While in Shadong Provence, I went to the top of Mount Tai. It's considered a sacred spot in China. It is said that Confucius as well as emperors summited the 5,000-foot (2,000-meter) peak, hoping to make sacrifices to the gods. Today many Chinese people make that same grueling trek as a kind of pilgrimage.
I actually spent the night in a hotel on top of the mountain and then woke up with all the hikers at 3:30 a.m. to head outside for the sunrise. The wind was blowing and it was extremely cold, but I was having a great time just being among the big, enthusiastic crowd. Many people, including myself, were bundled up in thickly insulated Chinese army coats. It stayed dark for a while, but then the beauty of the morning sun exploded through the clouds that were below us. The view was just fantastic, and we all started cheering. People were praying and lighting incense. It made me feel as if I was on a pilgrimage myself.
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My guide and I hired a van to get around, but the driver turned out to be a speed demon. He was flying along this muddy country road when suddenly he hit two fellows riding together on a bicycle. Everything suddenly seemed to be going in slow motion as the men crashed up into our windshield and rolled off the hood onto the ground. We stopped to help them and, incredibly, the two appeared not to be seriously injured. The driver gave them some money and the two staggered away with their banged up bike. I felt quite sick about the whole incident.
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The Chinese know how to throw dinner banquets. While on assignment, I attended quite a few given by friends and others who'd helped me out. For hours we'd all sit around a big table with a lazy Susan in the middle piled high with food, just enjoying each other's company. We raised frequent toasts with glasses of mai tai—a rice liquor—and shouts of "Ganbei!" or "Cheers!"
To the Chinese, these banquets are not just a celebration of friends but also of life. I just love them. I don't think I've ever experienced that kind of explosive camaraderie over the dinner table in the United States.
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