
Mount Taishan
Towering in the middle of Shandong Province, Mount
Taishan is one of China's most famous scenic spots
and regarded as the first of
the five sacred mountains in ancient China for its majesty and beauty. It covers
a total area of 426 km, and its summit, the Jade Emperor Peak, rises 1,545 meters
above sea level. In China's history many emperors ascended Mount Taishan to
hold memorial ceremonies as an expression of their gratefulness to heaven on
their success in establishing a new dynasty. For many centuries, Buddhism and
Taoism flourished in the mountain, therefore many temples and nunneries were
built. Now historical sites and numerous stone-carved inscription can be found
all over the area, such as, Wangmu Pool (the Heavenly Queen Pool), Hongmen
Palace (the Red Gate Palace), Nantian Gate (the South Gate to Heaven), and Bixia
Temple (Azure Cloud Temple).
In December,1987 The Mount Taishan was listed in the Chronology of Recognition of World Heritages in China.