It is my honor and pleasure to be asked to post this trip report in English. “So that even foregners will know our group!” one member explained. “To let the world know we are such a fun and friendly hiking group.” Added another. So here I am trying my best to recruit international hikers to join us.
On last Thursday, 20 avid hikers of our hiking group (汉口风) started a four-days trip to the Southern Taihang Mountain. The Southern Taihang Mountain is the most scenic part of the Taihang Mountain range which extends over 400 km across several provinces including Henan and Shanxi where we visited.
We talked, ate, sang songs and laughed all the way on our 6 hour train to XinXiang (新乡), our first stop. Other passengers on the train were so impressed and envious of our high energy and enthusiasm as they witnessed our happiness and blast. Six hours were not a long time when we were having fun.
After staying a cheap motel overnight at XinXiang, we left bright early in the morning to our first scenic stop: Wanxianshan Geo park (万仙山地质公园). Wanxianshan is famous for the Long Corridor in the Cliffs (绝壁长廊). This amazing corridor is a manmade thoroughfare with the length of 1300m, the width of 6m and the height of 4m. It was built by the villagers of Guoliang (郭亮村), started in 1972 with only 12 brave young man, on the dangerous red cliffs of 120m in height. With unrelenting will and spirit, they struggled hard for 6 years on the quartzite cliffs and finally built the thoroughfare which brought the world into this once isolated mountain top village.
We walked all over the scenic park, taking pictures along the way, marveled by not only the beautiful scenic sight but more importantly the unwavering spirit o the people who built the Corridor. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the magnificent sight.
Several hikers in the group are also photography enthusiasts. The yellow autumn leave, bright orange fruits, and gorgeous blue sky all added another element to this already amazing place and brought about great pictures to the photography lovers. No one felt tired even though we hiked all day there. That night, we stayed in a famer’s house which cost “a penny”.
It was around 4 in the morning when I woke up by the loud music – it was our group’s signal to get up to see the sunrise. After struggling to get up, taking a short drive and hiking in the dark for half an hour, we arrived at a spot on top of the hill where it is supposed to be the best for sunrise (王莽岭观日台). It was still complete dark. We waited in the darkness, not so patiently, at least for me. It was cold with low temperature and freezing mountain breeze from the valley. After the quick walk, we were all sweaty; the cold made us chill and shiver. However, once the sun started to rise and the mountain began to glow, all the problems and discomfort melted away. The sight was simply spectacular! It is hard to describe the beauty in words. Even great photos wouldn’t do a good job. One must be there in person to feel and to appreciate the splendor of Mother Nature.
We were so lucky to catch the glimpse of sun in the morning. The rest of the day was cloudy. Yet, the not-so-perfect weather didn’t bother us at all. After a brief breakfast, we started our hike again, along a mountain road full of spiraling turns and tunnels (锡崖沟挂壁公路). Needless to say, we had a great time hiking and taking photos. I am impressed, once again, by the hard work to build such tunnels.
We stayed yet another farm house. That evening, even after two days hike, everyone was so full of energy that we had a party at the dining room. One hiker sang a sound; a couple of members talked about several jokes; several people showed us their “cat walk”… Even me, the one who is shy to show off, danced in front of everyone! It was such a blast!
The last day started with rain. Although we couldn’t see much as the clouds covered most of the sight, the bad weather didn’t damp our enthusiasm. We hiked on a muddy, slippery trail to walk over a mountain to JiuLianShan (九莲山景区). At one time, after hiked up a long muddy hill, we were so sweaty that we had to take off our clothes. We were at the beginning of a dark tunnel. Steam spread out of our bodies when we took off the clothes as if we were all “steamed bread”, especially if one viewed us from the inside of the dark tunnel. It was such an interesting scene that I had never seen before. I doubt, though, that any picture would back me up. The amusing sight would probably only exist in our fond memories.
JiuLianShan is another attractive and interesting park, with tall mountains and sheer cliffs. However, as it was still raining, we could only view a glimpse of it which added a layer of mystery. I could only imagine how marvelous it would be if we could see it in a sunny day with blue sky and white clouds. The only place we could view clearly is a tall waterfall. Water drops from tall cliffs into a small pool with greenish water. We took pictures of the waterfall and walked quickly along the creek. No matter how much we wanted to stay and to immerse ourselves in this gorgeous place, it was time to catch the bus and the train to go home.
Southern Taihang Mountain, we will see you next time and in our dreams!
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