Why Go
Mist, Granite and a Pavilion on a Spur
1. A mountain with a Taoist name
The mountain takes its name from Laojun, the honorific title of Laozi. Taoist temples and pavilions stand on the upper slopes, and the mountain's timber halls, painted in red and gold, sit at the edge of sheer rock rather than in sheltered valleys.
The upper sections are granite, and cloud often drifts through them, so the summit paths are usually a mix of cliff, mist and the sudden appearance of a roofline.
2. Getting up, and what the view shows
A cable car crosses the forest to the upper slopes, and the paved path from the lower station shows how steep the ground is. From the viewing platforms the ridges roll away in layers into the haze, with pale green forest filling the lower valleys.
A bridge leads from a viewing deck to a pavilion perched on a spur, which is the image many visitors take home.
