Visiting Mount Luofu - A Sacred Taoist Mountain in China

As a child growing up, I heard a lot of stories about Luofu Shan ( Mount Luofu). Luofu Shan, celebrated as a mystical mountain was recognized as one of China's Ten Famous Mountains. Being in the Huizhu area, we were indeed very close to Mount Luofu and decided to pay a visit there. After comparing the prices between the fast train tickets and taking a taxi, we decided to take the Didi - the local counterpart of Uber from our hotel in Huizhu to our next destination. After a 45 minutes ride,(cost 90 Yuens) we arrived at Mount Luofu, not bad at all.

Mount Luofu, a sacred Taoist mountain has been associated with a famous Taoist master, Ge Hong, an Eastern Jin dynasty alchemist who spent 36 years living and practicing on Luofu Shan. Relics of his time there, including his alchemical kitchen and can still be found. Numerous famous historical figures, poets, and scholars have been drawn to Lofu Shan, including Tang dynasty poets Li Bai and Du Fu, and Song dynasty poet Su Dongpo. Su Dongpo famously wrote a poem about his appreciation for the local fruit. Located on the northern tropical line, the mountain has a mild subtropical climate that supports over 1,200 types of medicinal plants.

The unique blend of subtropical and mountainous foliage contributes to the traditional Chinese medicine culture of the Lingnan region. Mount Luofu is known for its rich natural beauty, including numerous peaks, waterfalls, and springs.

Unfortunately, we were there during the rainy season and on the afternoon we visited, it was raining cats and dogs most of the afternoon. We were relieved when we found a nice cafe in the park where we could take shelter and enjoy the local special drink - lattie with local tofu, very good indeed!

Though there were lots to see and do at Luofu Shan, we only got a tiny glimpse of what this famous mountain had to offered due to the continuous downpour. We couldn't take the cable car ride nor could we hike the scenic trails. We had to leave after a couple of hours in the cafe as it was starting to get dark.

We had dinner at a neighbourhood restaurant and wanted to try the local favoutite food - a special chicken dish. However, the restaurant only served a whole chicken for that dish. Knowing that we would be unable to finish the whole chicken, we ordered a tofu and a taro and Japanese pumpkin dish instead. They were very good! We enjoyed our day and the beautiful scenery! Having heard so much about Mount Luofu, I was delighted to be there and learned more about it. The next day, we left Mount Luofu via the fast train and went back to Guangzhou to continue the next part of our holiday.

R.T. LUOFU SHAN GUANGDONG, CHINA 062925