Taishan – Mountain of Eternity (泰山)
Jun 11, 2009
By Andrea Hunt, www.eChinacities.com
To see the first stop Wutaishan
Taishan (泰山), Shandong Province
The next stop on our How to Reach the Ttop of the World journey will take you to another one of China’s finest mountains. From Nanchang, you will need to head southeast a bit for the wondrous peak of Taishan. This is also one of the magical Five Sacred Mountains. Here, you can test your endurance by hiking up the Eastern Route some 6000 steps to reach the top. Hey, if it were easy, everyone would do it, no? What is waiting at the top will take your breath away – majestic views of Shandong province. This hike is not for the lazy, however, so decide in advance if you want to head up the steps and face the pain you will endure the next day, but with vivid memories of misty cliffs. Once you reach the summit, the splendid temples looking out over the valleys will inspire you and appease your weary body. The mountain is most famous for its breathtaking sunrise and holds the added benefit of an ancient legend that states that anyone hiking to the top of Taishan will live 100 years.
Photo: Hiphoto
There are a couple of different ways to get to this mountain from Wutaishan. If you are in a hurry, take the bus from Wutaishan to Datong or Taiyuan and catch a flight directly to Jinan. From there, either stay over night or take the bus to Tai’an. Tai’an is only an hour and a half away from Jinan and the busses leave frequently from the bus station directly in front of the main train station on Jingyi Lu. The busses leave every thirty minutes or so and cost around 20 Kuai.
If you want to take the train, you can either take it from Taiyuan or Datong to Jinan and then take the bus. Stay in Tai’an for the night. There are not a lot of budget options for hostels and hotels but you can still find some. Check online first for a list of places. If you want to get up there in time to see the majestic sunrise on Sunrise Viewing Peak then the best plan is to head up the mountain and get a hotel up there. There are varying degrees of quality on the mountain so ask to see the rooms first.
The city itself is a nice place to relax when you first arrive, you can spend the day walking around and head over to Dai Temple ( 岱庙), originally made famous by Emperor Qin Shi Huang who used to hold sacrifices there before his trek to the summit. The temple houses a Hall of Celestial Gifts featuring murals of ancient deities and a Han Cypress Courtyard which houses five ancient Han Dynasty cypresses said to have been planted by Emperor Wu. If the idea of old trees doesn’t interest you keep in mind that the Han Dynasty spanned from the years 206 BC to 220 AD!
Photo: MurrayJ3
As noted, this mountain is known for being one of the primary Five Sacred Mountains in China. This mountain is believed to be a place of rebirth and renewal associated with the sunrise. The tallest peak at Taishan is Jade Emperor Summit that climbs 5,029 feet (1532 meters) into the sky. Also one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, the mountain has had several different names before the Spring and Autumn period emperors during the years 770BC-476BC, finally elected to call
it Taishan. Throughout history, and for the last 3000 years, people have undergone pilgrimages to this mountain to share in the sacred environment. In total, the rumor stands that 72 emperors have made this famous journey to the summit where they believed the gods would give them power. In addition, many ceremonies took place in this area including sacrifices and enthronements.
This mountain has fascinating historical legends, mainly because of the presence of specific gods. These deities have made Taishan a spiritually relevant place throughout Chinese history. The first was the God of the Eastern Mountain. People believed that his powers reached all beings, for he controlled life, and the country and its people’s peace and harmony. During the same time period, another god “lived” on the mountain, representing a force against evil and malicious spirits. His name was Shigandang and people revered him so much that they put stone statues of him outside their doors. During the Song and Tang dynasties, people worshipped the new belief that there was a goddess who ruled the mountain. The goddess’s name was Bi Xia Yuan Jun and legend has it she lived in the Azure Clouds Temple on top of the mountain. People believed in her direct influence in all aspects of their lives including wealth, misfortune, and health; even the sex of the offspring was in her hands.
The mountain, along with other mountains in China is noted for the Fengshan ceremony, meaning, “sacrifice to the earth.” The emperors, after their ascension to the throne, would bring their military to the top of Taishan mountain to build an alter for sacrifice in order to represent the emperor’s God-chosen legitimate rule over the people….
To find out where to go and how to hike the mountain, check back of part 2 of this incredible mountain.
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