I've said it before and i'll say it again, that autumn is my favourite season of all, because it is the season where of the brilliant explosion of reds, yellows, green and all the shades in between. One gets a slightly melancholic feel that the cold, bleak winter is on its way. Yet, there is still plenty of bright sunshine and instead of the hot and muggy feeling you get in summer, the air is fresh, crisp and cold.
On the rare occasion that i got to mix pleasure with work, i stayed the weekend in Beijing to have a wander around the capital city. In a city known for duststorms from the north (as well as the Olympic construction frenzy), the skies were surprisingly clear blue. I even saw some stars at night!
My companion and i decided on a day trip out to the Silver mountain range in the outskirts of Beijing. Silver Mountain Pagoda Forest (银山塔林） is situated 30kilometres north of Changping district. The highest peak of Silver mountain range is 727m. Some of the oldest temples in this area were built around the Tang dynasty and the pagodas were renovated during the Liao and Jin dynasties, making them at least 900 years old. Monks used to live here, meditating in the naturally-formed caves in the mountains, and practicing Buddhism.
After climbing all the way to the viewing platform at the top, we were rewarded with great views of the rugged mountain range, and even a part of the Great Wall in the distance. There were also some classic Chinglish (and perhaps Chapanese) signs that i took pictures of gleefully.
The timing was perfect as we descended from the platform. It was peaceful and quiet except for a few visitors milling around. The rays of the setting sun were cast on the statuesque pagodas and Silver mountain, bathing them in a warm orange glow. It was a place that commanded a certain spiritual presence and it felt as though time stood still as we walked around it. I now know why the monks chose this remote and serene location to meditate and seek enlightenment.
My camera chose this opportune moment to die on me, after my trigger-happy Chinglish signs episode. In an attempt to squeeze the very last drop of life out of the batteries, i had to resuscitate them by shaking them and warming them up in my hands - except my hands were cold too! Fortunately, i managed to take some last shots before the batteries finally gave way.
This is definitely a place i want to return to again.
No comments:
Post a Comment