The Zongsheng Palace Ruins in Zhouzhi, Shaanxi

The Zongsheng Palace was originally the residence of Yin Xi, the official in charge of the Hangu Pass during the Zhou Dynasty, and was initially called 'Louguan'. Yin Xi, a native of Tianshui, studied ancient texts from a young age, was proficient in calendrical science, and skilled in observing the stars. In the twenty-third year of King Zhao of Zhou, seeing the decline of the dynasty and the turmoil of the political situation, Yin Xi resigned from his position as a high-ranking official and requested to serve as the official in charge of the Hangu Pass, settling into a modest position. He built a structure of grass on the Zhongnan Mountain to observe the stars and study the climate, devoting himself to the research of astrology and calendrical science. This is how the name 'Louguan' came about, and it became the embryonic form of the Zongsheng Palace. Later, Yin Xi welcomed the ancient sage Laozi to preach here, making Louguan famous far and wide. Historically, more than 60 emperors including Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, as well as emperors from the Tang and Song dynasties, visited Louguan over a hundred times to pay homage to Laozi. Qin Shi Huang built the Qing Temple to the south of the observatory for Laozi; Emperor Wu of Han, who admired the teachings of Huang-Lao, built the Wangxian Palace to the north of the observatory; Emperor Hui of Jin planted more than 100,000 trees here and greatly renovated the temple buildings of Louguan, which stretched seven miles from north to south; with the establishment of Taoism during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Louguan became a gathering place for high-ranking Taoists; by the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Louguan Taoist sect had formed. Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, in order to elevate his family status, posthumously honored Laozi, who also bore the surname Li, as his ancestor, greatly revered Taoism, designated it as the 'state religion', and ordered the renovation of the Louguan temple buildings, renaming it 'Zongshengguan', which made Louguan the earliest royal Taoist temple. At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan issued three edicts ordering the reconstruction of Louguan. After 10 years of restoration, the site became magnificent and spectacular, and was renamed 'Zongsheng Palace', a name that has been used to this day. After the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Zongsheng Palace suffered catastrophes from earthquakes, floods, and wars, with its buildings completely destroyed, leaving only ancient trees and broken steles. In order to promote the profound Taoist culture and effectively protect cultural relics and monuments, in September 2000, the cultural heritage protection unit rebuilt the site based on the Yuan Dynasty 'Map Stele of the Ancient Louguan Zongsheng Palace on Zhongnan Mountain', relocating it eastward from the original site. The reconstructed Zongsheng Palace covers an area of about 112 acres, basically displaying the ruins of the Zongsheng Palace in its original appearance, while effectively protecting the remaining ancient and famous trees, stone carvings, and inscriptions, bringing the Zongsheng Palace Ruins back into the public eye.