Mt. Lushan

We leave today for Guangzhou, but I'd really like to tell you about Mt. Lushan before we go. Mt. Lu is about a 2 hour drive from Nanchang. We left at 8:00 Sunday morning and didn'g get back until 7:00pm - a long day, but so worth it! Mt. Lu is absolutely breathtaking. It reminded us a lot of the rocky mountains with every green trees and peaks and valleys. There is a perfectly maintained stone path that follows the mountain up, down, and around and the whole while all you see is God's beautiful creation. A great way to spend a Sunday morning if you're not able to be with your church family! There were moments that were a little scary as the path drops off to very steep cliffs in many places. There were also many steep stairs going up and down. At the top there is a Dauist temple. Sissi said a priest found healing water inside a cave there and a statue of the man who found it marks the spot.

Jaden was a champ today! The walk was long, but he led he way with his friend Sissi and had a great time helping her keep everyone together. He's in his element when he's in front and in charge! Lu slept through most of it in the sling. Bryan's ankle is pretty sore after the day, but worth it all he said!



Lu is enjoying breakfast on the bus ride up. She is such a good eater! She'll down a bottle in no time flat and will also eat well from a spoon at meals. She enjoys rice congee which is like a broken up rice soup, steamed eggs and is a sport about trying new veggies and meat patty soup.



A great spot for a picture at a stop in the road.

Lu is already a Daddy's girl! We thought she might have a hard time with Bryan since he's so big, but she was taken with him from the first moment!

There were little spots to buy souveniers along the way. This man was writing beautiful caligraphy - I wish we had time to have him write something for us. Jaden got this sword at this stop and this man was particularly taken with Jade and his sword skills! Don't you love his traditional dress?

This was a picture spot where it looks like you're touching the rocks to your left, but in actuality they are quite a ways in the distance. Careful Bryan! It's a long way down!

As you can see we have been picking up on the local martial arts - Hill style! Unfortunately they are calling it Tae Quon Dork.

Holy shamoli! Look how steep these stairs are! Bryan's size 15 feet did not fit even a little - he had to walk down sideways!

A veiw from the stairs facing back.

These beautiful paths were all the way around the mountain. We were struck by how perfect they were and how well maintained - not a scrap of trash anywhere.

Chinese signs are more graphic than our Americans signs are!

This is the statue in the cave where the healing water was found. There are people in traditional dress in front that sell little red icons that people can write prayers on and leave in hopes that they will be answered. The sticks are insense that is burning.

This statue is inside the temple.

A pagoda for burning incense right outside the temple.

These are just a portion of all the red icons with prayers written on them that visitors have left behind.

We got to know one another very well at this meal! Fourteen of us squished in at this itty bitty table - that doesn't even count the seven babies on our laps!

Lu is happy to be out of the sling!

Love that the rice is served in buckets!

Once we were done with dinner we took a walk through the town at the base of Mt. Lu. Jaden saw some kids playing tag and asked Sissi to translate that he wanted to join them. They were having fun until he realized...

they tag in a much different way!

A sweet end to a perfect day!