Mt. Hengshan (Chinese: 衡山; pinyin: Héngshān), known as South Mountain, ranks the first among the five sacred mountains in China. It is also a famous mountain worshipped by Buddhists in China.

Mt. Hengshan, located in Hengyang City, Hunan Province, has 72 lofty peaks and extends 150 kilometers, with 800 miles in circumference. The highest peak of the mountain is Zhurong Peak, 1,290 meters above the sea level. On the top, the Watching Sunrise Platform and the Shaolin Temple are the best scenic spots. The Huiyan Peak is the south end of the peaks while the Yuelu Mountain in Changsha City is the north end.

Mt. Hengshan boasts many marvelous temples. The biggest one in the mountain is the Nanyue Temple, which is the largest group of ancient buildings in Hunan Province. Among the temples in the mountain, the Fuyan Temple is known as the nation's "First Temple of Buddhist Doctrine" and the “Seven Founders' Temple to Perform Buddhist Rites". The Nantai Temple is regarded as the origin of a Buddhist branch in Japan, having a history of more than 1,400 years. The Fangguang Temple, which is quiet with a forest of ancient trees, and the Water-Screen Cave, which is mysterious, are all spots of interest.

Besides abundant temples, the mountain also boasts lots of wells, caves, springs etc. in harmony with green forests and fragrant flowers and grass. All of these attracted so many famous celebrities and scholars, such as Li Bai, Du Fu and so on.
The renowned Four Wonders of the Mt. Hengshan are namely, the loftiness of Zhurong Peak, the delicacy of Tripitaka Temple, the quietness of Fangguang Temple and the mystery of Water-screen Cave.