Stone steps lead from Baijing Platform to the summit, 1,306 metres above sea level. Cut out of the granite ridge of the mountain, they make one think of a stairway to the heavens.

Ascending the steps, I started to feel as if I was making a pilgrimage. After a half-hour climb, I saw the magnificent grand hall of Tiantai Temple towering before me at the end of the path.

Another 30 minutes found me in front of the hall, at the summit. From there one can look out over green gullies, forests of fir and bamboo trees, and other temples with yellow walls and black tiled roofs, otherwise hidden on the mountain. Under a blue sky, the view is quite spectacular.

The temple, originally built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and renovated in the Ming Dynasty, serves as a reminder of the enormous sacrifice made to build it at this height.

Minyuan Scenic Area

To save time I came down by cable car and made for Minyuan Scenic Area.

Featuring scenery typical of southern Anhui Province, Minyuan is a broad valley which gave me a pleasant sense of being back down to Earth.

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