In ancient times, Mt. Huashan was called Mt. Taihuashan. From a distance the five peaks seem to form the shape of a 'flower' (hua in Chinese), hence the name 'Huashan'. It is famous for its natural vistas of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags, and a high mountain range. It is home to several influential Taoist temples where emperors of past dynasties made pilgrimages, making Mt. Huashan the holy land of Taoism.

Usually tourists climb up the mountain assisted by the iron chains along the way and start their tour from Yuquan Yuan (Jade Spring Temple)(玉泉院), one of the main Taoist temples in China located at the foot of Mt. Huashan. It has the architectural style of the classical gardens in south China. There is a pond in the center and several pavilions around it. Walking through the Wuyou Pavilion, the Long Corridor of Seventy-two Windows comes into view, and afterwards Qingke Ping where a big rock called Huixin Rock(回心石) can be seen. It is said that Huixin Rock is a reminder for those who wish to stop their tour at this point. Beside the rock are the precipitous 370 rock steps called 'Qianchi Zhuang (千尺幢)' considered to be the primary breath-taking path of Mt. Huashan. When climbing, only a gleam of sky above can be seen, making climbers feel as if they were at the bottom of a well. Across the Qianchi Zhuang (千尺幢) are two similar precipitous paths-respectively called ’Baichi Xia (百丈崖)’ and Laojun Li (老君犁沟) above which climbers reach Mt. Huashan’s North Peak.

The panorama was taken above Qianchi Zhuang

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g1152609-d1801611/Huayin:China:Yuquan.Courtyard.Of.Huashan.html
http://forum.china.org.cn/viewthread.php?tid=10517

360-degree panorama photography by yunzeng liu