Taoist Sacred Site—Mount Wudang: Part 7, Golden Summit

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Mount Wudang Golden Summit Scenic Area Guide Map

Mount Wudang Golden Summit generally refers to the Grand Mountain Taihe Palace. The Grand Mountain Taihe Palace, also known as Taihe Palace, is located at the highest point of Tianzhu Peak, the main peak of Mount Wudang, atop the 1,612-meter mountain summit. It embodies an unprecedented spirit and the conqueror's triumphant declaration. The unique landforms of Mount Wudang, with numerous peaks supporting and paying homage from all directions, magically accentuate the supremacy of imperial power. The Grand Mountain Taihe Palace is the highest sacred site on Mount Wudang. Only by ascending to the summit and entering Taihe Palace can one truly claim to have visited Mount Wudang, whether as a Taoist practitioner, devotee, pilgrim, or tourist. In the tenth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1412), Emperor Zhu Di ordered the construction of Taihe Palace. After its completion, he conferred upon Mount Wudang the title "Grand Mountain Taihe Mountain" and named this Taoist palace atop the summit "Grand Mountain Taihe Palace." The imperial naming elevated Mount Wudang's status to that of the foremost among the Five Sacred Mountains. In 1983, the Grand Mountain Taihe Palace was declared a National Key Taoist Temple Protection Unit by the State Council; in the same year, it was listed as one of the 21 key Taoist temples nationwide.

Mount Wudang Qiongtai (Middle Temple) Cable Car Station

At the Mount Wudang Qiongtai (Middle Temple) Cable Car Station, the cable car ride to the Golden Summit takes only 5-6 minutes. The fare is 90 yuan for the upward trip and 80 yuan for the downward trip, with no round-trip discount. This is the most expensive cable car I've ever taken. Alternatively, you can walk to the Golden Summit. Next to the cable car station, there is a hiking trail. Starting from Qiongtai Middle Temple, follow the approximately 3-kilometer stone path upward; it takes about 2 hours to reach the Golden Summit. Another route is from South Cliff along an ancient uphill path to the Golden Summit, which takes 2-3 hours.

The "First Mountain" stone carving on the cliff beside the cable car station is the work of the famous Northern Song calligrapher Mi Fu.

Mount Wudang Qiongtai (Middle Temple) Cable Car: Even inside the station, you're made to queue.

Mount Wudang Qiongtai (Middle Temple) Cable Car

Upon exiting the cable car station at the Golden Summit, there's a hotel nearby. It may be the only accommodation on the summit, and it's quite expensive. If you want to see the sunrise without climbing, staying here is the best option.

Mount Wudang Golden Summit photo

Once out of the cable car station, you can only walk to the Golden Summit. Before the trip, I researched how far it is to climb from the cable car station to the Golden Hall. There are various claims online: some say it takes only 7-8 minutes to climb to the Golden Hall, others say 2 hours. After visiting, I can responsibly tell you that if you don't linger on the way, it takes about 10 minutes to climb from the cable car station to the Golden Hall. However, the steps are indeed quite steep. If you take in all the sights along the way and take photos, it takes about half an hour. To enter the Purple Forbidden City—the area of Taihe Palace and the Golden Summit—you need to purchase a separate ticket: 27 yuan for adults, 15 yuan for those aged 60-69, and free for those aged 70 and above. It's a one-way loop: ascend from the right, descend from the left. You can also visit the scenic spots along the way when descending.

Mount Wudang Golden Summit: This is the incense-burning area. Further up, burning incense is prohibited. If you didn't buy incense at the foot of the mountain, it's available here.

Wudang Mountain Golden Summit Bronze Hall

On the Small Lotus Peak of Taihe Palace, there is a hall housing a bronze hall cast during the Yuan Dynasty. This bronze hall, nearly 700 years old, is modeled after wooden structures and is a precious object for studying Yuan Dynasty bronze casting art. It is also the earliest surviving bronze hall in China. Since it was originally located on Tianzhu Peak and was moved here when the Golden Hall was built in the Ming Dynasty, people also call it the "Fortune-Transfer Hall." Taking advantage of the homophonic meaning, many pilgrims and tourists walk around inside it, hoping for a change of luck and good fortune.

Wudang Mountain Golden Summit Bronze Hall: Walk around inside this pitch-dark place once.

