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The main peak of the
Qinling Mountain, it is located to the south of Meixian County, Shaanxi
Province, and straddles Taibai County and Zhouzhi County. The peak has a
long freezing period, with snow all year round except in the summer. So
when viewed from the northern plains, the peak looks as shiny as silver.
And that is how it came to be named Taibai (always white).
Taibai Mountain
Taibai Mountain, a
mountain mainly made up of huge granite stones, emerged more than 100
million years ago during the geological movement of the Yanshan
Mountain. Baxiantai, the summit at 3,767 meters above sea level, looks
like a cone, on top of which a temple is built . On both the southern and
northern slopes are a string of lakes, with the biggest one being Daye
Lake or Big Taibai Lake. The lake, 3,550 meters above sea level, is
located below the peak to the northwest. About 5,000 square meters, the
oval-shaped lake has crystal clear and extremely cold water.
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Location of
Shanxi Province |
On the Taibai Mountain,
plants typically grow in north, central and southwest China is seen at
different altitudes. There are 1,550-odd seed plants, 302 types of
bryophyte and a great number of fungi. There are also 2,700 different
kinds of wild animals, including giant pandas, golden monkeys, takings
and other animals under state-level protection. In 1955, the authorities
set up the Taibai Mountain Nature Reserve, which covers 54,000 hectares
of land around the main peak.
Today, the reserve has
become a major field research base of geography, plants, animals, herbal
medicines, environmental protection, etc. The most popular views on the
Taibai Mountain are; the snow-covered Taibai Lake, the perilous peaks at
Doumugone Temple, and the cloud sea at Ping'an Temple. A good time to go
sightseeing, collect herbal medicines and conduct scientific inspections
is July and August, when the ice and snow on the mountain are gone.
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