Mianshan

Mianshan rises to over two thousand metres in the Taiyue range, and the story attached to it concerns Jie Zhitui, a loyal retainer of the seventh century BC who withdrew here with his mother and died when a fire was set to force him out; the Cold Food Festival and, by extension, Qingming are traditionally traced to his memory. The mountain holds a series of temple complexes built into cliff overhangs and along gorges, some suspended on timber platforms above drops, reached by lifts, stairs and shuttle buses on a road that climbs in tight bends. Mummified monks preserved in lacquer are displayed at Zhengguo Temple, and Shuitao Gorge holds waterfalls and pools.

History

Mount Mian is held to be where Jie Zhitui and his mother died in a forest fire set by his lord, Duke Wen of Jin, in the 7th century BC; the remorseful duke built a temple to him, and the custom of lighting no fires in his memory became the Cold Food Festival, which the Northern Wei limited to the area around the mountain in 496 but which spread across China and became the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival under the Tang and Song. The mountain has been a Daoist site since the Spring and Autumn period, its first Buddhist temple was built under the Northern Wei, and its temples were repaired under the Yuan; since 1995 large private funds have restored them, and it opened as a scenic area in 2000 (Wikipedia, Mount Mian).

The main sights

• The cliff temples - complexes built into overhangs above drops.
• The lacquered monks - preserved bodies of monks at Zhengguo Temple.
• Shuitao Gorge - a gorge of waterfalls and pools within the scenic area.
• The Qingming association - the shrines linked to Jie Zhitui.

When to go

April to October; Qingming in early April brings large numbers of Chinese visitors given the festival's association with the mountain. Winter is cold and parts close. The site is large and shuttle buses are needed between areas.

Things to know

The scenic area is heavily developed with lifts, roads and reconstructed temples, and much of what stands is recent. The entry ticket is expensive and the site takes a full day to cover. Crowds at Qingming are severe.

Nearby

Pingyao lies north; Jiexiu and Zhangbi are close.