In the mountain village of Minyuan, nuns live in small communities of farmhouses, Jiuhua Shan
Every year in early summer, thousands of monks gather to celebrate the birthday of Wenshu, Wutai Shan
The Tian Zhu Feng peak towers over the monastery town on the Daoist Wudang Shan like a pillar
Despite his advanced age, this monk has mastered the half lotus position, Wudang Shan
Playing the flute is part of being a Daoist monk, Wudang Shan
There are still numerous hard-to-reach hermitages in the rock faces of the side valleys, Hua Shan
Even beds and furniture are dragged up the steep stone steps of the pilgrimage route by porters, Hua Shan
When porters and pilgrims meet, it gets narrow on these extremely steep stairs, Hua Shan
Despite the cable car to the summit, numerous porters hire themselves out for €1 a day for a 6-hour climb, Hua Shan
"May water and sky merge" proclaim the stone engravings on the southern summit of Hua Shan
A hermit has set up a burial cave for the dead of the Sino-Japanese war as a place of prayer, Wutai Shan
The "Hanging Monastery" rests on ledges and wooden poles in a rock face on the Heng Shan
Today, the once Daoist "Hanging Monastery" in the rock face of the Heng Shan only serves as a tourist attraction
In front of the most famous Tai Shan inscription, a Daoist monk demonstrates a classic Taiji exercise
30 monks live in the mist-shrouded monastery of the Bixia Si Temple, Tai Shan
A monk uses the time behind the sales counter for Taiji exercises, Tai Shan
For long life and wealth, believers sacrifice lucky ribbons and money to the Daoist deities, Tai Shan
A red-roofed monastery town is grouped around the 1613-meter-high summit of Wudang Shan
The master's open-topped hat and black coat are typical of the northern school of Daoists, Hua Shan
Communal kitchen in the monastery on the western summit of Hua Shan
The village barber in the village of Chenkau near Hongcun at the foot of the Huang Shan is still loyal to Mao
Porters carry loads on ancient frames that far exceed their own body weight, Emei Shan
Only chain-secured footbridge 800 meters above the abyss in the steep face of the south summit, Hua Shan
The Blue Dragon Ridge is the only connection and turns the mountain monasteries into a fortress, Hua Shan
In exposed places, the safety chains have worn away badly over the centuries, Hua Shan
Meditating monk on the summit of Wudan Shan
A porter passes an incense burner in front of Tianchi Monastery, Minyuan Village, Jiuhua Shan
The evergreen monsoon forest surrounds the temples, such as the Hong Chun Ping Monastery here, Emei Shan
Old monk in a remote small monastery in Hua Shan, 1987
After the work is done, the cooks in the monastery kitchen treat themselves to a game of Chinese chess, Emei Shan 1987
The photographer practises Chinese calligraphy in a monastery during the three-day ascent to the summit plateau, Emei Shan
Temple of Puji Si is surrounded by high walls, Putuo Shan monastery island
The temples of Puji Si are framed by ancient and beautiful gingko trees, Putuo Shan monastery island
Wall detail on the monastery walls of Putuo Shan
Gardening at the Daoist nunnery Huangting Si in southern Heng Shan
Buddhist monks leave the Shaolin monastery in festive regalia, Song Shan
In a small residential courtyard of the Shaolin monastery, two kungfu students fight for real defense, Song Shan
Students at a kungfu boarding school in the county town of Dengfeng, just a few kilometers from Shaolin, Song Shan
30.000 boys and girls are trained here in Dengfeng, hoping for a career as a teacher or bodyguard
Dormitory in one of the kungfu boarding schools in 2003, Song Shan
This is what the dormitories at the kungfu boarding school looked like in 1987, Dengfeng, Song Shan
Training yard in a kungfu school in Dengfeng in 1987
The Taizi Po temple on Wudang Shan with its oxblood-red walls is one of China's most outstanding religious buildings, 2003
Nun in the Fuhu monastery on the Buddhist mountain Emei Shan
Monastic idyll in Jiuhua Shan
Porter passes the wooden sound fish, Jiuhua Shan, at Qiyuan Monastery
Five high-ranking monks wearing lotus-shaped hats lead a ceremony at Qi Yuan Si Monastery, Jiuhua Shan
Light pilgrim food: rice soup, lotus root and beans, Emei Shan
Quick meal and pilgrim's refreshment between meals: Noodles, onions and sugar, Emei Shan
Entrance door to a monastery on the Wutai Shan
2070 meters above sea level, the Elephant Bathing Pond Monastery is the second stage of the ascent to the summit, Emei Shan 1987
