Qūyáng

Quyang lies at the foot of the Taihang Mountains, where stone carvers and potters built enduring reputations for their work. The nearby Ding kilns produced fine white porcelain, decorated with incised or moulded designs of flowers and birds. In the town, the Northern Peak Temple was a place of sacrifice to the god of Mount Heng, one of China's sacred mountains. The temple's great Dening Hall was built in 1270 under the Yuan. Its broad terrace and stone balustrades lead to a timber hall whose walls carry immense painted scenes of the heavenly realm. Ming rulers retained the temple in the state rites of mountain worship, although its ancient ceremonies were performed at a distance from the mountain itself.