China's Narrowest "One-Line Sky" – So Dark and Tight, Only the Brave Can Pass!

📍 Edinburgh · 👁 3495 reads · ❤️ 25 likes

In ancient times, Emperor Yao's mother dreamed of a fairy mountain by the southeast sea, with towering peaks, majestic and beautiful, like a wonderland. She and Emperor Yao sailed across the sea to find it. After months of sailing with no sight, one day a thick fog arose, and everyone on board panicked, kneeling to pray. Soon, the wind cleared the fog, and a tall mountain stood before them. Yao's mother saw that it was exactly as in her dream, and was overjoyed. She settled in a cave.

One day, while picking bluegrass on the mountain, she found a special little tree with translucent leaves that were very charming. She picked a few leaves to chew, finding them fragrant and refreshing. So she collected leaves to make tea, naming it "Green Snow Bud" (later the ancestor of Fuding white tea). Whenever villagers visited her cave, she would treat them to Green Snow Bud. She also used it to cure many children with measles. After her death, the locals, grateful for her kindness, built a stone tomb for her relics, made a statue, and revered her as "Grandmother Tai Mu". This dream mountain came to be known as "Tai Mu Mountain".

Above is the statue of Grandmother Tai Mu in the Jade Lake Scenic Area at the foot of Tai Mu Mountain. She seems to be walking gently in the sea breeze, head slightly bowed, eyes half-open, always watching over the mortal world. Her left arm is raised, holding a lingzhi mushroom, spreading care to the world; her right hand holds a whisk, sweeping away all miasma and fog.

Tai Mu Mountain is located in Fuding, northeastern Fujian. Like Fuzhou, the "City of Blessings," its name also implies fortune: "Land of Virtue, Peak of Prosperity." About ten kilometers east of the mountain is the East China Sea. Climbing the mountain to overlook the sea is a major attraction.

The square with the Grandmother Tai Mu statue is an ideal spot for seascapes and sunrise. From here, you can see Qingchuan Bay and Fuyao Islands at a glance, where mountain and sea merge, and the sea and sky share the same color. However, my luck might have been used up in southern and central Fujian. On this day in eastern Fujian, thick fog obscured the view; not to mention the distant sea, even the nearby stone peaks were hard to see. The bizarrely shaped stone peaks, characteristic of granite, are another major attraction of Tai Mu Mountain.

This is not my first time viewing mountains in fog. Travel is like that – thirty percent planning, seventy percent fate. Given the conditions, we can only regretfully observe what we can see steadily. I always advocate: "Accept what cannot be changed, change what can." If you've missed the sun, don't miss the stars.

Tai Mu Mountain is known as the "Fairy Capital on the Sea." Standing proudly by the East China Sea, it is famous for four wonders: dangerous peaks, strange rocks, mysterious caves, and foggy illusions. The bizarre rocks resemble people and objects, like nature's masterpieces. The caves under the peaks are interconnected, crisscrossing, winding and deep, like an underground labyrinth, breathtaking.

Tai Mu Mountain includes several large scenic areas: Jade Lake, Immortal Welcome Terrace, A Tile, Xiangshan Temple, White Clouds Touching the Sky, Wulong Ridge, and Guoguang Temple. After taking a bus from the visitor center to the Jade Lake parking lot, we paid respects to Grandmother Tai Mu and continued hiking up the mountain to explore the wonders in the mist.

Soon after ascending, we reached two iconic landmarks: "Eighteen Arhats Rushing to Meal" and "Husband-and-Wife Peak," both typical granite peak cluster landscapes. But as mentioned, they were invisible in the fog. However, the Husband-and-Wife Peak is a symbol of Tai Mu Mountain, so I found a picture online. Don't they look like a couple embracing intimately?

Further ahead, we saw a stone pagoda – the Lengjia Treasure Pagoda, built during the Tang Dynasty's Qianfu period. It is a seven-story, octagonal solid stone pagoda, rare in China.

West of the pagoda is Guoxing Temple.

Guoxing Temple was first built in the fourth year of Qianfu (877 AD) during the Tang Dynasty. It is surrounded by water on three sides and backed by a mountain. Seven large stone pillars stand on the ground with lotus-petal bases. Along the path are Tang and Song stone carvings and many broken steles. It was rebuilt during the Republic of China era. Now we see the Great Buddha Hall, Tai Mu Hall, monks' quarters, etc.

From Guoxing Temple to Immortal Welcome Terrace, we climbed Sage Gong Ridge – a stone path lined with ancient trees, simple and quiet, with many cliffside inscriptions. Sage Gong Ridge was built in 1929, funded by Sa Zhenbing, the founder of China's modern navy and former Chief of the Navy of the Beiyang Government. It was called "Sage Gong Ridge."

