His music floating into the valley below, Taoist apprentice Zheng Sui Cheng plays a flute in a temple on 5,287-foot Tianzhu, or “pillar to hold up heaven,” one of the 72 peaks in the Wudang mountain range. (BRYAN CHAN / Los Angeles Times)
A priest in Wudang, which for hundreds of years has been the world’s largest Taoist complex. (BRYAN CHAN / Los Angeles Times)
Nanyan Temple is an intricate complex of wood buildings that cling to the side of a cliff. (BRYAN CHAN / Los Angeles Times)
The entrance courtyard of six-century-old Purple Cloud Temple, an outstanding example of Ming Dynasty architecture at the foot of Wudang’s Zhanqi Peak. (BRYAN CHAN / Los Angeles Times)
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A Taoist worshiper kneels before Golden Hall on Tianzhu Peak, built entirely of gilded copper in 1416. (BRYAN CHAN / Los Angeles Times)
Martial arts students practice their moves at a Wudang academy. The area has been a center of such disciplines since the 15th century. (BRYAN CHAN / Los Angeles Times)
On Tianzhu, the highest summit in the Wudang Mountain Scenic Area, couples leave keyless locks to symbolize the eternity of their bond. (BRYAN CHAN / Los Angeles Times)
