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Blogs from Guangxi, China, Asia
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April 4th 2013
The next day I met Dennis at 9.15am ready to take me to my calligraphy lesson. I was the only one who had decided to take up this option, the others preferring to find some early morning coffee! It also turned out to be the only person having a calligraphy lesson and so sat in the open shop front with beautiful calligraphy paintings and writing hanging all round the walls. It was so still and quiet I really felt so calmed and relaxed and able to concentrate on what I was doing. First I was shown the calligraphy set that all Chinese calligraphers own. It consists of an ink stone/stick with golden dragon filigree work holding it together, a little pot of water that is poured into a shallow dish where the ink stick is rubbed ... read more
April 4th 2013
We set off from central Yangsuo on a mixture of hire bikes - from mountain bikes with 18 gears to road bikes with no gears at all. I chose mine based on the squidginess of the seat and the most upright handle bars to avoid neck ache. We set off with our guide - tiny Sofia - cycling at snails pace at the front which made negotiating traffic on the 'wrong' side of the road interesting with all the braking and freewheeling so as not to crash into her! We eventually got off the main roads and onto the country lane heading into the gorgeous karst mountain scenery I'd been so looking forward to seeing. All around us were the beautiful towering peaks with farmland in between. Aaron in front of me kept shouting 'Nee hau' ... read more
April 3rd 2013
Arriving in the morning we see the scenery has changed and there are the amazing limestone peaks (or karsts) that I've so been longing to see. They were formed years ago when changes in sea levels and erosion from rainwater caused the caves that had formed to collapse leaving the peaks that are seen today. Dennis tells us that during the second world war some of the larger caves in this region were used to hide airplanes. We are very near Guillin, which translates as 'forest of osmanthus' from a famous poem that Dennis read to us. He explained that the poetry expressed the emotions that the rain and mist of the area provokes. The region has 9 ethnic minority groups including one muslim one. According to our tour guide this region, along with Tibet, was ... read more
April 3rd 2013
We set off to explore damp but bustling Yangshuo, a small town on the Li River surrounded by beautiful karst mountains and paddy fields, in Guangxi province. Until the late 1980s it was just a little rural marketplace but then the tourists started to arrive in Yangshuo at the end of their cruise from Guillin. The place became very popular and is now something of a tourist gem with plentiful restaurants and activities on offer. Sadly this means that omnipresent McDonalds and KFC dominate part of the entrance to the main town centre. Side-stepping these mingers we picked a far more salubrious restaurant for brunch. The circular tables all had 'lazy Susans' for rotating the shared dishes. Dennis teaches us some more Chinese to use when in restaurants. So we learn you have to literally SHOUT ... read more
April 3rd 2013
After our much needed afternoon nap we met up with the others to go by taxi with our cookery teacher to the local market where we would check out the produce we'd be using in our lesson. Before we set off our teacher had asked us if we minded seeing the animals for sale as meat. We figured it was better to see things how they really are rather than shy away from difficult sights for western eyes and followed her into the market wondering what horrors we would actually see. First was the huge fruit, vegetables and dried goods section. We saw so many weird looking and colourful fruits and vegetables from massive cucumbers to mangasteens, giant Chinese water melons and pomelos. We also saw lotus roots and a massive table piled high with chillies, ... read more
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March 31st 2013
Beihai was once among the ranks of legendary beaches in the world with its sparkling silver sand that was so loose you would sink a little into the beach every time you took a step. Stories have been told where the beach was once so clean that on a sunny day, the beach would be so bright from the reflecting sun rays that everyone would have to wear a pair of sunglasses just to be able to see. A crowd as legendary as New York City's Times Square would be sitting with umbrellas propped up in the sand and people would swim in the ocean that was so clean you could see the sand 50 feet down. Alas, these stories were from ten years ago when times were simpler and pollution hasn't peaked yet. The Beihai ... read more
March 28th 2013
On the bus journey away from Guilin we’d been lucky enough to catch the express bus which was advertised as being a direct bus. In reality it only stopped half a dozen times to drop people off at points along the route as they negotiated with the driver. For the return journey we headed to the collection point only to see the bus on its way down the street already. Not sure what to do or when the next one was due we had a look about the bus station and found a slightly smaller bus that was advertising itself as the bus to Guilin. We managed to figure out they were charging the same fare so we jumped aboard after storing our bags under the bus. A short while after the bus set off we ... read more
February 20th 2013
Longji Rice Terraces(near Longsheng!) Here in Southern China they grow rice, A LOT OF RICE. The Chinese like to cultivate rice by flooding the fields because it helps helps with soil fertilization, deters both weeds and pests, and keeps pesky vermin away. So how exactly does one grow rice on a hill? You make terraces. A LOT OF TERRACES. The mountainous region around Longsheng is heavily striated with rice fields. The Longji Rice Terraces (aka the Dragon's Backbone) is by far the most spectacular showing of this farm engineering technique with terraces running from valley floor up 1,640 feet to the ridges. We were lucky to have a few hours with a clear view across the valley. Heavy fog banks and strong mists severely limit visibility usually in the winter and early-spring months. The next morning ... read more
Exploring the wind and rain bridges around Chengyang
Published: February 25th 2013Asia » China » Guangxi » Chengyang
February 14th 2013
As we left Da Zhai by bus (very cheap 5 yuan each) the views as we went down the mountain were still obscured by misty rain and heavy fog. An hour and half later we arrived in Longshen - the usual unattractive pile of white tile covered square buildings common in most secondary Chinese towns - where our bus lady directed us onto a bus (10 yuan each) just leaving the terminal. We've been really well looked after (except in Guilin!) by bus staff - they often personally guide us to the correct bus and make sure we get on ok. A couple of hours later we had arrived in Conjiang and were in yet another minibus (40 minutes) enroute to Chengyang. It was a pretty drive and we were really looking forward to spending some ... read more
Rain and fog over the terraces at Da Zhai
Published: February 19th 2013Asia » China » Guangxi » Dazhai
February 13th 2013
To get to the rice terraces of Longshen ( more commonly known as the Dragon Back Terraces) we were expecting to have to go into Yangshuo, catch a bus to Guilin, change bus stations and then catch another bus to the gateway of the area before a final bus into the terraces themselves. We were really pleased when the friendly Belgian guesthouse owner advised us to take the daily Chinese tour bus which would collect us at the guesthouse door and drive us straight to the entrance gate/ticket office. It probably cost a bit more at 180yuan each (this price did include the entrance fee of 80 yuan though) but for the time and hassle saved well worth it. The rice terraces rise from 300 metered above sea level to 800 meters at their highest point. ... read more
