Mount Taishan

Rising 1,545 meters above sea level, Mount Taishan towers over central Shandong Province. The town of Qufu, where Confucius (551-479B.C.) was born, is on the southern side of the mountain, and Jinan, the capital of Shandong, is on the northern side.

The majestic Mount Taishan is often called the First Mountain Under Heaven and is also known as the Eastern Mountain and the first of the Five Sacred Mountains, the other four being Mount Hengshan, or the Southern Mountain in Hunan Province; Mount Huashan, or the Western Mountain in Shaanxi Province; Mount Hengshan, or the Northern Mountain in Shanxi Province; and Mount Songshan, or the Central Mountian in Henan Province.

Traces of human activity as early as the Paleolithic Period have been discovered in the surrounding areas, and Mount Taishan gave birth to the splendid Dawenkou and Longshan cultures in the Neolithic Period.

The Chinese people have worshiped Mount Taishan since ancient times. Emperors from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) through the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) came here to worship and pray to heaven, and men of letters profusely expressed their admiration for the mountain. “The world looks smaller when you ascend the summit of Mount Taishan,” wrote Confucius.

There are more than 20 ancient buildings and 2,200 stone tablets and inscriptions on the mountain. Guo Moruo, a renowned scholar of the 20^th century, cited the mountain as an important part of China's cultural history, and in 1987, Mount Taishan was listed as one of the World Cultural and Natural Heritages.

The first stop on the mountain is Taishan Temple, where sacrifices were offered to the god of Mount Taishan. The temple was built during the Qin (221-206 B.C.) and Han (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) dynasties and expanded during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. The splendid Tiankuang Hall, the main building of the temple compound, was built during the Song Dynasty. With its double glazed yellow-tiled eaves and glittering decorations, Tiankuang Hall is one of the three most famous palace-style buildings of ancient China, the other two being Taihe Hall in Beijing's Forbidden City and the Hall of Great Achievements in Qufu.

Particularly interesting is a mural in the hall portraying the god of Mount Taishan on a hunting expedition. One of the treasured works of ancient China, this painting from the Song Dynasty is large, and the mountain god beams with radiant vigor.

The courtyard of the hall is studded with towering cypresses and stone tablets. A stone inscription in the handwriting of Li Si (?-208B.C.), prime minister of the Qin Dynasty, is a calligraphic work of rare quality. To give tourists an understanding of the profound Taishan culture, performances re-create the ceremonies where Qing Dynasty emperors offered sacrifices to the god of Mount Taishan.

The scenic spots on the mountain are divided into five areas: the Eastern Route, the Western Route, Peach Blossom Valley, Houshi Depression, and the summit.

The spots along the Eastern Route are known for their seclusion. A flight of 6,293 stone steps starts from the Red Gate and winds its way up the mountain slopes to Nantian Gate (the South Gate to Heaven). The stone steps were once reserved for emperors, who used them when they went to offer holy titles to the mountain or to have coronations. The scenery along the stairway changes with each step.

Scenic attractions on the Eastern Route include the Red Gate Palace, the Tower of Ten Thousand Immortals, the Palace of Goddess Doumu, Sutra Stone Valley, Zhongtian Gate (the Halfway-to-Heaven Gate), and the Eighteen Bends. Sutra Stone Valley was named after a large flat rock with a surface of 670 square meters on which a calligrapher of the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577) carved part of the Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist scripture. Each character on the rock is 50 centimeters high. The bold and vigorous strokes have been cited as a fine example of Chinese calligraphy.

The Western Route is known for its wildness. It features the Black Dragon Pool, the Longevity Bridge, and the Fan Cliff. A zigzag bus road leads from Tianwai Village to Zhongtian Gate.

Peach Blossom Valley is famous for its beauty. Green-Screen Hill, Brush-Holder Hill, Five-Peak Overlapped Hill, and A Thread of Sky all contend for the honor of being the most beautiful.

Houshi Depression is noted for its surrealistic scenery. The Greater and Lesser Heavenly-Candle Peaks thrust toward the sky like two long swords, Baizhang (Ten Thousand Foot) Waterfall cascades thunderously, and the rustling of wind in the pines here is one of the special attractions on Mount Taishan.

Scenes on the summit are known for their magnificence. Strolling in the Heavenly Street, with its stone rails and stone steps, one feels as if one were in the abode of the gods.

Yuhuang (Emperor of Heaven) Peak is the highest point on Mount Taishan. From the summit, people can watch the wonderful sunrise: the sky glowing red and then the sun suddenly emerging through the clouds like a great fiery ball coming out of the sea.

Since the 1980s, three cableways and some helicopters have been added to the tourist facilities, and the International Mount Taishan Ascending Festival has been held nine times. As a protection of historical relics, all the stone steps have been repaired. The Project to Keep Lights on All Night adds color to night life for visitors, and the newly-built Taishan Tourist Consultation Center, which offers both accomodation and consultation services, and the International Hotel have made Mount Taishan a modern scenic resort