Tai Shan is overrun by university students. They swarm the entire path in droves from the foot of the mountain all the way to Zhong Tian Men. There must be a million students in total. Easily. The whole university must've joined the trip.
They move aside and make way for him as he climbs the mountain at a quick pace. They stare at him as if they've never seen a topless Chinese boy hiking up a mountain before. He glares back at them and spots a pair of boys holding hands while walking down. That's the fourth openly gay couple he's seen in China thus far. David says it's not illegal and they don't get persecuted for it. Lucky bastards.
Passing beneath Zhong Tian Men, he reaches a Taoist temple where a monk offers him a free joss stick. He lights it like he once did a very very long time ago, back when father used to take the whole family to the local temple every week to pray. He stands respectively before the temple and holds out the smoking joss stick. Places it into the urn for protection as he ascends the mountain.
Tai Shan isn't out of the ordinary. At 1000 metres, it's not even tall. The scenery along the climb up is frightfully dull although the droves of students might have been something to do with this. Its cultural and historical significance is lost on him because he can't read Chinese. And the place is as touristy as any low mountain can be. Temples concentrate on selling idols and all sorts of worshipping paraphernalia whilst stalls line the entire way up selling food and water and souvenirs.
That said however, the climb is worth is just to see the mountainside at the peak in spectacular shades of brown, red, orange and yellow patches amidst the green stretches of unturned leaves. It's not hard to imagine the mountain all ablaze in fiery colours as September deepens and winter arrives.
At the bus station, a man tries to cut the queue just in front of the ticket counter. He's getting used to it by now. As planned, he tells him off, 'Hey! There's a queue!' His voice comes out much louder than he intended causing the man to jump and the lady buying tickets at the counter to jump too. The ticket lady pokes her head out of the counter and the man steps back. He tries to save face by telling him that he was going to let him get his ticket first anyway. Pffft! Yeah, right.
They move aside and make way for him as he climbs the mountain at a quick pace. They stare at him as if they've never seen a topless Chinese boy hiking up a mountain before. He glares back at them and spots a pair of boys holding hands while walking down. That's the fourth openly gay couple he's seen in China thus far. David says it's not illegal and they don't get persecuted for it. Lucky bastards.
Passing beneath Zhong Tian Men, he reaches a Taoist temple where a monk offers him a free joss stick. He lights it like he once did a very very long time ago, back when father used to take the whole family to the local temple every week to pray. He stands respectively before the temple and holds out the smoking joss stick. Places it into the urn for protection as he ascends the mountain.
Tai Shan isn't out of the ordinary. At 1000 metres, it's not even tall. The scenery along the climb up is frightfully dull although the droves of students might have been something to do with this. Its cultural and historical significance is lost on him because he can't read Chinese. And the place is as touristy as any low mountain can be. Temples concentrate on selling idols and all sorts of worshipping paraphernalia whilst stalls line the entire way up selling food and water and souvenirs.
That said however, the climb is worth is just to see the mountainside at the peak in spectacular shades of brown, red, orange and yellow patches amidst the green stretches of unturned leaves. It's not hard to imagine the mountain all ablaze in fiery colours as September deepens and winter arrives.
At the bus station, a man tries to cut the queue just in front of the ticket counter. He's getting used to it by now. As planned, he tells him off, 'Hey! There's a queue!' His voice comes out much louder than he intended causing the man to jump and the lady buying tickets at the counter to jump too. The ticket lady pokes her head out of the counter and the man steps back. He tries to save face by telling him that he was going to let him get his ticket first anyway. Pffft! Yeah, right.
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