Japan and Korea in the rain

July is monsoon time in Asia and a few typhoons hang around dumping heavy rain and blowing winds right up the Chinese coast and into Japan and Korea, so you would wonder why we might choose to cruise at this time of year! I just was not aware that it would be so darn wet and, after all, this is when Ron has his holidays. We left Shanghai on the 11th July in a warm, humid drizzle on board the Legend of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship bound for Japan and Korea and seven days on the sea.

We have not been regular cruisers and only have one other trip under our belts - the South China sea cruise we did in 2007. So we approach cruising with a bit of a dubious attitude - isn't it really just for old people (and we are not yet that old are we?), and isn't it packed with Asian gamblers and will we feel like sardines crammed into a small space with hundreds of people we would rather not be with? In fact nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, the passengers were in a majority from Asian countries - after all we were cruising in Asia! The overwhelming majority were from China and they were families, sometimes 4 generations from the great grandma through to the only child. And they were having just the same sort of holiday any Aussie family would be having! There was a small casino on board that opened in the evening and stayed open till the wee hours and, yes, the casino filled with people who wanted to use it but it was just a small part of the ship and only one of the activities that were happening at the time.Mostly we felt we were living in a 6 star hotel with everything laid on and staff who would do anything to make life easy, pleasant and fun. I had also heard that cruise ships turn into drunken dens of iniquity! I saw no evidence of this but Ron did note that there was a Spanish guy who was watching the world cup final at 3 am who was rather strongly inebriated and showing very vocal support during the game! So really for most of the time the cruise felt right for us and we had a great time. All negative perceptions thrown out the window and now thinking we might try another cruise sometime soon! you can't go wrong checking into a 6 star hotel, unpacking your bags for a week and visiting 2 countries and four cities and never having to wait in a queue or repack your bag! Here are some pics we took when we got onboard and before there were a lot of people around:

That's me sitting in the casino - the only time we visited it really! And then clockwise - the card room, the whirlpools, art gallery, dining room, library, looking over the outdoor pool, internet cafe, and looking down into the music lounge.

Our first port of call was Kagashima in southern Japan. At all ports you could choose to take a guided tour of some of the highlights of the town but Ron and I have seen enough temples and Asian markets to last us a lifetime so we decided to abandon the guided tours and just go experience the city. Armed with a map we wandered the streets of Kagashima and found a market style shopping centre, a bank and a beer. The rain had started to bucket down so we grabbed a cab and headed back to the ship with 2 umbrellas added to the luggage. We all know if we buy an umbrella it ensures it won't rain anymore so we were placing our holiday in the hands of the umbrella gods!

Next port was Nagasaki where the typhoon was in full swing and the rain was falling almost horizontal driven by a strong wind. Sounded like a good day to hunker down with a good book and keep warm and dry! So Nagasaki did not get a visit from us - we observed it from the ship. Does that count as a visit? Oh well - that's how it went. Some of the more intrepid cruisers went to see the Peace Park and the Memorial Museum but I have to say all that war stuff just leaves me feeling depressed and overwhelmed by sadness. Our dinner partners came back from the visit very subdued and quite saddened by the atrocities of WWII and the nuclear holocaust.

Fukuoka gave us a morning of sunshine before turning on the buckets of rain - so off we went into the subways, exploring underground shopping centres and eventually finding me a new camera to replace my other little portable one which I think I have now worn out completely! We strolled some shopping arcades and eat streets, Ohori Park and the Museum of Modern Art. Ohori Park was lovely, filled with ponds with lotus floating on them and really very similar to parks in China, except much better maintained! We enjoyed the museum and picked up a few arty postcards, wandered around the park and found a coffee shop and then headed back to the ship.

Busan in Korea greeted us with a slightly better day and we were now adept at working out the subway systems under these Asian cities. They do transport so well. The curiousity of the locals was quite funny - everywhere we went we were nodded to, smiled at and greeted with courtesy and respect. We spent a short while in a Cultural Centre and the Museum of Busan. Both very interesting and a great way to hear about the history of Korea and it's interactions with China, France, Russia, the USA and Japan. I reckon those poor Koreans have as much fighting spirit as mortally wounded bulls in a bullring - They just keep fighting back!

Here are some pics from the trip :

Picnic at Lion Rock Beaut Spot!

