Arriving late on a Saturday night I headed straight to my accommodation in the Phaya Thai (พญาไท) district and had a quick bite for dinner. The next morning I took the BTS Skytrain (Bangkoks elevated rapid transit system) to Ratchathewi station (ราชเทวี - when pronounced sounds a lot like ratatouille!) in search of the Khlong Saen Saeb canal.

The surrounding neighbourhood here seemed to be a bit run-down but there were some interesting old houses along the canal bank and some particularly cryptic looking graffiti.

An express canal boat service operates on the Saen Saeb, providing fast and inexpensive (if a somewhat smelly) transportation through traffic-congested central Bangkok. I hopped on at Sapan Hua Chang and stayed on till the terminal stop of Panfa Leelard – be sure not to dawdle when boarding/disembarking since these guys don’t hang about!

The service has a checkered reputation, due to the polluted water in the Khlong and the haphazard nature in which the service is operated. The boats are equipped with little curtains to prevent you getting splashed by the dirty water but that doesn’t help the ticket collectors who clamber around on the outside of the boat, ducking at bridges, as it barrels down the canal at full speed!

Check out my short video below to get an idea of what the journey is like:

My intended destination Wat Saket and the Golden Mount (ภูเขาทอง) in Eastern Rattanakosin, a short distance by foot from the canal. This Buddhist temple contains an artificial hill within its compound with nice views over the city.

A spiral staircase of 318 steps leads from the ground to a terrace and shrine-room with a string of bells along the way for pilgrims to sound.

Although there were a fair few people wandering around, the atmosphere was calm and the terrace made for a perfect platform to take in the panoramic view of the city, which is fairly flat and devoid of any huge skyscrapers.

The golden cone on top of the mount is technically called a chedi (เจดีย์) and many can be seen all over the city. They contain Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha (in this case purportedly coming all the way from India).

The view from the other side.

A short distance away between Wat Suthat and the city hall, is the Giant Swing (เสาชิงช้า), a huge red frame that was used in an annual ceremony where teams of young men would try to swing high enough to retrieve a sack of coins that was tied to a pole about 25 metres high in the air. The ceremony has been banned since 1932, as many people got injured or died trying. Shame!

When crossing the road in Bangkok be sure to make sure you’re not in the path of one these three-wheeled devils; a tuk-tuk (ตุ๊กตุ๊ก – pronounced “took-took”) which sounds a lot like its name. More on these in a later post.

Walking around the streets nearby you can find many shops containing religious paraphernalia and various handicrafts. If your legs are feeling tired you might want to take a rest in the nearby Rommaninat Park but be sure not to lie down on the grass or a grumpy police officer might tell you off!

I had lunch in a small cafe/restaurant next to the city hall which was open on one side to the street.

The food wasn’t much to talk about but the Thai ice milk tea (ชาเย็น) was excellent. Similar to Hong Kong it’s made from strongly brewed black tea sweetened with sugar and condensed milk then served chilled.

In the afternoon I headed north to visit Chatuchak Weekend Market (จตุจักร) which sits on an enormous site covering over 35 acres and contains upwards of 8,000 stalls. Unless you like shopping in hot crowded conditions then you might want to give this a miss – a far better bet would be to visit the Talad Rot Fai Train Market nearby that runs during the evening at weekends (see the link for details).

Related posts you might like:

1. Wuzhen – Ancient Canal Town
2. Venice
3. Curse of the Golden Flower

The star ferry making its way towards Hong Kong Island under a muggy sunset

Along the way I got to know Hong Kong a little better, made a short film, moved house four times (never again), paid my second visit to the US, my sixth to South Korea, built three apps, met some cute pandas, and worked more hours than I care to remember.

The year of the rabbit was one of the best to date.

When was the last time you drew all over your hotel rooms wall?!

“Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.”

The fears, uncertainties, and doubts that come with embracing change are never easy to handle but every time I worry about the impact of doing or not doing something I make myself read the above. Life is short.

