Qiongtai Temple
The Three Qiongtai Temples are White Jade Turtle Terrace, Purple Peak Qiongtai, and Jade Music Xiao Terrace. Twenty-four Daoist courtyards lie between them, connected by pavilions and bridges,…
Qiongtai Temple, Wudang Mountains
Key facts
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Guidebook rating
- 3 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 2055. Open in Google Maps
About Qiongtai Temple
The Three Qiongtai Temples are White Jade Turtle Terrace, Purple Peak Qiongtai, and Jade Music Xiao Terrace. Twenty-four Daoist courtyards lie between them, connected by pavilions and bridges, which gives rise to the saying that when you walk between the three temples, “you cannot see the sky when you go out, and your shoes stay dry in the rain.”
Tips from the guidebook
- 1. Climbing to the Golden Hall: There are two routes from Chaotian Palace to the Golden Hall. The one on the right is the Ming Dynasty route, and the one on the left is the Qing Dynasty route. It is recommended to take the Ming route first, passing the First, Second and Third Heavenly Gates to the Golden Summit, a total of 10 km. On your way back, take the Qing route.
- 2. Golden Summit views: Watch the sunrise from the Golden Summit in the morning and the sea of clouds in the evening, and experience the Daoist sense of ascending to immortality and rising above the world.
- The Eight Scenic Spots of Wudang:
Frequently asked questions
How long should I spend at Qiongtai Temple?
Plan on 1 hour for Qiongtai Temple.
Where is Qiongtai Temple?
Qiongtai Temple is in Wudang Mountains, Hubei Province, in the Central China of China. About 8,000 meters southeast of the foot of Tianzhu Peak
More places in Wudang Mountains
Yuxu Palace
Yuxu Palace, full name “Xuantian Yuxu Palace,” is one of the largest palaces in the Wudang Mountains complex. Yuxu Palace was built in 1413. Surviving structures and ruins include two brick palace walls, two stele pavilions standing face to face on terraces before the gate, and the ruins of the East, West, and North Heavenly Gates outside the palace. Though only remnants of buildings and ruins, they retain a strong power to move, and are well worth seeing.
Free · 1 hour
Zixiao Palace
Built in 1413, this palace is one of the best-preserved temple complexes on Wudang Mountain. Zixiao Palace serves as the office of the Wudang Taoist Association, and each year on the third day of the third lunar month and the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, it hosts celebrations and Daoist rituals.
1–2 hours
Golden Hall
Built in 1416, the Golden Hall is one of the largest existing bronze hall structures with gilded surfaces in China. Commonly known as the “Golden Summit,” the entire building is assembled from gilded bronze components. During heavy rain, when thunder and lightning strike, glowing balls of light roll around the hall, yet the thunderbolts never damage it. This phenomenon is known as “Fire Tempering the Hall.”
1 hour
Taihe Palace
Separated from the Golden Hall by a single wall, Taihe Palace sits atop Tianzhu Peak, the highest peak of Wudang Mountain. It is the supreme sacred realm of Wudang and the necessary route to the Golden Hall. Only after visiting Taihe Palace can you truly say you have been to Wudang. Historically the palace was vast, but today only the main hall, the worship hall, the bell and drum towers, the Bronze Hall, and the Zhuanyun Hall survive.
1–2 hours
Taizipo
Laid out according to the story of Prince Zhenwu cultivating immortality in the *Zhenwu Scripture*, Taizipo was built in 1412 and is one of the larger building complexes on Wudang Mountain. The gate lintel bears the inscription “Taizipo” (Prince's Slope). Past the gate, a cloud wall about 500 m long is built along the mountainside, winding and undulating with the terrain. The highest point is the Prince Hall, which houses a statue of Zhenwu as a child. In front of the hall is a viewing gallery, the perfect vantage point for the Golden Summit. Amid the clouds, you can savour the sense of “people returning from the heavens.”
1–2 hours
Nanyan Palace
Nanyan's peaks are steep and strange, with lush green forests that rise toward the clouds and drop to deep gorges. It is a place of endless scenery on dangerous heights, and it is widely considered the most beautiful of the 36 cliffs of Wudang Mountain.
1–2 hours