Wudang Mountain Golden Summit Imperial Scripture Hall

The Imperial Scripture Hall of Taihe Palace is where Taoist disciples chant scriptures every morning and evening. It is also an important sacrificial site at Wudang Taoism. This hall, destroyed by fire in the late Ming Dynasty and rebuilt during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, is extremely distinctive. Its partition doors are fully carved with rare birds, strange beasts, and Taoist immortal stories. The craftsmanship is exquisite and imbued with strong folk cultural colors. Inside the Imperial Scripture Hall, statues, offerings, and ritual vessels dazzle the eye, all being masterpieces of casting and carving art. The large plaque in the center, inscribed with the characters "Born in Heaven, Standing on Earth" (生天立地), was personally written by the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

Wudang Mountain Golden Summit Imperial Scripture Hall

Wudang Mountain Golden Summit Ten Thousand Saints Pavilion

Wudang Mountain Taihe Palace

At the Golden Summit of Mount Wudang, after passing Taihe Palace, you reach the Southern Heavenly Gate—the yellow building in the middle. Here you present your ticket to enter.

Wudang Mountain Golden Summit Southern Heavenly Gate: The downhill path goes in the direction of this gentleman.

Start climbing up to the Golden Hall

Midway, there is a Lingguan Hall

Wudang Mountain Golden Summit Golden Hall

In terms of architectural layout, Taihe Palace is similar to other Taoist palaces. However, because there is a Golden Hall above it, its original main hall was downgraded and is now called the "Pilgrimage Hall." The Pilgrimage Hall houses gilded copper statues of Xuanwu and his generals, such as the Thunder God and Lingguan. During a period of the Ming Dynasty, pilgrims and devotees, including Taoist practitioners on the mountain, could only worship Emperor Xuanwu here; ascending to the Golden Summit was absolutely forbidden. They could only gaze at the lofty Golden Hall from afar.

Wudang Mountain Golden Summit Golden Hall

Located atop Tianzhu Peak of Mount Wudang, at an altitude of 1,612 meters and covering an area of about 160 square meters, the Golden Hall was first built in the fourteenth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1416). It is the largest and highest-grade gilded copper hall existing in China. The Golden Hall faces west, with a width of three bays (5.8 meters) and a depth of three bays (4.2 meters), and a height of 5.54 meters. It is a gilded copper hall modeled after wooden structures, with a double-eave hip roof. The hall's body is made of cast copper partition panels, on which large and small architraves are cast. The upper eaves have double-tiered brackets with nine steps, supporting the eaves rafters. The lower eaves have single-tiered brackets with seven steps, all gilded. A gilded copper vertical plaque hangs at the eaves, engraved with the characters "Golden Hall." All components of the Golden Hall were cast separately, assembled using mortise and tenon joints, and then entirely gilded. The structure is rigorous, the connections tight, with no traces of casting or chiseling. Inside the hall, a statue of the Patriarch Zhenwu is enshrined, with a Golden Boy holding a volume on the left and a Jade Girl holding a seal on the right, as well as the Water and Fire Generals holding flags and drawing swords. On the rear wall hangs a gold plaque inscribed with the characters "Golden Radiant and Mysterious Form" (金光妙相) in regular script by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty.

In March 1961, the Golden Hall of Mount Wudang was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the first batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units. In December 1994, the Golden Hall was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site as part of the Ancient Building Complex of Mount Wudang.

Wudang Mountain Golden Summit Golden Hall

To the left of the Golden Hall is the Sign Room, where ancient believers drew lots and asked for divination. To the right is the Seal Room, where ancient specifically made place to stamp the "divine seal" for believers.

Wudang Mountain Golden Summit Golden Hall is made of gilded copper. It is said that this small piece on the rear pillar is pure gold; everyone looks at it. These copper railings were donated specifically for the Golden Hall of Taihe Palace in the nineteenth year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1591) by devotees of Zhenwu from Yunnan and Jiangxi.

In the early years of the Republic of China, the Parents Hall was built at the back of the Golden Hall, with the Sign Room and Seal Room erected on the left and right.

Wudang Mountain Golden Hall Parents Hall

Mount Wudang Golden Summit: From exiting the cable car to returning to the cable car, it takes about 2 hours to tour the entire Golden Summit area.