1、Situated in Huayin City, 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) east from Xi'an City of ShaanxiProvince, Mt. Huashan is known as 'The Number Mountain under Heaven'. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China. The other four mountains are Mt. Taishan in Shandong, Mt. Hengshan in Hunan, Mt.

2、Hengshan in Shanxi, and Mt. Songshan in Henan.In ancient times, Mt. Huashan was called Mt. Taihuashan. From a distanee the five peaksseem to form the shape of a 'flower' (hua in Chinese), hence the name'Huashan'. It is famous for its natural vistas of steep and narrow paths, precipit

3、ous crags, and a high mountain ran ge. It is home to several in flue ntial Taoist temples where emperors of past dyn asties made pilgrimages, making Mt. Huasha n the holy land of Taoism.Yu qua n Yuan (Jade Spri ng Temple)Usually tourists climb up the mountain assisted by the iron chains along the wa

4、y and start their tour from Yu qua n Yuan (Jade Spring Temple), one of the main Taoist temples in Chi na located at the foot of Mt. Huasha n. It has the architectural style of the classical garde ns in south China. There is a pond in the center and several pavilions around it. Walking through the Wu

5、youPavilion,the Long Corridor of Seventy-two Windows comes into view, and afterwardsQingke Ping where a big rock called 'Huixin Rock' can be seen. It is said that 'Huixin Rock' is a reminder for those who wish to stop their tour at this point. Beside the rock are the precipitous 370

6、rock steps called 'Qianchi Zhuang' considered to be the primary breath-taking path of Mt. Huasha n. When climb ing, only a gleam of sky above can be see n, making climbers feel as if they were at the bottom of a well.North Peak (Cloud Terrace Peak)called 'BaichiAcross the 'Qianchi Zh

7、uang' are two similar precipitous paths-respectivelyXia' and 'Laojun Li' above which climbers reach Mt. Huashan's North Peak. There are precipitous cliffs on all sides of North Peak, making it look like a flat terrace in the clouds, hence the name Cloud Terrace Peak. It is 1,614

8、meters (about 5,295 feet) high. Three sides are cliffs and one side is to the 'Ca'er (the ear rubbing the cliff) Cliff' which is the fourth precipitous path where tourists can climb up only by pressing an ear close to the cliff. In the waist of North Peak trees are luxuriantly green, cre

9、ating a good rest spot.Jinsuo Guan (Gold Lock Pass)When climbing over the 'Blue Dragon Range', regarded as the must-pass way to the otherfour peaks from North Peak, travelers arrive at Gold Lock Pass. Mt. Huashan visitors know that it is customaryto buy a golden lock, and then lock it in the

10、 ironchains on both sidesof the Gold Lock Pass for families and friends to pray for their safety and health. It is a marvelous spectacle to see thousands of golden locks in the iron chains. Within the mountain gate of Gold Lock Pass, a huge golden lock of about 4 meters (about yards) long and 1 .5 m

11、eters (about yards) high stands in a big rock. It is made of pure copper and forged by9,999 locks left by visitors. It is a popular photo site. This huge lock can only be openedby throwing coins - one coin represent the status of an ordinary person; three coins, a blessed person and nine coins a mos

12、t blessed one. Gold Lock Pass is the throat to Middle Peak, East Peak, South Peak and West Peak.Middle Peak (Jade Maiden Peak)Middle Peak clings to East peak and is in the center of East, South and West Peaks. There is a Taoist temple in the peak named 'Jade Maiden Temple'. Legend has it tha

13、t the daughter of Qin Mugong(569 .) loved a manwho was good at playing Chinese tung-hsiao (vertical flute) and she gave up the royal life to become a hermit who cultivated her spirituality here, hence the name Jade Maiden Peak. Today Jade Maiden Temple and Jade Maiden Basin for Shampooing can be fou

14、nd on the peak.Other scenic spots in Middle Peak include Rootless Tree and Sacrificing Tree which have beautiful stories and add to the supernatural atmosphere of Middle Peak.East Peak (Facing Sun Peak)Tour guides may promote climbing the mountain at night to see the sunrise. Climbing to the top of

15、East Peak requires 4 to 6 hours. East Peak has an altitude of 2,090 meters (about 6,857 feet) forming a platform for visitors to view the sunrise. An astronomical telescope is provided here. The reference time for sunrise and sunset is 5: in spring, 4: in summer, 5: in autumn, 5: in winter.One well-

16、known scenic spot called the 'Immortal's Palm Peak of Mt. Huashan' which is ranked as one of the 'Eight Scenic Wonders of the Guanzhong Area (the plain area in the middle of Shaanxi Province)' is located on East Peak. It refers to the natural rock veins of the cliff which look li

