Ciguang Temple 慈光阁

It has been five hours since we started walking down the Western Steps of Huangshan. Prior to this, I had no idea how long the hike will take, I’m just glad that I had companions with me who can understand me. The walk in these parts is much easier now since most of it is flatland. And before I knew it, our Chinese friend said that we had arrived. For out of nowhere we suddenly arrived at civilization. Of all things, there was a Chinese temple looming right in front of us. I didn’t know it yet, but it was already the end of our hike. I thought it was another one of those touristy things they put in the hiking trail.

That may not be too far from the truth. The Ciguang Temple 慈光阁 used to be an active temple, but now it has been converted into the Huangshan Visitors Center. Come to think of it, Huangshan isn’t exactly a holy mountain in the likes of Mount Tai and Mount Emei. What it lacks in cultural and relgious importance, the mountain makes up for it in terms of raw beauty. I was only too glad to finally arrive here at the temple. Beyond this is the exit. After taking some well deserved photos, Team Laojie has finally set for home.

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