Mount Hua (华山)

Synopsis

Mount Hua is the Western Great Mountain of China's Five Great Mountains, famous for its extreme steepness. The Plank Road in the Sky is one of the world's most dangerous trails.

Overview

Mount Hua (华山, Huà Shān), anciently known as the "Western Great Mountain" (西岳), is located in Huayin City, Weinan, Shaanxi Province. It is one of the Five Great Mountains of China (East: Mount Tai, West: Mount Hua, South: Mount Heng, North: Mount Heng, Central: Mount Song) and is renowned for its extreme steepness, earning it the title "The Most Dangerous Mountain Under Heaven."

Mount Hua consists of five main peaks: East Peak (Chaoyang Peak, 2,096m), West Peak (Lotus Peak, 2,082m), South Peak (Luoyan Peak, 2,154.9m), North Peak (Yuntai Peak, 1,614m), and Middle Peak (Jade Maiden Peak, 2,037.8m). The South Peak is not only the highest point of Mount Hua but also the highest among the Five Great Mountains.

Mount Hua is also a sacred site of the Quanzhen School of Taoism, known as the "Fourth Grotto-Heaven." The mountain has 72 semi-suspended caves and over 20 Taoist temples.

History

Five Main Peaks

Plank Road in the Sky (Changkong Zhandao)

The Plank Road in the Sky (长空栈道) is located on the mountainside of the South Peak, built into the cliff face. It is 110 meters long at an altitude of 2,160.5 meters and is known as "The Most Dangerous Path on Mount Hua" and one of the world's ten most dangerous trails.

Legend says the plank road was carved in the early Yuan Dynasty by He Zhizhen, the first master of the Huashan Quanzhen Taoist school, who sought to cultivate in isolation away from the mortal world. He embedded stone nails into the cliff and built wooden planks — over 700 years ago.

The plank road has sheer cliffs above and below, resembling a suspended ladder in the sky. Visitors walk on the plank with an abyss beneath (vertical drop of about 700 meters, equivalent to 230 floors), with only narrow wooden boards (about 30cm wide, barely half a foot) and safety cables to hold onto.

In 2025, the Plank Road in the Sky underwent a comprehensive safety upgrade, with new cable systems installed.

Pigeon Turn (Yaozi Fanshen)

The Pigeon Turn (鹞子翻身) is another dangerous path on the East Peak, located on the trail from the East Peak to Botai. The path is carved into the cliff face, and visitors must face the abyss with their backs to the wall, using both hands and feet to descend — resembling a pigeon turning its wings, hence the name.

The Pigeon Turn has a vertical drop of about 20 meters. While not as terrifying as the Plank Road in the Sky, it still tests visitors' courage and physical strength.

Practical Information

Cultural Significance

Mount Hua holds a special place in Chinese culture:

• Five Great Mountains Culture: As the "Western Great Mountain," Mount Hua is an important part of the Five Great Mountains tradition
• Taoist Sacred Site: Mount Hua is the "Fourth Grotto-Heaven" with profound Taoist cultural heritage
• Martial Arts Fiction: The "Huashan School" in Jin Yong's novel "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" is set on Mount Hua
• Mythology: The legend of Chenxiang splitting the mountain to save his mother takes place on the West Peak

References

1. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/华山
2. CCTV News: https://news.cctv.com/2025/04/24/ARTIZ46qFas5wexVfM58stlB250424.shtml
3. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/华山
4. Xi'an Tourism: https://www.tang.org.cn/56911.html