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Mount Tai |
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Mount Tai |
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　　 Mount Tai (there are 6,293 step from the foot of the mountain to the top of it), also called Dongyue (Eastern Mountain), is located in Shandong Province. In Chinese culture, east is regarded as a sacred direction since it is where the sun and the moon rise. Therefore, though the mountain peak Yuhuangding, or the Jade Emperor Peak (in Chinese mythology, Jade Emperor is the most powerful god in the heaven) is merely 1,524 metres above sea level. Mount Tai is respected as the head of China's five sacred mountains. The Mount Tai Temple, together with the Confucius Temple in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, and the Mountain Resort for Escaping the Heat, the former summer residence of the Qing Dynasty emperors at Chengde in Hebei Province, are the three large-scale ancient palaces.
The word "tai" in Chinese means stability and peace. Influential emperors in Chinese history like Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty, Wudi (140-87 BC) of the Han Dynasty, Taizong (626-649) of the Tang Dynasty, and Taizu Dynasty, and all have distinctive salient features.
Jade Emperor Peak
Towering 1,545 metres above sea level, the Jade Emperor Peak has been long known as the Celestial Pillar. It is the summit of Mount Tai. The name of the Peak derived from the construction of the Jade Emperor Hall. Overlooking the other smaller peaks in its surroundings, it offers a breathtaking bird's eye view of the entire area. In the summit, visitors can enjoy the sunrise while standing in the Sun-Viewing Pavilion lying to the east; in the west stands a River-Enjoying Pavilion, there tourists can appreciate afterglow , (sunset clouds), the golden belt of the Yellow River and a bright full moon. To the Chinese people, Mount Tai is a symbol of greatness and grandeur. They use such expressions as "Mount Pillar" or "Mount Tai Beam" to refer to great historical figures. They say, "Death may be weightier than Mount Tai" in praise of those who laid down their lives for a worthy cause. And "as firm as Mount Tai" is also a popular phrase used to describe a strong character of dependability and determination. In ancient times, Mount Tai was deified by the feudal rulers of various dynasties and given the title "Divine Emperor of the East Peak" From the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty down to Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, many of them personally visited Mount Tai to attend grand .sacrificial ceremonies. Various other titles also were lavishly offered to the "Divine Emperor of the East Peak" by them as a means to have their own names forever remembered. These royal visits contributed to the construction of many temples, pavilions and other buildings.
Mount Tai's four spectacular views refer to the sunrise in the east , the sunset in the west, the yonder Yellow River resembling a golden belt, and .sea of clouds like jade plates.
The Mount Tai Temple
According to historical records, construction of the Temple started as early as the Qin Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago and was greatly expanded during the Han, Tang, Song dynasties. Large-scale renovations were made in the later dynasties like the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing. The main building known as the Hall of Celestial Gift. It is one of the three greatest palatial buildings in China, the other two being the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing's Forbidden City and the Hall of Great Accomplishment, the Hall of Calesteal Gift is 48.7 metres from east to west, 19.8 metres in width, and 22.3 metres high. Completed in 1009 in the Northern Song Dynasty, the Hall is a double- roofed palace-like wooden structure with carved beams, painted pillars, and upturned eaves, covered by yellow glazed-tiles. Inside the Hall, a huge mural, 62 metres long and 3.3 metres high fully covers the east, north, and west walls. It is a masterpiece portraying the fascinating scenes of the emperor's inspection tour, and how he returned from a hunting excursion. More than a thousand figures are in the picture, each with a distinct posture and facial expression. The lifelike, highly detailed work serves as an invaluable document in the study of traditional Chinese painting. Inside the compound of the Temple and shaded by the branches of ancient evergreen, there is another store of China's cultural treasure--the Forest of Stelae. It is a collection of the many stelae and stone tablets of various succeeding dynasties, where tourists may indulge in ancient ('hinese history and outstanding Chinese calligraphy. These stelae encompass over 2,000 years from the Qin Dynasty to the early Qing
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