Summer has come to Nanjing with a blast. Temperatures during the day have not fallen below 30 degrees for a few days now and it is muggy and tropical. What a contrast to the snow an ice of a few months ago!

So to celebrate the good weather and take advantage of lovely balmy evenings we decided to take a picnic dinner to the Lion Rock Beaut Spot - yes, that is the official name! Here is proof!

We had no idea how to find it so my friend Sian who had visited before came along to be the guide!


Ron has been collecting some Chinglish signs, just for fun, and there were many to be found here at the Beaut Spot. (More news on Chinglish later!)

Now there is not much to say about heading out for an evening picnic really, however the picnic spot was delightful and the Champagne and prawns with seafood dipping sauce, followed by honey soy chicken drumsticks, potato salad and a green salad, crispy bread rolls accompanied by a nice bottle of French red was certainly a tasty repast! So it's really not too tough in China now the winter is over!

I think you will agree - the setting was very nice!

Great Wall of China

One of the things to do in China, in fact a must do, is to see the Great Wall of China and it is really amazing to be able to walk along pathways and through buildings that were originally built in various stages from the 5th Century BC up to the 16th Century! The Chinese name for the GW is "Wanli Changcheng" and it means the long fortress of 10,000li, which is just short of 9,000 klms and just over 5,500 miles. Most of what remains of the GW was built in the Ming Dynasty between the 14th and 17th centuries. We visited the Mutianyu section of the wall which is about a 90 minute drive from Beijing. Although it was Sunday there were not so many visitors as to make it crowded or uncomfortable and we had lots of opportunity to take photos and not have them full of people. This is quite different in China as most tourist spots have wall to wall people and you struggle to get photos that don't have people in them.

At Mutianyu we were able to take a gondola style cable car to a high point on the wall and walk about 2klms to a chair lift that takes you back to the entrance area. Along the way you climb and descend hundreds (no - probably thousands) of stone steps. You also pass through a number of watchtowers and along some parapets. It can be done at a slow ambling pace and there are lots of places to stop and catch your breath. There are also some small stalls that sell water and iceblocks, Coca Cola and other soft drinks and BEER!

At the entrance to the site there is a small tourist shopping area selling "I climbed the Great Wall of China" t-shirts and other touristy paraphenalia. We got the T shirts!

So I guess now we can say - "Beijing? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt!"

The Forbidden City

After Tiananmen Square we crossed under the road and came up at the entrance to the Forbidden City. The reason it is called the Forbidden City is because no-one could enter or leave it unless they had the permission of the emperor. UNESCO lists it as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. It is a World Heritage Site. And so there are a lot of reasons to visit if you are in Beijing! Some statistics quoted from Wikipedia say the Forbidden City was built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 720,000 m² (7,800,000 sq ft). It was impossible to visit all aspects of it in one afternoon. There is a lot of information in the Wikipedia entry at this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_City 

 

I was struck by the fact that an ancient imperial "city" would have a picture of Chairman Mao mounted above the entrance. He actually wasn't anywhere around when it was built and didn't come along till centuries later! The Emperors would roll in their graves to think that Mao now has pride of place at the Tiananmen Gate to the Forbidden City! I suppose Mao is just there to keep an eye on happenings in Tiananmen Square. I got my camera out to get a photo with one of the guards and he quickly said "No Photo" quite emphatically - however I had already taken this one and it seemed OK at the time.

You can wander for days through the Forbidden City and I imagine you could get lost in there without too much trouble at all. However Ron and I had taken advice from our friend Lynn who had said not to follow the tour groups up the middle of the city and to branch out to one side where there were far less people and in fact quite a lot of lovely things to see. We decided to head off to the right as we entered the main part of the palaces and found ourselves going through the Galleries of Treasures. it was much quieter than the central path that went through all the palaces and it was very interesting as well - lots of museum pieces that indicated the life of the emperors and the lifestyle of the court. 

I wouldn't have missed it as it was genuinely stunning. However if you really have an interest in Chine Imperial history you will need at least three days to explore it.

