Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Day 25- Up to Wu Dang Mountain

The day had come for us to climb Wu Dang Mountain. We all need to be out from the marvellous hotel room by 7am. I going to miss the hotel room as it was one of the best places I stayed in China. We need to be at the dining area around 7.15am to have our breakfast. Breakfast is one of the most important meals for everyone as it with give you the energy needed for the whole day. We need the breakfast for the energy needed to climb up the mountain and down the mountain.

EAT EVERYONE! YOU NEED THAT ENERGY LATER!

After the breakfast, everyone needs to assemble at the entrance of the hotel. Everyone needs to carry their heavy bags up the mountain BUT, the kind hearted hotel staff let us put our bags at the counter area so that we do need to bring heavy stuff up the mountain. When I step out from the hotel, cold wind brush against me and I can smell the fresh and cooling mountain air. The air around the mountain is very clean and refreshing.

Woah! the Cloud is inbetween the mountain..
The starting point of the Climb of Wu Dang Mountain

SHOPs?!
That's the way they transport things to the shop at the mountain
Finally we reach the starting point of the mountain. Most of us were pump up to climb the mountain but some is just too lazy and want to go back to the hotel. The first part of the journey up the mountain, everyone is still walking slowly and enjoying the view of the mountain. The interesting part of climbing Wu Dang Mountain in the morning is that, there are clouds that are covering the top of the mountain and the view is so spectacular. There are shop houses that are located at the starting point of the mountain. There was not much variety of things that is being sold at the shop houses. Each shop houses sell almost the same things, such as drinks, sausages, corn and swords.

WOAH!! Never Ending
Ninja TIME!

The second part of the journey, now the tedious part of the journey begins. There is millions flight of stairs that is being build, is order for us to reach the halfway point of Wu Dang Mountain. There were few hundred people climbing up the mountain and all of them from different age group. There are old people that can is around 70+ years old that is climbing the mountain and there can be also small kids at the age of 4 years old that is climbing the mountain. Anyone can climb the mountain, is up to the individual weather they are strong or capable enough to reach the top of the mountain.

BEWARE!

100,000++ of stairs to GO!

They are making stone railings
Tough Job!

the FIRST GATE!

COOL! ICE!!
there is a temple at the mountain.
SECOND GATE!
Houses

The third part of the journey is the most memorable part for me. We must choose whether to choose the route easier but the distance is longer OR we can choose another route that is much more difficult but the distance is shorter. 3 of my close friends and I choose the difficult route and all of us know that we are capable and fit enough to reach the top of the mountain. The difference both of the route was, the easier route, all the stairs are very proportionate but for the difficult route, the stairs are not proportionate and it is very steep. People that are poor in their balancing should avoid the difficult route. The other difference is that, the scenery of the mountain is much nicer when taking the difficult route but when taking the easier route the scenery is mostly trees and vegetation. The last difference was, on the easier route, there is no traditional or cultural site to visit but on the difficult route, there was temple, ancient and traditional craving and traditional houses located at the mountain itself.


WOOHOO! GOLDEN SUMMIT!
A few more hundreds More steps to go
the Temple of Wealth
Tourch the Bronze Bar and it will give you good luck
Finally we reach the GOLDEN SUMMIT. It is a sense of achievement after reaches our final destination. When I reach the Golden Summit, there were so many people surrounding the cramp area. Everyone that reaches the Golden Summit will pray to the temple of wealth which they think that it can bring them wealth and good luck in the years ahead. They will donate a sum of money and start praying to the temple. The structure of the building is mostly built by bronze but we can’t really see it turns to black due to exposure to the weather for the pass few hundred years ago. There were also other temple that is located at the Golden Summit and a shop house that is selling lock and pendent.

Some shops at the Golden summit

We reach together as a group!

CONGRATZ EVERYONE, WE HAVE REACH THE FINISH LINE!


After feeling proud when reaching the Golden Summit, we must head back down to meet my other classmates and to go back to our beloved campus. It’s a pain to let go as we came so far to reach the top but we need to head back down. A group of friend and I when down together and we took the easier route down. The time taken to reach the starting point of our climb is much shorter than the time taken to reach the Golden Summit.

We finally are back at our hotel. We need to pick up all our heavy begs and head back home. I going to miss this place as there is so much I accomplish in Wu Dang Mountain. Everyone is tired and some are sick and we ready to head back home to have our good night rest.


