" Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air & behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you "
Visiting a mountain (high or low, snowy or sandy), hill, highland, gorge, grotto, stone forest, geopark or underground cave is one of my "favourite things" I like to do whenever I am travelling to countries I yearn to see ! Standing tall at a hilltop or mountain summit or a slow walk following a footpath inside an underground cave, it always give me a nice & pleasant feeling, calm & cool ! At that very moment, I am like a happiest soul in the world ! The panoramic view from the mountain summit or hilltop is simply breathtaking & spectacular, fresh air abound when you are wandering wild in a stone forest or geopark & stunning scenery awaiting you inside the deep interior of an underground cave, never mind it is bitterly cold or snowy at the mountain top especially for mountain climbers or trekkers but it is also a good opportunity to test your mental, physical & spiritual strength !
For those who are music minded, you could hmm & sing aloud one of the opening line of a The Sound of Music (a 1965 American musical drama film produced by Robert Wise starring Julie Andrews & Christopher Plummer) song .... The hills are alive with the sound of music with songs that they had sung for a thousand years, the hills fill my heart .... a heart warming story based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family Singers, the world best known concert group in the era. I was in my secondary schooling years when I watched this musical drama film. The background scenery of this film was shot in a beautiful mountainous area in Salzburg, Austria (I fulfilled my teenage dream of seeing Salzburg in June in 2017). Since retirement in 2006, I was like a wanderlust, had the opportunities to visit a number of the world heritage mountains (highest was close to 5,000m above sea level & climbing Mt Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Malaysia at 4,095m), geoparks, underground caves etc. No doubt these mountains, stone forests, geoparks or underground caves were formed million years ago, so leaving my footprints in these world heritage sites is one of the most memorable things (a mountain of memories) in my world of travelling for many years to come !
2010 was a "Visit Mountain Year" for my world of travelling to China as in that year (Sept 2010) been ambitious, I visited a total of 7 mountains (most are UNESCO sites) in a single solo trip (30 days). The magnificent 7 were Mt Tai (Taishan), Mt Wuyi, Mt Lushan, Wudangshan, Zhangjiajie, Tienmen Shan & Badaling Great Wall. Just imagine at 60 years old, you really need a few dozens of muesli or energy bars to keep you super fit to reach the mountain top or half way (at times relying a cable car ride) ! Incredible for me but looking back, I had been there & done that !
Since my retirement in May 2006, I had done a total of over 40 mountain (or shan)-related visits in China - I am a no mountain climber or trekker or hiker nor a marathon runner but I belong to one slow & steady mountain visitor ! I have in my mind a few more mountains (Wutai Shan, Jiuhua Shan & Putuo Shan) to keep in view (KIV) for my future visits - so I am still chasing my China Dream as though I am a novice traveller !
1) Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Yunnan (2019)
2) Black Stone Forest, Shi Lin, Yunnan (2019)
3) Stone Forest, Shi Lin, Yunnan (1998)
4) Jiuxiang Scenic Area, Yiliang, Yunnan (2019)
5) Blue Moon Valley, Yunnan (2019)
6) Huangshan, Anhui (2017)
7) Shuanglin Grotto, Xinchang, Zhejiang (2017)
8) Maijishan, Gansu (2017)
9) Zhangjiajie, Hunan (2016 & 2010)
10) Tianmen Shan, Hunan (2010)
11) Bingling Danxia Stone Forest Geological Park, Gansu Province (2015)
12) Wudaliachi Global Geopark & Laohei Shan, Heilongjiang (2015)
13) Sunlight Mountain Forest Park, Jilin (2015)
14) Laoshan, Shandong (2015)
15) Baiyun Shan, Guangdong (2014)
16) Emeishan, Sichuan (2014)
17) Daocheng Yading, Sichuan (2014)
18) Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan (2014)
19) Tian Tan (Big Sitting Buddha), Mt Muk Yee, Hong Kong (2013)
20) Changbai Shan, Jilin (2011)
21) Great Wall of Badaling, Beijing (1997, 2002 & 2010)
22) Taishan, Shandong (2010)
