Mount Hengshan

A small mountain range stretching from north to south along the west bank of the Xiangjiang River in the central-eastern part of Hunan Province, China. Nanyue is one of the Five Mountains that have been revered since ancient times as the pacifiers of the country. It is famous in ancient documents, including the "Shun Scripture" in the Book of Documents, which tells us that Shun reached Nanyue. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty changed the name of Nanyue to Huoshan (Tianzhu Mountain) in Anhui Province, and Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty restored it to Hengshan. It stands to the north of the Hengyang Basin, and 72 peaks have been named after it, including the highest peak, Zhurong Peak (1,290 meters), as well as Zigai, Yunmi, Shili, and Wuzhu.

[Toshiaki Sakai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、湖南(こなん／フーナン)省中東部、湘江(しょうこう／シヤンチヤン)西岸を南北に連なる小山脈。古代から国の鎮めとして尊崇された五岳(ごがく)の一つ南岳(なんがく)である。『書経』の「舜典(しゅんてん)」に、舜が南岳に至ったと伝えるのをはじめ、古文献に名高い。漢の武帝は南岳の名を安徽(あんき／アンホイ)省の霍山(かくざん／フオシャン)（天柱山）に移し、隋(ずい)の文帝がこれを衡山に復した。衡陽(こうよう／ホンヤン)盆地の北にそびえ、最高峰祝融(しゅくゆう)峰（1290メートル）をはじめ、紫蓋(しがい)、雲密(うんみつ)、石廩(せきりん)、五柱など72峰が命名されている。

［酒井敏明］

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