The climbing has a road with some rest areas and eight “gates”. These gates represent eight symbols or trigrams used in the Taoist cosmology. The flag of South Korea has four of these trigrams. The meaning of these symbols in each of the gates along the way to the top of the mountain and its upper surroundings are heaven, lake, fire, lightening, wind, water, mountain and earth. I must say that the gates were not always necessarily gates but some of them were just passageways through rocks in which the trigram was engraved and painted; and one of the gates was a pagoda with a small store and a roofed area. Nevertheless the hike was a pleasant experience and the view was majestic.

At the top of the mountain was a military base, which obviously tourists cannot take a look inside, but right below there is a viewpoint with some walking areas and a small pagoda. This is a perfect place to greet the sun in the morning or give a farewell in the afternoon.

The main entrance to Mount Laoshan.

This is one of the views on our way up. A visit during the Summer would have been better. This was late November.

One of the eight gates.

Engravings

This is another gate of eight

Here I am in a wooden bridge.

Pagoda at the top of Mount Laoshan.

Pagoda at the top of Mount Laoshan.

At the top of Mount Laoshan

Pagoda at the top of Mount Laoshan.

Time for pictures.

This is one of the gates that was mostly an inscription on rock. The gate was in fact a passageway next to this rock formations.

Another "gate".

More engravings.

More engravings.

I was told this symbol means mother, but I haven't been able to confirm it.

Can you notice how clean and clear the water was? People get water from the spring coming down through the rocks and drink it. I was not able to try it this time because there were many tourists waiting.

More inscriptions on the rocks.

Another gate.

A small store on the top.

After one of the gates you get to this bridge.

Friends from Ocean University in Qingdao who came with me

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I was in a short trip through Beijing and I had a moment to take a couple of pictures. Here I share just two I took during the night when there were no people.

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I was there more than a month ago, but by looking at the pictures I felt as traveling through time once more. Zhujiajiao’s main streets are rivers that can be navigated on small boats, just as it is the case with Venice, Italy or Xochimilco, Mexico. Their homes are mostly painted in white. The walking streets are so narrow that four people, one next to each other, could hardly walk there. From her old bridges and streets, through the windows of several houses, you can notice people eating and talking calmly with no rushing agendas.

Within this scenario it is also evident to see frenetic visitors full of enthusiasm trying to get a tour in the boats, buy or try everything. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take that much of effort to walk into a hidden street and find oneself in the middle of a serene and quiet place listening to the old and historic walls.

If there is anyone who would like to come and leave his or her busy agenda, or simply run away from his or her overwhelming duties, I will be waiting here for him or her. He or she may find me in one of those ancient bridges watching boatmen taking people around in the river. Or maybe he or she may find me behind one of those wooden windows sitting while eating and then with a smile I may invite him or her to share the table with me in a short journey to the past.

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