Beyond Tai Chi: The royal splendor of Wudang's Zixiao Palace

For centuries, the Wudang Mountains in Shiyan City, central China's Hubei Province, have stood as a vital center of Taoism, renowned particularly for the development of Taoist martial arts, including Tai Chi. The ancient palaces and temples that grace these mountains showcase the pinnacle of Chinese art and architecture.

Among them, the Zixiao Palace, or Purple Heaven Temple, commands a majestic presence atop Zhanqi Peak in the Wudang Mountains. Historically, it served as a sacred space where Wudang Taoists prayed for the imperial family, with emperors from the Song (960-1279) to Qing (1644-1911) dynasties commissioning altars for ancestral blessings and divine intervention for prosperity and bountiful harvests.

(All photos taken by CGTN at the Zixiao Palace in the Wudang Mountains.)