August 2nd, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, things to do & see
Yangshuo is known for its wonderful scenery and abundant outdoor activities however there are a few lesser known cultural sights within easy distance of town.
The Wu and Wen temples in nearby Gongcheng are excellent examples.
Wen Temple
Wen Temple is also known as the Confucius Temple. Built in 1410 AD it is said to replicate the [...]
June 22nd, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, places, things to do & see
Arriving in Longli at the end of a long day I hadn’t expected to come across such a treasure. This ancient garrison sits in the middle of a plain in Eastern Guizhou. A feeling of remoteness seems to hang over the village which is odd given it is less than 30klms from Liping airport.
Back in [...]
June 20th, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, places, things to do & see
The Diping Wind and Rain bridge is the largest of its kind in Guizhou.
Some 56 metres in length, the bridge was first built in 1894 during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). This classic example of Dong Minority architecture was destroyed by fire in 1956, a copy was rebuilt in 1964. In 2004 the bridge suffered further [...]
June 18th, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, places, things to do & see
The first thing that captured my attention on the internet for Dali Dong village in South Eastern Guizhou was the phrase “untouched by tourism”. Of course I was a bit of a skeptic as I found this phrase at least 3 times on various travel and tour websites. But it was on our way, so [...]
June 16th, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, places, things to do & see
As you wind your way along the banks of the Duliu River, between Congjiang and Rongjiang in South Eastern Guizhou, you get great views and a tiny glimpse into local river life. Villages located on the opposite bank often don’t have road access so it is not unusual to see passengers being ferried across in [...]
June 15th, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, places, things to do & see
Despite Basha’s close proximity to Congjiang (south eastern Guizhou) it remains an excellent place to experience a taste of the Miao ethnic minority culture.
Said to be descendants of the 4,000 year old Chiyou army this village certainly seems to have retained many of its traditions including a gun salute that was performed at weddings. [...]
June 1st, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, places
By the time I had finished tour leading I found I was a pretty hard audience to impress. Having seen so many amazing sights on a regular basis the extraordinary became the ordinary. I wondered if the excitement and amazement of seeing something new would ever return. But I now know its back.
Visiting a [...]
May 25th, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, places, things to do & see
Number 5: Impressions – Liu Sanjie
Experience the wonderful visual storytelling of Zhang Yi Mou, creator and director of Beijing’s opening and closing ceremonies.
Zhang’s “Impressions” performance is mostly carried out on the Li River with scores of bamboo rafts and in excess of 500 local performers. The surrounding limestone karsts form the backdrop of this feast of [...]
May 1st, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, other stuff
In the natural world thousands of animal and bird species migrate each year, heading for greener pastures, warmer weather, etc . Here in China there are mass migrations of people 3 times a year, more commonly these are referred to as “Golden Weeks”.
By far the biggest migration is during Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) [...]
