Hiking Fragrant Mountain near Beijing

Chinese news radio is kind of funny. In the US when they discuss Bush going somewhere its implied that he is bringing his staff and other important people. But Chinese news radio likes to give the names of 5-10 important guys going with the Chinese president somewhere. I think it seems strange to be read a list of names over the radio as well as tiresome.



Yesterday I went to a local mountain park near Beijing to go hiking. The park is called Xiangshan, and the official English name is Fragrant Hills, but it's more like a mountain than a hill. I just needed to get out of the apartment, get away from the everyday routine, ups and downs, and find some peace of mind.

Fortunately, there is a bus nearby that took me directly to the foot of the mountain. You first go up a street banked by little tourist shops selling Buddhist trinkets, shoes, toasted chestnuts, etc. Usually this street is bustling in the summer when most of the visitors come, but as it is winter there were much less people.



The entrance fee to the park is only 5RMB, about 50 cents. I get a little map, I surprise myself that I can read it and get around. I first went over to "Eyeglasses lake". It has two round pools with a small Chinese bridge between them, like a pair of eyeglasses. The water was frozen over and kids were having fun taking pieces of ice and throwing them around.

As it was already about 2:30 in the afternoon, I thought I had better start climbing, otherwise it would be super dark on the way back.

I started to make my way up the mountain to the scenic outlook and Buddhist temple at the top. I took a new path that was very steep and it really was a challenge. I found myself panting and wheezing for air. I think that was a sign that I am not a fit as I was a couple of years ago, so I consider that something I need to work on.



The pathway was simply a stone staircase that went up and up and when you think you made it, the mountain went higher and there were a lot more stairs to go!

Some people seem to use this path as regular exercise. I even saw a couple of guys older than myself without any shirts on (despite the cold temperatures!) running the path like they were training for a competition. Should I call that inspirational or insane.

I was doing better than the average climber, stopping sometimes to take pictures as well as removing layers of warm clothes and stuffing them into my backpack. I made it to the top about 20 minutes before the sunset so I could really bask in the scenery for a moment.

At the top you can look over the Beijing. The wide expanse of buildings stretching into the distance. Beijing doesn't have those residential communities with single homes lined up next to each other in little symmetrical patterns like we have in the states. Beijing has gray brick one story multiple housing complexes that look like they date to 30 years ago mixed in among a plethora of 10, 20, 30, 40 story business and residential buildings as far as the eye can see. There is little of the suburban sprawl we find in the US here. The edge of the city was very distinct, like a wall of buildings signifying the boundary of the city.



There was a whitish, brownish haze that like Phoenix and Los Angles hangs over the city like a dirty blanket blocking out light.



In the other direction, there is a vista. A pretty white stone lookout is built on the farthest edge. However, from that lookout you can see the giant water towers and smoke producing stacks of factories or energy generators that seem to say that they are more important than nature.

In the final direction you can see the sunset. It falls over a mountain top behind a temple built on a far ledge. The temples seem to be one with nature while the smokestacks seem to be fighting it.



I think over my experiences in China. My mistakes and accomplishments. I try to think over what to do and what to do next. Sadly, I don't feel any powerful inspirations. I squint looking at the sun as it goes down. I think to myself, I love the Earth and nature. If there was a way to help the Earth, provide energy and things to make people's lives better but keep it clean and as one with nature as those temples on the mountain, that would be wonderful. I think, as I don't have the technical knowledge now to create or invent things like that, maybe I can find and invest in companies that create those kinds of things. The companies whose inventions will be working with nature and the Earth rather than against it.


I think investing is like voting in a way. You put your money into things (companies, organizations, technologies) you believe in. The more money goes into the financing of a company and its products and technologies, the more it says that you and society are supporting that company.

Money is the life blood of companies and products. So you make a choice when you invest, what companies do you want to succeed? What products do you want to be made more, what technologies do I want to see succeed. I personally want those companies that are creating Earth friendly products and technologies to succeed. So I want my investment dollars to go there. That is one reason I don't choose mutual funds, because mutual funds usually choose companies by how much money they make, rather than what they do. So those big fat corrupt oil producers can keep getting financed by socially irresponsible investment companies. Maybe I should start a socially responsible mutual fund someday. But really, that is not the direction I feel like going in. On top of that, its funny to hear myself think about investing when I practically don't have any money and only care to do a part-time job.

If there was a way to keep things simple. But as I get older I seem to discover things are always more complicated than the appear to be, rather than easier or simpler. It would be convenient if everything kept to a few principles that I could understand. Even if that were the case, I certainly have not succeeded in finding those few principles.




Maybe it's a matter of knowing what matters, what's important, and was should be given priority. Then things could be kept a little simpler.
When I sat up on the overlook, I still couldn't help but be critical of people. I am one of so many people, but I often find myself angry and unsatisfied with people rather than happy and content. Anytime in China or anyplace that I see people say or do things I think are foolish, or more commonly here, litter or rudely spit on the ground, I get offended. Why am I so unforgiving about people's behaviors? I have my own problems. Its always easier to find problems with others than in yourself. I always think I am sharing this Earth and air and water with everyone. When I breathe that air, drink that water, or eat fruits and vegetables from that land, I want it to be clean and healthy. I guess maybe some people don't feel the same way or feel they are powerless to take action.



Lost in thought up on the mountain, I started to get cold. I came back down, caught the bus and went to my favorite noodle shop that serves delicious tomato & egg noodle soup and went home.