Religious site · HENAN · UNESCO
Mt Song
嵩山 · Sōngshān
About
UNESCO-listed sacred Daoist mountain in central Henan. The Shaolin Temple sits on the western (Shaoshi) slope.
Mt Song — Songshan — is the central of the Five Great Mountains (Wuyue) of China, the hub of the Daoist directional mountain system that places a peak at each cardinal point and one at the centre. The mountain is divided into two main massifs: the Taishi range to the east and the Shaoshi range to the west. The Taishi peak rises to 1,440 metres; the Shaoshi to 1,512 metres. Between them is the Dengfeng basin, where the county town of the same name provides the main base for visiting the area's sites.
The mountain carries an extraordinary concentration of historically significant structures. On the Taishi side, Zhongyue Temple — dedicated to the mountain deity — dates in its present form to the Tang dynasty but has earlier origins, and the Songyang Academy was one of the four most famous Confucian classical academies in imperial China. The two Han Que — carved stone gateway pillars from the Eastern Han dynasty (1st-2nd century CE) — are among the oldest surviving decorative stone structures in China. On the Shaoshi side, the Shaolin Temple complex was founded in 495 CE and became historically significant as the origin site of Chan (Zen) Buddhism and the birthplace of Chinese martial arts as a meditative practice. The Shaolin Pagoda Forest — 232 brick memorial pagodas for deceased abbots, the largest collection of ancient pagodas in China — occupies the hillside behind the temple.
UNESCO listed eight historical structures at Dengfeng in 2010 under the inscription 'Historic Monuments of Dengfeng'. The Shaolin Temple itself draws the majority of visitors for its martial arts demonstrations and its cultural mythology; the rest of the Mt Song heritage complex rewards those willing to look beyond the famous name. A combined ticket covers most of the main sites.
How to get there
Tour bus from Zhengzhou or Luoyang (~1.5 hours).
When to visit
Spring or autumn.
UNESCO inscription
“Mount Songshang is considered to be the central sacred mountain of China. At the foot of this 1500 metre high mountain, close to the city of Dengfeng in Henan province and spread over a 40 square-kilometre circle, stand eight clusters of buildings and sites, including three Han Que gates - remains of the oldest religious edifices in China -, temples, the Zhougong Sundial Platform and the Dengfeng Observatory. Constructed over the course of nine dynasties, these buildings are reflections of different ways of perceiving the centre of heaven and earth and the power of the mountain as a centre for religious devotion. The historical monuments of Dengfeng include some of the best examples of ancient Chinese buildings devoted to ritual, science, technology and education.”
Other attractions in Dengfeng
Itineraries featuring this site
Other religious sites in China
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda大雁塔
Tang-dynasty Buddhist pagoda, built 652 CE to house the sutras brought back by Xuanzang. 64m, seven storeys, climbable.
- Donglin Temple (East Forest Monastery)东林寺
One of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Chinese history, founded in 386 CE at the foot of Mount Lu and considered the birthplace of Pure Land Buddhism in China.
- Drepung Monastery哲蚌寺
UNESCO · Once the largest monastery in the world (10,000+ monks). 8 km west of Lhasa. Active Gelugpa monastery; debating courtyard sessions in the afternoon.
- Famen Temple法门寺
1,700-year-old Buddhist temple 110 km west of Xi'an. The 1987 discovery of a finger relic of the Buddha in its underground crypt was a major archaeological event.
- Ganden Monastery甘丹寺
The mother monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, founded in 1409 by Tsongkhapa atop Wangbur Mountain 47 km east of Lhasa, offering sweeping plateau views and an important kora trail.
- Gyantse Kumbum Stupa江孜白居寺
A nine-storey mandala stupa built in 1427 containing 108 chapels on multiple floors, considered one of the finest examples of Tibetan religious architecture and the most important landmark in Gyantse.
- Hanging Temple悬空寺
1,500-year-old wooden temple complex pinned to the side of a 75m cliff at Mt Heng. Engineered with horizontal posts driven into the rock face.
- Jade Buddha Temple玉佛寺
Active urban Buddhist temple in central Shanghai. Famous for two life-size jade Buddhas brought from Burma in 1882.
Other UNESCO World Heritage sites in China
- Ancient Villages of Southern Anhui — Xidi and Hongcun皖南古村落—西递、宏村
UNESCO-listed pair of Ming-Qing Huizhou merchant villages in southern Anhui, renowned for whitewashed walls, inky horsehead gables and moon-shaped ponds.
- Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City良渚古城遗址
UNESCO-listed archaeological site in Hangzhou preserving the remains of a 5,000-year-old city with a sophisticated water-management system, jade ritual culture and social hierarchy — regarded as one of the earliest state-level societies in East Asia.
- Badain Jaran Desert — Lakes and Dunes巴丹吉林沙漠—沙山湖泊群
UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in Inner Mongolia — the third largest desert in China, featuring some of the world's tallest stationary dunes and a unique network of freshwater and saline lakes sustained by a still-unexplained subterranean water system.
- Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom高句丽王城、王陵及贵族墓葬
UNESCO-listed capital cities and royal tombs of the Koguryo Kingdom in Jian, Jilin — the Chinese portion of a transnational heritage property shared with North Korea, representing one of the most powerful states of ancient East Asia.
- China Danxia中国丹霞
UNESCO Natural World Heritage site — a serial property of six Danxia landscapes across six provinces, representing China's defining red-cliff-and-pillar sandstone landform type, including Danxia Mountain, Zhangye, Taining and Langshan.
- Classical Gardens of Suzhou (UNESCO)苏州古典园林
UNESCO-listed collection of private gardens in Suzhou — four inscribed in 1997 and five more added in 2000 — representing the pinnacle of Chinese garden design through the refined integration of architecture, water, rock and plant.
- Couple's Retreat Garden耦园
UNESCO-listed Suzhou garden organised symmetrically around a central residence. Less crowded than the four most-visited gardens.
- Drepung Monastery哲蚌寺
Once the largest monastery in the world (10,000+ monks). 8 km west of Lhasa. Active Gelugpa monastery; debating courtyard sessions in the afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Mt Song cost to visit?
- Adult entry to Mt Song is ¥100, ¥50 for children. Combined with Shaolin.
- When is Mt Song open?
- Mt Song opening hours: 8am–5:30pm.
- How long do you need at Mt Song?
- Allow 8–12 hours for Mt Song. Add buffer time if you plan to visit at peak season or include nearby sights in the same trip.
- When is the best time to visit Mt Song?
- Spring or autumn.
- How do you get to Mt Song?
- Tour bus from Zhengzhou or Luoyang (~1.5 hours).
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