Mount Tai (Taishan)

Mount Tai (Taishan) Review

Reaching 5,067 feet above sea level, Mount Tai is the most venerated of the five sacred mountains of China. A destination for pilgrims for 3,000 years, the mountain was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Confucius is said to have climbed the mountain and said as he scanned the horizon: "The world is very small." Much later, the Marxist Mao Zedong reached the top and even more famously said: "The East is red." If you are keen to reach a ripe old age, legend has it that climbing Mount Tai means you'll live to 100. It is possible to climb the cut-stone steps to the summit in a day, but many people prefer to stay overnight on the mountain. The classic photo—sunrise over the cloud-hugged mountainside—is actually a rare sight because of the mist. Human sacrifices were made on the summit, but today you will only encounter large crowds throughout the year.