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Post by helen on Dec 30, 2010 23:38:34 GMT -5
I'm contemplating going here in April - but looking at your photos - maybe I need a cable car. Thanks for the awesome photos Douglas
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Post by douglaslam on Dec 31, 2010 4:37:09 GMT -5
Hi Helen, go to Huangshan you must. You'll find it as I did, a very relaxing experience. If only this tree could talk This is the best known tree in Huangshan, the Welcome Pine. This marks a staging point for the higher peaks. People arriving by cable cars alight here, the station is only a short distance away. There is quite a lot of people milling about taking photos, tour guides herding their flock, a very busy place. It is here we part company with our new found friends as they go on to see the sunrise staying at one of the lodges. Our poor planning means we are missing on one of the highlights of visiting Huangshan. The Welcome Pine is not allowed to succumb to nature's forces. There are guy wires to hold it in place. On the rock face, there is calligraphy by well known individuals. ( To me it is sanctioned graffiti.) This partly obscured work is the writing of Zhu De. Zhu was one of China's ten marshals, a Long March veteran. and perhaps the most senior of them. I remember seeing colour photos of Mao and Zhu in just about every house when I was a little boy in the village. He died before the Cultural Revolution with his reputation intact. Lucky man. Interested in Zhu De ? Just Google his name. Golf any body As there is still plenty of daylight, my daughter and I agree to walk to a cable car station on the other side of the mountain.. She is not keen on walking down the mountain. Along the way, we see many more people than we did on the way up. We pass a TV transmission tower and a weather station. I wonder if these two places get there supplies by helicopter-drop or by cable car. Gondola in the air The ride by cable car down is about fifteen minutes. The cost of 80 RMB / person is more than repaid by the breathtaking scenery. Three Singaporeans share the same car with us. They are only too quick to conclude we two are from Hong Kong.
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Post by douglaslam on Jan 1, 2011 5:52:16 GMT -5
Caught napping A senior moment, I am caught napping. We are all a little tied and hungry. We had only the food and water we brought up with us. We freshen up, then it is off to dinner just across the road. These are some of the dishes we are having. The fish served cold is a local speciality. Quite nice actually. Laojie,Old Street by night This is the pedestrian mall at night. All the shops are open, many, many restaurants to please any palate. Some restaurants have caged live animals for diners to choose from. There is nothing like a leisurely, relaxing walk after dinner ( as if we hadn't walk enough already). A dog's life A wise old resident of Laojie. " Tourists, who needs them ? A dog can't think in peace where his next meal is going to come from. Just leave me alone."
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Post by helen on Jan 1, 2011 13:44:42 GMT -5
based on you description and photos, we have decided to miss Beijing and spend extra time in Shanghai. Did you book your ticket to Huangshan from Shanghai or inside China?
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Post by Henry on Jan 1, 2011 15:03:15 GMT -5
Hi All,
When we visited Huangshan Mountain - we also stopped in Huangshan city and walked this pedestrian street with all these shops during the day time - we bought some tea and a painting.
Henry
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Post by douglaslam on Jan 2, 2011 2:36:53 GMT -5
Helen and Henry, We did want to go to Huangshan before we left Sydney. But we made no forward plans . With the benefit of hindsight, we could and should have done better, e.g. I revisited a DVD then an VCD from the library to re-live the experience. As a tofu aficionado, I missed Huangshan's famous hairy, mouldy tofu. I also missed sampling a variety which resembles dough nuts in appearance from Xidi. My daughter bought a pair of boots for climbing, that was the only shopping we had done. I should have brought back some of that famous tea. It was logical to go from Shanghai after the Expo. The extensive railway network ensured land transport was the go. We did book ahead for our hostel while we were in Shanghai. There are many places of interest in greater Huangshan. We didn't allow enough time. Overall, for the whole trip, we tried to cover too much ground in far too little time. After Huangshan, it was Nanjing. Nanjing was a destination chosen on impulse. Here it is : Not a choo choo train Not so many years ago, train buffs would come to China to ride steam-powered passenger trains. Now, only diesel locos are pulling the carriages, This is our train for Nanjing. It is not luxurious but comfortable. See my report on the journey on Day 7 , 3rd., Nov. Travelling light This is a common scene in train stations any where in China. People pile all sort of stuff on board which may include animals. These travellers have plenty of room to move because this is the lull before the storm. Starting about now, railway passenger traffic is about to pick up in the lead up to our New Year.
