Glimpses of China - Guilin

Glimpses of China - Guilin
31/05/08 to 14/6/08 Rashmi Rastogi
Day 9: 8/06/08

Guilin China

Reached Guilin from Xian. Reached Guilin an hour and a half later. Guilin is a beautiful city. Hilly, small town - about 500,000 local people. More tourists than local people. 2 – 3 million tourists visit Guilin each year. (reminds one of Kashmir tourism). There are 56 minority communities. Yao is a minority community to which our local Guide belonged. From the airport itself went to see the Reed Flute caves. Excellent caves. (details given below).

Guilin is famous for its unique scenery both to China and to the rest of the world. Actually the landscape of China - at least that most westerners have of it – is the landscape of Guilin. Characteristics of Guilin scenery are its oddly shaped solitary hills rising out of flat ground, crystal waters winding through the region, intricate caves in various shapes and exquisite stones. Yangshuo country is enhanced by a beautiful natural landscape. Hence the saying “The landscape of Yangshuo is unmatched in Guilin”.


Reed Flute Cave

First of all we went to see the Reed Flute Cave. Located 5 kms northwest of Guilin city, the reed flute cave is in fact a cave on the southern shoulder of the Guangmill Hill (Bright Hill). It got its name by the reeds used for making flutes and pipes growing at its entrance. The cave is regarded as the largest and most impressive cave in Guilin city. The cave is 240 meters long , whereas the touring distance is about 550 meters mainly offering a magic fairyland of stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, stone curtains, birds, plants and animals in fantastic shapes and colors. One grotto called the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King, can hold about 1000 people. During the war, the grotto once served as an air-raid shelter. Over 70 wall inscriptions from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) were found in the walls, suggesting that the cave has once been visited by people in every dynasty. The highlight in this cave is a great slab of white rock hanging from a ledge like a cataract, with a human-shaped stalactite opposite it. The Reed Flute Caves were very very impressive indeed. We felt that these , too, must be included in the World Heritage sites.

After Chinese / Indian dinner (the restaurateur is being taught / coaxed to prepare Indian meal, which he has succeeded to a great extent. It was Ram’s (my husband’s) birthday , 8th June. The food was good.

After dinner, we headed to the Herbal University for a foot massage. It lasted 45-50 minutes and was very relaxing indeed ! Did a little shoulder massage as well.

Day 10: 9th June 2008 (Guilin contd)

Today we enjoyed the Li River cruise which commenced at 9.30 am.

Lijiang river originates from Cat Mountain in Xing’an County in the North of Guilin. It flows 437 kilometers down Guilin, Yangshou, Pingle and Wuzhou into the West River. Between Guilin and Yangshou, Lijiang river travels 83 kilometers exactly like a jade ribbon winding among thousands of grotesque peaks. Along the river banks are the spectacular landscapes and elegant hills, the towering peaks, the variegated cliffs and odd-shaped crags reflected in the mirror of its crystal-clear water and the wonderful deep pools, running springs and flying waterfalls everywhere. The reflections of the hills in clear and greenish water are like bright and beautiful pictures. “One hundred miles Lijiang River is like one hundred miles art gallery.” A lot of excellent poems and literary works in modern or ancient appreciate her beauty. Han Yu, a great poet in Tang Dynasty, had written a popular poem to praise the beautiful scenery of Lijiang River. “The river winds like a blue silk ribbon, while the hills erect like green jade hairpins.” A famous Chinese poet described the region this way, about 1,200 years ago: “ The river forms a green silk belt, the mountains are like blue jade hairpins.” The karst formations were thrust up from the limestone seabed, which covers centuries by the areas unique wind and water conditions. This ‘stone forest ‘ with its subterranean caves and rivers, creates a haunting atmosphere. The Li River, the main river in this area, winds through the rising and falling hills and peaks like a coloured silk ribbon. A cruise on the river brings visitors in touch with the unique scenery around Guilin, which is considered to be a fine art gallery as natural scenic wonders unfold on both banks of the river. Guilin is always a highlight of your China tours.


