| Purple Mountain | |
|---|---|
| Zijin Mountain | |
 View from thePurple Mountain Observatory | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 448.2 m (1,470 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | 32°04′13″N118°50′42″E / 32.0702°N 118.8450°E /32.0702; 118.8450 |
| Geography | |
  Purple Mountain Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu | |
Purple Mountain orZijin Shan (Chinese:紫金山;pinyin:Zǐjīn Shān;lit. 'Purple-Gold Mountain') is located on the eastern side ofNanjing inJiangsu province, China. It is 448.9 metres (1,473 ft)[1] high, with it being the highest in Nanjing when compared to other mountains in the city. Its peaks are often found enveloped in purple and golden clouds at dawn and dusk, hence its name.
A small mountain with an area of about 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi), the altitude of Purple Mountain at the top and foot of the mountain is about 448 metres (1,470 ft) and 20 metres (66 ft) respectively. The annual average rainfall is 979 millimetres (38.5 in) to 1,050 millimetres (41 in), and the average annual sunshine time is about 1,855–2,059 hours.[2] Purple Mountain is a mountain related to many historical events of both ancient and modern China. It was originally known asBell Mountain (traditional Chinese:鐘山;simplified Chinese:钟山;pinyin:Zhōngshān) and also became known asMount Jiang (traditional Chinese:蔣山; simplified Chinese:蒋山; pinyin:Jiǎngshān) afterSun Quan namedJiang Ziwen, anEastern Han official whose spirit was said to haunt the site, as themountain's god during theThree Kingdoms era. The nameZijin (紫金) means "copper" - when copper is pure, it appears purple in color, so in Chinese, it is also called purple-gold. It is also namedMount Jinling (金陵山), due to its purple rocks.Jinling means "the mount of purple-gold". It is the origin of the nickname "Jinling" (金陵) of Nanjing. During the Ming dynasty, it was also calledMount Shenlie (神烈山).
More than 200 heritage and scenic tourist sites are now located in or around the mountain, including three national historical sites, nine provincial historical sites, and 33 prefectural historical sites. Located in or close to the hillside of the mountain, there are also about a dozen national research institutes and universities. TheXiao Mausoleum, burial place of theHongwu Emperor and his family, is at the southern foot of the mountain. TheSun Yat-sen Mausoleum, the tomb ofSun Yat-sen, and theMeiling Palace, the residence ofSoong Meiling, are located at the foot of the mountain. Within the grounds of the nearbyLinggu Temple are the tombs ofTan Yankai andDeng Yanda.[3]
Purple Mountain has 621 species of vascular plants, from 383 genera, 118 families (including 78 cultivated species).[citation needed]
Jiangsu topics | |
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| General | |
| Geography | |
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| Visitor attractions | |
