中国的夏天. The picturesque Chinese countryside is a sanctuary that welcomes its visitors to explore the terrain during a summer holiday or cherished retreat. This exquisite setting provides an opportunity to connect with one’s soul, spirit and mind to reinvigorate, rejoice and refresh. Chinese culture, poetry and philosophy opens the mind, heart and body, and in turn encourages one to reflect on their past experiences, present circumstances or future endeavors.
One special story that I recently stumbled upon, that merges the beauty and solitude of China with its ancient teachings, is that of Bill Porter, an American living in New York City in the 1970s. Porter started his Chinese education as a trainee to become a Buddhist monk after a spiritual encounter in Chinatown. Inspired by the teachings of the Enlightened One, Porter traveled first to Taiwan to study Buddhist religion and philosophy, which takes pride in nature and simplicity in solitude. Over the next three years, Porter studied these historic texts, but soon had an epiphany while he was in his peaceful seclusion. Porter suddenly felt that there was a greater relationship between the texts and the being surrounding it, not the reverse. Porter traveled all over China for inspiration to fulfill his epiphany, where he found the North the best place to carry out his vision. While in the mountains of Xinjiang Province, Porter secluded himself as a hermit; translating and copying Laozi’s texts. These writings symbolize tranquility and the importance of simplicity in nature, which completely matches Porter’s vision. Writing his most famous book entitled The Road to Heaven on these serene hilltops in 1993, Porter became more of a hermit, changing his name to a more spiritual one: Red Pine. “Chinese culture is like a treasure chest, and I want to share with people the treasure I have discovered,” he expressed in a recent interview. At aged 75, Porter continues to live in Xinjiang Province to this day.
In contrast to the story of Bill Porter, there are many other ways that one can be inspired by the teachings of the Chinese philosophers and poets while appreciating the landscape of China. Some suggestions in finding your spiritual side, are navigating the eastern Huang He River and Yangtze River in a Dragon Boat while embracing the simple yet important lessons of Tang Poetry. Another option would be to travel to the northernmost part of China where one can take a camel ride to the top of the dunes of the Gobi Desert, and gaze at the Uyghur peoples living their spiritual life. Another adventure is to hike to the top of Mount Emei and master the art of the ancient Chinese cello, or erhu, played at its peak. Finally, one can climb to the summit of Gezao Mountain, and pray at the peaceful and serene Taoist temple at the top, and then descend to the forests of southern Sichuan Province, and gaze through the thick trees at the Great Buddha’s eternal prayer and meditation. The opportunities are endless. However, regardless of where you travel, China, with its beauty and richness of history and culture, will offer a peaceful and soulful diversion from one’s daily life. “China has quite a breadth of history”, according to a recent interview of President Xi Jinping. Xi continues, “Xi’an has a millennium, Beijing with half, and Shanghai with only a century.” No matter where you travel, the history will surround and exhilarate you.
Some of the information and pictures in this article came from the following sources:
https://www.ft.com/content/1a1f5d84-f5ff-11e3-a038-00144feabdc0
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201805/25/WS5b075bfca31001b82571c328.html
https://www.sichuantravelguide.com/hiking-and-trekking.html
http://www.taosexperience.com/about-taoism.html