Li River, Guilin

On our way to the Li river , we passed the Elephant trunk Hill, Pagoda Hill. The Elephant Trunk Hill is situated majestically at the southeast of Guilin city and west bank of Li river. Elephant trunk Hill is regarded as the symbol of Guilin landscape. Originally named Li Hill, Yi Hill and Chenshui Hill , the hill has a history of 3.6 hundred million years. Resembling an elephant, leisurely sucking water from the river with its long trunk, this hill has been famous as Elephant Trunk Hill for hundreds of years.

We took the 4 hours river cruise on the Li river at Zujiang Wharf upto Yangshuo county, a distance of 83 kilometers covered in approx. 4 hours. The cruise was undoubtedly a feast for the eyes and a soothing tonic for the mind and intellect. Lunch was served on the cruise. It was a bland Chinese Lunch, nothing much to talk about. Beer was free. However, one had to pay for soft drinks and water. I tried a little beer but could not drink and passed it over to Ram.

To enjoy the scenery enroute, one has to indulge in imagination to locate these various landmark hills on the way. We saw various hills such as:

i. yearning for husband rock (it is named because it looks like a woman
carrying her baby and yearning for her husband’s return).
ii. Caoping scenary: beautiful scenery of hills on both sides.
iii. Beauty of Crown Cave: it resembles as an ancient Chinese crown in purple and golden color. It brings you to a fairyland.
iv. The painted Nine Horses (Painted cliff). The massive cliff presents a magic Chinese painting “Nine Horses”.
v. Xingping Town- The beautiful landscapes surrounding Xingping make this ancient town as fairyland.
vi. Five fingers Hill make the night scenery of the river fascinating.

The cruise was wonderful indeed ! Memories of the cruise lingering in our minds.
We were given a memento when we disembarked the cruise.

Other place of interest is Piled Festoon Hill. Located by the Li River north of Guilin, Piled Festoon Hill is so named because it has eroded on all sides exposing the strata and creating the impression of piles of silk. The Hill consists of Yuyue Hill, Siwang Hill, Crane Peak and at 223 meters , the tallest Bright moon peak. The site has been a tourist attraction for over 1,000 years and the tourists come to enjoy the many inscriptions and Buddhists sculptures mostly dating from the Sui and Tang Dynasties (518-907 AD). Some of the damages to these historical relics is a legacy of more recent Chinese history. The Cultural Revolution.

Guilin has an excellent pearl factory which we visited and also purchased pearl earrings. In China one has to bargain a lot to ensure that you get value for your money.

From Guilin, we left for Shenzen, our next halt.

Glimpses of China - Xian

31/05/08 to 14/6/08 Rashmi Rastogi

Day 8: 7th June 2008

Xian is the capital of Shanxi Province, lies in the middle of the Guanzhong Basin, with Weihe River to its north. As one of China’s seven ancient national capitals, it was the capital of 12 dynasties over 1000 years. Thus, Xian has a great number of precious relics and historical sites. Xian was the start point of the Old Silk Road. Main tourist attractions include the Terracotta Warriers And Horses, Great Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Huaqing Pool, Banpo Site, Stele Forest, Mosque, QuinLing Mausoleum, Famen Temple and Maoling Mausoleum.

Terracota Warriers Museum: The Mausoleum, located in Lintong County, 35 km east of Xian, capital of northwest China’s Shanxi Province, is regarded as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ and has been listed as a world heritage site by the UNESCO in December 1987. It draws millions of visitors from home and abroad every year. According to Records of History, Qin Shihuang started building his own tomb in Lishan Mountain soon after he came to the throne. Construction expanded after he unified China in 221 BC and involved 70,000 laborers. It was completed 38 years later.

The mausoleum has a square rammed earthen base and is still 76 meters high. The mausoleum site contains more than 400 tombs and vaults of articles buried with King Shihuang; they cover an area of 56.25 square kilometers. The main vaults include the Fault of the bronze carriage, the vault of horses, the vault of rare and precious birds and animals, the vault of stables and the vault of warriors and horses.


