| Mount Mian | |||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 綿山 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 绵山 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Cotton(y) Mountain Downy Mountain | ||||||||
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| Former names | |||||||||
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 Statues ofqilins | |||||||||
| Chinese | 介山 | ||||||||
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| Mount Jie | |||||||||
| Literal meaning | Jie's Mountain | ||||||||
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Mount Mian,[1] also known by itsChinese nameMianshan, is amountain in thetown ofMianshan inJiexiu,Jinzhong, in centralShanxi Province inNorth China. Its official scenic area opened in the year 2000 and covers 75 km2 (29 sq mi), with about 400 attractions grouped into 14 tourist areas.
Mount Mian is supposedly named for the resemblance of its long, unbroken ridgeline to a piece ofcotton.[1] Inancient Chinese, however,mián did not refer to cotton but to silkfloss. It was then used by extension for the ideas of "weak", "soft", and "downy", before coming to be used inmodern Chinese as the usual word forcotton.
Mount Mian is a branch of theTaihang Mountains south of theFen River.[2] Its official scenic area covers 75 km2 (29 sq mi), with about 400 attractions grouped into 14 tourist areas.[3] The chain's ridgeline stretches for over 160 km (100 mi), with its highest peak reaching 2,440 meters (8,010 ft).[1]
The vegetation in the area has been a focus of study atShanxi University.[4] Geographical features of note include Buddha Embrace Rock, Tiesuo Ridge, Yinkong Cavity, and the Mosta Dome.[1]
Mount Mian is usually credited[a] as the place of the retreat whereJie Zhitui and his mother were burnt alive in aforest fire begun by his lord,Duke Wen of thestate of Jin, in the 7th century BC.[1] Duke Wen's remorse prompted him to erect a temple in Jie's honor, with sacrifices funded by designated lands in nearbyMianshang. By the middle of theHan dynasty, people aroundTaiyuan Commandery were treating Jie as atutelary deity and observing a taboo against lighting fires for five days aroundmid-winter.[6] By the mid-2nd century AD, it was being observed for an entire month and causing hardship on the young and elderly[7] to the point thatCao Cao and other leaders began attempting to ban Jie'sCold Food Festival altogether, despite its having moved by that point toQingming in early spring.[8] Commoners continued to ignore these provisions and to particularly revere a stand of blackened trees, one looking as though it were held in a man's arms, where variousmiracles were reported.[9] A compromise under theNorthern Wei was to restrict it to the area surrounding Mount Mian in 496[10] but its popularity was such that it continued to spread until it was observed by most of China under theSui and transformed into theTomb Sweeping Festival under theTang andSong.[11]
Mount Mian has been an importantTaoist site since theSpring and Autumn period (8th–5th centuries BC) of theZhou.[12] The firstBuddhist temple was erected on the mountain under theNorthern Wei and, by the earlyTang, it had become large and powerful.[1] During the collapse of theSui and rise of theTang,Li Shimin (later "Emperor Taizong") defeatedSong Jingang in the Queshu Valley below Mount Mian, prompting the surrender ofYuchi Gong.[12] During theSouthern Song,Li Wugong andLi Shi foughtJin soldiers nearby.[12] Under theMongolianYuan,Yunfeng and other temples on the mountain were repaired.[12] At the end of theMing, the military governor atTaiyuan retreated to Mount Mian to lead his ultimately unsuccessful defense of the area.[12]
DuringWorld War II,Zhang Dehan andLi Zhimin ledCommunistguerrillas againstJapanese andNationalists in the area.[12] The Japanese retaliated, damaging or destroying most[2] of the temples in 1940.[12]
