Golden Hall

The Golden Hall (Jindian or Jinding), situated at the top of Tianzhu Peak (1612m), is one of the most distinctive landmarks in Wudangshan. It was built in 1416 during the Ming Dynasty. According to local histories, the hall was forged in Beijing, then carried to Wudangshan. The Golden Hall is one part of the Supreme Harmony Temple (Taihe Palace). Built entirely of gilded copper (an incredible 20 tons of fine copper, and 300 kilograms of gold), the hall is one of the biggest gilded copper temples in China.

The Golden Hall contains a bronze statue of Zhen Wu, another name for the Northern Emperor, Beidi (Cantonese Pak Tai), a popular Daoist deity. Around the statue stand more gilded copper statues. Between them, the statues and hall represent the best in Ming copper work.

Famous quotes containing the words golden and/or hall:

    He hangs in shades the orange bright,
    Like golden lamps in a green night,
    And does in the pomegranates close
    Jewels more rich than Ormus shows;
    He makes the figs our mouths to meet,
    And throws the melons at our feet;
    But apples plants of such a price
    No tree could ever bear them twice.
    Andrew Marvell (1621–1678)

    While there we heard the Indian fire his gun twice.... This sudden, loud, crashing noise in the still aisles of the forest, affected me like an insult to nature, or ill manners at any rate, as if you were to fire a gun in a hall or temple.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)