I’m looking for a travelogue about National Day, preferably in Shanxi.

The middle part of Mount Wutai Travel Notes - Hiking in North Taichung (Reposted)

Mount Wutai is located in the northeastern part of Shanxi Province and is at the northern end of the Taihang Mountains. The county seat is 78 kilometers away.

Wutai Mountain is composed of ancient crystalline rocks. The northern part is cut deep and steep, with five towering peaks. The peaks are as flat as a platform, so it is called Wutai. Tai Cuiyan Peak. The area outside the five peaks is called Taiwai, and the area inside the Five Peaks is called Tainan. Taihuai Town is the center of Taihuai Town. Wutai has a circumference of about 250 kilometers and a total area of ??2,837 square kilometers. Among the five platforms, Beitai is the highest. The top of Beitai is 3061.1 meters above sea level. It is known as the "Roof of North China". The climate in the mountain is cold, there is ice on the top of the platform all year round, and the weather is cool in midsummer, so it is also called Qingliang Mountain and is a summer resort. The natural vegetation in Mount Wutai is mainly grassland, consisting of meadows, grasslands and shrubs, making it an excellent summer pasture.

The five summits of Mount Wutai are all at very high altitudes. Among them, the North Platform is the highest at 3,061 meters above sea level, the Middle Platform is the second at 2,894 meters above sea level, the East Platform is the third at 2,795 meters above sea level, the West Platform is the fourth at 2,773 meters above sea level, and the South Platform is the fourth at 2,773 meters above sea level. The lowest altitude is 2485 meters.

1: Tourist bus to Beitai:

On x month x, 20xx, it was the first day I went to Taihuai Town, the central scenic spot of Mount Wutai. It was raining lightly at the time, so I asked Knowing that it has been raining for almost a week, I feel a little worried. It seems that my plan to visit the five tops of Mount Wutai is going to be ruined. As I learned, the next morning, on x month x, 20xx, the weather was fine and the sky cleared. I was overjoyed and decided to take the tourist bus to Beijing immediately.

Before I decided to go to Beitai, I carefully studied the Wutai Mountain tourist map, had a preliminary understanding of the distribution of the five "platforms" in Wutai Mountain, and looked in detail at the directions of the five platform tops marked on the map. and the distance between them. Judging from the map, it is almost impossible for a person to hike to all five platform summits in one day. If one wants to hike to all five platform summits and worship, it will take at least two days, and the first night must be Staying at the top of the West Taiwan Terrace; even if you take the tourist bus from the center of Taihuai Town, it will take at least two days. Besides, as an ordinary traveler and "traveler", I personally feel that all the five terraces are covered It doesn’t make much sense, so I decided to only look at the highlights. The first thing to look at is of course the “Roof of North China” with the highest altitude - Beitai. Another important reason for choosing the first stop to go to Beitai is that Beitai, Zhongtai, and Xitai are relatively close to each other, and they are all on the northwest side of the mountains in Taihuai Town. This kind of route can go all the way downhill from Beitai to Zhongtai, and then you can go to Xitai from Zhongtai and stay overnight in Xtai, or you can go to Jixiang Temple from Zhongtai and then return to Taihuai Town. You can "easily" complete two or three tours in one day. The main platform top, this is the best choice to not only see North Taichung Taiwan and the beautiful scenery along the way, but also save time, money and energy.

Now that the route is planned, how to get to Beitai? I have also consulted and learned about the route to Beitai, one of which I mentioned above. There are roughly two routes to choose from. One is to start from Anding Temple in Taihuai Town and hike up to Bathuchi Temple, and then go up from Bathuchi Temple to Beitai; the second route is to take the shuttle bus from Taihuai Town directly. Beitai (passing Hongmen Rock). The first route has been traveled by many brave hikers. The route is mostly "difficult" and takes a relatively long time. It takes about three or four hours to reach Beitai. Moreover, a team of several people is required to walk this section. OK. The second route, taking the shuttle bus directly to Beitai, is the most labor-saving and time-saving "shortcut" and is chosen by most tourists. A person traveling to Beitai should choose this route.

I have already mentioned the tourist shuttle bus to the five "tops" in Mount Wutai in the upper part of the travel note, and I would like to mention it again - to go to the five "tops", you need to stop at the main station of the tourist bus company in the center of Taihuai Town. When buying a ticket, there are five lines in total for the five platforms, and each line only goes to one platform. If you want to go to all five platforms, then you can only take five round-trip buses each. The total cost is about About 350 RMB (the cost is high and it takes time to go back and forth).

