Elly Shofia
Huashan is a mountain in China that has the most extreme climbing routes in the world. The mountain is located in Huayin, part of Shaanxi province, 120 kilometers from Xian, the nearest city.
The extreme climbing routes make this mountain nicknamed The Road to Heaven. Apart from the climbing route, this is also because this mountain is considered sacred by the community.
The word ‘Hua’ in Mandarin is ‘Zhong Hua‘ which means China. Meanwhile, ‘Hua Xia’ or ‘Hua Shan’ is an ancient name in Chinese.
This mountain is considered to be the original place of Chinese civilization and is considered a holy place.
This mountain has a height of 2,160 meters above sea level. Provided that, reaching the peak must require courage to climb.
This hiking trail is in the form of stairs and winding paths. Moreover, the path is made with boards attached to the rock cliffs.
Although dangerous, the scenery that this mountain offers is very beautiful. However, rows of stone mountains will look like a painting when viewed from the top of the mountain.
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Hiking Routes Through Stairs and Footpaths
The hiking route to the top of Huashan starts with a grand staircase which is nicknamed “The Heavenly Stairs”. This is because the stairs lead to the sky.
One of the famous boardwalks is Changhong. The boardwalk is over 700 years old and was built on the south peak by He Zhizhen.
The hiking trails on this mountain were built by monks and the community. They help each other to make a ‘path’ that leads to the top of the mountain.
The plank path attached to the cliff is small, only one person can pass. On the side of the cliff there is a chain rope to be used as a handle for climbers.
On the other side of the climbing route, local residents also build their own stairs. This ladder is made of iron and attached to the cliff wall.
The Five Peaks of Huashan Mountain
The Huashan mountain area has several mountain peaks. There are five mountain peaks that have their own uniqueness.
To enjoy the sunrise, the best peak is on the east peak. Meanwhile, the southern peak is the highest peak of Huashan, approximately 2,160 m high.
At the western peak, it is known as the Lotus Flower Peak because one of the rocks there is shaped like a lotus flower.
The northern peak is known as the peak of the sea of clouds. While the middle peak is called the jade peak, apart from that on this peak there is also a Taoist Temple called the Jade Maiden Temple.
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Mount Huashan Is Considered Sacred
Mount Huashan is considered sacred by the Chinese people. Many monks go to this mountain to meditate.
There are several religious sites on this mountain, including Taoist temples, pavilions, and scriptures engraved all over the mountain.
At the top of Mount Huashan, there is also a teahouse. This teahouse was established because of the custom of monks and people who perform austerities and meditation, which are then ended by drinking a cup of tea.