Qingyang Gong
The Qingyang Gong (青羊宫Green Goat Palace) is in a southwestern suburb of Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
The Green Goat Palace's name is associated with Daoist (Taoist) legend. In the Imperial Biography of the King of Shu by Yang Xiong of the Western Han Dynasty, Yang wrote: "Lao Zi wrote the Dao de jing (Tao Te Ching) for Yin Xi, the guardian at Hangu Pass. When Lao Zi left, he told Yin Xi, 'After you have practiced Daoism for a thousand days, come to look for me at Qingyang in Chengdu.'"
It is said that, after Yin Xi respectfully saw off Lao Zi on his westward journey, he practiced Daoism for a thousand days and then went to Chengdu as they had agreed but found no place called Qingyang. Just when he was in this dilemma, he suddenly saw a boy leading a green goat. It turned out that after Lao Zi had ascended into heaven, he left Supreme Subtlety Palace (Taiwei Gong 太微宫) and was born into the family of a high-ranking official surnamed Li in the Kingdom of Shu. Before he was born into the Li family, Lao Zi let his green dragon change into a goat. Yin Xi saw through the ploy and followed the boy to the Li household, where he saw auspicious purple clouds floating over the houses. Yin Xi went inside to find that a baby boy had just been born, who was the incarnation of Lao Zi. Lao Zi revealed his original appearance, gave jade books and inscriptions on bronze to Yin Xi and conferred on him the title of Highest Perfect Man. Inspired by this legend, people later built a Daoist temple at the place where Yin Xi met the boy and the green goat, which is today's Green Goat Palace.
In the Hall of Original Chaos (Hunyuan Dian 混元殿), one of the Green Goat Palace's major buildings, there is a shrine for worshiping the Patriarch of Original Chaos – that is, the Supreme Master Lao Zi. The title of Emperor of the Mysterious Origin (Xuanyuan Huangdi 玄元皇帝) was conferred on the Supreme Master during the Tang Dynasty. The title was changed to Emperor of Original Chaos (Hunyuan Huangdi 混元皇帝) during the Song Dynasty to avoid using any part of the name of Zhao Xuanlang, founder of the Song Dynasty, because this was taboo. Later generations called him the Patriarch of Original Chaos (Hunyuan Zushi 混元祖师).
In the shrine, the master has a kindly expression and elegant bearing and wears an Original Chaos Heaven and Earth ring. This ring signifies the chaotic state when heaven and earth had not yet been separated. As the ring breaks, it becomes one, symbolizing the Patriarch separating heaven and earth. One generates two, when two forms of energy – Yin and Yang – come into being. Two generate three, which means the movement of Yin and Yang generates the harmony (he 和) of energy, and then there are the three powers Yin, Yang and Harmony. The three generate everything on earth, which means that Yin, Yang and Harmony are integrated into the whole world. The universe's evolutionary rule is that "Dao (Tao) produces the One; the One turns into the Two; the Two gives rise to the Three"; and the path to recover nature's original state is one where "Man follows the way of Earth; Earth follows the way of Heaven; Heaven follows the way of Dao; and Dao follows the way of spontaneity."
Behind the Supreme Master is the Daoist of Compassionate Salvation, who sits upright on a lotus throne, spraying sweet dew to help people in distress and never failing to respond to any prayer.
Go further and you will see the Eight Trigrams Pavilion, one of the most distinctive buildings in the Green Goat Palace. The pavilion was built on a dais with double overhanging eaves that point skyward. The base of the dais has three layers: the lowest is square, the middle one octagonal, and the topmost round, symbolizing the Daoist theory: "Under round dome of heaven lies the square earth; Yin and Yang depend on and generate each other; the Eight Trigrams integrate to generate the world." Eight pillars with winding dragons support the pavilion. The strong contrast in color between the pillars' black backgrounds, white clouds and golden dragons gives a vivid depiction of the dragons. There are 81 dragons carved on the pavilion and dais, representing Lao Zi's 81 transformations.
Opposite the eight pillars is a picture of the Eight Trigrams, accompanied by a Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate with relief sculptures of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. The pavilion has a statue of Lao Zi riding a green ox. In front of the statue hangs a horizontal board inscribed: "The supreme good is like water" (shang shan ruo shui 上善若水). This advises people to do what is good for the world and to strive for nothing, just as water does.
Further to the north is the Green Goat Palace's principal building, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones. In the middle of the hall are shrines with gilded clay statues of the Three Pristine Ones (Primeval Lord of Heaven of the Jade Purity, Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure of the High Purity, and Heavenly Lord of Dao and Its Virtue of the Supreme Purity). The three altars are connected into one. On the east side of the hall, there is a big bell known as the Netherworld or World of Darkness to provide warnings to the populace. It was made during the Ming Dynasty and weighs more than 3,000 kilograms. On the west side of the hall is an echoing drum. Every day, the morning bell and evening drum sound to act as reminders for people.
In the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones are two famous divine animals – green goats made of copper. The one on the left has a unique appearance, with features from 12 animals – a rat's ears, an ox's nose, a tiger's claws, a rabbit's back, a dragon's horns, a snake's tail, a horse's mouth, a goat's beard, a monkey's neck, a chicken's eyes, a dog's belly and a pig's buttocks. It is said that this goat has magic powers: anyone who is sick will be cured if he or she touches the corresponding part of the goat's body. Since the Chinese believe that good things should be in pairs, a man surnamed Zhang from Chengdu had another copper goat cast during the Qing Dynasty's Daoguang reign period (1821-50) and placed beside the first one, the two contrasting well with each other.
Also noteworthy is that a precious Daoist cultural relic is preserved in the Green Goat Palace. It is the Qing Dynasty printing plate with more than 13,000 cut blocks for the Selections from the Daoist Canon (Daozang Jiyao 道藏辑要). Legible characters are carved on both sides of the well-preserved plate of pear wood.
