Laoshan Mountain

Located by the seaside of the Yellow Sea, the 1,133-meter-high Laoshan Mountain is known as the No.1 religious mountain along China's coastline and the birthplace of Taoism. It is situated in the south part of Shandong peninsula and northeast of Qingdao urban area. Of marine climate in Temperate Zone, the area has an annual average temperature of 12.6 degree centigrade and precipitation between 940 to 1073 millimeters, the most humid part of Qingdao City. The area consists of 9 scenic sites and 5 resumed scenic sites as well as coastal scenic sites. There are altogether 220 places of interest around a mountainous coast of 87.3 kilometers. The whole area covers 446 square kilometers, including sightseeing area of 161 square kilometers. The highest peak of Mt. Laoshan is the 1133-meter Jufeng, the highest one along the 18000-kilometer coast of China. In ancient times, the emperors of Qin and Han dynasties climbed the mountain to seek immortals. Emperor Tang Minghuang also sent people to make pills of immortality here.

Laoshan Mountain enjoyed the fame of the Second Monastery of the Taoist Quanzhen Sect in the world. In its heyday, there were nine Taoist palaces, eight temples and seventy-two Buddhist nunneries. The Laoshan Taoists were well known throughout the country. There are three routes leading to the mountain with different scenery the middle, the southern and the eastern routes. The present Taiqing Palace, Shangqing Palace, Mingxia Cave, Taiping Palace and Hualou Palace have all been holy places for important Taoist activities and homage land. All of these uniquely featured sights make Mt. Laoshan a perfect place for sightseeing, holidays, recreation, recuperation as well as cultural and patriotism activities. The erosion of Laoshan rocks gives this scenic area a beauty with no comparison. Towering cliff, deep abyss and rocks of untold shapes are so common in Laoshan that they can be seen everywhere. To top all this, the internationally - marketed Tsingtao beer is brewed using the water at Laoshan. The scenery of Laoshan Mountain is characterized by unique stones and caves, clean springs and waterfalls, and paths winding through high peaks. The cultural sites and natural scenes add radiance and beauty to each other. In 1982, it has been rated as one of the national tourist attractions by the State Council.