Zhongyuan

On the ancient sacred path leading from the Wulong Palace to the Nan Yan Palace, three Taoist buildings, namely the Upper Yuan, Middle Yuan and Lower Yuan, were constructed during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. Now, the large areas of palaces and Taoist temples in front of the cave have long been abandoned. To find them, we can only rely more on our imagination. In China, the theory of the "three elements" is widely applied and has many interpretations. For instance, the three elements of heaven, earth and man, heaven, earth and water, sun, moon and stars, essence, energy and spirit, head, abdomen and foot, head, heart and kidney, as well as those who achieved the first place in all the provincial, metropolitan and palace examinations in ancient times, were all called the Three Elements. In addition, ancient numerologists, health preservation experts and Taoists also created many concepts by applying the Three Elements. What exactly does the complete display of the upper, middle and lower three elements on the ancient sacred path of Wudang and their materialization into architectural forms reflect? Some experts believe that there are two main intentions. One is to reflect the process of the True martial god's cultivation and enlightenment. The second reason is the need of Taoist deities. In the mythological story of Zhenwu, the young prince of Jingle Kingdom was enlightened by Lord Ziyuan and went to Wudang Mountain to cultivate and achieve enlightenment. This process of cultivation and enlightenment involves nurturing the "essence, energy and spirit". In the Daoist book "The Essentials of Life and Nature", it is stated: "Essence, energy and spirit are called the three elements." In traditional health preservation culture, "essence, energy and spirit" are also known as the "Three Inner Treasures" and the "Three Superior Qualities". It is the three inherent elements of human life activities. Some scholars hold that the primordial essence is the information of life, the vital energy is the source of life, the primordial spirit is the master of life, and the physical form is the creator of life. The inner mystery of cultivation and enlightenment lies in the fact that the life information of the primordial essence, with the primordial energy as the carrier, collaborates to form the essence and energy. The essence and energy, with the physical form as the conductor and the primordial spirit as the commanding source of power, circulate and distribute within the body and release life information, enhancing the life function of the physical form and achieving the effect of curing diseases and prolonging life. It is evident that the cultivation of the "essence, energy and spirit" trinity holds an important position and has significant functions in health preservation. Some experts believe that the "Three Pure Ones", the highest deities of Taoism, are derived from the energy of the Three Pure Ones. Regarding the "Three Pure Ones" architecture, it is a necessity of Taoist worship. In the first mixed cave, Tai Wuyuan transformed into "Yuqing", and the Yuqing Holy Ancestor, Ziqi Yuanjun, was the teacher of Zhenwu. The second red mixing is too boundless to generate the "Upper Clear". The third form, the silent and mysterious Xuan Tong Yuan Hua Sheng "Tai Qing". From this perspective, it should be quite natural and logical in Wudang Taoism to establish the "Three Yuan" in the sacred way to worship the highest deities, the "Three Pure Ones".