Mt. Emei is one of four sacred Buddhist mountains in China, and has long been protected from logging and encroachment by its proximity to the temple complex there. The forest is rich in scent the way that only old growth forests can be - heavily wooded with impressive vines engaging the deciduous trees. It is a glimpse into what the forests of this region looked like centuries ago. The temples are situated here and there from bottom to top, where the peaks jut above the clouds and pagodas appear and disappear in the mists. It can be cold or hot, but is always windy and bright; dark sunglasses are a must here. Broadcast music adds a surreal effect to the uppermost temple area, where a communications tower is oddly, yet appropriately, positioned next to the main temple. Doing the Mt. Emei pilgrimage is something of a rite of passage for many Chinese, Buddhists or not. "Cheaters" hire bearers to haul them for a spell, but the intrepid walk the entire circuit.