23) Mt Wuyi, Fujian (2010)
24) Lushan, Jiangxi (2010)
25) Wudangshan, Hubei (2010)
26) Qingcheng Shan, Sichuan (2009)
27) Jiuzhaigou National Park, Sichuan (2009)
28) Huanglong, Sichuan (2009)
29) Yunggang Grottoes, Datong, Shanxi (2009)
30) Hanging Monastery, Datong, Shanxi (2009)
31) Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan (2009)
32) Shaolin Monastery, Songshan, Henan (2009)
33) Hua Shan, Shaanxi (2006)
34) Tian Shan Tian Chi, Xinjiang (2006)
35) Xinjiang Kanas Geopark & Altay Mountains, Xinjiang (2006)
36) Mingshah San (Singing Sand Mountain) & Yueya Quan (Crescent Moon Lake), Dun Huang, Gansu (2006)
37) Mogao Grottoes, Dun Huang, Gansu (2006)
38) Western Thousand Buddha Caves, Dun Huang, Gansu (2006)
39) Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, Turpan, Xinjiang (2006)
40) Flaming Mountain, Turpan, Xinjiang (2006)
41) Three Gorges, Chongqing / Yichang (2009)
42) The Grotto Art of Dazu County, Chongqing (2009)
43) Guilin, Guangxi (2005)
44) The Leshan Giant Buddha, Si Chuan (2009)
Like my preceding posts focusing on The Bridge & I & The Palace & I, for this The Mountain & I post, I will start with China first (as I had so far made 22 visits to this Asian country) posting some of these pictures I had taken in my past visits to mountains, highlands, geoparks, grottos, gorges, underground caves etc. China currently has 48 UNESCO World Heritage sites & many natural & cultural wonders in all their provinces so it may take a life time to visit all these sites. The hills are still alive with the sound of music for many generations (especially for world travellers & wanderlusts) to come .... my next posting will be The Lake & I ....
Malaysia (my home country) is now under a stricter Movement Control Order (MCO effective June 1-14 2021) due to a spike in Covid-19 cases, so I am "quarantine" at home utilising my stay home time to post this Mountain & I story ..... enjoy reading !
" There are 1,187,049 mountains in the world. The highest elevation on earth is Mt Everest (8848m) in Tibet / Nepal. The lowest elevation on earth is Dead Sea (414m below sea level) in Jordan / Israel "
Here goes my Good Old Days on my mountain visits to China - saying & singing to the world the hills in China will still be alive for many years to come ! I had already fallen in love with mountain scenery the moment I started to cultivate an interest in travelling !
1) China - Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (4,506m-5,596m)), Lijiang, Yunnan (package tour with my wife to Yunnan in Nov 2019) - a small mountain range in Yulong Naxi county in Yunnan province, highest peak is named Shan Zidou, 5596m above seal level, very scenic, my close encounter with the nature & views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from far, a major challenge is overcoming the high altitude sickness (carry along an oxygen cylinder if you really need one) !
3) China - Stone Forest (UNESCO), Shi Lin, Yunnan - (package tour with my ex-colleague to Yunnan in Sept 1998 (23 years ago)
4) China - Jiuxiang Scenic Area, Yiliang, Yunnan Province (package tour with my wife to China in Nov 2019) - also called the Museum of Karst Caves, 40km from the Stone Forest, the main scenic spots are Green Shade Valley, Grand Underground Valley, Grand Lion Hall, Twin Waterfalls, Fairly Fields, Bat Caves
5) China - Blue Moon Valley, Yunnan Province (package tour with my wife to Yunnan in Nov 2019) - an extremely blue river meandering through a lush valley of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain between Ganhaizi & Spruce Meadow, mainly composed of 4 large turquoise lakes & dozens of small white waterfalls.
6) China - Huangshan (1,864m - UNESCO), Anhui Province (package tour with my wife + sister-in-laws + travel buddies from USJ to China in Nov 2017) - also known as Yellow Mountain, well known for its scenery, sunsets, granite peaks, pine trees, hot springs, winter snow, views of the clouds from above, highest point 1864m, one of China's major tourist destinations.
7) China - Shuanglin Grotto, Xinchang, Zhejiang Province (package tour with my wife to China in Nov 2017) - the grotto includes the Bright Mirror Lake, Shunglin Cascade, Reclining Buddha (dating back to Tang Dynasty), Buddha Hall, airwalk & other scenic spots.
