Zhongnan Mountain 终南山

Zhongnan Mountain, also known as "Taiyi Mountain", "Difei Mountain", "Zhongnan Mountain" and "Zhounan Mountain", is abbreviated as "Nanshan". It is a section of the Qinling Mountains, starting from Mei County, Baoji, Shaanxi in the west and ending at Lantian, Shaanxi in the east. With thousands of peaks covered in green, the scenery is beautiful, and it has long been known as "Fairy Capital" and "the Crown of Grotto-Heavens". Its main peak is located in Zhouzhi County, with an altitude of 2604 meters. The "Nanshan" in the couplet "Happiness is like the ever-flowing water of the East China Sea; longevity is like the evergreen pine of Nanshan" refers to this mountain.

Zhongnan Mountain is one of the birthplaces of Taoism. Regarding where Yin Xi, the magistrate of Hangu Pass, observed the purple qi coming from the east, in addition to the Qiwang Platform at Hangu Pass, there is another saying that it was at Louguantai in Zhongnan Mountain. According to local legends: During the reign of King Kang of Chu, Yin Xi, an astronomer and astrologer, served as the magistrate of Hangu Pass. He built a thatched tower in Zhongnan Mountain and climbed it every day to observe the stars and qi. One day, he suddenly saw purple qi coming from the east and auspicious stars moving westward. He had a premonition that a sage would pass through the pass, so he waited there. Soon, an old man wearing colorful cloud clothes and riding a green ox arrived, who turned out to be Laozi traveling west to Qin. Yin Xi hurriedly invited Laozi to Louguan, treated him as a disciple, and asked him to lecture and write books. Laozi taught Yin Xi the 5000-character Tao Te Ching on the high hill south of the tower, then left gracefully. It is said that the Scripture Lecture Platform at today's Louguantai is where Laozi lectured back then. After Taoism emerged, Laozi was revered as the founder of Taoism, Yin Xi as the True Person Wenshi, and Tao Te Ching as the fundamental classic. Thus, Louguan became "the origin of Taoist circles in the world".

Located at the northern foot of Zhongnan Mountain, in Zu'an Town, Huxian County, 40 kilometers southwest of Xi'an, the Grand Chongyang Longevity Palace is one of the three ancestral courts of Taoism and the place where Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Quanzhen School, practiced Taoism in his early years. It has always enjoyed the reputation of "the Ancestral Court of the World" and "the Holy Land of Quanzhen".

The Chongyang Palace flourished in the Yuan Dynasty. Its domain extended east to the Laoyu River, south to Zhongnan Mountain, and north to the Weihe River, with more than 5000 halls and pavilions, housing nearly 10,000 Taoists. During the reign of Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, it was renamed "Grand Chongyang Longevity Palace" by imperial decree. The palace preserves more than 40 steles recording the history of the Quanzhen School of Taoism, including the stele with portraits of Ancestor Wang Chongyang and the Seven Perfect Ones, the poem stele of No Dream Song, Stele of the Yuan Dynasty Imperial Decree for Hiding Imperial Clothes, Stele of the Secret Words for the Founding of Quanzhen, steles with imperial edicts of five Yuan emperors, and the painting stele of Zhong Kui Teasing Ghosts by Wu Daozi of the Tang Dynasty. There are also relics such as the "Tomb of the Living Dead" and the "Millennium Ancient Ginkgo Embracing Cypress" planted by Ma Danyang. Covering an area of 53 mu, the palace has newly built structures like the Chongyang Hall and the Bell and Drum Towers, while the original Lingguan Hall and Seven Perfect Ones Hall have been renovated and repainted to look brand new. The Chongyang Palace is located at the beautiful northern foot of Zhongnan Mountain, with Qingliang Mountain and Wangxianping to the south, Caotang Temple to the east, and Louguantai to the west.

The area is surrounded by green peaks, with clear springs gurgling, streams meandering, pine trees standing tall, bamboo thick and lush, featuring a pleasant climate and beautiful scenery. There was an old saying: "Among the numerous landscapes in Guanzhong, Zhongnan Mountain is the most splendid; among the thousand-mile green peaks of Zhongnan, Louguantai is the best." It has long been known as "the First Blessed Land under Heaven".

The existing Taoist scenic spots and buildings at Louguantai include: Laozi's Tomb, Scripture Lecture Platform, Alchemy Furnace, Huannv Spring, Shangshan Pool, Yangtianchi Lake, Lüzu Cave, Wulao Cave, the site of Zongsheng Palace, ancient ginkgo trees, Cattle-Tying Cypress, and Sanying Cypress. The most famous among them is Laozi's Scripture Lecture Platform, a peak with an altitude of over 560 meters. It leans against the Qinling Mountains to the south and overlooks the Weihe River to the north, with lush trees, fragrant flowers and plants, and a majestic momentum. Ascending the stone steps from the south of the platform, one passes through the mountain gate and Lingguan Hall, then enters the Taoist courtyard gate at the top. The courtyard has three main halls: Laojun Hall, Doumu Hall, and Jiuku Hall; two side halls: Taibai Hall and Sisheng Hall, as well as auxiliary buildings such as bell and drum towers, a scripture repository, Taoist quarters, and guest rooms. The platform is lined with steles and plaques. More than 70 inscriptions by literati of past dynasties remain, among which the most famous are the Yuan Dynasty steles with Gao He's plum-blossom-style ancient seal script of Tao Classic and Virtue Classic, the Tang Dynasty stele Record of the Great Tang Zongsheng Temple written by Ouyang Xun, the official script Ode to Spiritual Response, the running script Stele of Laozi's Manifestation in the Tang Dynasty by Su Lingzhi, and the official script Stele of Yin Wencao, Abbot of Zongsheng Temple in the Tang Dynasty by Yuan Banqian.

Huayang Temple, located at the entrance of Huayang Valley in Huxian County, gets its name from its location. Also known as Huayang Palace, Huayang View, Dongyue Temple, Tianqi Temple, and Taiyue Ancestral Hall, it is said to have been built in the Song Dynasty. To the east is Jitou Mountain, to the west is Niushou Mountain, to the south are the overlapping peaks of the Qinling Mountains, and to the north is the hundred-mile Qinchuan Plain. It is nestled by mountains and water, with dense forests. The buildings are complete and arranged in an orderly manner. The Dongyue Offering Hall is a rare existing Yuan Dynasty building in the province. It has 5 bays and 6 halls, with a single-eave gable and hip roof, a depth of 6 meters, the middle bay is 4 meters wide, the side bays are 2.8 meters wide, with a construction area of 107 square meters, belonging to the hall frame structure. The entire building was renovated in 1988. There are also buildings such as the Vajra Hall, Opera Tower, First Heavenly Gate, Second Heavenly Gate, Bodhisattva Hall, and Dongyue Hall, which are solemn and ancient, with rigorous structures. A stele stands in the front courtyard of the main hall, 2.37 meters high, with Mongolian characters on the upper part and Chinese characters on the lower part.