Fang Mountain- Monkeys, Monks, and Gondolas

A week or so after returning to Beijing and resuming classes, we took a day trip to Beijing’s Feng Mountain (方山) which had a variety of old Buddhist Temple’s and caves. We walked along stone paths and visited monks and other locals who lived within the mountain’s vast woods. Within the first 10 minutes of climbing the mountain, we encountered a monkey, who seemed content in just watching us and was especially grateful when we threw him a banana.

This Buddhist Monk lives in a temple on the edge of a steep mountain face, a 30 minute hike from the base.

This remarkable had a plaque near its base which read:

“This Locust tree, with a height of 28 meters, and a diameter of 1.3 meters, is approximately 1,080 years old.”

This tree was here even before the 1st Crusade began.

On the way down, we took a gondola which tugged us along a cable off the mountain and over a few hundred foot drop into the valley below.

While the pictures may not do it justice, it was a pretty hairy situation, especially for someone who is afraid heights.

Luckily, my worst fears were never realized, and the tin box we were in held together long enough to make it back to ground.