China Travel Guide -- Mount Hua

Author: Compiled by the Editorial Committee of "China Travel Guide"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-09-01
Features: Mount Hua is composed of a complete and massive granite body, with its historical evolution traceable back 2.7 billion years. The "Classic of Mountains and Seas" records: "Mount Taihua, knife-cut and square, stands five thousand feet high, and ten miles wide." The danger of Mount Hua ranks first among the Five Great Mountains, with the saying "Mount Hua has always had only one path." Mount Hua has five peaks—East, West, South, North, and Central—with three main peaks: the South Peak "Falling" (also known as the summit of Taihua), with an altitude of 2,160.5 meters; the East Peak "Sunrise," the West Peak "Lotus," and the three peaks stand in a triangular formation, "reaching into the clouds outside and casting shadows into the Yellow River below," known as the "Three Peaks Beyond the Sky." The Cloud Platform and Jade Maiden peaks stand to the side, while 36 smaller peaks are arranged in front, forming a majestic and awe-inspiring landscape, which scholars call the "Western Capital's Royal Aura." Mount Hua has over 210 famous scenic spots, including the suspended Skywalk, the Eagle's Turnover with three sides facing the sky, and the Qianchi Pavilion, Baishi Gorge, Laojun's Ploughing, Sky Ascending Steps, and Canglong Ridge carved into the cliffs. The "Immortal Palm of Mount Hua" is listed as the first of the Eight Great Views of Guanzhong. Due to its ever-changing climate, Mount Hua forms the "Cloudy Mount Hua," "Rainy Mount Hua," "Misty Mount Hua," and "Snowy Mount Hua," giving it an ethereal beauty. Mount Hua is one of the birthplaces of Chinese culture. According to the research of the renowned Qing Dynasty scholar Zhang Taiyan, both "Zhonghua" and "Huaxia" are named after Mount Hua. Mount Hua is mentioned in the "Book of Documents" as early as the Shang Dynasty. The "Records of the Grand Historian" also records that the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun once visited Mount Hua for inspections. Over a dozen emperors, including Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Wu Zetian, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, also conducted large-scale sacrificial ceremonies on Mount Hua. From the Han Dynasty's Yang Bao and Yang Zhen to the Ming and Qing Dynasties' Feng Congwu and Gu Yanwu, many scholars once lived in the valleys of Mount Hua, opened schools to teach, and became a trend at the time. Mount Hua is also a famous Taoist site, known as the "Fourth Heavenly Palace," with 36 and a half hanging caves and over 20 Taoist temples remaining on the mountain. Among them, the Yuquan Courtyard, Dongdao Courtyard, and Zhenyue Palace are listed as key Taoist temples in China, with famous Taoist figures such as Chen Tuan, Mount Hua's Skywalk, Hao Datong, and He Yuanxi. The most widespread mythological stories associated with Mount Hua include "The Giant Spirit," "Splitting the Mountain to Rescue a Mother," and "Playing the Flute to Attract a Phoenix," which have had a profound influence. Since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, poets like Li Bai and Du Fu have composed over 1,200 poems, inscriptions, and travel accounts praising Mount Hua, with over a thousand rock carvings. Mount Hua is also one of the nine sun-watching sites in China. The sun-watching site on Mount Hua is located on its East Peak (also known as Sunrise Peak), with the Sunrise Terrace being the best spot.