On the east side of Sage Gong Ridge is another path, the Immortal Welcome Plank Road, where a pool of emerald water called "Exposed Dragon Pool" lies. The water is clear and serene. Tai Mu Mountain receives abundant rainfall; rainwater flows from Exposed Dragon Peak into this depression, forming the pool. Beside the pool is the Surge Green Pavilion, named for the surrounding lush green mountains.

Not far from Immortal Welcome Terrace, we saw a peculiar stone that looks exactly like a heart, entwined with vines and roots like blood vessels, full of vitality, called "Heart of Tai Mu."

After climbing many mountains, strange rocks become common, but Tai Mu Mountain still surprised me. The Heart of Tai Mu was one, and the Gourd Cave was another.

The Gourd Cave was formed by the gravity collapse of granite. It is over 1,000 meters long, shaped like an inverted gourd. Inside, it twists and turns, alternating light and dark, with 13 skylights and 7 halls, adorned with ancient vines, nanmu, and valley orchids. To traverse it, you need to crawl, climb, squat, sidle, etc. In dark parts, you can't see your hand; in narrow parts, a slightly plump person cannot pass; in low parts, you may need to crawl! It's a test of both courage and physical strength.

Some places are as precarious as a pile of eggs:

Some places are pitch black:

Have you ever played Tomb Raider? The Gourd Cave felt like that game brought to life – an underground adventure!

Coming out of the cave, we saw the Heaven Pillar Peak – a 40-meter-high stone pillar. Interestingly, its top has weathered along horizontal joints into two stone eggs: the larger one looks like a crouching cat, the smaller like a scurrying mouse, called "Golden Cat Catching Mouse."

West of Heaven Pillar Peak is another strange rock – TV Screen Rock. Among rocks named after ancient natural motifs, a "modern appliance" seems out of place, but when you see it, it's so vivid that you can't call it anything else.

Moving on to Blue Creek Gorge. Legend says that when Grandmother Tai Mu lived in the mountains, she cultivated indigo plants and often dyed cloth by the stream, turning the clear water blue and green. According to the Records of Tai Mu Mountain: "Every year in the eighth month, the water turns blue."

Soon we encountered another thrilling sight – One-Line Sky. The Gourd Cave also had a "One-Line Sky," and I've been through similar ones in other famous mountains, but compared to this one, those were spacious! This is the narrowest One-Line Sky in China – over 60 meters long, over 40 meters high, the narrowest point less than 20 cm. If you're even slightly plump, you can't squeeze through even sideways! (If you can't make it, there's a detour nearby.) Look at the picture below – without the contrast between light and dark, you might not even find the path!

Because it's so narrow and high, little sunlight comes through; you need a flashlight. Even if you're slim enough, if you lack courage, it's not recommended.

Continuing, we arrived at the A Tile Central Square. Here stands the Tang Dynasty pagoda of Grandmother Tai Mu, behind which is the Grandmother Tai Mu Hall. It is said this is where she attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven.

Also planted here is the ancient Green Snow Bud tea tree, the origin of Fuding white tea. The Records of the Eight Min states: "Tai Mu Mountain has Green Snow Bud tea, now called Baihao; its fragrance and color are excellent, especially the one from Hongxue Cave." Hongxue Cave is where Grandmother Tai Mu practiced cultivation. At the entrance is a well. The cave's name comes from Su Shi's poem: "Life is like a swan's footprints on snow mud." Behind Hongxue Cave is Tongtian Cave, both famous spots.

Not far ahead are two more wonders: A Tile Temple and the Hanging Copper Hall.

The Hanging Copper Hall backs onto Nine Carp Leaping Toward Heaven Peak; on the left is Flying Immortal Peak, on the right is Lotus Peak. Nestled between the two peaks, the hall hangs in midair. Below are valleys, ravines, and steep cliffs. The golden hall floats in the air like a mirage or a heavenly palace, sparking the imagination.

A Tile Temple is formed by two collapsed rocks with a thin, flat boulder covering them like a tile, creating a small house. Hence the name.

Proceeding to Hongxue Cave, huge stone eggs are stacked and bridged over the gully, creating large spaces between them, forming a path through the stones. Walking through, with massive rocks overhead, the path rises and falls, sometimes wide, sometimes narrow, winding and twisting – a unique experience.

Behind Hongxue Cave is Tongtian Cave, a slightly wider "One-Line Sky." Looking up at the top, many rocks are embedded, stacked, or suspended, adding thrill. The path is narrow and steep, like climbing heavenly stairs leading to the Southern Heavenly Gate, hence the name. Tongtian Cave is followed by Seven Star Cave, over 40 meters long and less than a meter wide. Looking up, it seems like seven stars dot the line of sky; light filters through the rocks, creating a dreamlike view.

