Top Ten Ignores Four of Five Sacred MountainsIn its October issue, the Chinese National Ge

Top Ten Ignores Four of Five Sacred Mountains

In its October issue, the Chinese National Geography magazine announced the results of its search for the "Most Beautiful Places in China", including a list of Top Ten Mountains that has caused some controversy.

Of China's traditional "Five Sacred Mountains", only Mount Tai (Shandong) made it into the Top Ten, the rest of which were: Mt. Namjagbarwa (Tibet), Mt. Gongga (Sichuan), Mt. Qomolangma (Tibet), Meili Snow Mountain (Yunnan), Mount Huangshan (Anhui), Daocheng Sacred Peaks (Sichuan), Mount Chogori (Xinjiang), The Kangrinboqe Peak (Tibet) and Mount Emei (Sichuan).

The state of the natural environment was a key factor in selections. Experts cast their votes on the mountains according to a whole range of criteria including: height, the surrounding environment and ecosystem and scientific interest.

Mt. Namjagbarwa in the southeast of China Autonomous Region, the highest peak in the eastern section of the Himalayas, is the world's only unconquered peak above 7,500 meters. The mountain stands 7,788 meters above sea level, capped all year round with a transparent sheet of ice and snow, and is hard to view because it is constantly encircled in fog. Once in a while, the peak of the mountain peeks out from the mist, so it is nicknamed "shy girl". There are three huge valley glaciers between Namjagbarwa Peak and Naipeng Peak to the south that reach down to the green and immense forest.

The Mountain Minya Gongga stands on the borders of Kangding, Luding and Jiulong counties, 7,556 meters above sea level. It is the highest mountain in Sichuan and the 11th highest in the world. Around the summit, in area of 292 square kilometers, there are 145 ice peaks whose altitudes are above 5,000 meters and 110 glaciers of various sizes. The top of Gongga is hidden in cloud almost all year round and it possesses virgin forests, snow mountains, grassland, lakes, hot springs, waterfalls and is worshipped by the locals as a supreme holy mountain.

Mt. Qomolangma, also known as Everest, is the highest mountain in the world and stands among the jagged(参差不齐的) landscape of the Himalayas on the border of China and Nepal. The seemingly pyramidal shape of the 8,844. 43meter mountain dominates the center of the scene if viewed from south. The northeast side of this grand mountain rises steeply without break for 3,600 meters. Like the other peaks at this high altitude, Qomolangma has been carved by glaciers that move under their own weight. The re suiting sharp peaks, steep walls, and Ushaped valleys characterize the almost surreal(犹如梦幻的) landscape. Glaciers at the base of these peaks seem to snake down every possible valley. While numerous attempts to reach its summit were made between 1921 and 1952, it was not until May 20, 1953 that Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary finally succeeded.

Meili Snow Mountain is located about 10 kilometers west of Deqing City in Diqing Prefecture, Yunnan Province. As the sun rises in the east, the snowmountain looks splendid draped in gold. This scene is described in a book named The Lost Horizon. Lowaltitude modern glaciers can be found in this area, of particular interest to those engaged in geological research. Under Kawageber Peak, Mingyuchia and Sichia glaciers stretch down to the forest at an altitude of 2,700 meters; this area is accessible. However, Kawageber Peak, the highest at 6,740 meters above sea level, is still a "virgin peak" untouched till now. Meili Snow Mountain is the highest holy Tibetan Mountain in the world, shrouded in mist, cloud and mystery.

Mount Huangshan, located in the southern part of Anhui Province, extends across four counties—Shexian, Yixian, Taiping, and Xining. Within an area of 154 square kilometers there is a crowd of peaks, 72 of which have names indicating the shapes they resemble, and when it is cloudy the pinnacles(顶峰) loom

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