Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace is located in Maoshan Scenic Area, 20 kilometers southeast of Jurong City. As it is located on the highest peak of Maoshan Mountain, Damao Peak, it is also known as Dinggong. It has always been a must-visit place for tourists to worship and burn incense. There is a saying of ‘one stick of incense on the top’. It and Yuanfu Wanning Palace at the foot of the mountain are collectively called ‘Maoshan Taoist Temple’. The Taoist temple was built after the three immortals of Maoshan, Mao Ying, Mao Gu, and Mao Zhong, ascended to immortality in the Western Han Dynasty. In 1598 AD, the emperor bestowed the name ‘Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace’. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by modern wars. Most of the buildings seen now are rebuilt in modern times. Maoshan is located at the junction of Jurong City and Jintan City. The west side is under the jurisdiction of Jurong, and the east side is under the jurisdiction of Jintan. Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace belongs to Maoshan in Jurong. At the main entrance of Maoshan in Jurong (the west gate of Maoshan), you can take a sightseeing bus. The stops cover all the main scenic spots in the scenic area. The first stop is Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace. If you climb the mountain on foot, Damao Peak is 372.5 meters above sea level. It takes about 1 to 2 hours to climb to the top. Note that if you come up from the Jintan Jinniuling cableway (the east gate of Maoshan), due to the management of the Jintan side, you may need to pay a climbing fee at the foot of the mountain if you climb on foot. If you take the cableway, you don’t need to pay. The end points of the footpath and the cableway are both Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace on the top of the mountain. However, if you want to visit inside, you need to buy a ticket for Maoshan in Jurong again. There are no tickets for Maoshan in Jurong sold at the foot of Jintan. You must buy them after reaching the top. It also takes 1 to 2 hours to climb from Jintan to the top of Damao Peak. The red palace wall on the periphery of Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace is very conspicuous. The main building runs from south to north. Along the central axis, from south to north, you can visit Lingguan Hall, Sutra Collection Building, Taiyuanbao Hall, and Ersheng Hall in sequence. The main hall, Taiyuanbao Hall, is built of blue bricks and enshrines the three immortals of Maoshan. The exquisite stone carvings on the arch of the hall and the engraved stones of the names of Taoist immortals on the walls on both sides of the hall seem to have some history and may not be rebuilt in recent years. To the east and west of Taiyuanbao Hall are Taisui Hall and Caishen Hall respectively. Ersheng Hall enshrines the parents of the three immortals of Maoshan. In front of the hall, on the Feisheng Platform, there is a stone archway of Santianmen. This is the place at an altitude of 372.5 meters on the top of Maoshan. It is said to be the place where Mao Ying, the eldest brother of the three immortals of Maoshan, ascended to immortality. The entire Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace is located on the top of the mountain. Standing on the viewing platform on the edge of the Taoist temple, you can overlook the scenery at the foot of the mountain and also see Yuanfu Wanning Palace in the distance. To the east and west of Ersheng Hall are Baihe Hall and Yiyun Tower respectively. In Yiyun Tower, there are precious jade seals, jade tablets, jade talismans, and inkstones presented by emperors of the Song Dynasty to Yuanfu Wanning Palace. However, these ‘four treasures of the mountain’ are generally not on display. On the plaque of Kanli Palace Gate on the west side of the Taoist temple, it is written ‘Maoshan Dinggong Prediction Room’. You can have your face and palm read and buy religious books. Even if you don’t come here, there will be Taoist priests in the Taoist temple who will take the initiative to interpret your destiny for you. The cost is expensive, but you can politely refuse.
Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace is renowned for its efficacy in fulfilling prayers and blessings through incense. Many vendors outside the Maoshan Scenic Area and various Taoist temples within the area offer incense for sale, and visitors are allowed to bring in incense purchased outside or their own.
Yuanfu Wanning Palace, also known as the Seal Palace due to the ‘Nine Elders Immortal Capital Lord Seal’ bestowed by the Song Dynasty emperor, is actually the place where such a seal is now kept, within the Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace. It is challenging for ordinary tourists to obtain this seal; it requires coordination with the tour group and the Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace over the phone. The palace is open all year round from 07:30 to 17:00. Here are some essential tips for visitors: 1. Do not trust unauthorized guides or ‘locals’ who claim to offer free entry into the scenic area for a fee. They often lead you to the Jintan Maoshan area, where even if you manage to enter without a ticket, you must still purchase a ticket for Jurong Maoshan at the summit. Ticket checks are especially strict on the Jurong side, and there are staff members around Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace at the summit, making it impossible to bypass the entrance. 2. The gesture for worshiping Taoist deities differs from that of Buddhist statues; typically, the left hand is placed on top, the right hand holds the left thumb, both hands are clenched tightly, and one kneels with bowed head for worship. 3. From the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month to the 18th day of the third lunar month each year is the ‘incense period’ of Maoshan, especially during the first month of the lunar year when many visitors come to offer prayers.
