July 15-18, 2002  Ocean University of Qingdao, China

 

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There will be a local tour for symposium participants free of extra charge to explore the City of Qingdao and her surroundings. An optional tour to Mountain Tai and The Temple of Confucius (approximately US$150 for each) is also available at your own expense upon request. Please notify us if you are interested in such a tour.

Introduction to Mt. Tai

Mt. Tai is the most renowned mountain in China. It was listed in the Chronology of Recognition of World Heritages in China in December 1987.

With a height of 1,545 m, Mt. Tai is the third highest among the five sacred mountains in China. However Mt. Tai is famous for its divinity instead of its height. It has been hailed as the "most sublime of the five sacred mountains" since ancient times.

As one of the most important places of China's Buddhism and Taoism, Mt. Tai contains many temples and historical sites. The sacrificial and climbing activities of emperors and kings have left behind enormous historical legacy, which is unsurpassed by any other mountain in China. In Dai Temple, the trees planted by Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty still remain green and prosperous, and the Home Returning Ridge, which is characterized by a steep and dangerous slope, can still be seen. Lying on the Yunbu Bridge, the five ancient pines, which were bestowed honorific titles by the first emperor of the Qin dynasty are still sturdy. On the path of 18 bends, visitors can see many poems and songs created by famous poets and scholars, such as Libai and Dufu. Mt. Tai is of great historical, aesthetic and geographic importance. The trip to Mt. Tai is to a great extent like reading a long history book, which mixes past with present, the old with new.

Visit http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shandong/taian/mt_taishan.htm for more details.

Introduction to the Temple of Confucius

The Temple of Confucius, the Confucius Family Mansion and the Confucius Woods are located in the city of Qufu, Shandong Province. They symbolize the Chinese People's remembrance of Confucius throughout the ages, and their respect of Confucianism. They are known for their cultural significance, age long history, considerable scale, rich collection of relics and their scientific and artistic value

According to historical records, in 478 BC, the year after Confucius' death, Lord Ai of the State of Lu had Confucius' house altered into a temple in commemoration of the sage. Covering 140,000 square meters of land, the temple has over a hundred houses clustering around 9 courtyards. Located there are the Airport Altar where Confucius had his school, the famous cypress and over a thousand stone tablets. To the east of the temple is Confucius' house which has 480 rooms, housing many files and relics. Many titles were conferred on Confucius and his descendants in the course of history. In the north of Qufu are located the Confucius Woods where the tombs of Confucius and most of his descendants are to be found. It is a cemetery with over 100,000 ancient tombs and 4,000 steles. Zi Gong, Confucius' disciple, started planting trees at Confucius' tomb and now there are over 10,000 trees in the woods.

Visit http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shandong/qufu/index.htm for more details.

 

 

© 2001 Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI), Basel, Switzerland