The exteranl appearance of the Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

Nearly 8,000 life-sized terracotta warriors and horses along with tens of thousands of pieces of weaponry have been uncovered from 3 pits, where the terracotta warriors and horses have slept for almost 2,200 yrs. Many terracotta warriors wore overcoats and armatures with each having a weapon in their hands. They also wore leather waistbands, a pair of square-rimmed shoes and leggings, a typical costume about 2,200 years ago. Over the past few years, a total of 50,000 historical and cultural relics have been unearthed. The painted and colored bronze carriage, drawn by bronze horses unearthed in 1980, is the largest and most elegant of its type discovered in China. The carriage is made of more than 3,000 parts, over 1,000 of them gold and silver. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the twentieth century. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.


Terracotta Army, Pit No.1


Terracotta Army Pit No.2


View of the largest excavation pit of the Terracotta Army

Bronze Chariot: Housed in the exhibition hall to the left hand side built over Pit One are two magnificent bronze chariots. Originally buried 20 meters west of the Emperor’s mausoleum, two chariots faced west in large 7-meter-long (23 feet in length) and 2.3 meters wide (7.54 feet in width) wooden coffins. They were thought to be half the actual size and were supposed to serve as the vehicle for the emperor’s inspection tours in his after life. The colorful square carriages are decorated with geometric and cloud patterns. Coachmen armed with swords guard the chariots on both sides.


The Bronze Chariot

We saw a movie about Terracota Warriers in the dome theatre and thereafter the Terracotta Warriers Museum. Later, we had Chinese Lunch at a restaurant in the Museum Complex itself. In Xian, there is no Indian Restaurant.

At 6 pm, we left for dinner followed by the Tang Dynasty Dance Show in a beautifully decorated auditorium. Tang Dynasty Cultural Theater and Restaurant .

The Tang Dynasty Show showcases the costumes, music, and dancing of China's golden age: the Tang dynasty (618 - 907). The show begins with an ancient Chinese musical instrument ensemble while you dine and then later the cultural dance segment begins. The costumes are splendid and you can get some really nice photos if you sit near the stage. The Tang Dynasty Show we are going to see is performed by Shaanxi Song & Dance Troupe with a long history and renowned reputation, and also is the largest performing group in western China. This group has become the cultural window to the world of the ancient capital Xian. Shaanxi Song and Dance Troupe boasts a powerful staff of artists. The young performers are highly gifted and have also received rigorous training in the arts since 1982. It initiated the first show of song and dance in the imperial style of the Tang Dynasty. Shaanxi Song and Dance Troupe has performed in over 40 foreign countries and has received government heads of state and VIPs from over 100 countries. It is reputed to be the oriental art and treasure of distinctive songs and music in the Tang Dynasty style.


Xian Tang Dynasty Show

Day 9: 8th June 2008 Ram’s birthday.
After breakfast, we headed for sight seeing.


Giant Wild Goose Pagoda at Xi'an

Sightseeing included Wild Goose Pagoda. Built during the Tang Dynasty (around 648 AD), the Pagoda is the symbol of Xian today. The Pagoda is at the end of the Yanta Road, at the south edge of Xian. On the eastern side of the temple is the Tang Dynasty Arts Museum, with a collection specifically devoted to the Tang period in Xian. I Offered / lighted 1 candle and 3 bunches of incense sticks at the Pagoda (temple).

Had KFC’s bun with pepsi and chips for lunch and headed to the airport to catch Flt. No. MU2307 leaving Xian 13.40 for Guilin.

