Mount Tai

Mount Tai
The South Gate to Heaven at Mount Tai
Highest point
Elevation	1,532.7 m (5,029 ft)
Prominence	1,505 m (4,938 ft)
Listing	Ultra
Coordinates	36°15′21″N 117°06′27″E / 36.25583°N 117.10750°E / 36.25583; 117.10750Coordinates: 36°15′21″N 117°06′27″E / 36.25583°N 117.10750°E / 36.25583; 117.10750
Geography
Mount Tai Location on the North China Plain
Location	Tai'an, Shandong
Geology
Age of rock	Cambrian
Mountain type	metamorphic, sedimentary
Climbing
Easiest route	cable car
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Mount Taishan
Type	Mixed
Criteria	i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii
Designated	1987 (11th session)
Reference no.	437
State Party	China
Region	Asia-Pacific

Mount Tai
"Mount Tai" in Chinese characters
Chinese	泰山
Literal meaning	"Mount Tai"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Tài Shān Wade–Giles T'ai4 shan1 IPA [tʰâi̯ ʂán] Wu Romanization Tah入 sae平 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Taai sāan Jyutping Taai3 saan1 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Thài san Middle Chinese Middle Chinese tʰaj ʂean Old Chinese Baxter-Sagart *l̥ˤa[t]-s s-ŋrar
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese	岱山
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Dài shān

Mount Tai (Chinese: 泰山; pinyin: Tài Shān) is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong province, China. The tallest peak is the Jade Emperor Peak (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), which is commonly reported as 1,545 metres (5,069 ft) tall, but is described by the PRC government as 1,532.7 metres (5,029 ft).

Mount Tai is known as the eastern mountain of the Five Great Mountains of China. It is associated with sunrise, birth, and renewal, and is often regarded the foremost of the five. Mount Tai has been a place of worship for at least 3,000 years and served as one of the most important ceremonial centers of China during large portions of this period.

Mount Tai is located in western Shandong, just north of the city of Tai'an and to the south of the provincial capital Jinan. It extends from 150 to 1,545 metres (492 to 5,069 ft) above sea level and covers an area of 426 square kilometres (164 sq mi) at its base. The Jade Emperor Peak is 1,532.7 metres (5,029 ft) above sea level and located at 36° 16′N and 117° 6′E.

Traces of human presence at Mount Tai date back to the Paleolithic period. Human settlement of the area can be proven from the neolithic period onwards. During this time, two cultures had emerged near the mountain, the Dawenkou culture to the south and the Longshan culture to the north.

During the Xia Dynasty (c. 2070–1600 BC) the mountain was known as Mount Dai (Chinese: 岱山; pinyin: Dài Shān) and lay within the borders of Qingzhou, one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China.