Sacrificial Ceremony for Mount Tai! The Glazed Tile Archway of Dongyue Temple! Beijing

The glazed tile archway of Dongyue Temple is located at No. 141 Chaoyangmen Outer Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, right in front of the mountain gate of Beijing Dongyue Temple. It is a very famous and distinctive ancient building, not only a symbol of Dongyue Temple but also an outstanding representative of glazed tile archways in Beijing. Built in the 35th year of the Ming Wanli reign (1607), it was funded and constructed by the favored eunuch Feng Bao of Emperor Shenzong Zhu Yijun. It is the only glazed tile archway in Beijing that stands in front of a temple’s mountain gate and is one of the most exquisite and well-preserved glazed tile archways in the Beijing area. This archway fully demonstrates the superb glazed tile firing techniques of the Ming Dynasty. Its features can be summarized as “three bays, four pillars, seven-story style.” The entire brick and stone surface of the archway is almost completely covered with exquisite glazed tile components, mainly in yellow and green. It is adorned with traditional patterns such as dragons and phoenixes, flowers, auspicious beasts, and swirling colorful paintings. The two ends of the main ridge of the archway feature vividly shaped chiwen (dragon-shaped ridge beasts). The stone base and the patterns on the arched gates are finely crafted. Both the front and back sides of the archway have stone plaques. The side facing outward is inscribed with “Sacrificial Ceremony for Mount Tai,” and the side facing the temple is inscribed with “Eternal Prosperity of the Imperial Throne.” This archway serves as the starting point and gateway of the Dongyue Temple complex, guiding spatial orientation and enhancing the sacred atmosphere. Passing through this magnificent archway, worshippers enter the sacred domain dedicated to the Great Emperor of Dongyue.