Mount Heng (Hunan)

Mount Heng (Hunan)

Mount Heng (Chinese: 衡山; pinyin: Héng Shān), also known as Nan Yue (南岳; Nányuè), is located in Hunan Province, People's Republic of China and is one of the Five Great Mountains in China. Heng Shan is a mountain range 150 kilometres (93 mi) long with 72 peaks and lies at 27.254798°N and 112.655743°E. The Huiyan Peak is the south end of the peaks, Yuelu Mountain in Changsha City is the north end, and the Zhurong Peak is the highest at 1,300.2 metres (4,266 ft) above sea level.

At the foot of the mountain stands the largest temple in southern China, the Grand Temple of Mount Heng (Nanyue Damiao), which is the largest group of ancient buildings in Hunan Province.

Notable sites in the area include the Zhusheng Si Temple, an 8th century Buddhist monastery and Zhurong Gong, a small stone temple.