Top Taoist Sacred Mountains in China: Mountain Wangwu
By admin on 2014-12-22

Mt. Wangwu in Jiyuan City, Henan Province is one of the nine most famous ancient mountains and the top one of the 10 Taoist sacred mountains in China. As a National Park of China, it was listed among UNESCO Global Geoparks in 2006.

There are two different stories about the origin of its name. One is that the mountain has many caves which are so deep that no one can reach the inmost recesses and the caves are like the king's palaces inside; the other is that the mountain consists of three connected hills shaped like a house. The major peak of Mt. Wangwu is 1,715m above sea level. You can see mountains, springs, waterfalls, trees, stones and temples in this scenic spot. It is regarded by Taoists as "No. 1 paradise under heaven".

Besides the charming scenery, Mt. Wangyu is a favorite attraction because of a famous legend related to it and was highly praised by Chairman Mao. It is said that in ancient China, there were two large neighboring mountains, named Mt. Wangwu and Mt. Taihang that covered an area of 700 to 800 square meters with a height of 21,000 to 24,000m in the south of Henan Province and to the north of the Yellow River.

Yu Gong (Stupid Man), a 90-year-old living at the foot of the mountains was annoyed by the inconvenient transport because they had to walk around to get out of the mountains. Thus, he gathered his whole family and told them about his plan to move the mountains.

The family members all agreed with him and they decided to move the mountains to the coast of the Bohai Sea. Hearing this, people in the village came to join them and even a seven-year-old boy of a widow helped with enthusiasm.

However, Zhi Sou (Wise Man), an old man in Hequ county thought it was impossible for them to move the two huge mountains and tried to stop Yu Gong with jeers. Yu Gong sighed and said to Zhi Sou, "You are so pigheaded that you can't even catch up with a widow or a child! If I die, my son will continue to move the mountains; if my son dies, my grandson will continue to do it... We will work from generation to generation until the mountains are moved away, but the mountains do not grow higher. Why do I have to worry that there would be no end?"

Zhi Sou was at a loss for words. The God of the Mountain who had a snake in his hand was afraid that Yu Gong would continue digging ceaselessly and reported this to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor was deeply touched by Yu Gong's sincerity and sent two gods to move the two mountains away.