Mt. Qingcheng is one of the birthplaces of Taoism. In the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), the founder of Taoism, Tianshi (Celestial Master last minute China travel deals) Zhang Daoling once set up his pulpit here to give lectures. During the Tang Dynasty, advocates of the newly introduced Buddhism vied with the Taoists for this base, until Emperor Xuanzong allocated the mountain to the latter.

As an indigenous religion of China, the Taoist religion was initiated in the Eastern Han Dynasty by Zhang Daoling and developed ever since. It is part of Taoism in the larger sense, which is deeply inspired by the theory of Laotsu in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) and features the harmony of human and nature, the virtue of leisure and tranquility, and a positive attitude toward the occult and the metaphysical. The Taoist religion, which is concerned with the ritual worship of the Tao Student tours to China, has a profound influence upon Chinese life.

Mt. Qingcheng is a representative site of Taoist culture. Major religious sites here include the Natural Picture (a building complex immersed in Nature), the Celestial Master's Cave (Tianshidong), the Hall of the Ancestral Masters (Zushidian), Cave Facing the Sun (Chaoyangdong) and the Palace of Celestial Freshness (Shangqinggong).

All structures are shaded by dense woods and embraced by nature. The Celestial Master's Cave Shopping in China, perched on a cliff with only a small path leading to its entrance, houses statues of Fuxi, Shennong and Xuanyuan (three legendary primeval kings of the Han people) on its main altar.

The Natural Picture is a building complex made of wood. Lying in the arms of high mountains and steep cliffs, it presents a lush and primitive view of forests and pure sky. The neighboring Crane-dwelling Village adds even more colors to the picture when the white cranes cruise gracefully among the mountain peaks.

More at chinatour.com such as Huangshan tours