China's heavenly nature

China's heavenly nature

Mount Qingcheng is a verdant wonderland known as the historical birthplace of Taoism, a timeless — and timely — value system for a world confronting environmental catastrophe

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE
China's heavenly nature

Harmony. Simplicity. Tranquillity.

They're not the first words that come to mind, perhaps, when you think of China, the rising superpower engaged in an increasingly bitter war with the West over trade, ideology and influence over the future of the world.

But harmony, simplicity and tranquillity are words that embody the holy mountain of Qing Cheng, a verdant vision of China's past, present and future -- its historic values, its natural beauty and its inner strength.

Qing Cheng lies 50km outside Chengdu, a metropolis of 14 million in south-central China. Heading west from the densely populated eastern conurbations, Chengdu is the last major city before you hit Tibet 1,500km further on. Despite its peripheral position, the city is often choked in the smog that blights China's cities.

Fortunately, China's world-beating transportation network makes it easy to escape. A 30-minute high-speed train ride from Chengdu's XiPu station whisks you to Qingchengshanzhen, a charming town laden with guest houses and restaurants. The approach to the mountain is 3km from the station, a landscaped road lined by towering trees and walls carved with murals that lead to a magnificently engraved entrance gate. After paying the 90 yuan (425 baht) entrance fee -- the same for Chinese and foreigners alike -- the adventure begins, stone paths winding upwards through lush greenery to a succession of awe-inspiring Taoist temples.

Towering trees grace the mountainside.

Verdant wonderland

Plaques attached to rocks and tree stumps tout the rare species and health benefits of "the most secluded and peaceful mountain under heaven". A blend of evergreen and deciduous trees is punctuated by clumps of the ubiquitous bamboo beloved of giant pandas. The Dujiangyan Panda Base is just 10km north; Chengdu is perhaps the giant panda centre of the universe, although don't expect to stumble across any on the paths here, congested with humans.

The mountain boasts 2,500 different kinds of plant, including the rare dove tree and a giant maidenhair tree said to be 1,800 years old. As you ascend the stone steps -- like most nature walks in China, the path is paved all the way -- the vegetation changes from subtropical to temperate.

Graceful and resplendent Taoist architecture is rich in symbolism.

Signs proclaim the high concentration of negative hydrogen ions -- 180 times more than downtown Chengdu -- along with their associated health benefits, ranging from longevity to relief of stress, headaches and hyperlibidia. Some of the signs are a mixture of Tao and Mao. "Construct green civilisation and enjoy pervasive fragrance of the nature", exhorts one, while another offers "Give me tranquillity and I'll return you fragrance" -- OK, it's a deal!

You certainly won't starve during your ascent; food is plentiful at restaurants, stalls and individual vendors on the paths. Local delicacies include braised chicken and "wonderland tribute tea", while many dishes feature fresh cucumber, cowpea, pink pepper, radish, garlic, Chinese cabbage, tender ginger and Chinese prickly ash. I enjoyed munching on a raw lotus root from a pathside vendor; the taste was a tad bland, but who cares when you're absorbing something that symbolises sexual innocence and divine beauty while relieving stress, aiding blood circulation and facilitating bowel movements? (Thankfully not too fast-acting in the latter respect.)

Like most mountain attractions in China, the ascent is paved all the way.

Birthplace of Tao

Hydrogen ions, dove trees and divine dining are a draw, but the central attraction of Mount Qingcheng is its 11 temples, with a cable car available to reach the one nearest the 1,260m-high summit. Qing Cheng is celebrated as the preeminent intellectual and spiritual centre of Taoism, and legend has it that in the third century BC the Yellow Emperor, Huangdi -- reputed ruler of the cosmos, founder of Chinese civilisation and inventor of both the calendar and the forerunner of football -- studied here with Ning Fenzi, the inventor of pottery. There's more solid historical evidence that in the second century AD, Taoist master Zhang Daolin propagated the religion nationwide from his base here in Tianshi Cave.

The temples, a series of symmetrical, terraced courtyards, are less golden than their Buddhist equivalents, but rich in history, splendour and iconography. Instead of a Buddha statue you will see images of the Three Pure Gods and the four Heavenly Emperors, while the warriors guarding the gate of a Buddhist temple are replaced by dragons and lions.

Graceful and resplendent Taoist architecture is rich in symbolism.

The Yin-Yang symbol is prominent, and windows, doors, eaves and girders of Taoist temples are loaded with Chinese characters, including Shou (longevity), Ji (auspicious) and one that seems especially worshipped in today's China, Fu (wealth).

It's clear that the temples are more than a tourist attraction. I watched many visitors participate in the Taoist rituals, lighting candles, making obeisance to the deities and consulting with the black-clad Taoist priests (one of whom fiercely harangued me when I took a picture of a ceremonial activity without permission -- so beware).

The Chinese Communist Party initially suppressed Taoism along with other religions, but Deng Xiaoping rehabilitated Laozi and the Yellow Emperor after the Cultural Revolution ended in the late 70s. A 2010 survey found 70% of the population practised some form of Chinese folk religion, and 13% of them -- some 173 million -- claimed affiliation with the Tao (pronounced and sometimes spelt Dao, rhyming with "now").

Candles play a central role in Taoist rituals.

Taoism is not easy to explain -- after all, the Tao Te Ching opens with the line "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao" -- but its central idea is that man must live in harmony with nature, and the most important values are simplicity, frugality, humility and compassion.

As the world confronts environmental catastrophe, such a doctrine can rarely have seemed more vital -- and Qing Cheng is arguably one of the world's finest places to contemplate it.

Intricate carvings abound.

Quanzhen is one of 11 temples on the mountain.

The entrance gate alone is well worth a photo.

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