8) China - The Maijishan Grottoes, Tianshui, Gansu Province (free & easy visit with my USJ travel buddy to China in May 2017) - formerly known as Maichishan, a series of 194 caves cut inside of the hill of Majishan, the rock cut architecture contains over 7,200 Buddhist sculptures & over 1,000m of murals, one of China's 4 most famous caves, over 1,000 years old.
9) China - Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (UNESCO), Hunan Province (my wife & son package tour to China in Dec 2016 & my solo visit to China in Sept 2010) - home to famed Wullingyuan Scenic Area, many sandstone pillar like formations (floating rocks), caves filled with stalactites & stalagmites, one of the park's quartz sandstone pillars, the 1180m pillar was officially named "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain" in honor of the movie Avatar in Jan 2010
10) China - Tianmen Shan (1,159m) or Heaven's Door, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, (my solo visit to China in Sept 2010) - a test of my mental & physical strength when I walked my way up (drizzling, wet & slippery) to the Tianmen cave "the Stairway to Heaven", 999 narrow & steep steps, a hard & tiresome climb (30 minutes or more), height is 1519m, the Tianmen cave is a large (30m or 100ft wide) water-eroded hole between 2 peaks, the highest hole of its sort in the world !
China - Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Hunan (my solo visit to Zhangjiajie in Sept 2010)
11) China - Bingling Danxia Stone Forest Geological Park & Bingling Grotto / Temple, Gansu Province (my solo visit to China in May 2015) - Danxia landform is a unique type of landscape formed from red sandstone & characterised by steep hills, the Bingling Temple is a series grottoes filled with Buddhist Sculptures carved into natural caves & caverns in a canyon along the Yellow River, it lies just north of where the Yellow River empties into Liujiaxia Reservoir.
12) China - Wudalianchi Global Geopark & Laohei Shan (515m) Volcanic Scenic Area, Heilongjiang Province (solo visit to North Eastern China in Aug 2015) - a precious heritage left by the Quaternary volcanic activities, the most completely preserved volcanic landforms in the world, honored by experts as "Natural Volcano Museum" & "A Living Textbook on Volcano", the last volcanic eruption was in 1720 !
14) China - Laoshan (1,133m), Qingdao, Shandong (my solo visit to North Eastern China in Aug 2015) - the only mountain rises by the sea, the main mountain range in Shandong Province, main peak Jufeng is 1132m above the sea level, surrounded by 87km coastline.
15) China - Baiyun Shan (524m), Guangzhou, Guangdong (free & easy visit with my wife to southern China in Dec 2014) - also known as White Cloud Mountain (427m), located a few miles from Guangzhou
16) China - Emeishan (3,099m - UNESCO), Sichuan Province (my solo visit to Sichuan in Aug 2014) - a 3099m tall mountain, the highest of the 4 sacred Buddhist Mountains of China
17) China - Yading Nature Reserve (4,000m), Sichuan Province (my solo visit to Sichuan & Yunnan in April 2014) - popularly known as Daocheng Yading, a mountain paradise honored as the "Last pure land on our blue planet", 1st introduced to the world when famous American Adventurer, Joseph Rock published an article & photos of Daocheng in the National Geographic in 1928, the most important scenic spots are the 3 sacred snow-clad mountains ie Mt Chenrezig (6032m), Jambeyang & Chanadorje (both 5958m), in between them are steep cliffs, crystal clear lakes & vast pastures.
18) China - Tiger Leaping Gorge (1,900m), Yunnan Province (my solo visit to Sichuan & Yunnan in April 2014) - a scenic canyon on the Jinsha River, a primary tributary of the upper Yangtze River, located 60km from Lijiang, part of the 3 Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas World Heritage Sites.
19) China - Tian Tan Buddha, Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, Hong Kong (free & easy visit with my wife to Guangzhou, Hong Kong & Macau in Dec 2013) - a large bronze statute sits high upon a hill (Mt Muk Yue) in Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, 2nd largest sitting Buddha in the world !
20) China - Changbai Shan (2,744m), Jilin Province (my solo visit to North Eastern China in Aug 2011) - a major mountain range in Northeast Asia that extends from the Northeast Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin & Liaoning, across the border between China & North Korea, to the North Korean provinces of Ryanggang & Chagang.
