Erxian An, a renowned Taoist temple, is located to the east of Qingyang Palace in Chengdu. It is the ancestral court of the Quanzhen Longmen School and a ten-direction forest with the qualification for ordination in Southwest China. The main buildings originally included the Great Mountain Gate, San Guan Hall, Bell and Drum Towers, Lu Zu Hall, Er Xian Hall, Jade Emperor Hall, Dou Mu Hall, San Huang Hall, Bai Shen Hall, Scripture Library, Guest Hall, and Taoist Quarters.
The central structure, Lu Zu Hall, once housed a statue of the Pure Yang Patriarch Lu Dongbin and was the venue for various significant Taoist activities. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722), the ‘Taoist Collection Compilation’ edited and engraved by Peng Dingqiu, a scholar from Changzhou, was soon destroyed. In the 32nd year of the Guangxu era (1906), the abbot of Erxian An, Yan Yonghe, and Peng Hanran from Xinjin initiated the re-engraving and added the ‘Taoist Collection Compilation Sequel’. The current ‘Taoist Collection Compilation’ is based on the Erxian An edition. The original engraving plates were stored in the printing room of the temple and moved to Qingyang Palace in 1961, where they have been preserved to this day. It is one of the famous Taoist temples in Chengdu. In May 1955, Qingyang Palace and Erxian An merged in production. After the 8th Flower Show ended in 1958, Qingyang Palace and Erxian An were transformed into Qingyang Palace Garden (later renamed Cultural Park), and the Taoist followers of both temples became gardeners for 23 years. In 1980, Qingyang Palace was separated from Cultural Park, and Qingyang Palace and Erxian An were also separated. In 1984, with the implementation of religious policies, Qingyang Palace and Cultural Park officially built a wall to define the boundary, thus separating Qingyang Palace and Erxian An. Opening hours are from 8:00 to 17:30 all year round. When visiting Erxian An, be cautious of individuals offering free tours to attract tourists. Upon reaching the hall entrance, you can collect a zodiac card for free with a ticket. Inside the hall, the monks may ask you to spend a lot of money to buy candles for lotus lanterns, so be vigilant against scams.
