Yet, at every stop, I encountered signs pointing toward Mihuntai, which means "mesmerizing platform". After circling around, I decided to consult my phone's map app.

A few minutes later, the legendary sandstone pillars came into view — upright, unfathomable, and spectacular, like giant stone bamboo shoots that have burst through the earth with astonishing force and speed.

I had seen photos of them many times and naively thought they wouldn't be as stunning in real life, given my travels to many magnificent sites across the country.

However, standing before them, I was utterly mesmerized. I could not move and I was speechless, unable to tear my eyes away from these strange, vertical pinnacles. The only thing missing was a layer of clouds to make them appear as though they were truly floating in the air.