Introduction :
Tai Shan or Mount Tai is located near the city of Tai’an in Shandong province of China and is one of the Five Great Mountains of China and recognized to be the head mountain amongest the five. The sacred mountain has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 for the artistic masterpieces built on the mountains that are in perfect harmony with the natural landscape at Tai Shan. The base of the mountain measures an area of 426 square km with the Jade Emperor Peak being the highest point of the mountain rising 1532 metres above sea level. Tai Shan is one of the famous attractions of China and attracts over 6 million visitors annually.
The landscape at Tai Shan
Image attribution to Craigriley @ Flickr
Chinese rock inscriptions in the mountain
Image attribution to Rolf Mueller @ Flickr
The Immortal Bridge is built by the forces of nature
Image attribution to Pfctdayelise @ Wiki
Exquisitely carved rock pillars on the way up
Image attribution to Rolf Mueller @ Wiki
History :
The first traces of human activites proven at Tai Shan date back to the Neolithic period and the Dawenkou and Longshan culture emerged at the south and north near the mountain respectively. A 500 km long wall was erected by the State of Qi during the Warring states Period around 480 Bc and the ruins of the walls are still present today.
Tai Shan has been an important ceremonial center in China for more than 3000 years in particular for the Buddhist and Taoist religion and was visited by 72 Emperors throughout the history of China which started since 1000 Bc during the Zhou Dynasty era.
Temple complex towards the peak of the mountain
Image attribution to kanegen @ Flickr
The Jade Emperor Temple is built on the highest point of Mount Tai
Image attribution to Rolfmueller @ Wiki
Sacred waters of the mountain
Image attribution to Craigriley @ Flickr
Nearby mountains around Tai Shan
Image attribution to Craigriley @ Flickr
Looking down at the Tai’an city from Tai Shan
Getting there :
The nearest airport to Taishan is the Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport (TNA) which is around 73 km away from the attraction.
