LION’S HEAD DAY

4am: realize I fell asleep with my computer next to me, all lights on, no alarm set

8am: wake up

8:30am: hotel breakfast

8:45am: egg roll crepe with ham across the street

9am: taxi to high-speed rail

9:46am: high-speed rail to Hsinchu

10:30am: taxi to Lion’s Head

11:12am: Arrive in the small parking lot of a visitor center. It’s tranquil and nestled into the side of the mountain. There’s a coy pond before a short ledge. I walk inside and talk to a woman working there (it’s just me and her). I try to explain why I’m there, but at first, I don’t even know what I’m looking for. She offers me a hand-drawn map detailing the vastness of the mountain, which is impossible to read. I call Auntie Stella on speaker phone, who tells me where her family started a few weeks ago. The woman tells me I’m far from that location, as well as the temples. It’s a 15-minute drive or a 2-hour walk. She encourages me to walk, as my taxi already left and there is no one around. I ask her nicely if she can drive me, but she just laughs and says she “rides a motorbike.” I say “that’s okay! I love motorbikes!” But she just keeps laughing… Then someone drives into the lot. She goes out to talk to him, and when I follow her outside moments later, she says this man can drive me. Woo!!

His name is Andy. He’s 46 years old, but looks much younger, and is open to having a good conversation despite the language barrier. He can understand English much better than speak it. We talk during our drive via Google Translate about each others’ jobs. He works in video/sound repair and installation. We arrive at a bigger parking lot. There’s a golden dragon statue leading to a stone path headed up the mountain on the far side of the lot, and a large old building on the opposite side. It’s perhaps where many people on the mountain live, with some tiny shops beneath.

We get out of the car and I compliment his Buddha-amulet necklace. This prompts a deeper conversation where we talk about our philosophies on how to be a good person. Even though he doesn’t make much money, he likes doing things to help people, friends, and animals. He talks about seeing god in every person; about the education system in Taiwan; and how people are taught to be “screws”; we both agree that no matter what country, school teaches students how to be “flags on a chessboard”. After our conversation, I ask Andy if I can take a few photos of him. He agrees, and we do a mini-photoshoot in front of his car. I pay him $100 NTD (he was adamant about not taking it because we’re now friends, but I urge him to accept it as a gift). We exchange Facebook info - he doesn’t believe it’s me in my profile picture (from 2018). He says I “look hungry.” We say goodbye, I teach him how to do a bro shake, and it is a sweet moment. Then I walk past the golden dragon statue headed up the mountain, unsure of my destination, and disappear behind a big rock.

12:30pm: I begin my walk up the mountain, which is almost fully covered by trees. After a few flights of stone steps, I pass by an elderly, worn, shoeless, man selling miscellaneous traditional Chinese items. The next flight of steps leads me to two hut-like shops run by a middle-aged man and woman. The guy gives me a taste of his homemade pine nut butter as it churns, which is warm and delicious. The woman gives me a sip of her homemade chai drink, but it is way too spicy. I buy a pack of dates from her - they look locally picked.

12:38pm: The climb is steep and I’m tired quickly. As I walk higher, I realize how special this place is. I pass temples built into the side of the mountain, and I’m awestruck. These buildings have the most intricate designs and details, present bold and bright colors (even though the paint is fading), and bear countless swastikas (which is hard to comprehend at first). The smell of burning incense is overwhelming. Buddhist chanting blares from a loudspeaker from way above. I’ve seen artwork of shrines in the clouds, a vast forest below, birds flying from tree to tree, but never believed those types of places were real… but they are… it feels like something out of a dream. Along the path, there are many places to sit: seats carved from rocks, wood benches, and mini pagodas. After every few flights of steps, I take a break.

