The Dragon and Tiger Hall of Zixiao Palace

All the main palaces on Wudang Mountain are equipped with Dragon and Tiger Halls, where the Azure dragon and the white Tiger are enshrined to enhance the solemnity and grandeur of paying homage to the true martial artist. The Dragon and Tiger Hall of Zixiao Palace is built on a tall platform, with a width of three bays and a depth of two bays. It is a brick and wood structure with a suspended roof, a wooden frame with "distracted columns", and a green glass tile roof. The Azure Dragon, the White Tiger and the Black Tortoise were originally collectively known as the "Five Emperors" in ancient legends. Later, through evolution, the Black Tortoise became a great deity in Taoism, while the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger became guardian deities. Some experts believe that the evolution of this ancient deity worship was nothing more than the fact that, with the support of the royal family, as the worship of Zhenwu intensified, its status gradually rose, while the status of Qinglong and Baihu gradually declined. The Dragon and Tiger Hall in the Taoist architecture of Wudang Mountain is a witness to this cultural process. In traditional Taoist culture, the blue Dragon and White Tiger are closely related to the Five Elements theory and methods of self-cultivation and nurturing one's character. In the "Wuzhen Chapter", there is a saying of "The true House of the Divine water of Hua Chi", which is a veiled metaphor for human body parts. For instance, the Azure Dragon protects the soul and governs the liver, while the White Tiger strengthens the lungs and governs the kidneys. The Azure dragon belongs to Yang and the white tiger to Yin. The Azure dragon and the white tiger are always on either side, which can achieve the effect of Yin and Yang complementing each other and so on. Of course, it also has the function of eliminating evil thoughts and restoring the root cause.