Up and down

I planned to follow the East Route to explore the mountaintop before descending to the cave.

After taking the 7.6-km cable car ride — one of the longest of its kind in the world — I reached the 1,500-meter-high summit. There, I only managed to visit the Davidia Garden, home to 150 specimens of my favorite dove trees, and walk along the 60-meter-long glass walkway that clings to the cliff.

On the glass walkway, a little girl cried as she cautiously moved along the edge closest to the mountain, guided by her father, despite the thick fog obscuring the view of the chasm below.

On such an oppressive day, the mountaintop offered a refreshing respite. Many tourists were relaxing in the shade of the trees, sipping water or enjoying snacks. In a hurry, I dashed to the entrance of the "mountain-penetrating" escalators, expecting them to take me to the other side of the mountain where I could explore the remaining eight attractions on my route. However, the escalators led me directly down to the cave instead. My ticket did not allow another escalator ride back to the mountaintop.