Mount Hengshan (meaning persistence), also known as Mount Changshan (meaning everlasting) in Shanxi Province is one of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism in China. Legend holds that about 4,000 years ago when Emperor Shun made a cruise hunting across the country, he title the mountain “North Great Mountain” for its lofty peaks and grand ranges. During the rule of the First Qin Emperor he titled twelve great mountains in China and Mount Hengshan ranked the second. Numerous emperors had begun to visit and perform sacrifice ceremonies here, in person or sent someone to do so. Prestigious literati and scholars like Li Bai, Jia Dao, Xu Xiake, etc. also paid visits here and thus left poems or couplets praising the grand beauty of Mount Hengshan. Mountain stretches 150km starting from Mount Guancen connecting Mount Taihang in the east and Mount Cuiping in west, Fanzhi Bason in the south standing opposite to Mount Wutai. It follows a northeast course striding over dozens of counties in Shanxi boasting its peak in Hunyuan County with a height of 2016.8m, which is also the highest among the Five Sacred Mountains. Mount Hengshan offers breath-taking natural scenery. The soaring mountain peaks and the surging curves of the mountain ridges, the precipitous cliffs, the grotesque but fantastic caves, the dense and exuberant tree cover, the gurgling brooks, full of the singing and chirping of birds, not to speak of the canopy of clouds and mist that variously veils and unveils the mountain and the skies that surround it: all bear witness to how this mountain has been able to call attention upo
n itself as one of the grandest ones throughout China. Moreover, the Mountain is not only famous for its natural landscape, but also the human landscape. Mount Hengshan has been a venue for Daoism activities. Legends hold that Zhang Guolao, one of the eight gods in Daoism, practicing the Dharma and led a hermitic life here. Ancient mountain passes, cities, beacon towers scatter in the dense forest and steep cliffs. Temples like Fogong (Buddha’s palace) Yuanjue (epiphany) and Yongan (forever peace) house for wood or brick pagodas that hold tremendous historical and scientific value. There also houses inscriptions, tablets, couplets that are left by famous people. One highlight of Mount Hengshan’s scenery is that the buildings are mostly built inside the cliff or hanging right on the face of the cliffs, which considered as architectural miracles attracting millions of visitors across the globe.
Mount Hengshan Attractions
Mount Hengshan Stories
1. The Rainbow Bridge (Yun Ge Hong Qiao)
Lu Ban, one of the most famous carpenter and engineer in Chinese history, visited Mount Hengshan after completing building the Wood Pagoda in Ying County with his sister Lu Jiang who is also an engineer. They got stuck in the rainstorm by Jinlong Dock, thus they decided to hide for a while under the cliff of Cuiping Mountain. When they were waiting, they overheard the conversations between two grannies—one is plump and the other is skinny—who were also stuck there by the heavy rain. The plump old lady said, “I heard Lu Ban and Lu Jiang are building a tower is Ying County.
Probably we may plead them to build a shelter for sweltering sunshine and rainstorms!” The skinny one sighed, “They are busy busy people who have no time to do favors. Now the path to the top of the mountain is blocked by the rain. If they do come and build the shelter, it’ll definitely take them ages to start to build.” Later in the day, the rain grew gentle and the crowd under the cliff drifted. Lu Jiang asked his brother, “Can we build a pavilion and a bridge here?” “We have to get home tomorrow. I don’t think there’s enough time left.” “Then I dare you! And see who finishes first!” When they were building the Wood Pagoda they were in a tie when Lu Jiang dared him. Lu Jiang pushed him even a little more, “I say I build a bridge overnight and you build a hanging chamber. Otherwise I build the bridge AND the chamber, you make twelve pairs of embroidered shoes!” “Are you kidding me? I cannot even manage to make one pair. Maybe I should step up and take her challenge.” Lu Ban thought to himself. The competition began right away. Lu Jiang gathered lumbers and started to build a bridge between the Cuiping Peak and the Tianfeng Peak and named it the Rainbow Bridge. Before dawn, she saw Lu Ban finishing off his work. She was too worried to lose the competition that she forgot to nail the bridge to the rock of the cliffs. Lu Jiang thought she had finished and played a trick on his brother. Lu Ban on the other side of the mountain suddenly heard rooster crowing and thought it was about dawn. So he collected his tools and went to his sister to see who wins. When he come close he found that it was Lu Jiang imitating rooster crow against the cliff! He was so angry that his sister cheated and went home alone. The chamber Lu Ban built is today’s Hanging Temple. It is still in existence for he put honest and hard work into it. While the Rainbow Bridge crush in a few
years for Lu Jiang’s jerry-building. Nowadays people could still see the holes of the bridge relic and pegs in it, only with a giant scripture saying “The Rainbow Bridge” to warn people the recklessness of Lu Jiang.
2. Cuckoo over the cliff
Folklore holds that there was a family in Huncheng County. The mother had been laid up in bed for month for there was no effective medicine. Out of despair the daughter and her sister-in-law visited Heng Temple for a cure. The senior monk looked at their divination and frowned, “I’m afraid one of your family members has to die in trade of your mother’s life as well as other members’ lives.” The daughter set up her mind to die for her family for her brother and sister-in-law were newly-wedded, her younger brother is still a child and her father couldn’t lose her mother. Thus she rushed out of the temple and flung herself down to the abyss. Her loyalty to family impressed Buddha who saved her before she dropped to the ground and then accepted as his disciple. Unfortunately, the sister-in-law chased her and tried to hold her before she fell down the cliff, but slipped and fell into the abyss. It is said that the sister-in-law turned into a cuckoo after she dies singing “cuckoo” “cuckoo” to find the daughter. Thus the cliff was named “Loyalty Cliff” or “Sisters-in-law Cliff”.
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