Mount Qingcheng

Mount Qingcheng is a holy Taoist mountain about 65km west of Chengdu, with a summit of only 1600m. Mount Qingcheng means Azure City Mountain in English. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Dujiangyan Irrigation System in 2000.
In 142 CE, the philosopher Zhang Ling founded the doctrine of Chinese Taoism here. As the birthplace of Taoism,it is celebrated in a series of ancient temples. The mountain was considered as the intellectual and spiritual centre of Taoism in the 17th century.
The eleven important Taoist temples on the mountain reflect the traditional architecture of western Sichuan and include the Erwang Temple, the Fulong Temple, the Changdao Temple built over the place where Zhang Ling preached his doctrines, and the Jianfu Palace.
Except the great traditional architecture, Mount Qingcheng is also well known for its beautiful natural scenery. It is covered by luxuriant and verdant trees. The mountain, which is surrounded by numerous peaks and is shaped like a city, is dubbed 'the most peaceful and secluded mountain under heaven' and combines perfectly with its evergreen scenery.