Pilgrims need three days for the 50 km ascent to the summit plateau and can spend the night in monasteries like this one, Emei Shan 1987
Monastery kitchen in a mountain monastery on the 50 km ascent to the Emei Shan, 1987
The classic raffia pilgrim sandals are rarely worn anymore, Emei Shan 1987
Food along the way on the Emei Shan pilgrimage route, cucumbers and tea eggs, Emei Shan
6.600 steps lead up the Eighteen Winding Stairs to the 1,545 m high summit of Tai Shan
The steps are steepest on the last section before the South Heavenly Gate, especially for the porters
Just below the summit is the monastery of the "Princess of the Rainbow Dawn", Tai Shan
A showman at Tai Shan attracts visitors with a little monkey dressed up as Monkey King Sun Wukong
Many commercial and residential buildings in the villages of Hongcun were spared the devastation of the Cultural Revolution
With touring rucksack, tripod and photo bag (front), there were sometimes steep passages to negotiate, Hua Shan
Author Uli Franz climbs up slippery steps to a lonely hermitage ahead, Hua Shan
The descent from the Lotus Blossom Peak of the Yellow Mountains to the Jade Curtain Hotel is extremely steep, Huang Shan
In the rain and fog, the stairways carved into the rock look particularly mystical, Huang Shan
In winter, the Yellow Mountains are powdered white and deserted, the stairs are extremely dangerous, Huang Shan
We wait a few days for the famous fog banks in the Huang Shan for nothing
Stone tablets make it easier to find your way around the snow-covered labyrinth of paths on the Huang Shan
The gigantic white stupa towers over the temples of Tayuan on the holy mountain of Wutai Shan
Typical of the Wutai Shan are the prayer flags in the colors of the five elements, Wutai Shan
The main town of Taihuai consists of a walled labyrinth of monasteries, Wutai Shan
108 prayer wheels and numerous Buddha niches are located in the base of the White Stupa, Wutai Shan
In summer, a few monks also live in the temple on the 3085-meter-high northern terrace of the Wutai Shan
At the foot of the Huang Shan there are some well-preserved villages with manor houses from the Ming period
Traditionelle Küche in einem historischen Wohnhaus in Hongcun, Huang Shan
Many of the old merchant and manor houses in Xixi and Hongcun are decorated with ornate wood carvings, Huang Shan
Coal stoves in wooden tubs warm the restaurant guests in sub-zero temperatures, Lo Cun, Huang Shan
Stopover at an airport hotel on the way to a sacred mountain
Heavy rain has transformed the load of this tricycle from light cardboard into a load weighing several tons
The village pond of Hongcun has already served as the backdrop for many films, so it certainly sells ham, Huang Shan
Porters carry tourists in palanquins to Nanya Palace on the Wudang Shan
After the prayer in front of the Great Buddha Hall, Song Shan
In the great Buddha hall of the Shaolin monastery, the devotion has visibly tired out the monk at the drum, Song Shan
From the top of the "Ten Kings", the view sweeps over the Tian Tai Feng summit monastery on Jiuhua Shan
"May water and sky merge" - southern summit of the Hua Shan

China's Sacred Mountains (2003-2004)

Nine sacred mountains of Buddhism and Daoism were and are the "spiritual backbone" of Chinese culture. Until the 1930s, they were also a popular tourist destination for Western visitors. During Mao's Cultural Revolution, the monasteries were plundered and torn down, and believers, monks and nuns were brutally expelled, imprisoned and murdered. in 1987, Karl and Jackie had already climbed some of the mountains and carried out initial research. in 2003, the photographer visited these legendary mountains and the people who often live there today on six extensive trips together with the author and China expert Uli Franz (both were long-time Maoist believers). Their particular concern was to document what was left of this spiritual heritage after the brutal destruction. The photographs were initially taken on analog film, then in 2003, with the acquisition of the first digital SLR with a KB full-frame sensor, also digitally. This meant that, in addition to countless cans of film, the backpack also had to accommodate heavy digital equipment. The photo book was published in the fall of 2004 by the renowned publishing house Frederking&Thaler and was nominated for the German Photo Book Award.