The white tiger in the Dragon and Tiger Hall of Zixiao Palace

Ancient astrologers imagined the seven constellations in the West as the form of a tiger and called them the White Tiger. In Taoism, they are known as the "Gods of the West" and are one of the four gods. The pattern composed of the seven constellations in the north is Xuanwu, known as the God of the North. They were originally independent directional gods. In the early Ming Dynasty, Emperors Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di both claimed that they had been protected by the Northern Emperor Zhenwu and thus ascended the throne, and they highly praised them. The status of Zhenwu suddenly rose, while Baihu was demoted to guardian deity. In ancient Chinese traditional culture, the white tiger was frequently used and was often associated with the blue dragon. For instance, it belongs to Yin in the two qi, metal in the Five Elements, and strengthens the lungs and governs the kidneys in the human body, etc. Placing the Azure dragon and the white tiger in one hall symbolizes the Taoist method of health preservation and cultivation, that is, the practice of regulating the qi of the liver and lungs, each returning to its inherent nature, which is a method of health preservation that regulates, nourishes and balances the Yin and Yang qi. This huge clay sculpture in the Dragon and Tiger Hall of Zixiao Palace holds significant artistic and cultural relic value. According to experts' research, it is a masterpiece passed down through the ages by the renowned Yuan Dynasty sculptor Liu Yuanyi and is a precious existing clay sculpture art piece on Wudang Mountain.