The most beautiful Mount Emei in the world: hike to the summit

Foreword:

From August 3 to 5, 2017, the whole family visited Emei. Then I spent three nights writing notes, as if I was on another spiritual journey to Emei. Suddenly, I realized that travel notes in ancient texts are worth reading because they are true and record the people and events. Modern photography technology is developed. Although photos are very vivid, they lack vitality and are difficult to be deeply imprinted in the soul. Travel notes can allow us to recall the moments in the past. In writing, we can experience things that we did not have time to think about in detail during the itinerary. . I envied Ouyang Xiu for "being able to enjoy himself when he was drunk, and being able to write about it when he was awake". Record every bit of your journey like the ancients did. (Drafted on the night of August 6-8, 2017, revised on August 9-10). Now share it with everyone.

(1) From Baoguo Temple to Leiyin Temple

On August 3, 2017, our group took the bus from Chengdu to Emei Baoguo Temple and arrived at around 10 am.

At about 11 o'clock, a steep wall was engraved with the characters "Xiu Jia Tian Xia", and the mountaineering tour of Emei officially began.

Not far ahead is Baoguo Temple. Because today's planned destination is "Hongchunping", we stopped briefly in front of the temple and went directly to the left.

After walking about 1.5 kilometers along the cement boulevard, we went up the path and reached a fork in the road. There was a sign "Fuhu Temple" on the left side of the intersection. We chose to go directly up the mountain along the steep road on the right side. Cross a small bridge and meander along the left bank of the stream. There is a stream under the steep wall on the right. At this time, the sky cleared after the rain, and the water flow was fast and not clear. However, there were lush forests and bamboos around, and raindrops were still hanging on them. They fell in real time, which swept away the previous stuffy heat and was very refreshing. In front of a management house, buy a ticket to enter the scenic spot. Soon, a steep bluestone staircase lay in front of us, with straight trees on both sides like a barrier, with no end in sight. After climbing the stone stairs, an ancient temple suddenly appeared in front of us - "Leiyin Temple". On a stone in front of the temple gate is engraved "The place where Zen Master Wuxia tied his thatch". On the left side of Leiyin Temple is a stream. In front of the temple gate, a towering phoebe tree stands on the edge of a cliff. Looking up along the branch of the big tree, you will see that the peaks on the other side of the stream are towering into the clouds and full of green. We took a group photo in front of the big tree. The temple is small in size and is a courtyard. Entering the courtyard from the temple gate, there are few tourists at this time and it feels very quiet. Looking out from the patio, there are two big trees with crowns like huge green balls, which is very spectacular.

(2) From Leiyin Temple to Chunyang Hall

After taking a rest at Leiyin Temple, we walked along the red wall on the left, and the goal ahead was Chunyang Hall. After passing a gentle slope road, I saw someone in the creek. When I asked, it turned out that they were washing away sweat. Then, there was a long and steep slope, which almost made people gasp for breath. Their clothes were soaked, and they could almost squirm out of the water. Everyone rested for a while in a small shop next to a flat area before setting off. Then, on a gentle mountain road, we passed a large group of ancient nanmu and cypress trees. These thousand-year-old trees seemed to be recounting the ups and downs of the past to travelers from all over the world.

Soon, we arrived at the "Chunyang Hall". There is a Bagua stove in front of the hall, and there is a big tree on both sides of the stone staircase. The stone staircase in front of the gate is like Liu Yuxi's humble room, with "moss marks on the upper steps and greenery". Entering the main hall, I recall that Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals, practiced here. The couplets on both sides of the gate tell the story of the origin of the hall. I suddenly feel that time is rushing and everything is changing.

(3) Chunyang Hall to Shengshui Pavilion

Chunyang Hall is located in a watershed. After passing Chunyang Hall, walk along the clean stone road. The road is flat, with a steep cliff on the right, and sometimes there are downhill roads. Everyone walks easily, is in a good mood, talks and laughs, and forgets the previous hardships. Some play on their mobile phones, and some even hum songs. Only then did we return to the true meaning of travel: tired, but happy. This section of the road is densely populated and the scenery is mediocre. There are many stalls selling thirst-quenching tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. along the way.