Around 8.15 in the morning, I spent 70 yuan on a shuttle bus ticket to Beitai at the tourist company shuttle parking lot in the center of town. The tourist shuttle bus is a minivan (it has air conditioning but the windows cannot be opened), and it can only accommodate more than 10 people. After gathering the number of people, the van I took set off at around 8:30. There were 11 tourists in the van. The driver is a young man who drives the shuttle to Wutai all year round. The car is driving on a winding mountain road. The mountain topography changes along the way and the scenery is also pleasant. However, because the driver drove the car too fast (in my opinion), and the mountain road had many turns, I felt dizzy before reaching the top of the platform, and even felt like vomiting. Fortunately, in less than 40 minutes, Beitai is right in front of us.

Beitai's name is Ye Doufeng, with an altitude of 3061 meters. It is the highest among the five peaks and is known as the "Roof of North China". Its top is flat and wide, with a four-mile circle. Looking up from below, it is like a cupola at the top. "Emperor Kangxi wrote a poem in praise of it: "The mountains are steep and the mountains are so cold that the bells ring thousands of miles away, and the sky is clear with people's voices. Accumulation, the spring ice has not yet melted. Looking at the land and sea, this place is Fangpeng.

”

Among the five summits of Mount Wutai, Beitai is the highest and most famous. This is also the main reason why I chose to go to Beitai. When you go to Beitai in early autumn, you don’t have to do what the tour guides and locals say. Cover yourself up with a cotton coat. A shirt and a jacket are enough. The key question is that you have to check the weather. On cloudy or rainy days, just wear a thin fleece jacket and trousers.

When we reached the top of the platform, I felt a little bit hypoxic (I think this is probably because we were in the van for a long time without ventilation), and I got used to it not long after getting off the bus. Although the altitude here is very high, oxygen is not as lacking as on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, so you don’t have to be afraid. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is hypoxic because of its relatively high altitude (average altitude of 4,000 to 5,000 meters) and low air pressure and air content. Although the altitude of the northern platform of Mount Wutai is higher than that of the plains, it is still much lower than that of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and because there are more green plants around it, there is no feeling of hypoxia like going to Tibet.

< p>This is the Dragon King Hall of Lingying Temple, the highest building on the top of Beitai, which is 3,061 meters above sea level. The Dragon King is enshrined in the temple. Since we were probably the second wave of tourists to Beitai, there were very few people on it at this time. The best time to take photos; because it was just after the rain and the sky was clear, the sky was particularly refreshing and transparent. The not-so-high temple looked so majestic, magnificent and mysterious against the blue sky and white auspicious clouds, as if it were The Dragon King was showing its power, protecting the people and the earth. I picked up the camera and took pictures for a while.

The sky in Beitai was so blue after the rain and it was sunny. I was a little fascinated by it. It has been a long time since I have seen such a blue sky. I think of the famous song - Plateau Blue:

"Everyone says the plateau is high

Everyone says the plateau is dangerous< /p>

There is a pure blue sky on the plateau

Everyone says plateau is red

Everyone says plateau is blue

Who knows the sky on the plateau? Blue

She is A-Mei’s clothes. ”

The Yinfeng Pagoda located on the east side of the Dragon King Hall is a major miraculous site on the top of Beitai. It was built to commemorate Zen Master Yinfeng, an eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty. The relics of Zen Master Yinfeng are buried in the tower. The top of the Yinfeng Tower points directly to the blue sky and white clouds, as if it is bordering the blue sky.

I remembered a famous saying - "Mountains are three feet away from the sky." . "Standing here, the sky is no longer unattainable, as if it is within reach.

Intoxicated by the atmosphere of the clear blue sky, I walked slowly on the top of the North Platform. The top of the North Platform is not large, but it is enough. There is an area as big as a football field. The picture above is the main building on the top of the north platform - the Manjushri Bodhisattva Hall. The main hall was renovated in 1986 and houses the white marble arched stone bridge on both sides. An oval-shaped pool. It is said that the water in this pool will never dry up. The monks in the temple mainly rely on this spring water. It feels really magical when you see it often appear in Tibetan Buddhism. When you look at prayer flags, you will definitely think of Tibet, but this one appears under the southwest corner of the north platform of Mount Wutai. It is a symbol of Tibetan Buddhism. Since Mount Wutai is the first of the four famous Buddhist mountains, there are also Tibetan Buddhist temples (commonly known as Huang Temple) exists, and it is common for Tibetan monks and believers to come to Beitai to worship, so it is not surprising that it appears in Beitai. ~Yeah

Yeah~ pull~~~咿~~ Yeah

Plateau red, plateau blue

Miss the pure blue on the plateau

p>

The sky is blue and the clothes are blue

My heart feels warm when I think of my sister.

