China (1,532 m) – One of the Five Sacred Mountains of China (east)
Mount Tai in Shandong Province is the third highest of China’s Five Sacred Mountains. Representing the east, it is the most accessible, most visited and generally considered to be the most important from a religious standpoint. According to tradition, it was the home of several deities in ancient times, including the Emperor Lord. Tai is home to dozens of temples and shrines, as well as a palace, and is sacred to Taoists, Confucionists and others.
Tai was probably the earliest of the five mountains to be deemed sacred. It has been of religious importance for over three thousand years. During the Zhou Dynasty, Mount Tai became an all-but-mandatory pilgrimage destination for Chinese emperors. According to tradition, at least 72 visited over the course of morte than two millennia.
Located in the heart of the densely populated eastern region of China, Mount Tai is by far the most visited of the country’s sacred mountains. Located just outside the city of Tai’an, its position 220 miles south of Beijing and 400 miles northwest of Shangahi puts it squarely in the middle of China’s most touristed corridor. In addition to the fantastic religious sites on the mountain, which include the immense Dai Temple complex, trekkers can hike to the top by ancient staircases carved into the mountainside.
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