Ruìchéng

Ruicheng lies between the Zhongtiao Mountains and the Yellow River in southern Shanxi. West of the county town, the Daoist Yongle Palace stands at Yongle, traditionally held to be the home of the immortal Lü Dongbin. Built to honour him, the great temple complex is renowned for its painted halls and for its place in the Quanzhen tradition.

Work on the palace began under the Mongols in 1247 and continued through much of the Yuan dynasty. Its painters covered the walls with images of deities and stories of Daoist masters. The murals of the Chunyang Hall, devoted to Lü Dongbin, were completed in 1358, more than a century after construction began. Together the halls and paintings formed an imposing monument to the religious life of the region.