The birthplace of Taoism in China is actually here?!

Not Wudang Mountain, not Qingcheng Mountain, the birthplace of Taoism in China is actually in Heming Mountain, Dayi!

📍Heming Mountain Taoist Temple
Transportation:
🚗 About 1:30 hours by car from Chengdu
🚅 About half an hour from Chengdu West to Dayi Station, then about half an hour by taxi. You can also take bus 212 🚌 directly to the temple entrance
🅿️ There is a large parking lot at the temple entrance, 🆓
🎫 Free

🔖 Let's talk about history first
This is the recognized birthplace of Taoism. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Ling advocated the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice here, venerating Laozi Li Er as the master, using the Tao Te Ching as the main classic, and founded the "Way of the Five Pecks of Rice", marking the official establishment of Taoism. After that, this place became a holy land of Taoism. In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhang Sanfeng also achieved enlightenment here. As soon as you enter the temple gate, the stone stele on the right records the "Book of Yongle Emperor Welcoming Zhang Sanfeng", which tells the story of the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty inviting Zhang Sanfeng to come out of seclusion and serve as the national teacher. The mountain gate of Heming Taoist Temple is called "Yingxian Pavilion", which comes from this story.

🌲 Ancient Trees
There is a 700-year-old ancient cypress tree in the temple, which was personally planted by Zhang Sanfeng 700 years ago (see pictures 2 and 3). In addition to the ancient cypress, there are many ancient trees in the temple, including several hundred-year-old Phoebe trees. To protect the ancient trees, some trees grow out from inside the buildings, and some stone steps are specially made to give way to them.

🍜🍚 Vegetarian Meals
I have long heard that the vegetarian meals here are excellent, especially the peanut porridge for breakfast. The vegetarian dishes are also very delicious. Breakfast costs 💰5, lunch 💰10, and dinner 💰10. It's all self-service, and you wash your own dishes after eating.

🏨 Accommodation
The temple provides accommodation, 💰35 for a single bed without air conditioning, 💰60 for a single bed with air conditioning, and 💰380 for a standard room with a private bathroom. The only downside is that it's very humid, so it's not recommended for those with high accommodation requirements.

🍵 Tea Drinking
There is a tea room in front of the Sanqing Hall. The outdoor space is a two-story high corridor, perfect for relaxing and daydreaming.

🍃 Taoist Medicine
The temple often invites famous traditional Chinese medicine doctors for consultations, with free consultations every Saturday. I tried the free consultation on Saturday, and the doctor accurately diagnosed the issues found in my physical examination just by feeling my pulse. I was amazed and asked: How did you know? The old doctor replied: Would I dare to come to the ancestral master's temple for free consultations without some skills?!
All 🆓. There is no registration fee, and you have to go down the mountain to get the medicine yourself.

⛰️ Hiking
Heming Mountain is beginner-friendly for hiking. The steps are gentle, and you can choose between the big loop (8 km) and the small loop (5 km). If you really can't manage, hiking within the temple is also an option. You can see peacocks strolling leisurely and cats and dogs that are not afraid of people everywhere. It's very comfortable and suitable for gathering energy.