Photo by francesca triggs Photo by francesca triggsway offered by the monorail track was too
tempting, and so up we climbed, making our
way along the narrow walkway which wound
its way through the air above thick stretches
of bamboo and through misty pine forests.
We walked for around 2km, at times over
10-metre drops, focusing on our balance.
We did pass a few people, other hikers deter-
mined to reach the peak, although they were
walking along a muddy path almost totally
concealed by bamboo and overgrowth. It is,
of course, the safer, more sensible route, but
it doesn’t offer quite the same thrill or views.
Having said that, the monorail route does at
least feel like a real hike, unlike the usual end-
less flights of stairs. At the end of the track we
disembarked on a mossy, rotting platform,
and made our way through the mist, up to
the small temple which crowns the peak. The
visibility was almost nil, but the thrill of the
journey there was amazing.
Back at the Golden Smmit, we took the
stairs back down the mountain, taking the
best part of two hours. Though pretty jar-
ring on the knees, I have no doubt that it
was more enjoyable than the ascent would
have been, and one of the two is necessary
if you want to visit the numerous Ming and
Qing dynasty temples along the way. Many
of these are breath-taking, built to fit in with
the natural geography of the mountainside.
They are also said to be the favourite haunts
of the infamous over-fed monkey hordes that
inhabit the mountain, although sadly we did
not see even the fleeting shadow of a monkey
during our travels.
As we neared the base of the mountain, we
passed a group of worshippers who were stop-
ping to kowtow on each step as they went up.
I admired their springy-stepped cheerfulness
and devotion, wondering at the back of mymind how long it would take them to reach
the top.
We were back in town by 3pm, which for
those still hungry for Buddhist culture, leaves
just enough time for a quick visit to the giant
Buddha at Leshan, a short train ride in the di-
rection of Chengdu. Built in the Tang dynas-
ty (618 – 907), the stone statue sits nestled in
the mountainside at an impressive 71 metres
tall, the waters of three rivers flowing past its
feet. In my view, the main not-to-miss activ-
ity there is a boat trip to the Buddha, which
offers exceptional views of the entire statue
minus the crowds, which are often consider-
able next to the statue itself. Having said that,
it was spectacular to stand up on the cliff by
the head of the statue, fully taking in its scale
and thinking about the work that must have
gone into creating it over 1,000 years ago.
Although on this occasion we were not
able to attain total enlightenment, we left
thoroughly impressed by what we had seen. I
hope to return someday to catch the sunrise
over Emeishan’s famous cloud sea.GettinG there
Faster trains from Chengdu to Emeishan
City take from 1.5 hours. The train stops
at Leshan on the way. There are also
slower trains and buses that go to both
if you have the time and want to save
money. While hotel rates in the town are
generally much lower than those on the
mountain, but you’ll miss the sunrise.
The first transfer bus from the town to the
mountain (a 90-minute drive) is at 6am,
by which time the sun is already edging
over the horizon. The bus costs 90 yuan,
and entry to Emeishan is 185 yuan (90
for students and over 60s, and does not
include the cable car or entry to some of
the temples.travel tips
Unfortunately, Emeishan has a reputation
for frequent cloud coverage. Sunrise
hunters should check the weather in
advance before rising at 3am, as most of
the time you won’t be able to see much
at all. Temperatures up the mountain
can be surprisingly low due to frequent
cloud, even when it’s over 35 degrees
in the town. You can rent jackets at
stalls near the base of the mountain if
necessary. Beware the monkeys. Keep an
eye on cameras, food etc. – the monkeys
aren’t dangerous, but have a tendency to
creep up and snatch things. Try to stay in
a group if possible, as they are less likely
to target you.The Golden Summit, Emeishan Giant Buddha, Leshan