Not for the Faint of Heart: 100 People Per Year Plummet to Their Deaths on The Ancient Huashan Trail

The Huashan Trail is considered by some to be one of the most dangerous hiking trails in the world. This trail is located on Huashan (or Mount Hua), a mountain situated near the city of Huayin in the Chinese province of Shaanxi. Fatalities on the Huashan Trail have indeed occurred over the years, and there are rumors that as many as 100 lives are lost on the trail each year. It should be pointed out, however, that such claims have not been substantiated.

A steep path on the Huashan trail. (blog.unboundly)

A Sacred Mountain

Huashan is one of the Five Great Mountains of China, the other four being Taishan (in Shandong), Hengshan (in Hunan), Hengshan (in Shanxi), and Songshan (in Henan). These mountains are sometimes referred to by the cardinal directions they occupy, and Huashan, being in the west, is known also as Xiyue. These mountains have been considered sacred by the Chinese for millennia, and, for that reason, they have attracted pilgrims who have visited the mountains with the intention of reaching their peaks.

Huashan has five peaks, which are named based on their direction, i.e. the North, South, East, West, and Central Peaks. These five peaks were once home to a great number of temples, though only a few of them remain today. The majority are Taoist temples, as Huashan is considered to be a sacred mountain by its followers. Another reason for this is the belief that Laozi, the founder of Taoism, once lived and gave sermons on this mountain.