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In China, hunt on for Loch Ness monster
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-06 11:26 No monsters present themselves to Yuan's group during their nighttime visit
to the lake.
But still, Qu Yuan, a 26-year-old nurse, is thrilled.
"I kept my eyes on the water," she says, beaming. "The waves were lapping at
our feet. It was almost like we were one with the lake."
She adds: "I couldn't see anything but I could feel there was life out there.
It was a wonderful feeling."
But Yuan wants more.
He has written two books and numerous essays on the mystery. He says he is
asked to speak on it regularly by different schools and organizations, and gets
calls, letters and photos from people who think they may have seen the huguai.
What's the next step then in his quest to find the truth?
To catch a fish and study it, Yuan says. But it's not easy on a lake this
big.
On the last day of their visit, Yuan's group treks up to the "Fish Viewing
Pavilion," perched high on a mountain overlooking the lake. Thousands of
tourists are snapping photos.
Breathless and hopeful, Yuan stands on a nearby bluff, hands shielding his
eyes from the sun as he looks down onto the water, hoping for a glimpse of the
monsters to honor the 20th anniversary of his first sighting.
"It's hard, it's hard," he mutters to himself as he starts a video camera
rolling. "They can be anywhere."
After an hour or so of moving from point to point, a downcast Yuan gives up.
As he begins his descent, he takes one last look at the vista.
"All right," he says. "We're done here."
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