The River Chet in Norfolk (UK) nearby where I spent Christmas

Because of my new job I didn’t blog or travel quite as much as I have done in previous years but in 2012 I hope to make better use of my holidays (15 days a year if you can believe it) and already have my eye on trips to Southeast Asia and back to Japan. I still feel my photographic skills have a long way to go so will try and step out of automatic mode a little more often.

The Gardens of Hampton Court Palace in Greater London

Randomwire was viewed about 700,000 times in 2011 (around 8x the capacity of the London Olympic Stadium!) and if you were one of them a big thank you. You’ll notice that the site has a fresh lick of paint for the new year courtesy of the fabulous Duet theme by The Theme Foundry which allows me to display my photos in a far larger format and is fully responsive across desktop, tablet and mobile devices (try resizing your browser window to see what I mean).

It’s a little late to say Happy New Year but I hope you have a good one

“We look at the present through a rear-view mirror. We march backwards into the future.” – Marshall McLuhan

Related posts you might like:

1. Stereo Future
2. Thinking Backwards
3. Cheung Chau Island

The biggest change since my previous visit there is that the city is now connected by a number of long-distance high-speed rail services, which have been rapidly covering most of China over the past few years. The 968-kilometre (601 mile) Wuhan-Guangzhou route which I took is currently the world’s fastest train service with trains running up to a maximum in-service speed of 350 km/h (217 mph).

The impressive trains are based on technology developed by Siemens (CRH3) and Kawasaki (CRH2) modified to the standards of China Railway High-speed (CRH) and manufactured in China. Unsurprisingly the CRH2 model train I took looks very similar to a Japanese Shinkansen bullet-train. The journey from Guangzhou to Wuhan takes 3.5 hours with one stop at Changsha.

I didn’t take the photo above since it was late at night but arriving at Wuhan Railway Station you immediately get an overwhelming sense of the immense impact of China’s rapid growth and aspirations in a building worthy of any major world city – at a cost of 14 billion Yuan (US$ 2 billion) you’d hope so!

In the freezing cold of the following morning I set off in search of some local cuisine for breakfast. A friendly taxi driver took me to a great place where you ordered what you wanted from a number of small stalls outside then took it inside to eat.

I’d almost forgotten how much you get stared at when venturing inland – I don’t think this place gets many foreign visitors so it felt good to be trying something authentically local (and so cheap compared to Hong Kong).

Wuhan is famous for a dish called re gan mian (热干面) which literally  means ‘hot dry noodles’ that are served with a mixture of sauces and dried vegetables. Each stall has its own unique variation, but a typical bowl of re gan mian will have soy sauce, sesame paste, pickled vegetables, chopped garlic chives and chili oil.

The noodles are placed into a cone-shaped strainer and dipped briefly into boiling hot water before being swirled and drained. They’re then poured into a paper bowl, with the sauce and dried vegetables being poured on top.

I ordered mine with some hot soy milk and fried dumplings – for about 5 RMB you’ll have yourself a very tasty breakfast.

Feeling better after some food I wandered down to the edge of the Yangtze river and walked along the docks. As with my last trip to Wuhan the skyline was hazy but not unpleasantly so. Because of its hot summer weather, Wuhan is commonly known as one of the Three Furnaces of China, so it’s not necessarily a bad time to visit.

Ancient looking wooden carts piled high with boxes waiting to be dragged to nearby lorries.

Walking across a bridge to the ferry pontoon I noticed that the water was covered by a carpet of something green and organic. At first I thought it must be algae but on closer inspection (not too close mind you) it turned out to be thousands of discarded cabbage heads!

The bottom deck of the ferry was reserved for electric bikes with passengers on the top. You could take a bus across one of the nearby bridges but this seemed a bit more relaxing.

Some industrial sized pulleys with Turtle Hill (Guishan) in the background.

The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge (武汉长江大桥) was built in 1957 with the assistance from the Soviet Union. Unlike todays high-speed trains, prior to its construction rail cars took an entire day to cross the river by train ferry.

