Mountain (山, Shān) is the first and most fundamental of the Five Arts. It encompasses all practices of self-cultivation, spiritual development, and physical mastery that have been preserved by Taoist sages, Buddhist monks, and martial artists throughout Chinese history. The name itself is poetic and literal: for millennia, the mountains of China have served as sanctuaries for those seeking to transcend ordinary existence and commune with the Dao.
The Mountain arts form the foundation upon which all other arts rest. Without a disciplined body, a calm mind, and refined internal energy (气, qì), the practitioner lacks the clarity and vitality needed for healing, divination, or cosmic calculation. As the old saying goes: "First cultivate yourself, then understand the world."
The Sacred Mountains of China
China's sacred mountains have been the cradle of spiritual practice for thousands of years. Among the most revered:
武当山 · Wudang Shan
Known as the birthplace of Tai Chi and the heartland of Taoist internal martial arts. Zhang Sanfeng (张三丰), the legendary founder of Taijiquan, is said to have achieved immortality on its peaks. Wudang remains a UNESCO World Heritage site and active center of Taoist practice.
峨眉山 · Emei Shan
One of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China, Emei has been a center of esoteric Buddhist and Taoist practice for over 2,000 years. Its mist-shrouded peaks host some of China's oldest monasteries.
华山 · Huashan
The "Western Great Mountain," famous for its treacherous cliffside paths. Taoist hermits have meditated on its narrow ledges for centuries, and it features prominently in martial arts legends and kung fu fiction.
青城山 · Qingcheng Shan
The birthplace of Tianshi (Celestial Master) Daoism, founded by Zhang Daoling in 142 CE. Its serene forests and ancient temples make it one of the most important Taoist sites in all of China.
Qigong · 气功
Qigong (气功, literally "energy cultivation") is a vast system of coordinated body posture, movement, breathing, and meditation practices designed to cultivate and balance qi — the vital life force that animates all living things. Archaeological evidence suggests qigong-like practices date back at least 5,000 years, with the earliest written references appearing in the Dao De Jing and the Zhuangzi.
There are hundreds of qigong styles, but they can be broadly categorized:
Major Qigong Traditions
- Medical Qigong (医疗气功) — Prescribed by TCM practitioners for specific health conditions
- Martial Qigong (武术气功) — Iron Body, Iron Shirt, and other conditioning practices for martial artists
- Spiritual Qigong (修行气功) — Practices aimed at enlightenment, including Standing Meditation (Zhan Zhuang)
- Wild Goose Qigong (大雁气功) — An ancient Taoist system mimicking the movements of wild geese
- Eight Brocades (八段锦) — One of the most widely practiced qigong sets, dating to the Song Dynasty
The foundational theory holds that qi circulates through the body along pathways called meridians (经络, jīngluò), and that disease, weakness, and mental distress result from blockages or imbalances in this flow. Through dedicated practice, the qigong practitioner learns to sense, direct, and accumulate qi, gradually achieving states of extraordinary health and clarity.
Internal Alchemy · Neidan · 内丹
Neidan (内丹, "internal elixir") is the supreme achievement of Mountain arts — the practice of spiritual alchemy within the human body. While external alchemy (Waidan, 外丹) sought to create an elixir of immortality from minerals and metals (often with toxic results), Neidan practitioners realized that the true laboratory is the body itself.
The Neidan process follows a well-defined alchemical progression:
The Three Treasures (三宝, San Bao)
- Jing (精) — Essence, the foundational energy stored in the kidneys, associated with reproductive vitality and physical constitution
- Qi (气) — Vital energy, the animating force that circulates through the body's meridian system
- Shen (神) — Spirit, the luminous consciousness that resides in the heart and governs awareness
The alchemical formula is: Jing transforms into Qi, Qi transforms into Shen (炼精化气，炼气化神). The ultimate stage, Shen returns to the Void (炼神还虚), represents union with the Dao itself.
The most influential Neidan text is The Secret of the Golden Flower (太乙金华宗旨, Taiyi Jin Hua Zong Zhi), a work attributed to the Taoist immortal Lü Dongbin (吕洞宾). Made famous in the West through Carl Jung's commentary, the text describes a meditation technique for circulating light within the body to achieve spiritual transformation.
Breathwork · Tu Na · 吐纳
Tu Na (吐纳, literally "expel and receive") is the ancient Chinese art of breathwork — the systematic regulation of breathing for health, longevity, and spiritual development. The practice is described in the Zhuangzi (庄子), which recounts sages who "breathed from their heels" — a metaphor for the deepest, most complete form of respiration.
Tu Na techniques include:
- Abdominal breathing (腹式呼吸) — Slow, deep breaths that expand the lower abdomen
- Reverse breathing (逆腹式呼吸) — An advanced technique used in martial arts and internal alchemy
- Embryonic breathing (胎息) — An extremely subtle practice mimicking the breathing of a fetus in the womb
- Six Healing Sounds (六字诀) — Specific vocalizations paired with exhalation to cleanse the organs
Meditation Systems
Chinese meditation encompasses a rich variety of practices drawn from Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian traditions:
- Zuowang (坐忘, "sitting in oblivion") — A Taoist practice described in the Zhuangzi involving the complete letting go of body and mind
- Neiguan (内观, "inner observation") — The systematic scanning and awareness of internal sensations
- Chan (禅, Zen) — The Buddhist meditation tradition transmitted from India by Bodhidharma
- Shuangxiu (双修, "dual cultivation") — Advanced Taoist practices integrating body and consciousness
「致虚极，守静笃。万物并作，吾以观复。」
— Laozi, Dao De Jing (道德经), Chapter 16"Attain the ultimate emptiness. Guard the deepest stillness. All things arise together, and I watch their return."
Martial Arts Origins · 武术之源
Chinese martial arts (武术, wǔshù) were born from the same mountain traditions that produced qigong and Neidan. The legendary Bodhidharma (达摩) is credited with founding Shaolin Kung Fu at the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song (嵩山). According to tradition, Bodhidharma found the monks too weak for prolonged meditation and taught them a series of exercises that evolved into the Shaolin fighting arts.
The internal martial arts (内家拳, neijia quan) are most directly connected to Mountain practices:
- Taijiquan (太极拳) — Founded (according to tradition) by Zhang Sanfeng on Wudang Mountain; emphasizes softness overcoming hardness
- Baguazhang (八卦掌) — Based on the circular patterns of the Eight Trigrams
- Xingyiquan (形意拳) — Based on the Five Elements theory and the movements of twelve animals
Taoist Hermits Today
Remarkably, Taoist hermits continue to live in the mountains of China to this day. Journalist Bill Porter's book Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits (1993) documented encounters with reclusive practitioners living in caves on the Zhongnan Mountains (终南山), carrying on traditions that stretch back thousands of years. These modern hermits represent a living link to the original Mountain arts.
Fasting & Dietary Practices · 辟谷
Bigu (辟谷, "avoiding grains") is a Taoist fasting practice aimed at reducing or eliminating dependence on ordinary food. Practitioners believe that by gradually replacing solid food with qi absorption, herbal supplements, and specific Daoist recipes, one can purify the body, extend life, and enhance spiritual perception.
The practice is mentioned in texts dating to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) and was reportedly practiced by the fangshi (方士, "masters of methods") who served the imperial courts. Modern interpretations range from periodic juice fasting to sustained retreats under teacher supervision.