Fuxi Temple, Tianshui, Gansu, China

The Fuxi and Shennong tribes are said to have inhabited the area around Tianchi many centuries ago, and Fuxi is claimed to be a legendary ancestor and emperor of the Chinese people. Fuxi created the Eight Diagrams, which would predict Chinese civilization, set rules for Chinese marriages, and even established the original Chinese calendar. This multi-talented person also introduced written property deeds. The Fuxi Temple was built in his honor, and is the largest of this kind in China. The temple is a Ming Dynasty construction that, despite renovations in the Qing Dynasty, still retains its basic Ming format. Today the temple grounds are still covered by many beautiful cypresses, some up to a thousand years old. The temple was completed in 1490, and covers a total area of 6,000 square meters. Following the route from the front gate in the south, to the back gate in the north, there are numerous archways, temples, terraces and a grand main hall, called the Shiantian Palace. Within the Shiantian Palace is a representative statue of the semi-naked Fuxi. Both the door frames and the windows have unusual carvings of plants and animals. Particularly notable is the inscribed mysterious diagrams, at the top of each of the eight supporting pillars in the hall. The roof panels are painted, with the 64 divine symbols of the Book of Changes. Behind the Shiantian Palace is the Taiji Palace, built in honor of the Shennong people.