Ch 18: What Wise Men Know

QingCheng Shan (mountain) is a famed Taoist retreat and our second major destination in Chengdu. Our foreigners discount once again provided half price student tickets at the entrance. I'm finding that every major Chinese site of noted fame and/or beauty has a ticket attendent and cash register firmly attached to the entrance. It feels like an entire country run like a theme park. But I suppose the major sites in the US are run the same way and I'm just being more sensitive here in China cuz I'm shelling out the cash on a daily basis. The grass in green on both sides.

A Taoist mountain full of temples dedicated to legendary Taoist immortals. A place to find peace and inner harmony perhaps? Not quite. Your more likely to find icecream, bottled water, and a noodle stand at the numerous temple/rest stops on the way to the top. There are so many mountains and like scenery in China that I suggest anyone who wants inner peace to claim an unmarked one for themselves. I'm pretty sure no one would notice.

I have to admit however, that the view from the top is worth the hike up. Great mist covered mountains along with cool breezes. Chengdu is hot and humid in the summer making out time up in the mountains that much more pleasant. I suppose that's why wise men are wise- they know that mountain tops are cool and pleasant while everyone else suffers in the heat below.