Gansu-Qinghai-Ningxia Road Trip (31) "The First Mountain of Taoism in China" - Kongtong Mountain

Travel with Ctrip Season 16 - Gansu-Qinghai-Ningxia Road Trip (31) "The First Mountain of Taoism in China" - Kongtong Mountain Tianshui, Gansu - Pingliang Sep 25, 2023 Overcast to cloudy to sunny, 11-16°C, maximum altitude 2,130m. We drove over 250 km today and arrived in Pingliang, eastern Gansu, at noon to visit Kongtong Mountain (Image 1). Kongtong Mountain (5A) (Image 2) has long been known as "The First Mountain of Taoism in China" and is steeped in Taoist culture. Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor, the ancestor of the Chinese people, once visited Kongtong Mountain to seek advice from the wise Guangchengzi on how to govern the country and live a long life. Emperor Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han also visited the mountain. Sima Qian, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Zhao Shichun, Lin Zexu, Tan Sitong, and other literati have praised the mountain in their writings. Kongtong martial arts is known as one of the five major martial arts schools in China (Image 3). Since 1994, Kongtong Mountain has been awarded the titles of National Key Scenic Area, one of the first 5A tourist attractions in China, National Geopark, National Nature Reserve, and one of the "Ten Most Beautiful Religious Mountains in China" (Image 4). There are three ways to visit Kongtong Mountain by bus and on foot. We chose to take the shuttle bus directly to the highest point of the scenic area, Xiangshan Temple, at an altitude of 2,123m (Image 5), and then walk down. The route is full of ups and downs, with some very steep steps called "Heavenly Ladders" (Image 6). Kongtong Mountain has many peaks, with dozens of large and small peaks stacked on top of the five platforms. The central platform rises, surrounded by other platforms, resembling a lotus flower. The scenic area has a forest coverage rate of over 95%, with fresh air and dense shade. We enjoyed the karst landscape and the ancient Taoist temples built on the cliffs as we walked (Image 7). After nearly two hours of hiking, we finally reached the center of Kongtong Mountain, the central platform, at an altitude of 1,894m (Image 8). The terrain here is flat and the view is wide, with Yangjia Mountain to the south and the Qianxia Gorge in between, through which the Jing River flows (Image 9). The clouds slowly dispersed, and the sun smiled at us, as if to praise our perseverance and hard work. We took the shuttle bus down the mountain and left the park to end our visit. We are staying in Kongtong District, Pingliang, tonight and will head to Lanzhou tomorrow.