Hengshan Mountain

Situated in Hengyang city, Hunan province, Hengshan Mountain is one of China's five sacred mountains. The mountain range runs 150 kilometers from Hengyang to Changsha. Of the 72 peaks, the most known renowned one is the Zhurong Peak. For a long time, Hengshan Mountain was acknowledged as a holy place of religions, a Civilization Special Area, the Shou Mountain and the most scenic mount of the five sacred mountains in China. This mountain has been awarded among the National Scenic Spots and the Historical Sites, a model of National Civilized Scenic Spots and the AAAAA Tourist Destination. Beautiful natural scenery

Hengshan Mountain is a popular destination. It is a summer resort and leisure place for tourists because of its religious reputation and gorgeous landscapes. More than 1,200 kinds of plants, 9 primitive forests, and 150 kinds of precious trees were identified in the area. The four wonders of Hengshan Mountain are Zhurong Peak, Water Curtain Cave, Fangguang Temple and Sutra Collection Hall, which are famous for their height, oddity, depth and elegance. Hengshan Mountain is a pleasant scenic spot for tourists all year-round. They can appreciate exotic flowers in the spring, amazing cloud sea in summer, grand sunrise in autumn and magical snow flakes in winter.

Famous religious holy place

Both Buddhism and Taoism coexist in the Hengshan Mountain, which forms the chief religious feature of the mount. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), Taoists started their practice in the blessing spots of Hengshan Mountain. The Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) witnessed the prosperities of ten large Taoist temples and eight hundred bamboo houses. Many Taoists at that time were those with high culture cultivation and profound metaphysics. They wrote books and developed the theories of their own. Buddhism was introduced to Hengshan Mountain about 200 years later. From 421AD, the second year after the establishment of the Southern Dynasty (AD 420-589), large groups of famous monks appeared in the Hengshan Mountain. They followed the rituals sacredly and formed principles of their own. The Tiantai Sect (Principles of the Lotus Sutra) was the most influential one and had been spread to as far as Japan. Buddhists in Hengshan Mountain also developed the Weiyang Sect, Linji Sect, Caodong Sect, Yunmen Sect, and Fayan Sect. These are the five principles in the development of Buddhism in Chinese history, with each having a significant influence on religious practices in Southeast Asia and the whole world.

Civilization special area

Hengshan Mountain has a long and profound history. Most of the legendary emperors in ancient China had connection with Hengshan Mountain. For example, Emperor Yan, Emperor Huang, Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun, and Emperor Yu were said to have visited the mountain, demonstrating its importance in China’s history. Hengshan Mountain gradually became a center of religious practice in south China when Taoism and Buddhism were introduced to Hengshan Mountain successively. In the Song Dynasty （960-1279）, more than 20 academies were established in this area, forming a unique academy culture of schooling. The emerging Huxiang School can find its origin in this mountain. Even today, the influence of this philosophical thinking on modern schools can be identified. Guan Daxun, the vice minister of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) approved Hengshan Mountain as his favorite place for its combination of civilization and cultural importance.

Shou Mountain of China

The Shou Culture (Longevity Culture) of Hengshan Mountain can be dated back to the records in Xingjing (the earliest great work of astronomy in the world). According to it, Hengshan Mountain corresponds to the Zhen Star of the 28 Star Mansions, a star in charge of the life span of beings in the world. Hengshan Mountain, therefore, derived the name of Shou Mountain for its connection with life span. Emperor Huizong (the eighth emperor of the Song Dynasty) inscribed two characters of "Shou Mountain" for a huge stone carving. The two characters can still be seen in the Emperor Rock of Jinjian Peak. The poem on restoring the temple stone of Hengshan Mountain written by Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722) stated that Hengshan Mountain is a giant town in south China, which corresponds to the North Star Yuheng, hence the name Shou Mountain.

Tickets:

Heng Mountain: 101 yuan

Nanyue Great Temple: 41 yuan

Cai Lun Memorial Hall: 20 yuan Opening Hours: 8:30 --17:30

Add: No 90 West Road, Nanyue district, Hengyang city, Hunan province

Contact:

(Consultation) 0734-5675588; 0734-5663760

(Complaints) 0734-5663315

(Ticket Office) 0734-5673658

(Bus Station) 0734-5662320 Transportation：

Airplane: Take a plane to Huanghua International Airport, Changsha, and then take regular bus to Heng Mountain.

Train: Take a train to Hengyang Station or Hengshan Station and then take the regular bus to Heng Mountain.