Tai Shan - China - Sacred Mountains [Top Travel Destinations, Unesco World Heritage Sites]

the natural site of Mount Thai is one of the foremost cultural properties in both China and the world settled by humans as early as the Neolithic era the mountain has been woried throughout more than three Millennia in 219 BC Kishi hang traveled to the summit of taian to hold a ceremony in homage to Heaven and Earth Earth thus reenacting a ritual that 72 Emperors and Kings had carried out before him the practice has been continued up to Modern Times Mount taian is a memorial whose history spans the ages of Imperial China from the Shang Dynasty up to the quing dynasty this form of State religion was undoubtedly preceded and shaped by an ancient cult devotion Mount taian is impressive Rising abruptly from the vast plain of central Shandong and is naturally endowed with many Scenic sites geologically it's a tilted fault block mountain higher to the south and north and is the oldest and most important example of the Paleo metamorphic system representative of the Cambrian Period in Eastern China referred to as the the taan complex it comprises magnetized metamorphic sedimentary rock and an intrusive mass of various Origins that were formed in the arcan era 170 to 200 million years ago subsequently in the proterozoic era the taan region began to rise becoming part of the continent by the end of the era uplift continued until the middle of the cazic era the nce which emerged in the taan region is the foundation for all of North China cambri and strata fully emerged in the north are rich in [Music] fossils that the local and spontaneous cult became the official right of the Empire is due to the many philosophical political and religious justifications Advanced with respect to it the doctrine of five elements which appear in the spring and Autumn period propounded the decree that the Universe had been composed from five elements metal wood water fire and Earth this system of thought incorporated into confusion U ISM and later taoism was greatly reproduced in other systems under the emperor wui of the hand dinasty the doctrine of five mountains became official and symbolically represented the Empire during the reign of Zan D Mount Thai began to be known as the East Mountain with mounts Hua hu hen and SOG being respectively the west south north and Central mountains unlike South mountains whose cult was transferred elsewhere Mount Thai was considered the most venerable of the five Peaks and remain the place of worship for a faithful cult names inspired by the Imperial religion Mount Thai with its Grand shape and wide Foundation gives the impression of a skyscraper massive and steady Tall Pines ancient cypresses and huge rocks all give prominence to its Grand image the lofty Spirit glorious culture and time honored human landscape combin as a whole with the natural landscape which contributes to the special integrated sceneries of Mount Thai with higher value richer contents and interpenetration of Nature and culture [Music] the landscape of the peak is a unique artistic achievement The Pavilions which are scattered along the flight of 6,600 steps that rise Between Heaven and Earth are not just simple architectural achievements but of the veneral touches by human hands to the elements of a splendid natural site its immense size places this Scenic landscape which has evolved over a period of 2,000 years among the most grandiose human achievements of all time the great number of Scenic viewpoints the variety of colors and plastic effects and the range of emotions it elicits combine to make it one of the most complete and exquisite aesthetic [Music] accomplishments for over 3,000 years Chinese Emperors of various dynasties have made pilgrimages to taan for sacrificial and other ceremonial purposes Rock inscriptions stone tablets and temples testify to such visits renowned Scholars including confucious whose Hometown kufu is only 70 km away have composed poetry and pros and left their calligraphy on the mountain the tradition of depicting mountainous Landscapes persisted in China through the Mongolian Dynasty with Chao M Fu and Cha Juan it flourished a new Under Ming with leit saai and Yen Wen qu later in the very beginning of the quing period Wan houi reconciled in his work all the styles of Chinese Landscapes the classified forms of the mountain inspiring in turn a whole aesthetic system in the 18th century the West began to create Chinese gardens which comprised Cliffs Cascades Bridges and pagodas and were no more than smaller trite images of the grandio structures of Mount [Music] Tha Mount taian is essentially a mixed cultural natural site with the balance of emphasis on its natural elements even the Chinese appreciation of its natural values has a strong cultural emphasis the mix of cultural and natural elements has similarities with the sanctuario historic deatu picu in Peru in that the strong cultural values have a greater impact because of the natural setting and it's the natural setting that led to the cultural values being expressed a difference from Machu picu is is that Mount taian remains a living cultural natural site for the Chinese people for many of whom a pilgrimage to see the sunrise from taian is an essential experience and represents the essence of the most populous nation on [Music] Earth apart from its preeminence as a site of cultural significance Mount taan is geologically important it has a diverse Flora forer and it's famous for its Majestic scenery vegetation covers 80% of the densely wooded area and the Flora is diverse comprising 1,000 species medicinal plants total 460 species including multiflower knotweed taan jinang Chinese gromwell and seal wart which are renowned throughout the country there are over 200 species of animal in addition to 122 species of bird large scaled fish are found in running water at 300 to 800 m to the Chinese people Mount taan is a symbol of greatness and Grandeur they use such Expressions as Mount taian Pillar or Mount taan beam to refer to Great historical figures they say death may be weightier than mount taian in Praise of those who laid down their lives for a worthy cause and as firm as Mount taian is also a popular phrase used to describe a strong character of dependability and determination according to ancient Chinese mythology when pangu the ancestor of all things died his head turned into Mount Thai his belly turned into the central Mountain his left arm turned into the South Mountain his right arm into the North Mountain and his feet into the West Mountain Mount Tha has thus become the head of all mountains as the symbol of China's national spirit Mount Thai is no doubt the most significant Mountain under Heaven as well Mount Tha Shan has an extremely rich cultural heritage and in the words of gaaru a modern Chinese scholar it's a partial miniature of Chinese culture moreover the way in which the culture has been integrated with the natural scenery is considered to be a precious Legacy cultural Relic include Memorial objects ancient architectural complexes Stone sculptures and archaeological sites of outstanding importance there are 22 temples 97 ruins 819 stone tablets and 1,8 Cliffside and stone inscriptions [Music] w [Music] the lofty Peaks deep valleys spectacular waterfalls enchanting rocks and the centuries old Pines and cypresses will undoubtedly encourage visitors to linger with no thought of [Music] leaving illustrative of the Supreme Harmony that's been attained between the works of Nature and of man is the temple to the God of taan this key monument integrates in one symbolic entity the city and the mountain where magnificent nared and twisted 2,100 year old cypresses from the Han Dynasty stand alongside W structures of terraces and pagodas taan Mountain is a C museum abounding with cultural relics and artworks Heavenly Queen pool Redgate Palace midheaven gate ads Cloud Temple and Powerful examples Stone carvings include the Buddhist Diamond Sutra in jingshi Valley the scripture of Mount Thai and the Moya tablet [Music] [Music] The Majestic site of the Sacred Mount Thai taan with its dense forests and ancient temples complimenting each other has been the object of Imperial pilgrimage for some 2,000 years and the artistic masterpieces contained within it are in perfect harmony with the natural landscape it's always been a source of inspiration to Chinese artists and Scholars and symbolizes ancient Chinese civilizations and beliefs