The first stop of the 2013 China Fitness Mountains Competition — Jiangxi Sanqing Mountain, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, Global Geopark, National AAAAA-level Tourist Attraction, National Key Scenic Area, and National Geopark — Sanqing Mountain is located in the northeastern part of Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province. It derives its name from the three towering peaks: Yujing, Yuxu, and Yuhua, which resemble the three highest deities of Taoism, Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing, seated atop the mountain. The scenic area spans a total of 756.6 square kilometers, with its main peak, Yujing Peak, rising to an elevation of 1,819.9 meters. The area features a landscape of competing peaks, rushing valleys, lush ancient trees, and habitats for rare birds, all perennially shrouded in mist and clouds, exuding an ethereal, divine charm. Since ancient times, it has been celebrated as the “Number One Immortal Mountain under Heaven.” At the same time, it is also a renowned Taoist mountain that has been imbued with over 1,600 years of cultural heritage. In particular, the ancient architectural complex of the Sanqing Palace, laid out according to the Later Heaven Bagua (Eight Trigrams), has been praised by the State Council’s Cultural Relics Appraisal Expert Group as an “open-air museum of ancient Taoist architecture in China.” The World Heritage Committee spoke highly of the heritage value of Sanqing Mountain. The committee noted that the Sanqing Mountain Scenic Area showcases unique granite pillars and peaks within a relatively small area, all strikingly lifelike. The mountain’s abundant granite rock formations, combined with diverse vegetation, varying landscapes at different distances, and breathtaking meteorological phenomena, create a one-of-a-kind scenic effect that presents captivating natural beauty.
