For those of you hoping / wishing to visit China’s most famous birthplace of Taijiquan, please consider the following
as an introduction to the past present and possible future of one of the most amazing places in this beautiful planet
of ours:
Known to locals as Taihe or Xuanyue, Wudang Mountain possesses the most beautiful scenery of tranquil valleys juxtaposed with precipitous peaks. Within this magnificent mountain are structures that date back to the 12th century, during the Tang Dynasty, as well as examples of architecture from each subsequent dynasty; that is, the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
In 1413, Emperor Zhengdi of the Ming Dynasty ordered 33 temples to be built within ten years, representing the peak of China’s cultural development. This incredible task resulted in 72 temples, 39 bridges, 36 nunneries and 12 pavilions that purloined the saying, "a nunnery for every five miles and a palace for every mile."
The oldest temple, Wulongci (Five Dragons Ancestral Temple) represents the promotion of Taoism in China. Hence Wudang is known as the cradle of Taoism.
At twilight in Zixiaogong (Purple Clouds Palace), Taoist monks can be seen practising Taiji and related exercise in the empty square in front of the palace. An old Master, Guo Gaoyi, a white whiskered and extremely healthy septuagenarian, suggests measures in the maintenance of preserving health:
. "Practising is to train ourselves and taking care is to protect ourselves. Thee are three kinds of treasure in the universe; the sun, the moon and the stars. Humans also have three kinds of treasure, the vigour, the breath and the spirit. It is important to know how to use them appropriately”
