Today we went to explore some of the mountains of Northern China! Kircher talks about how the Chinese study and observe mountains with the diligence and rigour of astronomers. Today we can still see the remains of this fascination in the form of countless temples, mansions, paths and grottoes that scatter the mountains.
Kircher talks about how ‘the Chinese’ are unhealthily obsessed with the mountains (calling it insanity at certain points) but he fails to distinguish between the various different faiths and groups that study and worship on the mountains.
On our trip to Mt. Hengshan, we found both Taoist and Buddhist temples on the same mountain that was sacred to many people.
Kircher also mentions some of the legends that are attached to certain mountains. One in particular is the story of Mt. Taipe; on the top of the mountain is a forbidden drum. If one were to strike the drum it would stir up thunder and lightening. Thus, no one is allowed to beat the drum there. Kircher discusses these Chinese superstitions in a rather hypocritical way, declaring in a chapter titled “Scientific Observations…” that Satan is the likely cause of such phenomena and that the Chinese superstitions are “stupid;” hardly an unbiased scientific observation!