Soon we arrived at the famous Shengshui Pavilion. This temple is located next to the main road, has three gates, is large in scale, and has three magnificent buildings. There are many ancient trees in the temple, and there are many beautiful trees all around. This year, accompanied by the faint sound of bells in the temple and many monks practicing Qing Dynasty, they silently watched the passing tourists. A plaque in front of the door explained the meaning of the "three gates" of Buddhism, which made us enlightened.

Entering the temple, it is very cool.

(3) From Shengshui Pavilion to Qingyin Pavilion

After passing "Shengshui Pavilion", I walked through a wide cement road (which seemed inconsistent with this scene) and saw a street sign. , marked "Qingyin Pavilion" on the left front. What about Zhongfeng Temple? It seems to be hidden.

In an antique cabin, I checked the tickets and asked about Hongchunping, which was still about 3 hours away. After leaving the ticket check-in point, a bluestone road with a ladder came into view. Although it was about two o'clock in the afternoon, it was still early, but the mountains were high and the forests were dense, the light was dim, and some team members had poor foot strength, which made people feel inexplicably scared. Are you worried that you won’t be able to find a shop in front of the village or behind when it gets dark? My mood at this time is just like what is described in "Sunset and Cangshan Yuan". So I urged everyone to move forward quickly, feeling a bit like Yang Zhi escorting the birthday party across Huangnigang with a feeling of sincerity and fear. I found that the mountain road is often like this: the willows are hidden, the flowers are bright, and the village is full of flowers. After walking through this steep slope, there is a downhill road, and I heard the sound of thunder coming from not far away, and I was very happy: Qingyin Pavilion should be arriving soon.

Soon, we arrived at Qingyin Pavilion. Where the two streams converged, an arch bridge was built, named "Shuangqiao Qingyin", and a pavilion on the bridge was called "Jiewang Pavilion". Looking at the scene, the word "voiceless" only exists in people's hearts, because most of the bustling tourists here come here to escape the summer heat, and are not here to find the "voiceless voice" lost in the soul; and, This place is simply a noisy market. Tourists are constantly asking "do they need accommodation?" and the enthusiasm is more than that of midsummer. It was said that the road above Hongchunping was impassable, so I decided to stay here and listen to the clear sound. It’s a bit of a pity, because I decided to live in Hongchunping early, and I wanted to experience the scene of ancient people traveling around the mountains and rivers and staying in a temple. I don’t know how long I can wait for this experience.

As soon as the accommodation was confirmed, the uneasiness of "the sun sets and the mountains are far away" was replaced by calmness. I relaxed and went upstream to slowly visit the wild monkey area. Not far away, there is an open water surface where men, women and children are playing in the water. Not far up the road, on a rock wall on the left bank of the stream, there is a sculpture depicting the story of Emperor Kangxi's visit to Emei and the inscription "Forget the world". After a while, a group of stone carvings about Zhu Yuanzhang on the mountain wall added a trace of ancient meaning to this section of the stream. Going up further, there is a stone arch bridge, and then there are plank roads on both sides of the stream. On the tops of the bridge railings and railing pillars on both sides of the plank road, the stone carvings of monkeys are lifelike, as if telling visitors that the famous Mount Emei monkeys welcome everyone. The stream twists and turns, a sliver of sky suddenly appears in front of you, and you can see the sheer cliffs facing each other on both sides of the bank, giving the impression of "a thousand feet standing on a wall". Although the plank roads on both sides are crowded with people, they are still cool and quiet. Everyone is amazed by the uncanny craftsmanship of nature. It's extremely hot outside the mountains, but it's so peaceful here.

After passing the line of sky, the river is steep, climbing up the stairs, with high peaks and beautiful forest ravines on both sides. No monkeys were seen. I looked in the direction of Hongchunping, sighed a few times, and strolled down.

The first day of climbing ended in the dusk when the tired birds returned to the forest.

