After a busy week last week, we welcomed the company’s team building event that is held every quarter. This time, the destination was Yun Tai Mountain. For someone like me who loves sports, climbing mountains is naturally great. And with summer coming, the only place that can resist the scorching sun is the mountain. It’s not only a good oxygen mask for us to get rid of the exhaust fumes in the city, but also a place to escape the summer heat. Isn’t it wonderful!
Those who love virtue find pleasure in mountains, and those who love wisdom find pleasure in water. Places with mountains and water always attract literati, scholars and recluses. Located in the group of canyons in the southern foothills of Taihang Mountain, with gurgling streams, Yun Tai Mountain is no exception. It may not be famous, but it has been connected to Wang Wei, Sun Simiao, the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove and others.
Some say that the best season for mountain climbing is spring, when all things come alive. People who have been lazy all winter can stretch their legs and improve their spirits along with the mountains that have been asleep all winter. But in the scorching summer, when the heat is steaming, plunging into the mountains and rivers, with dense forests shading the sun, feeling the cool breeze on the mountain and listening to the sound of the water in the valley, is also a kind of enjoyment.
Due to geological movement, Yun Tai Mountain has formed a magnificent view of cliffs and long walls. Narrow roads are built along the cliffs and enclose the area, allowing tourists to travel up and down in the cliffs and canyons. Peaks and valleys are staggered, so there are gurgling streams in the deep valleys and rushing waterfalls that plunge down from the cliffs. The vegetation is dense, the peaks are towering, and there are representative places such as Red Stone Gorge, Zifang Lake and Juyu Peak. It is tiring to walk, but it is truly unforgettable.
Although I grew up in a place where Taihang Mountain was on my left hand and Luliang Mountain on my right, and the Yellow River was rushing by my feet, this is the first time I have truly felt that the majestic and desolate Taihang Mountain and the vast and turbid Yellow River in my memory can be so gentle and beautiful, yet still full of spirit, in this land of Xiuwu.
I haven’t climbed mountains for a long time. This time I climbed a glass walkway. I didn’t have the energy or time to climb to the top of Juyu Peak, which was a bit of a regret. Work is busy, I’m lazy, and I don’t exercise enough.
There are still many mountains in the Taiyuan area. I used to climb mountains all the time when I was a child, climbing them naturally.
The most memorable time was in junior high school. In early summer, a group of ten or so of us classmates first rode our bikes for over an hour to meet up at a classmate’s house in a village on the edge of the mountain. The mountains there weren’t high, one after another. We packed some snacks and water, and with the local classmates leading the way, we climbed the mountains. These mountains were neither scenic areas nor residential areas. At most, the local government opened them up to sell stones. So when we climbed, there was often no path, and we could only create our own path in the wilderness of early summer, which was mixed with green grass.
I was full of energy back then. Most of the girls walked hand-in-hand at the back, with a few boys accompanying them for protection. They climbed mountains like a walk, walking and resting. I was always with the class monitor and others as the vanguard, leading the way. We thought that since we were climbing mountains, there should be some challenge, so we chose a high mountain peak in the distance as our target, and began to climb over mountains and ridges. But when we climbed over one mountain, we discovered another, higher mountain, so we continued towards another peak.
I remember a scene from “Apple Tree Love” when Jingqiu and Lao San’s pure love is portrayed: Lao San uses a branch to lead Jingqiu across the mountain road. When I saw this scene, I thought it was quite realistic, because in those years when I was climbing mountains with the class monitor and the others as the vanguard, when we encountered steep roads that we couldn’t climb, the boys would pull us forward with their plaid shirts. Thinking back now, it’s quite interesting.
That climb is memorable because it made some classmates who weren’t familiar with each other get to know each other better. We sat around talking, eating snacks, carefree in the wilderness, under the green trees and by the spring. Those days when we saw mountains as mountains and water as water probably won’t come back again. I remember that day we only climbed five mountains, because a classmate’s hand was stung by something unknown, and his hand back turned purple quickly. We were scared, so we took a headband and tied it tightly around his wrist (learned from TV dramas), then took a shortcut and hurried down the mountain for medical treatment. Fortunately, he was fine. The mountain climbing trip ended there.
Some say that there are three realms in life:
The first realm: Seeing mountains as mountains, seeing water as water.
The second realm: Seeing mountains not as mountains, seeing water not as water.
The third realm: Seeing mountains as mountains, seeing water as water.
These are the three realms of a Zen master’s initial practice, enlightenment and complete enlightenment.
I remember that when I was in middle school, I always liked to quote these sentences about different realms of life in my essays. At that age, when I saw mountains as mountains, water as water, I was naive and simple, seeing what I saw and reproducing it, but I deliberately tried to be profound and forced myself to write new words and express sadness.
Now, I gradually have my own thoughts and views, and as I begin to learn to distinguish, I realize that I am already in the age of seeing flowers in a fog, unable to discern true from false, mountains not being mountains, and water not being water.
Not everyone can achieve a clear understanding and return to simplicity after experiencing the world. Most of us spend our lives in the realm of seeing mountains not as mountains and water not as water.
Summer has mountain breezes that are also cool. Clear and transparent things are always enjoyable. I think life is probably like that, the true taste of the world is pure joy. It’s good to be quiet and simple in your heart.
I don’t have that kind of enlightenment, so I am more impressed by the beautiful scenery I saw on this trip. I’ve been thinking, nature is truly amazing, it keeps giving us these beautiful sights, but we keep taking, over and over again. But nature, as if it asks for nothing in return, still gives, which reminds me of my parents. Tomorrow is Father’s Day. You don’t need to show your filial piety just on this day, but on this special day, a simple greeting from you will still make your parents happy. Sometimes words are powerless, but sometimes they are magical. They can bring your love to those closest to you!
【About mountain climbing】
1. Be sure to bring insect repellent when climbing mountains in summer, as there are quite a few bugs on the mountain.
2. No matter where you go, it’s best to wear athletic shoes, otherwise you’ll be the one in pain.
3. A backpack is necessary, and walking sticks can help when you’re tired.
4. There are some farmhouses at the foot of the mountain where you can eat a lot of wild game. I recommend trying it. Whether it’s meat or vegetables, it’s delicious.
5. When climbing mountains, it is advisable to wear bright clothing, so that in case of an accident, you can be discovered in time.
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