Taiqing Gong in Shenyang

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Palace of Supreme Purity

The Taiqing Gong (太清宫Palace of Supreme Purity) in Shenyang, Liaoning Province was originally called the Hall of the Three Doctrines. It is one of the biggest Daoist (Taoist) temples in northeast China and one of the most important Daoist temples in China. The provincial and local Daoist associations are based at the temple.

The palace of Supreme Purity was first built by Guo Shouzhen in 1663, the second year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign in the Qing Dynasty. Guo, also known as Zhixu and Jinyangzi, was the abbot of a Daoist temple on Mount Tiecha in Benxi. In 1662, the first year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign, people in Shengjing (today’s Shenyang) suffered a drought. The local garrison head asked Guo, who was known for being excellent at kung fu and the magic arts, to pray for rain. It did begin to rain after Guo prayed. The general rewarded Guo a lot of money but Guo declined. He asked the general to build a Daoist temple in northwest Shengjing, which became the Palace of Supreme Purity.