Southern Air Temple


 * This article is about the location. For the titular episode, see "The Southern Air Temple".

The Southern Air Temple, referred to by Aang as the Jong-Mu Air Temple in early previews for the episode, "The Southern Air Temple", was thousands of years old. Located in the remote Patola Mountain Range in Air Nomad territory, this temple was one of the four Air Nomad temples, and one of the two exclusively housing male airbenders, the other being the Northern Air Temple. Although it was believed to be only accessible via flying bison, the Fire Nation managed to wipe out the temple's population at the beginning of the War during the Air Nomad Genocide.

History
The Southern Air Temple was the boyhood home of Avatar Aang, and his father-like mentor, Monk Gyatso; it was also home to Avatar Roku when he needed a place to master the art of airbending.



The temple was raided early in the War during Fire Lord Sozin's genocide on the Air Nomads. The sole known survivor of the massacre was the very person the Fire Nation sought to kill in its quest for supremacy: the twelve-year-old airbender and Avatar, Aang, who had ran away from the Southern Air Temple shortly before the War began, and became trapped in suspended animation. He has since been revived and begun a quest to restore balance and peace to the warring nations.

One hundred years later, the temple was revisited by Aang, with his friends Katara and Sokka. There, he met one of the last winged lemurs in existence, which he named Momo. While there, Aang discovered the fate of the Air Temple and its people, including Gyatso, causing him to realize that all the Air Nomads were wiped out and that him, Appa and Momo were all that remained.

Description
The temple is large and peaceful, has an airball arena, and is also where the "air scooter" was first invented by Aang. It also has an air temple sanctuary in which reside numerous statues of past Avatars. The temple itself primarily served as a training ground for airbender students. Once inhabited by flying bison and winged lemurs in the days of the monks, it is now barren and abandoned by humans and animals alike. As a result of being built for and by the monks, several of the temples' doors and mechanisms are operable only through means of airbending. A statue of Monk Gyatso stands at the entrance to the temple. Unlike the other three temples, the Southern Temple's spires are blue, instead of green.

Customs


While other nations possess royalty and are run by monarchies, the Air Nomads are led by the monks of the air temples, i.e. by a theocracy.

The Air Nomads are the only nation composed entirely of benders, due to the highly spiritual nature of their lives. It is said that meditation was an important part of the airbenders' daily routines, as it helped them to focus their energies and understand the potency of their element.

It has been mentioned that they have a good sense of humor, a fact shown when Monk Gyatso employed a unique teaching method when tutoring Aang with his airbending skills — accurately blowing fruit pies onto other monks' heads.

The arrow on an airbender's head signifies that he or she has mastered airbending, as the apprentice airbenders have no tattoos. These tattoos are an emulation of the natural arrows on the heads of flying bison, animals revered by the Air Nomads who can naturally airbend and are believed to be the inspiration for the first airbenders. In order to receive the tattoos, as well as the title of a master, an airbender must pass the thirty-six levels of airbending along with engendering a new technique. In actuality, Aang had only reached the thirty-fifth level before he left the Jong-Mu Temple, his invention of the air scooter earned him the tattoos prematurely, making him the youngest airbending master in history.

Natural resources and foods
As could be determined, air is the main and most significant power source and natural resource of the nomads, as without it they would be rendered powerless. With the power of air channeled under their control, the airbenders were enabled to defend and protect their homes and way of life and travel across the globe.

The Air Nomads were a tranquil and environmentally friendly race of people, and did their best not to leave a mark on the land. Any industry that they engendered, such as farming and gardening, were powered naturally. They also produced their own food, making them a self-supporting nation, independent from others.

Air Nomads are also vegetarians, as are the modern monks of Tibet. This is suggested by Aang's words when he said he did not eat meat.

Notable figures

 * Avatar Aang
 * Monk Gyatso
 * Monk Pasang
 * Monk Tashi
 * Jinju
 * Older air boy
 * Momo