Cause & Context
Having defeated the Xiongnu, opened the Silk Road, and centralized the economy, the Han Empire reached its geopolitical zenith and sought the paramount ritual to declare its mandate from Heaven.
Epochal Overview
In 110 BCE, Emperor Wu led civil and military elites to Mount Tai, erecting altars at the summit to sacrifice to Heaven and at Mount Suran to sacrifice to Earth, formalizing the full liturgy of imperial Fengshan.
Key Figures
Emperor Wu of Han presided over the ceremonies guided by Confucian scholars such as Er Kuan and Sima Xiangru, while Grand Astrologer Sima Tan famously lamented his absence.
Civilizational Impact
The Yuanfeng Fengshan enshrined Mount Tai as the sacred geographical embodiment of imperial legitimacy, anchoring thousands of years of state ritual sacrifices at Mount Tai and the Dai Temple.