Atlas
Mount Tai Fengshan Altar
The Fengshan altar at the summit of Mount Tai — where every dynastic emperor must ascend in the flesh to sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, broadcasting to the cosmos the mandate of legitimate rule.
Prefecture: Tai'an
Province: ShandongA stone stair climbs past rounded boulders to a hilltop walled compound of red-walled halls, while a sea of cloud on the left shows distant peaks.
Temple2
- Azure Clouds Temple
Song-dynasty Daoist temple complex crowned with bronze and iron roof tiles atop Mount Tai, dedicated to Lady Bixia.
- Daguan Peak Tang Imperial Inscription
The colossal 726 CE cliff inscription written and composed by Tang Emperor Xuanzong following his imperial Fengshan ceremony.
Vista1
- Riguan Peak Sunrise Terrace
Premier Mount Tai summit terrace for viewing sunrise above the clouds beside the soaring Gongbei Stone.
Natural Wonder1
- Duisong Mountain
Twin crags flanking the Shibapan gorge draped in thousands of ancient green pines on Mount Tai.
On its attractions1
- Record of Ascending Mount TaiProseRiguan Peak Sunrise TerraceYao Nai
At the edge of the sky, a line of cloud took on a strange colour and in a moment turned to five colours. The sun rose, pure red like cinnabar, with a red light beneath it swaying and holding it up. Someone said, "This is the Eastern Sea."
Authors1
- Yao Nai1731 - 1815
Wrote of Riguan Peak Sunrise Terrace in “Record of Ascending Mount Tai”. Culminating Master of the Tongcheng School and Compiler of the Guwenci Leizuan
In its history3
- Yao Chong650–721 CE
Part of Mount Tai Fengshan Altar's history: Reign of Kaiyuan. Tang chief minister under Empress Wu, Ruizong and Xuanzong whose reforms at the start of the Kaiyuan era were paired with Song Jing's in the phrase 'Yao and Song'
- Li Longji685–762 CE
Part of Mount Tai Fengshan Altar's history: Reign of Kaiyuan. Tang emperor of the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras who took power in the coups of 710 and 713 and fled to Sichuan when An Lushan rebelled
- Song Jing663–737 CE
Part of Mount Tai Fengshan Altar's history: Reign of Kaiyuan. Tang chief minister from Xingzhou who defied the Zhang brothers under Empress Wu and succeeded Yao Chong in 716, the pair being remembered as Yao and Song
Qin1
- Qin Shihuang's Fengshan on Mount Tai219 BCE
In 219 BCE, Qin Shihuang's eastern inspection reached Mount Tai, where he performed the Fengshan rite and erected a commemorative inscription.
Tang2
- Reign of Kaiyuan
Early in his reign, Xuanzong appointed Yao Chong and Song Jing, reformed administration, and fostered the prosperity associated with Kaiyuan.
- Tang Xuanzong Fengshan at Mount Tai725-726 CE
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang performed the Fengshan sacrifices at the peak of the Kaiyuan era, calligraphing the colossal Monument to Mount Tai.
Song2
- Song Founding of Bixia Shrine1008-1016 CE
Founding of the Azure Clouds Shrine atop Mount Tai under imperial sponsorship, creating a premier Daoist pilgrimage center.
- Zhenzong's Taishan Fengshan and Tiankuang Hall1008–1009 CE
In 1008 Emperor Zhenzong performed the Fengshan ritual at Taishan; the temple expansion and Tiankuang Hall construction followed in 1009.
Modern Era2
- Six Sites Join the World Heritage List
China became a State Party to the World Heritage Convention in December 1985, and in December 1987 six Chinese properties, among them the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Mogao Caves, were inscribed on the World Heritage List.
- Mount Tai Inscribed as Mixed Heritage1987 CE
In 1987, Mount Taishan was inscribed under cultural criteria (i) through (vi) and natural criterion (vii).
