White Cloud Temple Ⅰ

Situated in the Xicheng District of Beijing, the White Cloud Temple is one of China's major Taoist temples and was once the most influential Taoist temple in China. Today it is one of China's oldest and largest Taoist temples, housing the office of China Taoist Association. Actually, the White Cloud Temple is called Baiyun Guan in Chinese, because Taoist temples are not called temples but Guan. Guan means something like to look at or observe. This is a reflection of the Taoist belief that understanding the Tao comes from a direct observation of nature, rather than scholastic theological studies.