Everyone had to assemble n the morning at 0700 and we had bread for breakfast which we had bought yesterday. After a long five hours bus ride, including a rest station in between, we finally reach the restaurant which is somewhere at the foot of the mountain for our lunch.
We proceeded to the ticket office and that is when we had to take those private buses provided in Wudang Mountain (武当山) to ferry tourists to the different stops of different attractions instead of taking our own tour bus. This is probably due to the narrow and bumpy road and they had to limit the number of vehicles so as to keep the place free from any kind of pollutions. Though the route is relatively long, everyone cling tightly to the road up to the mountain waiting to see everything in there.
Our first attraction is the 太子坡- Crown Prince’s Slope. The Crown Prince’s Slope view site includes Dragon-returning Temple, Needle-rubbing well (Pure Sunshine Palace), Old Monarch’s Hall, The Eight Immortals Temple, etc. All temple complexes were constructed according to local mountain slope pattern and zigzag walls flow along the mountain surface. Prince Slope temple was constructed in Ming Dynasty. It is the place where prince of JingLe Country first came to practice alchemy. He finally made a mind and continued with the alchemy practice for many years till later he succeeded in the practice and became the man who has the same body with Tao. It was then the sacred title "ZhenWu" was bestowed to him and Wudang Mountain is also named after him.
Ribbons seen tied up on the trees for blessings. People prayed for health, safety, business, studies and many more.
Chilled at the Tea House, served with free tea. You have to drink the tea then plain water. You will feel the sweetness in your mouth after drinking plain water.
紫霄宫- Purple Cloud Palace was our next destination, which was just a 15min bus ride from our first destination. We had to make sure no one came in between us as entrance fee is needed. The Purple Cloud Palace has one of the largest and best-preserved Taoist halls of worship this side of the mountain known as Nayan Scenic Area but received a makeover during Ming dynasty. It consists of several halls, including the Dragon and Tiger Hall, the Purple Sky Hall, the East Hall and West Hall. It was an important ancestral shrine of the imperial court and the monks here used to offer prayers for the emperor.
We passed by Golden Hall which is a copper wonder. In the past, before lightning rods were installed, lightning struck the hall whenever there was a thunderstorm, which meant a spectacular visual treat of flashing lights and sparks of fire. Fortunately, despite numerous strikes, the hall has remained unscathed.
Photo taken with our tour guide, Fanny, Ms Neo and Deputy Director of WUST
A form of praying we witness
After which, we checked in to a three star hotel- 九龙山庄 and everyone had already prepared for the worst. But we all knew that our hotel is considered one of the better ones compared to the others in that area. After stepping into the hotel, opening the room, everyone was kinda shocked, in a good way. Being shocked to see is because we had not seen such luxurious accommodation ever since we arrived here. It was definitely much better than one had expected and of course better than the stay in cruise.
Off we go to another attraction, a small hill, which only took us 10min of walking up the slope after we left our bags and rested for a while. It was free and easy and later on, we had our dinner at 太和酒店 at 1830. Strolled back to hotel after eating and on the way, we bought some snacks at those shop houses. Going to climb Wudang Mountain tomorrow and so everyone turned in early after a long day.
Beware of rocks falling. I feel that such important sign should be written in English as well. So that, foreigners who do not know Chinese will be able to comprehend
Viewing "a little"scenery of Wudang Mountain
We were all lucky to have a spectacular vision from the attractive views, from those attractions. Countless imperial decrees commandeered the services of laborers, designers and craftsmen. Physically daunting Wudang Mountain may seem, its natural beauty and exquisite architecture, its rich history mixed with Taoist culture and lore, makes it a worthwhile detour from Wuhan. However, my roommate and I, Winnie, were considered "unlucky" after we checked in. Our room’s key does not work and we were told to go to the receptionist to request for help, to change for another one. Next, is our water? It was unbelievable when we saw it. Goodness. When the tapped is on, sand appeared, flies coming out followed by yellowish water. Guess what? The sink is choked after that. Not exaggerating. It’s true. Lesson learnt, though the appearance of the hotel may look good, the interior is another thing. Don’t ever judge the book by its cover.
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