The Plunge Cliff of Mount Tai

The Plunge Cliff of Mount Tai

The Plunge Cliff is located to the south of the Riguang Peak and is also known as the Love-for-Life Cliff. It is steep on three sides and overlooks a deep abyss. In ancient times, people often jumped off the cliff to offer their lives to the gods, hoping to ward off illnesses and disasters from their parents.

In the early years of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty, Governor He Qiming built a wall along the cliff to prevent such acts and renamed it the Love-for-Life Cliff. During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Qifeng, the magistrate of Tai'an, renovated the wall and assigned night watchmen to guard it.

In 1965, a round gate was opened at the southern end of the wall, and stone railings were built along the edge of the cliff for viewing. On the cliff there is a prominent huge rock about 3.3 meters high, next to which the words "Zhanlu Terrace" (Observation Platform for Lu) are inscribed in large characters. It is commonly known as the Flagpole Rock. Legend has it that Confucius once climbed here to look toward the Lu capital, Qufu. On the rock there are inscriptions such as "Nature bestows its finest beauty" by Zhao Puchu in 1983 and "Mist Shrouds the Cloud-Restled Heights" by Zhou Erfu.

To the northeast of the rock is a flat, broad stone that hangs over the cliff, called the Kezhi Terrace, which bears inscriptions from the Zhenghe era of the Song Dynasty. Halfway up the southern wall of the cliff there is a niche with carved statues, featuring Manjushri riding a lion. The carvings are bold and solemn, and are believed to date back to the Northern Song Dynasty. Three meters to the left is an inscription reading "Yu County, Yingwang Mansion, Yongqiu County, and Yuncheng Hengzheng in the Second Year of Yuan (1087)"; five meters to the right is another inscription that reads "Gao Pin Huangfu Jiming of the Inner Attendant Bureau of the Imperial Palace, Zhou Dezheng, Official of the Two-head Supply of the Inner Attendant Bureau, and Li Di, Right Historiographer and Direct Historian."

To the southeast of the cliff is Shenxiao Mountain, which hangs in the sky and is also known as the Frightening Peak. The southern rock face features the Yingcui Stone, below which lies Jiulong Valley.

Transportation

On Foot

Ticket

Included in the ticket for the Mount Tai Scenic Area

Opening Hours

All day

Location

South of Riguang Peak, Mount Tai, Tai'an City, Shandong Province

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