The Mountain of the Emperor
Legend has it that long ago, the first emperor of
China sought to create an antidote for mortality. He wished
to live forever - and he found what he was looking for on a
mountain. The first time he visited this mountain, he
discovered herbs that he believed would make a potent elixir
of longevity. After drinking the potion, he proceeded to
bathe in the hot springs of the mountain for seven days and
nights, and at the end of the seventh day, his white hair
transformed to black. His wrinkles disappeared and were
replaced by smooth skin. His elixir had indeed worked. With
his youth restored, the emperor summoned a dragon and
rode to the heavens, forever remaining an immortal. Centuries later, in the Tang
Dynasty, the new emperor heard of this legend and wished to commemorate China’s
first emperor who had become immortal. He chose to do so by naming this mountain
黄⼭ (Huangshan). The character “黄” has two different meanings. It can translate to
the color yellow, or it can be a person’s family name. In this case, it means a family
name. Namely, the first emperor’s family name. Today, it is said that the first emperor
of China forever lives and watches over this mountain.
Today, I had the honor to trek up and down this mountain. As I learned from my
tour guide, 黄⼭ has risen to become one of the top ten national attractions in China. A
total of 3.1 million tourists visit the mountain annually, making tourism play a
significant role in the local economy. The majority of the local civilians are farmers, and
their major crops consist of chrysanthemums, sesame, and tea. Chrysanthemums are
used to brew tea that is said to cool the body down, so it is drunken in summer. I also
discovered that green tea and black tea both originate from the same plant. Black tea is
actually fermented green tea that transforms into a red
color in two weeks, which is why it is known as 红茶, or
red tea, in China.
Typically, the average tourist will go to major cities in
China, ones structured similarly to New York including
Beijing and Shanghai. However, 黄⼭ has risen in
popularity because those that have visited have
returned to their homelands to spread the word of
Huangshan’s uniqueness. 黄⼭ is a national park, but
unlike other national parks that we know of, there is an
abundance of trees. The trees at the bottom of the
mountain grow closely together with their branches
bound tightly. At the peak, however, the pine trees have their branches completely
spread out in a fan-like formation. All the trees have unbelievably strong roots,
enabling them to grow into crevices of stone and rocks.
Today, we had the opportunity to explore this mountain. We began by taking a
shuttle bus from the bottom of the mountain to the middle of the mountain. We then
boarded a cable car for another ten minutes up the mountain. After these
transportation systems, it was time for us to depend on our willpower. We hiked the
rest of the way up the mountain, all the while taking photos of the breathtaking
scenery. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t most suitable for sightseeing, so fog
covered the majority of the mountain and obstructed much of its natural beauty from
our view. Coming down the mountain, we had the choice of hiking all the way down or
taking a cable car. While I was tired, I felt that in order to truly experience 黄⼭, I
should walk the remainder of the way. I didn’t want to have any regrets, and I felt that
it would be a very worthwhile journey. Walking down the mountain was honestly the
most strenuous process I think I have ever been through in my life. The steps were not
only steep, but they seemed to continue endlessly after each turn. However, I
understood that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I may likely never have
again. I wanted to make the most of it, and although I certainly didn’t win an award for
“World’s Fastest Hiker,” I felt that every moment I spent on the mountain was
memorable because I was able to hike with my
classmates and teacher and see sights I had never seen
before. We were all exhausted, but when one person felt
deterred, there was no pause or hesitation for another
person to cheer them on and motivate them to keep
going. At the end of the five hours, I glimpsed the end of
our trail, and when I at last passed under the exit gate,
all I could think about was how lucky I am to be where I
am when I am and that this was a moment in time I’d
remember forever. We really did it. We climbed the
mountain of the emperor.
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