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    MOUNT TAISHAN

    Written by: Feng Yang
    Posted on: July 02, 2013 |

    Heavenly Gate at Mount Taishan

    Mount Taishan is so famous in China that it is regarded as the most sacred and most magnificent of the five sacred mountains of the coutry, even though it is only the third highest of them. As many writers and poets acknowledge, Mount Taishan is beyond description, given its size and the numerous sites of historical and cultural interest on it. Meanwhile, they attribute its fame to both divine and human efforts. By "divine efforts", they refer to the strength of nature.

    Southern Heavenly Gate in the snow

    Rising majestically from a vast expanse of a plain in central Shandong Province in East China, the mountain stretches more than 200 kilometers from the east to the west and covers an area of 426 square kilometers. Looked at from afar, the mountain, which has a broad base, sits there quietly, giving viewers an impression of steadiness and heaviness. No wonder there are Chinese proverbs like "as steadfast as Mount Taishan". In terms of elevation, its main peak, the Jade Emperor Peak, is just 1,545 meters above sea level. Located in the east of the North China plain, Mount Taishan is surrounded by hills with a plain of several hundred square kilometers immediately beyond. Ancient people had inscriptions carved on a rock of the mountain, describing it as "stretching as far as the horizon of the heaven, thrusting as high as the sky." Mount Taishan is so imposing, so awe inspiring, that 2,500 years ago an anonymous poet wrote of it, "Wherever they are, people in the state of Lu always have a full view of Mount Taishan."

    Granite rocks are said to be the bones and muscles of Mount Taishan, and pine trees, its soul, which combine to add sacredness to the mountain. The pine trees are many centuries old, but are strong and verdant. When wind sweeps through the forest, the pine trees sigh. When walking in the mountain trails in Autumn, one sees trails covered with golden pine needles while clouds float above. Tranquility permeates the entire mountain, occasionally broken by the singing of birds and the sighing of the wind through the forest. Many pine trees have struggled themselves out of rock crevices and are strange looking. Together with the rocks and the mountain itself, the pine trees present a unique landscape of its own.

    Imposing as it is, Mount Taishan is beautiful with precipitous cliffs and deep gullies. From its top, people can have a full view of the sun rising from the Yellow River far beyond the horizon and sinking into it.

    Beside its scenic beauty, Mount Taishan tops the list of the five sacred mountains for a wealth of cultural relics on it.

    The Carved Stone of Mount Taishan

    In the year 219 BC, Emperor Shihuang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty to rule a unified China, climbed to the top of Mount Taishan. He had an altar built with earth to offer sacrifices to Heaven, at a ceremony he chose to call "feng". Then he descended the mountain, and had another altar built on a small hill to offer sacrifices to Earth, at a ceremony he called "shan". He did this to express his gratitude to Heaven and Earth and pray for consolidation of his dynasty. These imperial ceremonies, which made Mount Taishan special in status, were to be repeated in all dynasties after the Qin.

    In the year 110 BC, Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC -220 AD) climbed up Mount Taishan for the first time, and he came seven times in the following 22 years. Standing on a top of the highest peak of Mount Taishan, so say historical records, the emperor claimed: "So high, the highest; so large, the largest; so great, the greatest, about which I am so surprised!"

    Under an established feudal rule, the thanks-giving ceremonies known as "feng" and "shan" could be held only when the country was unified and in peace, or after auspicious omens were observed. However, some good-for-nothing emperors defied the rule and went to the mountain for worshipping all the same. Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) was one of them. He ordered a "heavenly book" concocted in 1008, saying that Heaven had bestowed the imperial crown upon him and would protect the dynasty forever. He had the "heavenly book", so to speak, displayed at a ceremony for worshipping of the mountain. The true fact is that the country was chaotic under his reign. The ceremony was the last personally attended by an emperor in honor of Mount Taishan. Emperors of the later dynasties just sent their envoys to the mountain to offer sacrifices to the God of Mount Taishan. However, Heaven worshipping continued at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing as in the case of Ming and Qing dynasties, spanning more than 500 years until China became a republic in 1911. Some emperors took a special liking of Mount Taishan. Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), for example, went to Mount Taishan six times during his life. It was not easy for the emperors to climb more than 10 kilometers from the foot of the mountain to its peak, which usually takes about five hours. Most of them sat in sedan chairs and were carried up the mountain.

    There are three gates along the mountain path, which were designed in accordance with the mountain faults. They are named the Heavenly Gate, Middle Heavenly Gate and Southern Heavenly Gate.

    Daizong Archway is the entrance and also the starting point of the journey up the mountain. From the archway, one has to climb a total of 6,200 stairs to reach the Southern Heavenly Gate. The slope is increasingly steep as one climbs up, then becomes relatively easy to scale, but is then difficult again. The mountain seems to have a rhythm of its own like waves in the sea. The section from the Heavenly Gate to the Middle Heavenly Gate is the first "wave", and the rest section to the Southern Heavenly Gate, the second "wave". After passing the Southern Heavenly Gate, one reaches the top of the mountain, which is 0.6 square kilometers in area. It is a breath-taking journey for climbers, so difficult that people call it a "journey to Heaven."

    From time to time, climbers can see buildings along the mountain path, where sacrificial ceremonies were held. The most important of these is the Temple of Mount Taishan, the venue of the imperial ceremony for worshipping of Earth, where the emperor would stay for the night after the ceremony. The temple used to occupy a quarter of the Tai'an City. It is in fact a palace complex -- one of three in China, the other two being the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Confucius Temple in Qufu. Besides, there are also Taoist and Buddhist temples on Mount Taishan, as well as temples where folk deities are worshipped. Of these, the most in number are the Taoist temples.

    At sunrise

    Emperors came here limited in numbers. In contrast, countless pilgrims, tourists and hermits have been here year after year over the past two thousand years and more, giving birth to Tai'an City at the foot of the mountain. Ancient people did not consider climbing a mountain an adventure, and neither did they take pleasure in conquering a mountain like we do today. In most cases, climbing a mountain was a cultural mission. Once on the mountain, they would enjoy the sight of the peaks, streams, trees and birds there with artistic concern and, inspired, many would write poems or prose. On Mount Taishan, such poems and prose can often been seen carved or painted on cliffs or rocks, and many are in fact excellent calligraphic works.

    In 1987, Mount Taishan became a site of the World Cultural Heritage and the World Natural Heritage.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021