Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Laojun Mountain. Laojun refers to Laozi, the founder of Taoism. It is said he lived here in seclusion in his late years, and the mountain was named after him.
The first place we will visit today is the Toaism Culture Garden. The Garden is 100 thousand square meters, it is an important place to inherit and promote Taoism Culture.
Taoism's origins may be traced to prehistoric Chinese religions in China. The founder of Taoism is traditionally regarded as Laozi who lived around 5 century BC, during the Spring and Autumn Period. Laozi is the pinyin for the Chinese characters which mean "Old Master."
The Tao Te Ching is a foundational scripture of Taoism, written by Laozi. The time Laozi lived was a time of warfare and conflict. He was reflecting on a way which would stop the warfare. He found that if humanity was taken, the conflict would end. Thus, he wrote a few pages of short verses, which became the TaoTe Ching.
The Chinese character Tao literally means "path" or "way", but in Chinese religion and philosophy it means “essential nature”, “destiny”, “principle”, or “true path”. Taoism emphasizes Three Treasures of Tao: namely, humanity, moderation, and humility. It also focuses on “wu wei” (an action that does not involve struggle or excessive effort), spontaneity(自发性), and emptiness. Taoism believes that the link between human and nature lessened the need for rules and order, and leads one to a better understanding of the world. These traditions and concepts not only influenced East Asia but also some other countries in the world.
OK, ladies and gentlemen, keep moving please. The magnificent statue in front of us is the statue of Laozi. It is 59 meters high and weighs 360 tons which is the largest bronze statue of Laozi in the world. Look at the statue, please! The bamboo slip in his right hand is the Tao Te Ching, the classic of Taoism. And his left hand points to the heaven, which means to pursue the truth of the universe.
Ladies and gentlemen, now we arrived at the top of the Laojun Mountain. This place is called South Heaven Gate, because it is so high that it seems it will touch the heaven. The building on this platform is the Laojun Temple. It was originally built in North Wei Dynasty and rebuilt for many times. The present temple was built in the 2004. The building in front is called “Jin ding tai qing guan”, Jinding in Chinese means bright sunlight, Taiqing refers to the place where Gods live. This temple is enshrined with the statue of Laozi and some other Gods who deserve to be worshiped. The building in the back is used to store the holly scriptures. At either side there is a peak. The peak in the east is called Liangbaotai. It is said this is the place for Laojun to show his treasures. The peak in the west is called Yuhuangding, a place to worship the Jade Emperor who is the Supreme Deity of Taoism.
Alright everyone, now we are at the Stone Forest of Laojun Mountain. This Stone Forest belongs to the Submarine volcano rock and Volcano sedimentary rock series. It is relatively young granite formed between 140 million and 80 million years ago. It is named “Laojun Mountain Rock Mass” by the geologists in China. And it is the largest granite Stone Forest in the world so far. Now we can enjoy the majestic scenery in this special forest.
OK, dear friends, so much for my explanation. Thank you for your listening. Now you can walk around and take photos. Please take care of yourself. Do not forget to meet at 5:30 right here. Enjoy yourselves.
The place we will visit today is Laojun Mountain. It locates in the east of Luanchuan County with an area of 6667 hectare. It is the core scenic spots of Funiu Mountain World Geological Park, a national 5-A tourism zone and National Nature Reserves. Laojun Mountain is originally named Jingshi Mountain. Laojun refers to Laozi, the founder of Taoism. It is said he lived here in seclusion in his late years, and the mountain was named after him from then on.
Laojun Mountain is famous in four aspects: first is the profound Taoist Culture. Taoism is a religio-philosophical tradition that has, along with Confucianism, shaped Chinese life for more than 2,000 years. I believe after this visit you will have a better understanding of Chinese culture. Second is the granite landform; third is the comfortable environment and fantastic scenery; and the fourth is the primeval forest and ancient trees.