Walking northwards I came across Wuchang Shouyi Culture Park where an old man was practicing his calligraphy on the pavement with a water brush. A girl with bright pink candy floss looked on inquisitively.

He asked if I was American in Chinese, to which I was able to reply that I was actually English (Ying Gou Ren). He proceeded to write in beautiful characters 英国朋友 - meaning “Friend from Britain”.

Opposite the park was a huge paved square (not unlike Tiananmen in Beijing) with an enormous obelisk of a building at the far which I’m still undecided whether to love or hate. It’s use/purpose was unclear.

Below Snake Hill nearby was the Memorial Hall of Wuchang Uprising in 1911 Revolution where Sun Yat-Sen issued his edict to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. I didn’t go inside but it looked like a well maintained museum.

While looking for somewhere to have lunch I came across a bizarre cafe hidden in a street of nondescript shops furnished on multiple-floors with dusty wicker chairs and rows of ancient books in mock-victorian style. Being almost empty and in the middle of nowhere it was verging on being creepy – perfect for filming a cheap horror film.

Someone had painted something in Chinese on the pages of an abandoned newspaper.

After a light lunch I went to the campus of Wuhan University (武汉大学), known to be one of the most beautiful in China, and walked up the heavily wooded Luojia Hill.

A nearby hostel was hosting a live outside music event that evening (Dec 10) and I stayed up to watch the lunar eclipse which was apparently best visible from Asia. Nothing beats sitting around a warm fire on a cold night.

In the morning I had re gan mian noodles again and sampled some of the other food in the area. I love the suspicious look in the eye of this street vendor. Remember, when it comes to street food – the dirtier the better!

Something tells me that small restaurants like this will soon be swept away.

By this point in my trip I was beginning to feel like I was coming down with flu so decided to find a warm cafe to hold up in until my flight back to Shenzhen and then across the border back to Hong Kong. Wuhan is definitely not a must-see destination but it certainly has an interesting side to it.

Related posts you might like:

1. Weekend in Wuhan
2. Return to Beijing
3. Wuhan’s Fake Apple Stores

Wenshu Temple (文殊院) in Chengdu is a fairly typical large Buddhist monastery which dates back to the Tang dynasty and is named after a monk who lived there in the late 17th century. There are five central buildings containing various cultural relics which are surrounded by extensive well maintained gardens.

Contained within the monastery are reputedly over 400 statues made of stone, iron, bronze, clay and wood, in various shapes and sizes. Among its most precious relics one can find the skull of Xuanzang (玄奘) – a revered Chinese Buddhist monk from Tang Dynasty.

I quite fancy the contemplative lifestyle of a monk and find comfort in being around other bald people!

It is said that rubbing this creature’s head will bring you wealth – just don’t forget to wash you hand afterwards.

The granies of Chengdu are particularly fashionable – nice trousers and fetching waistcoat!

Peering under a large hanging bell I noticed people had stuck notes with prayers written on them inside. I’m not sure of the significance of this but I guess symbolically they might be more likely to be heard?

I enjoy poking my nose around corners into restricted areas although this can sometimes ruin the illusion.

There’s a teahouse and vegetarian restaurant in the gardens where you can get a healthy meal (Buddhists don’t eat meat) or just sit and contemplate the tranquil surroundings.

The temple is situated north of the central square on Renmin Zhong and the entrance fee is only 5 RMB so it’s well worth the visit if you’re passing through Chengdu.

Related posts you might like:

1. Nanputuo Temple
2. Exploring Chengdu
3. Cheongpyeongsa Temple

The giant panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in Sichuan province and during my recent trip to the region I got a chance to see some close-up at the mouthful known as the ‘Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding‘ (成都大熊猫繁育研究基地) which is a non-profit research facility, conservation education center, and tourism destination.

The visit was arranged by the hostel we were staying at (100 RMB per person inc. transport + entrance fee) with the only downside that you had to leave at 7am in the morning to catch the pandas early during the day when they are most active. Above you can see them having a breakfast of their favourite food; bamboo, which constitutes 99% of their diet.

