Once the mecca of Taoism, this famous mountain is in southwest Junxian County, Hubei Province. Densely wooded and towering into the clouds, it has a circumference of 400 kilometers, with 72 peaks, 36 precipices, and 24 ravines. Its highest peak -- Heavenly Pillar Peak (Tianzhufeng) -- is 1,600 meters above sea level.

The building of palaces and temples on its lopes began during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Emperor Zhi Di dispatched 300,000 laborers and embarked on large-scale construction on the mountain. Today, more than a dozen groups of architecturally interesting buildings left by the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming, and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties are scattered on the slopes. At the top of Heavenly Polar Peak stands Golden Palace (Jindian), which was built completely of bronze, then gilded and decorated with beautiful ornaments. Weighing 80 tons altogether, the compactly built structure is 5.5 meters high, 5.8 meters wide, and 4.2 meters deep and represents the highly developed smelting and casting skills of Ming Dynasty craftsmen. Inside the palace, there is a ten-ton bronze statue of Zhen Wu, the founder of Taoism. Purple Cloud Palace (Zixiaogong) is another well-preserved ancient building on the mountain, covered with brightly glazed green tiles and surrounded by red walls decorated with colorful paintings.

Wudang Mountain is famous not only for its beautiful scenery, but also for its unique Wudang style martial art.