Tianmu Mountain, Nature reserve and mountain range in Lin'an District, Hangzhou, China.
Tianmu Mountain is a mountain range in Zhejiang province with two main peaks, protected as a nature reserve. The slopes are covered in thick forest crossed by springs, with temples embedded at different elevations along the way.
During the Tang Dynasty, Buddhist scholars settled on the mountain and built the first temples, giving the site its religious character. More structures were added over the following centuries, forming a web of religious buildings that can still be seen today.
Along the trails, visitors come across active temples, stone carvings, and small shrines where Buddhist monks still live and practice today. The presence of these religious sites gives the mountain a tone that feels different from an ordinary nature walk.
The mountain is best explored on foot along marked trails that pass through different forest zones and elevations. Weather can change quickly at higher points, so a light extra layer is worth carrying even on warm days.
The mountain shelters a species of cedar that does not grow anywhere else in the region, and some of the trees are believed to be over 1,000 years old. These ancient specimens are still standing in place, making them living remnants of a forest that has changed very little over a very long time.
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