Glimpses of China - Beijing

Glimpses of China - Beijing
31/05/08 to 14/6/08 Rashmi Rastogi

Day 6: 5th June 2008

China is a country with a proud history and a promising future. Actually, no country stirs the heart and the imagination quite like China, which is filled with thousands of years of history and offers a unique and subtle blend of culture, heritage, traditions, natural splendor and folklore. The discovery of ‘Peking Man’ was the first evidence of the existence of early human life in China in 500,000 BC. Since that time, through many dynasties, China has developed into the modern state that it is today. China is situated in eastern Asia on the west shore of the Pacific Ocean, with an area of 9.6 million square km. China’s continental coastline extends for about 18,000 km. And its vast sea surface is studded with more than 5,000 islands, of which Taiwan and Hainan are the largest.

China has beautiful scenery, with mountains and ranges, highlands, plains, basins and hills. The highlands and hills account for 65 percent of the country’s total landmass and there are more than 2,000 lakes. The highest mountain peak is Qomalangma (Everest), the highest in the world, 8848 meters above sea level; the lowest point is the Basin, 154 meters below sea level. China lies mainly in the northern temperate zone under the influence of monsoon. From September and October to March and April the following year monsoon winds blow from Siberia and the Mongolia Plateau into China and decrease in force as they go southward, causing dry and cold winter in the country and a temperature difference of 40 degree centigrade between the north and south. The temperature in China in the winter is 5-18 degree centigrade lower than that in other countries on the same latitude in winter. Monsoon winds blow into China from the ocean in summer, bringing with them warm and wet currents and thus rain.

China with its recorded history of 5000 years, was one of the world’s earliest civilizations. China was one of the countries where economic activity first developed. As early as 5,000 or 6,000 years ago, people in the yellow river valley had already started farming and raising livestock. In the 21st century BC., China established a slave society with the founding of the Xia Dynasty, thereby writing a finale to long years of primitive society. In 221 BC. Qin Shihuang established China’s first centralized autocracy, the Qin Dynasty, thereby ushering Chinese history into feudalism, which endured in a succession of dynasties until the Opium War of 1840. The Bourgeois Democratic Revolution of 1911 led by Sun Yat-sen toppled the rule of the Qing Dynasty, putting an end to more than 2,000 years of feudal monarchical system.

After World War II, the Communists under Mao Zedong established a dictatorship that, while ensuring China’s sovereignty , imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. The People’s Republic of China was founded on October 1st 1949. China was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After 1978, his successor Deng Xiaoping gradually introduced market-oriented reforms and decentralized economic decision making and output quadrupled by 2000. Political control remain tight even while economic controls continue to be relaxed. Today, China is implementing reforms and open policies, and has established a socialist economy.

There are 56 Ethnic groups in China. The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group, where some 91.5% of the population was classified as Han Chinese (~1.2 billion). Besides the majority Han Chinese, China recognizes 55 other "nationalities" or ethnic groups, numbering approximately 105 million persons. The major minority ethnic groups are Zhuang (16.1 million), Manchu (10.6 million), Hui (9.8 million), etc.

After brief introduction of China let us now proceed to Beijing. Beijing , the capital of China is an old cultural city. As the capital of the people’s Republic of China, Beijing is the nation’s center of government, economy, culture and international activities , as well as serving as a transportation hub to the entire country. The city has palaces , museums, temples and monuments and streets filled with imperial pomp and contemporary energy. Its major attractions include Forbidden City (former imperial palace), Tiananmen Square (the biggest plaza on earth), the Temple of Heaven.

Our local guide told us that taxi drivers are supposed to be polite to you. They have to wish you while you board the taxi and thank you when you leave the taxi. If they do not do so, you don’t pay the fair.


A corner tower of the Forbidden City, located at the middle of Beijing.


Panorama view of the Forbidden City, home to the Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

After reaching Beijing we headed straight for site seeing to the Forbidden city.
Forbidden city is named such , as entry to the common man was forbidden. Rectangular in shape, it is the world's largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. Surrounded by a six meter deep moat and a ten meter high wall are 9,999 rooms. The wall has a gate on each side. Forbidden City in Beijing is where 24 chinese emperors ruled China for 500 years. Also known as the Imperial Palace Museum or Gugong, the Forbidden City was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Quing Dynasties carried out their administration and lived. Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987, the Palace Museum is now one of the most popular tourist attractions world-wide. Now it is open to the public, where people can see the great traditional palace architecture, enjoy the treasures kept in the palace, and learn of the legends and anacdotes about the imperial family and the court. Forbidden city is a huge area about 3 km and it takes about 3-4 hrs walking.The guide was good and explained the significance of the buildings. We entered the Forbidden city from one end and came out from the another end.