12:52pm: I reach a makeshift visitor center, which is empty, with a temple to its side. There’s also a long patio with numerous tables overlooking the forest. In fact, it seems that most places on this mountain have an emphasis on communal dining. I take a walk around some rooms and find a woman exiting a kitchen. I say I’m looking for someone who might know my great-grandma, and she points me up the mountain. She says there are no nuns or monks at this temple, but there are up there. She offers me vegetarian rice-soup. I tell her I’ll be back! I plan to return before 2 when lunchtime ends, but I never make it back. I wish I could have tried what she was cooking!

1:02pm: After another few flights of steps, I run into a few visitors, all women, preparing to pray at the nearest temple. I also pass two women folding lanterns, who I believe are residents of the mountain. The older woman doesn’t recognize Nun Mother when I show her the picture and isn’t too interested in talking. I walk around the temple, but it’s empty, so I keep walking up the mountain.

1:15pm: It feels like the steps are getting steeper. I eat the dates as fuel, and spit seeds out in the dirt (I think they’re compostable??). I finally take off my long sleeve, and a couple passes me walking the opposite way, and assures me the top is close. They are the first tourists I’ve seen all day. I keep pushing, but desperately need the hike to be over. Until..

1:24pm: I approach a modest red gate, each pillar lined with Chinese characters, and a swastika. It leads to a long courtyard and another gorgeous temple. This place is fully out in the open, as I’ve reached the peak of the mountain. I’m breathtaken by the view. One side of the courtyard is vast forest, as far as the eye can see - I remember feeling a similar astonishment when first visiting the Grand Canyon. From the other side, beyond the nature, I can make out a city in the distance. The air is clean, calm, and quiet.

I remove my shoes and step through the temple’s sliding door. It’s empty - the only movement comes from a rumba cleaning the floor. Books, school desks, candles, offerings, water bottles, educational posters, and sculptures are placed intentionally around the room. I peek around for a few minutes. Then, a young guy with a full head of hair, and an Amazon package under his arm, enters the building. We nod at each other and he walks into another room. I meditate for a few moments, then start to journal. I spend about 15 minutes writing ~2 pages. One of my final sentences reads how I fully accept that I will not meet someone who knew Nun Mother or Ah-Ma, but that is okay, because I found what I was looking for in other ways. As I wrap up my writing session and prepare to head back down the mountain, the young guy walks into the main room, my room…

1:45pm: His name is Leo. I tell him who I am and why I’m there: my great grandma lived as a nun on this mountain, raised Ah-Ma here, and I’m trying to find someone - anyone - who knew them. I just want to ask what they were like. Leo asks if Nun Mother was Buddhist or Daoist (there is a Dao temple on the mountain too), and I say I think Buddhist. But I don’t even know her real name!

We continue our conversation - Leo is 23, graduated from university, is studying for an entrance exam to pursue a masters in linguistics. He also studies under the head monk and must abide by all of their rules (i.e., limit communication with friends and family, maintain the building, and join 4am/4pm group meditation).

I say I need to get back for 6:30pm dinner in Taipei - he laughs and says I am very brave to still be here, at the highest point of Lion’s Head Mountain. He asks how I plan to get home, and I say taxi to Hsinchu station. He helps me call a taxi company from his phone, but no one will come this far. He says that he is happy to drive me to the bottom of the mountain (~20 mins), so I can call a taxi from down there. We agree to leave by 3pm, since he has to be back for 4pm meditation.

He finally tells me there is a pathway down a few meters leading to a monastery, where only nuns live. He warns that they are very traditional and don’t speak English. I want to go. We practice how to say “do you recognize this person?” in Chinese together and I make sure to have my Google Translate ready. Then, he walks me outside and sends me down a winding pathway.

2:20pm: I walk about 20 meters and arrive at the nun-temple, but the gate is locked shut. I assume this is the end of my search. Before I turn to walk away, I spot a woman across the yard performing chores, and find the courage to get her attention. She walks to me - it’s clear that she’s a helper and not a nun. I tell her why I’m there, she tells me to wait, and disappears inside. A few minutes later, she quietly returns, unlocks the gate, and instructs me to follow her. I step foot onto their property.

