HuashanMountainMountHuashan,oneofthefivebest-knownsacredmountainsinChina,islocatedtothesouthofHuayinCounty,120kilometerseastofXi`an,withanaltitudeof2,200meters.Itisknownas'TheNumberOnePrecipitousMountainunderHeaven'.Themountainhasfivepeaks,whichlookslikefivepetalsofaflowerseenfromafar,henceitsnameMountHuashan(HuameansflowerinChinese).TheNorthPeakiscalledtheCloudyTerracePeak.Ithasonlyonehillthatleadstothesouthwiththreesidesdisconnectedwithanywhere,anditisfairlysteep.TheCentralPeakiscalledtheJadeLadyPeak.LegendhasitthatNongYu,thedaughterofKingMuofQinoftheSpringandAutumnPeriod,admiredXiaoShi,ahermit,somuchforthemusicheplayedonaverticalbambooflute,thatsheleftherfamilyandherroyallifeandflewherewithXiaoShionthebacksofadragonandaphoenixandlivedinseclusionsasahermithere.ItseemsthatahermitisafairlypopularcareerinancientChina!Today,peoplecanstillseetheJadeLady`sCave,theWashBasin,theDressingStoneandthePhoenixPavilion.Ithinkyoumayhavefoundthatthere’salwaysalegendoralegendaryfigureofeachmountaininChina.ThereisafamousbeliefinChineseliteraturethatamountainiswell-knownnotforitsawe-inspiringprecipices,butforthelegendaryfigurewholivesinit.Theeastpeakisalsocalledthemorningsunpeak.Itisthebestplacefromwhichtoseethesunrise.Ittakesabout5hourstoclimbtothetopofEastPeak.Thepeakshootsdramaticallyupintothesky.Therefore,boththeascentandthedescentaredifficultanddangerous.Onthesideofonecliff,youcanseetheimpressionofahugehand,whichiswell-known“God’sHandPrintonMountHua’shan”.Itisthefirstamongtheeightscenicattractionsincentralsha’anxiplain.TheSouthPeak,alsocalledWildGoose-restingPeak,isthehighestamongthefivepeaks.Itstandsatanelevationof2,200meters.TheWestPeakiscalledLotusFlower.Itgotitsnamebecauseofahugelotusflower-shapedrockinfrontofCui’yunTempleatitstop.ItistheplacewherethelegendaryfigureChenXiang,sonofHolyMotherⅢ,splitthemountaintorescuehismother.ClosetotheCui’yunTempleliesahugerockwhichseemstohavesplitintotwohalveswithanaxe,henceitsname“RockSplitWithanAxe”.Notfaroffstandsalong-handledaxethatissaidtohavebeenusedbyChenXiang.MountHua’shan’sPrecipicesMountHuashanisfamousforitsawe-inspiringprecipicesandbreath-takingcliffs.Alongthe20-kilometers-longroadaroundthefivepeaks,thereareanumberofplaceswithsheerprecipices:theThousand-footPrecipice,theHundred-footCrevice,Laojun’sFurrow,theHeaven-wardLadderandtheBlueDragonRidge.TheCliffsideRoadandtheSparrowHawk’sCliffareamongthemostdangerous.TheBlueDragonRidgeTheBlueDragonRidgewindsupanddownirregularlywithitscentralpartprotrudingintotheairlooksratherlikethebackboneofacarp.Oneithersideoftheridge,cliffsfallintodeepvalleys.Lookingacrossintothedistance,youwillgetamistyviewofgreenpinesandfloatingclouds.Youwillhearthesoundofthewindroaringintoyouears.Whenclimbingoverthe“BlueDragonRidge”,regardedasthemust-passwaytotheotherfourpeaksfromNorthPeak,travelersarriveatGoldLockPass.Thenativesknowthatitiscustomarytobuyagoldenlock,andthenlockitintheironchainsonbothsidesoftheGoldLockPassforfamiliesandfriendstoprayfortheirsafetyandhealth.GoldLockPassisalsothethroattoMiddlePeak,EastPeak,SouthPeakandWestPeak.YuquanGarden(JadeSpringGarden)MountHua’shanboastsalotofplacesofinterests.TherestandBuddhistandTaoisttemples,pavilionsandbuildingsonthepeaksandvalleys.YuquanGardenislocatedattheentranceofthevalleyonthehillsidenorthofMountHuashan.Insidethegarden,thereisacool,sweetspring;henceitsname“JadeSpringGarden”.ThespringissaidtocomefromanundergroundflowthatrunsfromtheJadeWellintheZhenyueTemple.TheTempleofMountHuashanThetempleofmounthuashanliessevenkilometersnorthofmounthuashan.Inancienttimes,mounthuashanwasregardedasamountainofdivinity,andthetempleofmounthuashanservedasaplacefortheemperorsofdifferentdynastiestoholdsacrificialceremoniesforthegodofmounthuashan.ThetempleofMountHuaistheonlysacrificialtempleamongthetempleoftheFiveMountainsanditfacessouthandthehighestpeakofthemountain.In1988,thistemplewascategorizedasnationalmonument.ForestofStoneTabletsMuseumThemuseumislocatedatthesiteoftheConfucianTempleinSanxueStreet.ThesitewasoriginallytheImperialAncestralTempleintheTangDynastyandlaterbecametheConfucianTempleintheSongDynasty.Inthe1950,itwasextendedintothemuseumasweseetoday.Themuseumcoversanareaof30,000ormore.TheForestofStoneTabletswassetupin1087.Over3,000tabletsarepreservedhere.Thetabletsarerangedingreatnumbersliketreesinaforest,henceitsnametheForestofStoneTablets.FYI,it’sanationalmonumentnow.ThemuseumisnotonlyatreasurehouseofcalligraphyartofChina,butalsoacollectionoftheancientChineseclassicsandliterature.ItrecordedculturalachievementseverscoredinancientChinaandculturalexchangesbetweenChinaandothercountries.Themuseumnowhas7exhibitionrooms,sixepitaphcorridors,andonetabletpavilion.However,duetothetimelimit,Iwillprimarilyfocusonthetabletpavilionandthefirstthreeexhibitionrooms.ThetabletpavilionInfrontofthefirstexhibitionroomisaTabletPavilionspeciallybuiltfortheStone-BaseclassicofFilialPiety.ThistabletisthelargestintheStoneForest,engravedin745ADinthehandwritingofLiLongji,the7themperoroftheTangDynasty.ThefirstexhibitionroomThefirstexhibition