Taoists venerate sacred mountains, wherein they believe deities and immortals dwell, and which also provide tranquil environments ideal for their self cultivation. Therefore early Taoist priests lived on sacred mountains. Later, some Taoist priests accepted appointments at the imperial court, and lived in temples built for them, at the orders of the emperors, in cities. With the development and flourishing of Taoism, many large sites of Taoist activity were built in sacred mountains and cities, some of which are called "palaces" because of their palatial dimensions.

Mount Tai, Shandong Province

Mount Hua, Shaanxi Province

The Forbidden City on Mount Wudang

The Nanyan Taoist Palace on Mount Wudang

The ruins of the Yuxu Taoist Palace on Mount Wudang

The Golden Peak of Mount Wudang

Mount Qingcheng, Sichuan Province

Mount Wangwu, Henan Province

Mount Kongdong, Gansu Province

White Cloud Mountain, Shaanxi Province

The Chongyang Taoist Palace in Shaanxi Province.

Mount Zhongnan, Shaanxi Province

The Eight-Diagram Gate of Lingzhi Garden at the Celestial Master's Residence on Dragon and Tiger Mountain, Jiangxi Province.

The White Cloud Temple, Beijing

The Black Goat Taoist Palace in Chengdu

The Eight Immortals Taoist Palace in Xi'an

Yongle Taoist Palace in Shanxi Province

The Temple of the God of the Town in Shanghai

The Laojuntai Temple of the Quanzhen Sect in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

The Fung Ying Seen Koon in Hong Kong

The Mazu Temple in Macao

The Zhinan Taoist Palace in Taipei

(China.org.cn April 20, 2007)