Our local tour guide, Mr. Doctor J, billed the trip as a tranquil hike in the mountains (snicker, snicker) near Harbin. But as savvy Chinaphiles, we know that quiet is a condition not easily found in China, so no surprises. Our destination was 香炉山, or as it is known in English, Mount (snicker, snicker) Incense Burner.
I
It was an early start to the day. Meeting Mr. Doctor J at 6:40, then a 20 minute walk to where we were to pick up our bus for a two hour ride to the mountain. (snicker, snicker) We arrived to find the street teeming with people and dozens of buses parked willy-nilly every where. No signage indicating where the buses were headed, our only clue to finding the bus was its license number provided by the tour company. We split up, going in different directions in hopes of finding it before the scheduled departure time. Eagle eyed Nonie was the first one to spot it and with a few cell phone calls got us all back to the right location.
We were scheduled to depart at 7:20. At 7:19, the bus was loaded and ready to roll. The tour lady made a few announcements in Chinese and suddenly people were streaming off the bus and disappearing from sight. The cause for this exodus was her announcement that the trip would take about two hours with no bathroom breaks. We departed 20 minutes late, but with empty bladders.
The trip was quick with the emphasis on quick. The driver handled the 40 foot bus like an Indy car driver. Two lanes magically became three lanes, anything smaller than us got the hell out of the way. The driver became one with the horn, honking at anything that moved or looked like it was going to move. Learned the Chinese phrase for "Aw shit". "Wa Choo!"
We arrived at the mountain (snicker, snicker) parking lot to find ourselves stalled behind a long line of buses waiting for their turn to park. The parking lot was a harbinger of what was to be our experience on the mountain. My two hour bladder required a trip to the public washroom before we shouldered our packs and waded into the crowd. It was the national holiday so it was going to be a crowded hike.
Our first view of the mountain (snicker, snicker) was impressive. The trees were just starting to change colour, with hints of yellow and red visible in scattered areas around the mountain. (snicker, snicker) We found that the mountain (snicker, snicker) was home to a large number of maple leaf trees which were providing these hints of colour.
I need to confess something at this point so I can quit using (snicker, snicker). I have been using the term, mountain (snicker, snicker) with some reservations, because living in B.C., I cannot honestly call Mount Incense Burner a mountain (snicker, snicker) but it is a darn fine hill.
The trail from the parking lot started out nice and wide with lots of room for the crowds of mountaineers (snicker, snicker)(last one) that were here to tackle the mountain.
We discovered a newly constructed Buddhist temple about 15 minutes into our climb. (snicker, snicker)(really my last one) Hence the name Mount Incense Burner. The temple was nice and shiny new, recently built as they were still finishing some patios and walkways surround the freshly painted shrines.
As we wandered about the mountain/hill we came across a number of other shrines, all considerably older. We have run into these temples and shrines in other places. They don't really function as temples anymore but are mostly maintained for the tourists who visit the sites.
A few tourists are practising Buddhists so take advantage of the shrines to burn incense and pray.
As we moved upward towards the peak, the trail started to get smaller. In many places, only room for one person on the trail. Bottlenecks were becoming common. The trail started to follow a pretty stream that was as clear and clean as you would find anywhere. A definite anomoly in China.
The stream was crossed by several imaginative, concrete bridges. One was a hollowed out log, another consisted of interlocking leaves.
One bridge that would have been a "law suit waiting to happen" in North America, was greatly enjoyed by the Chinese, with lots of yelling and laughing as they moved from swing to swing.
We summited about two hours into the hike and were rewarded with some great views of the countryside. Looking one way, you saw nothing but nature.
Looking in the opposite direction, the view consisted of thousands of acres of cultivated farmland dotted with small villages.
Despite the crowds, the peak was very serene. I think the view took their breath away. Or perhaps it was the last seriously steep 500 metre climb to the summit.
