Yimeng Mountain Tourist Area and Gui Meng Scenic Spot
It’s the weekend again, and I feel like escaping the school for a while. Looking for nearby mountain areas, the Yimeng Mountain Tourist Area and Gui Meng Scenic Spot come to mind. They don’t seem to be that far away, so I decide to book a Didi and go for it.
Before I do, I ask Kristina, a fellow student, if she is familiar with the area, as she has already travelled around quite a bit. It turns out that a group of students is planning to go to the foot of Yimeng mountain to stay the night and enjoy the hot springs!
Julio, another fellow student, is more interested in a hike than the hot springs too. Our decision is quickly made. We book a Didi together, leave immediately, and explore the mountains before reuniting with the rest of the group later that afternoon. It sounds like a perfect plan to me!
We arrive at the tourist area and wander around the temple complex before getting our tickets. Once again, the mountain area, feels more like a theme park than untouched nature. We check the ticket machine to buy our tickets. Julio is excited “Wow, it’s for free” he says. That’s great news! But when I want to buy mine…. strangely enough it ISN’T!
“What!?” my voice is higher than usual, and I’m in shock. The admission ticket for women is CNY 35.
Upset about the unfairness, I look at Julio with wide eyes. He is already typing into his translation app to ask for an explanation. I turn to the woman at the ticket desk and ask confused “Why!?”
She smiles and simply replies, “Yes, men free, women 35 Yuen“.
The look on my face makes it clear that I’m not satisfied with her answer. She waves over another woman, who is speaking with Julio. This lady speaks some English. She kindly explains “Father’s day promotion until the end of the month. Female half price“. Now everything makes much more sense.
Not exactly happy, but more willing to except it, I hand over my 35 Yuen.
We enter the park and buy return tickets for the shuttle bus, as it is already noon. It will save us four and half hour of hiking, so it seems well worth the CNY 90. The ride up offers beautiful scenic views. The winding road seems endless, and we are happy when we finally arrive at the drop-off point.
Mengding Wonder
After a quick look at the map, we decide to start walking anti-clockwise. Soon we begin gaining altitude, mainly via a well-paved stairway that winds its way up the mountain. On our right, we spot several small side paths. Of course, we have to explore them and are rewarded with a stunning view of the Mengding Wonder!
Mount Mengshan’s Godly Oldster turns out to be a colossal stone face measuring 218 meters high and 198 meters wide. His head alone is 85 meters high. This remarkable sculpture of Godly Oldster was created by Master stone sculpture An Rongji, together with more than 500 skilled craftsmen between October 2000 to April 2003. The project took 999 days to complete. As the iconic landmark of Mount Mengshan, symbolising longevity, it has earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
For the next hour, we photograph this masterpiece from every possible angle. It is hard to imagine how the craftsmen managed to carve such an enormous sculpture so perfectly into the mountainside. It looks as though it has always belonged there.
When we reach a cable car station with a large Yin-Yang square, we discover that the cable car is temporarily out of service due to construction work. No problem for us – we are more than happy to continue climbing the many stone steps. I do worry a little, however, about an elderly couple visiting the mountain with their grandchild. Two hours later, I spot them again at the foot of the mountain, much to my relief.
Dongzhen Temple
Eventually, we arrive at the magnificent historic Taoist Dongzhen temple, located at the foot of Yinshan, and dedicated to the God of the Eastern Guardian Mountain. Two huge golden statues “Bixi’s”, resembling a fascinating blend of a turtle and a dragon stand guard at the entrance. A long staircase, covered with a bright red carpet, leads up to the temple. Under the clear blue sky, the view is breathtaking.
Naturally, we climb all the way up to admire the scenery from above. The highest peak of the Yimeng Mountains within Mengshan National Forest Park is Guimengding Peak rising to 1,156 meters above sea level. It is the second-highest peak in Shandong Province, after Mount Tai.
Julio and I are used to much higher mountains, but that does not diminish our enjoyment of the spectacular landscape. Leaning against the golden temple wall, we share some dried mangos and peanuts as well-deserved treat while taking in the peaceful surroundings.