In their natural habitat of mountainous bamboo forests supply is plentifully but here it has to be imported every day. Each panda can consume up to 14kg of the stuff so it’s not a bad business to be in!

Having seen other Chinese zoos in the past where animals were kept in awful conditions I was pleased to find that the Chengdu Panda Base was quite the opposite. Each enclosure was extremely spacious, well maintained, with plenty of natural vegetation for the pandas to play about in. Above you can see a panda lounging in the top of a tree it had climbed up!

Watching this man clean out a panda pen I wondered for a moment if this wasn’t a scene out of some dystopian future where there animals had taken over and subjugated us as their slaves

As if giant pandas weren’t already cute enough, their babies are simply adorable. Most of the panda cubs are born around August each year due to the preceding mating season between March and May. They are born tiny (1/900th the size of its mother), pink, blind, and toothless – in the incubators and play pens they have a surprisingly human quality about them.

Since scientists and conservationists are keen to continue increasing the population there’s no one child policy around here. Many of the pandas born in captivity today are conceived artificially which doesn’t come cheap. American zoos generally pay the Chinese government $1 million a year in fees, as part of a multi-year contract.

An enviable lifestyle indeed…

Something new I learned that day is that as well as the “giant” black & white variety of panda, there is also a red panda species which is slightly larger than a domestic cat and looks a lot like a fox at a glance. They’re territorial animals and in the video at the bottom of this post you can see two getting into a fight.

Above is where they sleep at night. Not perhaps the most comfortable bedroom but I appreciate the minimal styling!

The conservation base occupies an area of 100 hectares so you’ll want a full half-day to explore it thoroughly. The central areas tended to be quite crowded with large tour groups but walk a little further and they can easily be escaped.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that pandas were lazy creatures given the amount of time they spend sitting around but in fact their diet of bamboo doesn’t provide them with enough nutrients / energy to be anything else!

They clearly know when it’s feeding time and wait expectantly on the bank of a moat which surrounds the high enclosure wall.

When standing up you can see why it would be a  bad idea to pick a fight with one of them. I love the expression of the one in the background – almost like he’s having a lazy afternoon in front on the tv.

It’s heartening to know that panda numbers are slowly on the rise with positive signs that conservation efforts are working. Threats such as poaching and illegal logging have been significantly reduced and there are now over 40 panda reserves in China.

Check out the video above to see the pandas in action (especially the baby cubs)!

Related posts you might like:

1. Exploring Chengdu
2. Wenshu Temple in Chengdu
3. Deadly Bus Fires in Chengdu & Shenzhen

Maybe it was the autumnal weather but my first impressions of the city were similar to those of many other tier-two Chinese cities I’ve visited – miles upon miles of cookie-cutter concrete apartment buildings built at a rate which only the Chinese could accomplish. Without the gloss of coastal cities like Shanghai or Shenzhen you could be forgiven for thinking it’s a bit bleak.

Our base of operations during the visit was the Loft Hostel which was a cheap but characterful place to stay, built in what used to be a printing factory. On the ground floor it had a nice cafe and courtyard area with free wi-fi access.

It’s centrally located on Zhong Tong Ren Lu, Xiao Tong Xiang (中同仁路, 小通巷四号), a residential street with many small bars and cafes which was good for an evening snack but on the downside meant it was a bit noisy at night (especially on weekends).

Ten minutes walk from the hostel a cluster of restored / reconstructed traditional streets can be found, known as Kuan-zhai Lane. While a little touristy you can get a taste of what life in Chengdu was like in times gone by.

The inhabitants of Chengdu have a reputation in China for their laid-back attitude to life and you’ll find more teahouses here than in any other part of the country. I’m not an expert on tea but know that for hardcore aficionados there are even tea tours / holidays which can be arranged.

A new sight for me on the streets of Chengdu was the presence of ear-cleaners, that is to say professional aural hygienists with a staggering array of metal tweezers, tuning forks and feathered sticks who will thoroughly clean out your lug-holes for a modest fee. Apparently it’s a dying art but those partaking in the ritual looked to be enjoying it and I secretly wished I had tried!

