In the afternoon after visiting Lijiang River we headed underground to a fascinating limestone labyrinth known as the “Silver Cave”. Running through 12 mountains the subterranean tour covers approximately 2 km and takes about 1 hour to complete with a guide giving copious information about each rock formation (great if you understand Chinese, not so great if you don’t!).
The cave has been well adapted for tourists with concrete floors and stairs so the able-bodied will have no problem getting around. Creative lighting has been used to highlight the cave with its many stalactites (the ones hanging from the roof) and stalagmites (those built up on the floor of a cavern). There are a number of natural pools which are so perfectly still that they act as giant mirrors and make the enormous space appear even larger.
Funnily enough one of my Chinese colleagues commented during the tour “do you think these are real?” which I think pretty much encapsulates a lot about China right now. They were of course the genuine article but as with so much in China it’s always hard to tell!
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If you’ve ever spent 12 hours on an uncomfortable bus then you may have some sympathy for my travels last weekend when I visited Yangshuo. Coupled with the discomfort of 5ft long metal bunk beds and poorly surfaced freight roads traversing China’s southern interior then you know you’re in for an unpleasant journey. Experiencing this twice in 3 days was verging on the bounds of my tolerance and I certainly wont be in a hurry to repeat it. That said the destination was just about worth the discomfort!
Surrounded by karsk peaks the spectacular back drop of Yangshou is located in Guilin, Guangxi Province, Southern China. My company had arranged a weekend trip there so about 70 of us from various departments piled into two buses on Friday night after work which took us on the tortuous journey arriving the next morning (having got stuck in heavy traffic overnight). Our first destination was a trip on the famous Lijiang River which is featured on the back on of the 20 Yuan bank note. With everyone fairly bleary eyed this was the perfect way to begin the day with the scenery certainly being an eye opener.
Although the area now clearly caters for the tourist industry as it’s primary source of income it is still significantly poorer than the larger cities which was a new side of China to me since most of my time has been spent in the massive mega-cities. The main thing which still resonates with me everywhere I go in China is the rapid development going on, often at the expense of the natural environment and done at such a pace that the quality is pretty bad.
Whilst our boat (along with about a hundred others) slowly meandered down the river most people were busily snapping photos of each other and the landscape in predictable Chinese style. The weather was a bit overcast but I think my pics came out OK.
To be continued…
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Continuing on from my previous posts here’s a collection of pseudo-random shots from my Hong Kong trip last weekend starting with a shot from the waterfront on the Avenue of Stars looking towards Hong Kong Island and the amazing vista of skyscrapers which line the shore. Later I’ll stitch all the photos together into a panorama. It’s quite a sureal sight for a newcomer to the city.
On the tram… they travel so close together you could almost reach out and shake the hand of the person in the one infront! Travelling by tram is a great way to see the island, costs next to nothing ($2 HKD per trip), and has a certain charm to it compared with the bus or MTR.
Weirdly enough there’s a whole market dedicated to the sale of goldfish on Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok. Presumably with such tight living space a goldfish makes a perfect pet!
Godzilla takes on a new appearance for the 21st Century in down town Admiralty, much more appealing!
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The first area I headed for in Hong Kong was Sheung Wan on the far north-western side of Hong Kong Island. It attracted my eye as being one the last remaining vestiges of “old Hong Kong” retaining a much older and chaotic character than the gleaming central district which neighbours it to the east.
Along with expensive antique shops the area also boasts many traditional retailers and three small temples, one dating back to the 18th Century (Man Mo Temple). Probably the most interesting shops can be found on Des Voeux Rd West which is lined with dried seafood outlets piled high with all sorts of strange smelling goods.
The area is best explored by foot although there are plenty of trams and buses along the main street. It took me a little over two hours to explore the area, following a suggested walking route in my guide book (Lonely Planet City Guide). For lunch I grabbed a simple meal at a small restaurant, I don’t remember the name but was cheap and delicious! One of the most convenient things about HK is that most people speak fairly good English and menu’s will often have duel languages.
Even though change is an inevitable fact in China hopefully Sheung Wan will survive a bit longer to continue life as a living museum and a thoroughly facinating place to enjoy.
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I just got back from a great weekend in Hong Kong. This was the breathtaking view I enjoyed from Victoria Peak last night looking out over the skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island and Victoria Harbour beyond. I’ll post more in the next couple of days about where I went etc but sufficed to say I loved it! Even though it’s just an hour from Shenzhen, Hong Kong is a world away from China and the British influence is clearly still in evidence.
I’ve only just scratched the surface of what HK has to offer but I’m sure it will become my haven for times when I get fed up of China!!
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