Looking from the top of Beitai, you can see the majestic mountains rising and falling like knives and axes. The blue sky Under the white clouds, there are mountains and mountains, and the mountains are connected as far as the eye can see.

This is the winding mountain road I just walked on when I went to Beitai. The road is paved with stone and the road condition is very good. It was built in 2005 with a donation of 14.32 million yuan from Taiwan Foxconn Group Vice Presidents Lu Songqing and Qiu Yuzhen. The entire project is 12.7 kilometers long, starting from Hongmen Rock in the south and ending in front of Lingying Temple on the top of Beitai. It is very convenient for monks and tourists who come to worship. Ordinary cars can get up, but the road is a bit narrow.

The highest peak on the right side of the picture is Dongtai. You can go to Dongtai and Beitai in one car and see them all. When you reach the mountain ridge at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters, there is a place called Hongmen Rock. There is a branch road at Hongmen Rock that leads to Dongtai. When entering Taihuai Town by car, you must pass through Hongmenyan. Dongtai is closer than Beitai. It is completely possible to get off the shuttle bus from Dongtai and then go to Beitai. It does not take much time. In fact, our shuttle bus only stopped in Beitai. 40 minutes, I think 30 minutes is enough to see Dongtai. I really don’t know what the travel company thinks. They put making money first. As a result, many tourists choose to go directly to Beitai instead of going there. It’s okay. Dongtai is famous and worth seeing.

Two: Hike to North Taipei to Central Taipei:

We spent about 40 minutes admiring the beautiful scenery at the top of Beitai, and all the tourists who came with us were excited. Back on the shuttle.

At this time, I made a bold decision that I had thought about in advance and walked to Zhongtai alone; because I looked at the map in advance and observed the scene from the top of Beitai just now, I found that the road to Zhongtai is not very far, and I asked only 8 It’s about 10 kilometers, and there is a large driveway. The weather that day was so clear and refreshing. It was a rare good weather. The time was only about 9:40 in the morning. I guess with my good physical condition, I would arrive in less than noon. Middle platform. When the driver saw that I was going to Zhongtai, he looked at me with confusion and concern, and repeatedly told me to pay attention to safety. I joked with him: "Your car is going too fast. I am very scared and dare not sit in it." So I have to walk to Zhongtai by myself. "Actually, it is Beitai, Zhongtai and the infinite scenery on the road that attract me, I want to experience the scenery that others have never experienced. Later facts proved that my decision was wise and correct. Although I suffered a lot of "sins" on the way back from Taiwan, for a "travel friend", this hardship is nothing. , is also very worthwhile.

Around 9:45 minutes, I walked briskly, wearing light clothes, carrying a simple package, breathing fresh air, and walked alone on the dirt road leading to Zhongtai. Here is a brief description of my equipment this time. It is a very simple camera bag, a local tourist map (although the map is not accurate enough, but it is necessary to bring a map), a small bag, and there are 2 pieces of bread in the bag. A ham sausage, a bottle of mineral water, an apple, a fruit knife and a bag of pickles. Based on experience and distance, it is necessary to carry more food and water with you, especially when walking in uninhabited mountains, you need to prepare more food and water. Sometimes you also need to bring a lighter and a knife just in case. For overnight use when you are lost in the mountains, it is better to bring a mobile phone with GPS function or a GPS if possible. A mobile phone is also necessary although sometimes there is no signal in high mountains.

On the ridge from the top of the north platform to the top of the middle platform, there is a dirt road formed by people and horse-drawn carriages. It is called the "big driveway". In the distance, there are two red roads on the flat platform top. The buildings are the roofs of the two temples in the center. In fact, it is possible for the government or individuals to invest in renovating this road. If it is renovated, most tourists who visit Beitai and Zhongtai can see it all at once, without having to bother with taking the shuttle bus down and back to the town center. Take another shuttle bus (of course you need to buy another ticket and spend 60RMB) to get to Zhongtai. There is a big gap between imagination and reality. Most of the time, many things are difficult to achieve because conditions do not allow it.

