Hermit Ming, a modern hermit on Zhongnan Mountain.

By Jiang Yuxia

Cherishing his reverence and curiosity for Chinese hermits, writer Zhou Yu was eager to change his fast-paced urban life. He thus embarked on a journey, in the spring of 2010, to seek hermits in the legendary Zhongnan Mountain, one of the birthplaces of Taoism, in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Hermits in history

Zhongnan Mountain, also known as Taiyi or Difei Mountain, is a section of the Qinling Mountains with the reputation of "Fairyland," "the first paradise under heaven" and  a home to hermits for over 3,000 years. Legend has it that Laozi, the renowned philosopher of ancient China and considered the founder of Taoism, preached scriptures and nurtured the idea for his classic work Tao Te Ching here.

After going through an arduous trip through precipitous valleys, traversing rugged paths, Zhou came across "Hermit Ming," who has resided in a thatched valley cottage for a decade, living an ascetic and self-sufficient life.

Although Ming does not meet the typical image of ancient hermits, his unique lifestyle, both traditional and modern, and charisma aroused Zhou's interest enough for him to stay and turn the story of his solitary life into his latest book, Bai Yun Shen Chu (Deep in the Clouds).

During his sojourn at the cottage, Zhou replicated Ming's lifestyle: an early  morning start to do chores including hoeing  weeds, tilling land and picking herbs; two meals a day, snack and tea at lunchtime, dinner at four; then a walk before settling down to read sutras or do other chores. By sunset, both returned to Ming's dwelling, falling asleep to the sounds of springs, wind and birds.

Hermits are "unique images that ancient Chinese culture has nurtured. [They] represent Chinese people's pursuit of an ideal way of life," Zhou told the Global Times. "Their lifestyle is completely self-supporting, without demanding too much from the outside world."

Hermits in the mountains since ancient times are not limited to Taoists or Buddhists, but also poets, political figures and average people.

 "For hermits, to live a secluded life and practice Daoism or Buddhism is not solely about 'benevolence,' but living a real, simple life…What they do is to make their heart bright, clear and natural," explained Zhou, who is also editor of Wendao (Seeking Way), a magazine dedicated to promoting traditional Chinese culture.

Birth of a hermit

Born into a wealthy South China family of Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners for generations, Ming was beset with strict rules, complex relationships and feuds among  family members from a young age. After witnessing a series of mishaps and the death of his mother at eight, Ming left his family at 17 and began his long-cherished dream of traveling around the country to seek answers to the many questions that had bothered him, including life and death. With only an aluminum mug and two lighters, Ming traveled all the way to Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Hubei and other provinces before he finally settled down at Zhongnan Mountain.

In the valley, he built his own cottage with help from other hermits and villagers living at the foot of the mountain, spending time growing vegetables, practicing Taosim and doing his chores. Unlike those secluded hermits recorded in old books, Ming is unconventional: He does not reject the outside world or its civilization. He has a telephone at his place to keep  contact with other hermit friends while they  travel around and is skilled at riding a motorbike. He has shared quarters with a female hermit for a decade. Ming has explored as far as Nepal to have a look of the outside world and is friendly to unexpected, curious visitors.

"Hermit Ming lives in the mountain not only to practice Taoism, but to have a place where he can live a life in which he can face disputes peacefully," the author writes in the book. "Only in this way are his mind and body able to grow like trees and flowers to show their natural side."

Book cover of Bai Yun Shen Chu.

According to Ming, "the major reason that we have too many agonies is because we receive too much information and we are not good at dealing with it properly. Then you become unhappy…When you live in the mountain, you have time to think about problems."

Ming's lifestyle has also evoked Zhou to ponder modern urban life and even seek a way out. "In our life, most of the time we are asking for things from others to satisfy our endless demands. Hermits, however, are the other way round," Zhou said.

"I found the possibility of a [new] lifestyle. When we feel bothered, we begin to examine our lives and ask ourselves if there are chances to change it. To some extend, many hermits in Zhongnan Mountain can be called seekers of a new lifestyle."

In recent years, more and more people have become interested in the exclusive life led by the hermits in Zhongnan Mountain, especially following the publication of books such as Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits by American author and translator Bill Porter in 1993. 

"Everyone wishes that he or she has the chance to get to know about his or her own life again and the lifestyle of hermits provides us another picture…When they realize that they need to make adjustments to their lives, they go to the mountains to seek them," Zhou said.

However, he added, real hermits don't have to live in mountains. "If you don't have peace and quiet in your heart, you cannot have tranquility even if you live deep in the mountains.

"Start with the simplest practice: To get to know your needs and desires, and find a proper position for yourself. If you can do that, you can find peace and quiet even if you live in the city."

Book tag

Bai Yun Shen Chu, by Zhou Yu, 254pp, Jilin Publishing Group, 26 yuan ($3.95)