Tai Shan Things to Do

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As its name suggests, this is the first gate you come to when you first start to climb the steps. It was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Li Shude, the head of Shandong province in the Qing dynasty, rebuilt it in 1717. On either side are "The Wonder of the World" stele written by Yang Keda and "The Beginning Place of Eighteen Mountain Bend Stairways" stele written by Sunjiashu, officer in TongZhou city in the Ming dynasty. Just in front of it is a 4 pillar gate which commemorates Confucius' visit to Tai Shan.

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This palace with its wine-coloured walls was rebuilt during the late Ming dynasty in 1626. It is divided into two courtyards. The west courtyard is the Taoist temple where people offer sacrifices to the goddess of Tai Shan (Bixia) while the east courtyard is where the Maitreya Buddha is worshipped.

Admission: RMB5.

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This is the main entrance to Tai Shan when taking the central climbing route where there's a ticket office. It was built in 1620 and is where people offered sacrifices to Wangmu, the heavenly queen mother and the Azure Cloud Goddess (Bixia).

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It is not known when this palace was built but it is known that it was once a Taoist temple and managed by an abbot nun after it was rebuilt in 1542 when it was called "Dragon Spring Nunnery". It's a charming little palace with halls and lots of stele.

Known as the "Three Officials Temple", it is not known when it was built. In the Ming dynasty it was known as the "Human Ancestor Temple". Later the name was changed to the Sanguan Temple where people offered sacrifices to the official of heaven, official of earth and official of water.

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It is said that Emperor Cheng Yaojin of the Lu Kingdom in the Tang dynasty led many people to climb Tai Shan and planted four scholar trees here. The trees went through the process of growth, development, aging and death with two of them dying in quick succession before the Republic of China was founded. Owing to frequent rainstorms and years of acuminating water, the trunk of this tree rotted and fell down on July 10th 1987 but the only other one remains alive.

This pavilion, (translated as "Sky-in-the-Ewer Tower"), was first built during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and then expanded in 1747 during the Qing dynasty. Because the shape of the mountain from this viewpoint resembles an "ewer" (a large wide mouthed jug or pitcher), Taoists refer to it as an "Ewer Sky".

This temple is also known as "The Temple of Three Great Goddesses". It was rebuilt during the Ming and Qing dynasties but it isn't known when it was actually built. It is the only Buddhist temple on Tai Shan and features the Guanyin Buddha, Wenshu Buddha and Puxian Buddha inside.