Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 48 (Color Image)

0048	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

22 PEKING TO LHASA

on the north-west side, below which there is a

sharp precipice of some 2000 feet. Down below

pine trees can be seen. The hill-sides, when not

rocky, are covered with bracken, wild flowers and

occasional fruit trees now in blossom ; and wild

goats, leopards and wolves are to be found.

After climbing for three hours, Pereira reached

the half-way temple, Ch'ing-ko-p'ing (altitude

5000 feet), where he stayed the night. It stands

at the end of the valley under the perpendicular

walls of the lower ridge of the Hwa Shan on the

left, the precipices of the Hsi-feng in front and

steep but accessible hills on the left. Here he was

given a quite comfortable and clean room with a

kang to lie on and thick coverlets. In accordance

with the usual custom in Chinese temples he was

offered a circular box, divided, like the eight

Chinese diagrams, into eight outer compartments

and one in the centre, containing different kinds

of sweetmeat. Cups were then produced and

filled with tea. And for dinner he had some really

excellent small Irish potatoes with Chinese vermi-

celli and bread, whilst the remainder of his party

had a regular Chinese meal. The potatoes were

grown on the mountain, but most of the other

provisions had been brought from the plain.

The next day, starting at 7.30, he began the

real ascent of the mountain, making for the

Pei-feng of northern peak (6280 feet). Close by

the temple was a small circular cave hewn out

of the solid rock about 20 feet high and 20

feet in diameter, with a circular roof, and filled

with the usual hideous idols of the country. A

difficult path up rocks a little above it leads to

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