Ch'ang-an

Ch'ang-an is the capital city of the empire, and is home to the royal palace. Shao-yu comes to Ch'ang-an to take the civil examination, and stays for much of the rest of his life. The city is surrounded by mountains and nature. There is not much detail about Ch'ang-an in the novel, as much of the plot takes place in the specific family and royal compounds that are located in the city.

The Monastery

Hsing-chen is a disciple at Liu-kuan's monastery on the top of Lotus Peak. Lotus Peak is one of the tallest peaks of Heng-shan mountain. At the monastery, Liu-kuan teaches the Diamond Sutra. After Hsing-chen awakes out of Shao-yu's life, he becomes the leader of the monastery. The eight fairies come to live as nuns at the monastery as well.

The Royal Palace

The royal palace is the compound where the Emperor and the Empress...