Yunlu Palace, Taoist temple on Yuelu Mountain in Changsha, China.
Yunlu Palace is a Taoist temple set on Yuelu Mountain with multiple buildings arranged on the southern slope. The structures connect via pathways that wind through the mountainside, and from this location visitors overlook the Xiang River below.
The complex was founded in 1478 during the Ming Dynasty by a vassal prince named Zhu Jianjun. Over the centuries, fires, warfare, and political upheaval repeatedly damaged the site, leading to multiple reconstruction efforts.
The temple's name, Yunlu Gong (Cloud Foothill Palace), comes from its perch on Yunlu Peak, the twenty-third Taoist blessed land, Dongzhen Xu. Its halls honour Guandi and Lü Dongbin in the two-storey Wangxiang Tower and the Three Pure Ones in the Sanqing Hall, whose ceiling in the Lü Hall carries a taiji diagram and xiangshu numerological charts. A bronze Guilai Bell cast in 1576 hangs on an old ginkgo in front.
The temple sits on a mountainside, so visitors should wear comfortable shoes and allow time for the uphill walk. Following the marked pathways between buildings makes navigation straightforward, and arriving early in the day provides a more peaceful experience.
The stone panels at the front terrace are engraved with over 5,000 names of soldiers killed in the Battle of Changsha; they form part of the provincial-level Yuelu Mountain Anti-Japanese War Sites. In front of the palace stands the 3-meter-square Feilai Stone, also called the "Stone of Paying Homage to Mount Heng" because it offers a view toward that sacred peak.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,362 contributors worldwide.