Last weekend I visited Jin Li Jie, or Jin Li Street. It’s a reconstructed ancient street, which is filled with shops and restaurants. A tourist favorite. But I didn’t like it much. It was too commercialized, complete with a Starbucks, which took the charm out of the place. Crammed with small and big shops that...

These monkey police warn us to watch out for falling stones all around the mountain roads. The monkey is kind of the unofficial mascot of Emei Shan, which is known for its wild macaques. These things can be quite aggressive, snatching things from bewildered tourists. I encountered a few but thankfully they left me alone…

That contraption the man is carrying is an easy chair. Rich Chinese whose main aim is just to see the summit and old Chinese who cannot climb the torturous steps have themselves carried to the top. Two men hold each end of the chair and can be periodically seen rushing up and down the mountain.

On the way back, as my ice numbed feet drag slowly, I notice more of these numerous spice shops that dot the sides. They had funny names, with some of them labeled as fungus even. The big mushroom at the center? That was one of the fungus labeled ones. It seemed quite popular, all these...

These locks in various shapes, the most popular being a heart, can be found all over the sides of the huge courtyard at the summit. Remembrances of love. Tied by couples, as a prayer to hold their love steadfast.

Finally the summit! This is what greeted me. The sun, unspoilt blue and a huge towering Buddha. Though there were crowds of tourists, I felt exhilarated at reaching the summit, at being able to see such glorious sunshine and the Buddha of course.

See those glistening steps? One wrong step and you could land at the bottom. This was how it was for half the way till the ice thawed out and warmer winds kept the steps dry. In a few places, there was no way but to slide down because it was so slippery!

One of the many temples I passed along the way to the summit. Many of them including this one, named Wannian Si, offer accommodation and food for trekkers.

This is the sight that meets you on the trek to Emei Shan. Endless steps, unfurling for miles and miles. When I started out at the base and perhaps till half the way the steps were dry and surrounded by green trees. As I ascended more and more, they became snow and ice encrusted with...

Yesterday I finished a four-day trek to Emei Shan, one of the four sacred mountains in China. It was a grueling climb – 50 km one way. That means I walked, climbed and descended more than a 100 km. And the fact that the path up the mountain consists of neatly hewn stone steps does...