As the saying goes,"Three Mountains and Five Mountains", people are always controversial about the "Three Mountains", but there is no controversy about the "Five Mountains". The east mountain is Mount Tai in Shandong, the west mountain is Mount Hua in Shaanxi, the south mountain is Mount Heng in Hunan, the north mountain is Mount Heng in Shanxi, and the middle mountain is Mount Song in Henan. It has long been famous around the world.

However, compared with the majestic scenery of Mount Tai, the dangerous scenery of Mount Hua, the strange scenery of Mount Heng, and the steep scenery of Mount Song, Hengshan, which is famous for its beauty, seems to have a low sense of existence. Except for local people in Hunan, few tourists from other provinces come here to check in, and they don't even know its specific location.

The reason may be that this famous mountain located on the bank of the Xiangjiang River is the lowest among the five mountains. Although its climate is warm and there are many strange flowers and grasses in the mountains, the landscape has no obvious advantages, which is why it is unknown among the five mountains. But when you have actually been to Hengshan and learned about its history and culture, you will not think so.

The reason why Hengshan is called Hengshan comes from the ancient astronomical masterpiece "Ganshi Xingjing". It is believed that Hengshan is located on the wings of the twenty-eight stars and can balance heaven and earth, so it is called Hengshan. The Zhen star is in charge of people's lifespan, so Hengshan is regarded as the longevity mountain. Later, people mentioned "longevity than Nanshan Mountain" in their birthday celebrations, referring to the southern mountain Hengshan.

In addition to the unique meaning given to Hengshan by the ancients, the thousand-year Buddhist and Taoist cultural heritage also supports Hengshan's sacred status. 1700 years ago, the first mainstream sect in the history of Chinese Taoism, was founded in Hengshan, Nanyue;1500 years ago, the founder of the Buddhist Tiantai Sect came to Hengshan to establish a temple;1300 years ago, the Chinese Southern Zen Sect spawned five sects in Hengshan and spread to South Korea, Korea, Japan and other countries. There is also a temple on the mountain where the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism coexist in harmony. It is rare for them to live in harmony.

When you come to Hunan to travel, ask any local person, and they will tell you that the Nanyue Temple at the foot of Hengshan Mountain has the most popular incense. It combines Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. With its large building area, it is also the largest ancient building complex in the Jiangnan area, and it is known as the "Small Forbidden City in the South". Whenever festivals and holidays, the first and fifteenth days of the lunar new year, many people will come and make wishes.

It is worth mentioning that during the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty changed the Nanyue Mountain into Huoshan in the southeast of the Dabie Mountains. Later, Yang Jian, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, unified the north and south and re-opened the Nanyue Mountain Hengshan Mountain. In the Tang Dynasty, Li Fan, the son of the famous civilian prime minister Li Mi, established the earliest folk academy in the country-Nanyue Academy. Since then, Hengshan Academies have flourished. Many celebrities came to Nanyue Academy to study and give lectures, forming the well-known Huxiang School.

The Yuelu Academy, which is most familiar to modern people, is located on the last Yuelu Mountain of the 72 peaks of Hengshan Mountain. Although it has been dilapidated and rebuilt several times, the scholarly spirit of the academy has never stopped. Today, Yuelu Academy is not only a cultural monument, but also a college of Hunan University. When you pass through the ancient gate of Yuelu Mountain, you can see this academy that has led the trend of contemporary literature many times among the green trees and green mountains.

Among the 72 peaks of Hengshan, Yuelu Mountain is the foot, Jiong Yan Mountain is the head, and the main peak is Zhurong Peak. This legendary Fire God is said to have come to the world to teach everyone the skills of preserving fire. He lived in Hengshan and was eventually buried in Hengshan. In order to commemorate him, the highest peak was named Zhurong Peak, and there was also Zhurong Hall built on the peak.

If you are visiting Hengshan for the first time, the Zhurongfeng Scenic Area is worth spending time climbing. It usually starts from Shengli Square, follows Huayan Lake, Fanyin Ancient Road, Zhimutan, Nantianmen Gate, Guangji Temple, etc., and finally reaches Zhurong Peak. It takes about 5 hours to get there with a stop and go. Different scenery such as stone carvings, springs, and streams alternate along the way. If summer comes and the cool breeze blows, it is a good place to escape the heat. It can be said that he has lived up to the reputation of Nanyue's delicate and beautiful scenery.