27/09/2012

ZhangJiaJie Day 1.

The hotel we are staying in during the time at ZhangJiaJie is the Sunshine holiday hotel, which is said to claim to be one of the top rating hotel of the area. Although, there really isn't many people in this small town of a province.

Today's breakfast buffet, again, simply marvelous, choices are extensive just as our previous hotel. and the ambiance of the hotel, along with its staffs, really goes extra miles to emphasize their belief and the performance worthy of a 5 stars.

Our first destination today is the first national park officiated by the China Republic, which is currently nearing its 30th anniversary and we are warned about larger tourist flow.

It's a 50mins bus ride up and into the inner part of the state where the park lies.

We can clearly notice that the locals are definitely driving much more aggressively than the previous city, lack of enforcers per se, our driver and all the other road users just keeps hitting their honk all the time.

So, the first area of the park is where the name ZhangJiaJie came from, story goes that the province was first visited by a General with the first name "Zhang", and upon reaching this serene, mountainous haven decided to claim the land for himself and was thus named ZhangJiaJie, which literally means the Region of Zhang  by the man himself, and he claimed a huge amount of the land circling a tree of that time. However the story also goes that the General's arrogance roused another General's anger and was beheaded in a duel, and the tree was chopped down, though the name remained unchanged.
In this side of the park is a gallery exhibiting naturally formed mountain peaks that resembles certain characteristics, an electric train was constructed along the gallery to take tourist for a spin showing these characters, along with a timed, pre-recorded guide played all the while.
The one easiest to spot and imagine is "The old man picking Herb" among one of the peaks, where in we can clearly sees an old man with his clear chin feature carrying the herbs he picked on his back.
The other side of the park, which we shall proceed over to on another long bus ride after lunch is YuanJiaJie, which is where its breathtaking scenery are featured in the Avatar movie.
We proceed up to the mountain roads which is 3km in height on a cable car, whereas the rest of the journey within the 396km square park will requires much work on our feet.

We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking along the beautifully made park which preserves many of the original nature and look on to the numerous amazing feats done by mother nature herself.
We took many pictures but this place really requires you to see for yourself to be awed by its many seemingly impossible beauty.
At the end of the day, we descend from the mountain on a lift which is one of its kind, built to one of the mountain peak, it is the tallest lift as well as the fastest. 

Photos:

A stone with ZhangJiaJie written on it by the previous Premier.

10 "Li" gallery, where the art is nature itself.

Look at the Top right corner, can you see the "Herb picking old man"?

River flowing down the mountain, they're green...

Entrance to where they take the Avatar movie's scene.

A naturally formed door in the mountain, an auspicious sign in Chinese culture.

A.K.A Mt. Hallelujah as in Avatar.

Layout of the park.

A bridge was formed between the mountain peaks. named "World's No.1 bridge".

As in the Avatar movie, familiar?

It's so cold, we took the lift down the mountain, last scene is this uniformly aligned peaks that looks like soldiers.

Claimed world's tallest lift.

26/09/2012

26/9/12

This is our fourth day in Beijing, China.

 Our morning agenda is to visit the altar that Dynast Kings used to praise the heavens once every year,  the "Sky Altar" (天坛).
Today, the garden surrounding the altar is converted into a park used for all sorts of activities by the locals. Retired citizens came here to practice calligraphy on the garden's mosaic floor with a big brush and water, old and young couples enjoy dancing together with their partners,
Some are kicking shuttlecock, line dancing, sewing, weaving and there's many more activities happening at the park. As the retired citizens made up most of the people using the park, the place is also known as the Senior citizen recreational park.

 The altar itself as mentioned before is surrounded by two layers of wall, the outer is a square wall, where as the inner, a circling wall. The altar itself made of some kinda white stone block sculpted with dragon weaving and can be seen all over itself, the floor tiles are in multiplications of 9 all the way to 81. The center, a single "echo stone" is the place where former kings stood to converse with the heaven above.

There are also several other building surrounding the altar for keeping records of all the kings whom made their prayers in the past or serve as a resting building for the kings when they visit, all are quite well kept until this day.
 These buildings are made up of one circular one in the center and two rectangular buildings at the both side, these are also surrounded but only one circled wall known as the "echo wall".

 Scribblings and graffiti however can be seen on these echo wall, as in the past China's disinterest in these heritages pay little attention to them. Today the republic invest many in preserving what's left of the Dynasty era as they had certainly learned a lesson to protect as many of these heritage as possible, since they serve great value in tourism.

