Spring March, Crossing Guanshan
On Sunday (March 29th),
No duty, no overtime,
The children didn't have online classes,
And all the homework for Chinese, mathematics, English, chess, etc., were all finished,
So I took my children and the elderly with me,
Setting off,
Towards the long-missed Xingan, Jiaozhou, Shanxi, turning at the western foothills of the Taihang Mountains---entering Guanshan.
The wind wasn't strong, there was no mist on the flat ground, the weather was a bit damp and cold, but for the sake of letting the family relax and spend time together, we drove straight to our destination.
Guanshan, people often praise it saying 'Guanshan offers a view of the world.' As one of the eight of the Taihang Mountains, it's located in the western foothills of Guanshan, Hubei Province, and is known for the Guanshan Gorge, which was formed by the collapse of the mountains 250 million years ago. It's a national geological park, and it's a beautiful mountain landscape combined with delicate scenery. Some landscapes even exceed the beauty of the Red Stone Gorge in Mount Tai. It was rated as a national geological park in 2006. Its geological features are majestic, imposing and spectacular, and it's the soul of the Taihang Mountains.
After driving for about an hour, our family arrived at the outside of the Guanshan Gate. Although the weather wasn't good and it was quite cold and shaded in the mountains, it couldn't stop people from going out for a picnic and embracing the spring. The wide parking lot was also full of vehicles.
After handling the formalities, we took a bus into the park, driving along the gorge formed by the flowing stream below Red Stone Gorge and the mountain waist, gradually rising along a winding road. Along the way, there were many acres of blooming lilacs, the largest concentration of lilacs in China, with more than ten thousand acres. There were also many other wildflowers and peach blossoms. All the mountain slopes and peaks were decorated in a colorful and flamboyant way.
(ps This is a Guanshan lilac sea, the blue sky I didn't want to see when I came back, I PSed it up)
(Guanshan Sky Column Peak, South Taihang Mountain Official Website)
As we approached the Guanshan landmark—Sky Column Peak at an altitude of about 1000 meters, the mist began to roll in, covering the surrounding area in white, half of Sky Column Peak was hidden in the mist, only the bottom was still visible, and the nearby Guanshan Gorge merchant district also started to resume business, with many hikers resting and eating here, replenishing their energy.
Although I hadn't been here for over two years, I surprisingly ran into the family of Mr. Ren, who was selling local specialties at the merchant district. Now they are both over 70 years old, and they still remember me when I greeted them. I photographed the snow lotus under Sky Column Peak at the foot of the gorge two years ago.
According to the park staff, Sky Column Peak is 250 meters high and stands on a precipitous cliff. Below it is a region where rockslides and landslides are concentrated, which also created a 2500-meter-long, 20-centimeter-wide 'sky line' phenomenon.
(The 'Sky Line,' South Taihang Mountain Official Website Image)
After obtaining the permission of the park staff, we continued to drive along the road. There were about several hundred meters of road sections damaged by landslides and collapses. The car got a few scrapes on its undercarriage, fortunately, no major damage.
After Sky Column Peak, the mist became even thicker, and about ten meters ahead was the misty landscape. We had hoped to take pictures of beautiful scenery, but it didn't appear. Instead, it added a bit of mystery. Around us was a silent and serene environment, only our voices and the calls of jays could be heard.
The road conditions were noticeably better than two years ago. There were no more high and low potholes. After ten kilometers of winding and turning, we reached the scenic views of the Taihang Mountains photographed by the photographers, at Guanshan's best sunrise location, at an altitude of over 1400 meters—East Baotou.
If the weather is sunny, you can crouch down and view the water reservoir of Shimen River, like a turquoise pool, with the peaks of the Five Finger Mountains competing for beauty, and the panoramic view of the Guanshan Gorge. At the top of Mount Dongba, a cloud hangs precariously; looking further out, the peaks of Mount Wangmang are clearly visible. To the side, the cliff walls of Mount Zhongshan shimmered with gold like a fairy realm.
(East Baotou view of Zhongshan, South Taihang Mountain Official Website Image)
Unfortunately, the mist did not dissipate, and it was impossible to view from a distance or crouch down. We only took pictures of a few blooming lilacs nearby in the cool mountain wind, and hurriedly descended, hoping to see a beautiful scene with clear and sunny weather and dispersing mist.
Returning to Guanshan Gorge, we ate a bowl of egg noodles at Mr. and Mrs. Ren's fast food restaurant, warming ourselves, and drove down while taking pictures. We recorded several scenic areas with blooming lilacs on the hillside.
We also fed a group of monkeys in the Taihang Monkey Concentration Zone and took a few 'portraits' of these wild children of nature, and then, happily said goodbye to the park, ending our half-day trip to Guanshan.
(Guanshan Taihang Monkeys)
(Guanshan Taihang Monkeys)
(Guanshan Taihang Monkeys)
(Guanshan Taihang Monkeys)
Guys, next time, if the sky is clear and sunny, I'll take you to see a different Guanshan!!
~~2020330
