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Inscribed by UNESCO in 1987 as a world cultural and natural heritage site, Mount Tai features spectacular views and traces its cultural significance to very ancient times. Culturally and spiritually, no other mountain in China has loomed so large in the country’s history.
The mountain spreads in the central Shandong Province and its tallest peak, Jade Emperor Peak, is situated to the north of Tai’an City. The best scenic views and sights of cultural interests cluster around the main peak. The mountain is celebrated for its views: spectacular, precipitous, elegant, tranquil, profound, and vast. The first human settlement around the mountain goes back to the Paleolithic Age and the Dawenkou Culture and the Longshan Culture flourished in the Neolithic Age. On the other hand, Mount Tai presents the newest things today: since the 1980s, three cableways have been erected to enable visitors to view the mountain more conveniently; all the 6,000-plus steps of the stone staircase stretching all the way to the top have been refurbished; a project has turned the mount into a fabulous light show at night.
Compared with other mountains across China, Mount Tai is by no means the tallest. The mount owes its unique status to where it towers: around it spreads the vast Northern China Plain. The massive mountain covers an area of 425 square kilometers and the Jade Emperor Peak stands at 1,532.7 meters above sea level. The scenic area of the mountain boasts 156 peaks, 138 cliffs, 72 caves, 72 odd-looking rocks, 130 streams, 64 waterfalls, 72 springs, 58 temples, 128 sites of historical interests, 1,239 stone steles and 1,277 rock inscriptions written by famed people of yesteryears.
Sunrise is one of the most stunning views on the mountain top. The moment before the sunrise and the moment the sun does rise showcase the most colorful and swift changes in the sky. Spectators wow at fast changes taking place one after another on such a grand scale. Another major view on the mountain top is the sea of clouds. In summer days when warm and wet air keep clouds stay at a height of about 1,500 meters above sea level, white clouds stretch endlessly like a giant jade plate, staying just below the people on the mountain top, with some peaks in the vicinity loom above the clouds. This view makes people wonder if they are in the world of fantasies. Rimed spectacles are another great view. All the woods, house roofs, rocks could look otherworldly. Buddha Light is great on Mount Tai. Occasionally a person standing on a peak can see his reflection in the distance against a foggy background, surrounded by a halo of all the rainbow colors. This is a game light plays naturally and happens when sunlight slants during foggy days from June to August. In sharp contrast to sunrise, sunset views are a metaphor for slow-motion transformation. Colors change slowly, presenting their glory and glamour in the most spectacular manner.
Ancient architecture is a major marvel on Mount Tai. These buildings share one feature: they merge perfectly with the natural terrain no matter where they are. A gate spans a zigzagging path; a pavilion stands at a place where the mountain shows a sharp turn; a pavilion suspends above a stream; a religious sanctuary clings precariously onto a cliff; a ceremonial structure stands on the top of a peak. Best preserved architectural structures on the mountain are those erected in the dynasties of the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911).
The most splendid building is the Dai Temple, located in Tai’an City at the foot of the great mountain. It is a Taoist Temple in honor of God of Mount Tai. The temple compound measures 96,000 square meters and is structured on the imperial scale. It opens to the outside world through four major gates and is home to a group of gigantic halls. In one part of the compound are five fir trees presumably planted in the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD). History says that the firs were planted personally by Wudi Emperor of the Han Dynasty when he visited the Mount Tai. Inside a great hall are a mural that measures 3.3 meters in height and 62 meters in length, portraying the God of Mount Tai going on an inspection tour. There are altogether 691 figures in the mural. It is said to have been created in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Religious worship of Mount Tai has a tradition of 3,000 years. Over time, this worship evolved into an official imperial rite and Mount Tai became one of the principal places where emperors would pay homage to heaven on the summit and earth at the foot of the mountain in the Feng and Shan sacrifices respectively. The two sacrifices are often referred to together as the Fengshan sacrifices. In 219 BC, the first Emperor of China held a ceremony on the summit and proclaimed the unity of his empire in a famous inscription. During the Han Dynasty, the Feng and Shan sacrifices were considered the highest of all sacrifices. Over a period of more than a thousand years, six emperors held grand sacrifices at Mount Tai. After the Song Dynasty, imperial sacrifices were no longer held there, though emperors never ceased coming to visit. Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming, scaled to the mountain top. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty came. Emperor Qianlong made eleven visits. Emperors made use of the grandness of Mount Tai to justify their reign and Mount Tai became sacred because of these grand ceremonies.□
The mountain spreads in the central Shandong Province and its tallest peak, Jade Emperor Peak, is situated to the north of Tai’an City. The best scenic views and sights of cultural interests cluster around the main peak. The mountain is celebrated for its views: spectacular, precipitous, elegant, tranquil, profound, and vast. The first human settlement around the mountain goes back to the Paleolithic Age and the Dawenkou Culture and the Longshan Culture flourished in the Neolithic Age. On the other hand, Mount Tai presents the newest things today: since the 1980s, three cableways have been erected to enable visitors to view the mountain more conveniently; all the 6,000-plus steps of the stone staircase stretching all the way to the top have been refurbished; a project has turned the mount into a fabulous light show at night.
