Mt. Kongtong Daoist Temple (Pingliang, Gansu)

In the mountain, there were many Daoist temples, among which were the Temple of Consulting Dao, which was constructed before the Tang dynasty, and the Yellow Emperor's Temple, which was built in the Tang dynasty at the top of the mountain, but moved to the court of the Heavenly Immortals Temple in the Qing dynasty. During the Qiande years of the Northern Song dynasty, on the top of Mt. Mazong, the Perfect Warrior Hall was constructed, and in the following Zhenhe years, the Consulting Dao Temple was reconstructed under instructions from Emperor Huizong himself. In the 20th Jiajing year, king Han of the vassal state of Pingliang decided to construct a temple city on the top of the Mt. Mazong. He allocated money for the reconstruction of the Hall of the Perfect Warrior, the roofs of which were covered with metal sheets. After its completion, the hall embraced such incredible subtlety, reminding people of an immortals' residence. Other buildings, such as the Medicine King Hall, the Venerable Sovereign's Chamber , the Great Harmony Chamber, the Jade Emperor Pavilion, and the Numinous Official Grotto, were also constructed inside the temple complex. In the meantime, along the road from the bottom up to its top were scattered new constructions such as the Immortals Assembly Bridge, the Queen Mother Temple, the Purple Heaven Temple, the Temple for Encountering the Perfected Ones, the Southern Cliff Temple, the Heavenly Immortals Temple, the Big Dipper Temple, the Tranquil Pleasure Temple, the Mysterious Saint Temple, the Pavilion of Flying Immortals, the Needle-rubbing Temple, the Twelve Marshals Hall, the White Tiger Hall, the Shrine for Imperial Sovereign Donghua, and the Chaotic Origin Chamber. On the top of Mt. Leishen stood the Thunder Patriarch Hall, the Jade Emperor Chamber, the Holy Parents Chamber and the Three Officials Hall. On the way from Zhongtai up to the temple complex were three heavenly gates. Inside the second heavenly gate, the Gate of the Three Teachings was constructed. In the same period, projects for renovating the Consulting Tao Temple and for constructing the Complete Perfection Pavilion were undertaken. In emperor Kangxi's reign during the Qing dynasty, Miao Qingyang, the famous Daoist of the Dragon Gate Tradition was invited to the temple. Since then, Mt. Kongtong was converetd into a Daoist site. In the following years, more buildings were built at the place. In front of the temple complex, the bell and drum arches were built. On the top of Mt. Leishen, new buildings such as the Three Stars Hall, the Dragon Sovereign Hall and the Eye Light Hall were constructed; on the top of Mt. Xiangshan, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones was constructed; at the Gate of Worshiping Heaven, the Medicine King Grotto was built; at Dongtai, the Emperor Guan Hall, at Zhongtai, the Ascension Temple and the Three Emperors Chamber, and at the Hall for Inviting Cranes, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones and the Temple of Imperial Sovereign Wenchang. In the Republican period, at Nantai, Patriarch Qiu Hall, at Mt. Fenghua, the Supreme Clarity Temple, and at Mt. Lazhu, the Eight Immortals Hall, and at Mt. Qipan, the Three Saints Hall were respectively erected.

Since 1958, most Daoists were forced to leave the temple, which underwent serious damages. Up to the 1980's, only some buildings in the temple complex -- the Purple Heaven Temple and the Thunder Patriarch Hall survived, while other buildings, unfortunately, totally disappeared in the ruins and debris. In 1982, funds were raised for the reconstruction of buildings on the top of Mt. Leishen, the renovation of buildings in the temple complex and the transmission of the Jade Emperor Pavilion into five great halls. Up to 1989, the Consulting Dao Temple and the Queen Mother Temple were renovated, and the Heavenly Immortals Temple, the Supreme Clarity Temple, the Three Emperors Chamber, the Three Saints Chamber, the Descendants Temple and the Yellow Emperor Chamber were reconstructed.