The Tongbai Palace is one of the famous Taoist temples in southern China, and it is situated at the famous scenic spot Tiantai Mountain in Zhejiang Province. The Tongbai Palace has been reputed as the earliest center and the Holy Land of the Southern School of Taoism since ancient times.
As early as in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), famous Taoist Ge Xuan established the Gezhenjun Tiantai Sect of Taoism here. Lady Wei Huacun, who came to Tiantai Mountain to cultivate herself in the Western Jin Dynasty (265-3176), was reputed as the first generation of Shangqing Sect (the Supreme Purity Sect). After that, Zhang Baiduan, born locally, established Ziyang Sect (the Golden Elixir Sect) in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and was worshiped by later generations as the founder of the Southern School of Taoism.
In its most prosperous period, the Tongbai Palace had around it a large-scale Taoist architectural complex, including 36 palaces, 72 Taoist temples, 108 altars and terraces and other countless cultivation sites of Taoism. The nearby Yujing Cave on Chicheng Mountain was called as the 6thfascinating place of the Top 10 Fascinating Places, Pingqiao Town is where Zhang Baiduan (known as the Golden Elixir Immortal, one of the five patriarchs of the Southern Lineage), was born, and the Tongbai Palace is the venue for Taoist rites held by Zhang Baiduan. Zhang Baiduan made great contributions to the development of Taoism, and wrote the masterpieceWu Zhen Pian(Comprehend the Truth).
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