Adventure Magazine

A quiet moment of reflection in the presence of
Guanyin- the Goddess of Mercy
Ferry crossing a small lake on Qingcheng Mountain,
Sichuan Province
Asthetic bamboo water wheel lifting water from
the Li River to irrigate fields near Guilin
"China will always be calling me
back, tempting my return for one
more adventure."
I have many other wonderful memories of hiking in China that
will never leave me and here are just a few that come to mind as
I write:
• Beautiful stone paths in the mountains, that have stood the
course of time over hundreds of years, crafted by the monks
and stone masons of centuries past.
• The landmarks and legends, the cultural and historical
elements along the trails.
• The temples, the teahouses, the local vendors, the friendly
domestic tourists who will accompany you along the trail.
• Pavilions and arched stone bridges, representative
architecture of past dynasties and the various religions of
China’s past.
• Monkeys that may try to steal food from your hand along the
trail!
• Sichuan fauna that etched in my mind:
• The richly fragrant orange flowers of the Osmanthus trees
that bloom in autumn and lined the avenues of Dujiangyan.
• The stunning colours of the autumn foliage of the ancient
Gingko trees that line the avenues and parks of Chengdu.
• Floating down the “Nine Bends” River, in Wuyi Mountain
National Park, on a raft constructed from giant bamboo
stems strapped together, with friends I had met along the
trail.
The Chinese name for China is Zhongguo, meaning the “middle
kingdom”. Some consider the name refers to China as the centre
of the world, some the guiding influence China has had as the
centre of East Asia, and yet others conject that China lies as
the greatest nation between heaven and earth. But for me the
“Middle Kingdom” is more like a lover from the past. China will
always be calling me back, tempting my return for one more
adventure. And I know that as long as I can get out of bed in the
morning and my left leg will still follow my right, my Chinese “love
affair” will endure.
If you are interested in joining me and my beautiful Chinese wife
Georgia on our next escorted adventure to the "Middle Kingdom"
feel free to contact me on michael@blueskiestravel.co.nz
Trails have practical uses as well- moving goods the old-fashioned way
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