In China's long history, Wuyue has always enjoyed a lofty position.
Mount Tai, Mount Hua, Mount Heng, Mount Song, each of them is famous, and visitors are weaving.
All of them are national 5A-level scenic spots, but Hengshan is still in the ranks of 4A.
However, as one of the five mountains, Hengshan seems a little "alternative".
It is far away from the hinterland of the Central Plains, located at the junction of Jin and Mongolia, surrounded by mountains, with a dry climate, and seems to be born with some differences from other famous mountains.
However, even if it is an "alternative", Hengshan also has its own unique charm.
Although it does not have the steepness of Huashan, the majesty of Mount Tai and the beauty of Huangshan, it has a different style.
Hengshan is located in Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province, far away from the hinterland of the Central Plains, and is located at the junction of Shanxi and Mongolia.
Surrounded by mountains, the climate is dry, and the altitude difference is large, and these congenital geographical disadvantages make it difficult to compete with other famous mountains.
What's more, although Hengshan has a long history, as a member of the Five Mountains, its qualifications are the shallower.
According to historical records, it was not until the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty that Hengshan officially won the title of "Beiyue".
Prior to this, Maoshan Mountain in Quyang, Hebei Province, had been regarded as the real Beiyue for more than 1,700 years.
Although Hengshan has the reputation of a famous Taoist mountain, it is far inferior to the other four mountains in terms of imperial sacrifices and literati travel.
This difference in historical status has also affected its positioning in the modern tourism landscape.
From the perspective of landscape, Hengshan is also difficult to call outstanding.
It does not have the precipitousness of Mount Hua, the majesty of Mount Tai, and the beauty of Mount Huangshan.
The front mountain is dominated by Taoist monuments, and although the stone forest and stone wall of the back mountain can be called the essence of Heng Mountain, it is difficult to become a popular scenic spot due to inconvenient transportation and sparse tourists.
Coupled with the chaotic management of the scenic spot, the poor infrastructure, and the greatly reduced tourist experience, these are all important factors restricting the upgrade of Hengshan to 5A.
Of course, Hengshan is not without merit.
As an important military fortress, there have been numerous thrilling wars here.
Reverse Horse Pass, Bauhinia Pass, Pingxing Pass...... The resounding place names all show the status of Hengshan's soldiers to fight for the place.
During the Anti-Japanese War, the victory of Pingxingguan, which shocked China and foreign countries, made this ancient famous mountain once again become the focus of the world's attention.
Compared with the hustle and bustle of urban life, there are many people who yearn to find a pure land, temporarily away from the hustle and bustle, and empty their bodies and minds.
And Beiyue Heng Mountain may be such an ideal place.
Unlike other famous mountains, Hengshan seems to be born with a "hermit" temperament.
Far from the city, it is located at the junction of Jinmeng, surrounded by mountains and has a dry climate, giving people a sense of isolation.
There are not many commercial facilities here, there are no bustling crowds, there are just pristine natural scenery and rich historical accumulation.
In addition, as the most famous scenic spot of Heng Mountain, the Hanging Temple has also made countless Chinese and foreign tourists fall in love with its exquisite architecture and the unique connotation of the integration of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism.
The natural grottoes of the Flying Grottoes, the natural grottoes of Huixian Mansion, and the majestic mountains of Tianfeng Ridge all demonstrate the extraordinary charm of Heng Mountain.
To sum up, although Hengshan is not a 5A scenic spot at present, its profound historical heritage and unique cultural landscape are still worth exploring and understanding.
Perhaps, with the improvement of traffic and management, one day, this "aggrieved" famous mountain can also regain its former style and rank among the ranks of 5A scenic spots.