The Sacred Mountains in China

The Sacred Mountains in China are divided into two groups, one associated with Taoism, and the other associated with Buddhism.

The group related with Taoism is known as the Five Great Mountains, while the group related with Buddhism is referred to as the Four Sacred Mountains.

Both groups have been important destinations for pilgrimage. The Chinese expression for pilgrimage (cháoshèng) is a shortened version of a phrase means literary “paying respect to a holy mountain” (cháobài shèng shān).


The Taoist Five Sacred Mountains

The Taoist Five Great Mountains are arranged according to the five cardinal directions of Chinese geomancy, which includes the center as a direction.

East: Tai Shan (or:Leading Peaceful Mountain) in Shandong district (1,545 m)
West: Huà Shān (or Splendid Mountain), in Shanxi district (1,997 m)
South: (Nan) Heng Shan (Balancing Mountain), in Hunan District (1,250)
North: (Bei) Heng Shan (Permanent Mountain), in Shanxi District (2,017 m)
Centre: Song Shan (Lofty Mountain), in Henan District (1,494)

As an alternative, these mountains are sometimes referred to by the respective directions: “Northern Great Mountain” (Bei Yue), Southern Great Mountain (Nan Yue), Eastern Great Mountain, Western Great Mountain, Central Great Mountain (Zhong Yue).

According to Chinese mythology these Five Great Mountains originated from the limbs and the head of Pangu, the first being and creator of the world.

Mount Tai, for the reason of its eastern location, is associated with the rising sun which signifies birth and renewal. Due to this, it is often regarded as the most sacred of the Five, and believed to have been formed out of the head of Pangu.


The Buddhist Four Sacred Mountains

The Sacred Mountains in Chinese Buddhism are the Wutai Shan (Five-Terrace (Plateau) Mountain), in Shanxi District, (3,058 m); Emei Shan (Delicate-Eyebrow Mountain), in Sichuan (3,099 m); Jiuhua Shan (Nine-Glories Mountain), in Anhui (1,341 m); Putuo Shan (Potalaka (Potala) Mountain), in Zhejiang (284 m).

Next to these mountains, the Wudang Mountains (Hubei district) and Laoshan (Shandong district) are also mountains with spiritual or religious significance in China.