Reflection
One thing that I learn today is how important is your friends to you. My friends have helped me a lot in this trip as they are the closes to me in this trip. They are a family to me. We go through the bad times and good times together. On the trip up the Wu Dang Mountain, my friends and I have helped each other and push each other till the very end. Some of us is very tired and think that they can’t go all the way but there are friends that are on our side that push us and wants us to share the same achievement with them. There is no I in a TEAM.

Day 24-Bon Voyage To Wudang Mountain

YESSA!! We finally were going to set off to Wu Dang Mountain. It was a five hour trip from WUST to Wu Dang Mountain. WOAH!! Wu Dang Mountain is located in the northwest part of Hubei. We all must meet up at the entrance of the Dormitory at 7am and we all need to wake up at 5.30am. SO EARLY! All the MDE and ECE students were going for the trip to Wu Dang Mountain and all the teachers and the WUST stuff.

When I open my eyes from the long sleep I have on the bus, we finally reach the Wu Dang Mountain. The landscape is being surrounded with Mountains, Hills and trees. The cold air around the mountain is so fresh that I keep on breathing it uncontrollably.
Donkey Meat!! COOL!
We had our lunch at a 4 star hotel before we make our way up to the mountain. The food at the hotel is tasteless and not that appetizing at all. A unique dish that I tried on the hotel which is Donkey meat. It was one of the delicious dishes that I have tried in China. After the meal, the whole group will be on their way to different unique places in Wu Dang Mountain.

Line Up People.

Boarding the Bus


The scenery of the Wu Dang Mountain is so beautiful. We took a bus up the Wu Dang Mountain and we can see the beautiful view of the mountain on the way up the mountain.

The first place we went was 太子坡

WaaLaa!!

Kung Fu Staff!! I can't wait to meet them.

Tea Session in Progress
HOT HOT HOT!

The first place of attraction is 太子坡. We had to climb several long flights of stairs before we could reach the temple. The temple is located high above the slope. There is quite a number of Kung Fu staff that is taking care of the place. I never really had seen any Kung Fu Staff taking care of a place before. The temple is being split up to many different section. In each section, there is a Hall with a God in it. The Hall can be use for anyone to worship the God and each God have their own characteristic and specialities.
The second place we went was 紫霄福池

Parent Hall The next destination we went was 紫霄福池, which also is a place of respect to the God and Deity. 紫霄宫, also known as the Purple Cloud Temple. It was built in the year of 1413. It is the best-preserved existing palace on the mountain. There is many different type of building which consists of Dragon and Tiger hall, the Purple Sky Hall, the East Hall, the West Hall, and the Parent Hall. The hall here is much bigger than the first destination we went.
Cool shops along the streets
Nice view of the moutain side
My hotel
Finally we can go to our last destination. WAIT!! Before we can do that, we need to check in to our hotel first. After we alight from the bus, we need to walk quite a distance before we can reach to our hotel. On the way there, there is many shop houses that selling dried food, snacks and swords. The hotel that we are staying, the room is Superb. The bed is so freaking comfortable and it is better than my own room! We were given 10 minutes to get ready and put our entire luggage down. We all meet up at the entrance of the hotel.
Tombs!
The map of the Wu Dang Mountain

After everyone has gathered, we went to our final destination. We need to climb up a few hundred steps to another temple which is located at the top of a mountain and another one at the bottom of the mountain. BUT. My friends and I were too lazy to up or down that halfway we stop and turn back. We can see the magnificent scenery of the mountain at any spot we stand. SHIOK AH!

We need to meet up at a restaurant to have our dinner with all my other classmates. We must be there at 6.30pm sharp and out teacher will allocate us the table we are sitting. After the dinner, we can go back to our hotel to rest and get ready for tomorrow trip up the mountain. I need ample amount of rest and drink lots of water for the trip up the mountain.


Reflection
There is so much to know about a religion. Today, I have learnt a bit Taoism. In Wu Dang Mountain, the locals here practice Taoism and Wu Dang Mountain is a scared Taoist mountain famous for its legendary martial arts and healing traditions. The Yin-Yang symbol is at the heart of the Taoist tradition. It is a magical mystical alchemical circle that embodies the teachings of Taoist Philosophy. The Yin-Yang symbol can be found at many parts of the mountain and the shop is selling the symbols in many different of form such as paper, keychain, coins and many more. Learning about other religion is good as you broaden your understanding and to know the difference between our own religion and the others.