Golden Hall 武当山金殿

About Golden Hall

Columns, beams, roof tiles and window lattice were cast as components and assembled on the summit. Its imperial patronage and dedication to Zhenwu connect craftsmanship with the mountain’s religious history. Look closely at the roof form and fitted joints from the permitted viewing area; this is the focal building of the Golden Summit, not a separate mountain excursion.

A bronze hall imitating timber construction was first built on Tianzhu Peak (天柱峰) in 1307, during the Yuan dynasty's Dade era (大德), standing 2.9 meters high, 2.7 meters wide and 2.6 meters deep. Considering it too small, the Yongle Emperor (明成祖) ordered a larger hall built; its components were cast in Beijing, and dispatched in 1416, the fourteenth year of Yongle (永乐), via the Grand Canal (京杭大运河) to Nanjing, along the Yangtze (长江) to Hankou, along the Han River (汉江) to Junzhou (均州), and overland to Wudang for assembly. The new hall replaced the Yuan-dynasty one, which was moved to the Zhuanniandian (转辗殿) at Xiaolianfeng (小莲峰) outside Nantian Men (南天门) at Zijincheng (紫金城).

The hall stands at 1,612 meters elevation within Zijincheng on the summit of Tianzhu Peak, at the center of a stone platform on a Sumeru-style plinth reached by a stepped moon terrace. Cast in sections and assembled by tenon, fitting and welding, the hall weighs 405 tonnes; it measures three bays by three bays, stands 5.5 meters high, and its four-sloped, double-eaved roof carries 68 cast guardian figures along its ridges. Inside, a gilt bronze statue of Zhenwu (真武), 1.86 meters tall and weighing 10 tonnes, sits on a throne flanked by attendant bronze figures. The Golden Hall was designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) in 1961.

What to look for

• Gilt-bronze columns, roof forms and lattice imitating a timber hall.
• The tightly fitted cast components and summit position.

Location & getting there

Getting to Golden Hall

Reach the Golden Summit through Wudang’s scenic transport and ascent route, then follow the signed approach within Taihe Palace. The hall shares the same mountain journey as the Golden Summit area; do not book another transfer as though it were elsewhere.