Mount Laoshan 
Mount Laoshan, around which countless legends have been woven, lies 30km/19mi northeast of Qingdao and falls steeply away towards the coast. Its tallest peak, Laoding, reaches a height of 1133m/3720ft. The mountain, rich in mineral water springs, displays bizarre rock formations, waterfalls and caves.
Many years ago it was revered as the ''Home of Eternal Life'', where grew magic herbs which could cure all known diseases and make man immortal.
Many years ago it was revered as the ''Home of Eternal Life'', where grew magic herbs which could cure all known diseases and make man immortal.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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It was in order to search for these wondrous plants that the Qin Emperor Shi Huangdi (259-210 BC) and the Han Emperor Wudi (156-87 BC) climbed this mountain. In the 8th C the Tang Emperor Xuanzong sent two high officials to find and collect the magical herbs and to prepare for him the Elixir of Life. After the 10th C more and more Taoist monasteries sprung up here, but most of them were destroyed in later years.
Related Attractions
Taoist Temple of Supreme Purity (Lower Temple)
The Taoist Temple of Supreme Purity (Taiqing Gong), or Lower Temple (Xia Gong), stands near the coast at the southeastern foot of Mount Laoshan. It dates originally from the Song period (960-1279), but the present buildings were built during the reign of the Emperor Wanli (1573-1620).
The two stone tablets on the walls of the Hall of the Three Emperors (Sanhuang Dian) contain two inscriptions, one by Kublai Khan and the other by Genghis Khan. There is a superb view of the sea from here.
The two stone tablets on the walls of the Hall of the Three Emperors (Sanhuang Dian) contain two inscriptions, one by Kublai Khan and the other by Genghis Khan. There is a superb view of the sea from here.
Temple of Great Purity
The Temple of Great Purity (Shangqing Gong), or Upper Temple (Shang Gong) - built between 1297 and 1307 but later extended several times - lies up above the Temple of Supreme Purity, on the southeastern slope of Mount Laoshan. In front of the temple stand some ginkgo trees which are several hundred years old.
South of the Temple of Great Purity the Longtan Pu Waterfall plunges down from a height of 20m/66ft.
South of the Temple of Great Purity the Longtan Pu Waterfall plunges down from a height of 20m/66ft.
Temple of Huayan Si
The Temple of Huayan Si, on the eastern slopes, is the region's only Buddhist temple. The original mid-17th C building was soon destroyed during subsequent wars and was rebuilt a number of years later.
The Jiushui river, some 12km/7.5mi long, snakes its way through the northern part of Mount Laoshan. Waterfalls, rock formations and monuments combine to make this region quite idyllic.
The Jiushui river, some 12km/7.5mi long, snakes its way through the northern part of Mount Laoshan. Waterfalls, rock formations and monuments combine to make this region quite idyllic.
Temple of Supreme Peace
The Temple of Supreme Peace (Taiping Gong) on the northern slopes of Mount Laoshan was built in the Song period (960-1279) and has been restored several times. It is known for the strange stone formations which encircle it.