(4) Qingyin Pavilion to Bailong Cave

The next day, I got up early, passed the Jiewang Pavilion, went right, and went up the steep stone stairs. On the way, I saw a few middle-aged and elderly tourists climbing up in front of me, and suddenly I remembered Chairman Mao's "The east is about to dawn, don't leave early, people who have traveled through the green mountains are not old yet." Then, I felt an inexplicable force in my heart and climbed upward. After a steep slope, after a while, a towering tree with lush branches stood in front of you. When I got closer, I saw that it was a thousand-year-old Zhennan King tree. I felt respectful and happily took a group photo here.

After passing the King of Trees, walk along the flat stone road halfway up the mountain. There are towering ancient trees on both sides, which are said to be hundreds of years old and shade the sun. It is said that it was planted by eminent monks in the Ming Dynasty, which is indeed a great merit.

Soon we arrived at the famous Bailongdong Temple. The temple is located in an empty hillside, with only a row of houses. The wide flat land in front of the temple is surrounded by huge ancient trees. A couplet on the temple gate describes the location here vividly and vividly: "The golden top is right at the mountain gate. It is beautiful in the morning and evening, and the white dragon flows through the sea cave to enjoy the clear sound every year." Is White Snake cultivating here to become an immortal?

(5) Bailong Cave to Wannian Temple

After bidding farewell to Bailong Cave Temple and continuing to move forward, the sound of a winding stone staircase like a ladder to heaven can be heard in the distance. There was gurgling water on both sides. Maybe there was a light rain on the mountain last night, so some steps were wet, as if there were still moss. We walked up quickly and passed an arch, and the famous Wannian Temple was within easy reach. After taking a short rest and waiting for the team members, they walked through three hundred steps of bluestone steps and arrived at the gate of Wannian Temple, where they stopped to pay their respects. Situated west to east, this temple is large in scale, surrounded by ancient trees, and has a long history. Since I was on the road, I didn’t stop too much. I listened to the wonderful explanations of another tour group commentator and then left quickly.

(6) From Wannian Temple to Xixinsuo

Leave Wannian Temple and walk along the mountain road outside the red wall on the left side of the temple.

The road is on the east side of the mountainside, and the zigzag mountain road reminds us that this section is indeed a steep slope. I met several mountaineering tourists on the road, including a two-person team, a middle-aged family team, and a lone ranger. They were all feeling tired. I talked with them. Most of them stayed at Qingyin Pavilion last night and left early today. We passed each other one by one and felt doubly happy. After several turns, we finally reached a gentle slope at the top of the mountain, and Wannian Temple was already at our feet. After replenishing some sweet drinks at an inn, we continued on our way. Passing through a straight cypress forest, the sunlight casts dots on the road. Then on a short steep slope, I met a road cleaning staff and asked about the next station "resting place", and the answer was "not far". After walking a few steps, there were stone walls on both sides. Oh, we arrived at a section of the saddle beam running east-west. There were exquisite wooden railings on both sides, and there were cliffs to the left and right. It was shocking!

Soon, we arrived at the heart-washing center. Why is it called the resting place? I haven’t studied it carefully. I will savor it later. The temple is located on a mountain top. In addition to the ancient trees, the most surprising thing is the dense cypress trees on the cliff in front of you, like a green barrier, with the tip like a sharp sword reaching into the sky!

(7) Xixinsuo to the First Hall

After Xixinsuo, we walked westward along Shanyin. Soon, the son who had charged ahead disappeared. Not far away, I met a pole-skating team and asked about the distance to Changping, which was about 2 miles away. The mountain road suddenly turned around and headed south. When I saw the descent, I felt very happy. Then he thought about something bad: what goes down must come up, and I complained secretly. After a cool and green descent, we arrived at a bridge across a ditch. At the end of the bridge was a small shop, and behind the shop was the road up the mountain. This place is very similar to Feiyunpu where the tiger fighting hero Wu Song passed by in "Water Margin". Due to the rush of time, I couldn't think about it for a long time and hurriedly went up the mountain.

