Mount Lao

Mount Lao Lauschan (German)
Laoshan
View of Mount Lao from within the Laoshan National Park.
Highest point
Elevation	1,132.7 m (3,716 ft)
Coordinates	36°11′30″N 120°35′30″E / 36.19167°N 120.59167°E / 36.19167; 120.59167Coordinates: 36°11′30″N 120°35′30″E / 36.19167°N 120.59167°E / 36.19167; 120.59167
Geography
Mount Lao Lauschan (German) Qingdao Shandong Province, China

Mount Lao, or Laoshan (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; German: Lauschan) is a mountain located near the East China Sea on the southeastern coastline of the Shandong Peninsula (German: Schantung-Halbinsel) in China. The mountain is culturally significant due to its long affiliation with Taoism and is often regarded as one of the "cradles of Taoism". It is the highest coastal mountain in China and the second highest mountain in Shandong, with the highest peak (Jufeng) reaching 1,132.7 metres (3,716 ft). The mountain lies about 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the northeast of the downtown area of the City of Qingdao and is protected by the Qingdao Laoshan National Park that covers an area of 446 square kilometers.

Mount Lao consists of granite. The mountain's landforms were formed due to the action of glaciers during the Quaternary and erosion by meltwater released from the icecap that covered a large portion of Shandong during the late .

Laoshan is known as one of the birthplaces of Taoism. It is the place where the Complete Perfection School of Taoism (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) developed. In 412 CE the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Faxian landed near Laoshan on his return from India. In the course of history, the mountain has been known by various other names, which includes different spellings of "Laoshan" (劳山, 牢山) as well as entirely different names such as Mount Futang and Mount Ao (鰲山). The latter name was used by the Taoist Qiu Chuji who served as the top religious affairs official to Genghis Khan.