Mt.Hengshan(南岳衡山)LadiesandGentlemen,dearfriends,Goodmorning.WelcometoMt.Hengshan,lyinginthecentralsouthofHunanProvince;Mt.HengshanisoneofthefivesacredmountainsofChina.IthasbeenplacedontheOfficialListoftheFirstKeyChineseScenicAreasandhasalsobeendesignatedaFirst4AChineseSightseeingDestination.Finally,itistheonlyplaceinHunantoberankedamongChina'sPilotCivilizedScenicAreas-theonlyrepresentativefromHunaninthisregard.Picturesqueinscenery,Mt.Hengshanaboundswithculturalsitesandtopstheotherfoursacredmountainsinscenicbeauty,therebyearningitselfatitleofChineseMountainofLongevity.Mt.Hengshanleadstherestofsacredmountainsinfame.Itsoutstandingqualitiesareattributabletoitsenchantingscenes,variedspecies,andimposingappearance.Billedastheleaderofthefivesacredmountains,Mt.Hengshanboastscharmingandbeautifulnaturalscenery.WhileexploringMt.Hengshan,youwillseewoodedhills,vyingwithoneanotherforbeauty,hoveringcloudsandbubblingstreams.Nowonderitispopularlysaidofthismountainthat“Ateveryturn,atouristcomesinviewofadifferentpicture,experiencingakaleidoscopeofsights”.Mt.Hengshanhasmorebeautifulviewsthantheeyecantakein.Themostfamousisthe“FourGrandSightsofMt.Hengshan”,consistingoftheHallofScriptures,knownforitsbeauty,theFangguangTemple,knownforitsdepth,ZhurongPeak,knownforitsheight,andWaterBeadsCavern,knownforitsquaintness.Mt.Hengshanhasasubtropicalmonsoonclimatewithhighhumidity.Withalongfrost-freeseason,ashortfreezingseasonandheavyprecipitation,ithascoolsummersandcoldwinters.Usuallyfoggyandwindy,itfeaturesperiodicchangesintemperature.Agreenlandscapeofwoodedhillsisattributabletoitsidealnaturalcondition.Four-fifthsofMt.Hengshaniscoveredwithforestsandsome1,700treespeciescanbefoundgrowingonitsslopes.Themountaincoversanareaof20,000hectares3,800hectaresofwhicharesecondaryvirginforests.Itisaheavenlysanctuaryforrarewildanimalssuchasgoldenpheasants,bamboopartridges,andflat-breastturtleswithbigheadsandpangolins.Toweringoverthesurroundingplains,Mt.HengshansoarsintotheairstraightfromtheSouthHunanBasin,therebyforminganumberofspectacularsights.Itssceneryfeaturesfourseas:aseaofflowersinspring,cloudsinsummer,sunriseinautumnandsnowinwinter.ThecloudsoverMt.Hengshanareespeciallyworthmentioning.LikeMt.Huangshan’spines,thecloudsoverMt.Hengshanhavebeenviewedandtalkedaboutwithgreatrelishsinceancienttimes.Themountain’senchantingcloudshavethefollowingcharacteristics.Firstly,theyvaryinshapefromseasontoseason:duringspringthecloudsarelikequilts;duringsummertheyresemblefeathers,duringtheautumntheyresemblewaterfalls,andduringthewintertheyareasdarkasink.Secondly,thegatheringcloudssometimesspringuporhanghowlikemushroomsaftertherain,takingonapeculiarlook.Thirdly,thewindmixeswiththescuddingclouds,risingfrommountainsinearlymorningoratdusk,blowingthroughthepineforestsovertourists’faces.Adeeprumblingsoundofpinetreessoundsfrighteninginthedistance.Comingnearer,itgetsfainterandfainter,removingtourists’fears.NowonderancientChineseeulogizedthem,saying“aseaofcloudsreverberatesinourhearts”.Mt.Hengshannotonlyhasbeautifulscenicsightsbutalsoaboundswithculturalsites.ItisthetreasurehouseofChineseculture,renownedasthe“CivilizedMuseumofGreatLearning”.ThroughoutallChinesedynasties,emperor,princes,andcelebritiespaidtheirtributestothemountain;menofletters,poets,scholarspaidtheirvisitstoit,leavingbehindthemsteles,temples,andpoemsatMt.Hengshan;theymadegreatcontributionstoturningitintothepricelesstreasurehouseofChinesecultureandmakingitafamedmountainofHumanculture.Inlinewithfamoussaying,“Monkstakeuptheirabodeinmostoffamedmountains”,Mt.Hengshanisnotonlyamountainofscenicbeauty,butalsoasacredreligiousmountain.Unlikeotherfamousreligiousmountains,itembracesbothBuddhismandTaoismwhichexistside-by-sideandcomplementeachotherhere.TheAncientTownofNanyueAlittlefurtherfromtheArchwayofMountHengshanandwearriveattheancienttownofNanyue.Nooneknowsforsurewhenthetowncameintoexistence.WedoknowthatitwasaboomtownasearlyastheTangDynasty.Themillennia-oldflagstoneroadyouaretravelingoniswelltrodden,lookingpolishedandglossy.Leathershoesclankonitasifarobedmonkbeatshiswoodenblockchantingscriptures,strikingadeepchordinpilgrims'hearts.Thestreetsinthetownareallpavedwithstoneslabs.Theyarelinedwithtwo-storiedprotrudinghousesofequalsize.Whitewashedandglazedinred,thehouseshaveupturnedeaves,roofscarvedwithdragonsandpaintedwithphoenixes.Thehousesarekeptastheywere,lendingaprimitivesimplicitytothetown.Ajossstickboughtinastoreoracupofteasippedinaroadhousecanprovidetouristswitheitheranewexperience,suchasimbibingabitofprofoundBuddhism,orgivethemanaftertasteoftraditionalChineseculture.Moreinterestingly,thereisanendlessarcadeoneithersideofastreet.Therefore,youmayroamalongstreetwithoutcarryinganumbrellainrainydays.Thoughsmallinsize,Nanyueancienttownisself-sufficientwithrestaurants,hotels,incenseandgeneralstores,templesandstudiessmellingofink.Itisworthmentioningtherestaurantshere,offeringlocalspecialtiessuchdeliciouswildmushrooms,theuniquetastingMt.Hengshanbeancurd,andnutritiousmountainbambooshoots.Thelocalspecialtiesaremouthwateringintaste.To