Mount Tai ：Higashi-Mido Sightseeing Route (Attraction Introduction)

The eastern imperial road archway

The East Imperial Road Archway is located at the starting point of the eastern stream of Taishan Mountain. It is a three-arched archway, with the west side facing east. The central main arch is 3 meters wide and 3.3 meters high, with side auxiliary arches 1.7 meters wide and 2.2 meters high. The total height of the archway is about 6.5 meters, and the total width is 8.6 meters. The base is 10 meters long and 6.6 meters wide. From 2003 to 2005, villagers from Shangliyuan raised funds at Jinshan and others to build the "Taishan East Imperial Daoist Archway" at the starting point of this passage. This archway follows Han tradition, with the east as the highest honor, symbolizing the purple energy coming from the east, serving as the imperial route for Emperor Wu of Han to ascend Mount Tai.

The archway is built from massive stones, simple and dignified. The plaque on the front of the archway is inscribed with the five characters "Taishan East Imperial Road," symbolizing the imperial route the emperor passed through here on his eastern tour to Mount Tai. The design of the archway symbolizes the integration of the thousand-year-old ancient capital of Yin Ruins with the sacred site of Mount Tai, showcasing the ancient people's reverence for sacred mountains and rivers.

Qingyang Hall

Qingyang Hall is located on the eastern imperial road of Taishan by Weiyang Lake. It is a rectangular pavilion with eight pillars, measuring 14 meters on each side, 12.9 meters wide, and 8.85 meters high, with a pointed roof at the four corners. The pavilion's plaque reads 'Qingyang Hall', with couplets embracing pillars on both sides: the upper line reads 'East Peak's rosy light shines in the splendid place,' and the lower line 'Clouds from the Ninth Heaven reflect this pavilion.'

According to records, in the second year of Yuanfeng (109 BC), Emperor Wu of Han ordered the construction of the Ming Hall at the foot of Mount Tai. The Ming Hall had no walls on all sides, was covered with a thatched roof, and surrounded by a circular waterway. Today, the Ming Hall has long been abandoned, with only the ruins for people to pay respects to. Emperor Wu of Han built the Ming Hall at the foot of Mount Tai with five rooms. The easternmost one was called Qingyang, so he borrowed the name 'Qingyang' and constructed Qingyang Hall beside Weiyang Lake.

Hanque Square

This site imitates the Han dynasty palace gate design, with a pair of stone towers constructed as landmarks for entering the Taishan Imperial Road scenic area. Each pair of stone towers is 2.56 meters wide at the front, 1.6 meters wide on the side, and 4.03 meters high, constructed in 2023.

Hanque Gate is a landmark building on the eastern imperial mountain route. According to historical records, Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, visited Mount Tai eight times to perform the Fengshan ceremony, making him the second emperor after Qin Shi Huang to do so. Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, chose to ride horses up the eastern foothills of Tai Mountain because the east symbolizes 'purple energy coming from the east,' meaning 'east as the foremost' and 'rising energy to the east,' symbolizing national prosperity, and the terrain is gentle and easy to climb. Therefore, this mountain route is called the "Eastern Imperial Road." The Han Que Gate is clearly a Han Dynasty standard building, characterized by the Que body and top being carved with Han Dynasty-style patterns and decorations. On the large stone in front of the Han Que gate is the four characters "Ancient Han Imperial Road," which uses the form of a Han seal and exudes a strong Han aura.

Ganquan Pavilion

Ganquan Pavilion is a pavilion-style building constructed in 2023. It is an eight-sided, eight-column pavilion, with the plaque reading "Ganquan Pavilion." The front features a couplet embracing the pillars: the upper line reads, "The mountain stream gently welcomes guests," and the lower line reads, "The imperial road is leisurely reaching the heavens." The architectural style is simple and elegant, surrounded by green trees and a tranquil environment. This location is close to Ganquan Waterfall, and upstream to Daiding Ganhua Spring, there are red stones resembling livers, and the spring water is sweet and clear. During the Han dynasty, the Ganquan Palace was built, and during the Han dynasty, Yang Xiong wrote the 'Ode to Ganquan,' which gave the mountain pavilion its name.

Qitian Pavilion

Qitian Pavilion is a pavilion-style building, measuring 3.9 meters on each side and 4.7 meters high, with a pointed roof at the four corners. The pavilion's plaque reads 'Qitian Pavilion', with a couplet embracing the pillars on the front: the upper line reads 'Broadly viewing the mountain delight,' and the lower line reads 'Illuminating the Outer World.' This pavilion was completed in 2003, featuring a simple and elegant architectural style, surrounded by green trees, and a tranquil environment.

Weiyang Lake

Weiyang Lake is located in Shangliyuan Village, on the eastern slope of Mount Tai, and its name comes from the Weiyang Palace of the Western Han Dynasty. It is said that during the Han dynasty, there was a Weiyang Palace, and in front of the palace was Weiyang Pool, hence the name Weiyang Lake. Opposite the lake rise towering mountain peaks, with layers of ridges and clear water, reflecting the surrounding mountains. The riverbed of the valley along the eastern imperial road is scattered with stones of various shapes and sizes, piled up and flowing gently.