Skywalk
We keep going up and down more steps. The path winds around the mountain, and it is hot! Most Chinese visitors are carrying folding fan, many beautifully decorated with floral designs. There are plenty of warning signs along the way, and the English translations make us laugh. My favourite one reads: “Cherish life – do not jump over guardrails“. We both cherish our lives and obediently stick to the skywalk.
Curious about what lies ahead, we spot a sign pointing to the “Skywalk“. Will it be another suspension bridge, perhaps? Instead, it turns out to be a beautiful balcony-like walkway hugging the mountainside, offering lovely views along the way. Most of the route leads gently downhill.
Almost at the end, we pass a large tour group of Chinese tourists making their way uphill. They are drenched in sweat, clutching parasols and folding fans. To encourage them, we smile and call out “Jiāyóu!” Literally, it means “add fuel” but the English equivalent would probably be ” You can do it”! Some seem pleasantly surprised. We hear this phrase all day long back at school, where Shifu Wang is an expert in motivating us. And it seems to work – after every cheerful “Jiā yóu!” they continue climbing instead of stopping for another break!
Yitang Town
Around 4 p.m., the shuttle bus drops us off at the entrance. We grab a quick late lunch – a delicious bread roll stuffed with veggies – before crossing the highway to meet up with our fellow students.
Entering Yitang Town feels like stepping into a quiant village somewhere in Italy or France. I instantly fall in love with the place. It may be touristy, but it gives me that nostalgic feeling you get in authentic old towns.
Five minutes later, we spot Kaylee, smiling as always, at Ganlu Temple. This historic temple dating back more than 1,600 years, stands right at the entrance of Yitang Town. After taking a few photos together, we meet up with the rest of the students and wander through the charming lanes, sampling tasty local snacks and yummy homemade yoghurt.
Mengshan Yitang Hot Spring
The students staying overnight, can’t stop raving about their luxurious rooms at the upscale Giorgio Morandi Hotel. Right next door is the recently opened Mengshan Yitang Hot Spring. Today, however, it isn’t for me, as Julio, Kaylee, Atom and I head back to the academy after dinner.
Only two weeks later, I finally give myself the chance to indulge in the luxury of this new hot spring paradise. The huge indoor swimming pool looks inviting, and best of all, it isn’t overcrowded with families and children. The outdoor pool is actually deep enough to swim a few proper laps. It gives us the perfect opportunity to teach Shifu Wang how to swim after all his patience he has shown while teaching us Kung Fu!
Besides the many the hot spring pools, a true sanctuary awaits on the second floor. Warm and comfortable seating aeas, a traditional Tingtai Lounge, cosy dark relaxation rooms and a softly lit meditation room make it difficult to decide where to spend the next hour. A complimentary platter of fresh fruit and a non-alcoholic drink are included. What a wonderfully luxurious and relaxing day!
The beach without a sea
Around 5.30 p.m., we all meet at the beach. Who would expect to find a beach inland, at the foot of a mountain? Yet that’s exactly what it is – only without a sea. Instead, there’s a little lake.
Large signs once again warn visitors about the “danger, deep water“. I haven’t actually discovered any “deep water” yet, but as most Chinese people never learn to swim, the warning signs are understandable and seem to be everywhere.
Swimming isn’t allowed here anyway. Even if it were, the stagnant water doesn’t look particularly inviting. Today they’re filling a swimming pool on the beach. It will most likely take days, as they are using nothing more than a small garden hose! A few toddlers happily splash around in the shallow water, barely ankle-deep. It’s lovely to watch how much joy such a little bit of water can bring on a hot summer day.
Once our group of students is complete, we ask for a table at a modern Chinese-Thai fusion restaurant. As alway, ordering food for a large group is a bit of a hustle, with everyone trying to choose and share dishes. The food is delicious though. Since I’m not very hungry, I simple order sticky rice with fresh mango.
Before heading back to school, I make sure to buy some more of the homemade yoghurt and a chocolate muffin. Chocolate seems surprisingla rare good in China, so whenever I get the chance, I don’t think twice!