After lunch - which we were also served the pungent smelling delicacy “臭豆腐” - we set out to “秀水街”，a mall famous for its counterfeit products, shirts, jackets, dresses, shoes, accessories, electronics, souvenirs.
We stopped here for more than one hour where we shop the Beijing way. Much of the progress, I have already mentioned in the previous post.
Apart from the obscenely announced price tags on all the products, all items on sale can be reduced to a meager 1/5,1/4, or even 1/3 of the original price as quoted depending on your negotiation skill.

The amazing things is, all these counterfeits are none the second to their genuine product, though the lack in quality can definitely be seen when using these cheap products.

The locals and Foreigners can be seen arguing with the sales person about how they bought a inferior items, and I doubt they are able to get any reimbursement.
It is here that we are able to learn very important lessons in how communications are in China.

We left the mall by 3.15pm, heading to the airport next to embark on our next destination, Dayong airport, ZhangJiaJie, Hunan, China. We will be having evening tea in the airport lounges and dinner will be on our flight, had we not received a 2 hours long delay, penned up inside the crammed airplane seats. By the time we reached Dayong airport, it is already past midnight where only a few airport personnel waited for our flight to arrive, the airport were really simple, ZhangJiaJie is a very small place in China's scale.

Couple dance~

Sky Altar

"Echo Stone"-acoustic property: amplify your own voice.

Old and young, Line dancing.

Sky Altar Garden

Calligraphy practice.

Silk street, shopping battle.

Go green they say, very interesting this is.

The sculptures are in a very good state even after so long.

25/09/2012

25/9/12
Today's our third and final day in Beijing.
The first agenda today is visiting the living quarters of China's most-notoriously-corrupted officer, He Shen (和坤), which is believed to amass 3600millions of wealth in today's rmb currency during his career.
Albeit being a corrupted officer, his heritage was kept and protected as a national treasure, because of the methods he used to amass his wealth, cunning, sly, relentless, cruel, yet filled with ingenuity.
Believed to be quite the mind of his time, he built double-storey mansions with 99.5 rooms just to hid all the wealth, relics, and treasures he obtained.

On the window of each rooms are different code, patterns and shapes, which is to help him remember what's kept in which room by just a glimpse of the window from his backyard.
This officer was actually said to be given amnesty by the king of that time and thus were able to get away with all his notorious and heinous act, for a long time.

In the deepest part of the mansion garden is a "福" (Bliss/Happiness) calligraphy penned by the one of the Dynast King himself which is etched into a stone pillar which is the only supporting beam for the manmade cave sheltering it. The top of the cave, a part of the structure named Dragon's Spine (Long mai) constructed with architect expertise by the officer himself ensure that future generations of the Royal family unable to reclaim the treasure as it is a taboo that a Dragon's Spine shall not be destroyed, and so it is kept in the garden, untill this very day.

After that, we proceed to “颐和园”, which is a palace court made and used only as a summer resting palace for one of the China dynasty's lady emperor, 慈禧太后。
We were briefed on how did the emperor abuse her power during her reign. And some info about the practice of the Eunuchs culture during the Chinese history.
The 1.5 hour long walk was finish with a Trishaw ride around the village which once lies around the palace.
It was rainy and windy throughout the day, and the visit to the 2008 Olympics stadium wasn't a pleasure as most of us got wet.
The stinky tofu sold at the side of the road gives off a horrid, pungent smells, and the whole street, lined up with these stall on trishaw are filled with that smell, though some of us end up trying them out anyway.

We then go to one of the largest, modern shopping squares that the Chinese republic invested billions into, used to attract shopping tourism and attract locals alike, its still rainy and I stayed inside the bus for a 20mins nap.
Even though Beijing is 1 of the 3 largest city of China (The other 2 are Shanghai and Guangzhou), the city people mostly stays home after only 9pm and so shopping centers mostly closed up early.

After dinner and after we returned to the hotel. We have a quick freshen up and then some of us took a walk and take the local subway train to another district of the city known for it delicacies, snacks, Wangfujing (王府井). This became our only time using the train.
We found exotic foods...fried scorpions, centipedes, starfish, seahorse, other reptiles we never seen before, silkworm cocoons, and the list goes on, not so much of a delicacy for most people.
Its already 11pm when we reach the hotel.

Tomorrow after the day trip, we shall board an evening flight of 2.40 hours to ZhangJiaJie, Hunan.

 Photos:

A layout of He Shen's courtyard.

A gate of western design shows He Shen's western influence.

Every window on the 2nd floor differs, hint of what's in which room.

The man made landscape of a cave for, inside lies the word "Fu" sculpt into stone pillar.

The court has 9999 bats, as bats is similar to the Chinese "Happiness"

A tricycle, fitted with Stainless steel for rainy day use, common sight in Beijing.

"Fu" calligraphy from a Dynast King, cleverly written with several other words combined into one.

