The sound of silence is the height of seclusion

Mao peng (grass hut) is how the hermits refer to their homes, which vary from houses made of brick or adobe to huts made of dry grass. The buildings are dotted around the various peaks.

Zhi recently repaired the mao peng where he and his master live. He replaced the old, fragile bricks with new ones at the end of last year. "Many outsiders think of us as cave men. Although our need for material goods has been minimized as much as possible, we are still civilized," he said.

In common with the other hermits, Zhi's daily routine includes cutting wood for the fire and fetching water from a mountain spring, tasks he sees as part of his meditative routine.

Having lived on the mountain for three years, Zhi described how the change of environment and lifestyle has transformed him. "I am woken up by birds singing, instead of car horns and I go to bed when the sun goes down, I have become at peace and can truly focus."

Zhi used to be a well-paid salesman in a city he refused to name. "Back then I felt rushed all the time, but didn't know why," he recalled. "So many questions popped into my head and society was unable to provide me with answers. I felt like I was carrying a very heavy backpack all the time. I couldn't move on without unloading it.

"I used to work day and night to buy a bigger house, but now I realize that all I need is a roof over my head," he said, while boiling spring water for tea. Zhi said he will leave Zhongnan when he is ready and will pass on what he has learned to others. "It's a bit like advanced studies here. Afterwards, I can influence others," he said.

The natural world

Qing Yi, who lives close to Zhi, has been a resident of the mountain and practicing Buddhism for eight years. He isn't alone, though, as his 9-year-old daughter Xixi has been living with him since the age of three. Qing, who is in his 50s, insisted on educating his daughter himself about the beauty of the natural world. "I would love my daughter to learn from how trees grow and how the seasons change. Nature is the best teacher," he said.

Zhi Jun, 33, a lay practitioner who has lived on the mountain for three years.