Mount Heng (衡山: héngshān) is in mountain sacred to Taoists in Hunan province.

Understand

Situated in Hengyang City, Hunan Province, Mount Hengshan is one of China’s Five Sacred Mountains. The mountain range runs 150 km from Hengyang to Changsha. Of the cluster of 72 peaks, the most known is Zhurong Peak. For a long time, Mount Hengshan is acknowledged as a holy place of religions, the Civilization Special Area, the Shou Mountain and the most scenic mount of the Five Sacred Mountains in China. Besides, this mountain is awarded the National Scenic Spots and the Historical Sites, a model of National Civilized Scenic spots and the AAAAA Tourist Destination.

Beautiful Natural Scenery Mount Hengshan has always been a favorite destination, a summer resort and leisure place for tourists for its religious reputation and gorgeous landscapes. More than 1,200 kinds of plants, 9 primitive forests, and more than 150 kinds of precious trees were identified in the area. The Four Wonders of Mount Hengshan: Zhurong Peak, Water Curtain Cave, Fangguang Temple and Sutra Collection Hall are famous for their height, oddity, depth and elegance separately. Mount Hengshan is pleasant for tourists all round the year. They can appreciate exotic flowers in spring, amazing cloud sea in summer, grand sunrise in autumn and flying snow flakes in winter.

Famous Religious Holy Place Both Buddhism and Taoism coexist in Mount Hengshan, which forms the chief religious feature of the mount. Historically, Buddhism and Taoism practice in Mount Hengshan are of great importance. As early as in the late East Han Dynasty (25AD-225AD), Taoists had started their practice in the blessing spots in Mount Hengshan. The Tang Dynasty (618AD-917AD) witnessed the prosperities of ten large Taoist temples and eight hundred bamboo houses. Many Taoists at that time were those with high culture cultivation and profound metaphysics. They wrote books and developed theories of their own. Buddhism was introduced to Mount Hengshan about 200 years later. From 421AD, the second year after the establishment of the South Dynasty (420AD-589AD), large groups of famous monks appeared in Mount Hengshan. They followed rituals sacredly and gradually formed principles of their own, of which the Tiantai Sect (Principles of the Lotus Sutra) was most influential and had been spread to as far as Japan. Additionally, Buddhists in Mount Hengshan also developed the Weiyang Sect, Linji Sect, Caodong Sect, Yunmen Sect, and Fayan Sect, the five principles in the development process of Buddhism in Chinese history. Each had significant influence on religious practice in Southeast Asia and even the whole world.

Civilization Special Area Mount Hengshan has a long and profound history. Most of the legendary emperors in ancient China had connection with Mount Hengshan. For example, Emperor Yan, Emperor Huang, Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun, and Emperor Yu were said to have visited the mountain, demonstrating the importance of Mount Hengshan in the history of China. Mount Hengshan gradually became a center of religious practice in south China when Taoism and Buddhism were introduced to Mount Hengshan successively. With the passage of the Song Dynasty, more than 20 academies were established in this area, forming a unique academy culture of schooling. The emerging Huxiang School can find its origin in this mountain. Even today, influence of these philosophical thinking can be identified in modern schools. It was the vice minister Guan Daxun of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1683) who had first approved the favorite place of Mount Hengshan for its combination of civilization and special area.

Shou Mountain of China The Shou Culture (Longevity Culture) of Mount Hengshan can be dated back to records of Xingjing (the earliest great work of astronomy in the world): Mount Hengshan corresponds to the Zhen Star of the 28 Star Mansions, a star in charge of the life span of being in the world; therefore Mount Hengshan derived the name of Shou Mount. Emperor Huizong (the eighth emperor of Song Dynasty) inscribed the two characters of Shou Mountain for the massive stone carve. The two characters can still be seen in the Emperor Rock of Jinjian Peak. The poem On Restoring the Temple Stone of Mount Hengshan written by Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722) stated that Mount Hengshan is a giant town in south China, which corresponds to the North Star Yuheng, hence the name Shou Mountain.

Climate

Mount Heng is pleasant to visit all year round. It gets snowy in winter but a nice sight nonetheless but hiking is not so recommended in the winter.

Get in

The easiest way to reach Mount Heng (Nanyue) is via Hengyang. There is a daily flight from Beijing as of Dec 2014. There is a shuttle bus from the airport after the daily flight, and at 9:30am from the Hengyang bus terminal. Tickets cost 15. You can also get there via Changsha via train or bus.

To reach Mount Heng/Nanyue from Hengyang City, you can take a bus from Zhongxin or Linghu Bus Station 7-13 yuan depending on time and bus; or take a city bus/taxi to Gongxiao Dasha stop, there are shared taxis or buses to Nanyue. Otherwise a taxi there might cost 100-150 yuan. The trip shall take you around 45 minutes. Roads are still under construction and is can be bumpy for some sections but they are improvements going on.

Fees/Permits

Park Entrance: 80 (1st November - 30th April), 120 (1st May - 31 October) Transportation throughout the park (bus, cable car): 80 Single return to entrance: 45

Get around

Transportation tickets allow you to take get around the entire park with the shuttle buses and take the cable car up and down once. There might be limits to the bus rides. Not buying a transportation ticket will give you strange looks because many sections of the path are paved road with the buses speeding down dangerously. Walking along the side is not much fun and not recommended. The queues for the cable car and buses can get long.

See

Zhurong Feng Peak

Do

Easy day-trip: Buy the transportation ticket unless you want to hike a lot and don't mind hiking on roads. The first section of the park has a nice 4-5km path without many ascends that will take you to the cable car station. From there ascend with the car which is the Southern Heaven Gate and hike to the temple at the peak (Zhurong Feng). You can optionally go to the bridge south of it but most tourists do not bother either. Return to the cable car but take the bus down south of it. It will go down to the entrance within 20-25 minutes.

Longer hikes: Can be tough and be prepared to jump out of the way for the cars. You would also need to prepare some kind of homestay with the local farmers because there aren't any hotels. From the top cable car station you can actually keep hiking west and go around the west side of the mountains. It will take a full day to go back down this way though (~20km).

Buy

Everything on the mountain is overpriced like most tourist attractions in China. Tofu sticks are special in the area but should only be a few RMB. Bring some water and snacks unless you are prepared to overpay. Instant noodles cost 8 RMB for example.

Incense is common for Buddhist areas. The town of Nanyue has plenty for sale especially around the large temple and you can buy it along all shops up the mountain. You can burn it at the temple at the peak like most people.

Peddlers are the top are trying to sell you cheap beads. They are definitely not worth buying and everyone will see you and know you got ripped off by the locals. The temple at the peak also sells blessed beads.

Eat

Tofu sticks, corn can be bought at the peak.

Drink

Bottled waters at high prices are available at many stops.

Sleep

Homestays are available and you can find some signs along the way but there is not much info available online and no proper hotels.

Camping

Officially not allowed although you could go off-track and set up a tent. Keep in mind that the mountain actually has locals so you are not in the "wild".

Stay safe

Although it is strange to see beggars on a tourist mountain, most touts are more annoying than dangerous.

Go next

Grand Temple of Mount Heng