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THE YELLOW LANDS. 189
north-easterly direction, and the whole region rises in successive terraces from the
Honan lowlands to the Mongolian plateaux. Thus are formed several parallel
basins in which the streams flow until they find a breach through which they
reach the plains. One of the ridges skirting these basins is the Siwe-shan, or
" Sierra Nevada " of Shansi, and towards its north-east end are several venerated
peaks, the most frequented of which is at present the TJtai-shan, or " Five Peaks,"
with an extreme height of 11,600 feet. As many as three hundred and sixty
temples are said to stand on its slopes, some of which are imposing structures, and
one of them is built of pure copper. According to the popular belief those buried
I
Fig. 86. -UTAI-SHAN.
Soule 1 : 230,000.
,
S Miles.
here are insured a happy transmigration, and the flowers growing especially on
the Nanting, or " Southern Peak," are credited with certain medicinal properties.
From the summit of these holy mountains a view is afforded of the Ileng-shan,
also one of the old " guardians of the .empire." Traditional sacrifices are still
offered here, but the Chinese do not display the same fervour as the Mongolian
pilgrims to the shrines of the Utai-shan.
THK YKI.I.OW LANDS.
Apart I'riiin the highland* and alluvial plains, most of the lloang-ho basin in
covered with Imnitij-lu, or "yellow earth," which prevails throughout I'echili,