The steep slope after that goes up the mountain in a zigzag shape along the northeastern part of the mountain, which is very tiring. There are ancient trees on both sides from time to time, and warning signs tell us that wild monkeys may be present. While he was kicking and panting, he did not look into the distance. Only then did he feel the wonderfulness of "climbing high and looking into the distance", which gave him the heroic feeling of "seeing all the mountains and small mountains at a glance". Not long after, I bought boiling water in a small shop, rested for a few minutes and then continued on. The shop hung a sign saying "It's 7.5 kilometers up the mountain from Chang'anping to the Image Washing Pond, and 7.5 kilometers down the mountain from Chang'an Ping to Wannian Temple." I didn't pay much attention to it. Then continue up the mountain. After a while, I heard my son anxiously urging on the phone, "We have arrived at Chudian Ancient Temple." I was shocked. So fast? I answered, "I haven't arrived at Changpingping yet." So I was anxious, took fewer photos, and urged my wife to hurry up. Soon, I saw an open space, ah, on the steps under a temple, the familiar figure - the child, arrived at the first temple. Incredible. What about Changping? After thinking silently for a moment, I suddenly realized that the small shop where I buy water is Changping. It is not a scenic spot, but just a place name. Just like Jingyanggang, there are no conspicuous buildings. A simple card has told the passing passersby. It seems that in our concept, any building with a clear purpose must be such a majestic building to match its name and reality. However, Changchangping has restored its originality and authenticity. It is just a place name.

The first hall faces northeast, and there is a large area of ??ancient cypresses in front of the temple. The most peculiar thing is that there is a beautiful legend here. Legend has it that Pu Gong of the Eastern Han Dynasty saw deer tracks appearing like lotus flowers, followed them to Mount Emei, and suddenly saw auspicious light, so he built this temple. Fan Chengda of Song Dynasty once visited here. At this time, the bell in the temple is ringing to remind passing tourists of the time to eat fast. Since it was still early than the usual meal time, in order to rush on the road, I did not eat the fasting meal, so I left in a hurry with a trace of regret.

(8) From the First Hall to Huayan Peak

After passing the First Hall, continue along the mountain road on the left side of the temple. All the way up the mountain road. When I was exhausted from walking, I suddenly heard someone in front of me shouting in surprise: "We're here." I didn't believe it at first, so I turned around quickly and saw that at the end of a short but steep stone staircase, there was indeed a building - Huayan Peak. Two tall trees stood in front of the door, as if to welcome us. arrival. Quickly climb up, go through the door, and come inside. Known as the "Little Golden Summit", this summit is located on Jiugang Ridge, at an altitude of 2,000 meters, surrounded by mountains. One peak is towering green, reaching straight into the clouds, offering a view as far as the eye can see. Here, I saw several teams that arrived earlier eating food and replenishing energy. Since Chudian was far away on the map, but was actually very close, we arrived easily without lingering on the road, thus increasing our confidence in today's destination, Taiziping.

(9) Huayan Ding to Xixiang Pond

After replenishing the boiling water in the first hall, we went together with a group of tourists who had arrived here first. After going downhill for a while, we arrived at Jiugangling.

Here is a section of low Ma'anliang - Jiulinggang, a fork in the road. The route sign tells us: go left and go down the mountain via Hongchunping to Qingyin Pavilion. Ask the local residents "it takes about 2 hours to go down the mountain to Qingyin Pavilion". Looking at the road signs, we saw a steep slope, which turned out to be the rare and frightening "Zhuan Tian Slope" in Mount Emei. Down the slope to Qingyin Pavilion, there are Yuxian Temple, Xianfeng Temple, Tea Shed, Ninety-nine Road Turns and other scenic spots. The names are all fascinating, it must be the Fairy Mountain Cave, but this time I can only "sigh" about it and look forward to the future! Gather your emotions and walk along the image washing pond in front!

