Home»(Sacred) Mountains and Sites in China 中国名山宫观»Songshan 嵩山

Mt. Song 嵩山 (1494 m above sea level) is one of the Five Sacred Peaks of China. Located in Henan province, it harbors Shaolin Temple and a multitude of other famous Buddhist and Daoist sites. On display here is a series of photographs depicting for the most part the Great Temple dedicated to this, the Central Peak 中岳, a site which can be traced back to the early 6th century CE.

Please note that these photographs were taken as Kodak color film back in 1981/82, and therefore can only serve as a historical record. Present-day circumstances on the mountain and in the temples no doubt will differ considerably.

On November 29, 2001, Mt. Song has been submitted by the Chinese government to be inscribed as a World Heritage site. Previous to this application, Mt. Song was re-created (as so many other sacred peaks in China) as a national-level Geopark.

Buddhist monks from the Shaolin Temple may be the most prominent residents of the area, but Mt. Song was and still is home to many Daoist monks and masters; of old, the court-sponsored and court-financed Temple of the Central Peak was administered through Daoist auspices.

Scanned with an Epson 4990; post-processed in Photoshop for color and contrast adjustments; light sharpening applied.

Thomas H. Hahn, Ithaca, NY
October 12, 2007