Leaving Jiuhua Shan

We left Jiuhua Shan in the afternoon and headed to Tongling. Once there we had lunch and then headed to the train station. We took a soft-seat train to Shanghai. Fortunately for us the boarding wasn't as crazy as in Beijing. The trip was uneventful but did take a long time. We arrived in Shanghai late at night and taken to our hotel. We got up early the next morning to drive to the harbor where we could catch a fast boat to Putuo Shan Island.
Getting on the boat was a little crazy also. People like to get on all at once even when the boat is bouncing heavily at the dock. We found our seats and got set for a three hour trip to Putuo Shan. Unfortunately the ocean area was misty so there wasn't much of a view.
We arrived in Putuo Shan and were met by our new guide, Michael, who ended up being a very fun guide.

Jiuhua Shan turtles

Top Right: Other temple scenes.

Top Left: Constellation of turtles and fish.

Bottom: Turtles sunning themselves.

Jiuhua Shan, ganoderma, and other sights

We spent the morning in going through a market and touring more temples.

Top Right: Wild Ganoderma drying in the market square.

Top Left: Unusual brickwork.

Center Right: Locks and stairs.

Center Left: Temple.

Bottom: Trio of incense burners.

Jiuhua Shan, Mingyuan scenic area

We returned to the base of the mountain, had lunch, and then headed to the Mingyuan scenic area. Wu Han was very familiar with Jiuhua Shan and took us through side alley's to enter this nature reserve.

We also got to see a restored teahouse that was very beautiful.

Top Right: Man carrying heavy sacks.

Top Left: The beauty of bamboo in the forest.

Center Right: Bamboo growing in the forest.

Center Left: Michel, Wu Han, and Hannah Czehatowski touring a restored teahouse.

Bottom: Detail of the construction of the beams in the teahouse.

Jiuhuan Shan, Monk Wuxia

By now we had been in at least 30 different temples and though similar in layout they will have unique features. One of the temples on Jiuhuan Shan has imprints of the feet of a monk in the stone. The temple is built around the stone. It is said that a monk meditated there for quite some time and his footprints were left in the stone. Believers will take off their shoes and place there feet in the footprints. My shoe size is 12 and I stood in the stone footprints and they were much bigger than my feet!

We also saw the gilded body of Monk Wuxia. My understanding was that when a monk died they were put in a large jar and after three years the jar was opened. If the body was intact they were considered a saint. This was the case with Monk Wuxia. When they opened the jar his body was intact. It was later gilded and placed in the temple. We were able to see the gilded body.

Top Right: View of the other mountain we were on the day before.

Top Left: Inscriptions in stone.

Bottom Right: Locks.

Bottom Left: Mark Van Loan on the backbone of Jiuhua Shan.

Jiuhua Shan Temples

Once off the cable car there was plenty of more stairs. Supplies for the temples is carried up by laborers.

The other amazing thing about the temple, stairs, and walkways is that everything was carried up on the backs of men.

Top Right: Wu Han (left), Hannah Czehatowski (right) and Mark Van Loan in front of Hannah, ascending stairs on Jiuhua Shan.

Top Left: View of a mountain temple.

Center: Porter carrying up a heavy load of food up the stairs.

Bottom Right: The same porter going up another set of stair.

Bottom Left: Two laborers with a granite suspended between them carrying it up stairs. These granite blocks are used to make the walkway.

Jiuhua Shan

Sunday morning we were up early to go to the next peak. The trip involved another bus ride and then a cable car ride. Before entering the cable car Wu Han told me there would be two stops on the way up and not to worry. What he meant was that the cable car slowed almost to a stop at two places which just happened to be when we were suspended about 1,000 feet above the valley floor and the wind was blowing hard. The cable cars are grouped in three's and when you get off or get on they slow down a bit so you can hop in or out.

Top Right: Looking down soon after we started.
Top Left: A group of cars going down.
Center: The cable cars we rode are seen in this picture but are very tiny. You can just barely see a group of three cars at the right 1/3 of the picture.

Bottom Right: Zooming in on the cars seen in the picture above. Just past this ridge you are so high up you feel like you are in an airplane.

Bottom Left: Temple built on the side of the mountain.