Mountains
China is home to quite a few mountains. Some are magnificent, some are exquisite, and some are precipitous. As symbolic of calmness, stateliness and sacredness, they are roughly estimated to be more than two hundred. Generally speaking, they can be divided into three categories; the first is traditional mountains, say the Five Famous Mountains; the second is charming religious mountains, such as the four sacred Buddhist mountains, and the four sacred Taoist mountains; the third is snow mountains in the west China, where continuous mountain ranges are ultimate goals for hiking-fanatics, and best places for returning to Nature.
Mount Tai
With an area of 426 square kilometers and the altitude of main peak 1,545 meters, Mount Tai is located in Tai'an City of east China’s Shandong Province. Among Five Sacred Mountains in China, i.e. Tai Shan, Heng Shan in Hunan Province, Hua Shan in Shaanxi Province, Heng Shan in Shanxi Province and Song Shan in Henan Province, Tai Shan is the most famous one, and it was listed in the World Natural and Cultural Heritage List of UNESCO in 1987.
In fact, the altitude of Mount Tai is not the highest among the Five Sacred Mountains, but it is reputed as “Chief of the Five Sacred Mountains" and "First Mountain under Heaven", that’s because of its geographical conditions and primitive religion. Standing on vast plain and facing boundless sea, Mountain Tai rises abruptly from flat land and its comparatively high altitude constitutes sharp contrast to surrounding environment, thus it appeared especially extensive and high. Moreover, Chinese people considered the East to be the symbol of hope and good luck for it is from where sun rises, Mt. Tai is located in the east of China naturally it was worshiped by Chinese people from ancient times. Emperors in ancient China even regarded Mountain Tai as the symbol of political power and national unification, many emperors including the Emperor Qin Shihuang (259BC-210BC; the first emperor of China), Wu Zetian (624AD-705AD; the only female sovereign ruler of China) and the Emperor Qian Long (1711AD-1799AD; the emperor with longest ruling time in Chinese history) had ever come to Mountain Tai to hold sacrificial ceremonies. All of these enabled the sacred status of Mount Tai to an incomparable degree.
Huashan Mountain
With a derivation that can be traced back to 0.12 billion years ago, the granitic Hua Mountain or Huashan Mountain located 120 km from Xi’an City of Shaanxi Province is among the “Five Famous Mountains of China” together with Tai Mountain in Shandong Province, Song Mountain in Hennan Province, Heng Mountain (恒山) in Shanxi and Heng mountain in Hunan Province.
The Huashan Mountain is famous for its five main peaks, namely, the eastern “Sunrise Peak”, the southern “Wild Goose Peak”, the western “Lotus Peak”, the northern “Cloud Deck Peak” and the central “Yunu Peak”. The weather in the mountain is so changeable that it seems it is a wonderland with diverse beautiful sceneries – cloud sea, misty rain, fine spray, and snow.
Apart from amazing natural scenery, the mountain is also rich in Chinese legends and culture. As one of the birthplaces of Chinese culture, the Huashan Mountain was sacred land where 56 emperors and empress (such as Emperor Qing Shi Huang of Qin Dynasty and Empress Wu Zetian of Tang Dynasty) frequented for travelling or holding large scale national sacrifice ceremonies. Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, some thousand poems, inscriptional records and travel notes (by Li Bai, Du Fu, etc.) speaking high of Huashan Mountain had been carved there.
Mount Emei
The Mt. Emei is composed of four mountains, Da'e, Er'e, San'e and Si'e (means the four biggest mountains). The Mount Emei we usually talk about is the biggest one; it is over 23 kilometers long and with an acreage of 115 square kilometers. The peak of Emeishan is 3099 meters over the sea level but the plain on the foot of the mountain is on about 400 meters, it is of a much greater relative relief than other famous mountains in China.
Mount Emei is full of natural and cultural heritages. It has the reputation of 'Vegetable Kingdom', 'Animal Paradise' and 'Geological Museum'. It is also one of the most important mountains for Buddhism, with a believing of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. Over 300 Buddhist monks and nuns are living there and about 30 temples do exist.
Mount Wuyi
Located at the northwest of Fujian Province in east China, the Mount Wuyi was listed as a natural and cultural world heritage in 1999. It is known as ''the most beautiful mountain in southeast China''. Its main peak, the Huanggang Peak, rises 2158 meters above sea level, being the highest peak in southeast China. With the best preserved and largest tropical primeval forest in central Asia, Mount Wuyi is the most important biodiversity conservation zone. In 1987, the Mount Wuyi Nature Reserve was listed as a ''Global Man and Biosphere'' by UNESCO, and in 1992, the Global Biodiversity Protected Zone.
