Haven for Endangered Species
The Eyes of Heaven mountain range is a glorious mix of rare and unusual species all thriving together in one luxuriant span of mountainous verdant green. There are 39 "endangered and protected" animals in the range, 3 varieties of plants with the highest level of state protection, as well as 15 other varieties at the second level of protection.
The most majestic of the trees are the cryptomerias that tower over the reserve's pathways. If the mountains have eyes on top, then all along the paths they have heavenly fingers in the form of these cypresses (also called Japanese Cedars), which point so clearly to heaven. The closest things we have to this in the US are the redwoods, which are older and bigger, and carry that same spiritual elegance as Tianmushan's cypresses.
I was glad to see benches by many of the Japanese cedars, and a rest was really welcome in between those steep flights of stairs. It made me think of Thoreau, who said, "I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech-tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines." He would have loved this ancient tree haven, and I bet he would have spent hours with some of the trees here.
I found an article on the web that described the glee and joy of some local forest specialists as they found two species of maple not too far from the Buddhist temple near the top of the mountain that had never been found anywhere else in the world. They had already taken leaves, classified and identified their DNA, so there is no fear of losing the lessons of these precious maple treasures. In the nature reserve section of the range the plants next to the trails are labeled with signs, so you can appreciate what is in front of you, although the two rare maples are not on the trail.
Local Food Specialties
"Cloud and Fog Tea" is produced from wild tea trees growing on the slopes of the mountain, and there are many varieties of herbal plants. I am going to be honest about this tea - I wasn't wild about it. If the flavor was of fog and mist, then perhaps it was accurate. I prefer something more fragrant and delicate, like Guanyin Wang, the Queen of Oolongs that comes from Fujian, or else I like a good stiff cup of Typhoo tea or Yorkshire Gold, enough to put hair on your chest.
Succulent bamboo shoots from the lush local groves of bamboo grow on the lower levels of the mountain, and the local farmers dry them and sell them as snacks. They drive their motorcycle trucks up to the farmer B&Bs during meals, so you can wander outside afterwards and buy some of their dried bamboo shoots, small local kiwis in season, or sweet Chinese hickory nuts, a relative of the pecan, which also grows in the area. Chinese hickory nuts are outrageous - small, but with a flavor somewhere in between the pecan and the walnut. Folks here like to add a very thin but crispy coating of brown sugar on the nuts, and it is so flavorful it is hard to imagine. They also stew and then dry the bamboo shoots with raw peanuts, and this is the local version of potato chips - albeit much healthier. If I could only attach a hickory nut or dried bamboo shoot for you via internet...
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