Not far away, I saw a horse grazing freely on the roadside. It's true that the monkeys in Mount Emei don't show their true colors, and a free horse comes to join in the fun. Since it was still early and the gentle slope was long, I had the time to enjoy the scenery. Occasionally, I could see a tree of pink and white flowers on the roadside. The poem "There are sometimes quiet flowers and a bright tree" came to my mind. For my mood at this time, this poem The sentence couldn't be more appropriate. The word "明" in the poem not only describes the beauty of the flowers, but also expresses the poet's happy mood. Therefore, whether reading or reading poetry, if you want to experience the feelings in the poet's poems, you must not only be able to memorize them, but also have actual life experience. Before climbing Mount Emei, I just thought it was a good poem and the artistic conception it described was very beautiful. On the way to Mount Emei, after the previous hard work, I encountered a smooth road and admired the beautiful flowers. I felt naturally happy, so I was able to experience this The beauty of the word "明" comes from this. I think that the poet may have received the beautiful words during a hard journey, when he occasionally saw flowers and was in a good mood. But before the happy singing ended, we arrived at a steep slope. Looking up, we saw the zigzag steep slope looming in the dense forest! The long pass of Xiongguan is really like iron, but it is better to cross it from the beginning. Immediately take a few dozen steps upward, rest for half a minute, and then continue moving upward. Li Bai wrote a poem "It can cross the top of Emei", maybe it is this steep slope. The higher you go up the mountain, the wider your view becomes. Ancient trees can be seen everywhere, and the scenery is everywhere, which slightly reduces the fatigue of climbing. In front of the poem monument "The traces of cranes remain in the ancient snow, and the sound of apes comes out of green radish", two ancient trees stand side by side, which is a spectacular sight, seeming to tell the story of the past when cranes flew and apes crowed.

After the steep slope, after passing through a gentle path, at about 2 pm, we arrived in front of the Xixiang Pond. Legend has it that the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra passed by here on an elephant, and the white elephant once bathed in the pool, hence its name. The temple is located on the top of a mountain. It was a cloudy day and the breeze was blowing away, which took away the heat and made us feel refreshed.

(10) Xixiangchi to Leidongping

The road to Jinding passes through the Maitreya Hall of Xixiangchi Temple. After passing a section of flat road, soon another very steep section of ladder came into view. Ask the worker with a sliding pole at the foot of the slope how far away is Hong Chunping? The answer was "7.5 kilometers", and I was a little surprised. Going up the steep steps, there are more and more tourists. The mountains here are high and the weather is changeable. Sometimes the sun is shining brightly, and sometimes it is gloomy, just like the mood of a traveler. The most common ancient trees on the roadside are fir and hemlock. Among the dense ancient trees, the clouds and mist are floating, making us feel as if we are walking in the sky. "Only in this mountain, I don't know where the clouds are" is the most suitable poem that comes to my mind at this moment. After climbing the daunting Lianwang Slope, we came to a small shop called "Wangyue" and had some food. Although it didn't have the booze that Wu Song had at the foot of Jingyang Gang, it still had the connotation of business travel in ancient times. . The store owner was kind and chatty, and he asked him how far away Taiziping was. He replied that it was very close, and he could easily reach it before dark, so he felt relieved. Finally, the mountain road became slower and slower, and all we could see was an open land. The weather was clear and the sun was shining brightly. The flat stone road wound through the dense forest, and we reached the top of the mountain. Sure enough, what follows is a downhill stone ladder mountain road. There are many abyss here. The abyss is shrouded in clouds and mist, which is the unique sea of ??clouds in Emei. You can vaguely see the upside-down pines and cypresses, which is breathtaking. I often read about these scenery in ancient books, but I finally saw it today.

After walking this charming road, we arrived at Leidongping. Leidongping is large in scale and the houses look like it. There are so many tourists and it’s very lively.

