, communicating with Heaven and Earth, spanning past and present, embracing the contours of mountains and rivers, untouched by worldly disturbance. Anyone who is not wholeheartedly devoted to cultivating the Dao and nourishing their nature would find it hard to remain here amid the clouds, frost, and dew.

Recently I asked to retire to a leisurely post and stayed here for more than a month, setting aside worldly affairs for a while. I saw that the buildings of the temple, having passed through the Five Dynasties and down to the present, were damaged everywhere, and that the images of the deities were often soaked by leaking rain, their surfaces peeling. I therefore resolved to do all I could to solicit donations and rebuild. The temple gate supervisor Shi Qingduan, together with the Daoist Vice-Director Li Yongnian and Shi Baozhang, all encouraged and supported the undertaking, which was truly a rare blessing for the mountain community. Among them, Shi Baozhang was willing to give his utmost strength to the earth and timber works and never grew slack.

Over the following six or seven years, Baozhang devoted himself entirely to the temple's affairs, appealing for funds from officials in post. He received support from the Grand Preceptor, from Lord Wang Yang, from Lord Wang Yang's son, the Academician-in-Waiting of the Fuwen Pavilion, Xie Chi, and from me, and everyone contributed from their stipends. The works enlarged the foundations of the halls and corridors, widening each place by more than a zhang; newly built halls were tall and spacious, and long covered corridors were completed. Old stele inscriptions were also copied and carved anew, and images from the Duren Jing (Scripture of Salvation) were painted on the walls. In the main hall, the Hall of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) was rebuilt, and craftsmen were engaged to paint the beams, pillars, and roofs in color, so that the whole structure shone with splendor. Where the original images had lost their likeness, they were remade to look solemn and benevolent, and gold ornament and colored paint were added to the old statues.

The works also included a newly built Hall of the Three Officials, and the refectory was moved into a great building able to hold a thousand people; the guest lodgings on the east and west sides were likewise enlarged to receive visitors. After the outer gate was removed, a three-doored gateway was opened in the layout of the Shangqing Palace in the Central Capital, and statues of the Lord of the Dragon and Tiger were set up, making a magnificent and imposing sight. A Lingxing Gate was also added, lending the whole complex greater dignity. Amid the green cliffs, the crimson valleys, and the deep-green pines and bamboo, the Daoist masters living in seclusion were all at peace and ease.

The Daoist Tang Zhizhang brought out the handwritten Daoist scriptures in gold and silver script that belonged to the Qian family, and with his own money built a scripture repository tower and its halls. In this way the inner and outer halls were all complete. Timber, brick, stone, patterned marble, metal, and other materials were hauled from beneath layered mountains up to the summit, and the painting and other works were completed along with them; the total cost was estimated at ten million cash. The tall halls stand towering, the ridge-end ornaments facing one another across the rooftops as though floating amid purple-and-emerald clouds, and the whole temple is made new. It has become a place where the immortal sages of the Nine Pure Realms dwell and where the awesome spirits of the ten thousand numina offer their protection; its halls rise lofty and grand, radiant and bright, as though ascending into mid-air.

All who come to dwell or to visit here can steady their devotion to the Dao and, like immortals, hold a lofty and detached resolve of purity and single-mindedness. They may join the community of Daoists each day in ascending the hall and burning incense, praying for the long life of the Son of Heaven, so that this may be a place of practice that endures without decline; this is truly a joyful thing. The Daoist companions in the mountains have been moved by it and have grown in goodness. Those who were once idle and gluttonous now discipline themselves and strive toward the Dao, working to meet the requirements of true cultivation; they study the Dao and De (Virtue), gradually put themselves in order, and benefit from teachings such as compassion and frugality. Asked about their practice, they all diligently chant the scriptures and do not overstep the rules; entering the halls, they stand in order by seniority of ordination, without contention; in conversation with them, one sees that their bearing is clean and peaceful, drawing gradually closer to the Way of the immortals.

These essential undertakings at Mount Tongbai, in accord at every moment with the intent of the Dao, are enough to match the establishment of the New Palace of Ziyang. Since such an enterprise exists in these mountains, it must not go without a record setting out its details. I am advanced in years, and since I was able to share with others in bringing this great undertaking to completion, I have recounted the origins of the works, the course of their management, and the people who directed them, and also noted the difficulties of the building, remodeling, and additions compared with the former arrangements, and have had these words engraved on hard stone for later generations to see.

Baozhang often said, "I have given my utmost effort and have never forgotten the task of building this temple, but I have never met anyone who appreciated it." Now, if the High Perfected would show compassion, how good it would be to see this achievement fulfilled. The Tongbai Temple is among the most renowned temples in eastern Zhejiang, where the morning light meets the clouds of the upper sky. At Goushan the chariot of nine dragons once descended, and immortals such as Bifei and Sujing once appeared; on Shouyang Mountain the Three Dukes stood as guardians. Eminent officials of the court often come here to take up posts or to rest, and people from Fujian, Guangdong, and the Hunan region frequently pass this way to visit. Carriages and horses come and go without cease, guests and attendants arrive one after another, and the duties of lodging and hospitality are heavier here than elsewhere; how could the temple be left small and shabby, with only an empty name?

