Best of Scenic China: 7 Mountains Worth Visiting

Mountain, as an important part of Chinese religious culture, has always played a key role throughout Chinese history. Among all the mountains in China, the Five Great Mountains are the most well-known sacred mountains and destinations for pilgrimage, including Mount Tai (in the east of China), Mount Hua (in the west of China), Mount Heng (in the south of China), Mount Heng (in the north of China) and Mount Song (in the center of China).

Furthermore, compared with the Five Great Mountains, many mountains also are worth tourists visiting, particularly because they are world-famous for their beautiful scenery, just as Mount Huang and Zhangjiajie. Now let's start a trip to these seven mountain regions with this article.

Mount Huang (Huangshan)

Location: Huangshan City, Anhui (About 280km from Hefei City, the capital of Anhui Province)

Best time to visit: All the year round

Elevation: 1864 meters (6115 ft.)

Snow Above the Pine Greeting Guests

Mount Huang is one of the most famous scenic areas which covers over 160Km², the mountain is composed mainly of granite which makes it so magnificent that stands out against the sky. As one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Mount Huang is famous for its peculiarly shaped granite peaks, pine trees, hot spring, and sea of clouds.

There are ten famous pines on Mount Huang. As the most well-known pine, "The Pine Greeting Guests" is the landmark of Mount Huang. It is named after its appearance, people consider it just like a man who reaches out a hand to welcome the guests.

The sea of clouds above the peaks is the most famous scenery. When the clouds come through between two peaks, it is just like seawater that surges forward and tumbles down from the mountain top as a waterfall.

Zhangjiajie

Location: Zhangjiajie City, Hunan (About 350km from Changsha City, the capital of Hunan Province)

Best time to visit: All the year round

The Quartz-sandstone Pillars Point to the Sky

More accurately, Zhangjiajie is not a mountain, but a scenic area that belongs to mountainous topography and consists of plenty of hills or quartz-sandstone pillars. When you look up from the bottom, you will find that the quartz-sandstone pillars look like hundreds of swords thrust into the sky. According to statistics, there are more than 3000 quartz-sandstone pillars in the Zhangjiajie National Park, 1000 of which are over 200 meters.

Zhangjiajie Scenic Area is the first National Forest Park that has been established by the Government of China, apart from beautiful scenery, you also can observe the wild animals which live in the forest. Going ahead, taking a break, looking around, and feeling the air movement, please believe that is the Xanadu in your dream.

In addition, if you enjoy the sensation of fear, the Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain Glass Skywalk which is built on the cliff will be your first destination. More information can be read through the following article:

China's Zhangjiajie Has 4 Breathtaking Glass-bottomed Bridges Waiting for Daredevils

Mount Tai (Taishan) - East Great Mountain

Location: Tai'an City, Shandong Province (About 80km from Jinan City, the capital of Shandong Province)

Best time to visit: Spring, Summer & Autumn

Elevation: 1532.7 meters (5029ft.)

The Track to the Top of Mount Tai

Mount Tai, the most famous mountain among the Five Great Mountains, is called as Chief of the Five Great Mountains and the symbol of the Chinese nation. The beautiful natural landscape is in perfect harmony with a large number of human heritages which can be found here.

According to the record, there are 13 emperors, who went on a pilgrimage to the top of Mount Tai in person and 24 emperors dispatched officials to offer sacrifices on it. Nowadays, many ancient buildings and sculptures are still retained on the road to the top of Mount Tai, tourists can have visions of the magnificent ceremony in the past through these historical monuments.

As the easternmost one of the Five Great Mountains, a large number of tourists will wait for the sunrise on Mount Tai. In order to enjoy the spectacle, the Jade Emperor Peak, the highest peak of Mount Tai, will be crowded around by tourists who come from different places. So if you want to get a good place to watch the sunrise, it is necessary to get up earlier.

Mount Hua (Huashan) - West Great Mountain

Location: Weinan City, Shaanxi Province (About 125km from Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province)

Best time to visit: All the year round

Elevation: 2154.9 meters (7067ft.)

The Track to the Top of Mount Hua

Mount Hua, the highest mountain among the Five Great Mountains, is well-known for its steep hills. The angle between the ground and the cliff is nearly 90 degrees, so it was described that Mount Hua was splintered with the axe in Chinese Mythology. The track to the top of Mount Hua is built on a cliff, so Mount Hua is called the most dangerous hiking trail in the world by tourists.

Mount Hua is mainly composed of five peaks (the East Peak, the West Peak, the South Peak, the North Peak, and the Middle Peak). The East Peak is the best place for tourists to watch the sunrise; the South Peak is the highest peak, so travelers can get the best views there; if you want to walk into the historic buildings or admire the stele, the West Peak, the North peak, and the Middle peak will be your destinations.

Mount Heng - South Great Mountain

Location: Hengyang City, Hunan Province (About 140km from Changsha City, the capital of Hunan Province)

Best time to visit: All the year round

Elevation: 1300.2 meters (4266ft.)

The Zhurong Temple on the Top of Mount Heng

Mount Heng, sprawls over 640km², consists of 72 peaks. As the well-known Buddhist and Taoist holy sites, a large number of travelers are attracted by its fame every year.

The Zhurong Temple, located on Zhurong Peak which is the highest peak among the 72 peaks, is the most famous view spot on Mount Heng. Its name derives from the Zhurong who is the god of fire in Chinese mythology. As the best viewing platform on Mount Heng, travelers can take a break here, and then watch the sun which gradually appears on the horizon and enjoy the cloud that is rolling before you.

Mount Heng - North Great Mountain

Location: Datong City, Shanxi Province (About 290km from Taiyuan City, the capital of Shanxi Province)

Best time to visit: Autumn

Elevation: 2016.1 meters (6617 ft.)

Hanging Temple Hung on the Cliff

Although some consider that Mount Heng is hardly comparable with the other four Great Mountains, as one of the birthplaces of Taoism, it still attracts large numbers of tourists every year.

There are many Taoist temples that lie in the range of Mount Heng. As the most special one, the Hanging Temple, built on the cliff, is based on three religions (Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism). "Three religions integrating into one" is the obvious character of the temple which is 1500 years old.

The Hanging Temple is divided into two parts, the South Building and the North Building, a 10-meter-long bridge that connects them together. The South Building is 8 meters long and 4 meters wide, including four palaces (the Chunyang Palace, the Sanguan Palace, the Sanjiao Palace, and the Leiyin Palace). Plenty of clay sculptures of Chinese mythology are put in these palaces. The North Building is 7 meters long and 4 meters wide, divided into three palaces (the Wufo Palace, the Guanyin Palace, and the Sanjiao Palace). The Sanjiao Palace (the North Building) is dedicated to three leaders' statues, including Sakyamuni (the founder of Buddhism), Confucius (the founder of Confucianism), and Lao-tzu (the founder of Taoism).

Mount Song (Songshan) - Center Great Mountain

Location: Zhengzhou City, Henan Province

Best time to visit: Spring & Autumn

Elevation: 1512 meters (4961 ft.)

The Gate of Shaolin Monastery

Mount Song, located in the middle of the other four Great Mountains, is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization and is also treated as the holy land of Buddhism and Taoism. Due to the geographic advantages, there were not only 30 emperors who came here to pray for good fortune, but also it is immensely popular with poets and literary men.

The Shaolin Monastery, whose fame spreads far and wide, is the landmark of Mount Song. As the world-famous Buddhist temple, the Shaolin Monastery is more than 1500 years old. Nowadays, millions of tourists come here every year for Kungfu Performance or to learn some Kungfu. If you are a fan of Kongfu, Mount Song is a must-see destination.

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