2:30pm: The woman leads me to an outdoor terrace and sits me down at a low table next to a middle-aged, bald nun. She knows a bit of English. I explain my intentions. She sips a drink, which I believe to be chai, and listens intently. There are a few older nuns who stop by our table to listen to our conversation - lunch seems to have just ended. They all wear minimalist robes, are hairless, and hold walking sticks. I imagine they’ve all renounced ownership of everything else in their lives. Soft Buddhist chanting plays from inside.

I show the English-speaking nun a photo of Nun Mother. She inspects it, and as other nuns gather, I feel that I’ve entered a world so different from my own. I’m catching a glimpse of a lifestyle that I may never be exposed to again.

The nun does not recognize Nun Mother, but asks if I can send her the photo (via Line), which I do. She plans to see if any other nuns know her, and will message me if so. Then that was that - she has no interest in small talk. I thank her for her time, and I’m sent off.

2:52pm: I arrive back at Leo’s temple (Yuan Guan Si). I pass dormitories, which are open to visitors. They used to be full, but are now almost totally empty. If anyone wants to come and stay at the temple, they are welcome to, free of charge, but are asked to abide by its rules. This is something I would love to do one day with family. I take a solo photo of myself in front of the temple, observe the view once more, and step inside. As I wait, I browse some books on Buddhism. I only find one in English.

3pm: I meet Leo, and we walk to his car. He says that he hasn’t driven for a while, as he’s lived at the temple for ~6 months. I help him move a small gate from the road before we take off.

During the drive, we talk about what it means to be Buddhist, our respective relationships with religion, and the head-shaving practice (people only do this when they are ready to totally commit their lives to Buddhism). He tells me about the head monk, his teacher until death, who is an expert at reading people. And we finally discuss Buddhist dedication, including the essential practice of “exiting” your family.

3:20pm: We arrive at the bottom of the mountain - it’s actually where Andy initially dropped me off. We try calling another taxi, but still no one comes. Leo says he will drive me to the closest town where we can call a cab from a convenience store. I agree, as I don’t really have another choice.

3:45pm: We arrive at 7/11 and find a kiosk that is used for various purposes in Taiwan (i.e., calling rides, filing taxes, printing tickets, etc.). He requests a taxi from the machine, but alas… nothing… He explains that even in this town, it’s difficult to find a ride. We call the main taxi number again, but they don’t even pick up. Leo offers to drive me to the train station directly (another hour, at least). He recites a Taiwanese saying: if you help someone, you should help them to the fullest extent. Do not help someone only when it’s convenient for you.

I tell him I’ll pay 1,000 NTD for the ride, but he refuses the offer. Before leaving, Leo had let one of the monks know that he may be late to their afternoon session, so they know not to wait for him. He says he’s happy to continue talking.

4:10pm: We continue on. Leo is a slow, safe driver. Many times he pulls to the shoulder to let cars pass us. On this ride, we have wonderful conversations about:

Taiwan history

White Terror Period

“Chinese-Taiwanese” and “Taiwanese-Taiwanese” people

Ahm-Gong’s book

Current China/Taiwan relations

Mandatory military service

Taiwan perception of US

Learning different languages

Love for Kobe/basketball

Karma and fate

Leo is very worldly - he has a deep interest in languages and their origins and knows Chinese, Spanish, English, is learning Japanese and others; he also loves history. As our drive comes to an end, I can tell he’s hesitant to go back to the mountain after hearing about my travels. He hasn’t been to the US or Europe, but wants to go, and is eager to travel the world. I assure him that what he is doing is valuable and will pay off with a lifetime of wisdom. We park, exchange Instagrams, and I gift him the money, which he finally accepts. We have a heartfelt goodbye, then I leave the car and walk towards the entrance of the train station and do not look back.

5:25pm: High-speed rail back to Taipei, heading straight to dinner with new family.