In 1393, Zhu Bai, the twelfth son of the Ming dynasty founder and Prince of Xiang, began constructing a grand palace on Taihui Mountain west of Jingzhou's ancient city walls. Accused of exceeding imperial architectural limits, he converted the complex into a Taoist temple and named it Taihui. Six years later, facing the advance of imperial troops sent to strip his power, the twenty-eight-year-old prince chose self-immolation. In 1998, his clothing tomb was excavated nearby, yielding over six hundred artifacts but no human remains.

The surviving temple bears physical witness to this dramatic history. Visitors ascend thirty-two steep stone steps to reach the Chaosheng Gate, a climb that demands both effort and focus. At the top, the Ancestral Hall rises on a rectangular stone platform 8.2 metres high. Measuring ten metres square under a double-eave hip-and-gable roof, the hall earned the local nickname "Little Golden Peak" because its roof was once covered with gilded copper tiles that glittered brilliantly in the sun.

Twelve octagonal green stone pillars support the hall. On six of these columns, deep openwork reliefs of dragons protrude a full foot outward, their scales and whiskers still sharp to the touch. Along the surrounding brick walls, builders embedded five hundred distinct spiritual officer relief figures, each with a unique expression and posture. These silent guardians were installed in a hurried effort to transform a forbidden palace into a place of worship.

Though damaged by war and rebuilt during the late Ming and Qing dynasties, the temple remains an active sanctuary. Alongside Xuanmiao and Kaiyuan, it is recognised as one of Jingzhou's three historic Taoist temples. The stone steps, the cold dragon pillars, and the empty tomb nearby preserve the memory of a prince who chose to burn rather than submit.