Since the name of the mountain is "Wolf
Mountain" it is only appropriate that there is a
statue of a wolf. No one really seems to
be able to agree on how the wolf relates to the
mountain. One story is that the mountain
was inhabited by wolves when it was surrounded
by the Yangtze River. How they arrived on
the Island is a mystery, though it is possible that
they swam to the Island. One thing is clear
today though: There aren't any wolves in
the Nantong area anymore, no doubt having made
their last appearances on various dinner tables in
days gone by.
As
with all tourist attractions, there is a nicely
detailed map on the grounds to help visitors
find their way around. A photo of the map
depicts that it says in English that it is the
"Langshan Tour Guide." Once again, please
be gently reminded that this is China. The
title may be in English, but everything else on
the map is written in Chinese.
Fortunately, The Old Codger had a former student
with him, Lin, who had never been to the
mountain before, so it was a learning experience
for both of them.
Progressing on, the next item is
Luo
Binwang's Tomb. Luo, a writer and a
poet is called one of
the "four wits" of the early Tang Dynasty.
In 684 he was one of the leaders of a uprising
against Empress Wu Zetian. He was defeated
in the uprising, and fled to Nantong. Most
of his poems are described as being "indignant," but even the
Empress whom he had tried to depose, praised his writings. His tomb was
moved to the current location on the south side
of Langshan during the Quing Dynasty.
Unlike the map, which is in Chinese, most of the
other identifying signage at the part are written in
both Chinese and English. As a result, it is
not necessary to find a "tour guide" to get to know
the history of Langshan.
As
we moved on, we encountered the stairs leading
to the top of the mountain. It is a tough
walk up the stairs - about 2,000 feet or more,
and someone did have a sense of humor. At
the first or second landing they installed a
scale so one can check their weight on the way
up, and again on the way down. The further
one gets to the top of the mountain, there are
vendors selling everything from water to live
turtles (signs of good luck) to fireworks and
incense. Incense is a vital necessity for
Buddhists.
About a quarter of the way up, one can get a
glimpse of the Yangtze River in the distance.
The buildings at the bottom of the picture all
comprise a 5 Star Hotel. With the
temperature about 30 degrees (86 F) and the sun
beating down, it was a nice place to rest a bit
and enjoy a bit of a breeze. It should be
noted that the stairs are well laid out, and are
designed for "short people" so the steps are wide,
but not too high.
The next stop, for another rest, was the Sha Gan
Pavillion which honors another revolutionary in
recent Chinese history. He was involved
almost exclusively in revolutionary actions from
1911 until his murder in 1913. He is best
known for organizing an attack on the Shanghai
Manufacturers Bureau, and establishing the
"Socialist Party" in Shanghai. In 1985,
the Nantong Municipality commissioned the
"tablet" to the right to commemorate the
"martyr's" 100th birthday.
Finally we reached the top of the mountain.
Just prior to the very top of the mountain was a
ticket booth which was selling tickets for 12
Yuan to enter the Temple. The views from
the top of the mountain were good, but there was a
bit of haze, so no really good pictures. It
was at the top though, that The Old Codger
remembered that someone had told him previously that
there was a cable car to take people to the top of
the mountain and back down. The illusive cable
car was found. Cost for a one way ticket is 30
Yuan. (USD $4.37) For a round trip ticket, it
is 35 Yuan. (USD $5.10)
Upon
entering the park, instead of walking to your left,
walk to your right and you will find the cable car
depot.
Reprinted by permission of The Old Codger.
© 2008 Old Codger.org