While walking the streets looking for a particular temple we wanted to visit we came across a group of workers beginning to resurface a road. An hour later when we walked back the same way we were surprised to find that they had almost finished.

Purely out of curiosity we decided to check out the ‘Chengdu Industrial Civilisation Museum‘ (成都工业文明博物馆) marked on our map, only to find out on arrival that it was closed while a new exhibition was being installed. Instead we contented ourselves by clambering over an old steam train sitting outside and watched older folks flying kites in the neighbouring park.

Being in Sichuan, the food in Chengdu is generally spicy (微辣), very spicy (老辣), or hardcore spicy (骨灰级辣). Hotpot ranks near the top of this scale and the use of Sichuan pepper (花椒) causes your mouth to become somewhat numb, something I first experienced way back in 2007 while living in Beijing. A friend directed us to a very local place which served up a dish straight from the fires of hell!

Next up was some unknown white meat which I think was probably beef but given the strength of the spices could have been almost anything.

On the more tame side of things were these totally non-spicy meatballs which my brother, accustomed to student food, loved!

We did a lot of walking in Chengdu looking for various places and came across an operatic performance taking place in the corner of a construction site. All the workers had downed tools and were watching with rapt attention.

While I have seen more than my fair share of temples in Asia, Qingyang Gong Taoist Temple (青羊宫) was a pleasant place to take a stroll on a lazy afternoon in the chilly autumn air. The grounds are extensive and contain six halls on a central axis.

According to legend, Qing Yang Gong was said to be the birth place of the founder of Taoism, Lao Tsu, although I’m fairly sure I’ve visited other temples claiming the same thing…

Tune in next time for the highlight of Chengdu; some very cute pandas!

Related posts you might like:

1. Wenshu Temple in Chengdu
2. Deadly Bus Fires in Chengdu & Shenzhen
3. Chengdu Panda Research Base

Compared to its more fashionable cousin in the north, Busan has far less of a cosmopolitan vibe than Seoul which makes for a nice change of pace and a good place to relax. I arrived by KTX train on an overcast drizzling morning which rather dampened my spirits but things brightened up a bit once I reached the busy area of Nampo-dong (남포동).

The streets here are packed with shops, restaurants, and a number of cinemas which play host to Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) each year in October. Throughout the area you can also find plenty of cheap tasty street food – look at the lengths of the queues to tell what’s popular!

Heading away from the city center by bus I visited Haedong Yonggungsa Temple (해동 용궁사) which, while not as extensive as Beomeosa, is nevertheless worth seeing for its rare position along the rocky shoreline (most are in the mountains). It was first built in 1376 during the Goryeo Dynasty and notable features include a three-story pagoda with four lions looking out over the ocean (symbolising joy anger, sadness, and happiness).

Heading back towards the city center my friend recommended we try a local delicacy for dinner. Something I learned on this trip was never again to come face-to-face with your meal before eating it. Especially when what you’re about to eat is wet, slimy, looks like a snake, and is very much alive.

The sight of this poor eel being fished from its tank, skinned alive, and then grilled while squirming all the time was not the best way to work up an appetite. I’m told they don’t feel anything once the head is chopped off but still…

To be fair the few bites I took were pretty tasty (my friend managed to polish the rest off) but I feel an apology is in order. Sorry Mr. Eel – hope you get a better deal your next life

The evening was ended with a trip to Jagalchi Fish Market (자갈치시장) where the old women still looked as bored and mean as before, surrounded by all manner of exotic aquatic life for sale. By this point my twice-around-the-world-in-one-week jet lag was beginning to kick in badly so I stumbled back to the hotel for a night of melatonin induced slumber.

