Mt. Taishan

Mt. Taishan is top of the famous Five Mountains in China, and is reputed as the “National Mountain”. Mt. Taishan was listed on the World Natural Heritage and Cultural Heritage in 1987. With stretching out 200 square kilometers long from east to west and 50 kilometers wide, it sits in the center of Shandong Province and crosses through Tai’an City, Jinan City and Zibo City of Shandong Province.

Grand Ceremony of Offering Sacrifices to Heaven

Since Qin Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.), Mt. Taishan became the symbol of political power. Chinese worships Mt. Taishan from of old, and there is a saying that “Mt. Taishan is in peace, or the world is peaceful”. There were many emperors in past dynasties to hold grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven and to build temples. It was said that there were 72 kings to hold grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven before Qin Dynasty, after that, there were 27 emperors following. So there are many stone steles surviving that record the splendid scenes of sacrificing.

Cultural Relics

Mt. Taishan is one of the cradle lands of ancient Yellow River Culture. Now at the south foot keeps the Dawenkou Culture Relic, and at the north foot keeps Longshan Culture Relic. Besides, there still preserve Xintai skeleton fossil relics 50 thousand years ago and Qiyuan skeleton fossil relics 400 thousand years ago. A 500-kilometer-long great wall built alongside the Mt. Taishan in Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) is kept well.

Mt. Taishan scenic area includes 156 peaks, 72 famous caves and springs each, 13 ancient tombs, 58 ancient buildings, 2,500 stone steles, and many cultural relics and so on. All scenic spots are distributed at the center of Jade Emperor Peak.

Jade Emperor Peak

Jade Emperor Peak is the main peak of Mt. Taishan with the altitude of 1,545 meters, and it is located in the north of Tai’an City. It has the name because there is a temple named as Jade Emperor Temple built on that. The main hall of the temple shrines the bronze statue of Jade Emperor (the leader of God in the Heaven in Taoism). There is a stone with the engraved Chinese characters of Jidingshi standing in front of the hall, which marks the highest point of Mt. Taishan.

Eighteen Winding Path

Eighteen Winding Path is the steepest and the most dangerous part leading to the top of Mt. Taishan. It is composed of 1,630 steps, while looking afar it is like a scaling ladder. Eighteen Winding Path is one of the main symbols of Mt. Taishan.

South Sky Gate

Mt. Taishan boasts South Sky Gate. It is at the end of Eighteen Winding Path, and its altitude is 1,460 meters. South Sky Gate was built in 1264. It sits between two high peaks like a gate leading to the heaven. The gate is an attic-styled building with arched gateway. With an area of 1.6 square kilometers, the top area passing through the South Sky Gate is called as “Daiding Scenic Area” that means sceneries on the top of Mt. Taishan. The scenery on the top of Mt. Taishan is different from scenery at the foot as of the high altitude.

Mt. Taishan Sunrise

Mt. Taishan Sunrise is one of the wonders in “Daiding Scenic Area” and is important symbol of Mt. Taishan. With the first light of morning breaking the predawn darkness, the color of east sky is changed from grey dawn to red, then to gold and last is gloriously radiant. The whole process is like a magician performing a colorful picture.

Bixia Hall

Bixia Hall is on the top of Mt. Taishan. It was built in 1009 for Bixiayuanjun (she blesses all beings and is one of important Goddesses in Taoism). It is the largest ancient building group built on the high mountain in Mt. Taishan.

Heaven Street

It is on the top of Mt. Taishan, and it is 0.6 kilometers long west from South Sky Gate and end to Bixia Hall. Heaven Street is one of the ten featured markets in China. Stores in Heaven Street have a tradition that makes physical material as signboard. There are inns, restaurants and special local product stores and so on.

Tianzhu Peak

It gains the name because there are peaks shaped like candles. Climbing up the Mt. Taishan along Eighteen Winding Path, you can appreciate fascinating sceneries of Tianzhu Peak, like grotesque rocks, crystal spring gushing, steep cliffs, and two peaks like a large and a small candles standing upright. If you are not interested in the human landscape of Mt. Taishan, the beautiful natural scenery in Tianzhu Peak scenic area will not let you down.

Dai Temple

Dai Temple sits at the south foot of Mt. Taishan. It is also called as “East Mountain Temple”, which preserves well and is the largest building group in Mt. Taishan. As a Taoism temple, Dai Temple was the place for Emperor to hold grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven and to sacrifice the God Mt. Taishan in past dynasties. With an architecture style of imperial palace, Dai Temple is called as one of the four ancient building groups in China.

Dai Temple originates from the worship to Mt. Taishan firstly, and it becomes a belief that influences the whole nation with dissemination of years. Dai Temple was built in Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) and flourished in Tang Dynasty (618-907), and later on it was extended when the Emperor Zhao Heng (968-1022, the third emperor of Northern Song Dynasty) held grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven.

Mt. Taishan is a symbol that bears good wishes of harmony and happiness of every descendant of China nation.