China’s four great Buddhist mountains are Wutai ( in Shanxi Province), Putuo ( in Zhejiang Province), Jiuhua ( in Anhui Province), and Emei ( in Sichuan Province). They are believed to be the places where Wenshu, Guanyin, Dizang and Puxian, Buddhism’s four major Bodhisattvas, preach and practise Buddhist rites.
The 3,061-meter-high Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province is where Wenshu, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, and the left attendant of Sakyamuni, is worshipped. Wenshu is also one of the major deities in Tibetan Buddhism. Therefore, Wutai is considered sacred by the Han Chinese, Tibetans, Mongolians and other ethnic minority groups. In the past 2,000 years, both emperors and pilgrims have visited Wutai Mountain’s five peaks and numerous temples, 47 of which still stand today.
Of China’s four most sacred Buddhist mountains, Putuo is unique in that it is the only one located on an island. It is also the smallest of the four but by no means the least important, as this tiny island in Zhejiang Province is home of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, one of the most popular Buddhist figures among the Chinese people, particularly women. Easily accessible from Shanghai or Ningbo, the island boasts temples, mountains, beaches, cave, and fantastic scenery.
Jiuhua Mountain’s 99 peaks tower high into the mist and fog of Southern Anhui province. Many temples and nunneries on the mountain date back to the Tang Dynasty over 1,000 years ago, and reached their height during the Qing Dynasty, when over 3,000 monks and nuns lived here. The deity worshipped here is Dizang, or Guardian of the Earth. He is believed to have saved all the living creatures in Heaven and in Hell.
The highest of the four, the Emei Mountain in Sichuan Province, is where Puxian, the Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence, is said to have once preached. It features many attractive places, especially the summit, or “golden peak.” Although one has the modern access of a cable car up to the summit, the real pilgrims, often elderly women, travel on foot-up 40,000 stone steps and over a distance of 60 kilometers!
As for scenic beauty, Mount Huangshan in Southern Auhui Province tops the list. Huangshan literally means “Yellow Mountain.” In ancient times, yellow was the Chinese imperial color. You can easily understand the significance of such a name. Huangshan is well-known for its pine trees, karst formations, clouds, and hot springs. Huangshan has drawn distinguished poets, writers, and painters through the centuries, and continues to attract tourists both from home and abroad all the year round.
Showing posts with label mountain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mountain. Show all posts
Friday, June 22, 2007
China's Mountains (2)
The mountains most famous for cultural importance are the Five Holy Mountains, a collective name for Mount Tai( in Shandong Province), Mount Hua( in shaanxi Province), Mount Song( in Henan Province0, Mount Heng( in Hunnan Province), and Mount Heng( in Shanxi Province). Legends say that these mountains were the gathering places of gods and in the past they were the places where Chinese emperors customarily offered sacrifices.
Of the Five Holy Mountains, Mount Tai, lying in the eastern plains, is the most significant. Although it is not very impressive in height, it is one of the oldest mountains in the world and has enjoyed great reputation over thousands of years. Probably because the sun always rises in the east and brings an end to the darkness of night, ancient Chinese long believed that the east was the place where nature regulated and adjusted its procedures. This may explain why important emperors made pilgrimages mostly to Mount Tai when they were crowned or before their final years. It is a symbol of loftiness and grandeur, hence the long existing Chinese idioms:” as firm as Mount Tai” and “as weighty as Mount Tai.”
Mount Hua stands 150 kilometers east of Xi’an in the northwest part of China. It got its name becquse its major peaks together look like a lotus flower viewed from afar ( Ancient Chinese used the character “华” to mean, “花”, “flower”.). it is best known for its sheer cliffs and has for centuries been an attraction to climbers. Today, with the aid of iron chains to hang on to, hundreds of thousands of people come each year to test their courage.
Mount Song is located on the south bank of the Yellow River. Its summit is 1,500 meters above sea level. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589), 72 temples and monasteries were erected on Mount Song. It is the home of Shaolin Monastery and is world famous because of the popularization of China’s martial arts.
