Taishan was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site in 1987 and honored as a "Geopark of the World" in 2006.

There are three ways of climbing the mountain

The center, Red Gate, route is the main route for everyday folk. It is also the imperial way, since it was the one favored by emperors.

On the route can be found the must-see Dai Temple. Covering an area of 96,000 sq m, Dai Temple spans 405 meters from south to north and 236 meters from east to west.

Stone sculptures in Lingyan Temple bear witness to the history of Taishan.

Dating back more than 2,000 years, it is the largest and best preserved structure on Taishan, ranking with the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Temple of Confucius, the Confucius' Family Mansion and Cemetery in Qufu and the Summer Resort in Chengde as one of the most famous ancient architectural complexes in China.

In front of the Tiankuang Hall, the temple's main structure, you can not only see a Ming Dynasty iron censer and two Song Dynasty pails but also read the tablets inscribed with the poems of Qianlong, a great Qing Dynasty emperor.

On the walls of the hall are painted a giant Taoist mural that is 3.3 m high, 62 m long and depicts the Taishan Mountain God having a tour of inspection of his site.

The mural features 675 people, stones, forests, palaces, bridges and riding beasts, and is regarded as a masterpiece of Taoist painting.

In the Han Dynasty Cypress Courtyard are five cypresses. It is said that Han Dynasty Emperor Wu (141-86 BC) visited Taishan eight times and planted 1,000 cypresses, which inspired so many poets. Only five still remain.

The Dai Temple, renowned as a "forest of stone tablets", houses many Han Dynasty stone sculptures and stone inscriptions from different eras. The most celebrated is one by Li Si singing the praises of Emperor Shihuang in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). Li was his prime minister.

The Red Gate route also has many inscriptions and relics related to the emperors. Wudafu Pine at Yunbu bridge, for example, was so named by Emperor Shihuang after it shielded him from the rain as he made his way to the summit of Taishan. Wudafu was a high-ranking position in the Qin Dynasty.

Starting from Dai Temple and climbing up 6,666 steps, one can enjoy most of the natural wonders and cultural relics, including eight ancient temples, more than 200 stone steles or tablets and more than 300 inscribed cliffs.

The second route is along the Huangxi Stream. Starting from the village, it is a 13-km road winding its way up to the summit. The third is from the eastern side of the mountain, running through the Peach Blossom Valley.

By Ju Chuanjiang, Li Anna and Zhao Ruixue

Editor: Wen Yi