21) China - Great Wall of Badaling (1,015m), Beijing (2 package tours & 1 free & easy visit with my family members & ex-colleague to China in Sept 1997, Dec 2002 & Sept 2010) - Badaling is the site of the most visited section of the Great Wall of China, approx 80km northwest of Beijing city center, in Yanqing District.
22) China - Tai Shan (1,533m - Mt Tai), Shandong (free & easy visit with my brother to China in Sept 2010) - a mountain of historical importance & cultural significance located north of Tai'an city, it is the highest point (1533m) in Shandong province
23) China - Mt Wuyi (2,158m - Wuyishan), Fujian Province (my solo visit to China in Sept 2010) - a mountain range located in Nanping in northern Fujian province near the border with Jiangxi province
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24) China - Mt Lu (1,474m - Lushan), Jiangxi (my solo visit to China in Sept 2010) - also known as Kuanglu in ancient times, located in northern part of Jiangxi in Central China, one of the most renown mountains in the country
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25) China - Wudangshan (1,612m), Hubei (my solo visit to China in Sept 2010) - Wudang mountains consist of a small mountain range in the northwestern part of Hubei & south of Shiyan, home to a famous complex of Taoist temples & monastries associated with Xuanwu.
26) China - Qingcheng Shan (1,260m), Sichuan (my solo visit to China in Sept 2009) - a mountain in Dujiangyan, considered one of the birthplaces of Taoism & one of the most important Taoist Centres in China, it was also the site of the Yellow Emperor's studies with Ning Fengzi, as a center of the Taoist religion, it became the host to many temples.
27) China - Jiuzhaigou National Park (2,000-4,500m), Sichuan (my solo visit to China in Sept 2009) - a network of valleys in Sichuan province, in the northern Shuaheng Valley, Nuorilang Waterfall cascades from the edge of a large tree-fringed lake, the Zharu Monastery is a place of workship for the park's Tibetan villages, in the south, Rize Valley's mountains are covered with ancient forests, fallen trees are scattered on the bottom of the striking multicolored Five Flower Lake.
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28) China - Huanglong (3,230m), Sichuan (my solo visit to China in Sept 2009) - a scenic & historic interest area in the north west of Sichuan, located in the southern part of the Minshan mountain range, 370km from capital Chengdu
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29) China - Yungang Grottoes, Datong, Shanxi Province (my solo visit to China in Sept 2009) - formerly known as Wuzhoushan Grottoes are ancient Chinese Buddhist temple grottoes near the city of Datong, excellent examples of rock cut architecture & one of the 3 most famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China, the others are Longmen & Mogao Grottoes
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30) China - Hanging Monastery, Datong, Shanxi (my solo visit to China in Sept 2009) - the Hanging Temple or Hengshan Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery or Xuankong Temple is a temple built innto a cliff near Mt Heng in Hunyuan County, 64km from Datong.
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31) China - Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan Province (my solo visit to China in Sept 2009) - Longmen caves are some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art, housing thousands of statutes of Shakyamuni Buddha & his disciples, located 12km from Luoyang.
32) China - Shaolin Temple, Denfeng, Song Shan, Henan Province (my solo visit to China in Sept 2009) - also known as Shaolin Monastery, a Chan Buddhist temple in Dengfeng, dating back to the 5th century, the Shaolin Temple is the main temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism to this day.
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33) China - Mt Hua (Hua Shan - 2,160m), Shaanxi Province (my free & easy visit with my brother to Xian & Xinjiang in May 2006) - a mountain located in the city of Huayin in Shaanxi Province, 120km east of Xian, it is the Western Mountain of the 5 Great Mountains of China & has a long history of religious significance.
34) China - Tian Shan Tian Chi, Xinjiang (my 1st free & easy China visit with my brother to Xian & Xinjiang in May 2006) - also known as the Tengri Tagh or Tengir-Too meaning the Mountains of Heaven or the Heavenly Mountain, it is a large system of mountain ranges located in Central Asia, the highest peak in Tian Shan is Jengish Chokusu at 7,430m high !
