Encounters on Daheishan Mountain

Daheishan Mountain is one of my favorite places in China.  I have hiked the mountain at least 11 times.  I often offer to guide others on these hikes as it gives me an excuse to go back up the mountain.  Eanch time I hike Daheishan (Big Black Mountain), I discover something new or have a unique experience.  This past Saturday was no exception.

While hiking with a group of teachers on Saturday, one of the teachers hurt her knee.  We hiked to the first temples on the Southern side of Daheishan mountian and I went with her to the subway station in a taxi.  I then took the same taxi back to the bottom of the mountain.  From there I planned to hike up and catch the rest of the hiking party as they hiked down the Phoenix Canyon.

Sometimes it is really great to hike by yourself and this turned out to be one of those occasions.  On the way up, I ran into a group of hikers who asked to take a photo with me.  In China, the locals really seem to enjoy getting a photograph with foreigners.  After the photo I came to the first of the monastaries on the way up the mountain.

The guard reminded me that I could take photos of the buildings but that they preferred that I not photograph on the inside of the temples.  Upon entering the court yard, I found the complex pretty much deserted.  After turning the corner, I spotted  a well dressed monk in traditional clothing seated with a man and a woman.  The monk beckoned me over; placing a red cushion on a wooden stool for me to sit.  I joined the trio.  They started talking to me in mandarin.  I understood the word for American and nodded yes.  Many additional words were spoken that I did not understand.  The priest or monk pointed at me and made the sign of the cross.  I nodded yes.  I assumed they asked me if I was christian. the monk nodded as if to say "Yes, americans are christians".

The monk offered me some fruit and at first I declined. But the three were very insistent; so to be polite I took a banana that they had partially pealed for me. The priest explained through gestures that the fruit was very good as it was donations that people brought to offer to the various gods in the different rooms in the temple.  I ate the banana and then I ate a second banana when they insisted.  I also ended up eating two additional mandarins. They offered me cigarettes which I declined.

I showed my school ID which has the name and address of the school in mandarin.  I also have several family photos of Lenore and Katyann which I shared with them.  We looked at photos on my Iphone and had a quite lengthy discussion of which neither of us comprehended the other.  All in all, I would say I spent a good half hour to forty-five minutes hanging out in the taoist temple with the young couple and the monk near the base of Daheishan mountain near Kaifaqu China. In the end, my hiking buddies reached the temple where I introduced them to my new friends.