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Post by douglaslam on Jan 3, 2011 6:18:48 GMT -5
Here in Nanjing, I'll try as usual to give my perspective of the city, the little things that I pay attention to. The major attractions are readily available on line which I could hardly improve on. My observations maybe with a human touch, a little off-beat, a little eccentric at times. As some of you may know by now, food plays a central part in my total travel experience. Posting as I do , keeps my mind active in choosing the images and writing up my comments. I hope members will get some holiday season fun reading them in the absence or to complement serious genealogy search. Getting off the train, we are ushered to an underground taxi rank. Nanjing has a Metro system, just like any major city in China. Our hostel is not close to a Metro station, so we opt for taxi travel. Throughout my travels in China, I never had any unhappy incident with taxis. We use public transport a lot. We fall back on taxis as a back up. The fare is so low. Nanjing is a city oozing with history and cultural figures. There is a temple in Confucius' honour, and the precinct is becoming the premier tourist attraction of the city. We did not see the place in daytime, but at night the whole area is lit up in a kaleidoscope of colourful neon. I decline to to pay in order to see the inside of the Temple and others because I know what the Japanese did not destroy, the Red Guards would. Replicas ? NO. www.synotrip.com/nanjing/tourist-attractions/confucius-temple-%28fuzimiao%29-34.shtmlFor our first evening meal, we sample many of the street food stall fares, like this duck blood noodle. Fuzi Miao, Confucius Temple precinct is so alive, we want to come back again.
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Post by douglaslam on Jan 4, 2011 2:54:21 GMT -5
We have only two full days in Nanjing. The choice of what to see for me is easy. Gold Standard The characters in Sun Yat Sen's hand writing, reading right to left, Universal Love. You'll find them replicated where Sun is honoured. Universal Love is one of Sun's ideals in his Three Principles of the People. A visit to the Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum is always on my must-see list. There is no substitute for being there in person. Here, we have a group of older visitors doing what I am coming to Nanjing for. In China, Sun's legacy is downplayed in deference to Mao. There is plenty of films and TV doco-dramas on Mao's Long March and guerrilla war against the Japanese, but I can't recall any on the 1911 Xinhai Revolution led by Sun. Older people had a chance to learn history or events before 1949, Sun will always be remembered. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Yat-sen_MausoleumWe also tour, rather hastily, the Mingxiao Ling Tomb, which is included in the one admission ticket. Not much is left after all the destruction, plundering and neglect. This image captures the autumn splendour of the site. Through these portals Nanjing Normal University is a key university in China. It is very close to our hostel. The campus is a quiet retreat just off the main road, a very inspiring place. I am attracted to the music department by a singer practising her scales. The beautiful soprano voice makes me want to linger on. " If music be the food of love, play on," said a certain bard.
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Post by douglaslam on Jan 5, 2011 5:32:57 GMT -5
We like doing a short excursion of the university. My daughter likes to re-live her year at Beijing almost three years ago, we are keen to find similarities. Come and get it Food is such a central part in our lives, we find NNU is no different from PKU. Here is the main dining hall. It is very orderly, most people pay by prepay credit card. No throw-away chopsticks, and there are two workers just to collect the food scrap, probably for pig farmers. Everyone is expected to clear his/ her own food tray. Up the garden path A very peaceful part of the campus. It is a lovely autumn's late morning. What could this have been We walk along this tunnel, and have no idea what it really is and what it is for. It appears like a bomb shelter, with re-enforced roof and solid metal doors. It could not have been built to shelter from Japanese bombing in 1937. The Japanese moved too quickly. The only conclusion I could come to is the tunnel was built during the years when Mao called for the nation to dig deep tunnels and store large quantities of grain. There was a lot of bad blood between China and the former Soviet Union. Nuclear war was perceived as a real threat. Mao called upon the nation to prepare for such an eventuality. He urged the people to dig nuclear shelters, and store grains. Just like his many policy blunders, it was never thought through. People dug without regard for safety or engineering knowhow. As a result, roof collapse and food wastage were common. In Beijing there is an underground city which is now open to the public, was built at the time. There was acute shortage of building material in Beijing at the time. So Mao ordered the old city walls be torn down for his pet project. He cared not about our past history, just his own place in history. The lunacy of the man !! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_City_%28Beijing%29I think the tunnel in NNU was built for just such a purpose. Of course, I am only having an " educated" guess.
