Analysis of the Different Records about Mount Wudang in the Ming and Qing Emperors' Annals

The historical status of Mount Wudang is not invariant but in the process of change with the time. As the national holy religious place,it is built in large scale during the reign of Emperor Yongle,therefore,it enjoys the highest status in the Ming Dynasty. However,after the establishment of the Qing Dynasty,its status becomes low because Manchu appreciates Tibetan Buddhism and degrades central plain Buddhism and Taoism. As a result,the change of its official status is prominently reflected in the national history of these two dynasties,namely,the Ming Emperors' Annals and the Qing Emperors' Annals. Specifically,the former has a full description of Mount Wudang and Taoism,while in the latter the records are rare and vague. As far as the history is concerned,the change of the power and the replacement of officials should not result in the ignorance of the formed traditional culture. In a word,the success of Mount Wudang's application for World Cultural Heritage assures the Taoism culture of avoiding the changeable fate because of the political reason.