A painted wall in a small shrine: part of the Beijing Hikers’ itinerary. (CRIENGLISH.com/William Wang) |
The cultural highlight of the trip was the ruins of Fa Hua Temple. The temple buildings were destroyed long ago, but five tall pagodas and two stupas had survived the ravages of time and society. Particularly picturesque with the backdrop of mountains, cameras busily filled up their SD cards. A hiker couldn't ask for sweeter denouement.
Sue King from England joined the group for a second time. "[The first time] was really good, well-organized; we were well fed," she said. "There was an excellent, excellent restaurant at the end. So yeah we thought we'd come again." This trip, she particularly enjoyed the lack of crowds. "Haven't seen anybody else today, have we?" she quipped.
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