In front of the Golden Hall
#Golden Summit ·2022-08-20 23:32:13
The Golden Hall is a symbol of Wudang Mountain and also the result of Wudang Taoism reaching its peak with the support of the royal family. It can be regarded as a national treasure.
"When I reach the summit, all the mountains will seem small." Standing before the Golden Hall and looking in all directions, the eight-hundred-li Wudang River comes into full view. The undulating peaks are like the surging waves of the sea in a moment of stillness. The scene of the peaks embracing and paying homage from all directions magically depicts the majesty of the divine power and the supreme authority of the emperor.
According to the "Wudang Fudi Zongzhen Ji", in the location of the Jin Dan Hall, there was a copper pavilion in the Song Dynasty dedicated to Emperor Zhenwu. During the Yuan Dynasty, a copper hall was built here. In the Ming Dynasty, when Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty was carrying out a major renovation of Wudang, he found the copper hall of the Yuan Dynasty too small in scale and ordered its removal. Instead, he ordered the construction of this golden hall.
According to research, the Golden Hall was cast into components in Beijing, transported by water to the ancient Junzhou, and then manually moved to Tianzhu Peak for assembly. Recent research has revealed that the two huge bases supporting the Golden Hall are made of fossils that are hundreds of millions of years old and were also transported from other places.
The gilded copper-cast golden hall was a double-eaved 庑 palace-style wooden structure, which was the highest grade of architectural regulations in China at that time. Just the gilding of the surface decoration consumed 60 kilograms of gold. The Golden Hall has a width and depth of three bays each, with a height of 5 to 45 meters. The wing corners of the hall roof are raised and decorated with auspicious objects such as dragons, phoenixes, seahorses and immortals, which are vividly lifelike.
Although the Golden Hall is made of copper, its structure, including the columns, beams, lintels, tile scales, window lattices, and thresholds of the hall body, is all complete in form. Moreover, each casting fits tightly together, forming a natural and seamless whole.
Due to its unique geographical location at the summit of Tianzhu Peak, the Golden Hall often witness strange natural scenes such as "Clear Sky at Dawn on Tianzhu Peak", "Surging tides on land and Sea", "Thunder on the flat Ground", and "Thunder and Fire Refining the Hall", and many mythological stories have been given rise to it.
The Golden Hall has endured nearly 600 years of wind, rain, thunder, cold and heat. It still shines with golden light to this day. Its brilliant luster reflects the superb skills of ancient Chinese artisans and is a masterpiece of ancient Chinese casting techniques. It is a historical witness to the wisdom of the working people and the technological level of ancient China.