The architectural features of Sanqing Hall
Sanqing Hall is the most magnificent hall in Tianshi Cave. The main hall was built in 1923 and has been renovated in recent years. A stairway of nine stone steps leads to the corridor in the front of the hall, which has 5 ranked bays, and is supported by 28 columns, 4.4 meters high. All the columns and arches are made of whole stones, enchased and decorated with simple colors and elegant designs. The top hall is Wuji Hall (Omnipotent Hall), which has an octagonal courtyard for the sake of ventilation, where no tourists will feel depressed. On a horizontal board were inscribed Chinese characters Red Platform and Jade Cave in calligraphic form by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty.
Three supreme Taoist gods are enshrined in the hall. They are Yuqing, Shangqing and Taiqing. Together they are called Sanqing (the Taoist Trinity). In Sanqing Temple some musical instruments were designed into the stone sculptures, where a conch will emit a sweet sound whenever the wind blows. So it is called the "Sound of Nature". It reflects the aesthetic value of Taoism. In front of the hall grows a 1,800-year-old gingko tree, 30 meters high and 6meters around the trunk. The diameter of the tree crown is more than 36 meters. It is said that Zhang Daoling planted the tree himself.
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