Mount Taishan, China

Mount Taishan is one of the sacred mountains of China. The object of an imperial cult for nearly 2,000 years, Mount Taishan carries both historical and cultural significance. The summit of Mount Taishan, named the Jade Emperor Peak, is measured as between 1532.7 (5028.5 ft) to 1545 meters (5069 ft).

Mount Taishan was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site during the 11th session of the World Heritage Committee in UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, on 7-11 December, 1987. Mount Taishan is one of the Five Great Mountains of China, according to the five cardinal directions of Chinese geomancy. It is the Eastern Mount, with the other four being Hua Shan in Shaanxi Province as the Western Mount, Southern Heng Shan in Hunan Province as the Southern Mount, Northern Heng Shan in Shanxi Province as the Northern Mount, and Song Shan in Henan Province as the Central Mount.

Evidence of human presence has been noted on Mount Taishan going back to the Paleolithic period. Religious rites have been performed at the mountain for at least 3,000 years.

Among the temples located at Mount Taishan is the Temple of the God of Mount Tai, also known as Dai Temple. It is the largest temple complex on Mount Taishan. It covers an area of 96,000 square meters at the foot of the mountain, in the city of Tai'an.

One of the biggest attractions at Mount Taishan is the 7,200 steps that leads to the East Peak of Taishan. Of these 6,293 steps are the official Mountain Walkway Steps, while the rest are steps within the inner temple. Along the way are 11 gates, 14 archways, 14 kiosks and 4 pavilions. It takes at least 2 and a half hours to make the climb.

There is now a cable-car service to the summit, making it much easier and faster to go up the mountain.

Today around 6 millions visitors converge on Mount Taishan every year, raising concern that the mountain may be overrun.

Mount Taishan, Shandong Province, China
Author: Rolf Müller (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

Souvenir shops at Mount Taishan
Author: Rolf Müller (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

Rock formation called the Immortal Bridge at Mount Taishan
Author: pfctdayelise (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)

World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Location: N 36 16 E 117 06 between the cities of Tai'an and Jinan, in central Shandong Province, China
Inscription Year: 1987
Type of Site: Mixed
Inscription Criteria: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII

Location Map

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Visiting Mount Taishan

You base is the city of Jinan. You can fly there from Beijing. Then take a train or bus to Tai'an, which is the entrance to Mount Taishan. Get a travel agent in Beijing or Jinan to help you with the arrangement.

Local Tours of China

At times, it is faster, safer and cheaper to join a local tour than to go there yourself. This is especially true for many places in China. However, you need to be wary of the tour operators, especially those in China.

Here are a few local tours of China that you may wish to add to your itinerary. These tours are arranged by Viator, one of the most reputable tour agencies in the market.

Proceed to China Travel Guide
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