The Qinling Mountains are not a single mountain, but a huge mountain system. Originally referring to the mountainous terrain located in southern Shaanxi Province, between the Wei and Han rivers, it served as the watershed of the Jialing, Luo, Han and Wei rivers, stretching more than 500 kilometers from east to west and about 150 kilometers wide from north to south. The Jing, Wei and Luo rivers are located on the north side of the Qinling Mountains, forming an alluvial plain that is eight hundred miles long, known as the eight hundred li Qinchuan. The land is fertile and crisscrossed by rivers. In the late Shang Dynasty, the descendants of the great general Evil Lai, the tribe surnamed Win, settled here and established the capital Qinyi. For more than 500 years, the Huan tribe developed agriculture on the Guanzhong Plain and called themselves the Qin people. When Duke Xianggong of Qin sent troops to escort Zhou Tianzi to the east, he was made a prince and given the title Qin. During the Spring and Autumn period, the State of Qin became a hegemon under the leadership of Duke Mu of Qin. In the early Warring States period, the State of Qin also nearly perished. These Qin people living in the Guanzhong Plain relied on natural barriers such as the Xianshan Mountain Range and the Hangu Pass in the remnants of the Qinling Mountains to ensure that Guanzhong was not affected by the war in the Central Plains. In the end, the Qin people worked hard to establish the first centralized unified dynasty, the Qin Dynasty.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the great writer Ban Gu named this mountain range "Qinling" for the first time in "Western Capital Fu", described: "Looking at the Qinling Mountains, looking at the northern peaks, embracing Fengba, close to the dragon head." "With the passage of time, people's understanding of Qinling is also changing. Now unfolding the map of China, Qinling is no longer just the South Mountain of Shaanxi, but a "giant dragon" that crosses the land of China, stretching from the Yellow River in the north, the Yangtze River in the south, the Dabie Mountain in the east, and the Kunlun Mountain in the west, with a total length of nearly 1,600 kilometers. A proud area of central China, the Qinling Mountains stand tall and block the warm and humid air flow from south to north and the cold air from north to south. The south of the Qinling Mountains belongs to the subtropical climate, rainy and humid, and the temperature is high; The north of the Qinling Mountains has a temperate climate, mainly cold and dry. Geography textbooks define the "Qinling-Huaihe River" as the dividing line between the north and south of the mainland. Rice is planted in the south, and many boats travel in between; Grow wheat millet in the north, and ride on it; Along the Qinling Mountains, it has become a place where the cultures of the north and the south meet, and the residents here have both the bold and luxurious style of the north and the gentle style of the south.
The Qinling Mountains are cascading, and Taibai Mountain is its highest peak, with an altitude of 3771.2 meters. The Baxiantai of Taibai Mountain is not only the highest point of the Qinling Mountain Range, but also the highest mountain in the eastern part of the continent. According to ancient documents, the top of Taibai Mountain is covered with snow and mist all year round, and legend has it that there are immortals in the mountain, and Baxiantai is the location of Jiang Ziya Feng God. With an average altitude of 500 meters above sea level, and the Qinling Mountains with a height difference of nearly 3,300 meters, the ecology here is diverse and the landscape is peculiar, forming a special landscape of "one calendar and four seasons". From the foot of the mountain, there is a subtropical broadleaf forest climate, followed by a temperate mixed leaf forest climate, and a boreal coniferous forest climate at the summit. Vegetation varies with altitude, forming a unique mountain ecosystem. There are three alpine lakes at the top of Taibai Mountain, which have survived from the ice age, and are the source of the Stone River, the Hei River and the Hushui River. The high drop forms a river waterfall, which is also a major landscape here. Located on the west side of Taibai Mountain, Yuhuang Mountain is the watershed of the Jialing River and the Han River. Looking north to Qi Mountain, between the two mountains is the famous historical Chen Cang Ancient Road. As the gateway to the west of the Guanzhong Plain, the Chen Cang Ancient Road was the only way to enter Sichuan in those years. Nowadays, the highway from Baoji to Hanzhong has also been built, and the ancient history and modern construction are blended here. The Chen Cang Ancient Road is located in the hinterland of the Qinling Mountains, and is a well-known peak in the Qinling Mountains. This was once the back garden of the imperial capital Chang'an, witnessing the splendor of the Qin and Han dynasties and the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. Legends and history have been carved here again and again, and imperial culture, Taoist culture and martial arts stories have constantly been deified here. "Furu Donghai, Shoubi Nanshan" is Chinese's highest pursuit of life and the best embodiment of Nanshan culture.
Mount Hua, also known as Mount Taihua, is the watershed between the Qinling Mountains and the Luo, Wei and Yellow Rivers. It straddles Chang'an and Luoyang, forming the "one mountain and three rivers" area. The Wei River and the Luo River carved the two major plains of Guanzhong and Yiluo respectively, nourishing the two thousand-year-old imperial capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang. The Yangshao culture in this area is the cradle of Chinese civilization. Mount Hua is located between the two imperial capitals, and the Yellow River and Mount Hua form a narrow strip, which is a natural corridor between the two places, called the "China Corridor". Ancient Xiongguan, Hanguguan and Tongguan witnessed the change and rise and fall of the Central Plains dynasty. Hangu Pass is the "father mountain" of the Chinese nation, which, together with the Yellow River, gave birth to the ancient and great Chinese nation. The landscape of the Qinling Mountains is a symbol of Chinese geography, the backbone of China's territory, and the starting point of Chinese civilization.