Taishan is crowned as the most famous of China’s five great mountains, namely, Taishan in East China, Hengshan in South China, Huashan in West China, Hengshan Mountain in North China and Songshan Mountain in Central China.
Taishan is situated in central Shandong Province, stretching over 200 kilometers. North of the city of Taian stands Taishan’s highest peak, rising to 1,545 meters above sea level. This mountain impresses visitors with its majestic and precipitous appeal, its summit Yuhuangding overlooking the surrounding valleys and perilous peaks. To reach Taishan’s summit, you have to follow the zigzag and tortuous paths, along which you will feast your eyes on the charming scenery and appreciate the ancient architectural works of various styles. Soon you will trudge along a staircase that leads to the Heavenly Southern Gate. When you reach the Riguan Peak(literally, the Sun Watching Peak) and look around in the distance, you will find yourselves carried away in involuntary admiration by the overpowering endless vistas of mountains beyond mountain and scenery beyond scenery.
Taishanis a perfect example of the kind of mountain resort that embodies natural scenery and cultural heritage, boasting numerous exotic rock formations, clear waterfalls, age-old pine trees, stone bridges, temples, pavilions, pagodas, and halls. In particular, tourists will invariably marvel at the vast number of stone inscriptions left by famous ancient writers, scholars and calligraphers of various dynasties.
Each season here has its beauty: bright flowers in full bloom covering the green slopes in spring, spectacular summer thunderstorms which are rarely seen elsewhere, blue rivers running across the mountains, overlaid with red maple leaves in fall, and snowcapped mountains and frosted pine trees in winter that present a quiet, grand spectacle of particular interest. On a clear day one can see the peaks rising one after another. When the sky is overcast, the horizon disappears in a sea of clouds. Taishan is most famous for its spectacular sunrise and sunset. Its landscape and numerous historical sites have inspired many great classics of ancient writers and calligraphers. Taishan has long been the preferred gathering place of artists and poets.
Dating back to Yin and Shang periods (1766B.c.—1122B.C.), our Chinese ancestors established the five directions of north, south, east, west and center. The east, where the sun rises, represents life’s fertility with the end of winter and coming of spring. Taishan, located in East China, has been regarded as a propitious place. Ancient emperors prayed for the country’s prosperity and peace by offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth on Taishan. According to historical records, prior to the Western Zhou Dynasty (1122B.C.—771B.C.), 72 monarchs climbed the mountain to perform sacrifices. They were then followed by Qinshihuang, China’s first emperor, and the emperors of the Han, Tang, Song and Qing Dynasties.
The modern world has also recognized the tourist and cultural value of Taishan. In 1985, the World Heritage Commission under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) placed it on the UN list of World Natural and Cultural Heritage Sites.Taishan ,warmly welcomes visitors from all over the world.
