When visiting Taishan, it is common to start with a visit to the Dai Temple. The Dai Temple is the largest and most complete ancient architectural complex on Taishan. It was the place where ancient emperors held the Fengshan Ceremony and offered sacrifices to the God of Taishan. The Fengshan Ceremony was a ritual in which emperors sacrificed to heaven and earth on Taishan. In ancient times, this was a sign of a prosperous country.
The Dai Temple has preserved a large number of sacrificial utensils, offerings, and handicrafts used by emperors of past dynasties to worship the God of Taishan, a great deal of books about Taishan and Taoist scriptures. There are also 184 steles from different dynasties and 48 Han - Dynasty stone reliefs. Represented by the stele inscribed in the Qin Dynasty, it is the third - largest forest of steles in China, following Xi'an and Qufu. The Dai Temple adopts the architectural style of an imperial palace city and has the highest specifications among Chinese temple architectures.
Taishan has accompanied the inheritance of Chinese civilization over the past five thousand years. It symbolizes the prosperity of the country and the survival of the nation. It is the spiritual home of the Chinese nation, a microcosm of Eastern culture, and a place where the idea of "harmony between man and nature" is entrusted. It carries rich geographical, historical, and cultural connotations. The ancients regarded it as a paradise "leading directly to the imperial throne", making it a sacred mountain worshipped by the common people and sacrificed to by emperors.
