Here at the frontier, the leaves fall like rain. Although my neighbors are all barbarians, and you, you are a thousand miles away, there are still two cups at my table.


Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn, a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter. If your mind isn't clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life.

~ Wu-men ~


Thursday, January 31, 2013

Take a Hike

China's Mount Hua pilgrimage may be the most dangerous walk in the world. The poet Basho in medieval Japan had a much easier time hiking an ancient trail, I am sure.

I found this article on Yahoo. An excerpt is below. The full article may be read here. The pictures which accompany the brief article are astounding. Enjoy.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012 8:27am PST

Snow and ice make China's Mount Hua pilgrimage especially dangerous

By: Shannon Dybvig

The five peaks of Mount Hua have been vertical sanctuaries for monks, hermits, and spiritual seekers, especially Taoists, for centuries, but to get to them pilgrims must cross treacherous trails, such as those made from links of chain and wooden planks joined by iron staples. And now with winter approaching, it's the most dangerous time of year to attempt what could be the most dangerous hike in the world. All five peaks are joined by steep, narrow trails, stairs, and ladders, and dotted with temples and lookout points. Though some peaks involve riskier ascents than others, all hikes require slow and steady climbing along the trails, or you'll risk a speedy decent. Numerous visitors have embarked on the hike and never returned, although the Chinese government isn't saying how many. Check out this skyscraping trek below.

6 comments:

RunBikeThrow said...

Mt. Everest is *so* last year.

Rick Matz said...

It makes me wonder who thought putting that trail there and all that goes with it was a good idea in the first place!

walt said...

Master Eastwall asked Chuang Tzu, "What we call the Tao -- where does it exist?"

"There is no place it does not exist," Chuang Tzu replied.

"Come on," Master Eastwall said, "you must be more specific!"

"It is in the ant," said Chuang Tzu.

"How can it be so low?"

"It is in the grass."

"How can it be even lower?"

"It is in bricks and shards."

"How can it be lower still?"

"It is even in excrement!"


Now, since I am BIG on balance but POORLY with heights, I take great heart in the above passage, i.e., no need to cross those pictured bridges. Great photos, though. Definitely not for the obese!

Rick Matz said...

Nice excerpt from the Inner Chapters, Walt.

Paul said...

Mount Hua has become legendary in contemporary Chinese culture principally due to the fact that best selling martial art fictions depicted Mount Hua sect (operated out of Mount Hua: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hua_Sect) as one of the six major sects in old China's Wulin [literally: martial world] (Shaolin and Wudang being the largest and most well known sects). Mount Hua therefore lives more vividly in people's imagination than in physical reality - as far as modern day Chinese are concerned.

myhuonglequyen said...
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