MOUNT TAI TREKKING – A MEANINGFUL TRIP OF HICON
Vietnamese people has a reputable folk song:
“ Your father’s merit is immense like Mount Tai
The moral debt to your Mother is endless like the water from its source”
The lyrics of the song is simple but contain a meaningful lesson to make children aware of how heavy their moral debt to their parent is. It is not a coincidence that our ancestor has chosen “Mount Tai” as a symbol of the father’s merit. Hence, what is the reason for this choice? Does this mountain really exist and where is this?
As other Vietnamese people, Hicon employer and employees always remember our parent’s merit and keep the gratitude for our parents in our heart. In addition, to seek the answers for above questions, Hicon Board of Manager has traveled to Mount Tai located north of the city of Tai’an in Shandong province, China on 19th Feb, 2019.
Brief description about Thai Son Mountain:
The name “Mount Tai” was given for this mountain during the Zhou Dynasty. Now, Mount Tai has been a UNESCO World Herritage and widely known for its highly ritualized ceremonies and sacrifices. Mount Tai was one of principal places where feudal lord make sacrifices of food and jade ritual items. These items are buried on the mountain after the sacrifices.
Mount Tai is one of key importance in Chinese religion, being the “First of the Five Sacred Mountains” in China. Mother Nature has bestowed upon Mount Tai many stunning scenery with the outstanding peaks are Tianzhu Peak, Jade Emperor peak which is 1545 meters above sea level with approximate 3500 stairs. Mount Tai is also one of the birthplaces of ancient cultures. The Dawenkou culture in the southern foot of Mount Tai and the Longshan cultural relics in the northern foot of Mount Tai have long been developed and was at prosperous period 500 years ago.
Along the way to the peaks and at peak, there are many ancient temples and fabulous, unique buildings which are rare treasures of the nation and contain high artistic value.
In 219 BC, Qin Shihuang (First Emperor of Qin Dynasty) held a ceremony of offering sacrifices on the top Mt. Taishan when special national sacrifice codes and systems originated, which was followed by 12 emperors to show their imperial power’s validity and authority. Daimiao Temple located at the Sothern foot of Mount Tai is principal place where the emperors worship and make sacrifice to the Gods of Heaven and Earth. Numerous emperors, poets and literators were attracted to visit Mount Tai and left many cultural relics and precious inscriptions.
There are many ancient trees in Mount Tai and several alive trees are older than 1000 years. A two thousand year-old Ginkgo growing on the grounds of an ancient temple is one of the oldest “living fossils” in Mount Tai.
Thanks for the trip to the most sacred mountain of China, Hicon members have experienced and perceived the exceptional historic, cultural, aesthetic and scientific value implied under the ancient, magnificent sceneries. Everybody has found their own answer for the comparison of the father’s merit and the Mount Tai, nourishing the gratitude to their parents and building solidarity among people. That is our company spirit in 2019.
