August 18th, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, other stuff
The Guilin region is very well known for an abundance of Osmanthus. The city also derives its name from these evergreen trees. (guilin = osmanthus forest)
Renowned for its many health benefits, the sweetly scented flowers feature in a range of specialty products such as Osmanthus wine, Osmanthus tea, Osmanthus candies and Osmanthus essential oil.
It also [...]
August 16th, 2009 | by admin | published in eating & drinking, latest posts
One of my lasting memories of the journey between Guilin and Yangshuo were the villages that seem to specialize in just one thing. There is the village that makes cane/bamboo furniture, with chairs being the most popular item on display. Then there was what I called “pomelo town”, clusters of pomelo pyramids neatly arranged at [...]
August 14th, 2009 | by admin | published in eating & drinking, latest posts
The abundance of waterways in the local area results in a good supply of snails which have long been a food source in the Yangshuo region. The fleshy insides of the snails are scooped out, mixed with pork, chilli and green vegetables, then stuffed back inside the shell before being cooked. Boiled, stir fried or [...]
August 12th, 2009 | by admin | published in eating & drinking, latest posts
One of the most famous dishes in Yangshuo is Beer Fish (pijiu yu 啤酒鱼) and mustn’t be missed if you are into sampling the local cuisine.
Braised in beer, tomato, peppers, garlic, ginger and oyster sauce the dish is delightfully fragrant with the fish usually ending up deliciously tender pieces of flesh that literally melt in [...]
August 10th, 2009 | by admin | published in eating & drinking, latest posts
A very popular local dish, “Mifen (米粉)” means rice noodles.
The noodles are quickly boiled and served with a few slivers of cooked pork either with or without soup/stock depending on the restaurant. Various condiments and a basic “soup” or stock can be added according to your own taste. Condiments usually include fried peanuts or soya [...]
August 4th, 2009 | by admin | published in eating & drinking, latest posts
After spending a bit of time in Yangshuo you might notice that although there are many places to eat, often the dishes end up being quite similar.
One of my personal favorites is Pure Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant, next door to Magnolia Hotel in Diecui Road, Yangshuo.
Their menu is full of highlights with many dishes that are [...]
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 26th, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, other stuff
Beautiful lotus flowers are starting to bloom in ponds around Yangshuo. Symbolizing purity, peace and perfection, the pink lotus is said to be the most sacred of all.
Two of the best places to view these sublime blossoms in town are in the large pond on the outskirts of Yangshuo park and the stream on [...]
June 13th, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, places, things to do & see
The weather, heavy traffic and re-construction on highway 321 between Sanjiang (Guangxi) and Congjiang (Guizhou) has left the road in a bit of a mess. A great diversion to escape part of this nightmare drive is a small mountain road which winds it way up from Sanjiang to come out about halfway to Congjiang.
Despite [...]
May 21st, 2009 | by admin | published in latest posts, places
There have been few times in China when I have asked myself the question – where are all the people???
With approximately 20% of the world’s population, busy towns and cities are the norm. So, 7.30pm Friday night at a restaurant quite close to down town in Hezhou, north eastern Guangxi province, I was left wondering [...]
