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.