To the Top

I had no idea when I was taking pictures at the small family style restaurant where we ate lunch and snapped this shot of a small building on top a very large hill that it was to be our destination the following day. If you look closely, you can see that little white spot against the blue sky at the top of the hill. Sunday morning arrived bright and sunny. After a breakfast of apples and mantou, steamed buns, we put on our sweatshirts and sun glasses and started to climb. It wasn't long before we had to remove the sweatshirts as the sun beat down on us.

The above picture is taken from about halfway up. The direction is essentially north. When we turned to look back down the hill we saw two hills, one to the southwest, the other to the southeast. Victor explained that we were standing on a line directly north of the Forbidden City. The hill to the east is called White Tiger and the hill to the west is called Green Dragon. Certainly the hill to the west did look like a dragon with its tail stretched out for miles behind it. At least that's how I remember it, but it could have been that Green Dragon was in the east and White Tiger was in the west. If I understand the rest of the story though, the dragon or snake mountain is Mangshan, and White Tiger mountain is Huyu Mountain. Significantly, the Ming Tombs are also located between the two mountains; therefore the White Tiger and Green Dragon guard the tombs. Somehow Feng Shui is also part of the story.

On our way up the mountain we saw dozens of large locusts along the way. Here Cathy has picked one up. There was a praying mantis with the locust below.

We made it to the top at exactly the time Cathy said we would. I'd say her many years living in the mountains have turned her into an excellent judge how much time it takes to move in an essentially verticl direction.

This little lizard had recently died. There was blood nearby. Was it's death caused by man or beast?

Xiang Tang Golf Course and Culture Village seen from the top looking east.