Mountain Songshan, known for its beauty and steepness, is located in Dengfeng County of He'nan Province. With a range of 60 kilometers from west to east, it consists of Mountain Taishi and Mountain Shaoshi. As a produce of the lithosphere rising 2 million years ago, Mountain Songshan enjoys a growing attraction as time goes by, favored by the nature with sculptures made by the wind and the rain. Xu Xiake, a widely-known geographer in the Ming Dynasty called it “Peculiar Scenery under the sun”.
Out of the effect of many severe crust movements of the earth, the geological structure of Mountain Songshan area is very complex, forming various kinds of geological views. Strata of five eras since the Archaeozoic to the Cenozoic are well kept as witnesses of the tremendous changes the central plain has experienced in more than 3 billion years. They are ideal for geological structure study and geological sightseeing as well, laurelled by geographers as the natural geological museum with “5 generations of landforms together”.
Mountain Songshan is a mountain of a long history with numerous spots of interests and historic sites. Located at the root of the Huanggai Peak of Mountain Taishi, Zhongyue Temple, also called the “Taishi Temple” which was first built in the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C-206 B.C.), was a shrine to offer sacrifices to the god of Mountain Taishi. In 110 B.C., Emperor Hanwudi of the Han Dynasty came to the temple to offer sacrifices on his way of praying to gods. Arriving at the peak, he suddenly heard the mountains cheering him with “Long live your Majesty!” Out of great excitement, Wudi Emperor ordered to expanding the building of Taishi Temple and conferred names such as the Majesty Peak, the Majesty Pavilion and the Majesty Palace there. Lying in the central China, Mountain Songshan is also called Zhongyue, literally the Middle Saint Mountain, and is regarded as the dwelling of the god of Zhongyue. Therefore, to pray for the stability of the nation, emperors of all generations came here to offer sacrifices.
Visiting Mountain Songshan, the natural museum of history, tourists will broaden their horizon in history and culture as well as enjoying the remarkable natural beauties. |