Zhongnan Mountains

The Zhongnan Mountains (simplified Chinese: 终南山; traditional Chinese: 終南山), sometimes called the Taiyi Mountains (Chinese: 太乙山) or Zhounan Mountains (Chinese: 周南山), are a branch of the Qin Mountains located in Shaanxi Province, south of Xi'an, China that extend from Wugong County in the east of the province to Lantian County. At 2604 meters the range's highest point is the Cui Hua Mountain. Other notable peaks and places in the Zhongnan mountains include Lou Guan Tai, (where Taoist sage Laozi is said to have dwelt and conveyed the Dao De Jing), as well as Nan Wutai (simplified Chinese: 南五台; traditional Chinese: 南五臺) and Guifeng (Chinese: 圭峰).

The Zhongnan mountains have been a popular dwelling-place for Daoist hermits since at least the Qin Dynasty. Buddhist monks began living in the mountains after Buddhism's introduction into China from India in the early first millennium AD. The Complete Perfection Sect, one of the largest branches of modern Taoism, was founded in the Zhongnan mountains by Song Dynasty Taoist Wang Chongyang. Due to the mountains' close proximity to the ancient capital of Chang'an, officials who incurred the imperial court's wrath often fled to these mountains to escape punishment.

References

Bill Porter, Road To Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits. Counterpoint, 1993. ISBN 1-58243-523-5.
Edward A. Burger, Amongst White Clouds. Buddhist Hermit Masters of China's Zhongnan Mountains, Festival Media, 2007. Documentary movie.

External links

终南山 Baidu Baike entry for Zhongnan Mountains (Chinese)

Mountain ranges of China

Geography of China

Northwest China	Altai Mountains Dzungarian Alatau Tian Shan Borohoro Mountains Tarbagatai Mountains Kunlun Mountains Altyn-Tagh Qilian Mountains Helan Mountains

Qinghai-Tibet and Southwest China	Himalayas Transhimalaya Pamir Mountains Karakoram Argu Tagh Yengisogat Kunlun Mountains Hoh Xil Bayan Har Mountains Amne Machin Tanggula Mountains Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains Hengduan Mountains Gaoligong Mountains Yunling Mountains Ailao Mountains Qionglai Mountains Daxue Mountains Min Mountains

Northeast China	Greater Khingan Lesser Khingan Changbai Mountains Wanda Mountains Qian Mountains

Northern China	Yin Mountains Lang Mountains Lüliang Mountains Taihang Mountains Zhongtiao Mountains Qin Mountains Dabie Mountains Mount Tai

Central China	Daba Mountains Wudang Mountains Jingshan Mountains Dabie Mountains Luoxiao Mountains Jiuling Mountains Mufu Mountains Wugong Mountains Huangshan Tianmu Mountain Wuling Mountains Xuefeng Mountains Yandang Mountains Wuyi Mountains

Southern China	Cang Mountain Daliang Mountains Dalou Mountains Nanling Mountains Jiuyi Mountains Yuecheng Mountains Longmen Mountains Western Mountains

Landforms of China

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Zhongnan Mountains

See also

References

External links