In South China’s Hunan Province lies Mount Heng. It has 72 peaks, of which Zhurong is the highest and most noteworthy. Although not a mountain dedicated to Buddhism, it holds an important position in the history of Buddhist exchanges with Japan and Southeast Asian countries. Because of the mild climate, there are huge, century-old trees and various plants that are rarely found in other places.Heng lies to the southeast of Datong, Shanxi Province. Being very close to the northern borders of ancient China, it was of great military importance and was long known as a natural barrier. Remains of beacon towers and other defence works can be seen along the way. The wood pagoda in Yinxian County, Shanxi Province, the oldest and largest of its kind in China, sits nearby.
Of the Five Holy Mountains, Mount Tai, lying in the eastern plains, is the most significant. Although it is not very impressive in height, it is one of the oldest mountains in the world and has enjoyed great reputation over thousands of years. Probably because the sun always rises in the east and brings an end to the darkness of night, ancient Chinese long believed that the east was the place where nature regulated and adjusted its procedures. This may explain why important emperors made pilgrimages mostly to Mount Tai when they were crowned or before their final years. It is a symbol of loftiness and grandeur, hence the long existing Chinese idioms:” as firm as Mount Tai” and “as weighty as Mount Tai.”
Mount Hua stands 150 kilometers east of Xi’an in the northwest part of China. It got its name becquse its major peaks together look like a lotus flower viewed from afar ( Ancient Chinese used the character “华” to mean, “花”, “flower”.). it is best known for its sheer cliffs and has for centuries been an attraction to climbers. Today, with the aid of iron chains to hang on to, hundreds of thousands of people come each year to test their courage.
Mount Song is located on the south bank of the Yellow River. Its summit is 1,500 meters above sea level. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589), 72 temples and monasteries were erected on Mount Song. It is the home of Shaolin Monastery and is world famous because of the popularization of China’s martial arts.
In South China’s Hunan Province lies Mount Heng. It has 72 peaks, of which Zhurong is the highest and most noteworthy. Although not a mountain dedicated to Buddhism, it holds an important position in the history of Buddhist exchanges with Japan and Southeast Asian countries. Because of the mild climate, there are huge, century-old trees and various plants that are rarely found in other places.Heng lies to the southeast of Datong, Shanxi Province. Being very close to the northern borders of ancient China, it was of great military importance and was long known as a natural barrier. Remains of beacon towers and other defence works can be seen along the way. The wood pagoda in Yinxian County, Shanxi Province, the oldest and largest of its kind in China, sits nearby.
China's Mountains (1)
China is a mountainous country, with two-thirds of its surface area covered with mountains or hilly areas. Of the world’s 19 mountains that exceed the 8,000 meters mark, seven are in China or on its borders.
China’s mountains fall into three groups according to the directions in which they run, namely, the eat-west, the northeast-southwest, and the north-south ranges.
The east-west ranges, mainly in the western part of China, include the Altay, Tianshan, Kunlun, Himalayas, Qinling, and Nanling.
The Himalayas, the highest and most majestic mountain range in the world, rise above the southern rim of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Mount Qomolangma, which means “Goddess Peak” in Tibetan, is the main peak of the Himalayas and the highest peak in the world.
The Qinling Mountain Range, extending about 1,500 kilometers across Central China, forms a natural dividing line between the Changjiang and Huanghe valleys.
The northeast-southwest ranges, composed of an eastern and a western chain, are located mainly in the eastern part of China. The eastern chain includes the Changbai Mountains in Northeast China. The western chain is composed of the Great Xing’an Range in Northeast China, the Taihang Mountains in North China, the heights along the Yangtzc River Gorges, and the Xuefeng Mountains in Hunan Province.
The south-north ranges include the Hengduan Mountains in Western Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and the mountains in Eastern Taiwan Province. The Hengduan Mountain Range blocks communication between east and west, hence its name, meaning “Barrier Mountains” in Chinese.
