Foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains

Foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains

The four characters “Foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains,” weathered by a century of history, are written in regular script. They were inscribed in the Dingwei year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1907 AD) by Yu Gou, a nobleman of the Tai’an Prefecture.

The “Foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains” rock formation is located on the summit of Mount Tai (southeast of the Jade Emperor Temple), along the essential path leading to the Jade Emperor Summit, at an altitude of 1,545 meters. The cliff face is 210 cm high and 65 cm wide, with the main characters measuring 55 cm by 42 cm. To its right is another regular-script inscription reading “Looking Up to the Heavens.” Since November 2004, the Mount Tai Scenic Area has carried out conservation and renovation work on the “Foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains” rock formation. Mount Tai has long been a gathering place for emperors and literati throughout the dynasties, leaving behind numerous cultural relics and historic sites.

In addition to temples and statues, there are over 2,000 cliff inscriptions on the mountain. Among them, “Foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains” is the most representative masterpiece among the many ancient stone carvings and has now become a symbol of Mount Tai. It has also been incorporated into the background design of Chinese currency.

“Foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains” has long been regarded as a definitive phrase highlighting the lofty status of Mount Tai. Alternative expressions include “Sovereign of the Five Sacred Mountains,” “Foremost Among All Mountains,” and “First Mountain.” However, the deeper meaning—especially the social and psychological motivations behind this phrase—remains a subject for further exploration and careful consideration.

Although Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty’s “Inscription on Mount Tai” already contained the praise “Sovereign of the Five Sacred Mountains,” the explicit use of the term “Foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains” first appeared in Shi Jie’s poem titled “Mount Tai.” The text reads: “Seven hundred li from Lu, what towering majesty I behold to the north. Among all mountains, none compare in height, but Mount Tai alone stands in solemn dignity. When one ascends here, the world seems small; viewed from here, Mount Gu and Mount Meng seem no larger than pellets. This is the ancestor of all things, where not even a blade of grass may be uprooted.”

The poem reveals two primary reasons for Mount Tai’s “foremost” status. One is the mountain’s immense scale—the word “towering” describes its spatial image, depicting its grandeur and height. The other is the long duration of its existence. The word “ancestor” connotes beginnings or origins, a concept related to time, and can also be extended to mean the root or origin of all things. As noted in Zhuangzi’s “Mountain Trees,” there is mention of “floating through the ancestors of all things.” It is precisely these spatiotemporal characteristics that endow Mount Tai with a unique sense of solemnity and sacredness.

Time Needed

1 hour

Transportation

[External Transportation]

1. Take bus routes 14, 19, 45, K37, K3, or K49 and get off at Hongmen Station to reach the Hongmen Entrance of Mount Tai

2. Take bus routes 19, K37, K39 Inner Loop, K39 Outer Loop, K3, or K49 and get off at Tianwai Village Station to reach the Tianwai Village Entrance of Mount Tai

3. Take bus route 19 and get off at Tianzhu Peak Scenic Area Station to reach the Tianzhu Peak Entrance

4. Take bus routes K16 or K49 and get off at Taohuayu Station to reach the Taohuayu Entrance

[Internal Transportation]

Accessible on foot within the scenic area

Admission

Included in the Mount Tai Scenic Area ticket

Opening Hours

All day

Location

On the small platform below the Jade Emperor Temple in the Mount Tai Scenic Area, Tai’an City, Shandong Province