Millions of people climb Mount Tai for one reason. To see the sunrise. Our alarm went off at 3:50 a.m. and by 4:00 i was stumbling out the door into the crisp, dark morning. To walk to the sunrise peak is no easy walk. It’s at least 20 minutes with many more stairs to climb. This time though, the thickness of the crowd pushed me up the stairs. Everyone was flocking to the perfect spot to see the sun welcome us to a new day. I sat on the edge of a rock among hundreds of spectators. Everyone had their camera in hand, eagerly waiting for the moment. Then, after an hour of waiting, the tip of the sun peaked through the clouds and everyone gasped in unison. Next, it was chaos as people scrambled to get the perfect picture. I managed to get a few decent pictures while avoiding all the people running around in front of my camera.

After six hour of hiking, eating mediocre food, and then waking up at 3:50 a.m. i would say the sunrise was well worth it. Sore muscles and all. I’m not sure how many people from the west get to experience such a sight as this, so i hope my pictures can somehow do it justice.

The sunrise at Mount Tai is definitely the #1 reason to make the hike. Check back later for the #1 reason NOT to make the hike.