When we emerged from the other side, we saw the Tiananmen square. Tiananmen Square forms the absolute center of Beijing. It is the biggest square in the world and can hold more than one million people. North of it the Tiananmen Gate, which leads into the Forbidden City, west of it the Great Hall of People, south of it is the Qianmen Gate and east of it is the Museum of Chinese People’s Revolution. This square is known for its demonstrations , protest movements and revolutions. The Flag raising ceremonies at sunrise and sunset is a spectacular view indeed.


Tiananmen Square as seen from the Tian'an Gate

We also took a ride to the old Beijing city on a cycle rickshaw. The old city of Beijing is just like any town in India. Small houses, clothes drying outside, people sitting and eating outside.

After the extensive walk we were totally exhausted, the whole body was aching. Checked in at the hotel. Went off to sleep, hoping for a new fresh day tomorrow.

Day 7: 6th June 2008
Next day , after breakfast in the Hotel, we left for the Jade factory. Jade, a precious stone having greenish color, is available extensively in China.
Bona Jade Store factory is located at the northern suburb of Beijing in China. It lies near the seventh exit of BaDaLing expressway, and looks likes a pearl inlaid on Chinese ground. Bona is one of the largest jade stores in China, combining mining, manufacturing and selling, and dealing with medicine and silk as a sideline. The sale area covers about 6000 square meters, and has a big parking-lot covering about 8000 square meters. The sales hall, which can accommodate several thousand customers, and was divided into two stories, selling more than thousand kinds of jade ware that can embody thousands of years of Chinese culture. Those gorgeous products are not only the ideal decorations for companies and houses, but also the best presents for your friends and relatives, such as necklace, ring, earring and pendant.
There are many stories related to jade. The Chinese love jade because of not only its beauty, but also more importantly its culture, meaning and humanity, as Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC) said there are 11 De (virtue) in jade. 'The wise have likened jade to virtue. For them, its polish and brilliancy represent the whole of purity; its perfect compactness and extreme hardness represent the sureness of intelligence; its angles, which do not cut, although they seem sharp, represent justice; the pure and prolonged sound, which it gives forth when one strikes it, represents music. Its color represents loyalty; its interior flaws, always showing themselves through the transparency, call to mind sincerity; its iridescent brightness represents heaven; its admirable substance, born of mountain and of water, represents the earth. Used alone without ornamentation it represents chastity. The price that the entire world attaches to it represents the truth. To support these comparisons, the Book of Verse says: "When I think of a wise man, his merits appear to be like jade." Thus jade is really special in Chinese culture, also as the Chinese saying goes "Gold has a value; jade is invaluable."

It was our 42nd wedding Aniversary. I purchased a Jade bangle for self and four Jade lockets.

From the Jade factory, we proceeded to Bedaling to the Great Wall of China.

‘You are not a man if you have not been to the Great Wall.’ So the saying goes in China. The Great Wall, it is said, is one of the few objects on earth visible from space and moon. It belongs not only to China, but is part of the cultural heritage of the whole world. The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ) from east to west of China. It extends to the Jiayu Pass in Gansu Province in the west to the mouth of the Yalu River in Liaoning Province in the east. Construction of the Great Wall started in the 7th century B.C.. The vassals states under the Zhou Dynasty in the northern parts of the country each built their own walls for defense purposes. After the state of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. , it joined the walls to hold off the invaders from the Xiongnu tribes in the north and extended them to more than 10,000 li or 5000 km. This is the origin of the name of the ‘10,000-Li Great Wall’.
With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. The Great Wall was renovated from time to time after the Qin Dynasty. A major renovation started with the founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368, and took 200 years to complete. The Wall we see today is almost exactly the result of this effort.

