Known as “the Number One Precipitous Mountain under Heaven”, Mt. Huashan is one of the five sacred mountains in China. The other four are Mt. Taishan in Shandong, Mt. Hengshan in Hunan, Mt. Hengshan in Shanxi, and Mt. Songshan in Henan.Situated in Huayin City, Mount Huashan is 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Xi'an. It is famous for natural vista of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags and a high mountain range. Its five peaks are the representative attractions and each has its distinctive charms: East Peak is the best place to enjoy the sunrise; South Peak has the highest altitude; West Peak is the most elegant; North Peak is famous as the Cloud Terrace Peak and Middle Peak is also called Jade Lady Peak. Mount Huashan Hiking Trails Hike on Huashan Mountain is very popular among visitors. For many years most people have taken a traditional but efficient walking-ascending and cable-car-descending route for this mountain climbing. By taking this route, visitors can experience not only its danger, but also the major meaningful scenic spots. At the foot of Mt. Huashan, you can start your trip by visiting the Jade Spring Temple. After that, you can walk to the Memorial Archway in about 15 min, and then in 5 min you will get to Five Dragon Bridge, next to which is the ticket office. Along the way to East Peak of Mount Huashan you should be very careful when passing the major dangerous passes, such as the above-mentioned Thousand-Foot Precipice, Hundred-Foot Crevice, Black Dragon Ridge and Golden Lock Pass. East Peak (Facing Sun Peak) Climbing to the top of East Peak of Mt. Huashan takes 4 to 6 hours. It has an altitude of 2,090 meters (6,857 feet), forming a platform for visitors to view the sunrise in fine weather. An astronomical telescope is provided here. The reference time for sunrise is 5:00a.m.-6:00a.m. in spring, 4:30a.m.-5:20a.m. in summer, 5:00a.m.-5:20a.m. in autumn and 5:30a.m.-6:00a.m. in winter. South Peak (Landing Wild Geese Peak) With an altitude of 2,160 meters (7,087 feet), the South Peak is regarded as the monarch of Mount Huashan because it is the highest peak and also the highest peak among the Five Sacred Mountains of China. Visitors who summit South Peak are undoubtedly winners. Looking around when standing at the peak, the surrounding landscapes are luxuriantly green; the Yellow River wanders far below and everything seems small. A legend goes that the wild geese returning from the south often landed at South Peak, giving the area the name Landing Wild Geese Peak. West Peak (Lotus Flower Peak) West Peak has very high cliffs standing erect with an altitude of 2,086.6 meters (6,845 feet). There is a Taoist temple called Cuiyun Palace, before which a huge rock looking like a lotus flower comes into view, hence the name Lotus Flower Peak. There are another seven rocks beside Cuiyun Palace, which is said to be the place where Chenxiang, a main character in the movie Lotus Lantern, ripped Mount Huashan to save his mother, The Heavenly Goddess San Sheng Mu. Middle Peak (Jade Maiden Peak) Middle Peak clings to East Peak and is in the center of East, South and West Peaks. There is a Taoist temple on the peak named Jade Maiden Temple. Legend has it that the daughter of Qin Mugong (569 - 621 BC) loved a man who was good at playing Chinese tung-hsiao (vertical flute) and she gave up the royal life to become a hermit who cultivated her spirituality here, hence the name Jade Maiden Peak. Today Jade Maiden Temple and Jade Maiden Basin for Shampooing can be found on the peak. Other scenic spots in Middle Peak include Rootless Tree and Sacrificing Tree, which have beautiful stories and add to the supernatural atmosphere of Middle Peak. North Peak (Cloud Terrace Peak) There are precipitous cliffs on all sides of North Peak, making it look like a flat terrace in the clouds, hence the name Cloud Terrace Peak. It is 1,614 meters (5,295 feet) high. Three sides are cliffs and one side is to the Ear-Touching Cliff, which is the fourth precipitous path where visitors can climb up only by pressing an ear close to the cliff. Almost halfway up the North Peak trees are luxuriantly green, creating a good rest spot. Visiting Huashan Mountain by cable car is another good choice for visitors. On the east side of Yuquan Temple, there is an about 8 kilometer (5 miles) long concrete road leading up to Wamiaogou where you can take a cable car directly to the North Peak of Mt. Huashan. The top station is located on the east cliff of North Peak. The whole ride is more than 1,500 meters (0.9 mile) long and takes seven or eight minutes. The other cable car line starts from Donggoukou to West Peak with a stop at White Sparrow Temple. The whole ride is about 4,211 meters (2.6 miles) long and takes about 20 minutes. It is easier to get to the South and East Peak from West Peak compared with the North Peak. How to get to Mount Huashan How to go from Xi'an to HuashanA
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