Moreover, what our teaching speaks of is purity, stillness, and plain simplicity; it does not use life and death, calamity and fortune to frighten people and seek profit. Only when one meets a wise and discerning person, with an upright and clear heart, will one find ways to build and repair, hoping to continue the glorious realm of the immortals and not let it decline; therefore the repairs must be made in good time. Alas! To be unafraid of the criticism of others, to let no single day's offerings lapse, to take part in the labor of earth and timber with one's own hands, to renew a place of purity and stillness, and to spare no effort and fear no toil: this is precisely Baozhang! Is this not better than sitting by and watching the temple fall into ruin?

If those who succeed us later do not forget the merit of their predecessors, and enable the Daoist community to pay reverence morning and evening, to dwell and rest here in peace, and to keep the joy of Xi and Yi (a Daoist term for the subtle, hard-to-perceive realm without sound or form), that will be the best repayment to those who began this work. In this way, they will not fail the cavern-heavens and blessed lands. May those who come after take this as a mirror.

Now I set down the saddle and horse of the dusty world and lodge myself beyond its bounds, like a wild crane or an idle cloud, keeping company with the moon through creepers and the wind in the pines, letting my heart roam beyond the self and its circumstances. I have written these somewhat disordered words to encourage those who come after. Other general matters recorded in this text, readers will come to understand for themselves.

Recorded on the Qingming festival, in the year Wuzi, the fourth year of the Qiandao era.

Mount Tiantai neighbors Mount Siming, and Huading Peak soars above the land of the Hundred Yue. The gate of Tongbo Temple glows with the rosy light of Chicheng Mountain, and its pavilions seem to perch among the pale hills and bright moon of a sea-island. Climbing high to gaze into the distance, one need only bend down to see the ocean. The clouds hang low, as if the great Peng bird were wheeling overhead; the waves rise and fall, as if giant sea turtles were surfacing and sinking. Wind and surf are often turbulent, and how swift and unfathomable is the appearance of strange and divine creatures! Observing these sights, I can find no trace to follow, yet my longing for the Great Dao (Dao) never ceases. I bend a branch and pluck a red fruit, take immortal medicines, and refine golden bones. How might I grow wings and dwell for a thousand years in the immortal palaces of Penglai?

Not even the Dragon Tower or Phoenix Pavilion can hold me; I wish only to ascend and fly to Tiantai. Peaks like green jade encircle the mountain in eight directions, and within it there are paths one may walk. An immortal in azure robes invites me to roam with them to the Jasper Terrace. The qi trees (legendary immortal trees) are in bloom, their fragrance fills the air, and their blossoms open in nine layers. The heavenly wind carries the scent and lets no dust cling to it; the petals, by the thousand and ten thousand, remain far from the world of dust. I arrived just after the Double Ninth Festival, laughing as I shook the mist and haze from my clothes. Tomorrow I will flick my sleeves and leave the Purple Tenuity Palace (the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor); the writing on the wall, like dragons and snakes in flight, will remain there in vain.

Poem by Luo Yin

I had meant to retire and farm before Huagai Peak, but the master, with no other choice, has gone out wandering again. For now I shall ride a crane carriage to seek the sea, though I fear a rhinoceros carriage may pass by Chicheng Mountain.

I think my crimson immortal tablet should be used to pay court to the Right Assistant (a star lord who assists the Celestial Emperor), and my purple banners are just right for calling upon the Eastern Minister (an immortal official of the east). I urge you not to forget the season of return, when lingzhi mushrooms, glowing like fireflies, grow everywhere.

Poem by Lü Dongbin

A green-serpent staff rests upon the ground, and the moonlight wavers and lingers. The night is deep and still, and the cranes among the clouds have not yet returned. I come to seek those with an affinity for the Dao, to help them shed the mortal frame and be reborn; for now I leave my traces, so that people may see the Eastern Minister. I urge you not to forget the season of return, when lingzhi mushrooms, glowing like fireflies, grow everywhere.

Poem by Lü Dongbin

A green-serpent staff rests upon the ground, and the moonlight wavers and lingers. The night is deep and still, and the cranes among the clouds have not yet returned. I come to seek those with an affinity for the Dao, to help them shed the mortal frame and be reborn; for now I leave my traces and arrive at Tiantai.

Inscription by Bai Yuchan

An immortal came by night to the secluded valley of the forest, knocked at my door, and invited me to visit Mount Heng in the south the next day. We sat on a stone altar, face to face, speaking of the clear breeze among the pines; suddenly a crane cried out, and the mountain moon seemed to fall.

Pale moonlight envelops the green pines, and the clear stream reflects the slender bamboo. The water is so deep that even the toad of the moon sinks within it, and I long dwell here in the company of a Daoist.

Another Poem, Left in Farewell to Tongbo

I came to this ancient cavern-heaven (dongtian, a Daoist realm of immortals) on Mount Tiantai and dwelt here, yet before my meditation cushion had even grown warm, I was already about to drift away. Why was my hermitage not built at Qiongtai? I suppose it is because I never became an immortal of Mount Tongbai.

