{"id":4146,"date":"2026-10-05T23:34:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T15:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/?p=4146"},"modified":"2026-10-06T01:45:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T17:45:54","slug":"mount-wangwu-the-first-cave-heaven-and-blissful-land-under-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/?p=4146","title":{"rendered":"Mount Wangwu: The First Cave Heaven and Blissful Land Under Heaven"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4146\" class=\"elementor elementor-4146\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-57a17220 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"57a17220\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-455f47d2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"455f47d2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-05T23:34:12+08:00\">2026\u5e7410\u67085\u65e5<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the northwest of Henan Province, on the border with Shanxi, rises one mountain. It is not tall \u2014 only about 1,700 meters \u2014 yet in the spiritual map of China, its standing far exceeds the Five Great Peaks. It is Mount Wangwu. Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, Daoism has honored it as &#8220;the First Cave Heaven Under Heaven&#8221; \u2014 foremost among the Ten Great Cave Heavens. It is the setting of the parable of the Foolish Old Man who moved the mountains, told in the <em>Liezi<\/em>. It is the sacred mountain twice sacrificed to by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, and the retreat where the great Tang master Sima Chengzhen lived and taught for over fifty years. Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Han Yu, Su Shi \u2014 nearly every Tang poet whose name we know came here. It is more than a mountain. It is, in the Chinese heart, another word for unwavering faith.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f6d48d9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f6d48d9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c711-1024x427.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4150\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c711-1024x427.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c711-300x125.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c711-768x320.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c711-600x250.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c711-64x27.jpg 64w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c711.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Fig.1 A sea of clouds over Mount Wangwu \u2014 green peaks layered in mist, honored as the First of the Ten Great Cave Heavens of Daoism.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bed56b0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"bed56b0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8eaffd5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8eaffd5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1. Why It Is Called \"Wangwu\": A House of Kings<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e96294 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e96294\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-05T23:34:12+08:00\">2026\u5e7410\u67085\u65e5<\/time><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:65\">Why is it called &#8220;Wangwu&#8221;? The ancient masters said the mountain rises in three layers, its shape like a great house \u2014 <em data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:66\">wu<\/em> means a thatched or tiled roof. They also said that within the mountain there is a natural cave, deep beyond entry, and inside it is as spacious as an emperor&#8217;s palace. And so this mountain became the &#8220;House of Kings,&#8221; Wangwu. The ancients believed that under the round sky and square earth, there stands at the center a mountain called Tiantan, the Altar of Heaven \u2014 this is the main peak of Wangwu. Legend says the Yellow Emperor offered sacrifices to Heaven here. Hence the saying: &#8220;Stand on Tiantan Peak, and raise your hand, and you may touch the sky.&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5b05270 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5b05270\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-05T23:34:12+08:00\">2026\u5e7410\u67085\u65e5<\/time><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:67\">The mountain lies northwest of Jiyuan, Henan, touching the Taihang range to the east and the Zhongtiao range to the west, facing Shanxi to the north and the Yellow River to the south. From its summit, the Yellow River winds beneath your feet. The ancients called it &#8220;the spine of the earth.&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ebea53 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5ebea53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c712-1024x427.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4151\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c712-1024x427.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c712-300x125.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c712-768x320.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c712-600x250.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c712-64x27.jpg 64w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c712.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Fig.2 The Tiantan (Altar of Heaven) peak of Mount Wangwu \u2014 legend holds the Yellow Emperor offered sacrifices to Heaven here, making it an ancient imperial pilgrimage site.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6f2106f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"6f2106f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-439b165 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"439b165\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2. The Foolish Old Man: A Two-Thousand-Year Parable\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5fb5bc3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5fb5bc3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-05T23:34:12+08:00\">2026\u5e7410\u67085\u65e5<\/time><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:69\">Almost every Chinese child knows the story of the Foolish Old Man Who Moved the Mountains. It comes from the <strong><em data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:70\">Liezi \u00b7 Questions of Tang<\/em><\/strong>. There was an old man of the North Mountain, nearly ninety, named Yugong \u2014 &#8220;Foolish Old Man.