| Mount Qingyuan | |
|---|---|
 Stone statue ofLaozi at the foot of Mount Qingyuan | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 498 m (1,634 ft) |
| Coordinates | 24°57′17″N118°36′29″E / 24.95472°N 118.60806°E /24.95472; 118.60806 |
| Geography | |
  Mount Qingyuan Location in Fujian | |
| Location | nearQuanzhou,Fujian, China |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
| Location | China |
| Part of | Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China |
| Criteria | Cultural: (iv) |
| Reference | 1561 |
| Inscription | 2021 (44thSession) |
Mount Qingyuan (Chinese:清源山;pinyin:Qīngyuán Shān;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Chheng-goân San) is amountain andnational park protecting it,Fujian Province, located in theEast China region ofChina.
The mountain is located about 3 km (1.9 mi) fromQuanzhou city. The summit is 498 m (1,634 ft) above sea level.
Mount Qingyuan National Park protects a total area of 62 km2 (24 sq mi). It includes three major scenic features, the namesake Mount Qingyuan, and Mount Ling and Mount Jiuri.
Mount Qingyuan has been famous since theTang dynasty ofImperial China. The earliest mention of Mount Qingyuan is from around 221–207 BCE. Rapid development of Mount Qingyuan began in 618–1279 CE, and reached its peak during 1297 to 1911.
The centuries of development on Mount Qingyuan has imprinted various important historical and cultural artifacts. Such examples include nine hugeTaoist andBuddhist stone sculptures, 600 stone inscriptions, and 3 granite stones. This includes the "Four Superlatives": the stone statue ofLaozi; the stone statues ofBuddha for Three Lives; the holyIslamic tombs; and the "pray for wind stone" inscriptions.[1]The site also contains the shrine of Master Honyi.
The statue of Laozi is famed as being the largest stone carving of him made during theSong dynasty. It is aMajor Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level; and measures 8.01m in length, 6.85m in width, and 5.63m in height, occupying an area of 55 square metres.
in 2021 The wind-praying inscriptions on Mount Jiuri were inscribed on theUNESCOWorld Heritage List because of its medieval religious importance and its testimony to the global maritime trade that centered onQuanzhou in the Song and Yuan dynasties.[2]