The next day I felt like taking it easy so headed to Haeundae Beach (해운대해수욕장) which takes its name from a ninth century scholar rather than a similar sounding car manufacturer! The beach is notorious for becoming extremely crowded in the peak season but wasn’t to bad on a weekday. Although the weather was warm upon diving in the sea it turned out the water was the complete opposite. How anyone managed to spend more than 30 seconds at a time in the freezing waves I don’t know.

A cold desert after a cold dip was just what the doctor ordered – you may recognise this as patbingsu (shaved ice, red beans, and glutinous rice), the same as I had in Jeonju. Funnily enough the same cafe did a decent english breakfast also.

I took a break from Korean food that evening to have a Vietnamese feast in a particularly nice restaurant on Dalmaji Hill (달맞이고개), overlooking Haeundae Beach. Dalmaji is a rather gentrified upscale neighbourhood with art galleries and pricy restaurants aplenty – if you’re lucky you might spot the odd Korean celebrity or at least passing blacked-out luxury cars.

The view walking down the hill at dusk was particularly memorable and indeed over 200,000 moon watchers come here to pray for their wishes to come true on the year’s first full moon. Not a bad end to a short trip though Busan.

Related posts you might like:

1. Return to Korea
2. Escape from Busan
3. Evening in Busan

Located in the historic Hongkou District, 1933 Shanghai (上海1933老场坊) was built amidst the vibrant urban landscape of pre-communist Shanghai. Designed originally by British architects, and built in 1933 by Chinese developers, the building was originally intended for use as a slaughterhouse but served a number of purposes over the years from medicine factory, cold storage facility, to its current incarnation as a ‘commercial hub for creative industries’.

Concrete is one of the hardest building materials to use in an aesthetically pleasing way since by its very nature is cold, hard and difficult to mould in unconventional ways. Despite this the original architect managed to find a way to fulfil its practical mission as an abattoir, yet also incorporate decorative elements such as the ‘flowering columns’ seen above and below.

The building was commissioned by the then Shanghai Municipal Council with the high-quality cement aggregate required to support the load-bearing needs of the building was imported from the Portsmouth area of the UK. After being abandoned and falling into disrepair the building was extensive restoration in 2008.

Built around a central atrium, which served as the abattoir’s workshops, each floor is connected to an outer shell by a series of interlocking ramps, bridges, and spiral staircases which were designed to control the flow of both people and cattle being processed through the building.

There are 26 ‘air bridges’ of various widths splayed out at different angles, provoking feelings of both confusion and fascinating at how it could have been conceived, let alone given birth to. Imagining how it must have been with the sounds of animals being slowly herded thought the industrial maze towards their gruesome fate is strangely haunting.

Looking down at the concrete abyss one is reminded of M. C. Escher’s famous drawings of impossible constructs where stairs ascend and descend in an infinite loop. With so many different paths to choose from it’s easy to loose your bearings.

After the RMB100 million restoration you can’t blame people from wanting to make the space earn its keep but it must have been so much nicer before the likes of the ‘Ferrari Owner’s Club’ had moved in. Some of its original charm and mystique has certainly been lost.

The owners seem to be straying down the path of trying to attract the nouveau riche rather than being a cultural center in the truest form. Poorly constructed ‘design’ shops and overpriced restaurants seem to be permeating what could have otherwise been a very successful urban renewal project.

Despite this the classic architecture with Art Deco styling and beautiful geometric motifs is well worth a visit and seems to be particularly popular with amateur photographers all searching for the best angles to try to capture this unruly monster.

Strangely enough I noticed advertisements for couples to get their wedding photo taken here which seemed peculiar to say the least! Still, if you’re looking for something a little different…

Another concrete masterpieces you might like to check out is the University of East Anglia in my hometown of Norwich (UK) whose Grade II listed ‘ziggurat‘ accommodation terraces have become iconic in their own right.

The rough cattle paths almost have the look of a medieval dungeon.

You can find 1933 Shanghai, otherwise known as “Old Millfun” at No. 10 Shajing Lu
(near Jiulong Lu) †(近九龙路).