35) China - Xinjiang Kanas Geopark & Altai Mountains, Xinjiang (my free & easy visit with my brother to Xian & Xinxiang in May 2006) - also spelled Altay Mountains are a mountain range in Central & East Asia where Russia, China, Mongolia & Kazakhstan converge & where the rivers Irlysh & Ob have their headwaters, the scenic Kanas Lake is in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang located in a valley in the Altay Mountains, northern tip of Xinjiang
36) China - Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Mountain) & Yueya Quan (Crescent Moon Lake), Dun Huang, Gansu Province - my free & easy visit to Xian & Xinjiang in May 2006 - located 6km from Dun Huang, the Singing Sand Dunes in Dun Huang are the sand dunes that, when the wind blows, give out a singing or drumming sound, part of Kumtag Desert, originally known as the God Sand Dunes
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37) China - Mogao Grottoes, Dun Huang, Gansu Province (my free & easy visit with my brother to Xian, Gansu & Xinjiang in May 2006) - also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes or Cave of the Thousand Buddhas, form a system of 500 temples, 25km southeast of Dun Huang, an oasis located at a religious & cultural cross roads on the Silk Road in Gansu province, no photography was allowed inside the Grottoes.
38) China - Western Thousand Buddha Caves, Dun Huang, Gansu Province (my free & easy visit with my brother to Xian, Gansu & Xinjiang in May 2006) - a Buddhist cave temple site, 35km from Dun Huang city, about same distance to Yangguan Pass, the area served as a staging post for travellers on the Silk Road.
39) China - Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, Turpan, Xinjiang (my free & easy visit with my brother to Xian, Gansu & Xinjiang in May 2006) - a complex of Buddhist Caves Grottoes dating from the 5th to 14 Century between the cities of Turpan & Shanshan (Loulan) at the north-east of the Taklamakan Dessert near the ancient ruins of Gaochang in the Motou Valley, a gorge in the Flaming Mountains, most of the surviving caves date from the West Uyghur Kingdom around the 10th & 13th centuries
40) China - Flaming Mountains, Turpan, Xinjiang (my free & easy visit with my brother to Xian, Gansu & Xinjiang in May 2006) - also known as Gaochang Mountains, Flaming Mountains are barren, eroded red sandstone hills in the Tian Shan of Xinjiang, lie near the northern rim of the Taklamakan Desert & east of the city of Turpan, recorded a high temperature of 48c at the time of my visit to the Flaming Mountain
41) Three Gorges (my free & easy solo visit t6o China in Oct 2009) - Three Gorges reservoir region is a mountainous stretch along Yangtze River, between Chongqing & Yichang cities, carved between steep cliffs are its trio gorges, Qutang, Wu & Xiling, cruise boats sail along the Yantze's placid waters while Baiheliang Underwater Museum display ancient stone carvings from beneath the river's surface, the massive Hydroelectric Three Gorges Dam is in Sandouping city, took a local 3 days 2 nights Yangtze River cruise from Wanzhou > Yichang, Hubei
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42) The Grotto Art of Dazu County, Chongqing (my free & easy solo visit to China in Oct 2010) - a series of Chinese religious sculptures & carvings dating back to 7th century AD, depicting & influenced by Buddhist, Confucian & Taoist beliefs, some are rock cut cave shrines in the usual Chinese Buddhist style but many are rock reliefs carved into the open rock faces
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43) China - Guilin, Guangxi (package tour with wife & father-in-law family members to China in Dec 2005) - one of China's most popular tourist destinations, a city in southern China known for its dramatic landscape of limestone karst hills, at its center are 2 lakes, Shanhu (Cedar) & Ronghu (Banyan), remaining from a medieval-era moat that once surrounded the city, boats travel through these & other lakes via connected rivers, on Shanhu Lake's shore, twin pagodas, the Sun & Moon, light up the sky at night; in July 1998, President Clinton in his official trip to China paid a visit to Guilin Lijiang River !
44) The Leshan Giant Buddha, Leshan City, Sichuan (2009) - a 71m tall stone statute built between 713 & 803, depicting Maitreya, it is carved out of a cliff face of Cretaceous red bed sandstones that lies at the confluence of the Min River & Dadu River in the southern part of Sichuan province, near the city of Leshan.
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