Mount Mian 绵山

About Mount Mian

Daluo Palace supplies a dramatic, vertically stacked Daoist ensemble, while Yunfeng Temple sits beneath the great Baofu Rock overhang. Much of the visitor architecture has been rebuilt, so its impressive appearance should be distinguished from the age of the religious traditions. The wider mountain includes numerous separate valleys and shrines; choosing one connected sector makes a more coherent visit.

According to tradition, Mount Mian was the site of a retreat where Jie Zhitui and his mother died in a forest fire set by his lord, Duke Wen of the state of Jin, in the 7th century BC; Duke Wen's remorse led him to build a temple in Jie's honour, supported by sacrifices funded from nearby land. By the Han dynasty, people around Taiyuan were treating Jie as a tutelary deity.

The mountain's official scenic area opened in 2000 and covers 75 square kilometres, with about 400 attractions grouped into 14 tourist areas. It lies in the town of Mianshan in Jiexiu, Jinzhong, part of the Taihang Mountains south of the Fen River; its ridgeline runs for more than 160 kilometres, reaching 2,440 metres at its highest point. Its long, unbroken ridge is said to have given the mountain its name, from an old word for silk floss later extended to mean soft or downy before becoming the modern word for cotton. Notable rock features include Buddha Embrace Rock, Tiesuo Ridge, Yinkong Cavity and the Mosta Dome, and the area's vegetation has been studied by Shanxi University.

What to look for

• Daluo Palace, a tall sequence of Daoist halls rising against the mountain.
• Yunfeng Temple beneath Baofu Rock, where the natural overhang defines the religious setting.

Location & getting there

Getting to Mount Mian

Reach the Mianshan scenic-area entrance from Jiexiu and confirm the internal transport serving Daluo Palace and Yunfeng Temple.

• The mountain's separate sectors are not one continuous easy walk; plan the return to the entrance before adding another valley.