Qingcheng mountain 青城山

 On Sunday, I got up 6 am and went to the railway station early considering the autumn festival travel crowds. Yes, a lot of people. I really wanted to go on 8:35 am train but gave up 峨眉山 after 1.5 hours delay and the heavy rain forecast. I was planning just hiking around the lower area without investing the time and money to get on the top since the weather would be bad. Then my train kept delaying which wore out my patience. 

I researched online in the station and switched to a different （Qingcheng ）mountain 青城山 starting from another railway station. I took metro to the other station and stand by 侯補several trains. This was the first time that I stand by trains in China. With forecast 15% successful rate, I got on the 13:13 train and arrived around 13:40, then I took a tour bus to the back of the mountain to avoid the crowds at the front of the mountain. 

Worship the water at Dujiangyan 都江堰 and seek the truth at Mount Qingcheng. Mount Qingcheng is the next stop after Dujiangyan. Mount Qingcheng is known as "the most secluded place in the world". When you look at Mount Qingcheng from a distance, you will feel a sense of simplicity and depth. Mount Qingcheng has a humid climate, abundant rainfall, and evergreen all year round, which is very suitable for summer heat relief and leisure. There are many towering ginkgo trees planted on Mount Qingcheng. In late autumn, the temple is hidden in a large area of ​​golden color, which is another quiet world. In many martial arts novels, the Qingcheng School is a school that often appears. Qingcheng martial arts originated from Taoists and practitioners, focusing on qigong, internal strength and spiritual practice. Boxing and swordsmanship have their own unique methods, which are good projects for martial arts self-cultivation.

The main activity of visiting Qingcheng Mountain is to appreciate Taoist architecture. Representative buildings include Shangqing Palace, Tianshi Cave, Fujian Palace, etc., all of which are typical Qing Dynasty style. The Qingcheng Mountain Scenic Area is divided into the front mountain, the back mountain and the outer mountain. Most tourists will go directly to the front mountain of Qingcheng Mountain. In fact, the natural scenery of the back mountain is better than the front mountain, and there are few tourists. The outer mountain is a modern entertainment and leisure place. The back mountain of Qingcheng Mountain is a scenic spot worth recommending.

Tai'an Ancient Town 泰安古镇 at the foot of the back mountain of Qingcheng Mountain has been a must-go place on the Jinchuan Post Road from the Chengdu Plain to the west since ancient times. There was Weijiang Village in the Tang Dynasty, Pingle Township and Weijiang Town in the Song Dynasty. Because there was an ancient Tai'an Temple built in the early Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Tai'an Town in the Qing Dynasty. The "5.12" earthquake caused severe damage to Tai'an Ancient Town, but the Qing Dynasty archway at the entrance of the ancient town is still standing. After three years of reconstruction, the pattern of three streets and two alleys has been restored, and the eyes are full of Qing Dynasty-style attics, one after another. Tai'an Ancient Town is a must-go place to visit Qingcheng Back Mountain. The food and accommodation here are relatively economical and very suitable for a short stay. The ancient town has the scenery of "the bright moon shines among the pines, and the clear spring flows on the rocks": a bay of clear spring flows through the mountains, and the flying eaves and corners are hidden under the shade of ancient trees. Behind the ancient town is the Qingcheng Back Mountain, which wins with its tranquility, and there are also two canyons, Feiquangou and Wulonggou 飞泉沟、九龙沟 which have great film and television effects.

I walked via the Tai'an Ancient Town 泰安古镇 then followed the Wulonggou. Unfortunately, I had to turn around earlier than planned since some sections of the trail were flooded with running water and I didn’t cellphone signal to know whether I got on a later train. I thought only my phone had no signal and tried to borrow Wi-Fi from a local store, then I was told the whole area lost signals so people cannot buy anything. No one uses cash in China except foreigners without local phone numbers. I asked a local whether Feiquangou would a dryer, yet he said about the same. Therefore, I let go the idea to hike a loop. I was forced to go back to the train station as the already booked time, and then cancelled the stand-by later ticket with a 20% fee.