Wudang Shan (Mount Wudang) is located in northwest Hubei province, central eastern China, near the city of Shiyan. It is also known as Taihe Mountain. The highest peak, Tianzhu Feng (Heaven-Supporting Pillar), rises 1,612 meters above sea level, and the mountain includes seventy-two peaks, cliffs, ravines, caves, and water pools. One of the most sacred places in Taoism, the mountain is famous for its complex of palaces and temples, which date from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The oldest of the Taoist temples, Wulong (Five Dragon Temple), dates from the early Tang dynasty (618–907). The Ming emperor Cheng Zu, a Taoist, began the construction of thirty-three halls and monasteries in 1412. The temple complex covers more than 1.6 million square meters. Wudang is also known as the birthplace of Wudang shadow boxing, or wudang taiyi wuxing. This martial art, known as Tai Chi in the West, was most likely developed by the Wudang Taoist Zhang Sanfeng (1391?–1458?). The palace and temple complex on Wudang was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994.
Michael Pretes
Further Reading
Kuan Yu-Chien and Petra Häring Kuan. (1987) Magnificent China: A Guide to Its Cultural Treasures. Hong Kong: Joint Publishing.
"Wudangshan Mountain." (1989) In Information China, vol 1, edited by Caradog Vaughn James. Oxford: Pergamon, 113.
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