2019 Summer Trip to Asia
September 8, 2019 -- Taishan (Mt. Tai), Taian, Shandong, China
Today, we will visit one of the five great mountains of China, Mount Tai (Taishan) which is located just north of Taian city. Our hotel could be the closest 5-star hotel to the mountain.
Some of the mountain ranges in the area.
A view from our hotel room.
Breakfast at the hotel restaurant.
Plenty of choices to choose from.
Filled up our stomach before the 'climb'.
Leaving the Four Points in the morning.
Mount Tai (Taishan)
Taishan is considered the first of the five great mountains of China. It plays an important role as the place of worship for 3,000 years with most, if not all, of the emperors offering their prayers with lavish ceremonies here. Needless to say, this is also a UNESCO site.
Looked like they were having some kind of celebration on the day we were there.
We entered the mountain scenic area through the South Gate.
Looking up at the top of the mountain from South Gate.
Our guide getting tickets for us.
Shuttles that would take us to the cable car station about half way up the mountain.
Many people, especially locals, would actually climb the stairway up to the top.
Not for me!
We took the cable car from the Middle Heavenly Gate, which is half way up the top of the mountain.
That's the walk for the brave ones.
Higher and higher!
Finally arrived at the top station, but not really the top of the mountain.
Everybody has to go through the South Heaven Gate whether arriving by cable car or walking.
Can't even take a picture without people around.
One of the temples inside the South Heaven Gate.
This was my destination and limitation. I sat and waited in this pavilion while MOR and the guide continued their climb up.
They took the path behind for the climb.
With the help of the guide, these are some of the photos they took. Here is a Confucius Temple.
Rock carving.
Bixia Temple is a small Taoist temple at the top.
The very top of Mt. Tai.
This was near where I was waiting, Street of Heaven.
Looking back at where they were on the other side as we were walking back to the cable car station.
Taking the cable car back to the bottom of the mountain.
With our tour guide.
Once we came back down it was time for lunch. "Where are we going?" The guide asked the driver. "How about a fast food place?" said the driver. That was where we ended up, a fast food place that was more like a cafeteria by the roadside. All the food was cooked and customers just picked out the ones that they want and they dished up the food and added up the price. There were a lot of choices but I think I got in trouble eating the food here.
These were the dishes we ordered between the two of us.
Taian Museum of Classic Automobiles
I don't know why we were there but that was where we stopped for about an hour. Probably because it was free of charge. Again, we seemed to be the only ones there. I was surprised that I actually enjoyed our visit there! Maybe because it was nice and quiet. It was a good museum with many automobiles placed in the showrooms on several floors of the building. Nicely set up and I think it is privately owned.
We were greeted by the tank and this huge model right outside the museum.
An antique automobile used by the government officials. Our driver peeking into the car.
Entrance of the museum. This whole building was dedicated as the museum.
What to look for on the different floors of the building, six floors in all.
From the old horse carriage,
to the much more modernized vehicles.
Military vehicles
pick up trucks
vehicles from the Soviet Union
and even farm machines.
Oh, and a farm house to match.
For some reason this was my last photos of that day. I don't remember what happened the rest of the day. I believe we continued our drive to the city of Weifeng because that was where we stayed that night.
"You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday." -- Psalms 91:5~6
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