One of the Five Sacred Mountains:Mount Hengshan
By admin on 2015-01-14

Mt. Hengshan, known as the northernmost of the "Five sacred Mountains", is located about 60 kilometres south of Datong, Shanxi Province In the east, it links with the Mt. Taihang, and to the north, it faces the vast plateau. In the past, people called Mt. Hengshan "A Fort Guarding the North Borders", because of its magnificence and wonder. Mt. Hengshan attracts visitors by its natural sceneries and man-made landscaping.

According to Chinese history, Emperor Shun (2372 BC) visited Mt. Hengshan and impressed by its sight, therefore, he proclaimed it the "North Mountain". Many emperors and famous people also toured Mt. Hengshan. Xu Xiake, the renowned traveller in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), came to Mt. Hengshan and left behind Hengshan-inspired writings.

Historically, Mt.Hengshan has been a place for Taoist activities. Based on the legend, Zhang Guolao, one of the Eight Immortals in Chinese Taoist mythology, once secluded himself on Mt. Hengshan, where he continues to follow the teachings of Taoism.

In addition, Mt. Hengshan was an ancient battleground before. As the bottleneck to Central Hebei Plain, many emperors and generals considered Mt. Hengshan in national defence planning. Lots of ancient battlefield passes, fortresses, castles and towers still exist on Mt. Hengshan, which make it unique among other mountains.