Lofty granite peaks, 120km from Xi'an, disturb the melancholic horizon of the great northern plains. They form a mountain range, of which Hua Shan, one of Taoism's five sacred mountains, is the highest point, at 2 180m. Altogether there are five peaks, including Lotus Flower Peak (West Peak): renowned for its beauty that calls to mind a lotus flower, it is a 2hr walk away. You won't come across many Western tourists, but the site is frequented by lots of Chinese visitors.