Danxia Mountains

[momo8]

This is one of my favourite places in the world. Situated in the South of China near Shaouguan about a three hour drive from Guangzhou we go here a few times a year for r & r and to visit friends in the nearby city.

(Sorry about the picture quality I cut and pasted these from my gallery on TD the other function is not working)

The national park is famous for this mountain called 'The Father Stone'. There is also a 'Mother Stone' which I will leave up to the imagination.





Entrance to the park the gates are several hundred years old.



The road trip is a bit long from Guangzhou, many tours go there booking through CITS (China International Travel Service) will cost about 340rmb with accomodation.



The trek up the mountain to this Buddhist temple is awesome, best time to go there actually is October - May or it is too hot to trek at other times of the year.Photos are not allowed in the monastery.


Some pics from there




Incense sticks en mass can be bought everywhere.



We stayed in this small village at the bottom of the mountains but this is not available to the general public.


A few more views.









'Father Rock ' from a different angle.



Other side of the mountains.


View from the monastery.


There is also an artists' commune in the mountains and many painters and musicians gather there. Truly a magic place.

[momo8]

Alas one can't edit and having trouble with the pics here.

[good2bhappy]

great pics
hope this gets you out?

[Travelmate]

We stayed in this small village at the bottom of the mountains but this is not available to the general public

If it is not open to the general public. How did you managed to enjoy a night's stay there?

[good2bhappy]

^connections?

[davearn]

double adaptions ?

[momo8]

The pics aren't so great and had troble uploading the last lot of the Buddhist monks and the actual trek up the mountain.

To the top of the mountain it is a good four hours, the last leg of the climb hanging onto chains and other people! The climb is designd in many levels to make it up the top you need stamina and a good day.

The views are from the second level up, we made it all the way to the top but it was hard work. There is a pic of me there from the lookout where you can see 360 stunning views. On that particular day we went there the climb down was torrential rain so we were soaked by the time we got back to our village from the gate which was another hour.

All in all exhausting but great stuff. Since 99% of pics are family and friends I didn't post them. Lovely place, very out of this world and not many tourists go there. In the village there is no electricity or running water so really back to basics.

I shall enlarge the thread later inculding more pics and info can't edit here but thatnks for the 'hope you get out ' wishes.

[momo8]

My husband's friend is a monk in the monastery and this villlage is amazing. There are many trails up the mountain, unknown to tourists from the village. The monks gather Chinese Traditional herbs and they showed us many places up the mountain where they gather them and special fungi and mushrooms used in CTR.

I learnt a lot about the different herbs and mushrooms/fungi as we went with them.They won't allow photos though. We me a group of painters on the way up but that particular climb would be better done by a goat, if anyone would like details of how to get there feel free to PM me.

[Norton]

Well done momo. Open the jailhouse door.

[momo8]

I can't edit or enlarge these, but the big shots are gorgeous. It wasn't to open the jailhouse door it was giving back something for the forum, (OK, I couldn't resist KingWilly's 20 000).

If anyone can possibly go to my gallery and enlarge the pics or PM me how to do it greens for a week.

My next thread is the Olympics.

[momo8]

This is a shot of me five months pregnant at the top of this place.

[Thetyim]

PM me how to do it greens for a week

Got any brussel sprouts ?

[ChiangMai noon]

you seem to have uploaded little 240x180 pics.

make them 800x600 when you upload to your gallery.

[momo8]

Ok will work on it, got a new laptop so still figuring things out. Thank you.

[sabang]

Very nice pics momo.

[justwingit]

1750 posts and a couple of trips to jail and finally some cracking photos momo well done may even put that place on my to see list

green heading your way

[Mathos]

Nice photographs young lady, especially the Mountain Commune.

Green for you.

[kingwilly]

that waterfall one, could be entered for the TD photo contest.

[baldrick]

your "father rock from a different angle" is a nice photo

[JoGeAr]

Nice pics. Greened.

[good2bhappy]

you got a pic of the mummy rock?

[kwai73]

Looks lovely. Might well try and get there in a couple of weeks' time when I get some holiday time.

Not sure about carrying my fat lump of a baby up the mountain though!