China’s three major topographic regions are clearly marked by its mountains. The first region contains the Tibetan Plateau, averaging well over 4,060 meters above sea level, and other less dramatic highlands, dropping off in steps eastward and southward. The central portion of the Tibetan Plateau, with an average height of more than 4,800 meters, is aptly called “the Roof of the World.” The Kunlun Mountains to the north and the Himalayas to the south have several peaks reaching between 7,000 and 7,930 meters above sea level. The world’s highest mountain, Mount Qomolangma, situated on the Sino-Nepal border, rises to 8,848 meters, challenging the world’s bravest adventurers and the most skillful mountain climbers.
The second region is a highland region marked by extensive basin areas. North of the Kunlun Mountain Range are China’s two major basins: the Tarim and Junggar, separated by the Tianshan Mountains. North of Qilian and Qinling lie the vast Loess Plateau and the Inner Mongolia Plateau stretching along China’s northern border. South of the Qinling Mountain Range and east of the Hengduan Mountains are the Sichuan Basin and the Yungui Plateau. Vast in area and diverse in land features, this region is also rich in cultural resources. Visitors may explore as many as 40 different kinds of customs observed by the ethnic minority groups living in this region.
The third region is the lowlands, east of the Great Xing’an, Taihang and Wushan mountains. Topographically, there is almost nothing to mention concerning mountain chains since the area seldom rises more than 450 meters above sea level, except for some scattered highlands. Yet, since the great central eastern plains were cradles of China’s early cicilization, xome of the highland peaks are equally well-known and more frequently traveled for their long-developed legendary history.
China’s mountains fall into three groups according to the directions in which they run, namely, the eat-west, the northeast-southwest, and the north-south ranges.
The east-west ranges, mainly in the western part of China, include the Altay, Tianshan, Kunlun, Himalayas, Qinling, and Nanling.
The Himalayas, the highest and most majestic mountain range in the world, rise above the southern rim of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Mount Qomolangma, which means “Goddess Peak” in Tibetan, is the main peak of the Himalayas and the highest peak in the world.
The Qinling Mountain Range, extending about 1,500 kilometers across Central China, forms a natural dividing line between the Changjiang and Huanghe valleys.
The northeast-southwest ranges, composed of an eastern and a western chain, are located mainly in the eastern part of China. The eastern chain includes the Changbai Mountains in Northeast China. The western chain is composed of the Great Xing’an Range in Northeast China, the Taihang Mountains in North China, the heights along the Yangtzc River Gorges, and the Xuefeng Mountains in Hunan Province.
The south-north ranges include the Hengduan Mountains in Western Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and the mountains in Eastern Taiwan Province. The Hengduan Mountain Range blocks communication between east and west, hence its name, meaning “Barrier Mountains” in Chinese.
China’s three major topographic regions are clearly marked by its mountains. The first region contains the Tibetan Plateau, averaging well over 4,060 meters above sea level, and other less dramatic highlands, dropping off in steps eastward and southward. The central portion of the Tibetan Plateau, with an average height of more than 4,800 meters, is aptly called “the Roof of the World.” The Kunlun Mountains to the north and the Himalayas to the south have several peaks reaching between 7,000 and 7,930 meters above sea level. The world’s highest mountain, Mount Qomolangma, situated on the Sino-Nepal border, rises to 8,848 meters, challenging the world’s bravest adventurers and the most skillful mountain climbers.
The second region is a highland region marked by extensive basin areas. North of the Kunlun Mountain Range are China’s two major basins: the Tarim and Junggar, separated by the Tianshan Mountains. North of Qilian and Qinling lie the vast Loess Plateau and the Inner Mongolia Plateau stretching along China’s northern border. South of the Qinling Mountain Range and east of the Hengduan Mountains are the Sichuan Basin and the Yungui Plateau. Vast in area and diverse in land features, this region is also rich in cultural resources. Visitors may explore as many as 40 different kinds of customs observed by the ethnic minority groups living in this region.
The third region is the lowlands, east of the Great Xing’an, Taihang and Wushan mountains. Topographically, there is almost nothing to mention concerning mountain chains since the area seldom rises more than 450 meters above sea level, except for some scattered highlands. Yet, since the great central eastern plains were cradles of China’s early cicilization, xome of the highland peaks are equally well-known and more frequently traveled for their long-developed legendary history.
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