(11) From Leidongping to Jieyin Hall

After passing Leidongping, the front is Jieyin Hall. Along the way, tourists crowded the walking path up the mountain. It was really crowded and very lively. On the left side of the road, there is an abyss, and you can see the wonders of the sea of ??clouds. On the right side, the continuous shops make people feel like they have arrived at the ancient Ten Mile Pavilion. The Golden Dome is right above, but the weather is gloomy at this time, and "the clouds obscure your eyes", so you can't see its true appearance. Everyone was full of joy, chatting and laughing with unlimited expectations. The steps were not steep, and before we knew it, we arrived at the Jieyin Hall.

Unfortunately, the camera ran out of battery here, so I had to take a few photos with my phone.

(12) From Jieyin Hall to Taiziping

After passing Jieyin Hall, continue up the mountain. The bluestone mountain road is still rugged, but the sun shines brightly and the scenery is beautiful. At a corner platform, a big tree with only half of its trunk still growing dense green leaves made countless tourists stop to watch and stand in awe. Some people praised it, "The tree is strong." ". God is beautiful, and under the blue sky and white clouds, the green mountains are so beautiful. After an arduous journey, we finally arrived at today’s destination, Taiziping, around 5 pm. Taiziping is not as prosperous and gorgeous as its name suggests, but very simple. There is a "Taiziping Temple" where you can live; there is also a hotel, and even the attic and a simple house with cardboard walls built according to the original house are used as guest rooms. We seem to have arrived at a dilapidated ancient inn, which has a special meaning. Maybe this is what the ancients called "divination". Now that you have arrived, you will be safe. If you arrive too late, you may have to live in a bunk on the ground. The other tourists staying with us that night were noisy. Hardly a sound sleep. The only memory I have is hearing the strong morning bell from the Golden Summit before dawn.

(Thirteen) Watching the Sunrise from the Golden Summit

At four o'clock in the morning on the third day, other tourists staying in this inn heard the sound of getting up and washing up. We also got up quickly and prepared to go to the hotel. Watch the sunrise from the golden top. Soon, in the pre-dawn darkness, I was groping my way up the mountain along the stone stairs leading to the Golden Dome. We strolled to the top of the mountain. The sunrise was still early at 6:20, and the sky was full of stars. It seemed that we were lucky today and could see the spectacular sunrise. The top of the mountain is very open. Although we have reached the top of the mountain, there is still some distance to the Golden Summit. When we arrived, tourists had already arrived. So, I found a place on the edge of the cliff and waited quietly. At first, it was pitch black to the east. The stars were twinkling, and one of them was particularly bright. I said it was the North Star. Only later did I realize that it should be the morning star. Soon, the stars gradually receded, leaving only the morning star, which was very bright. Ah, the long-lost morning star! A dark blue cloud, like the soaring wings of a bird. Soon, it turned into a light yellow, the color became brighter and brighter, and gradually turned into a light red. Below the left wing, the clouds are particularly bright in color, and some say the sun is about to rise from there. In the front right is the 800-meter steep cliff, which is also one of the wonders of Mount Emei's Golden Summit, the "Shesheng Cliff". In its abyss, you can see white clouds. At this moment, we are above the clouds, floating away from the dust. After a while, a ray of red light suddenly appeared among the particularly bright clouds: the sun! At this time, all living beings cheered and the sun appeared! The rising sun is like a "one", so tiny, but it is this "one" that has infinite vitality and gives birth to all things. Soon, the sun revealed half of its face, which was bright red. Soon, a round red sun appeared, emitting thousands of golden lights and illuminating the earth. At this time, the Emei Golden Summit is shining in the sun, resplendent, mysterious and majestic!

Standing on the Golden Summit, you can see the four dim figures of Gongjia Snow Mountain in the distance. Nearby, you can clearly see the Top of Ten Thousand Buddhas. After wandering around for a while, I waved goodbye to Mount Emei! When I arrived to welcome His Highness, I suddenly looked back and saw a splendid temple above the clouds, the Golden Summit of Emei. The Golden Summit that I didn't see here yesterday appeared today. It was an unexpected sight and I was very happy.

Emei is the endless treasure of the Creator. Insignificant people, in this vast mountain, they can finally find what they have in their hearts.

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