There was a cable car station downtown which would take us 1,300 metres up the mountain. The ride was approximately 25 minutes long, and were steep in some places. When the cable car swung back and forth ..... it felt quite scary.
The majestic and mysterious Tianmen Mountain in the background; cable cars transport passengers up the mountain
We were glad that we did not have to queue up for the cable car for too long; We got in after about 10 minutes. The maximum capacity per cable car was 8 passengers ... and my friends and I had to split up to accommodate.
Whee ..... going up ....
... and up ..... see Zhang Jia Jie city far, far away below ....
The peaks .... see that hole on the top right-hand corner? That's the Tianmen Cave ...
Look down to see the winding mountain road which led to the peak .... If you looked carefully, you would see a bus ... shuttle buses climbed those winding roads to bring passengers to Tianmen Cave
At the top of the mountain, we took a walk along a trail ....
The view was splendid from up here ....
At the little hut ahead, there commenced the glass plank trail ....
We had to use this cloth slipper to cover our footwear in case we scratched the glass trail ... I also read somewhere that the management was unable to find people to clean the glass at such height!
The glass plank ....
Dare you walk? It felt like walking on thin air. It was scary to look down, because there was nothing but an infinity of greens ..... I shuffled along the cemented part of the trail closest to the face of the cliff, just in case if the glass breaks or something, I would still have one foot on something solid! Oh, and there are so many red strips of cloths tied to the railings and trees .... there are wishes or messages written on these cloths.
Dare you walk? It felt like walking on thin air. It was scary to look down, because there was nothing but an infinity of greens ..... I shuffled along the cemented part of the trail closest to the face of the cliff, just in case if the glass breaks or something, I would still have one foot on something solid! Oh, and there are so many red strips of cloths tied to the railings and trees .... there are wishes or messages written on these cloths.
After the trail, we took the cable car down to the mid-station .... and there we queued for the shuttle bus to Tianmen Cave. It was a treacherous ride up as the road bended sharply at many places. There were 99 bends to reach the top! It was sure one scary ride up.
Tianmen Cave was a natural hole in the mountain
Visitors could climb up to the cave ... but there were 999 steps to get there. I looked at the steepness of the steps, and I was resolved not to climb.
"Climb a little," MH urged ....
Alright, I thought. I'd travel this far just to see the mountain. So why not climb a little. At least I could tell my friends that I had climbed up to the cave.
I climbed up some ... and then climbed a bit more .... and some more .... and then I refused to give up till I reached the top. Of course, I made many stops along the way. There were lots of people at the top busy taking photographs .....
I stayed for as long as I could catch my breath, and started my way down. My legs trembled uncontrollably going down, though .... and I worried that I would not make it. I was also worried that I would slip and then roll down sideways. That would be a spectacle! Lol.
And so I took extra caution and paused when I felt that I had to .... and I was really relieved to reach the ground again, after many stops. The entire climb up and down took me about 45 minutes
I climbed up some ... and then climbed a bit more .... and some more .... and then I refused to give up till I reached the top. Of course, I made many stops along the way. There were lots of people at the top busy taking photographs .....
I stayed for as long as I could catch my breath, and started my way down. My legs trembled uncontrollably going down, though .... and I worried that I would not make it. I was also worried that I would slip and then roll down sideways. That would be a spectacle! Lol.
And so I took extra caution and paused when I felt that I had to .... and I was really relieved to reach the ground again, after many stops. The entire climb up and down took me about 45 minutes
At the foot of the stairs, there were some stalls selling food and drinks. I bought a bottle of iced tea, and then propped down at the nearest bench for some much needed rest. A while later, we took the shuttle bus back to the cable car station ..... the driver was a lady! I salute her driving skills.
A scary ride down too ...
The road wound along the cliff .... one mishap and we would all be goners
That night, we watched a musical entitled "The Fairy Fox and The Woodsman". The show was held at an amphitheatre which had Tianmen Mountain as background. Luckily, it was not raining. According to MH, the show would be carried on even if it was raining, and the audience was expected to watch in the rain, with a disposable raincoat for protection.
Well, it was a hot and humid night .... and I was feeling sticky and uncomfortable .... nevertheless, the colourful costumes, the rhythmic music, the lighting effects, the choreographed dances were a feast for the senses. The Fairy Fox and The Woodsman was a folk tale of this area. It told a story of a fairy fox who fell in love with a poor woodscutter. It had a happy ending. :))
What a long and enjoyable day ...... but I was feeling so tired already! We were checked into Min Nan International Hotel and it was near 11.00 p.m. when I got into my room. The room was alright; clean but the bed was really hard. The air-conditioner was centralised, and I could not control the temperature. It was really warm in the room as the cool air only blew in one direction. The baths had not been renovated .... there was still the tub and shower curtain. I was glad that we were only staying here for a night.
I quickly turned in to rest, as a new adventure awaited the next day. :P
Well, it was a hot and humid night .... and I was feeling sticky and uncomfortable .... nevertheless, the colourful costumes, the rhythmic music, the lighting effects, the choreographed dances were a feast for the senses. The Fairy Fox and The Woodsman was a folk tale of this area. It told a story of a fairy fox who fell in love with a poor woodscutter. It had a happy ending. :))
What a long and enjoyable day ...... but I was feeling so tired already! We were checked into Min Nan International Hotel and it was near 11.00 p.m. when I got into my room. The room was alright; clean but the bed was really hard. The air-conditioner was centralised, and I could not control the temperature. It was really warm in the room as the cool air only blew in one direction. The baths had not been renovated .... there was still the tub and shower curtain. I was glad that we were only staying here for a night.
I quickly turned in to rest, as a new adventure awaited the next day. :P
How lucky you are to have reached the hole of Tianmenshan. My tour-mates and I were not allowed to climb up there because the steps were covered with snow and frost.En route to the mountain on a cable car, I almost had a panic attack. What an awesome height!
ReplyDeleteIt was a tough climb for an unfit person like me, but it gave me a great sense of achievement to reach the top. Some people in the cable car closed their eyes, others did not dare look town. I felt queasy at some parts, especially when the car swung, but otherwise, it was a great experience!
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