How is Wudang Mountain in north Shanxi?

North Wudang Mountain, also known as Zhenwu Mountain and Longwang Mountain in ancient times, is located in Fangshan County, Shanxi Province, in the middle section of Luliang Mountains, 32 kilometers from Shishi to the south and 216 kilometers from Taiyuan to the northeast. The North Wudang Mountain Scenic Area consists of 72 peaks, 36 cliffs, and 24 streams. The main peak is Xianglu Peak, with an altitude of 2,254 meters and a total area of ??about 80 square kilometers. It combines "majesty, wonder, danger and beauty" and is a pearl of Luliang Mountain. It is known as the "No. 1 Mountain in the Three Jin Dynasties" and is one of the Taoist holy places in northern my country.

The Xuantian Tianwu Temple is built on the small golden roof of North Wudang Mountain, and there are many murals and stone carvings.

North Wudang Mountain is 1,437 meters above sea level. The scenic area has lush vegetation and a forest coverage rate of more than 70%. Chestnut, apple, persimmon, walnut, oak, locust, lacquer and other trees are scattered throughout the mountains and fields. There are also a wide variety of Chinese herbal medicines in the mountains, such as Polygonum multiflorum, Angelica sinensis, Schizonepeta, mint, ginseng, safflower, wolfberry, etc.

Legend has it that this is the place where Emperor Zhenwu escaped after his second cultivation practice. Therefore, he is deeply respected by Taoists. After Emperor Zhenwu cultivated into an immortal, he came to Bei Wudang. It happened that there was a strange python doing evil here, and the local people were like falling into a burning bed. Emperor Zhenwu immediately killed the strange python. Two years later, the strange python behaved again and its power increased greatly. Emperor Zhenwu then became immortal for the second time and finally achieved success, killing the strange python. The existing Sheshen Cliff records the stories that happened that year.

North Wudang Mountain National Scenic Area

The main peak of North Wudang Mountain is almost surrounded by steep cliffs, with only a man-made "ladder" to climb. Arriving at the foot of the mountain, after passing through five miles of loess and five miles of sand road, there are more than 1,400 stone steps carved into the mountain. There are iron handrails in all steep places. The stone steps are stacked on top of each other, looking up from below, like a "ladder to heaven". When visitors climb, they can hear the melodious "stone sound" with every step, forming a unique "stone music" scenery. Along the stone steps, there are strange pines and stones and temple stone carvings, hidden in the lush mountain vegetation, dotted with each other and complementing each other. The main mountain and stone landscapes include: ancient ape looking at the sun, stone pig suffering, nine dragons coming out of the cave, stone elephants guarding the mountain, heavenly pot pouring dew, stone sheep pilgrimage, stone turtle laying eggs, stone tiger, stone toad, turtle and snake fighting wits, etc. The most amazing spectacle is the "tortoise and snake fighting for wits". According to legend, the tortoise and the green snake were worried about practicing Taoism and fought with each other. After seven or forty-nine days of fighting, the tortoise retreated steadily, while the green snake pressed forward step by step. At that time, Emperor Zhenwu returned to the palace. When he saw this, he gently touched the turtle and snake with his finger, and the turtle and snake were unable to move. From then on, they stayed here forever, which has become a unique thing throughout the ages - the "snake stone" stared at it with eager eyes, and the "turtle stone" tailed the cliff. The stone weighing ten thousand kilograms stands steeply on the edge of the cliff. If pushed hard or blown by the wind, it will be on the verge of falling, which makes people feel anxious. Therefore, it is also called wind-moving stone. It is one of the rare landscapes in my country. The main unusual pine landscapes include: Yuanyang pine, Yingke pine, Tuotian pine, Mother-child pine, etc. The most breathtaking thing is the "Tiantian Exploring Sea Pine". The pine stands halfway up the stone steps. The tree body is divided into two branches. It is tattooed with the sky, and one branch overlooks the peaks. Climbing the stone steps of Nantianmen near Jinding, there are two characters "Qiao Song" engraved on the cliff next to it. It is recorded that it is the handwriting of Jixian, the shepherd king of Yongning Prefecture during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. The existing pine tree stump is nearly one meter in diameter, and you can imagine its former majesty. The main cliffs include: Qianrenbi, Sheshen Cliff, Yingzui Cliff, etc. There are also vertically distributed vegetation, whose color and flowering period change with the seasons, giving North Wudang Mountain a rich attire of "spring pink, summer bright, autumn red, and winter white". Climbing to the top of Wudang, you can see all the mountains at a glance, but you can see the vast mountains in the distance, which have been covered with daisy in recent days, the pine wind blows on your face, and the white clouds are flowing; you can only hear the waves of pines, the gurgling mountain springs, and the chirping of birds, like the light playing of harp strings; in the summer and autumn, it is like Under the clear sky, under the golden dome, the alternate jungle landscape looks like a colorful tapestry; in the distance of white clouds, the continuous mountains look like thousands of dragons tumbling, which is extremely spectacular.

North Wudang Mountain not only has wonderful natural scenery, but also has a long history. According to the research on the existing "Yongning Prefecture Chronicles", North Wudang Mountain had already formed a Taoist pilgrimage site before the Tang Dynasty, and the Xuantian Hall was built on the top of the mountain. As for when it was built before the Tang Dynasty, it remains to be verified. As the years passed, most temples were destroyed and repaired many times. Among them, only during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, two major repairs were carried out. At that time, King Qingcheng of Fenzhou Prefecture, You Jingzhenwu Patriarch, spent huge sums of money to transform the climbing road into stone steps, and restored the long-destroyed Xuantian Hall. The Dragon King The mountain was then renamed North Wudang Mountain and became prosperous for a while. On May 4, the fifty-ninth year of Emperor Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1720), the Xuantian Hall was destroyed. In the second or third year of Yongzheng's reign (1724-1725), a beamless brick kiln (the main hall) was built on the top of the mountain. In the 23rd year of Qianlong's reign (1758), another renovation was carried out. Within two years, Xuantian Temple, Laomu Temple, Dragon King Temple, Linggong Temple and Taihe Palace at the foot of the mountain were completed one after another.

In the twenty-eighth year of Daoguang's reign (1849), the Jinding Nantian Gate was renovated and the words "Wudang Mountain" were engraved on the gate. Later, from the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty to the Guangxu period, it was repaired several times. It can be seen that the existing Taoist temple complex in the North Wudang Mountains has survived more than a thousand years of wind and rain. Although most of the existing buildings are relics of the Ming and Qing dynasties or modern times, they reflect ancient historical origins. Its main buildings include: Duiwan Temple, Linggong Temple, Mountain God Earth Temple, Erlong Temple, Qiao Songshi, Sanguan Temple, Fire Temple, Dragon King Temple, Black Tiger Temple, Xuantian Hall and Taihe Palace. In May 1984, the Fangshan County People's Government started development and construction in order to develop Wudang scenic spots and protect cultural relics and historic sites. In 1990, the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau of Shanxi Province identified it as the only Taoist activity site in the province. In 1994, it was announced as one of the third batch of national scenic spots. In recent years, relevant higher-level units have allocated funds many times, and all walks of life have raised donations. The Xuantian Hall, the commanding heights of North Wudang Mountain and the center of Taoist activities, has been renovated, with high eaves, iron tiles covering the roof, and a majestic new bronze statue of Zhenwu. sit. In addition, temples and stone steps such as the Pantheon were repaired, statues of gods were reshaped, a new circulation path was opened, and a stone archway was built at the entrance to the mountain. At present, the North Wudang Mountain architectural complex has begun to take shape.