C-11.Settled Down in Taiwan -Part three – Cross the Qinling Mountains

 

The situation changes very fast. Not long Dz Yun was ordered to take the group headed to Cheng Du, Sz Chwan. Some of the staff and their families  preferred to stay in Han Jung, not going any further. The rest of the team who wanted to go to Cheng Du followed Dz Yu to continue their journey to an unfamiliar place. They traveled with two trucks with no shed. They planned to get into Sz Chwan via Qinling Mountains.

Qinling Mountains was amajor east-west mountain range in southern Shanxi Province, China. The mountains provide a natural boundary between the North and South of the country, and support a huge variety of plant and wildlife. Some of which is found nowhere else. But the road from one side to the other was with difficulties and set-backs because of those terrifying precipices.

First they put all their lodges in the truck and then have the elders, little children and frail ladies sat in the middle. All the young and strong men and women sat skirt around, to protect the ones sat in the middle from fallout from the truck. Specially for when the truck had to make turns. When it was raining, they would hold the canvas as a canopy. Those circuitous road winding up and down the mountain side which frightened the passengers. It seemed there would a chance for any one of the passengers be flung out of their seat.

There were many place of historic interest and scenic beauty on Qinling Mountains. It’s a place that so many people were longing to visit. Never the less those refugees were not in a mood to enjoy. All they longing was to get to a save place and settle down. So they can live in peace.

It was cold and windy sitting in a open truck every daytime. They prayed hard for not rain! Because the road could be very slippery and the driver could lost control while he was driving on those slippery winding cliffs. The rain might cause some loosing rockslide rolling down from the mountain sides. Every night they jam-packed in some small inn rooms. It was even hardly for them to turn their body while sleeping. Sometime the driver had to stopped the truck to cool down the engine for a shout break. The passengers would take this opportunity to get out the truck and stretch themselves a bit. They could sat under the pine trees enjoy the nature and the peacefulness. Listen to the soughing of the wind in the pines and the beautiful music offered by many different species of birds. The moments they could put down all their worries and anxieties. With the renewed strength to continue their alarmingly dangerous journey and sustain them to their final destination, Cheng-Du..

-to be continued –