Page 419 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

380 THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TAOISM A-L

and child-protecting merciful mother, the goddess is the reassuring side of
the gruesome cult devoted to her father.
Dongyue shrines throughout China existed independently, but one of their
most common denominations, "travelling palace" (xinggong f J ,§, along with
the similar xingci ff:.fP] and bieci JJIJ :.fP]), is a reminder that they were in theory
subsidiaries of the only officially-sanctioned of these shrines, the Daimiao 111
)¥ij (Shrine of Mount Tai) at the foot of the mountain. The god could rest in
the branch temples during his inspection tours, but his devotees travelled as
well, and the temples were resting-places for the pilgrims who went to Taishan
to redeem a vow or pray for themselves or relatives.
Vincent GOOSSAERT

m Maspero 1981, 102-5; Qing Xitai 1994, 3: 96-99
* Dongyue miao; Taishan; DEITIES: THE PANTHEON

Dongyue miao

Shrine of the Eastern Peak (Beijing)

Shrines of the Eastern Peak have been common all over China since the
eleventh century, featuring the cult of *Dongyue dadi (Great Emperor of
the Eastern Peak) himself as well as his underlings from the courts of hell.
After the Mongol emperor Khubilai khan (Shizu, r. 1260-1294) established his
capital in the 1260s in what is now Beijing, as many as four different Dongyue
miao were built there. The one that was to eclipse all others was founded
by the Taoist master *Zhang Liusun (1248-1322) about 1319 and completed
by his disciple *Wu Quanjie (1269-1346). Since then, up to 1949, this shrine
was managed by *Zhengyi Taoists of the *Qingwei lineage. Under the Qing,
these Taoists maintained close connections to the court and were appointed
to perform ritual services within the palace.
Unlike other large urban Qingwei establishments, however, this Dongyue
miao was not a monastery run by a closed alliance of Taoist families: the Taoists
were few and the shrine owned no landed property. In spite of the continued
imperial support for the shrine through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties,
which mandated regular sacrifices there, provided financial assistance, and
patronized several major repairs, it was not run like an official temple. Rather,

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