The mountain has been used as a summer resort sinceimperial times.[1] Since 1995,Yan Jiying, chairman of theSanjia Coal and Chemical Company, has spent 600m RMB repairing the mountain and its temples.[12] It was opened as a public scenic area in 2000.[2] It remains among the most importantTaoist sites in modern China.[13] The second majorTaoist rite to occur inmainland China after theCommunist victory in theChinese Civil War—aGreat Offering to the Entire Firmament(t羅天大醮,s罗天大醮,Luótiān Dàjiào)—occurred at Mount Mian in 2001.[14][15] Mount Mian was also one of the most important sites for the celebrations surrounding the anniversary ofLao-tze's birth in March 2003.[16] TheChina National Tourism Administration named Mount Mian aAAAAA-rated tourist attraction in 2013.[17] A study by researchers fromShanxi University the same year, however, found that the routes through the scenic area remained insufficiently interconnected with one another and should be further optimized to increase the resort's capacity.[18]
This area includes over 20 sites, including theDragon Head Temple and theLongmen Stone Arches.[3] The Dragon Head Temple supposedly takes its name from a pair ofdragons who appeared toLi Shimin ("Emperor Taizong" of theTang) during a visit to the mountain.[3]
The Dragon Ridge Peak area includes a statue ofJie Zhitui with his mother, aTangbarracks, and a park withstone inscriptions about public health.[3] The ridge is named for its appearance, thought to resemble two intersectingdragons.[3]
The Traces of the Five Dragons or Wulongchan are fivegullies supposedly formed by the bodies of fivedragons who visited Mount Mian to listen to asermon by theTang buddhaTian Zhichao.[19] TheZhengguo Temple has 3 halls preserving the well-preserved remains of 12 othermonks of the Tang,Song, andYuandynasties.[19] Other sites in the valleys are theShangfang Academy, theFive-Dragon Pine, theLingyin Terrace, and theTongtian Yunqu ("Cloud Thoroughfare Leading toHeaven").[19]
The Guteng or Ancient Vine Valley,[20] also known as the Stream Gully,[20] includes the path leading to the top of Mount Mian.[20] It has abundant wildlife includingpheasants andsquirrels and variousmedicinal herbs, shrubbery, and wildflowers.[20] It is particularly noted for its abundant and unusual vines, which entwine the valley's ancient trees and shade its medieval stone carvings.[20]
TheLord Jie Ridge is the supposed site ofJie Zhitui'simmolation by order of his close friendDuke Chong'er ofJin[21] around 636 BC. He came to be revered as aTaoistimmortal, and his temple and tomb have been sites ofpilgrimage since his death.[2] In the 6th century AD, a charred grove of trees were also a major attraction, with somemiracles recorded.[22][23] The Lord Jie Shrine or Pavilion of the Divine Jie (t 介神閣,s 介神阁,Jièshéngé)[24] is the biggestgrottotemple in China,[25] with two ellipsoid columns supporting a cave 22 meters high, 40 meters wide, and 25 meters deep[25] (72×130×82 ft). Its altar faces a 11-meter-tall (36 ft) idol of Jie Zhitui, with smaller idols of his mother andXie Zhang on each side. His legend is retold in dozens ofreliefs on the cave's columns and walls.[25]
Cypress Ridge,[21] also known as Baishu Ridge,[25] covers a territory of about 2 km2 (3⁄4 sq mi), covered with picturesquecyprus and including thetomb constructed for Jie Zhitui byDuke Chong'er of Jin.[25] It is reached by a path including 2000 stone steps.[25] Individually notable trees include the Qin Cypress, one of the largest in China; the Mother-and-Son Cypress, considered to represent Jie and his mother; and the Dragon-Shaped Cypress, whose roots extend down the cliffside.[25]Yuan,Ming, andQing tombs are also found scattered around the area.[25]
TheStele Forest[21] includes diverse forms ofChinese calligraphy by about 100 people, including the emperorLi Shimin, the generalsZhang Liang andWei Zheng, and the scholarsGuo Tai andHe Zhizhang.[25] Many inscriptions retell the legends surrounding the mountain, particularly the stories of Jie Zhuitui.[25]
An area named after Princess Changzhao, a sister ofLi Shimin who became anun after experiencing a vision of theBuddha while visiting the mountain with the emperor in the spring of AD 641.[26] The emperor built atemple for her, and the area is still decorated with Tang-era sculptures as well as the nativecypresses andpines.[26]
The Qixian Canyon ("Canyon for Wise People")[21] is a winding and undulousgully traversed by path, suspension bridges, and ancient-style ladders. Apart from the mountains and foliage, the area is decorated withstone inscriptions, unique rocks,springs, and waterfalls.[21]