Afterwards, I thought again, if this road was really repaired, then I might not be walking alone on this quiet and pleasant road, and I might miss a lot of beautiful scenery. , where there is a loss there is a gain. For me during this trip, this section of the road was probably the most rewarding. This road can also be said to be the most beautiful pure natural scenery in Wutai Mountain. It is rarely disturbed by people and everything seems so simple and natural. If you go back hundreds or thousands of years in time, you will still see such a scene - horses in Take a leisurely walk, the sheep are grazing freely... Therefore, it is important for people in modern society to maintain a pristine and pure land. Don't destroy the original natural beauty because of our over-exploitation by humans. This is even more important for world cultural heritage sites like Mount Wutai.

The speed of going down the mountain is very fast, the road is very gentle, and there are no thorns to hinder it. When I look back, I have already left Beitai behind, although I have only walked for 10 minutes. The sky is still so blue, and the temple at the highest point of Beitai has become very small, but it looks even taller and taller against the blue sky. Since it is early autumn, the vegetation around the mountains has turned a little yellow and red. This is why the mountains on the plateau look "red" in autumn. On a sunny day in autumn, if you look at Beitai from the bottom of the mountain, you will see a golden red. Surrounding Beitai (so Beitai is also called "Red Roof"), Beitai seems even more mysterious and fascinating at this time.

Unknowingly, I had walked for nearly an hour. I saw a small temple in front of me, so I went in to pay a visit. The temple enshrines Mile Buddha, who is always smiling, but this is no longer important. I didn’t see anyone along the way. At this time, I felt very friendly when I saw the monk in the temple. There was also a van parked on one side of the temple. This car came from the direction of Central Taiwan, and there were two pilgrims chatting aside. This temple is located halfway between Beitai and Zhongtai, and is rarely visited by tourists.

I took a short rest at the small temple and continued walking. As I walked and looked around, I suddenly saw a scene that surprised me—a group of leisurely horses grazing freely on the gentle platform next to the path.

"White clouds are floating in the blue sky, and horses are running under the white clouds." This is a lyric describing the grassland style. I didn't want to surprise me. What was surprising was that I saw it on the mountain more than 2,500 meters above sea level. This scene.

Groups of horses are walking on the "plateau" platform, followed by a group of sheep.

Everything seems so peaceful at this moment, the blue sky, white clouds, grassland, horses, sheep, and mountains are so quiet that people are enchanted, and they are so beautiful that people can’t bear to leave; I am watching the beautiful scenery not far away, As if melting into this fairyland-like scenery, I don't want to walk away, I hope I will be drunk forever and don't want to wake up. If you have the opportunity, just entrust your mind and body to this magical and wonderful nature. You will forget it. All the worries in the stressful life and work in the city.

Two shepherds and a large group of fat sheep. On such a high mountain, it must not be an easy task to drive so many sheep up the mountain.

Unknowingly, it had been more than an hour since I left Beitai. Looking up at Zhongtai in the distance, I seemed to be right in front of me. In fact, the mountain road was winding and there was still more than half the journey to Zhongtai. Well, it’s not an exaggeration to describe it as “far away in the horizon”. At this moment, the central stage is reflected under the blue sky and white clouds. The yellow golden roof and red walls of the hall are particularly spectacular and beautiful under the sunlight, which also reveals its mystery. This beautiful scenery further encourages devout people to visit. It, worship it.

At around 11.30 noon, we were not far from Zhongtai. Next to the dirt road, a clear and sweet stream flowed from the mountain, so I decided to stop for lunch. At this moment, the mountain breeze was not strong, so I crossed my legs and ate bread over and over again while looking at the beautiful scenery in the distance. I felt very comfortable.

Three: Beautiful scenery of Zhongtai:

Zhongtai is also known as Cuiyan Peak, with an altitude of 2894 meters. The mist floats in the sky, because of its name. "There is a poem that praises: "The peaks are surrounded by wonders, the morning rain and smoke accumulate on the green mountains, and the green cliffs are still cold in June. Together, you can see the ancient trees and yellow sand. The clouds and mist are gradually rising, but you feel that you are already in the clouds."

