Dai Temple (Daimiao) is the largest Daoist temple in Shandong and the traditional starting point for the pilgrimage up Mount Tai. The complex stretches more than 400 metres from south to north and is laid out as a smaller mirror of the Forbidden City, with red walls, yellow tiled roofs, and a sequence of courtyards rising on a strict axis.
The centrepiece is the Hall of Heavenly Blessings (Tiankuang Dian), built in 1009 and decorated with a sixty-two-metre Song-dynasty mural depicting the god of Mount Tai on his ceremonial tour. Other courtyards hold ancient cypresses said to date from the Han dynasty, a forest of inscribed steles, and a small museum of imperial artefacts. Allow at least two hours to walk through properly. Entrance is by ticket; the temple is open daily.