Qingdao Laoshan, China

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Laoshan

Laoshan, 30km from the downtown of Qingdao, is a well-known scenic area for its Taoist Temples.

The Taiping Palace at Laoshan, together with Huayan Buddhist Temple, Taiqing Palace and Shangqing Palace, are most famous scenic spots at Laoshan.

The Taiping Palace is the most famous one. It got another name " Taiping Taoist Temple" because the founder of Song Dynasty (960-1276), Emperor Zhao set it up as a Taoist rite for Liu Ruozhuo, a Taoist Monk.

Everybody who has been to Laoshan will find its characteristic: no matter how high the mountain is, you can see water on it. Famous springs are everywhere on the mountain: the Tian Yi Spring at the top of Jufeng Peak, the Shenshui Spring of Taiqing Hall, the Shen Shui Yang of Shangqing Palace and so on.

It is said that if you have a kind of disease that couldn't be cured for years, you may try the spring water from Laoshan. If you're traveling around Laoshan, don't miss its magical spring water.

The Sanqing Hall is the main hall of the Taiping Palace while the Sanguan Hall and Zhengwu Hall are its side halls. There is carved 4 Chinese Characters " The Screen Wall locating on the sea" on the screen wall facing the entrance of Sanqing Hall. And there stands a natural carve under the cliffs around the halls, which is very huge.

On the roof of the carve, you could see the designs of the stars and the Chinese characters " Huntian Stone". The "sleeping dragon" stone stands beside the cliff under which is an old well. It is said that the tea smells and tastes good if boiled with the well water.

The "White Dragon Spring" is located at the north part of Taiping Palace. There are many huge stones cross the banks, which is called " the Celestial's Bridge" and the spring water flows through the cracks of the huge stones. Coming across the bridge, you could view 20 poems related to Laoshan by famous Taoist monk, Qiu chuji carved on a rock.

The Steve is the existent best kept and carved one at Laoshan. On northeast part of the bridge, there stands the "Lion Hill", which looks like an angry lion. "Lion Hill hidden in the clouds" is a famous scenic spot of the Taiping palace at Laoshan.