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33°56′00″N 108°59′57″E / 33.9333316°N 108.9991571°E / 33.9333316; 108.9991571

The Zhongnan Mountains (simplified Chinese: 终南山; traditional Chinese: 終南山; pinyin: Zhōngnánshān), sometimes called the Taiyi Mountains (Chinese: 太乙山) or Zhounan Mountains (Chinese: 周南山), are a branch of the Qin Mountains located in Shaanxi Province, south of Xi'an, China that extend from Wugong County in the east of the province to Lantian County. At 2,604 metres (8,543 ft), the range's highest point is the Cuihua Mountain. Other notable peaks and places in the Zhongnan mountains include Lou Guan Tai, (where Taoist sage Laozi is said to have dwelt and conveyed the Dao De Jing). Later this was also a place of dwelling for Nan Wutai (simplified Chinese: 南五台; traditional Chinese: 南五臺) and Guifeng (Chinese: 圭峰).

The Zhongnan mountains have been a popular dwelling-place for Daoist hermits since at least the Qin dynasty. Buddhist monks began living in the mountains after Buddhism's introduction into China from India in the early first millennium AD. The Complete Perfection Sect, one of the largest branches of modern Taoism, was founded in the Zhongnan mountains by Song dynasty Taoist Wang Chongyang. Due to the mountains' close proximity to the ancient capital of Chang'an, officials who incurred the imperial court's wrath often fled to these mountains to escape punishment.

The Chinese folklorical deity Zhong Kui is said to have grown up in those same mountains. Other than the name, the context of Zhong Kui being a protection deity related to Taoist belief can be connected with the creation of the complete perfection sect.

See also

• Qin Mountains
• Wang Wei

References

• Bill Porter, Road To Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits. Counterpoint, 1993. ISBN 1-58243-523-5.
• Edward A. Burger, Amongst White Clouds. Buddhist Hermit Masters of China's Zhongnan Mountains, Festival Media, 2007. Documentary movie.

External links

v t e Mountain ranges of China
Geography of China
Northwestern	Altai Mountains Dzungarian Alatau Tian Shan Borohoro Mountains Tarbagatai Mountains Kunlun Mountains Altyn-Tagh Qilian Mountains Helan Mountains Liupan Mountains
Qinghai-Tibet and Southwestern	Himalayas Transhimalaya Pamir Mountains Karakoram Argu Tagh Yengisogat Kunlun Mountains Hoh Xil Bayan Har Mountains Amne Machin Tanggula Mountains Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains Hengduan Mountains Gaoligong Mountains Yunling Mountains Ailao Mountains Qionglai Mountains Daxue Mountains Min Mountains
Northeast	Greater Khingan Lesser Khingan Changbai Mountains Wanda Mountains Qian Mountains
North and East	Yin Mountains Lang Mountains Lüliang Mountains Taihang Mountains Zhongtiao Mountains Mount Tai Tianmu Mountain Yandang Mountains Wuyi Mountains
Central	Qinling Daba Mountains Dabie Mountains Wudang Mountains Jingshan Mountains Luoxiao Mountains Jiuling Mountains Mufu Mountains Wugong Mountains Huangshan Wuling Mountains Xuefeng Mountains
South	Cang Mountain Daliang Mountains Dalou Mountains Nanling Mountains Jiuyi Mountains Yuecheng Mountains Longmen Mountains Western Mountains
Landforms of China

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