17、ke a giant palm-print. Legend has it that on March 3rd of the Lunar Calendar a torrential flood erupted, destroying the villages within the Mt. Huashan area. This disaster was caused by the Queen Mother of the West, who held her 'Flat Peach Carnival' celebration that year. She carelessly spi

18、lled a little jade wine down from paradise, causing a seriousflood below. This news was quickly reported by Deity Shaohao to the Jade Emperor in Celestial Paradise. He gave a prompt order to Deity Juling to go down to tame the flood. When DeityJuling,full of vigor and vitality,descended from the clo

19、uds, he arrived at the precipitouscliff of East Peak. At the moment that he laid his left hand on one side and his right leg on the other, he ripped the mountain into two halves and immediately a flood rushed out.This tale adds luster to East Peak.South Peak (Landing Wild Geese Peak)An cie nt people

20、 called South Peak with an altitude of 2,160 meters (about 7,087 feet)'Mon arch of Mt. Huasha n' because it is the highest peak of Mt. Huasha n and also the highestpeak amongthe Five Sacred Mountains of China. Tourists who summit South Peak are undoubtedly winners. Looking around when standi

21、ng at the peak, surrounding mountains are luxuriantly gree n; theY ellow River wan ders far below and everyth ing seems small. Lege nd has it thatthe wild geese returning from the south often Ianded at South Peak, giving the area the name 'La ndi ng Wild Geese Peak'.At the top of South Peak,

22、 the Black Drag on Pool at the summit and the Greeti ng Pi nes onthe southwester n cliff are two attractive resorts. At each side of the Landing Wild GoosePeak there are two peaks respectively called Songhui Peak (Pine and Juniper Peak) in theeast and Xiaozi Peak (Filial Son Peak) in the west. The t

23、hree peaks form a picture of a Titan sitt ing in a chair. The most dan gerous place is called 'Cha ngkong Zha ndao' (a pla nk path built along the surface of a vertical cliff) which is about 4 meters (about 13 feet) long and about meters (about feet) wide. Below is the bottomless gulf which

24、makes tourists shakewith fear. In addition, there is a Taoist temple called Baidi Temple or Jintian Palace tobe con sidered the host temple of Deity Shaohao.West Peak (Lotus Flower Peak)West Peak has very high cliffs sta nding erect with an altitude of 2, meters (about 6,845feet). There is a Taoist

25、temple called Cuiyun Palace before which a huge rock looking likea lotus flower comes into view, hence the n ame Lotus Flower Peak. There are ano ther seve nrocks beside Cuiyun Palace, which is said to be the place whereChenxiang (a main characterin the movie Lotus Lan ter n) ripped the mou nta in t

26、o save his mother (The Heave nly GoddessSan Sheng Mu). After visiting the five peaks, tourists can go down the mountain from thepath on the east side of West Peak.A must-see scenic spot - Xi Yue Temple - is available to those interested in Taoist culture.The Xi Yue Temple is 5 kilometers (about mile

27、s) north of the foot of Mt. Huashan and itis one of the earliest temples in an cie nt China. Palaces and garde ns are its main features, resembli ng the style of theForbidde n City in Beiji ng; thus the Xi Yue Temple gained fameas the 'Forbidden City of Shaanxi Provinee'. Admission to Xi Yue

28、 Temple is CNY 20.Mt. Huasha n Travel Tips:Before climbing Mt. Huashan, you should know the following:1. Wear sport shoes with soft soles; buy a pair of nylon gloves and a walking stick whenn ecessary.2. Eat high-calorie food and bring some with you whe n climb ing.3. Bring mineral water with you. D

29、o not drink too much when thirsty; just sip it to keep your mouth wet.4. It is windy in the mountain and especially humid in summer, so prepare some warmclothes (even in summer).5. Sometimes it rains on the mountain, so take along a plastic raincoat.6. Bring an electric torch when climbing at night.

30、While all necessary supplies can be bought at the foot of mountain, it is a better choice to prepare them yourself before coming to the mountain.TransportationBy BusTourist Buses (8:00-20:00 except the period from January to March 15th) are available at the east square of Xian Railway Station or you

31、 can choose to take the coach to Huayin City at Tangdu Bus Station located at of Changle Zhonglu east of Xian.By TrainYou can take trains at Xian Railway Station and get to Weinan City. Then you can take the autobus on Weinan Railway Station to reach Mt. Huashan. The autobus fare is about CNY 10. And you have to walk kilometers (about miles) before you reach Yuquan Temple at the foot of Mt. Huashan.By Cable CarTraveling on Mt. Huashan by cable