Most of the Staircase at Mount Tai 泰山
Honestly, my visit to Mount Tai wasn’t the enlightening experience I was expecting it to be. Probably because it was a bit too commercialized. There were numerous commercial establishments on top and along the way up. Add to that the massive popularity of the mountain and you get droves and droves of tourists. The local government has been quick to cash in on the mountain popularity and imposed ever increasing entrance fees on tourists. This probably resulted in the relative prosperity of Tai’an City.
The Staircase from Far Away
I believe I was right in not climbing up, I took the cable car up the mountain and walked my way down. There was a lot to see on top of the mountain and it would not be nice to explore it drenched in sweat. It is possible to stay overnight on top of the mountain to see its famed sunrise but I can’t afford to stay on top. Still it was a fulfilling experience to finally visit the mountain my friend has talked about all this time. It is probably China’s most famous mountain and it is right by her doorstep. The three hour climb is still very exhausting which is why she didn’t want to accompany me up the mountain. Hey, even the 1 1/2 hour walk down the mountain was heavy on the knees.
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