Mountain Culture
More than 5000-year civilization in China also nurtures and vitalizes the mountains and waters in her home territory. So in China, we have the mountain culture and water culture, and to a most degree, China’s culture is mostly shown in the process of mountain humanization.
Most of China’s world Heritage is mountains such as Mout. Tai, Huangshan Mountain, Wutaishan Mountain, Qingcheng Mountain, Wuyi Mountain and so on. China’s religious culture is largely exhibited on mountains as well. For example in China, Qingcheng Mountain, Sanqing Mountain and Longhu Mountain mainly shows the culture and history of Taoism, E’mei Mountain, Jiuhua Mountain, Wutaishan Mountain and Putuo Mountain display the culture and history of Buddhism, and Mt. Tai main shows the culture of Confucianism. Song Mountain, where Shaolin Temple locates in, is the main center to show the Zen Culture, which is a branch of Chinese localized Buddhism. As a whole, most of Chinese cultural and historic mountains are the complex of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Chinese Mountain culture is also the base of Chinese religion, many sacred regulations, custom of religions and the religious legends are also available on the mountains, which to some extent enrich Chinese local and long-standing social rules and social taboos.
Most of China’s world Heritage is mountains such as Mout. Tai, Huangshan Mountain, Wutaishan Mountain, Qingcheng Mountain, Wuyi Mountain and so on. China’s religious culture is largely exhibited on mountains as well. For example in China, Qingcheng Mountain, Sanqing Mountain and Longhu Mountain mainly shows the culture and history of Taoism, E’mei Mountain, Jiuhua Mountain, Wutaishan Mountain and Putuo Mountain display the culture and history of Buddhism, and Mt. Tai main shows the culture of Confucianism. Song Mountain, where Shaolin Temple locates in, is the main center to show the Zen Culture, which is a branch of Chinese localized Buddhism. As a whole, most of Chinese cultural and historic mountains are the complex of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Chinese Mountain culture is also the base of Chinese religion, many sacred regulations, custom of religions and the religious legends are also available on the mountains, which to some extent enrich Chinese local and long-standing social rules and social taboos.
Chinese Mountain culture also shows the features of Chinese ancient architectures and also the collections of Chinese quintessential architectural styles and complexes. The Buddhist temples, nunneries and memorials; the Taoism halls, mansions and cultivated houses; the Confucian houses and schools are all shown on the mountains.
Chinese Mountain culture also shows the features and development of Chinese private education. In China, especially in ancient times, many Chinese educators were willing to being recluse in mountains to do help for education, especially in Song Dynasties many nationwide famous schools were fabricated in mountains such as Songshan Academy, Bailudong Academy and so on.
Chinese Mountain Culture also shows the essence of Chinese traditional philosophical theme and self-nurtured measures. In ancient China, the high-level people or the well-educated scholars were deeply influenced by Confucian theory, that to be a recluse in messy times and an administrator in great times, so most recluse in ancient times did a great contribution to Chinese natural, social as well as life philosophical development, including the theory of oneness of human and nature as well as the theory of harmony of internality and externality.
Chinese Mountain Culture also is the museum of Chinese folk and elite art and literature in ancient times. The stone inscriptions, the poem, the painting, the essay, the lifestyle and even the secret of Chinese Kungfu are also mostly shown in Chinese mountain culture. Chinese poets: Li Po, Du Fu, Wang Wei, Meng Haoran, Xie Lingyun, Xie Tiao and so on all create a lot of famous mountain-water poems when they visited the famous mountains in China. Chinese stone inscriptions are also well preserved in Mountains, for example in Mountain Tai, a large number of famous stone or cliff inscriptions are shown. Among Chinese ancient scholars, thinkers or philosophers mostly live in mountains to find the greatness of human and nature, their heart-felt words and essays are also a part of Chinese invisible heritage. The mysterious Taiji and many kinds of Chinese Kongfu are both largely appeared under the inspiration and influence of Chinese Mountain culture.
Chinese Mountain Culture is also the base or birthplace of Chinese Fengshui(geomantic omen) Culture and Octagon Diagram Culture. Chinese Longevity Culture is also closely connected with Chinese Mountain culture; the practicers are willing to living in caves to make the alchemy into practice. Mountain life also is the way for recluse to administrate the society. In Tang Dynasty, many famous premiers and high officials in Mountains were introduced by emperors.
