First built in the eleventh year (1413) of
the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Zixiao Palace is
one of the ancient palace complexes well preserved in Wudang Mountain. Inside
the Dongtian Gate of the Zixiao Palace, there are the Lonhu Hall, the Xunbei
Pavilion, the Shifang Hall, the Zixiao Hall and the Fumu Hall in succession.
Layer upon layer, all these halls were built according to the terrain of the
mountain. Other halls and pavilions are arranged in a compact order, with the
East Palace and the West Palace standing on both sides, forming a quiet and
elegant yard. Setting off the best in each other, the erect pines and cypresses
around, lush bamboos and flowers make the ancient buildings noble and
beautiful.
The Zixiao Hall, with a width of five bays,
a double-eave roof with nine ridges, green tiles and red walls, looks splendid
and dazzling. Architraves, dougong(wooden square blocks inserted
between the top of a column and a crossbeam), ceilings in the hall are
decorated with colored drawings, and the sunk panel is carved with the
embossment of two dragons playing with one pearl. Because of the colored
drawings, the whole palace looks noble and splendid. The platform in front of
the palace is spacious, complicatedly carved and sublime. Carved with exquisite
techniques, lifelike statues of the Jade Emperor and two other gods are
enshrined in the palace. Tall and elegant, the Fumu Hall behind the palace
embodies the superb architectural technique in ancient China.
In addition, there are several places of
interest near the Zixiao Palace, namely the Cijian Platform, the Yuji Pond, and
the Yuji Bridge, etc.