Mount Songshan, one of the Five Sacred Mountains of China, is of great historical and cultural significance. It was long being an important venue for the ancient Chinese emperors, kings and ministers to hold grand ceremony of worship of heaven to pray and say thanks for peace and prosperity. Also, poets, men of letters came here to propagate doctrines of the ancient sages; princes, dukes, ministers came here to deliver a sermon; Chinese and foreign tourists have been coming to admire the wonderful views.
Song Mountain lies in Dengfeng city, in the heart of Henan Province and about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of its capital, Zhengzhou. Song Mountain, which is also known as Zhong Yue (middle mountain), is known as one of the Five Mountains of China. The others in this group are Tai mountain in Shandong Province, Hua Mountain in Shaanxi Province, Mount Heng in Shanxi Province and Mount Heng in Hunan Province.
Song Mountain has fine natural scenery. Its 72 mountains, grouped around the peaks of Mount Shaoshi and Mount Taishi, extend for about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from east to west. Besides these mountains, there are many valleys, caves, pools and waterfalls, each of which provides the visitor with a unique and wonderful experience. The landscape is so unique that it has been given the title of 'International Geological Park' by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty visited Songshan in the year of 110 B.C and gave an order to the 300 families to make up of the Songgao County; in the year of 682 A.D, emperor Tanggaozong ordered to build Fengtian Palace on the south of Songshan in order to visit the Songshan often. And then he ordered to set up Songyang County. In 696 A.D, Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty climbed onto the ridge of Taishi to do homage to heaven, and did homage to the earth on the top of Shaoshi. She changed the name of Songyang County to Dengfeng County, which in Chinese means "climbing and paying homage"; and changed Yangcheng County to Gaocheng County, which in Chinese means "succeed".
Song Mountain is the birthplace of China Zen Buddhism, and is the home of many wondrous temples, including Shaolin Temple, the largest pagoda forest in China, Ta Lin (meaning pagoda forest) and the most ancient pagoda in China, Songyue Temple pagoda. A visitor can also visit the oldest cypress, as well as the earliest star observation platform in China.
What makes Song Mountain different from the rest of the Five Mountains is its profound and extensive cultural history. For this reason, a visit to Song Mountain will be greatly rewarding for scholars of religion, physical culture, astronomy, archaeology, geology, art, and architecture, as well as for travelers with a passion for beauty and history.
Opening Time:
all day
How to get there:
Take buses for Dengfeng at the coach bus station opposite the railway station, and then change to buses for Songshan.
Travel Tips:
1.Local products:Stone flower tea, chest nut, Chinese-date, Hericium erinaceus, kiwi berry, ginseng.
2.Accommodation:There are many hotels here, and the hotels at the foot of the hill are cheaper the those in the mountain. If you want to watch the sunrise, the hotels in the mountain are better choice.
3.Food:The hotels and restaurants provide special local food and the delicious Hericium erinaceus are well known. To most tourists, the food and drinks on the hill are expensive, in which case, the tourist can prepare some downhills, but too much will become a burden.
4.Shopping:The Songshan is a place famous for its Gongfu. If interested, the weapons can be bought for exercise and memory.
5.Suggested visit time: one day