| Taibai-shan Summit of Traditional China, Sacred to Daoists, SW of Xian |
| X |
| I have never been to Taibai-shan; all photos on this page were borrowed from Wikipedia and similar Chinese public-domain websites |
Famen Buddhist Temple with Sarira Pagoda
Maiji-shan Buddhist Grottoes
Zhongnan-shan Daoist Sub-Range
Louguan-tai Daoist Temple
Zhongnan-shan Geumseon-gwan Temple
Hua-shan the Western Imperial Daoist Mountain
Qingling Mountain Range Intro Page
Sacred Mountains of China Index Page
Sanshin Site Contents Page
Maiji-shan Buddhist Grottoes
Zhongnan-shan Daoist Sub-Range
Louguan-tai Daoist Temple
Zhongnan-shan Geumseon-gwan Temple
Hua-shan the Western Imperial Daoist Mountain
Qingling Mountain Range Intro Page
Sacred Mountains of China Index Page
Sanshin Site Contents Page
The tallest mountain in the Qinling Range is the vast Taibai-shan [太白山, Grand-White Mountain]
near its western origin, whose summit Baxian-tái (拔仙台, Extract-Immortal Platform, Balseon-dae in
Korean), reaches up to 3,767 metres (12,359 ft). It soars is about 100 kilometres west of the ancient
capital Chang-an, and is said to be the highest mountain in "eastern China" -- the traditional Chinese
territory east of the northwestern deserts and the Tibetan Plateau, and from Mongolia/Manchuria in
the north down to Southeast Asia. It has been a National Forest Park & Nature Reserve since 1965.
The Luyi-ji 錄異記 record of the Tang Dynasty says: "The essence of the Golden Star [the planet
Venus, also known as taibai / grand-white] fell to the west of Zhongnan-shan (the central area of
the Qinling Range), and thus that mountain became titled Taibai."
The Shui-jing Zhu [Commentary on the Water Classic], a long essay on ancient Chinese cultural
geography compiled in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 CE) records: "During the time of
Emperor Wu of Western Han, a Daoist temple already existed on Mount Taibai that was dedicated
to Gu Chun, a man recorded in the ancient record Lie Xian Zhuan 列仙传."
The famous Tang poet Li Bai wrote in a poem:
"How vast is great Taibai-shan,
the stars across its slopes arrayed;
From Immortal Heaven it stands a thousand miles,
from Mortal Earth so much farther away."
The fact that this great mountain has the same name as the "Taebaek-san" [太白山, Grand-White
Mountain] that is featured in the Gaecheon-jeol / Dan-gun Myth of Korea's national origin seems
highly significant in our interpretations of that tale and its significance.
near its western origin, whose summit Baxian-tái (拔仙台, Extract-Immortal Platform, Balseon-dae in
Korean), reaches up to 3,767 metres (12,359 ft). It soars is about 100 kilometres west of the ancient
capital Chang-an, and is said to be the highest mountain in "eastern China" -- the traditional Chinese
territory east of the northwestern deserts and the Tibetan Plateau, and from Mongolia/Manchuria in
the north down to Southeast Asia. It has been a National Forest Park & Nature Reserve since 1965.
The Luyi-ji 錄異記 record of the Tang Dynasty says: "The essence of the Golden Star [the planet
Venus, also known as taibai / grand-white] fell to the west of Zhongnan-shan (the central area of
the Qinling Range), and thus that mountain became titled Taibai."
The Shui-jing Zhu [Commentary on the Water Classic], a long essay on ancient Chinese cultural
geography compiled in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 CE) records: "During the time of
Emperor Wu of Western Han, a Daoist temple already existed on Mount Taibai that was dedicated
to Gu Chun, a man recorded in the ancient record Lie Xian Zhuan 列仙传."
The famous Tang poet Li Bai wrote in a poem:
"How vast is great Taibai-shan,
the stars across its slopes arrayed;
From Immortal Heaven it stands a thousand miles,
from Mortal Earth so much farther away."
The fact that this great mountain has the same name as the "Taebaek-san" [太白山, Grand-White
Mountain] that is featured in the Gaecheon-jeol / Dan-gun Myth of Korea's national origin seems
highly significant in our interpretations of that tale and its significance.
| Taibai-shan 太白山, the highest summit |
| X Louguan- tai Temple |
| eastern Zhongnan-shan (Cuihua-shan) |
| western part of Zhongnan-shan (Shouyang-shan) |
| Li-shan |
| X Laojun Temple |
| Taibai-shan seen from Maiji-shan, winter 2009 |
| central region of the Qinling Mountain Range |
