Emieshan

Sometimes work treats me to unexpected treasures.

Emie Mountain sits about an hour outside of Chengdu in China’s Sichuan Province. A client is considering opening a distillery here because of the pure waters of the river that cuts through the mountains. Emishan is a mountain town like so many Western mountain towns, only there’s no skiing here, no snow, just endless trails to explore the alpine environment. It’s a beautiful place, yet there’s no escape from the smog from nearby Chengdu. No matter how remote you feel in China, you’re never far from industrial zones. You rarely encounter blue sky or clear air in China. It’s lamentable.

Today we visited one of the many temples in the area, in this case Fuhu. It’s a sprawling complex of temples built into the mountainside forest. Monks walk silently down paths connecting the many ancient buildings. It’s a truly calming place and I recognize how fortunate I am to be exposed to these places unknown to most foreigners.