Show I TAI TAl SHAN A SACRED PLACE I Chinese se Mountain Said to Be the Oldest Perm Permanent Place of Worship on Earth There are five O sacred mountains In Chi China nil and th the most sacred of ot all Is isTel Tel Tal Shan the Great mountain said to tobe tobe tobe be the oldest permanent place of at worship worship wor wor- ship In the world In 2000 B. B C. C Tnt Tal Shans Shan's crest had been a regular scene seene of sacrifices and prayers for nobody knew how long Emperors and less lesser r even Confucius the Wise Vise Journeyed up tip the long narrow trail of at Tai Tal Shan to come near to the God of at Heaven and Earth and made their prayers before Him Since those days of simple worship many temples and shrines have been built on Tal Tai Shans Shan's slopes Buddhism Taoism Confucianism all are represented represented seated and there are temples too to the Lady of at the Mountain who Is IB called by some a fairy by others a goddess loddeS and ond by others the spirit or soul of the mountain Whatever her character the lady Is well represented represented represented on her mountain top and her shrines are popular The Journey up the mountainside Is accomplished by the traveler partly In Ina Ina Ina a swinging chair supported by Chinese bearers and partly on foot toot The Way Vay consists of a granite walk Interrupted every little while by flights of at steps which stretch on and on and become steeper and closer together until the pilgrim has hns mounted steps and the peak of at Tal Tai Shan Is reached Here there ore are more temples and thick Incense and grave old priests who announce a pilgrims pilgrim's presence to the gods by ringing toned deep-toned bells belle A little way off art Is pointed out a rock overhanging a n sheer precipice From this rock called The Rock of at the Love of at Life Lite persons who had sick relatives relatives rela rein tives tires used to fling themselves hoping that the sacrifice of one life lite would appease the gods so 50 that the other would be spared Now the dangerous cliff Is barred and pilgrims are forced to appeal to the gods In the conventional conven convene conventional Chinese methods |