TAISHAN: “And I Would Walk 500 Miles And I Would Walk 500 More…”

We just got back from TaiShan a little while ago and oh, boy what a weekend! I thought the Great Wall was a challenge, but climbing TaiShan was an even more physically taxing activity!

I’m really glad I went to TaiShan this weekend because I feel the whole trip was a little bit out of character for me. We basically jumped on a train on Friday night, with only what we could fit in a small backpack, with no idea what to expect once we arrived in Taian, no idea where we would spend Saturday night, and not a clue as to where and even if we might be able to shower. I have noticed that this “figure it out as you go” attitude is definitely a part of nearsighted Chinese culture and I think the spontaneity of it all is only going to change me for the better.

All together, twelve of us ventured to TaiShan this weekend. We had bunks all in a row on the train, which ended up being a lot of fun. I have never been on an overnight train before, so I had no idea what to expect. I was definitely pleasantly surprised. I was able to get a few hours of sleep on the train. After leaving the Beijing Railway Station, our tickets were collected so that the stewards could wake us up before our stop. We arrived in Jinan around 6:00 AM.

Our first real bonding experience of the weekend occurred in Jinan when we got off the train. We decided to go to the bathroom before getting on the bus to Taian. Not only was the bathroom a squatter, but perhaps more accurately described as a restroom watering hall without walls and stalls. I think I’m just about used to the whole squatter routine now. All of us girls pretty much chalked the experience up to “hey, we are in china” and bonded over it.

The bus to Taian took about an hour and a half. We were able to nap a bit on the bus, which was good, but it was definitely interesting to watch the scenery change as we left the urban area and drove towards the mountains. When we arrived in Taian, we took cabs to the Dai Temple at the base of the mountain, which was where our hike was to begin.

We took the central route up the mountain. This route is the most famous and scenic one because it has been traveled by Confucius and several emperors throughout Chinese history. The temple was beautiful. The irony, however, occurred when we exited the temple right into the TaiShan beer festival. We watched a bit of a dance performance to get a cultural feel for the village, and then continued up the main road, where we stopped for lunch and then made our way to the base of the mountain.

The hike was a lot harder than I thought it would be. We started off easy with just a few steps separated by long plateaus. As we climbed higher and higher, the steps appeared in greater quantities and the plateaus became shorter and eventually non-existent. We took our time going up, enjoying the breathtaking views and the small temples on the mountainside. We were really tired by the time we reached the halfway point, but opted to finish the hike rather than taking a cable car to the summit. The last stretch of the climb was the hardest, because it was completely vertical. The steps were also so narrow that you could not fit your whole foot on the step in front of you. We often had to take these steps slowly and sideways. Along the way, several Chinese visitors stopped to talk to us and take pictures with us. I’m pretty sure we were just about the only foreigners on the mountain.

Finally, after almost four hours of hiking and climbing, the end was in sight. Jenn, Sarah, Jon, Aaron, and I linked arms, started chanting the lyrics of 500 miles, and crossed the final step together. I was really proud of us for making it to the top under our own steam and for supporting each other the entire way.

It was so cold at the top of the mountain that there was snow and I had to bundle up and put on more layers. The other members of our group decided to stay on top of the mountain over night and hike down the mountain at 5AM on Sunday morning in order to make the train in Jinan at 10AM. After scoping out the village at the top of the mountain, we decided to hike down and stay in Taian for the night so that we could get to the village before it got too dark and so we wouldn’t be too stressed about missing the train the next morning.

The hike down was even more difficult than the hike up. The straight vertical descendant was both thrilling and terrifying. We had to take it really slowly. Even at a slow pace, I missed a step at one point and almost fell. Luckily, I caught myself. By the time we got to the halfway point my legs felt like Jello and were shaking and my back ached from lugging my backpack up the mountain. Fortunately, we were able to catch one of the last buses off the mountain to Jinan below. As we reached the halfway point, we were able to catch a beautiful sunset before boarding the bus.

By the time we got to the village, we were all completely pooped. We found a nice hotel that we were able to bargain for about 200 kuai for Jenn, Jon, Aaron, and I to share a room. That’s about seven American dollars for a hotel with a shower, hot water, heat, and comfy beds! The bathroom at our hotel was so interesting. It was basically a glass box and the center of the glass was cloudy. The shower-head stuck out of the wall, essentially making the whole glass box the shower.

After everyone freshened up, we walked about a block away to get something for dinner. This restaurant was very different from other restaurants we have tried in China. There was no menu. Instead we went into a room where all the ingredients were out and chose exactly what we wanted to eat. Everything was good, except for the chicken. We didn’t realize while ordering that we were essentially asking for the whole chicken (head, feet, and all) to be chopped up and served to us. It was a bit funny to watch Jon and Aaron struggle to try to eat the chicken feet.

After dinner we went back to the hotel, put on our sweats and relaxed. We were all in bed by 10PM because we were so tired!

On Sunday morning, we woke up at 7AM to change and head to the bus station. We caught the bus to Jinan where we met up with the rest of our group on the train. They had some problems getting down the mountain early in the morning, but fortunately we all just made the train.

The train we took back to Beijing was another fast train, like the one we took to Tianjin a few weeks ago. Because we were traveling at over 100 miles per hour, we were back in Beijing in about three hours.

Although I’m tired and a bit sore, I wouldn’t change the experience I had this weekend for anything. I stepped outside of my comfort zone a bit, tried something new, bonded even more with my friends here in Beijing, and overcame the challenges along the way to make it all the way to the top of TaiShan. I strongly feel this is what studying abroad is all about. It’s about pushing yourself, finding that you can do things you never thought you could do, and appreciating a lifestyle that seems foreign to you.

The sites at TaiShan were beautiful and I know I will definitely remember this weekend and all of my friends here for the rest of my life. Now… I am even more pumped for our Spring Break trip in a week and a half!