Sacred Mountains of China
The Chinese culture looks back on a millennia-old tradition, Sacred Mountains (Chinese圣山/圣山, Pinyin Shengshan ) to describe.
Mountain descriptions and Mountain lists
The mountain (or mountains, both山, Shān ) applies from Chinese antiquity as cosmos logical primitive, such as a trigram (卦, Guà ) of Zhouyi / Yijing, the Book of Changes, where he embodies the union of heaven and earth and provide basic character traits such as honesty, patience and perseverance. 圣/圣, Sheng is "holy" with, but also "wise " translated: In the artistic representation corresponds to the mountain, surrounded by secondary peaks, the ideal type of a personality of responsibility and social status, on their own for the hermit as a monk or philosopher.
Mountain descriptions that Shanzhi (山 志, Shanzhi ) were compiled and published around since the Tang period. There are numerous traditional sacred groups or memorable mountain, under which a total of nine sacred mountains, the most important are: The Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism and the four sacred mountains of Buddhism. The number nine is in Chinese universal religion as a sacred number of major importance.
This Sacred Mountains played a role as centers of traditions, but also the old state cult beings. You are pilgrimage destinations for centuries and even today attract large amounts of visitors. The Chinese term for pilgrimage (朝圣/朝圣, Chaosheng ) is consistent manner also a shortened form of朝拜 圣山/朝拜 圣山, Chaobai Sheng Shan, which translates as " a sacred mountain pay its respects " means.
The Huang Shan
The Huang Shan (黄山, Yellow Mountain ', actually Duo Shan) in Anhui is the emblem and embodiment of Chinese culture. Xu Xiake, geographer of the Ming Dynasty, says of the Huang Shan:
" After seeing the five Rama was no longer interested to visit other mountains. But after the visit of the Yellow Mountain, the interest for the five mountains is also lost. "
The group includes a total of 72 mountain summits memorable, 36 " majestic and threatening " and 36 " dainty and graceful " summit.
Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism
The Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism, Wuyue (五岳/五岳, Wǔyuè, five peaks ') called, are:
According to Chinese mythology, the five peaks of the head and limbs were Pangus (盘古/盘古, Pángǔ ), the first living creatures according to Chinese mythology. The Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism are also associated with the cardinal points, which was a further, " the center ," adds, as the Old China saw as the "Middle Kingdom ". Even in the five- element theory, the mountains are each associated with an element of the compass accordingly.
Schools (派, pai ) of Daoism, which have been named after mountains or mountain ranges or similar:
- Longmen龙门
- Laoshan崂山
- Suishan随 山
- Yushan遇 山
- Huashan华山
- Yushan嵛 山
- Laohuashan老 华山
- Heshan鹤山
- Huoshan霍山( Anhui )
- Wudang武当
Four sacred mountains of Buddhism
The four sacred mountains of Buddhism, Sida fojiao Mingshan (四大 佛教 名山, SIDA fojiao Mingshan, Four large, Buddhist, famous mountains ') are:
These four mountains are equated with four metals :金 五台,银 普陀,铜 峨嵋,铁 九华. Each of the four mountains is also assigned a Buddhist deity, worshiped there. Jiuhua Shan: the merciful Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha ( Dizang ), Emei Shan: the salvation granted Bodhisattva Samantabhadra ( Puxian ), Wutai Shan: Bodhisattva Manjushri ( Wen Shu ) and Putuo Shan: Bodhisattva Guanyin.
Among the sacred Buddhist mountains the two, the Putuo Shan takes as the Avalokiteśvara Buddhist myth of the mythical Mount Potala respect as the Mar -po -ri ( " Red Mountain " ) from Lhasa, location of the Potala Palace.
Other religious centers
Religious centers are also the Wutai Mountains (五台山, Wǔtái Shān ) in Wutai, Shanxi, and the Lu Shan (庐山/庐山, County Louth Shān, mountain hermit hut ' at Guling ) is considered a particularly awe-inspiring, as are the mountains of Guilin ( 桂林, Guilin ) on the Li River, the most visited tourist destination in Beijing China.