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Temple Fairs in Old Beijing

Luzuge would open on the 1st and 15th of every month. People came to burn incense before a statue of Lu Dongbin and pray for their health.

 Yaowang Temple

Four Yaowang temples were located in the four directions respectively of the old Beijing city. Not only were the figures of Fuxi, Shennong, and Huangdi, the mythological kings of ancient China, consecrated, but also highly skilled doctors in Chinese history were worshipped, such as Wei Cizang, Sun Simiao, Bian Que, Zhang Zhongjing, Hua Tuo, and Wang Shuhe .

The Nan Yaowang Temple (South Yaowang Temple) was the busiest one among the four temples. It opened on every 1st and 15th, as well as on April 28th, the birthday of the Medicine God.

Nan Yaowang was constructed in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Figures in this temple were quite eerie. For instance, the figure of Fuxi, the legendary ancestor of humans after a devastating flood, was modeled with the head of a kirin (a mythical unicorn), the mouth of a dragon, and long hair. Citizens came to the temple to pray for health. Medical people also prayed for the success of their business. In fact, staff at Tongrentang (a famous pharmacy based in Beijing) used to visit the Yaowang Temple regularly.

 Baiyun Taoist Temple

Located on Xibianmenwai Avenue in Beijing City, the Baiyun Taoist Temple is one of the most famous Holy Lands of Taoism in China. It was first constructed in the 27th year (739) of Emperor Kaiyuan's reign in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the original name was the Tianchang Taoist Temple (the Temple of the Ultimate Supreme). As the ancestral temple of the Quanzhen Longmen Sect of Taoism, it is the largest Taoist building in Beijing City and known as the First Taoist Temple of Quanzhen Tao.

The 1st to the 19th of the first lunar month were the busiest days for the Taoist temple. People came to worship the God of Star on the 8th. The 18th was the day to "meet immortals," But supposedly, only pious people could have the chance to see the immortals. The 19th was the birthday of Qiu Chuji , once the patriarch at Baiyun. Some aristocrats and high officials used to give out money on this day in the hopes of attaining immortality.


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