&#8221; Before his house lay two great mountains, Taihang and Wangwu, blocking the way. He gathered his family and declared he would level the mountains. A wise old man of the River Bend laughed at him: &#8220;At your age, you cannot move a single stone from these slopes \u2014 and you think you can move mountains?&#8221; The Foolish Old Man replied: &#8220;When I die, my sons remain; when my sons die, my grandsons remain. Sons beget sons, and grandsons beget sons \u2014 the line has no end, yet the mountains will not grow taller. Why should I not level them?&#8221; The Lord on High, moved by his sincerity, sent two sons of the giant Kua&#8217;e, who shouldered the two mountains away.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-452cf28 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"452cf28\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-05T23:34:12+08:00\">2026\u5e7410\u67085\u65e5<\/time><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:71\">The two mountains in this story \u2014 Taihang and Wangwu \u2014 one in Shanxi and one in Jiyuan, Henan, are exactly these peaks. For over two thousand years, this parable has been told again and again. It is not about physical strength. It is about the sincerity of the heart. In 1945, Mao Zedong retold this story in his closing address to the Seventh National Congress \u2014 and &#8220;the Foolish Old Man moving the mountains&#8221; became one of the symbols of modern Chinese spirit. A single mountain carries the weight, from the ancient fable to the modern revolution.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5b7c230 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5b7c230\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c714-1024x315.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4153\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c714-1024x315.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c714-300x92.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c714-768x236.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c714-600x185.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c714-64x20.jpg 64w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c714.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Fig.3 Sculpture of the Foolish Old Man Removing the Mountains \u2014 from the Liezi, a parable of perseverance that has become a symbol of Chinese resolve.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d2ff7ec e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d2ff7ec\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7efa5d4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7efa5d4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3. Sima Chengzhen and Yangtai Palace: The Imperial Retreat of Tang<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46fb9a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"46fb9a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-05T23:34:12+08:00\">2026\u5e7410\u67085\u65e5<\/time><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:73\">Mount Wangwu reached its greatest splendor in the Tang Dynasty. In the twelfth year of the Kaiyuan era (724), Emperor Xuanzong summoned the most renowned Daoist master of the age, Sima Chengzhen, to the capital, and personally questioned him on the Dao. Sima Chengzhen, styled Ziwei, known as the White Cloud Master, was the eleventh patriarch of the Shangqing School, in the line descending from Tao Hongjing. He refused to remain in Chang&#8217;an. He told the emperor: &#8220;The Wangwu Mountain where I practice is itself the First Cave Heaven Under Heaven.&#8221; And so Emperor Xuanzong ordered a temple to be built for him beneath the Huagai Peak \u2014 this was the Yangtai Palace. The emperor&#8217;s own sister, the Princess Yuzhen, took religious vows under Sima Chengzhen and came to cultivate on Wangwu.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b1674a1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b1674a1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-05T23:34:12+08:00\">2026\u5e7410\u67085\u65e5<\/time><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:74\">Sima Chengzhen lived on Wangwu for over fifty years. He was no solitary monk. He was a great calligrapher, a great poet, a great painter. Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Wang Wei, Meng Haoran, all climbed the mountain to visit him. Li Bai, who had himself &#8220;sought the sword at fifteen and called on the lords,&#8221; wrote of his stay in this temple: &#8220;I would follow Ziwei, and kindle the cinnabar alchemy fire.&#8221; One mountain, through one man, became the shared spiritual home of High Tang literature. Today, Yangtai Palace still keeps its Tang-era bodhi trees, its Yuan-dynasty stone lions, and its Ming-dynasty iron bell. It is among the most complete clusters of Ming and Qing architecture surviving in Henan.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f81dc9d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f81dc9d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c715-1024x427.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4154\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c715-1024x427.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c715-300x125.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c715-768x320.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c715-600x250.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c715-64x27.jpg 64w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c715.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Fig.4 The Yangtai Palace on Mount Wangwu \u2014 built by imperial command of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang for the master Sima Chengzhen, preserving Tang cypresses and Yuan-dynasty stone tablets.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c996196 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"c996196\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6a2a474 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6a2a474\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">4. \"First Cave Heaven Under Heaven\": A Cliff Inscription Echoing a Thousand Years<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42e082b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"42e082b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-05T23:34:12+08:00\">2026\u5e7410\u67085\u65e5<\/time><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:76\">On a cliff northeast of Yangtai Palace, on the main peak of Wangwu, there is a great stone inscription. Six large characters are carved into the rock: &#8220;The First Cave Heaven Under Heaven.