China Completes Altitude Survey of Famous Mountains

China's State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM) and the Ministry of Construction have recently completed a project to determine and publish the altitude of 19 of the country's most famous mountains, People's Daily reported:

The 19 mountains, all renowned tourist destinations, include the well-known "Five Sacred Mountains" -- Mount Tai in east China's Shandong Province, Mount Heng in central China's Hunan province, Mount Hua in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Mount Heng in north China's Shanxi province and Mount Song in central China's Henan Province.

Mount Tai, located near Confucius' birthplace and considered the holiest of the five, is 1,532.7 meters high, according to statistics released jointly by the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM) and the Ministry of Construction on Friday.

Up until now, the height of Mount Tai appeared as 1,545 meters,1,536 meters or 1,533 meters -- depending on which textbook or tourist guide you were reading, or what TV documentary you were watching.

"Elevation data for many mountains in China are currently inconsistent and inaccurate, sometimes the difference can be as much as 100 meters," said Li Weisen, SBSM's deputy director, at a press conference in Beijing.

The project began back in July, 2006 and was completed in March.

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