Taizi Peak Hike: Green Ridges, Stone Towers, and Summit Litter

Photos

The story

Halfway up the mountain, the wind brushed over carrying the scent of grass and trees. I cut open a watermelon, and its red flesh melted sweetly across my tongue; all at once I relaxed. Looking up, the foreground was dense emerald-green shrubs. Beyond them, the rolling mountains unfolded layer by layer. A winding mountain road curled like a ribbon around the lush green waist of the mountains. In the distance, a steep gray-white isolated peak stood out abruptly, sharply contrasted with the ranges behind it, layer upon layer, gradually fading into pale blue mist. Under blue sky and white clouds, the whole mountain area was open and quiet. There was nothing I needed to do; sitting there was enough.

Following the mountain upward, the summit gradually revealed another face. A giant granite rock carved with the large red name “Taizijian,” a peak in the mountains, stood there. Above the stone body were stacked simple stone towers built from layer upon layer of rocks, and several strands of bright red cloth were wrapped among the piles, fluttering in the wind. The rough texture of the rock set against the gray-white sky felt desolate and mysterious, carrying a raw air of wild mountain exploration.

A steep mountain path covered with gravel and cracked dry soil wound upward, its surface uneven, weeds growing thick on both sides. Under the clouds far off at the top of the slope stood a small tower-like stone structure in red and black, facing the vast mountain wilderness from afar, desolate and quiet.

Standing on the summit, it happened that a broad patch of cloud covered the sun. A gentle breeze blew, and the green mountains looked even greener beneath the cloud shadows. My view opened out, and I felt lighter with it. But when I looked down, there was trash everywhere—plastic bags and bottles scattered among the cracks in the rocks and the grass, completely out of place with this scenery. The beautiful view and the mess sat side by side, and my heart felt stifled for a moment.

Walking down along the mountain road, I turned back for one more look: that stretch of mountain, green enough to shine, was still behind me.