From A Tile, along the Immortal Bridge Plank Road to Xiangshan Temple, you can see distant peaks like "Child Worshipping Guanyin," "Nine Carp Leaping Toward Heaven," and "Two Buddhas Discussing Sutras." In the fog, nothing was visible, and it started drizzling, so we quickened our pace and reached Xiangshan Temple.

Xiangshan Temple was first built in the Ming Dynasty, on the shore of Nine Carp Lake. It houses the Five Hundred Arhats Hall and Rhinoceros Cave. Many orchids grow around the temple; during blooming season, the fragrance drifts in the wind, hence the name "Xiangshan Temple" (Fragrant Mountain Temple). The temple buildings are small and delicate, the environment serene. Nine Carp Lake reflects the Nine Carp Leaping Toward Heaven peaks – a picturesque scene. On clear days, it's a favorite spot for landscape photographers.

Following Tuojiu Ridge, we arrived at Echo Corridor, also called "Three Echoes." Standing in the pavilion, facing Nine Carp Leaping Toward Heaven Peak, a quick shout produces three clear, echoing returns, known as "Tai Mu Sound Transmission."

Tuojiu Ridge leads to the White Clouds Touching the Sky Scenic Area, rich in cultural relics, including the Tang Dynasty White Clouds Temple, Mo Xiao Nunnery, Mani Palace, and many cliff inscriptions. White Clouds Temple, also called Mo Xiao Nunnery, was built by Monk White Clouds in the thirteenth year of the Tang Dynasty's Kaiyuan period. According to records, "Three Buddha halls, surrounded by monk quarters, all on the summit." What we see now is a later reconstruction, but the architectural style remains.

The highest peak of Tai Mu Mountain – Fuding Peak at 917.3 meters – is also in this area. The summit is narrow, only about 6 meters in diameter, shaped like an inverted cauldron. On clear days, you can see Qilin Ridge, Longzhu Ridge, and Wulong Ridge from here. It's the best spot for sunrise, known as "Sunrise Terrace No. 1."

Descending from Fuding Peak to the exit, we had to pass Wulong Ridge. It was nearly 6 PM, and darkness was falling. Wulong Ridge stretches 1,380 meters, with attractions like Sea View Platform, Immortal Cave, Music Terrace, and Natural Bridge. It should be a place to gaze at the sky and sea, but nightfall left me with only impressions of steep mountain paths and the shock of birds startled in the dark forest...

Months later, I climbed another dangerous mountain alone at night and relived that terror. I suddenly understood why stray cats and dogs are so sensitive and anxious, why the antelopes in Hoh Xil are so timid and alert. When away from the familiar protection of the concrete jungle and walking in the unknown, humans also become hyper-alert, maximizing all senses, jumping at the slightest sound.

I didn't see the sea on Tai Mu Mountain, but 50 kilometers south, at Beichi Tidal Flat in Xiapu, I saw a different "sunrise as usual."

Xiapu is China's "Hometown of Seaweed" and "Hometown of Laver." Because of abundant seafood, along the 480-kilometer coastline, there are many bamboo poles for drying seaweed, hanging laver, and fishing nets. The dense bamboo poles, scattered fishing boats, tidal flats ebbing and flowing, and the sun rising and setting together create the most photographer-favored scenery in Xiapu, attracting countless tourists to watch sunrise and sunset.

(Photo of Xiapu by a photographer, from the internet)

Xiapu has many tidal flats; some are good for sunset, some for sunrise. I went to Beichi Tidal Flat, located in Beichi Village near the city, about 10 km from the hotel. Fortunately, shared electric scooters were available everywhere. I set off before dawn, but since Beichi Village was outside the parking zone, I had to walk a bit.

That morning, the fog was heavy. The horizon was dyed red, but the sun hadn't appeared. When it finally emerged from the clouds, it was already high above the sea. An elderly couple and a group of young students were also watching the sunrise, all expressing slight regret. A boatman said it was lucky to see the sun at all; there are many days without it. Although I didn't see the sun leap above the sea, the warm yellow tidal flats under the morning glow compensated for the fatigue of our dawn journey.

As the sun rose higher, the murky fog gradually cleared. The nearby grass was vivid like a painting, while distant mountains appeared misty like ink wash.

After a while, the sky turned azure. The county began a vibrant day: ancient churches and temples, novel museums, and lush banyan trees at the village entrance each in their place; farmers in the village and office workers in the city each went about their duties...

And we, who had been traveling, would not stop. Next stop – Wuyi Mountain!