Jiading Jixian Palace: Treasures of Jiangnan Taoist Palace Lost in Time

In the long history of Jiading, Shanghai, there was once an ancient building that carried the cultural memory of Taoism for seven hundred years – Jixian Palace. This Taoist temple, located in the former east city of Jiading, was built during the Song Dynasty and abandoned in the later period. It has undergone renovation and expansion during the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. It is not only an important witness to the development of Taoism in the Jiangnan region, but also embodies the architectural wisdom and cultural heritage of ancient Jiading.

1、 Millennium Context: The Historical Evolution of Jixian Palace

The construction history of Jixian Palace can be traced back to the Southern Song Dynasty. The 17th year of the Jiading reign of the Song Dynasty (1224) was the beginning of the palace observation. Although the initial scale of construction was not detailed, it laid the foundation for subsequent development. Only four years later, in the first year of Shaoding (1228), the completion of the Dongyue Palace marked the initial improvement of the palace’s functions, and the inclusion of Dongyue belief also reflected the prevalence of folk Taoist culture at that time.

Entering the Yuan Dynasty, Jixian Palace experienced its first peak of expansion. In the tenth year of the Yuan Dynasty’s Dade era (1306), the Sanqing Hall, Yuhuang Pavilion, and Ruizhu Pavilion were successively completed. The construction of these three buildings was of great significance – the Sanqing Hall, as the core building dedicated to the highest deity of Taoism, Sanqing Tianzun, and the Yuhuang Pavilion corresponded to the belief in the Jade Emperor. The emergence of the two made Jixian Palace conform to the regulations of orthodox Taoist temples; The construction of Ruizhu Pavilion has added a leisure space for literati elegance to the palace, reflecting the integration of Taoist culture and literati aesthetics.

The Ming and Qing dynasties were a period of renovation and expansion of the Jixian Palace. In the 29th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1550), the Sanqing Hall was rebuilt, and at the same time, the Sanguan Hall (dedicated to Tian Guan, Di Guan, and Shui Guan) and Sanmao Hall (dedicated to Sanmao Zhenjun) were built, further enriching the worship system and architectural layout of the palace. Afterwards, during the Wanli and Qianlong periods, there were frequent renovations, ranging from repairing beams and columns to expanding courtyards, gradually leading to the peak of the size of the temple and becoming one of the largest and most popular Taoist temples in the Jiading area at that time.

2、 The transmission of classics: the cultural imprint of Jixian Palace

In addition to the expansion of its architectural scale, Jixian Palace has also made important contributions to cultural heritage, with the most representative being the awarding of the “Daozang” during the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty (1436-1449). The Daozang is a comprehensive collection of Taoist classics, covering various types of texts such as scriptures, laws, treatises, and collections, and can be regarded as an encyclopedia of Taoist culture. In ancient times, the compilation and awarding of the “Daozang” were extremely strict, and it was difficult for non important palaces to receive this honor. After receiving the “Daozang” from Jixian Palace, a specialized scripture storage pavilion was established for proper preservation. This not only made it an important collection site for Taoist classics in the Jiangnan region at that time, but also attracted many Taoist priests and literati to study, promoting the spread of Taoist culture in Jiading and surrounding areas.

These classics are not only carriers of religious beliefs, but also contain knowledge from many fields such as philosophy, medicine, astronomy, and calendar, providing valuable references for future research on Ming Dynasty Taoist culture, technological development, and social thought. Unfortunately, with the abandonment of the later period of the palace, this precious “Daozang” has also gone missing, either destroyed by war or scattered among the people, becoming a regrettable event in cultural history.

3、 Water Surrounding the Palace Wall: The Geographical Features of Jixian Palace

The unique feature of Jixian Palace lies in its geographical pattern of being surrounded by water and called Yudai River. The Yudai River is not a natural river channel, but an artificially excavated palace protection river. Its name not only reflects the auspicious meaning of “jade belt wrapped around the waist”, but also highlights the solemnity and elegance of the palace. From a functional perspective, the Yudai River not only serves as a defense, blocking the entry and exit of idle people, but also regulates the climate around the palace and makes summer cooler; From a landscape perspective, the river water is as clear as a mirror, reflecting the red walls, black tiles, green trees, and green smoke of the palace, forming a beautiful scenery of “water reflecting the palace”. Walking by the river, it feels like entering a fairyland, which coincides with the Taoist concept of “harmony between heaven and man”.

This pattern of “building around the water” is not uncommon in ancient Jiangnan architecture, but combining the protection of the palace river with the Taoist cultural connotations of the palace reflects the ingenuity of the builders of the Jixian Palace. Nowadays, some parts of the Yudai River may still exist in the urban area of Jiading, but the reflection of the palace and temple is no longer visible. Only the river flows quietly, telling the prosperity of the past.

4、 Oblivion and Remembrance: Reflections on the Past and Present of Jixian Palace
Unfortunately, this Dao Palace, which has endured seven hundred years of wind and rain, ultimately failed to escape the fate of being “abandoned”. There is no detailed record in historical materials about the specific time and reasons for its abandonment, and it is speculated that it may be related to modern wars, social changes, or natural disasters. With the collapse of the palace, the carved beams of the Sanqing Hall, the flying eaves of the Jade Emperor Pavilion, and the classics of the Sutra Pavilion gradually disappeared into time. Only scattered records in historical materials and vague memories of local elders can still piece together its original outline.

Nowadays, although the architecture of Jixian Palace no longer exists, the historical memory and cultural value it carries have not dissipated. It is an important part of the history of Jiading, witnessing the social changes and cultural development of Jiading during the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties; It is also a microcosm of Jiangnan Taoist culture, reflecting the profound influence of Taoism among the people. Perhaps in the future, with the deepening of archaeological research, we can discover more relics related to the Jixian Palace, allowing this treasure of the Dao Palace that has been lost in time to “reappear” in another way and continue to tell its millennium story with Jiading.