Taishan Mountain---a world natural and cultural heritage in China
As the top of the Five Great Mountains, Taishan Mountain is one of the symbols of China and also one representative of marvelous oriental civilization. It is the typical area to show the idea of syncretism of human and nature. In 1987, it was listed to be one of the world natural and cultural heritages in China.
Anciently, it was the symbol of the nation in security, sovereignty in consolidation, nation in prosperity, peoples in unity. In different dynasty, whoever the emperors were, their first thing is to show their worship to Taishan Mountain by themselves. Taishan Mountain is the only famous mountain in China that officially nominated by Emperor. The high-level officials, famous learners or masters, the emperors and kings all showed their respects to this holy mountain in China. Numerous famous essays and poems are left to show its greatness and holiness.
Taishan Mountain scenic area is located in the center of Shandong Province and crossing Taian and Jinan two cities with the total area of 426 square kilometers. Anciently it is called to be Daizong Mountain and during the era of Spring and Autumn(770 BC-403 BC), it was renamed to be Taishan Mountain with the title of Dongyue (In Chinese 东岳，in English means the oriental great Mountain). Taishan Mountain is a delicate bonsai with the high research value in geology, history and culture, other than its high artistic value and aesthetic value. On 8 May 2007, it was formally listed to be a state-level 5-A tourism scenic area.
During remote antiquity period, Taishan Mountain area experienced the dramatic rising and falling of lithosphere and finally Taishan Mountain with today’s condition formed 30 million years ago. The main peak of Taishan Mountain is at an altitude of 1532.7 meters, it is sticking up in the Northern China Plain. Taishan Mountain extends over 200 kilometers.
There is a saying for illustrating people’s calmness like this stabilizing like Mountain Taishan. Humanity and culture of Taishan Mountain are long and historic. There are many cultural and historic relics here. During the time from Paleolithic period to Neolithic period, human lived here. Roughly 50000 or 60000 years ago, people began to show their respect to Taishan Mountain. According to the record, there were 72 emperors showed their worships to this holy mountain successively during the period of pre-Qin Dynasty. Latterly, Emperor Qinshihuang, and his son, Emperor Hanwudi all held the grand ceremonies to show their respects. From Tang Dynasty (581-960) to Qing Dynasty (1644-1912),Taishan was still respected to be the holy land in China.
Such a worship ceremony lasted for several thousand years. As the popularization of Five-Element theory, Taishan Mountain was respected to be the east holy mountain. Many scholars and learners left many Famous articles and works of calligraphy in carving and inscription. Taoism in Han dynasty (206BC-189AD) and Wei Kingdom (196-265) began to appear on this mountain. Buddhism in 351 showed itself on the mountain, and someone began to build the temples on the mountain.
The comments from World Heritage Committee
The holy and sacred Mountain Taishan in the past two thousand year was always the worship receiver. The integration of cultural and natural landscape gives Chinese endless enlightenment. It is all the time the soul center of artists and learners. The scenic area of Taishan Mountain is comprised of six scenic areas including: Youqu area, Kuangqu area, Aoqu Area, Miaoqu area, Xiuqu area and Liqu area. In the Taishan Scenic area, there are 156 peaks, 138 cliffs, 72 famous caves, 72 famous giant stones, 130 streams and valleys, 64 waterfalls and pools, 72 famous springs, 42 old relic sites, 13 old tombs, 58 ancient architectures, 1239 steles, 1277 stone carvings or inscriptions on the cliffs, 14 grotto statues and thousands of cultural and historical collections. By the way, in China, if you are interested, people also call their father-in-laws to be Taishan. This is the custom related to the history.
