The
Sacred Mountains of China are divided into two groups, one associated with
TaoismDaoism refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions and concepts that have influenced East Asia for over two millennia and the West for over two centuries. The word 道, Tao , means "path" or "way", although in Chinese folk religion and philosophy it has taken on more...
and the other with
BuddhismBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
. The group associated with Taoism is known as the
Five Great Mountains , whereas the group associated with Buddhism is referred to as the
Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism .
The sacred mountains of both groups have been important destinations for
pilgrimageIn religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a shrine of importance to a person's beliefs and faith. Members of many major religions participate in pilgrimages...
, the
Chinese expression for pilgrimage is a shortened version of an expression which means literally
"paying respect to a holy mountain" .
The Five Great Mountains
The Taoist
Five Great Mountains are arranged according to the five cardinal directions of Chinese
geomancyGeomancy is a method of divination that interprets markings on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls of soil, rocks, or sand...
, which includes the center as a direction:
- east: Tài Shān
Mount Tai is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong Province, China. The tallest peak is Jade Emperor Peak , which is commonly reported as 1545 metres tall, but is described by the Chinese government as 1532.7 metres .Mount Tai is one...
(泰山/泰山, literally Leading Peaceful Mountain), ShāndōngFor the people of Shandong, see Shandong people' is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is Lǔ, after the state of Lu that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, 1,545 m
- west: Huà Shān
Hua Shan is located in the Shaanxi Province, about 100 kilometres east of the city of Xi'an, near the city Huayin in China. The mountain is one of China's Five Sacred Daoist Mountains, and has a long history of religious significance...
(華山/华山, literally Splendid Mountain), Shănxī' is a province in the Northwest China region of the People's Republic of China, and includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River as well as the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of the province.-Romanization and Name:By regular Hanyu Pinyin rules, if...
, 1,997 m
- south: (Nán) Héng Shān
Mount Heng , known in China as Nan Yue , is located in Hunan Province and is one of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism in China. Heng Shan is a mountain range 150 km long with 72 peaks and it is located at 27.254798°N and 112.655743°E.-See also:* Grand Temple of Mount Heng...
(衡山/衡山, literally Balancing Mountain), Húnán' is a province of China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, 1,290 m
- north: (Běi) Héng Shān
Heng Shan in Shanxi province is one of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism. At 2,017 m, it is one of the five tallest peaks in China Proper...
(恆山/恒山, literally Permanent Mountain), Shānxī' is a province in the northern part of the People's Republic of China. Its one-character abbreviation is Jin , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, 2,017 m
- center: Sōng Shān
Mount Song, known in Chinese as Song Shan , is one of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism and is located in Henan province on the south bank of the Yellow River in China...
(嵩山/嵩山, literally Lofty Mountain), HénánHenan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the eastern central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is 豫 , named after Yuzhou Province , a Han Dynasty province that included parts of Henan...
, 1,494 m
Alternatively, these mountains are sometimes referred to by the respective directions, i.e., as the "Northern Great Mountain" (北嶽/北岳 Běi Yuè), "Southern Great Mountain" (南嶽/南岳 Nán Yuè), "Eastern Great Mountain" (東嶽/东岳 Dōng Yuè), "Western Great Mountain" (西嶽/西岳 Xī Yuè), and "Central Great Mountain" (中嶽/中岳 Zhōng Yuè).
According to Chinese mythology, the
Five Great Mountains originated from the limbs and the head of
Pangu- The Pangu legend:In the beginning there was nothing in the universe except a formless chaos. However this chaos coalesced into a cosmic egg for about 18,000 years. Within it, the perfectly opposed principles of Yin and Yang became balanced and Pangu emerged from the egg. Pangu is usually...
(盤古/盘古 Pángǔ), the first being and creator of the world. Because of its eastern location, Mount Tài is associated with the rising sun which signifies birth and renewal. Due to this interpretation, it is often regarded as the most sacred of the
Five Great Mountains. In accordance with its special position, Mount Tài is believed to have been formed out of Pangu's head.
The Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism
The Buddhist
Four Sacred Mountains in China are:
- Wǔtái Shān
Mount Wutai , also known as Wutai Mountain or Qingliang Shan, located in Shanxi, China, is one of the Four Sacred Mountains in Chinese Buddhism. The mountain is home to many of China's most important monasteries and temples...
(五臺山/五台山，literally Five-Terrace (Plateau) Mountain), Shānxī' is a province in the northern part of the People's Republic of China. Its one-character abbreviation is Jin , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, 3,058 m
- Éméi Shān (峨眉山/峨眉山，literally Delicate-Eyebrow Mountain), Sìchuān
' is a province in Southwestern China with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, 四川 , is an abbreviation of 四川路 , or "Four circuits of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from 川峡四路 , or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the...
, 3,099 m
- Jiǔhuá Shān
Mount Jiuhua is one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism. It is located in Qingyang County in Anhui province and is famous for its rich landscape and ancient temples....
(九華山/九华山, literally Nine-Glories Mountain), ĀnhuīAnhui is a province of the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
, 1,341 m
- Pǔtuó Shān (普陀山/普陀山, literally Potalaka (Potala) Mountain), Zhèjiāng
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, 284 m
See also
Other mountains with spiritual/religious significance in China are:
- Wudang Mountains (Wǔdāng Shān)
- Laoshan
Laoshan is a famous mountain in Qingdao, Shandong province, China. It lies about 30km east of the downtown of Qingdao, and is an important tourist destination. It is the highest coastal mountain in China, peaking at 1132.7m. It is known as one of the birthplaces of Taoism.-History:Laoshan has...
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