Dai Temple, dating back more than 2,000 years, is the largest and best preserved historical site on Taishan. Photos by Wang Dequan

It was while watching the sunrise on Taishan Mountain that Confucius declared "The world is small" and Mao Zedong added his own nugget, "The East is red". In fact, emperors have been visiting the sacred spot for more than 2,000 years to pay homage and offer sacrifices to the gods. Ancient literary figures have also made regular pilgrimages, leaving innumerable poems and inscriptions.

Such is the awe in which it is held that UNESCO declared Taishan a "fine example of harmonious and perfect coexistence between the natural scenery and cultural interests".

Also known as "Dong Yue" (the sacred mountain in the East), Taishan is located in Tai'an, Shandong province, with Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, to the south and Jinan, the provincial capital, to the north. Covering an area of 426 sq km, its summit is 1,545 m above sea level.

The famous tourist destination boasts magnificent natural scenery with impressive statistics: 156 peaks, 72 caves, 130 streams, 64 waterfalls and ponds, 128 historical sites, 1,239 stone steles and 1,277 stone inscriptions.

The beautiful sunrise over Taishan Mountain.

The mountain is also home to 72 famous underground springs, which surge outside and have turned neighboring Jinan into "the City of Springs", and more than 30,000 old trees, including many old pine and cypress trees. It is said that each tree has a story and is a witness to the mountain's glorious history. The cypress at Dai Temple, more than 2,100 years old, is said to have been planted during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) by Emperor Wu, who went to the mountain to hold a grand ritual of offering sacrifices to the Heaven and the Earth.

The mountain is also a meeting point of different religions, its 58 temples testament to the development of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.

Its long history has created many cultural relics, among them 22 ancient architectural complexes that cover an area of 140,000 sq m and are under the State's protection. "The ancient architecture combined with the old paintings and stone sculptures witnessed the development of Chinese culture," says Lu Jixiang, a researcher with Taishan's management committee.

Tang Guiren, a professor at Taishan College, adds: "The cultural heritage on Taishan is unparalleled”.