Beijing - Temple of the White Clouds

(Local Name: Baiyun Guan) The famous Taoist Temple of the White Clouds lies about 2km/3.2mi to the west. It was built in 1227 on the order of Gengis Khan to honor the Taoist scholar Qiu Chuji (1148-1227) who had impressed him with his wisdom. Today it is the headquarters of the Taoist Association of China. Along its main axis, beyond an ornamental gate and the inner gate, four courtyards and halls are lined up. A guardian figure stands in the first hall, while the jade emperor, the highest deity of Taoism, is seated on his throne surrounded by the gods of stars and the heavens in the second. The third hall contains the figures of seven saints, and the fourth and final hall is a two-story mausoleum for Qiu Chuji