Location
The Wudang Mountains are in the northwestern part of Hubei Province, right in the center of Northeast Asia.
There are some characteristics that make Wudang area unique
1) They have been Inhabited by Daoist masters throughout history
Mount Wudang is one of the oldest and most important cultivation site of Daoism. More than 2500 years ago, Yunxi (disciple of Laozi) after recording the famous Daodejing from the Daoist Grandmaster Laozi, started this cultivation in this Mountain. Since then, anumber of Daoist masters, including ChenTuan, Ludongbin, and ZhangSanFeng have come train and get realized in this mountain, suggesting the uniqueness of this place for cultivation.
2) It’s Birth place of Tai Chi Quan
ZhangSanFeng, the Daoist master who live in the 14-16th century, found the wudang martial arts branch, and invented the famous Tai Chi Quan, which brought tremendous impacts martial arts, human health, and towards Daoist cultivation. Through the practise of Tai Chi Quan, practisioner could improve physical condition, the energy (qi) in the body, and obtain in mind, and experience inner tranquility and peace.
3) Regimen
Besides cultivation and training, Wudang is also famous for Regimen (the nurturing of life). Natural water is blessed when it flows down the mountain, and is stored in the Tai Chi Lake (DanJiangKou Reserviour), which is transported to Beijing to supply water demand there. Besides, there are many chinese herbs that grow on the mountain, together with the Daoist wisdom in preserving life and Daoist medicine, make the mountain a unique place for healing and rejuvenation.
4) The Architecture
Besides secluded caves built by practitioner, there had been construction of temples in different times, the earliet dated in the 6th century. Temples are built at locations following the natural landscape of the mountain, some at cliffs and mountain top. The uniqueness of the mountain and it architecture had allowed him to join the list of World Cultural Legacy by UNESCO on December 17, 1994.
Photos of Wudang Mountain (to be selected)
