As great as Chinese tea is, it’s not something you’d usually think of when you think of excitement, adrenaline, and the fear of death. Mt. Huashan in China, on the other hand, has all of these things in one place. It has dangerous cliff-side hiking trails that lead to a tea house 2,160 m (7,087 ft) up on the southern peak of the mountain.
At least since the 2nd century BCE, when a Daoist temple was built at the base of the mountain, Mount Huashan has been an important religious site. Pilgrims, monks, and nuns have lived on the mountain and in the area around it ever since. They can get to the Huashan mountain’s five peaks, each of which has a religious building like the tea house on the southern peak, by following a network of dangerous and steep hiking trails. When put together, these five peaks make the shape of a flower.
Due to a recent increase in thrill-seeking mountain hikers, the trails have been made stronger, but they are still dangerous and have a reputation for causing fatal falls. Even though there are no official numbers, some say that as many as 100 people die from falls each year. Some of the most dangerous parts of the trails have names like Thousand-Foot Precipice, Hundred-Foot Crevice, and Black Dragon Ridge.
The area around it is also interesting. Mt. Huashan is in the middle of the Chinese mountain range. It is close to the city of Huayin, which is known as the cradle of Chinese culture and is where the famous Terracotta Warriors were made 3000 years ago.
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Mt. Huashan is one of China’s five Great Mountains
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Some parts of the mountain are a little steep
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Since at least the 2nd century BCE, the area has been seen as holy.
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Monks, nuns, and pilgrims made a network of stairs and paths that lead to the top of the mountain.
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After the mountain became more popular with tourists, the trails were fixed.
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The mountain’s highest southern peak reaches 2,160 m (7,087 ft)
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Make sure you keep an eye on your feet.
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People have also cut stairs into the mountain in some places.
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In others, you can only keep yourself safe with an iron chain.
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Even though the mountain is known for deadly falls, thrill-seekers still like to hike on its trails.
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If the excitement gets to you, you can take a break at the chess pavilion.
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