Trishaw ride around the old city district. Preserve as heritage.

"Yi He Yuan" layout of the summer palace.

1 of the 4 popular Chinese mythical creature, the Kirin, signify righteousness and justice.

A stone from what is once a well in the area, serving naturally cool spring water for the hot summer.

1 of the 4 popular Chinese mythical creature, Dragon.

An gallery alley with 100 pictures depicting Folklores.

Delicacy from "Wang Fu Jing".

Delicacy? from "Wang Fu Jing".

Delicacy? from "Wang Fu Jing".

1 of the 4 popular Chinese mythical creature, Phoenix.

Delicacy from "Wang Fu Jing".

Delicacy? from "Wang Fu Jing".

Delicacy? from "Wang Fu Jing".

24/9/2012

The hotel breakfast is wonderful, apart from the already awesome range its quality is also something to note about.
There's Eastern and Western food choices. so many food, so small a stomach to fill.

Our first itinerary of the day is the hall where they held the agricultural expo, located in the suburb or Beijing it is an hour long drive by the bus. Half of the people get down for the expo while the rest is to stay behind for an alternate destination.
Our drive back to city center where we stopped at d worn down stone gate of imperial era also took an hour.
After that its the Tian An Men Square, for a 30mins photo taking.
Our lunching place is a culture shock. Being a Australia-Oriental restaurant, we were served by North Korea nationality waitress wearing traditional dress. But nothing Australian at all mind you.
The food...I'm unsure if its Korean or Chinese.

The next place is a shopping destination. We were even oriented by the tour guide who told us you'd be able to get away with a 1/3 or 1/4 of the named price where you shop depending on your negotiation skill.
With that in mind we set out with a 40 minutes time to shop.
The experience? the whole place...have products with exaggerated prices, who know what for, robbing tourists blind maybe, its like a battlefield, loud and angry.

I tried my luck on some belts after surveying how others do business there. They first named price for an assumed copied belt of some expensive brand...was 580rmb, genuine leather too! Right...non of the things you see for sale in that building is an original product of its own brand.
Anyway it was deducted to 360rmb before I can say anything else and
upon saying its to pricey, and with the same method they told other shoppers, name me your best price.
This is when I tried my luck with 30rmb but was rejected immediately. And then another stall, 40rmb, also turned down...
Not getting it is an option so I'm definitely playing my cards close to my chest here.
But that's not the end...when I pass by the 2nd stall again after walking around she hollered me up and offered me a 60rmb final price, I left quoting my final offer of 50rmb and left, but only to have the sales lady come over me and says ok, after more than 30steps away from the stall, she would go all these way to grab a sale.
Final result: Two crudely made "genuine" leather belts with no brand logos, 100rmb=RM50. Not my preferred price, but close enough.
In the bus all the women of the tour showed their spoils of the afternoon.

Onward to dinner, we arrive at a renown restaurant named "全聚德"…
Which is actually another name given to the nation's most famous n world known dish, the Peking duck. (The name Peking Duck being trademarked by someone else and thus a new name was given.)
This is they very same restaurant with the same cooking method used for the dish for the past few centuries  and also the very restaurant used to attend to international high profile guests by China's previous Premiers.
Lucky us...and the Peking duck they served is absolutely delicious.
That's all for the day's planned activity. The autumn wind is blowing strong and the chill is just nice at around 18-20 'c, with a coat, an au natural air-conditioner.

Another shock before the end of the day is when I went for a walk after freshened up to the largest and Beijing's first train station, right around the corner from our staying place.
So, I was looking for alcohols to buy at one of the mart we saw...

Upon seeing the canned 300ml local alcohol at 5.50rmb its already a bit of a shock, but when we spotted the 600ml bottled version...its another shock...its at only 4.50rmb!
Now seriously...a bottle of 500ml bottled drinking water is already  6.00rmb.
Here it is exactly the place where alcohols are cheaper than bottled water.

Pics here, not in order.

Buildings in the suburbs, western design.

Stone gate of imperial era, only royalties can live inside these walls.

Old couple in the TianAnMen Square, maybe reminisce about their youth?

A Mega LCD or Plasma TV in the middle of the Square, two of them too.

4 Large building surrounded the Square, all for Parliamentary and political purposes.

And this is the Australian restaurant where we had a Korean lunch.

First Train Station, at night, all lit up.

Quan Ju De, serving authentic Peking Duck.

Method of eating Peking Duck, the Duck, wrapper, spring onion, and sauce all came in from all over China, the whole duck is only prepared when guest arrived and done right inside the dining room.

Taken from a photo of a VIP dinner in ages past. " Whole without flaw, Gathers without separation, Superior of etiquette."