Related posts you might like:

1. Shanghai Jinmao Tower
2. Shikumen Residences in Shanghai
3. Shanghai Here I Come

The short video was taken to the south of Jeonju Hanok Village that I was visiting for the second time after my inaugural visit the year before. While going somewhere again is never quite as special as the first time there are always new things to discover if you get away from the more popular areas and allow yourself to get lost.

Another enjoyable moment came when I was invited into a hanok (traditional Korean house) which had recently been reconstructed after being relocated from another part of the country due to some turbulent history in Korea’s colonial past (I’m not entirely sure of the exact story).

The proprietor was very generous in going out of his way to show me around – often by merely indicating your interest in something beyond a superficial level you will get a far more valuable experience than simply turning up, taking a few pictures and leaving again.

I was struck by the beauty of both the buildings simplicity and the craftsmanship which had gone into its construction, primarily out of wood for the frame, hanji (Korean paper) for the doors, and iron fixtures holding things together. There was a main house for the owner, an outhouse for guests, and a large hall where students could be lectured.

Since the rooms in a hanok are often multipurpose the thin mattresses for sleeping on are folded away each day. The ones here were made of elaborately pattered silk indicating the high status of the original owner.

During the colonial era (1910 – 1945), there was a systematic attempt by the Japanese government to destroy traditional Korean architecture. One of the ways in which the Korean people resisted the Japanese Nationalist Agenda was to build traditional Korean homes and the houses in Jeonju Hanok Village are a particularly notable example of this.

It’s good to see the building of traditional houses in Korea continuing today although how much this about preserving tradition vs. attracting tourism is debatable.

Related posts you might like:

1. Jeonju Photo Walk – Part 1
2. Hakindang Hanok Guest House (학인당)
3. Jeonju Photo Walk – Part 2

With every turn of the dark catacombs, I wondered aloud whether we should mark our way. The thought of being lost in a vertical abyss reminded of numerous horror clichés like cave scream flick The Descent where curiosity got the better of the over eager explorers.

Suddenly our leader shrieked that he had spotted a rat (posthumously named Alfredo) and proceeded to swear vigorously in Italian while beating the walls with a bamboo cane he had originally brought to scare off water snakes and tarantulas. His taunts worked and the narrow path was cleared. The relief was short-lived as the floor began the slope upwards towards the ceiling until we could barely crawl any further.

At first glance it appeared to be a dead-end but without the torch we could see daylight coming though a tight crack in the roof. Backpacks off, we squeezed on our backs one-by-one though the seemingly impossibly tight gap out into the welcoming warmth of the sunlight. After the visions of being entombed underground it was quite a relief.

The tunnels we were exploring were one of approximately 20 which were dug on the island, separate from the well-known ‘kamikaze grotto’s’, and although we didn’t find hidden treasure or mummified skeletons, it was satisfying to have seen another side of Lamma Island which most of the hikers and hippies who pass by would never even notice.

How to Get There

Finding the tunnels is not easy and a local shop keeper warned us that some were dangerous to enter, so please remember that if you do go looking for them you do so at your own risk. You can reach Lamma Island by taking the ferry from Central Pier 4 to Sok Kwu Wan, a ride of about half and hour.

From the ferry pier take the coastal path right towards Lo So Shing. You’ll soon notice the kamikaze grottoes which are easily spotted due to their large openings and information plaques outside.

Passing Lo So Shing beach take the path that climbs around the east side of the hill away from the small cluster of houses, overlooking the cement works. Continue walking north to the next hill until reaching a junction whereby you should take the right fork, sign posted to the youth hostel.

15 minutes later the path turns away from the coast and dips down into a valley where you will notice a dirt path leading off to the right. Climb the hill through the undergrowth until you reach a clearing at the top with a number of paths going off in different directions. All of the paths lead to different entrances to the same tunnels which connect underground – two are fairly easy to crawl into, while one is a very tight squeeze.

More directions to this and other tunnels can be found on Gwulo.com (1, 2, 3)

Related posts you might like:

1. Colourful Peng Chau Island
2. Cheung Chau Island
3. Jeju Island