&#8221; These six characters are traditionally attributed to Sima Chengzhen himself. Later, they were entered into the Daoist classic <em data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:77\">The Atlas of the Caverns and Palaces<\/em>, and Wangwu was formally recognized as the foremost of the Ten Great Cave Heavens. What are these &#8220;Cave Heavens and Blissful Lands&#8221;? Daoism holds that among the sacred mountains of the world, there are seventy-two &#8220;blissful lands&#8221; and thirty-six &#8220;cave heavens&#8221; \u2014 secret realms where the immortals dwell, and where mortals may cultivate and attain transcendence. Among all these more than a hundred places, Wangwu stands first.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a69280e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a69280e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c716-1024x427.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4155\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c716-1024x427.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c716-300x125.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c716-768x320.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c716-600x250.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c716-64x27.jpg 64w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c716.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Fig.5 The cliff inscription \"First Cave Heaven Under Heaven\" \u2014 traditionally attributed to the Tang master Sima Chengzhen, marking Mount Wangwu as the foremost of Daoism's sacred sites.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ffa644 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3ffa644\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-05T23:34:12+08:00\">2026\u5e7410\u67085\u65e5<\/time><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:78\">From the Tang onward, emperors, scholars, and pilgrims climbed the same mountain path to see this inscription. They sacrificed to Heaven here, refined elixirs, wrote poetry, sought transcendence. Su Shi, in a poem, wrote that &#8220;even the middle reaches of the Sanggan are not so far \u2014 north of the midstream lies the horizon.&#8221; Yet he himself climbed Wangwu many times. That single title \u2014 &#8220;first&#8221; \u2014 has secured for this mountain a unique place in the spiritual world of Chinese letters, for all time.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60bd67e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"60bd67e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-34661d6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"34661d6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">5. Mountain People and Mountain Herbs: A Living Mountain<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-850c1fc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"850c1fc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-05T23:34:12+08:00\">2026\u5e7410\u67085\u65e5<\/time><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:80\">Beyond Daoism and the poets, Wangwu is still a &#8220;living&#8221; mountain. It holds one of the most intact temperate forests in northern China. The Wangwu Tiepi Dendrobium, the Wangwu wild honey, the Wangwu Dongling herbs, were all imperial tribute through the ages. Generations of mountain people have gathered herbs, planted tea, and raised fowl on these slopes. Every spring, they climb the ancient stone paths to the temple fair at Yangtai Palace. Every Double Ninth Festival, a solemn sacrifice is held on the mountain. Today, when you enter Wangwu, you still walk the ancient stone paths, see the old millstones, touch the scholar trees, and hear the mountain people sing folk songs that have come down for hundreds of years.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a668e2e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a668e2e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-10-05T23:34:12+08:00\">2026\u5e7410\u67085\u65e5<\/time><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" data-inspector-id=\"html:127a5be8:81\">This is not a museum sealed behind glass. It is a living mountain. Mountain people live inside it. Daoists cultivate on it. Poets write on it. Travelers watch the sea of clouds. For two thousand years, Wangwu has taken all these people and all these stories into its three layered peaks \u2014 like a great natural house, sheltering the spiritual home of generation after generation of Chinese souls.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-57b13d4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"57b13d4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c717-1024x427.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4156\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c717-1024x427.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c717-300x125.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c717-768x320.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c717-600x250.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c717-64x27.jpg 64w, https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/\u738b\u5c4b\u5c717.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the northwest of Henan Province, on the border with Shanxi, rises one mountain. It is not tall \u2014 only about 1,700 meters \u2014 yet in the spiritual map of China, its standing far exceeds the Five Great Peaks. It is Mount Wangwu. Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, Daoism has honored it as &#8220;the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"page_builder":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-taoist-temples"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4146"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4146\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4167,"href":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4146\/revisions\/4167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oevie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}