Baisui Gong (Longevity Temple)
Jiuhua Shan, China
The Baisui Gong, originally called Star Picking Temple is an ancient Taoist temple that looks down from the summit of the Dongfeng Peak. According to legend, the monk Wu Xia inscribed the Huayang Sutras in his own blood mixed with gold dust. He died at the age of 126 and the Emperor Chongzheng ordered that the monk’s body be covered in gold leaf and preserved in the temple. This royal recognition resulted in expansion of the temple and is the 4th largest temple on the Jiuhua mountain range. The body can still be seen from the prayer room.