After enjoying the view for a few minutes, we continued down the mountain looking for a quiet spot to enjoy lunch. We became a topic of conversation for the hundreds of Chinese who passed us by as we ate our lunch and became a highlight in many Chinese family's holiday photos.The trip ended enjoying a Harbin Beer fresh from a mountain stream all the while fending off thousands of ladybugs. A number who attempted to commit suicide in my beer.
One of the highlights/lowlights of our trip was the "ladybug" experience, something we have never seen before. The mountain/hill is home to a huge ladybug population. I could use the term "a plague of ladybugs". The air was so thick that you dare not open your mouth for fear they would fly in.
It was an early start to the day. Meeting Mr. Doctor J at 6:40, then a 20 minute walk to where we were to pick up our bus for a two hour ride to the mountain. (snicker, snicker) We arrived to find the street teeming with people and dozens of buses parked willy-nilly every where. No signage indicating where the buses were headed, our only clue to finding the bus was its license number provided by the tour company. We split up, going in different directions in hopes of finding it before the scheduled departure time. Eagle eyed Nonie was the first one to spot it and with a few cell phone calls got us all back to the right location.
We were scheduled to depart at 7:20. At 7:19, the bus was loaded and ready to roll. The tour lady made a few announcements in Chinese and suddenly people were streaming off the bus and disappearing from sight. The cause for this exodus was her announcement that the trip would take about two hours with no bathroom breaks. We departed 20 minutes late, but with empty bladders.
The trip was quick with the emphasis on quick. The driver handled the 40 foot bus like an Indy car driver. Two lanes magically became three lanes, anything smaller than us got the hell out of the way. The driver became one with the horn, honking at anything that moved or looked like it was going to move. Learned the Chinese phrase for "Aw shit". "Wa Choo!"
We arrived at the mountain (snicker, snicker) parking lot to find ourselves stalled behind a long line of buses waiting for their turn to park. The parking lot was a harbinger of what was to be our experience on the mountain. My two hour bladder required a trip to the public washroom before we shouldered our packs and waded into the crowd. It was the national holiday so it was going to be a crowded hike.
Our first view of the mountain (snicker, snicker) was impressive. The trees were just starting to change colour, with hints of yellow and red visible in scattered areas around the mountain. (snicker, snicker) We found that the mountain (snicker, snicker) was home to a large number of maple leaf trees which were providing these hints of colour.
I need to confess something at this point so I can quit using (snicker, snicker). I have been using the term, mountain (snicker, snicker) with some reservations, because living in B.C., I cannot honestly call Mount Incense Burner a mountain (snicker, snicker) but it is a darn fine hill.
The trail from the parking lot started out nice and wide with lots of room for the crowds of mountaineers (snicker, snicker)(last one) that were here to tackle the mountain.
We discovered a newly constructed Buddhist temple about 15 minutes into our climb. (snicker, snicker)(really my last one) Hence the name Mount Incense Burner. The temple was nice and shiny new, recently built as they were still finishing some patios and walkways surround the freshly painted shrines.
As we wandered about the mountain/hill we came across a number of other shrines, all considerably older. We have run into these temples and shrines in other places. They don't really function as temples anymore but are mostly maintained for the tourists who visit the sites.
A few tourists are practising Buddhists so take advantage of the shrines to burn incense and pray.
The stream was crossed by several imaginative, concrete bridges. One was a hollowed out log, another consisted of interlocking leaves.
One bridge that would have been a "law suit waiting to happen" in North America, was greatly enjoyed by the Chinese, with lots of yelling and laughing as they moved from swing to swing.
We summited about two hours into the hike and were rewarded with some great views of the countryside. Looking one way, you saw nothing but nature.
Looking in the opposite direction, the view consisted of thousands of acres of cultivated farmland dotted with small villages.
Despite the crowds, the peak was very serene. I think the view took their breath away. Or perhaps it was the last seriously steep 500 metre climb to the summit.
One of the highlights/lowlights of our trip was the "ladybug" experience, something we have never seen before. The mountain/hill is home to a huge ladybug population. I could use the term "a plague of ladybugs". The air was so thick that you dare not open your mouth for fear they would fly in.
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