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The Glossary
One of China's "Five Great Mountains" is Huashan or Hua Shan, a 1,997-meter sacred Taoist mountain often referred to as the "most precipitous mountain under heaven" for its rain-soaked cliffs and five, fog-covered peaks that challenge many mountaineers from across the globe. Several Taoist monasteries dot Huashan, also called Huashan National Park, making it a major pilgrimage site and an ancient center for traditional Chinese martial arts.
Minibuses from Xian, Luoyang and Taiyuan provide two to nine hours of daytrips to Huashan, which is east of Xian in Shaanxi Province. Historically, Huashan was a favorite retreat for hermits who believed that only those who have found ‘the way' can be strong enough to brave the mountain's dangerous cliff faces. The installation of a cable car in the ‘90s, followed by the creation of wider paths and stone steps, began the tourism boom in the park, although the mountain continues to claim lives due to its icy climate, precipitous drops and narrow footways.
The lowest of Huashan's major peaks is North Peak, whose original route, the West Gate, starts from a village and winds six kilometers up to the Gold Lock Pass, where visitors buy a gold lock and add it to the temple's iron railings as a prayer for their families.
The trails from the Gold Lock Pass branch to pathways leading to four other summits: the 2100-kilometer East Peak, the 2160-kilometer South Peak, the 2038-kilometer West Peak, and the 2042-kilometer Center Peak. The paths to the other peaks pass through the Heavenly Steps, the Sun and Moon Cliff, and the Black Dragon Mountain, which resembles a dragon's curvy back. Most climbers consider the Green Dragon Ridge, one of the passes to the higher peaks, as the most challenging narrow rock ridge since it has vertical cliffs on both sides.
Although it can be extremely dangerous, many Chinese prefer a nighttime hike to the mountain to avoid the crowds and also to arrive in East Peak just in time to see the sunrise. Most of the summits have guesthouses where travelers usually share rooms with four to ten people. The hostels' specialty is biang biang mian or Special Shaanxi noodles, which is based on a special character in Shaanxi Province's local calligraphy.
As if they have won the Olympics, some climbers commemorate their ascent to the summit by purchasing a souvenir gold or bronze medal with their names on it.
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