Tai'an, Shandong Province: Dai Temple, Chenghuang Temple and Artemisia Hill in June 1907

Tai'an Province (now Tai'an City), located in the center of Shandong Province, is named after the foot of Mount Tai, which means "when Mount Tai is at peace, all the seas are at peace".

In June 1907, the famous French sinologist Chavannes came to Tai'an and recorded many precious shots with his camera, which enabled us to see the history of this ancient city more than a hundred years ago.

The roadside is a mixture of thatched and brick houses with stone pavement. It is summer, and two children walking in the distance are bare-chested.

Shuanglongchi was built in 1880. In front of it is a road, and there are residential houses on the opposite side.

Daimiao Square is located between Yaozan Pavilion and Dai Temple, also known as Linglong Square, built in the eleventh year of the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty (1672), the whole body carved in relief, is a treasure of stone architecture in the Qing Dynasty. In the picture, a lot of people gathered under the Dai Temple Square, which seems to have formed a bazaar here.

The tall cypresses in the courtyard, the old stone monuments and rockeries, and the hall hidden in the shade, the vicissitudes of the ancient wind.

The scripture building specific when it was established is not available, can only be roughly deduced as the Tang Dynasty. After an expert test, that octagonal stone columns are not found on the traces of engraved scriptures, it is inferred that it may also be a tomb tower. Now the stone scripture building has weathered more serious, precarious.

Legend has it that when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty planted in the East, although the bark has been peeled off the heart of the tree is dry, but then twisted on the towering, new branches, known as the "Han cypress Ling Han".

Song Tian Kuang Hall is the main building of Dai Temple, which was built in the second year of Song Dazhong Xiangfu (1009). It is grand in scale and brilliant in color, and it is called the "Ancient Great Palace of China" together with the Forbidden City in Beijing and Dacheng Hall in Qufu.

The Fusang Stone, also known as the Dazed Stone, is famous for "touching the blessing". Blindfolded, around the stone three times, if you can touch the scar on the big cypress tree facing the stone, you will be a lucky person.

The so-called "door sea", is the building placed next to the large tank of water, in case of fire only allow. The iron water tank cast in the Northern Song Dynasty in the first year of Jianzhong Jingguo (1101), huge, the outer wall is covered with exquisite reliefs.

The tree is located in the southwest corner of Dai Temple. Tai'an has a long history of ginkgoes, acacias, pines and cypresses, which are hundreds or thousands of years old.

This temple to Confucius was founded in 1297, more than 700 years ago.

Lingying Palace is located in the southwest of the city, formerly known as Tianxian Shrine, Lingying Palace is the temporary residence of the grandmother of Taishan Mountain when she came down from the mountain. Local legend has it that every year before the Spring Festival, the grandmother would go down to the mountain to do the New Year's goods, and whoever bought the goods from the family would be developed and prosperous.

In the old days, there must be a city temple. City God Temple generally have a theater. This stage was built in the twenty-fourth year of Qianlong (1759), now no longer exist.

The above picture was taken in 1933, more than twenty years ago, compared with the previous picture is basically no big change, only in the theater on the right side of an additional step.

I do not have access to the relevant information of the Taian Dressing House. But I think and the Empress Dowager Xiao can not be disconnected. In other places there are similar ancient buildings, such as the comb building in Guyuan County, Hebei Province, Datong, Shanxi Province, the dresser , are related to this small name Yan Yan's strange woman.

Tai Yin monument by the five monuments together, the monument and the instep cover on both sides of the carving Yunlong painting. This monument is also known as the "Golden Monument", "禋祀碑" and "Yan Yan Monument". Later, because of the war damage, in 1952 in this place after the construction of the dam and then no trace can be found.

In traditional Chinese culture, there are two places in the netherworld, one is Fengdu, and the other is Artemisia Hill in Tai'an. Therefore, in ancient times, there is "the world soul returns to Artemisia" said.

At that time, the Artemisia Hill, temples are still very complete and beautiful, in its surroundings, covered with many spiritual tablets.

In February, 1903, a person from Jangsan County made a tablet for three generations of his family. Legend has it that Artemisia is a place where souls gather, and all souls return to Artemisia after death.