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Taishan Mountain is in central Shandong Province
and is 426 square kilometers in area; its circumference is 80 kilometers.
The main peak, Jade Emperor peak, rises 1,545 meters above sea level
and is north of Tai'an city. The mountain is an early birthplace
of China's ancient civilization and the area around was one of ancient
China's political, economic and cultural centers. Seventy two emperors
from Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties built temples on it. After Qin
Shihuang (246-209 B.C.), emperors and scholars from various historical
periods went to Taishan Mountain and this accounts for the large
quantity of precious cultural relics.
Taishan Mountain has 72 majestic peaks, magnificent
waterfalls, centuries-old pines and cypresses and fascinating rocks.
There are five tour1ist zones and two routes up the mountain-one
in the east and one in the west. They meet at Zhongtian Gate and
there are 6,293 steps in the nine kilometers leading to the top.
Scenic spots include Longtan Reservoir, Zhongtian Gate, Five Doctor
Pine, Duansong Hill, 18 Turns, South Gate to Heaven, Bixia Temple,
Zhanglu Terrace, Sun-Watching Peak, Moon-Watching Peak. The four
wonders of the mountain are Sun Rises from the East, Golden Belt
Along the Yellow River, Beautiful Sunset and the Sea of Clouds.
Other attractive spots are the Rare Rock Dock, Fan Cliff, Aolai
Peak, Black Dragon Pool, Longevity Bridge, and the Dragon Pool Waterfall.
Running from Songshan Valley to the South
Gate to Heaven, on the top of Danshan Hill, is a path with 18 turns
called Ladder to Heaven. Although the path is little more than one
kilometer long it rises 400 meters. The steps along the path are
made of Tianshan schist. There is now a cable car from Zhongtian
Gate to the top of Wangfu Hill.
Taishan Mountain is one of China's mountain
parks and is a natural museum of history and art. Along its axis
there are 1,800 stone sculptures including famous ones such as the
Cared Road from the Qin Dynasty, the Buddhist Diamond Sutra in Sutra
Stone Valley, the Wordless Stone Tablet and the Scripture of Taishan
Mountain History carved on Tangmo Cliff. Tiankuang Hall in the Daimiao
Temple, which is also on Taishan Mountain is one of the three great
halls of China (the other two are the Hall of Supreme Harmony in
the Forbidden City, Beijing, and Dacheng Hall in Qufu). The 40 statues
of arhat in the Thousand-Buddha Hall of the Lingyan Temple date
back to the Song Dynasty and are prized for their individuality
and expressiveness.
Included in the UNESCO world heritage list
in 1987.
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