The Wudang Mountains, commonly referred to in the singular - Mount Wudang - but also known as Wu Tang Shan, is located in the north of Hubei Province, with Shaanxi Province immediately to the north and to the west, and with Henan Province to the northeast. The former name of Mount Wudang, Taihe ("Supreme Harmony") Mountain, was only changed during the Ming (CE 1368-1644) Dynasty, and in deference to Taoism, since it was said of the mountain thus renamed that 'only the Guardian Spirit of the North deserves the title', "Guardian Spirit of the North" being a reference to the mythical, "warrior cult" figure, Xuanwu ("Perfected Warrior"), aka Emperor Zhenwu ("Mysterious Warrior"). This corresponds to the period during which Zixiao Gong ("Purple Cloud Temple"), which was dedicated to the aforementioned mythical figure, Xuanwu/ Emperor Zhenwu, was built on the mountain.
Wudang Mountain is renowned for its magnificent architecture. The whole group of buildings exemplifies the Taoist ideal of Zhenwu Training to be Immortal with imperial architectural design laid out to match the surrounding landforms. Some buildings are built on the peaks of the high mountains, some are between cliffs and in valleys, and some are in forests in harmony with nature. In China, it is thought of as a place that exhibits the achievement of ancient Chinese architecture. In 1994, the ancient architecture group on Wudang Mountain was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The most famous Taoist temple on Mount Wudang is Nanyan Gong (Nanyan Temple), which is entirely built of rock from the cliff wall behind it - it perches on a rounded cliff face (perhaps made more round by the temple's builders during its constuction). Nanyan Gong is supposed to be the place where the mythical warrior-emperor, Xuanwu/ Zhenwu is supposed to have entered Taoist "nirvana", after which he flies to heaven as an immortal. Alas, all of the three Ming period temples on Mount Wudang - besides Nanyan Gong: Jindian ("Golden Hall") Gong and Zixiao ("Purple Cloud") Gong - have a direct connection to the mythical figure, Emperor Zhenwu (see the footnote below), also known alternately as the Northern Emperor, the Black Warrior of the North, or simply Black Tortoise, "Black Tortoise" being one of the four symbols of the ancient Chinese constellations, or the groupings of stars as the ancient Chinese saw them.
Mount Wudang stretches for 400 kilometers and has 72 peaks, the tallest of which is Tianzhu Peak at 1612 meters above sea level, which is where Golden Hall Temple is situated. Mount Wudang was frequented by Chinese emperors from the Western Han (BCE 206 - CE 009) to the Ming Dynasty, who paid homage to the mountain as 'the grandest mountain', whose status - during the reign (CE 1368-1398) of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu, aka the Hongwu Emperor - was above that of any of China's ancient Five Sacred Mountains.
Wudang Moutain s Major Attractions:
Xuanyue Gate:
Xuanyue Gate is the common name for Zhishi Xuanyue Memorial Arch. It is a chiseled stone building with three rooms, four pillars and five floors. It was built in the 31st year of the Jiajing Period in the Ming Dynasty (1552 AD). It is 12 meters high and 12.8 meters wide. Four Chinese characters Zhishi Xunyue (Govern the World, Profound Name ) that were written by Emperor Jiajing are carved on a tablet.
Yuxu Palace:
Its full name is Xuantian Yuxu Palace. It was the biggest building complex on Wudang Mountain. It was built in the 11th year of the Yongle Period in the Ming Dynasty (1413 AD) and renovated in the 31st year of the Jiajing Period (1552). The complex was built with 2,200 temples or rooms. Most of them were damaged in the 10th year of the Qianlong Period in the Qing Dynasty (1745 AD), so now there are four.
Mozhen Jing Palace:
It is also named Chunyang Palace. It s 12 kilometers south of Laoying. The palace was first built during the Yongle Period in the Ming Dynasty. The existing Mozhen Jing Palace was rebuilt in the 2nd year of the Xianfeng Period in the Qing Dynasty (1852 AD). In the 1984, it was renovated to be almost the same as before. There are over 50 rooms and a surface area of 1,700 square meters.
Taizi Po Palace:
It was built in the 10th year of the Yongle Period in the Ming Dynasty (1412 AD). It is also called Fuzhen Guan. It was renovated in the 1st year (1662 A.D), 23rd year, and the 29th year of the Kangxi Period in the Qing Dynasty. It is now smaller than it used to be, but it is still one of the larger building complexes.
