Moon Hill

He drinks a mouthful of water from his bottle. Takes off his shirt as the sun peeks through the clouds. Hops on to his mountain bike which he hired for the day at ten yuan. And sets off for the countryside.


He gets confused by the general direction of vehicles. Gets lost a couple of times before finding the right road. Instead of the left. Within minutes, the tacky town of Yangshuo is replaced by small villages bordered by paddy fields, nestled within valleys of karst hills. Other cyclists pass him by, smile and greet him with a wave or shout.


After more than an hour, he finally reaches his destination: Moon Hill. So called because of the large moon-shaped arch under its peak. Rivers of sweat run down his entire body as he climbs up to the top. The heat is stifling and the humidity almost unbearable as the bamboo trees encompass and fall in on him.


The view at the top just beneath the moon is spellbinding to say the least. The moon shines and gleams in the light of the sun, reflecting the breathtaking view below. A local water-lady shows him a path which leads to the very peak itself. There is no proper path. Only a trail, muddy from the earlier rain.


He hikes upwards. Undaunted. He almost slips a couple of times but does not fall. He no longer sees anything except the trail, watching his step for fear of falling. Halfway up, the trail becomes a climb of rocks. He tests every foothold properly before placing his entire weight on it. Mother Nature is testing him and he will pass her test.


At the top of the moon, there is a seat of stone. A throne. For the greatest king. Crowned with the blessings of Mother Nature. Tried, trialed and tested. Where he now sits, he is king of both the world and the moon. This must have been the very seat of God when He created the world.


He can imagine it. Before him, the karst hills erupt from the ground and thunder upwards to the sky. The rivers snake their way to the wide oceans. Green trees spring forth and clothe the entire land. With the coming of man, houses appear like Monopoly houses with their boxes of paddy fields, cars but the size of toy cars. Smaller. Here, he causes the clouds to part. Here, he causes the sun to beat down upon the paradise he has created. Here, he beckons the Immortals to dwell.