In 1986 Gao was misdiagnosed with lung cancer, and he began a 10-month trek along the Yangtze, which resulted in his novel Soul Mountain (《靈山》).
I 1986 fik Gao en ukorrekt diagnose på lungekræft, og han drog derpå på en ti måneders vandretur langs Yangtze, hvilket resulterede i romanen Åndernes bjerg.