Luoyang Laozi Memorial Hall: Feel the Beauty of Ancient Architecture
The gate of Luoyang Laozi Memorial Hall
Among the hustle and bustle at the north entrance of the North Street in the Old Town of Luoyang, there stands an ancient building with flying eaves and arches. Characterized by its plain yet elegant exterior, this building, Luoyang Laozi Memorial Hall, is the first museum themed on Laozi and Taoism culture in China.
The Grand Hall
Luoyang Laozi Memorial Hall was reconstructed on the basis of Zushi Temple which was built during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties to commemorate Laozi, the founder of Taoism. Zushi Temple was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 2006 for the Grand Hall and its typical Yuan-style beam structure.
Pieces of dragon decorations on the eaves
Zushi Temple covers an area of about 1,700 square meters, comprising three extant sections, namely the Front Hall, the Main Hall and the East Side Room. Among them, the Main Hall is facing south, and the ratio of its length to width is 5:3. Within the hall, there is a partition at each side for heating. Glazed tiles cover the hall's hipped roof that surrounded by arches and flying eaves. Ceramic dragon figures can be found on the both ends of the main ridge, poised as if they are supporting the main ridge. The main ridge itself is decorated with ceramic reliefs depicting dragons accompanied by lotus flowers. The views of the Four Chinese Deities can be captured on the four other ridges.
The magnificent Grand Hall with a hipped single-eave roof
In 2012, to commemorate Laozi, Luoyang built Luoyang Laozi Memorial Hall on the basis of Zushi temple. Entering the memorial hall, you can easily recognized one of the famous quotes conveying the wisdom of Laozi and Taoism - "The laws of Nature govern all things and that man must seek harmony with Nature."
Colorful murals in the Grand Hall
Within the hall, you can find a statue of Laozi with a height of more than two meters, with the statues of two young followers standing next to it. The colorful murals painted on the walls of the hall vividly reproduce some of the highlights of Laozi's lifetime, including the birth of Laozi, the time when he became an disciple of his teacher, his role as a history archives keeper in Luoyang, his writing of the Tao Te Ching, and his journey westward to Hangu Pass.
Stone carvings
As the founder of Taoism, Laozi lived in Luoyang for decades. There are still many historical and cultural relics related to Laozi in Luoyang, such as the Monument of Confucius Asking about Rites in Zhou, Shangqing Temple, Xiaqing Temple and Laojun Mountain.
A painting on the door of the Grand Hall
Wooden relics of the Earth God
The beam structure inside the Main Hall
A carving of a dragon head
(Source: lyd.com.cn)