South Rock Palace (Nanyan in Chinese):
It is said to be the Taoist sacred ground where Zhenwu attained the way to fly and be immortal. People say that this South Rock Palace area has the best scenery. It was renovated in the 11th year of the Yongle Period in the Ming Dynasty (1413 AD). There are about 150 buildings such as palaces, housing for Taoists, temples and pavilions. It has a tablet with the words Dasheng Nanyan Palace. In the 31st year of the Jiajing Period (1552 AD), the palace was enlarged. There were once 460 rooms. Stone Palace, Nantian Gate, Stele Pavilion and Liangyi Palace still exist.
Qiongtai Guan Palace:
It is southeast of Tianzhu peak and about ten kilometers from it. It is at an elevation of 1,350 meters, and it has upper, middle and lower sections. It was called Qiongtai Palace in the Yuan Dynasty. Then during the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was renovated and enlarged for 24 Tao sanctuaries and hundreds of temple rooms. It was destroyed in the war of the 6th year of the Xianfeng Period in the Qing Dynasty (1856 AD). Some of the temple rooms have been restored. It is the starting point for a cable way for the Wudang Mountain Scenic Area, so it has become a tourist tranport center.
Zixiao Palace:
Built in the 11th year of the Yongle Period in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1413), it originally had more than 860 palaces, porticoes and pavilions. There is a tablet with the words Taiyuan Zixiao Palace. Zixiao Palace backs against Zhanqi Peak and faces Zhaobi, Santai, Wulao, Lazhu, Luomao and Xianglu peaks. Leishen Cave, Yuji Pool and Baozhu Peak are on either side. The title, Zixiao Merry Land, was conferred on the area by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty.
Golden Palace (Jin Palace):
This nationally protected site is at the top of Tianzhu Peak at an elevation of 1612 meters. The Golden Palace was built in the 14th year of the Yongle Period in the Ming Dynasty (1416 AD). Inside there are three edifices that are 5.54 meters high, 4.4 meters long and 3.15 meters wide. All of them are built with gilded bronze. It is said to be a world masterpiece of copper architecture.
Wulong Palace (Wulong means Five Dragons):
Wulong Palace is beneath the Lingying Mountain peak. During the Zhenguan Period in the Tang Dynasty (627-649), Wulong Ancestral Hall was built by imperial order. In the 10th year of Yongle Period in the Ming Dynasty (1412), about 215 temples, mountain gates and other buildings were built. There were about 850 rooms or buildings in the complex, but in 1930 this temple was also destroyed by fire. There are many relics and remains.
Like many other majestic mountain ranges in China, Mount Wudang, with its many peaks, gullies, ravines, streams, and waterfalls - but also with its quiet seclusion - is a place of rare beauty, worthy of a visit by any nature lover. Since modern-day Chinese people still revere their ancestors, Mount Wudang is an especially popular tourist site among the Chinese, including visiting Chinese expats, just as it is increasingly popular with foreign tourists in search of the beauty, peace and harmony that Mount Wudang, though located not far from a medium-sized metropolis (the nearby city of Shiyan), still offers.
Opening Time:
From 8:30AM to 5:00PM, daily.
How to get there:
By Rail: The Wuhan-Chongqing train passes by the foot of Mount Wudang, where Wudang Railway Station is located. You can also get to the mountain via the train from Shiyan, whose facilities and services, it is said, are better than ordinary regional trains throughout China.
By Bus: The only regional bus that services Mount Wudang originates in the city of Shiyan. However, there are a number of special tourist buses that service Mount Wudang from all the surrounding villages, towns, and cities, including Shiyan.
Tips:
1) Mount Wudang is located in a subtropical climate zone swept by occasional monsoons, but being a mountain range, it displays a variety of climate zones from the valley floor to the top of the highest peak, meaning that not only does the vegetation vary with the altitude, so does the temperature, suggesting that layered clothing - with a good umbrella or a raincoat tucked away in reserve - is the best advice. The ideal time of year for a visit to Mount Wudang is either in the spring or again in the autumn.
2) There are various means of transport up the mountain. For example, there is a cable car that begins at Qiong Altar near the base of the mountain and ascends midway between Xiuqiu Peak and Lion Peak (about 100 meters below Golden Hall Temple). The price for a round trip ticket for the cable car is 70 Yuan per person. If you wish to get a view of the entire mountain range, then you will have to ascend all the way to Golden Hall Temple (Jindian Gong). There is a special transport over a mountain path paved with stones that runs between Nanyan Temple and Golden Hall Temple. It costs 80 Yuan per person.
3) Recommended time to allot for a visit: an entire day.