Compared with other mountains across China, Mount Tai is by no means the tallest. The mount owes its unique status to where it towers: around it spreads the vast Northern China Plain. The massive mountain covers an area of 425 square kilometers and the Jade Emperor Peak stands at 1,532.7 meters above sea level. The scenic area of the mountain boasts 156 peaks, 138 cliffs, 72 caves, 72 odd-looking rocks, 130 streams, 64 waterfalls, 72 springs, 58 temples, 128 sites of historical interests, 1,239 stone steles and 1,277 rock inscriptions written by famed people of yesteryears.
Sunrise is one of the most stunning views on the mountain top. The moment before the sunrise and the moment the sun does rise showcase the most colorful and swift changes in the sky. Spectators wow at fast changes taking place one after another on such a grand scale. Another major view on the mountain top is the sea of clouds. In summer days when warm and wet air keep clouds stay at a height of about 1,500 meters above sea level, white clouds stretch endlessly like a giant jade plate, staying just below the people on the mountain top, with some peaks in the vicinity loom above the clouds. This view makes people wonder if they are in the world of fantasies. Rimed spectacles are another great view. All the woods, house roofs, rocks could look otherworldly. Buddha Light is great on Mount Tai. Occasionally a person standing on a peak can see his reflection in the distance against a foggy background, surrounded by a halo of all the rainbow colors. This is a game light plays naturally and happens when sunlight slants during foggy days from June to August. In sharp contrast to sunrise, sunset views are a metaphor for slow-motion transformation. Colors change slowly, presenting their glory and glamour in the most spectacular manner.
Ancient architecture is a major marvel on Mount Tai. These buildings share one feature: they merge perfectly with the natural terrain no matter where they are. A gate spans a zigzagging path; a pavilion stands at a place where the mountain shows a sharp turn; a pavilion suspends above a stream; a religious sanctuary clings precariously onto a cliff; a ceremonial structure stands on the top of a peak. Best preserved architectural structures on the mountain are those erected in the dynasties of the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911).
The most splendid building is the Dai Temple, located in Tai’an City at the foot of the great mountain. It is a Taoist Temple in honor of God of Mount Tai. The temple compound measures 96,000 square meters and is structured on the imperial scale. It opens to the outside world through four major gates and is home to a group of gigantic halls. In one part of the compound are five fir trees presumably planted in the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD). History says that the firs were planted personally by Wudi Emperor of the Han Dynasty when he visited the Mount Tai. Inside a great hall are a mural that measures 3.3 meters in height and 62 meters in length, portraying the God of Mount Tai going on an inspection tour. There are altogether 691 figures in the mural. It is said to have been created in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Religious worship of Mount Tai has a tradition of 3,000 years. Over time, this worship evolved into an official imperial rite and Mount Tai became one of the principal places where emperors would pay homage to heaven on the summit and earth at the foot of the mountain in the Feng and Shan sacrifices respectively. The two sacrifices are often referred to together as the Fengshan sacrifices. In 219 BC, the first Emperor of China held a ceremony on the summit and proclaimed the unity of his empire in a famous inscription. During the Han Dynasty, the Feng and Shan sacrifices were considered the highest of all sacrifices. Over a period of more than a thousand years, six emperors held grand sacrifices at Mount Tai. After the Song Dynasty, imperial sacrifices were no longer held there, though emperors never ceased coming to visit. Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming, scaled to the mountain top. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty came. Emperor Qianlong made eleven visits. Emperors made use of the grandness of Mount Tai to justify their reign and Mount Tai became sacred because of these grand ceremonies.□