Thespring, also known as Holy Breast or Stone Breast Spring,[26] flows across dozens of rounded,moss-covered stones before falling 100 meters (330 ft) into a 180-meter-wide (590 ft) wide pond.[26] During theKangxi Era (17th–18th century), the local writerLiang Xiheng compared the sounds of the water drops tonotes played on theChinese zither.[26] Other nearby sites includeWangfeng Gate; theThree Emperors Pavilion; theHall of the Saintly Mother; and the Temples of theFour Dragons, theFive Sacred Mountains, theFujianesewater goddessMazu, and the fivedragonspaying respect to their mother.[26]
The Shuitao or Water Billowing Gully[20] includes the most picturesque natural scenery on Mount Mian, with its 16-kilometer (10 mi) path passing by and through thick forests and several dozenwaterfalls.[20]
The Sky Bridge is aplank road more than 300 meters (1,000 ft) long but less than one meter (three feet three inches) wide, suspended 200 m (700 ft) below the mountain's ridge but 300 m (1,000 ft) above the valley floor.[27] Mist and clouds sometimes collect below it, creating aheavenly scene.[27] Other nearby sites areRabbit Bridge; a cypress whose shape causes it to be known as theWangbai Dragon; and medieval fortresses aroundShile Village andDongshen Palace.[27] The latter is aTaoisttemple built byLi Shimin of theTang in honor ofLao-tze.[27]
TheTemple of All-Embracing Heaven,[12] also known as the Daluo Palace(t大羅宮,s大罗宫,Dàluó Gōng),[27] is the largest on the mountain.[2] It reached its present size of 13 stories during restoration work ordered byEmperor Xuanzong of theTang in AD 732.[27] It is an importantTaoisttemple sometimes compared withLhasa'sPotala Palace.[27] It has a stone inscription ofLao-tze'sTao Teh Ch'ing[b] and (in its Baiyun Convent) another of theBuddhistDiamond Sutra.[27] Its library supposedly houses China's largest repository ofsutras.[27]
Yidou Spring is afreshwater spring thought to be shaped like thecharacter斗.[28] A localmyth relates that in antiquity Mount Mian suffered adrought and became barren and desolate. ThePrimeval Lord of Heaven saw this and wet hisbrush in theEast China Sea, then spread it along the length of the mountain. The land revived and grew a lush forest, with the largest drops becoming a number of springs around the mountain, including Yidou.[28] The god is honored for this gift at the Dongzhen Palace, built inside a natural cave near the spring. Hanging sculptures decorate the cave with scenes from the Taoist understanding of the history of the universe.[28] Other sites in the area includeElephant Trunk Hill,Deer Bridge, and theGushan andMountain-Fixing Rocks.[28]
Yunfeng Temple(云峰寺,Yúnfēng Sì),[12] also known as Baofu Temple, is located in the mountain's largest natural cave inside Baofu Rock.[19] It was first built during theThree Kingdoms period (3rd century),[19] was refurbished byLi Shimin,[12] and now contains more than 200 rooms. It is dedicated to theTang buddhaTian Zhichao under his title of "King of Immateriality".[19] Hisclay-entombedmummy resides in the center of the temple's main hall.[19] The temple's other treasures include theKaiyuan Tablet, a couplet byFushan, and a plaque granted by theGuangxu Emperor of theQing.[19]
Dongxuan Palace is atemple dedicated to theLord of Lingbao.[28] The rest of Zhujia'ao Valley is mostly associated with local legends about the family of theHongwu Emperor, founder of China'sMing dynasty. Supposedly, his fatherZhu Wusi had once come to the temples in the valley to worshipBuddha and the other gods and returned to shower it with favor once his son ascended to the throne.[28] Although Zhu had actually died before his son's enthronement,later Ming emperors visited Mt Mian to offersacrifices and restore older temples.[28]
Other notable sites within the scenic area areYuanhao Slope, theImmortal Stone Forest, theHujie andMother-and-Son Stones,Lotus-Leaf Spring,White Crow andTurtle Mountains, and theFire-Preventing Cave.[25] Other surviving temples include theBamboo Forest Temple and theIron Tile Temple.[1]
The main road on Mount Mian now extends halfway up the peak.[2] The paths to each major area are connected by bus routes.[2]
The temples have an annual celebration during theCold Food Festival honoringJie Zhitui in the three days on and around theTomb Sweeping Festival.[1] AreaTaoists also continue to perform theGreat Offering on the 28th day of the 4th month of theChinese lunar calendar.[29]
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