Covering totally 60 square kilometers, the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area boasts its pristine environment, grotesque mountains, spectacular canyons, crystal-like water, and more importantly, a long cultural history and numerous historical relics. With a history of 12 centuries, it owns a series of excellent archeological sites and relics, including a mass of temples and academies’ ruins, Wuyi Palace, Yulin Pavilion (a Song Dynasty (960-1279) porcelain kiln site), hanging coffins, Royal Tea Garden, and cliff carvings.
It teems with famous tourist attractions, such as Nine Bend Stream, Cloud Nest, Hidden Scereen Peak, Tianyou Peak, Wuyi Palace, Water Curtain Cave, Yunv Peak, Roaring Tiger Rock, Lotus Peak, and Peach Tree Cave, etc. One of the most popular activities among tourists should be bamboo rafting on Nine Bend Stream.
Yellow Mountain
By virtue of distinguishingly grand views, Mt. Taishan (泰山) in Shandong, Mt. Huashan (华山) in Shaanxi, Mt. Songshan (嵩山) in Henan, Mt. Hengshan (恒山) in Shanxi and Mt. Hengshan (衡山) in Hunan, are universally accepted as the Five Great Mountains of China since the ancient times. However, "One who has returned from the Five Great Mountains thinks nothing of other mountains, and he who has been to Yellow Mountain (also called Mt. Huangshan) thinks nothing of the Five Great Mountains" – this famous Chinese saying shows the unique charm of the fairyland-like Yellow Mountain located in Huangshan City of Anhui.
Yellow Mountain has been being treated as the Holy Land of Taoism since ancient China because of its amazing tranquility and natural beauty, to this day many Taoist relics such as Taoist temples still can be found on the mountain. It is said that the Chinese immemorial Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) used to refine his elixir in Yellow Mountain, which makes the mountain more mysterious and respected. Four thousands of years, Yellow Mountain has been being hailed as "the Most Peculiar Mountain under the Heaven", vividly featuring "four wonders" – odd-shaped pines, peculiar rock peaks, delightful hot springs, and amazing cloud sea. Stretching for around 154 square kilometers, the whole Yellow Mountain Scenic Area is made up of 6 scenic zones.
Mt. Wutai
About 230 kilometers away from Taiyuan, Mt. Wutai is located at the northeast part of Shanxi. The mountain is the most famous Buddhism Mountain among the "Four Buddhism Mountains of China" (Mt. Wutai, Mt. Emei, Mt. Jiuhua, and Mt. Putuo), one of the "Five Buddhist Sacred Place in the W orld" (Mt. Wutai in China, Lumbinī in Nepal, and Sārnāth, Bodh Gaya, Kusinagar in India) and the top among the "Ten Summer Resort Mountains of China". Besides the amazing mountain landscapes, visitors can also take a visit to the temples on Mt. Wutai and learn about Buddhism culture in China.
Wudang Mountain
Wudang Mountain, located in Hubei Province, China, is a sacred Taoist site renowned for its breathtaking beauty and profound cultural significance. With a history dating back over 2,000 years, it is not only a majestic mountain range but also an important center of Taoist philosophy, martial arts, and traditional Chinese medicine. Wudang Mountain is known for its ancient temples, grand palaces, intricate pavilions, and beautiful natural scenery, including deep valleys, lush forests, and crystal-clear waterfalls. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and attracts both tourists and spiritual seekers who come to admire its stunning landscapes, explore its spiritual heritage, and learn the secrets of Wudang martial arts and Taoist wisdom.
Elephant Trunk Hill
The Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbi shan, 象鼻山) is one of the four top Guilin attractions that all visitors coming to town usually stop by. Regarded as the symbol of Guilin city, the site is the most famous karstic hill formation out of the many rising straight out of the ground throughout the city. This natural karst rock formation got its strange name for its particular shape resembling outstandingly like an elephant sucking water with its trunk into the pristine Li River. This 3.6 hundred million years old hill made from the seabed limestone of the river was in ancient times named in different ways: "Li Hill", "Yi Hill" and "Chenhui Hill". With a 200 meters elevation, 55 meters in height, 108 meters in length and 100 meters in width, the Elephant Trunk Hill is imposing itself in the topography of Guilin city. The park where locates the hill is also a curiosity for its many must-see attractions such as the Moon over the Water Cave (Shuiyue Cave), Elephant Eye Cave, Puxian Pagoda, Love Island and Yunfeng Temple. Climbing the hill is the opportunity to discover another view over the amazing cityscape of Guilin, for an everlasting memory and picture shots. It is a cool scenic spot near to the city center, recalling locals and visitors about the beauty and power of Mother Nature.