Apart from its magnificent construction, the view of the Great Wall is wonderful especially in spring. To the northwest and north of Beijing, a huge, serrated wall zigzags its way to the east and west along the undulating mountains. What lies north of Beijing is but a small section of it. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance. The Bedaling section of the Great Wall, an hour’s drive north of Beijing, has been restored and is a popular spot for tourists foreign and Chinese. The Bedaling section is made mostly of marble blocks, with an average height of about 24 feet. The roadway along the top is wide enough (~20 to30 feet) for ten soldiers to walk abreast. Much of the roadway on top of the wall, beyond the Bedaling restored area, is overgrown with bushes and trees making passage difficult. Sections of the wall were built with locally-available materials: tamped earth, stone, tile, brick, marble, and timber. The Qin Dynasty section involved 300,000 soldiers plus conscripted laborers and convicts. In 555 A.D., another section was built using about 2 million laborers.

Great Wall of China

We took a rope trolley (4 persons per trolley), which took us through the lush green hills to the great wall. The trolley ride was approx. 5-7 min. We spent a good hour roaming the Great Wall of China. Afterwards we returned to the base camp on the rope trolley and shopped.

From the Great Wall, we went to the foot of the hill for visiting Enamel factory and thereafter for Chinese Lunch. At the factory, the entire process of enamelling was explained to us. From the attached shop, I purchased a red enamel bangles. Red color is preferred in China. It was a sit down lunch, vegans and non vegans were given separate tables. Beer and soft drink (one glass per person) was free. More than that one had to pay.) Chinese food tastes much better in India. In China it was quite bland. You are given a small plate or a deep bowl in which you eat one item after another using chopsticks or fork. There was rice, potato fingers, chop suey etc. The guide also served a local hard drink looked like Vodka, colourless. Everyone took in their small glasses. I thought I’d sip a little for taste. Later, I learnt that it was 49 % alcohol. Even a small sip left my head reeling.


The Temple of Heaven in Beijing

After Lunch, we went to theTemple of Heaven. Although there are many temples in Beijing, the Temple of Heaven , situated in the southern part of the city in Chongwen district, is unique. As famous as the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, it is a ‘must’ for every visitor. In ancient China, the emperor was regarded as the ‘Son of Heaven’, who administered matters on the earth on behalf of the heavenly authority. To show respect to heaven, ceremonies for sacrifices to heaven were extremely important to the emperor. The temple was built for the worship of heaven and prayers for good harvests. An interesting and famous place to visit is called Echo Wall owning special feature. The wall encloses the Imperial Vault of Heaven. Its perimeter is 193 meters. If you and your friend stand at the east and the west roots of the wall respectively and you whisper a word, then your friend will hear clearly what you say.

We also went to a Pearl Factory. In addition to pearls they were marketing beauty products made out of pearls. Our colleagues were interested in shopping, so our local guide left us at a local mall were we could shop for an hour and half. Shopping in China is a crazy affair. They are just after you, will reduce the price to almost 10 % its origin price. One really does not know what one is getting into and purchasing. We roamed a little and were afraid of being robbed or something, hence we came out of the mall and looked around. After visiting the factories and shopping malls, we find that Chinese are also good in Sales apart from manufacturing.

After the shopping, we went for the Kung Fu Show, which was of two hours duration.

The Kung Fu Show

The Story A young boy, brought by his mother, enters the temple of Kung fu and trains to become a monk in the Kung Fu tradition. The master begins the boy's apprenticeship, giving him the name "Chun Yi", the Pure One. As he grows and develops, he learns the physical skills of Kung Fu. He also learns that he must withstand temptations and distractions along the way, and throughout his life in order to maintain his discipline and Kung fu focus. Chun Yi meets the challenges, falls for and overcomes temptation and finally attains the honor of being named Master, becoming a wise teacher for the next generations.

After the show and dinner, we returned to the hotel. Next morning we left for Xian.