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hengshan is one of 5 sacred buddhist mountains in china. it is the shortest. there were lots of people, and unfortunately the whole thing is becoming quite commercial, with touts trying to sell you stuff along the paths, haggling required for the purchase of anything, and people shouting at us offering car rides to the top. luckily there are lots of little trails criss-crossing the mountain, so there if you feel like bush whacking a little bit you can get away from the crowds.
it was a good hike up - we did a leisurely 4 hours the first afternoon, stayed the night in a hotel about halfway up, and did the last 3 hours the next morning. many people wake up super-early to try to reach the peak for the sun rise. we didn't do that. we slept in instead.
i didn't think the temple at the top was as good as some of the other ones we passed on the climb (there are lots of temples on this mountain), but i think it was more about the accomplishment. we had really great weather - sunny in the day, clear at night, and lots of fresh air!
sorry, i left my camera in black and white mode almost the whole trip. it thought it was pretty neat at the time, but now i wish i'd taken more color shots! =P
