What's the story of laojunmiao in Xishan, Xinjiang?

Laojunmiao in Xishan, Xinjiang, which was founded in 1767, is the shrine of Li Er, the old gentleman of Taishang, with a history of nearly 300 years. Laojunmiao in Xishan Mountain is the largest Taoist building in Xinjiang's history, and its temple was built earlier.

The seat of laojunmiao in the Western Hills is the legendary last retreat of Qiu Chuji before he ascended to heaven. After the temple was built in laojunmiao, he was very aura and responsive, and people around him often came to worship, and the incense was always very prosperous.

According to legend, the two dragons that the Queen Mother sat on were banished to the world because they violated heaven. Two dragons drifted to the Western Hills. Seeing the good feng shui here, they settled down.

The two dragons didn't think about repentance, but all they did was make waves, which made people miserable and complained. Knowing this, the old gentleman flew here and tried to subdue the two dragons at the foot of the demon mountain.

Later, people knew that there would be a downpour as soon as they saw a large number of dark clouds piled up on Devil Mountain. There is a proverb that says:

Clouds shine on strange mountains, groundwater Upright.

In order to thank the old gentleman in Taishang, the people built a laojunmiao, hoping that the old gentleman in Taishang can always protect this land and bless them with longevity, peace and health.

But there are also historical records that the laojunmiao here was built by Urumqi people when Ji Xiaolan, a great scholar in Qing Dynasty, was exiled to northern Xinjiang by Qianlong.

Legend has it that when Ji Xiaolan passed through this land, one night, the old gentleman entrusted him with a dream to help him resolve the ups and downs in his life and gave him a peace kit. There is a sentence in the kit: "I joined the army in Wan Li and have never been to Pengshan since I came back." These two sentences truly describe Ji Xiaolan's later life.

Therefore, there has always been a local custom of asking for tips. When the child reaches100th day, the family will go to laojunmiao to give the child a tip, wishing the child a safe, healthy and happy life.

Laojunmiao has a total area of 20,000 square meters and a building area of 7,000 square meters, all of which retain the architectural style and traditional Taoist design of the Qing Dynasty, mainly including Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Lingguan Hall, Huangyu Hall, Laojun Hall, Caishen Temple, Wangyao Hall, Wenchang Hall and Cihang Hall.

The temple gate of laojunmiao in the Western Hills is Xingxingmen, which continues the style of the memorial archway in the Qing Dynasty, with a plaque with three Chinese characters "laojunmiao" hanging in the middle.

The gate of laojunmiao in Xishan Mountain faces south, symbolizing the three realms of god, man and ghost in Taoist philosophy. As long as you cross the gate, it means that you have walked out of the three realms and have the qualification to become an immortal.

There are solid gables on the east and west sides of the mountain gate, and two color murals, Confucius Ritual Map and Lao Zi Han Gu Guan Map, are painted.

Bell and Drum Tower are two indispensable tools for telling time in China temples. Taoism believes that the sound of bells and drums can summon larks and make the temple grand and solemn.

The mountain gate is opposite the Lingguan Hall, dedicated to the Taoist protector Wang Lingguan. He is armed with a golden whip and a clever official's tactic, wearing armor and stepping on hot wheels. He is powerful and is honored as the patron saint of the mountain gate. There are a large number of colorful murals painted on the east and west walls of Lingguan Hall, depicting the related stories of Wang Lingguan and Sa Zhenren.

Behind the Lingguan Hall is the Jade Emperor Hall, which is dedicated to the bodies of the Jade Emperor, the True Emperor, the Taiji Emperor, the Immortal Emperor and the Local Emperor. The Jade Emperor sat in the middle. He rules the universe, manages the three realms, the four worlds, the six paths and the ten directions, and is in charge of all the fortunes of Yin and Yang. He is the highest god of folk worship.

Laojuntang is the main building of laojunmiao in Xishan Mountain. It is 25 meters high and surrounded by carved white marble railings. The statue of the old gentleman in the temple is as high as 7 meters, sitting on the lotus platform, with a beautiful face and kind eyes, holding a mixed circle and smiling at all beings in the world.

Accompanied by eight statues of real people around the old gentleman in Taishang, one is Zhuangzi, Liezi, Kang Cangzi, and the other is Xu, Ge and Qiu Chuji. The north, west and side of Laojun Temple are large-scale paintings painted by Laozi in eighty-one, telling the story of Laozi's legendary life.

The most incense in laojunmiao is the Temple of Wealth, which enshrines Bigan, Zhao Gongming and Guan Yu, with Bigan in the middle and Zhao Gongming and Guan Yu in Wu Caishen on the left and right.

In Wenchang Hall, the chief priests, Emperor Zitong and King Kuixing, are in charge of fame and fortune, honor and disgrace. They play an important role in the minds of scholars, praying for the blessing of the gods and the prosperity of literature.

Cihang Hall is a place of worship for people of Cihang Road, namely Guanyin Bodhisattva in Buddhism. She sat on the lotus throne, with a kind and dignified face, great compassion for all beings, and boundless magic. She can "watch" the voices of all sentient beings and save them, so she is deeply welcomed by the secular.

Laojun Taoist mural