Better than mountains can be only mountains, which have not yet been.
For those who love mountains – a short story about one of the most dangerous tourist destinations, which has always been considered sacred and which could pass, only after collecting all the courage and seeing the path of the Tao.
Mount Hua, or Huashan, one of the five Sacred Mountains of Taoism in China, located in the Qinling mountains in the province of Shaanxi, near the County town of Huayin.
The mountain has five main peaks, the highest of which is the South peak with a height of 2154,9 meters.
The least highest of the five peaks – North peak (1614 m) are two mountain passes. The most popular route is an ancient trail of the Tang dynasty, which dates back to 3-4 century ad It winds for 6 km from Huashan village to the top. There is a second route around the 8th century BC
Until 1949 it was known only to the locals, but in 1949, at the end of the civil war in China, this route to the North peak with a guide were 7 fighters of the Communist liberation army, and captured more than 100 soldiers of the Kuomintang (Chinese National people’s party, for many years fought against the Communists and defeated). In the early 2000s, the route has been restored for tourists. It is called “the Path of smart capturing Huashan”. At the beginning and end of the route operates a cable car and middle of the road you have to walk.
Depart from North peak and climb up the slope by more than 300 metres – several paths through the mountain range of Canlon Ling, which is also called the Dark Ridge of a Dragon. Previously, it was the only way to the four other peaks – the West peak (2038 m), Central peak (2042 meters), East peak (2100 m) and South peak (2154,9 m), while in 1998 paved a new path to the East, bypassing the ridge.
Huashan mountain has always been a place of sacred worship for followers of Taoism or Buddhism, and all the rest. To get to the top of this mountain could only be one who possessed great willpower or found “the way”. In the 80 years of the 20th century, the place became popular with tourists, mostly Chinese students who wanted to test themselves. With the arrangement of the cable car the number of tourists increased. All the routes on Huashan considered very dangerous.
Despite the security measures (arrangement of a deeper and wider walkways, steps carved into rock, adding a fence), accidents were not uncommon. The local government closed some of the most dangerous sections. The legacy trail with North peak on the South, carved into the rock is visible now. Due to the increased risk it was closed and built a new, safer paved trail to South peak temple located on it.
Many are still trying to beat the top at night to reach the East peak by dawn, despite the fact that today Huashan is the place for tourists and there are lots of hotels. This practice is a relic of the past when it was considered that better just not be able how to peer into the dreadful stairs while lifting, and avoid collision with those who are already down in very narrow places on the route.
