May is a time of honor, where one can stand atop the utmost peak and look down upon all other mountains as small! I am waiting for you at Mount Tai in Shandong

"To stand atop the utmost peak and look down upon all other mountains as small." This is a famous line from the poem 'Viewing the Mountain' by Du Fu, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty. Mount Tai is majestic and magnificent, and has always been known as the 'Foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains' or 'The Most Revered of the Five Sacred Mountains'. Mount Tai was anciently known as Mount Dai, also called Dai Zong. The ancients had the praise 'When reaching Mount Tai, there are no other mountains in the world'. In fact, the Jade Emperor Peak of Mount Tai is only 1545 meters high, ranking third among the Five Sacred Mountains, and is insignificant compared to the high mountains and giant peaks of the country. Why does Mount Tai hold such a lofty status? This is related to the fact that emperors of past dynasties held their enfeoffment and sacrificial ceremonies here, promoting Mount Tai as a sacred place connected to the heavens. The enfeoffment system painted Mount Tai with a divine color and left behind a large number of cultural relics and historic sites. The first famous person to have a close relationship with Mount Tai in history was Confucius, hence Mencius had the famous saying 'Confucius climbed Mount Tai and belittled the world'. To the north of the One Heaven Gate on the Mount Tai climbing route stands the stone archway 'Confucius' Ascending Place'. Passing through the entrance gate, the Red Palace, and taking a small path to the northeast, one can see the famous Jing Shi Yu, also known as the Sutra Sunning Platform. On a 600 square meter stone platform, the script of the Diamond Sutra is carved in clerical script, with characters about 50 centimeters in size, written by people of the Northern Qi Dynasty. The calligraphy is vigorous and a combination of strength and softness, and is known as 'the ancestor of large characters, the origin of official script'. Climbing up the Eighteen Bends, entering the South Heaven Gate, one arrives at the most spectacular building on the Dai Top, the Bixia Temple. The temple has a rigorous structure and is richly decorated, built during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty for the worship of the Old Mother of Mount Tai, Bixia Yuanjun. To the northeast of Bixia Temple is the Daguan Peak, where the famous Tang Dynasty cliff inscription 'Ji Tai Shan Ming' is located, personally written by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang when he enfeoffed Mount Tai. The highest peak of Mount Tai is the Jade Emperor Peak, also known as the Pillar of Heaven Peak. To the east of the Jade Emperor Temple is the Sun Viewing Pavilion, and to the west is the River Viewing Pavilion, where one can enjoy the four great wonders of Mount Tai. : The Four Great Wonders of Mount Tai-- 1. Sea of Clouds and Jade Plate, one of the four great wonders of Mount Tai, often appears in the summer and autumn seasons. When the wonder of the Sea of Clouds and Jade Plate appears, the surrounding mountains of Mount Tai are either swallowed by clouds and mist, or a few mountain tops are left protruding from the clouds. 2. Evening Glow and Sunset, one of the scenic spots of Mount Tai. After the rain clears and the sky is high and the air is fresh, when the sun sets in the west, if you stroll on the top of Mount Tai and look up at the western sky: clusters of remaining clouds resemble peaks and ridges, and streaks of golden light penetrate the clouds and fog, pouring down to the human world. 3. Sunrise in the East, one of the wonders of the Dai Top, and also an important symbol of Mount Tai. 4. Yellow River Golden Belt, one of the four great wonders of Mount Tai. When the sky is clear after rain and the sun sets in the west, looking far away, on the northwest side of Mount Tai, at the end of the layers of peaks, one can also see the Yellow River like a golden ribbon shining brightly; or the river water reflected in the sky, creating a mirage, both called 'Yellow River Golden Belt'. (Welcome to share your impressions of Mount Tai in the comments section, thank you for your likes, and follow me to gain knowledge every day.)