Now I can no longer drink the water of the Three Wells, nor have I formed a deep bond with the Nine Peaks. I carry the moon on the tip of my staff and descend the mountain alone, leaving only a cold-voiced gibbon crying in vain amid the morning mist.

Dongtian Palace

Dongtian Palace lies thirty-five li northwest of the county seat. Cliffs rise in tiers and peaks stretch on in succession; pines and bamboo grow dense and green, and fragrant thatch grass is found there. To the south-southeast of the palace site, in the Xun position, two stones stand side by side, shaped like the leaves of a door. People call them "Little Tongbai."

During the Xiantong era of the Tang dynasty, the Daoist Ye Zangzhi founded a Daoist retreat on Yuxiao Peak, which he called "Stone Gate Mountain Dwelling." Later he petitioned to have it renamed Yuxiao Palace, and Emperor Yizong of Tang granted the request. The Brief Record of Xu Lingfu states that the Daoist Chen Guayan once lived in seclusion on Yuxiao Peak and took the name Hualin.

A scripture, the Zhonglou Jing (Jing, scripture), is also preserved here. Its colophons are all dated to the eleventh year of Xiantong, and a later colophon reads: "Ye Zangzhi, disciple of the Three Caverns of Shangqing, made this scripture for his late mother, Lady Liu, fourth daughter of her house, wishing that it be preserved forever to guard Yuxiao." In the first year of Xiangfu in the Song dynasty, the palace was given a new name. It has since been merged into Tongbai Palace, and the original palace has fallen into ruin.

Yujing Temple

Yujing Temple lies seven li northwest of the county seat, on the right side of the Yujing cavern-heaven on Chicheng Mountain.

In this passage, the text following the words "from the Jin, Song, Qi and Liang through the Tianbao era of the Tang..." is interrupted by material from the earlier section on Yuxiao Palace. The wording is fragmentary, and its meaning cannot be established with confidence.

Yujing Temple

This temple stands seven li northwest of the county seat, to the right of the Jade Capital Grotto-Heaven (Yujing Dongtian, a blessed site in Daoist tradition) on Mount Chicheng. From the Jin, Song, Qi, and Liang dynasties through the Tianbao era of the Tang, every age performed ritual sacrifices to the star deities here. During the Xianping and Tiansheng eras of the Song, the ceremony of casting golden dragons and jade tablets was held many times. Jade tablets engraved with prayers were thrown into the water to seek the protection of the spirits.

In the eighth year of the Zhenghe era, the court bestowed a plaque and had the temple built. Before long, it fell into decline. At the start of the Jiaxi era, the court held a jiao (Daoist prayer ritual) to invoke blessings, and also sent an imperial envoy to cast dragon tablets, survey the land, choose a site, and perform the rites, though the ceremony was felt to lack sufficient solemnity and reverence. At that time Master Chong, Gao Weiji, cleared the mountain land, fixed the site, and built the temple halls, with Master Guanmiao, Fan Shanqian, joining in the effort. The prefect Zhang Hu petitioned for public land to be allotted to supply the halls and kitchens. The emperor also bestowed a ladle-shaped vessel made of aloeswood, bells and chime stones for ritual use, and a plaque in the imperial hand. The plaque of the Gongchen Hall was installed in the temple to guard and protect it, and the main hall was dedicated to the Star Lord of the emperor's natal star (the star deity governing the emperor's birth). The deeds of the Wanshou Hall were recorded by the county magistrate Yao Dehui, but without any date. The temple was later merged into Tongbai Temple and is now abandoned.

Yousheng Temple

Yousheng Temple stands on Miao Mountain, one hundred paces east of the county seat. The original site was a City God temple. During the Xuanhe era of the Song, the temple was moved to the northeast corner of the county seat. In the Southern Song, Cao Xun, a Commissioner of Equal Rank to the Three Excellencies, founded the temple. It was repaired again during the Dade era of the Yuan, and the district overseer Bubo wrote a commemorative text for it and left an inscribed stele. Today the temple has no plaque, but local residents still make offerings there, and the incense has never ceased.

Renjing Palace and Chunsu Palace

The two palaces stand on the left and right sides of Tongbai Temple. During the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan, Wang Zu'an, a Daoist of Tongbai Temple and a Perfected (zhenren) whose courtesy name was Zhongli, was summoned by Emperor Shizu and ordered to receive the title "Perfected of Renjing and Chunsu." Afterward, on the hillside to the right of Tongbai Temple, on the foundations of the old Baiyun Temple, Wang built a palace named Chunsu Palace. On the hillside to the left, on the old site of Cao Xun's Chongse Hermitage, Wang built another palace named Renjing Palace.

The Tongbo Palace (Tongbo Gong), which now stands at the entrance to the Hall of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), was built to the right of the old site of the White Cloud Temple (Baiyun Guan) and given the name "Chunsu" (Pure Simplicity). Another palace was built on the left, on the former site of the Chongse Hermitage of Cao, the Commander Unequalled in Honor (Kaifu), and was named "Renjing" (Benevolent Tranquility).

The Tongbo Temple Stele (Tongbo Guan bei) here explains the character "yan" (崦) as meaning "Tiantai."