"The top of Zhongtai is composed of conglomerate sandstone that is 2.4 billion to 2.5 billion years old. The ancient planation area is about 0.15 square kilometers, with an altitude of 2896 meters. It is the second highest altitude among the five platform tops. The top of the platform retains periglacial rock pillars, stone seas, stone flow slopes, stone rings, stone polygons, etc. There are periglacial landforms and sub-alpine meadows, etc.”

At around 12:20 noon, after a two-and-a-half-hour relaxing “long journey”, Zhongtai was finally in sight. The first thing that catches the eye are these pagodas with obvious Buddhist characteristics and brightly colored prayer flags.

The square pagoda has scriptures engraved in Tibetan on it. The pagoda covered with colorful strips of cloth that believers pray for blends so naturally and harmoniously with the beautiful scenery.

The colorful prayer flags symbolize the good wishes of believers. The sky here is still so blue, the blue seems to penetrate your mind and body, making you dreamlike and intoxicated. .

The majestic Main Hall stands on the top of the central platform at an altitude of 2858 meters. This main hall is the tallest building with a "yellow roof and red walls" that I saw on the way here. It looks like a brand new building. At first glance, it feels familiar, as if a certain hall in the Forbidden City is similar to it.

Although I did not see the "Sea of ??Clouds in Zhongtai" or feel "the clouds and mist gradually rise from the mountains, but I feel that I am already in the clouds." But I also felt the "peaks of the mountains facing each other" "I think the beautiful scenery of Beitai, Zhongtai and the road will be imprinted in my mind for a long time.

Four: Zhongtai went straight to Kichijoji:

At around 12:55, I reluctantly left Zhongtai and headed for my next goal-Kichijoji. The reason why I chose to go to Kichijoji is because according to the map, it is nearly half the distance from Zhongtai to Kichijoji than to Xitai. Moreover, if you get to Kichijoji, you can return to Taihuai Town over the mountain from Kichijoji if your physical strength allows. If you choose to go to Xitai, you must stay in Xitai (the distance from Zhongtai to Xitai is about more than 10KM), and rush to Kichijoji Temple from Xitai the next morning, which will consume a lot of energy and time.

To go from Zhongtai to Kichijoji, just follow the uphill road with good rest. This road is basically built on the hillside, and Kichijoji cannot be seen from the top of Zhongtai. Yes, because it is hidden in deep mountains and valleys.

After coming down from the top of Zhongtai, I walked down the winding mountain road, because this road was built from Taihuai Town. Sometimes I walked a section of the road, and sometimes I walked sideways through the bushes, which saved a lot of time and energy. Along the way, I only saw a van and a car going to Zhongtai. They were probably people going to Zhongtai from Taihuai Town. There are relatively few. I feel that this road is very quiet. Walking on the winding dirt road that is not wide, you can look at the scenery in the distance at will. Dark green, light yellow, dark blue, and light white colors come into your eyes from time to time. There are vibrant scenes of early autumn everywhere.

The winding road back from Taiwan is flat and mostly dirt roads, so it doesn’t take much effort to walk. Taking a "straight path" across the road near the turn will save a lot of distance and time, and you won't have to walk through the bushes for too long to make you feel difficult and tired.

After walking for nearly an hour, Zhongtai seemed to be far away from me. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the Zhongtai Cuiyan Peak is even more mysterious and awe-inspiring.

At 13:50, after walking for about an hour, suddenly, two white towers in the col below the highway came into my sight. The appearance of these two white towers looked very much like Taihuai Town. The iconic white pagoda, and a group of loose horses grazing next to the highway; upon closer inspection, it turns out that this is a temple that is still under construction, and there is also a truck loaded with building materials parked near the temple wall. car. This unknown temple is definitely not the one I saw on the map. Judging from its area, it is not very large. It is not easy to build a temple in the deepest part of this mountain col.

With Mount Wutai as a whole being rated as a World Cultural Heritage, I think people will definitely see beautiful temples one after another in the future.

An ancient temple hidden deep in the mountains. Not far along the road, a large temple complex came into my eyes. It seemed that this was most likely the temple marked on the map - Kichijoji. A burst of excitement and joy filled my heart. I will definitely visit this temple and ask about the way back.

Looking down from a high place, the entire Kichijoji Temple is surrounded by a dense cedar forest. The cedar forest is not too high but very dense. The surrounding cedar forest not only forms a natural wall, but also increases the mystery of Kichijoji Temple. It also makes it look very harmonious and natural with the surrounding environment.

