Taoist temple resembles Beijing's imperial palaces

Archaeologists excavating the ruins of China's largest Taoist temple have found that its structure bears a striking resemblance to that of palaces in Beijing's Forbidden City, the former imperial residence. Experts have cleared 5,000 square meters of the site at Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi province, where the main building of the Great Shangqing Palace was located before it was destroyed by a fire in 1930.

Hu Sheng, director of the archaeological project, said the palace was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was built based on the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility in the Forbidden City, which were occupied by emperors and empresses respectively, according to Hu.

Experts have said the temple's architecture resembles the imperial palaces.