The name of the mountains is first found in classical poetry, but Buddhist activities are first recorded beginning sometime in the fifth and sixth century, when many monks and their patrons began to build temples in the Zhongnan Mountain area. In the second year of Jiande 建德 in the Northern Zhou 北周 (573), the monk Fazang 法藏 is said to have come to Nanshan and built a hermitage for meditation 禪房 below the peak of Mt. Zigai 紫蓋山, while the monk Jingai 靜藹 and a group of about thirty of his followers are said to have built twenty-seven temples in the area. During the persecution of Buddhism 廢佛 under Emperor Wu 武帝 (574, the third year of the Jiande era 建徳), thirty or more well-known monks are said to have evacuated here from the capital. When Buddhism was revived under Emperor Wen 文帝 in the Sui 隋代 Dynasty, an imperial edict ordered these monks to return to live at a government temples 官寺, but one monk named Puan 普安 refused and continued to live alone at a cave in the mountain.

Temples continued to be constructed here throughout the Sui. In 583 (the third year of the Kaihuang era 開皇), the monk Zhizang 智藏 built Fengde Temple 豐德寺 in the east side of Feng Valley 豐谷, while in 587 (the seventh year of Kaihuang), a monk named Daopan 道判 built Longchi Temple 龍池寺. Later, in 594 (the 14th year of Kaihuang), Daopan passed away at Xinxingʼs 信行 Zhenji Temple 眞寂寺, and his grave became the base for Baita Temple 百塔寺 (the 'Hundred Stupas Temple' ). A monk named Yuancao 淵草 is recorded to have built a temple named Zhixiang Temple 至相寺, while another monk Jingye 淨業 is recorded to have built a temple named Wuzhen Temple 悟眞寺 at Lantian 藍田, while yet another monk Sengzhao 僧照 is said to have built a temple named Shentian Temple 神田寺 in the Tian Valley 田谷. Finally, in the first year of Renshou 仁壽 (601), by imperial order, Tongzhen 童眞 is said to have brought relics here to place in Xianyou Temple 仙遊寺.

In the Tang Dynasty, the first patriarch of the Huayan School 華嚴宗, Dushun 杜順 (also known as Fashun 法順) retreated to the Zhongnan Mountains and thus became known as 'Fashun of Mt. Zhongnan'  終南法順. Later, Zhiyan 智儼 lived at Zhixiang Temple 至相寺 where he taught Huayan Buddhist thought, and thus became known as 'The Great Master of Zhixiang'  至相大師. Later, Shandao 善導 of the Pure Land School 淨土宗 lived at Wuzhen Temple 悟眞寺 where he is said to have practiced 修行 nianfo (mindfulness on the Buddha) 念佛, and became known as 'The Great Master of Zhongnan'  終南大師. Daoxuan 道宣 of the Vinaya School 律宗 lived at Baiquan Temple 白泉寺 and at Fengde Temple 豐德寺 and from here established what became known as the Four-Part Vinaya School 四分律宗, and so his lineage of disciples that studied under him thus known generally as 'The Vinaya School of Mt. Nanshan'  南山律宗. Finally, during this period, the monk Falin 法琳 built a temple known as Longtian Temple 龍田寺 in this area.

There are also many eminent known monks 高僧 who are buried here beginning with Xinxing 信行 of the Three Stages Teaching 三階教, and including Huiji 慧寂、Zhifan 智梵、 Daozong 道宗, Huiyin 慧因, and Zhizheng 智正. Among the famous temples and stupas 寺塔 of Mt. Zhongnan includes a stūpa for Xuanzang 玄奘 at Xingjiao Temple 興教寺, and the 'larger' and 'smaller' stūpas of Xiangji Temple 香積寺—stūpas built for his disciples Cien 慈恩 (aka Kuiji 窺基) and Woncheuk 圓測, as well as the many stupas of Baita Temple 百塔寺, mentioned above. Beyond temples and stupas, the mountain is known to hold many memorial steles and inscriptions 碑銘 of interest to historians.