Kichijoji was built along the terrain of the mountain col. The overall shape is a long and narrow triangle, which is in compliance with building regulations and looks very majestic. The two white towers at the bottom are perfectly dotted with the entire building complex. They echo the two white towers above, making it less top-heavy. After looking at it from a high place, I felt that it was much shorter to go straight to Kichijoji, so I packed up my belongings and walked through the bushes. As I was walking, I suddenly felt a lot of pain in my left knee. It seemed like it was yesterday. I stretched my legs in a hurry while climbing (this is also the reason why I didn’t exercise less some time ago), and I was very anxious. If the pain in my legs continued, it might be difficult to return to the town on foot. Anyway, let’s go to the temple first. I walked on this not-too-distant "downhill road" for about 20 minutes. I entered Kichijoji from the edge of the dense forest, which is the side door near the white pagoda above the temple.

Kichijoji temple is relatively large in scale, with more than 10 temples and monk halls. The main building of the temple is located at the top of the slope, and the main hall is located on the central axis in the center. It is the tallest and majestic in the entire building complex. building, the golden glazed tiles are very conspicuous under the sunlight. Below the central axis of the main hall are two circular life-release pools. Directly in front of the life-release pools is a 2 to 3 meter high and 7 to 8 meter long screen wall. Under the screen wall is a small vegetable patch where monks can Plant some vegetables here. There is also a semicircular arch bridge on the lower right side of the main hall. The arch bridge is relatively high, and the arc of this "arch" is relatively large and round. When viewed from the bottom and side, it looks like most of a full moon falling on the calm water. , people can't help but think about it. There is a small river flowing from the top of the mountain under the arch bridge. The clear spring water flows from the high mountain at Zhongtai Cuiyan Peak. It not only provides water for the monks in the temple, but also adds aura to the temple. It also brings people to this temple. The incense coming to the pilgrim gate brings good luck. I think this is probably one of the reasons why this temple is called "Kichijoji"! There is also a waterwheel about 3 to 4 meters high under the arch bridge. It looks very spectacular, unique and unique. It is a blessing for these monks to practice in such a place.

At this time, an ancient poem naturally emerged in my mind -

"Entering the ancient temple in the early morning, the first sun shines on the high forest. The winding path leads to a secluded place, and the Zen room is surrounded by flowers and trees.

The mountain light is pleasing to the birds, and the shadows in the pond are empty. Everything is silent, except for the sound of the bell."

Although it is not early morning, the scenery is sympathetic, and I am filled with emotion. born.

Five: Return over mountains and ridges:

After a brief tour of the temple, we were ready to head back. At this time, it was already more than 14:30. There were not many people coming to this place to worship and offer incense. I saw a car in the temple, but I didn’t see the tourist bus from Taihuai Town (probably there wouldn’t be one) Many people come here specifically to such a remote place, so there won’t be any tourist buses.) There are guest rooms in the temple for individual travelers who wish to pay incense. The rooms are relatively clean and the price is not expensive at only 15 yuan per bed. But after careful consideration, I was on a tight schedule this time and couldn't stop here to rest. Although I was very tired after the "long journey" and my left leg was still very painful, I still insisted on walking back to Taihuai Town. It was a difficult choice because I didn’t know how “distant” and “difficult” the journey back would be, so I asked a middle-aged worker who was painting the walls of the temple. The older man pointed at my map. He carefully told me about a "mountain road" that monks in the temple often take, and it is also the shortest path back to Taihuai Town. According to him, it takes about an hour to get from Jixiang Temple to Taihuai Town. After listening to his introduction and thanking him profusely, I no longer wanted to see the beautiful scenery of the temple. I had a long road ahead and it was unknown to me when I would be able to return to my residence.

I came out of Kichijoji and walked onto a small road. When I was about to approach the road I just came down from, I happened to meet a young monk and asked him for directions. He told me to walk to the mountain ridge on the opposite side. There is a pile of stones at the top of the mountain, and then follow the path to the left along the ridge that they often walk. Follow the path and cross another ridge to see a temple (Fenglin Temple) on the other side of the mountain. From the temple, follow the road You can go back to Taihuai Town. Following its guidance, I quickly climbed to the top of the mountain and saw the "stone pile" that was only about one meter high. It seemed that this "stone pile" was the instructive "signpost" made by their monks every day. Looking back at Jixiang Temple in the distance, Thanks to the elder brother and the young monk I met on the way, I continued my difficult journey.

