Incense burner in the stairway to the main area of The Purple Heaven Palace on Wudang Mt.

The Purple Heaven Palace (紫霄宫 - Zǐxiāo Gōng) is one of the best-preserved, largest, and most important Daoist temple complexes on the sacred Wudang Mountain. It's a masterpiece of Ming Dynasty architecture and a central hub for Taoist culture and martial arts. Since 1994 it is designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Practically all the buses taking tourists to the top of the mountain stop here. Tons of Wudang tai-chi and other wushu videos posted on Youtube are recorded in the main yard of this temple.


Here on site they have a Daoist healer offering his services (turn left after you enter the main yard of the temple):



However keep in mind there is a difference between a Daoist healer (as far as I know they do not have any formal licensing requirements) and a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) doctor which must go through a rigorous education/training program before they get licensed to practice TCM in China.


So if you want to enhance your tourist experience by visiting The Purple Heaven Palace (紫霄宫 - Zǐxiāo Gōng) and its Daoist healer (which will cost you 300 RMB for exam plus donation for basic acupuncture treatment) just ask for the Daoist doctor when you enter The Purple Heaven Palace, the will point you in the right direction.


What is the quality of his service?


I cannot say.


I did have a chance to be examined (and I received some kind of treatment) by the The Purple Heaven Palace Daoist healer, later on I also spoke with another Daoist old man who presented himself as a traditional Daoist healer down in Wudangshan Town (武当山镇, also called Taihe Town 太和镇) and I can tell you one thing:


I am not sure if they are real healers or scammers but even if they are real it would be so easy to mistake them for scammers.


If you have a real health problem which require serious medical attention (or you never had experience with TCM doctors and you want to gain that experience) I suggest that you visit one of the licensed TCM doctors in the new hospital in Wudangshan Town (武当山镇).


My next post will cover my visit to a real TCM doctor in Wudangshan Town (武当山镇).