Editing Mount Tai (section)

==Natural significance==
[[File:Immortal Bridge (capital edit).jpg|thumb|The Immortal Bridge ({{zh|c={{linktext|仙|人|桥}}|p=Xiānrén Qiáo}}), a natural rock formation]]

Mount Tai is a tilted [[fault-block mountain]] with height increasing from the north to the south. It is the oldest example of a paleo-metamorphic formation from the [[Cambrian Period]] in eastern China, and is known as the ''Taishan Complex''. The uplift of the region started in the [[Proterozoic]] Era; by the end of the Proterozoic, it had become part of the continent.<ref name=":0" />

Besides the Jade Emperor Peak, other distinctive rock formations are the ''Heaven Candle Peak'', the ''Fan Cliff'', and the ''Rear Rock Basin''.

Mount Tai lies in the zone of oriental deciduous forest; about 80% of its area is covered with vegetation. The flora is known to comprise almost 1,000 species. Some of the trees in the area are very old and have cultural significance, such as the ''Han Dynasty [[Cupressaceae|Cypress]]es'', which were planted by the [[Emperor Wu of Han|Emperor Wu Di]], the ''Tang [[Styphnolobium japonicum|Chinese Scholartree]]'' (about 1,300&nbsp;years old), the ''Welcoming-Guest Pine'' (500&nbsp;years old) and the ''Fifth-Rank Pine'', which was named originally by the Emperor Qin Shi Huang, but was replanted about 250 years ago.<ref name=":1" />

===Physical features===
[[File:50304-Taishan (49055660366).jpg|thumb|View of Mount Tai]]
Mount Tai rises abruptly from the vast plain of central Shandong, and is naturally endowed with many scenic sites. Geologically, it is a tilted fault-block mountain, higher to the south than north, and is the oldest and most important example of the paleo-metamorphic system representative of the Cambrian Period in eastern China. Referred to as the Taishan Complex, it comprises magnetized, metamorphic, sedimentary rock and an intrusive mass of various origins that were formed in the [[Archean]] Era 1700-2000 million years ago. Subsequently, in the [[Proterozoic]] Era, the Taishan region began to rise, becoming part of the continent by the end of the era. Uplift continued until the middle of the [[Cenozoic Era]]. The gneiss which emerged in the Taishan region is the foundation for all of North China. Cambrian strata, fully emerged in the north, are rich in fossils. Six streams flow from the summit, their water renowned for its extremely low mineral content, slight acidity (pH = 6.3) and relatively high oxygen content (6.4 milligrams per liter (mg/L)).