At around 15:30, we followed the rugged but clear "path" they guided and climbed up a ridge. Standing on the ridge, we finally saw the temple complex below and the winding road. The winding road looks like it won’t be long before we return to the town. The path from the ridge here to the "Fenglin Temple" below is very difficult to walk. Most of the time it is a narrow path. In some places, there is no road at all, so you can only go down the slope, and the slope in some places is relatively steep.

The long upward road in the middle does not go to Taihuai Town. The lower road under the minaret is the road back to Taihuai Town.

The highest mountaintop in the farthest direction is Dongtai. The weather is clear at this time, and Dongtai does not seem to be very far away from here. In fact, it is separated by "thousands of mountains and rivers".

At around 16:30, after another arduous trek, we finally arrived at the temple marked on the map - Fenglin Zen Temple from its back, which was also getting farther and farther away from Taihuai Town. Close.

The building scale of Fenglin Zen Temple is half smaller than that of Jixiang Temple, but it is the largest temple in this valley. Compared with several small temples nearby, it is still much grander and more majestic. The momentum can be seen from the steps and stone lions of the mountain gate. It is also a temple built in the deepest part of the mountain. There is a three-story monk's room in the temple under construction. More than 10 temples, monks' rooms and other buildings are built closely against the mountain.

Going down the steps from the main entrance of Fenglin Temple, there is a "Pure Land on Earth" archway standing on the steep steps. Follow this path down for about 1KM and you can connect to the highway. You can save 2km of distance by taking the highway directly from Fenglin Temple. This is what a monk from Fenglin Temple told me. The environment here is also very quiet. Few people come to the depths of this valley. On the way down from the ridge, I only saw a few cows grazing on the hillside and a few cows grazing in the woods. Young man picking mushrooms. Fenglin Zen Temple and several surrounding temples are built in such a beautiful and rarely disturbed environment, which can indeed be regarded as a pure land on earth. However, it can be seen from the nearby bare hillsides that it has obviously suffered man-made damage, and the damage The situation is also quite serious. The sea waves here are not very high, probably around 800 to 900 meters. The hillsides are not very steep either. Trees can grow normally here. Excessive development, destruction and tree felling will turn the "pure land on earth" into "bad land on earth". Under the "Pure Land on Earth" archway, I saw several beautiful wild chrysanthemums still in full bloom along the path.

At around 17:10, the sun could no longer be seen in this deep valley, but the afterglow of the sun still illuminated the cement road and the valley very brightly. There was a belief that supported me towards the future. Moving forward, I "limped" slowly on the road back to Taihuai Town. I couldn't see anyone or smoke. I turned on my mobile phone and listened to MP3. Occasionally I also hummed With a few words, the loneliness and the pain in my legs have been reduced a lot... At around 18 o'clock, I finally saw the curling smoke from cooking stoves and several houses on the roadside. Taihuai Town was in sight, and I finally arrived home.

Returning to Taihuai Town, after dinner, I simply washed up and started the homework I must do every day when traveling - writing a travel diary. Although I felt very tired, I insisted on writing, at 9 p.m. At around 1 o'clock, I heard the sound of rain falling outside the window. It started to rain again in the Taihuai Town area of ??Mount Wutai after a sunny day. The weather is so changeable and the climate is unpredictable!

Explanation: The altitudes of Beitai and Zhongtai are very high, and the temperature is much lower than that of Taihuai Town at the foot of the mountain. The best time to travel to Mount Wutai is from May Day to National Day. months. So if you are traveling to North Taichung during the May Day or National Day holidays, you must pay attention to weather changes and listen to the advice of local people. After all, safety is the first priority. Besides, during the May Day and National Day holidays, it is likely to snow heavily in North and Central Taiwan, and the wind will be very strong, so you probably won’t be in the mood to see the scenery in such weather.

Postscript: This trip to North Taichung and Taiwan is very lucky for me. I will remember this day on x, x, x, 20xx. It can be said that in a "high mountain" with a rapidly changing climate like Mount Wutai, District", it is very rare to catch such a sunny day. It seems that I am very lucky during this trip. Maybe my Buddhist relationship is really not small. If you have the opportunity to come to Wutai Mountain, you must visit North Taichung. If your physical fitness and conditions permit, you may as well take the route I took. If you are lucky, you will see something that other tourists will never see. You will have a lot of spiritual enlightenment about the "plateau style". Leave the tour guide and go alone or with one or two travel companions. Maybe you will also encounter the "dark horse" and the flocks of sheep.