The Xuanmiao Taoist Temple is a famous Taoist temple located at Suzhou City, one famous tourist city in southeast China. The temple was first constructed in 276BC, and its original name was the Zhenqing Taoist Monastery (subsequently once renamed as the Kaiyuan Palace, the Tianqing Taoist Temple). The emperor of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) ordered to rename the temple as the Xuanmiao Taoist Temple in 1295. The Xuanmiao Taoist Temple has a history of over 1,700 years, so it is called as the first ancient Taoist temple in the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
The Xuanmiao Taoist Temple is situated at the center of the ancient city of Suzhou. The first construction of its main hall, i.e. the Sanqing Hall, was completed in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), and it is the only extant Southern Song wooden-structure hall building. So the magnificent Sanqing Hall has a long history and important historical value in China's architectural history, and it was therefore put under the special national protection in 1982.
The Xuanmiao Taoist Temple has been repaired and renovated. It has seven halls, and the middle part includes the Front Temple Gate and the Sanqing Hall, the eastern part includes the Wenchang Hall, the Doumu Pavilion and the Shouxing Hall, and the western part includes the Leizun Hall and the Caishen Hall. There are many cultural relics in the Taoist temple. It is a rare Taoist architectural complex that is extremely well preserved; the Sanqing Hall still well preserves the style and characteristics of the architectures of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
The Xuanmiao Taoist Temple was once a center of religion and culture of Suzhou in the history, and it is the main site of Taoist activities in Suzhou area. Because of its predominant geographical location, various cultural relics and rich connotation of Taoist culture, the Xuanmiao Taoist Temple has become one of the famous tourist sceneries of Suzhou City.
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