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Post by douglaslam on Jan 6, 2011 1:12:46 GMT -5
Airing clean laundry We are not surprised by the sight of laundry out to dry from the windows at the residential college at NNU. Practicality takes precedence over aesthetic appeal. It is not something you'll find at campuses in Nth. America, or Australia. This is China. We had observed first hand at Peking University in Feb. 2008. Let's go back to the day that we made enrolment and accommodation arrangements. Super Loo This is one of the toilets inside the dorm at PKU where my daughter is going to spend two semesters in 2008. Take note, this is one of a non-squatting one. Where is... Something painfully obvious is missing. Can't you spot it? I think hotw-a-t-e-r is only available at certain hours. Is there a plumber in the house Either the plumber only half finished the job or else he had forgotten about it.
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Post by douglaslam on Jan 7, 2011 6:55:52 GMT -5
Back to the future, at PKU, in Feb., 2008. Be afraid, very afraid This is the most unsettling notice in the bathroom. We are all a little apprehensive by this warning notice. We are prepared to forgo the dorm fee already paid ( I think it was 1,000 RMB / mth. twin share) and look for lodging outside. We look at two places and are less than pleased. In the end, my daughter stays put. It is the right decision after all. At the time , new dormitories across the road from the main campus are under construction. I would imagine superior accommodation, at higher fees, are now ready. Home sweet home This is her twin room, quite spacious for two because the local students are housed four to a room. Her roommate is an American-Chinese girl on a full graduate scholarship with accommodation included. But she chose to live outside of campus, thus my daughter has the room to herself. It is so convenient because there are many eateries on campus. Some classes are held in the same building, she can sleep-in to the last minute. There is much freedom, which you won't find if you moved in a stranger's place as a paying guest . She loves her times at PKU. That's why we are enjoying our walk on the grounds of NNU, just to find similarities and differences. Her year in Beijing and PKU in particular is an enriching experience. Our plan to re-visit Beijing did not go ahead because we simply did not have the time. Notice the ubiquitous thermos. Hot water or tea is so much part of daily life in China.
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Post by douglaslam on Jan 8, 2011 3:55:55 GMT -5
This entry is all about food. We both like trying out different things daily. Lilliputian "jung" On our second night in Nanjing, once again we eat out at Fuzi Miao, Confucius Temple precinct. The choice is simply overwhelming. We look at some of the food outlets and restaurants while trying to make up our minds. These "jung" must have been brought back by Gulliver from his travels. We give it a miss. Instead, we try the hotpot. This is our selection for the steamboat or hotpot. The whole stack of ingredients cost about 45 RMB, less than A$7. Notice: two soups to dunk your food in. One is fiery hot. Some like it hot It is hot and spicy, no questions. I am sweating profusely ! I thought I could handle the heat. I have met my match. Guess who is becoming the best known face on the Forum ?
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Post by geoff on Jan 8, 2011 14:23:22 GMT -5
Douglas,
Looks like eating your way thru China is "hot work" .....& you aren't smiling for the photo this time....lol.
Could you please identify the ingredients of your meal?
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Post by douglaslam on Jan 9, 2011 4:25:04 GMT -5
Geoff, we had about a dozen small serves of this and that, I can't remember them all. We had a lot of non-meat ingredients like fungus, wooden ear, and tofu. ------------------------------------------- It needs to be said, Nanjing has an illustrious past, matching or surpassing that of any ancient city in China. We did not do the city justice by spending a mere two full days there. Well known landmarks such as Xuanwu Lake was overlooked even though it is next to Nanjing Station. Sorry, this clip is in Mandarin and has no English subtitle. The Lake has long been known to me, and I missed a golden opportunity to explore it for its historic richness. From penury to riches This is the biggest imperial examination centre according to the sign. Over sixty thousand candidates would come here from all over the country to vie for imperial honours. In feudal China, the way to get ahead was to study hard and sit for the examination to achieve recognition. For those of us who had spent early childhood in Hong Kong, would surely remember watching those Cantonese film which depict poor scholars who scored top honours in the examination, and returning home in triumph. Royal or Imperial Edict This make-believe Royal Edict announces the top honour zhuang yuan 狀元 is awarded to a scholar from Nanjing in the seventeenth year of the Emperor Qianlong. Everyone must prostrate on the floor and kowtow to receive the Royal Edict in the presence of the Royal Messenger. All must thank the Emperor even the Edict demands harsh punishment like banishment to the desert. This is what I learned from films and operas over the years. There are surviving Royal Edicts which can fetch phenomenal amount at auction sales.
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Post by laohuaqiao on Jan 9, 2011 8:54:20 GMT -5
I just want to mention that Jingde Zhen 景德鎮, for thousands of years the porcelain capital in the world, where you'll find the finest china in China, is only about 100 miles or 160 km from Huangshan. I think it's well worth a side trip there while anyone is ever in Huangshan.
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