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Dai Temple (Daimiao Temple) in Tai'an, Shandong Province (China Travel)
This Taoist temple at the foot of Mount Tai makes for a nice half-day excursion.
06/04/2025
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
I recently moved to Tai’an in Shandong Province. Tai’an is famous for Mount Tai (Taishan, called 泰山 in Chinese, or Tàishān in pinyin), one of China’s Five Great Mountains (五岳, written Wǔyuè in pinyin). It also features a Taoist temple, located at the foot of Mount Tai, called Dai Temple or Daimiao (岱庙 in Chinese or Dàimiào in pinyin), also known as Dongyue Temple (东岳庙, written Dōngyuèmiào in pinyin).
The temple is surrounded by walls that are a few meters high, and you can walk along the top of them. Near both main entrances, stairs lead up to the walls, which can be circled on foot. The views from the wall are stunning, as you can see both Mount Tai and the city of Tai’an in the background. I visited in early April, the day after Qingming Festival, which is a great time to go. The tree blossoms were in full bloom, and I enjoyed half a day of sunny weather and blue skies.
Tickets cost 20 yuan for adults and can be purchased with either cash or WeChat Wallet. I entered through the northern gate (Houzai Gate, 厚载门 in Chinese, or Hòuzàimén in pinyin), which is closer to Mount Tai and features a few children’s activities (located outside the temple and not included in the ticket price), such as go-karts and a bouncy castle. There’s a lot of noise and loud music near this entrance, so be prepared—this place is 热闹 (rènao, lively and noisy), not a quiet spot for mindful meditation.
I went on a Saturday and on the day after a public holiday, and although there were quite a few people, it wasn’t completely packed, and walking around was still easy.
Except for the temple walls, the compound also features a few temple halls, including an exhibition at Peitian Gate Hall (called 配天门 in Chinese, or Pèitiānmén in pinyin), showcasing wall scrolls with different Taoist deities at the time of my visit.
The hall in the picture above houses a small souvenir shop located in one of the buildings on top of the wall.
Spring is an especially great time to visit, as the trees are in full bloom, featuring pink and white blossoms.
The temple compound features a few stone relics, such as this turtle, called 赑屃 in Chinese (bìxì in pinyin, also known as Bixi in English). A Bixi is a turtle carrying steles, usually inscribed with Chinese text, as described in a text in German on thebrainchamber.com (translated into English below):
The Chinese Bixi, part of the fascinating realm of Chinese mythology and art, are monumental stone sculptures depicting turtles carrying steles (stone or wooden tablets, often inscribed) on their backs. These creatures are among the Nine Sons of the Dragon, each possessing unique characteristics and roles within Chinese cultural symbolism. Known for its strength and endurance, the Bixi became a popular motif for stone monuments commemorating important texts, edicts, and ceremonies, serving both a practical function in preserving these documents and a symbolic function representing longevity and stability.
The walk on the wall is accessible from two sides. The Dai Temple compound has two entrances: one in the south and one in the north, with stairs leading up to the wall located near both entrances.
Taishan Mountain can be seen from the wall. For the best views, make sure to visit on a sunny day with clear air. You may encounter fewer tourists in the morning than at noon or in the afternoon.
The weather in spring was lovely, but not unbearably hot, and generally, spring is a better time to visit if you’re sensitive to the heat. In summer, there won’t be much shade to sit and cool down, and I imagine it gets very hot during the day. If you go in the morning, it may still be cool enough to enjoy a leisurely walk along the wall and through the temple halls, even in summer. However, during the day, it will probably get very hot, as the stone pavement absorbs the sun’s heat.
One of the yards featured a fish pond, and though it isn’t very obvious in this picture, some of the carp were huge! They were about the size of a human baby. Pots with coins could be found on the pond’s floor and placed on the stone in the middle of the pond (see picture above). Chinese people like to throw coins into these kinds of ponds for good luck, and I assume that if you really want to enjoy some good luck, you should aim to have the coins land in one of the pots.
I came across a temple for ancestor worship, and a few Chinese people kneeled down to pray (which is common in Taoism and Buddhism and a practice many Chinese people follow, even if they aren’t very religious otherwise).
A few of the old buildings in the middle are not so much houses or temple halls as they are passageways connecting different parts of the temple compound. Old pictures of Mount Tai are displayed here, showing the mountain, temple halls, and people from over 100 years ago. The earliest pictures I found date back to 1908. This is a must-see for history enthusiasts (especially those with a passion for it), and I plan to write another article showcasing some of these pictures for those interested in Chinese history who may not be able to visit Shandong province.
These types of Chinese Guardian Lions, as seen in the picture above, can be found in many temple compounds across China. Most commonly, a temple is guarded by two of these lions: one male and one female. The lion in the picture above is a male. The ball in the lion’s claw represents the world and power, and it is held by the male lion. The female lion holds a cub under her paw, symbolizing nurturing and protection. These lions are simply referred to as 石狮 (shíshī) or 石狮子 (shíshīzǐ, “stone lions”) in Chinese.
The weather was pretty amazing, as was the blue sky! You can see most of the compound in about two hours if you don’t take a break, or take longer if you’d like to linger and visit all the temple halls and exhibitions.
This place is also great for visiting with children. They can run around in the courtyards, and I saw quite a few children sliding down the stone slides located on both sides of the smaller stairs in the courtyard. Vendors also sell various snacks, such as Chinese hawthorn jelly, or Bingtanghulu (冰糖葫芦, hawthorn fruits on a stick coated with caramel).
This temple features three deities that people can pray to. All three deities had people praying, kneeling on the floor, and performing the typical prayer gesture seen in Chinese customs. The movement is as follows: The person kneels, puts both hands together in a prayer position, and then bows their upper body down and up, kowtowing, so to speak, a few times in succession.
Aside from the temple walls, the compound also features several temple halls, including an exhibition at Peitian Gate Hall (called 配天门 in Chinese, or Pèitiānmén in pinyin), which showcases wall scrolls of various Taoist deities that were displayed during my visit.
The temple compound is in excellent condition, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves traditional Chinese architecture, Taoist temples, or enjoys strolling along temple walls while taking in the views of the nearby mountains.
In my experience, souvenirs can be found at every major sight in China, and this temple was no exception. There were many souvenir stalls, and digital payments could also be used at one of the few souvenir vending machines, though the selection was smaller.
Souvenirs are also sold near one of the gates after you exit the temple compound through the south gate near Dai Temple Square, called 草参门 in Chinese (Cǎocānmén in pinyin). Some of the souvenirs are very inexpensive. I bought three small stone lions, like the ones seen in the picture above, in different colors, for only 10 yuan for all three.
A few souvenir vending machines can be found across the temple courtyards.
Before reaching the souvenir shops, you’ll encounter the stunning Linglong Memorial Archway at Dai Temple Square (known as 岱庙坊 in Chinese, or Dàimiàofāng in pinyin), near the southern gate. This beautiful stone archway, adorned with intricate ornaments, was built in 1672.
Visiting this temple compound can easily be combined with a trip to Mount Tai. Be sure to visit if you stay the night in Tai’an, as it is a remarkable site and well worth the 20 yuan entrance fee.
Have you ever visited Dai Temple?
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