Chaotian Palace

Those who climb to the Golden Summit of Wudang Mountain will start their journey of ascending step by step after passing through the Huanglong Cave. Although this section of the road is shaded by trees and has unique scenery, it still cannot help but make one feel the difficulty of climbing. But it is at this moment that people will notice a striking red wall and green tiles hidden among the trees. This is the Chaotian Palace built on the Wudang Sacred Road. In the eyes of those who come to pay homage to the mountains and offer incense, this is the boundary between the mortal world and the Heavenly Court. Reaching here is like entering the celestial realm. Wudang Taoism holds that this is the lowest boundary for immortals to travel and observe the human world, and also the highest realm for ordinary people to ascend. Those who have achieved immortality will take a bath and change their clothes here. Under the guidance of celestial soldiers and generals, they will pass through the three Heavenly Gates and then enter the South Heavenly Gate to pay homage to the Great Emperor Zhenwu. As Emperor Zhenwu was appointed as the "Nine Heavens Touring Envoy and the Grand Commander of the Three Realms", in charge of matters related to gods and ghosts, all kinds of immortals often gathered here and then went together to pay homage to Zhenwu. So in the past, Chaotian Palace was home to numerous statues of immortals, symbolizing that this place was already in the celestial realm. The Chaotian Palace already had buildings from the Yuan Dynasty. It was expanded on a large scale in the tenth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty and was destroyed in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. In 1991, the Hubei Provincial Government invested in the emergency restoration of ancient buildings on the verge of collapse, covering an area of 190 square meters. In front of Chaotian Palace, there are two stone tablets, which are the inscriptions of Li Zongren and his wife climbing Wudang Mountain. The first one is the "Famous Mountain Masterpieces" stele, whose inscription records the visit of Li Zongren and his wife to Wudang Mountain in 1939. The second is the story of people from all walks of life in Guangxi consoling the soldiers who went to fight against the Japanese in 1939. The Chaotian Palace is elevated and offers a wide view. It is a must-pass place for climbing to the Golden Summit. There are three paths to the Golden Summit via the Chaotian Palace. One is behind the Chaotian Palace. Due to its dangerous and difficult path, it has now been abandoned. The path on the left is called the Path for the Woodcutters. In the past, it was generally used to transport firewood to the lenders to the Golden Summit. The path on the right is called the "Shinto Road", and all those who go to the mountains to pay homage and offer incense must take this road.