Sanqing mountain bears similarities to Crying Stone of Kakemega, a formation sacred to some in Kenya

A recent excursion to the somewhat obscure Sanqing Mountain in Jiangxi province in Southeast China evoked memories of the Crying Stone of Kakamega County in Kenya. I found myself drawing parallels between rock formations at the sites, which are separated by 9,000 kilometers.

Our group of foreign journalists starts our ascent to the acclaimed Land of Peach Blossoms at 10 am via a cable car that rises to 1,400 meters across Mount Sanqingshan National Park. The ride goes over a beautiful, lush valley with rocks and deep gullies. The ride is not for the acrophobic or faint-hearted, as it is not smooth. Every so often it rocks us, especially as it passes by supporting towers.

Visitors from China and abroad visit Sanqing Mountain. Photos by Philip Etyang / For China Daily

Within 10 minutes we arrive at Jiasha cable station. I am immediately hit with the change of atmospheric pressure. The air pressure and density is definitely much lower compared with what it was at the foot of the mountain. It is also colder at the top, and my breathing is now more rapid.

Before proceeding with the expedition to the summit, I take time to read a sign with information about the mountain.

The park occupies 756 square kilometers and the highest peak is 1,819 meters above sea level. It has three peaks, Yujing, Yuxu and Yuhua.

"At the 32nd World Heritage Convention in July 2008, Sanqing Mountain Scenic Zone was officially listed into the World Heritage C15 List and became Jiangxi's first and China's seventh World Heritage Site," the board says.

Our able guide, He Li, takes time to explain the religious significance of the site. "To Taoists, Sanqing Mountain is very important. The name Sanqing can loosely be translated to mean 'three pure ones'," she says.

She says the three peaks of the mountain resemble the three deities of Taoism: Yuqing, Shangqing and Taiqing.

Claudia He, director of China programs at the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, later confirms the guide's account.