Atlas
Qinling
The Qinling runs east to west as a natural climate and species divide between northern and southern ecosystems, with a long role in Chinese civilization.
Prefecture: Xi'an
Province: ShaanxiGrey-white peaks keep patches of snow near the top, with firs and birches on the slopes, a small lake among the meadow, and pink flowers blooming at lower right.
Vista2
- Taibai Mountain Baxiantai Peak
The apex of the Qinling Range and the highest summit in Eastern mainland China (3771.2m).
- Zhongnan Mountain Cuihua Peak & Lake
A scenic alpine landslide-dammed lake in Zhongnan Mountain, revered since antiquity as Taiyi peak.
Gate & Wall1
- Huayang Ancient Town
An ancient post town on the Tang-era Tangluo Road, sanctuary for the Four Treasures of Qinling.
Natural Wonder1
- Niubeiliang National Nature Reserve
The primary ecological watershed dividing northern and southern China, rich in primeval fir forests.
Temple1
- Louguantai in Zhongnan Mountains
The sacred cradle of Daoism where Laozi penned the Tao Te Ching and delivered his teachings from the ancient platform.
Qin1
- Baoxie and Ziwu Routes Cross QinlingWarring States to Eastern Han, c. 475 BCE–220 CE
From the Warring States through Qin and Han times, the Baoxie, Ziwu, and other Qinling routes were built and maintained as corridors between Guanzhong and Hanzhong.
Tang1
- Tang Traffic on the Tangluo RouteMid-to-late Tang, c. 784–880 CE
In the middle and late Tang, the Tangluo route linked Guanzhong and Hanzhong, with Huayang serving as a mountain travel and lodging node.
Song1
- Wang Chongyang Preaches at ZhongnanJin Dynasty (1159–1167 CE)
From 1159 to 1167, Wang Chongyang practiced and preached around Mount Zhongnan before burning his hut and traveling east to Shandong, where the Quanzhen movement took organized form.
Zhou1
- Louguantai Laozi Teaching TraditionLate Spring and Autumn period
The Louguantai tradition in Zhouzhi associates Laozi’s teaching of the Daodejing with Yin Xi’s thatched observatory on the Qinling frontier.