Tiananmen Square, Beijing

 

In 1989 there were several incidents in and around Tiananmen Square where intellectuals and students had gathered to mourn the death of Hu Yaobang, a Chinese official, and former General Secretary, who had taken a stand against corruption in the Chinese government and had also led a pro-democracy movement in China. The death of Hu Yaobang was a catalyst for massive rallies by students, anti government protestors and intellectuals opposed to the communist regime across China but more so in Beijing where many thousands of protestors staged events for about 3 months from April to June. Scuffles broke out between the protestors, who were promoting democratic and economic reforms, and the state police and security. The army was called in to clear the area on the 4th June and that day is now remembered in many parts of the world (but not in China) as the day of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Some reports have up to 3,000 people killed but here in China it is still only known as the June the 4th incident and is swept aside as an insignificant event in Chinese political history.

I had expected that the square would be quite large and imposing and I guess I also expected that there would be some attention to the event and memorial to the victims - I am not sure what I really expected! However what I found was simply a fairly large square with Mao's mausoleum in the central area and a number of monuments to the the martyrs of the communist revolution - including a tall obelisk which is the Monument to the People's Heroes - shown in the collage above. There is no evidence of the massacre or the students who died there and life goes on as if it really never happened.

The square is situated in front of the Great Hall of the People and across the road from the entrance to  the Forbidden City and the Palace Museum. The area is easily accessed through the Tiananmen subway station.

Muchou Lake Nanjing

Muchou Lake is situated just south of Nanjing City. Like all the lakes I have seen in China the water is very thick and green and I wonder just how the fish survive! However the gardens have been put together beautifully and apparently there is a legend about the lake and the "Lady Muchou" who was a peasant girl who married a nobleman and lived happily ever after. Therefore the lake is said to be popular with young lovers and families. It is certainly busy on the weekend. However it is a lovely place to have a walk and do some people watching and we have visited a couple of times now.
I am always amazed when you see these beautiful gardens and lakes just how the buildings have fallen into disrepair and how unkempt and unclean they are - they look like they need a good wash and a man with a toolbox hanging about all the time. I must admit there is no rubbish laying around because there are people who clear it away. However the museum at this park was a very dismal sight with what would have been a lovely display of Chinese brocade, but all the models hair was moth eaten and it had fallen all over the clothing and there was dust (many years of it) settled on the displays. There are a whole lot of people sitting around trying to flog souvenirs and it really would only take a few hours a week for some of them to actually put in an effort to maintain the displays! Oh well that's CHINA!

Dragonboat Festival Nanjing

This weekend marks the annual dragonboat festival and holiday in China. We made two trips to Muchou Lake to have a look at the dragonboats. These photos were taken on the practice day - we didn't get there early enough to get photos on the day of the big race and it was so crowded near the shore we could not get a good vantage point. However it was a great day - very festive and the people of Nanjing were out to celebrate. Lots of families were out in the park and we only saw one other western person there! They really need to publicise these events better so people can go along and see what is happening.

The village at Huang Cun

Nestled at the base of Huangshan, Yellow Mountain, is the delightful village of Huang Cun. Legend tells us after the village was totally destroyed by fire hundreds of years ago a sage was consulted who told the villagers to rebuild in the shape of a water buffalo. As part of the rebuilding the village has built in fire protection with small streams running through the streets and a central lake called the Half Moon Lake.

These days the village has outgrown the original design and there are houses and shops outside the core village and lining the banks of the lake on one side. However much of the initial village is still in existence and the villagers proudly open it daily to tourists.

On approaching Huang Cun, at the base of Yellow Mountain (China's Grand Canyon) it is clear this is a popular tourist spot and a favourite place for artists to practice their craft. Artisits were sitting on small stools with their paints and easels developing a variety of renditions of the lake, the bridges, the village and the surroundings. My effort at painting the village is included here!

Within the original village there are small shops and restaurants dotted along the winding pathways and it is not unusual to run into a family of geese out for a stroll. If you get lost you find one of the small canals that run along the pathways and follow the flow of the water back to the lake.

The villagers are very welcoming and will allow you to photograph them at work and rest. There are many opportunities for a photographer to record very authentic photographs of ancient Chinese culture and living.
 

A day out with Henry, Amanda and Qian Yi

It has been some time since we had this day out but I have just found the photos and thought I would put them up. Ron works very closely with Henry  (He) Congpei and he is the most delightful man and ever so helpful. Henry has been responsible for much of our happiness in Nanjing. He has acted as Ron's right hand man, translator, interpreter, advocate and friend and all the while has also been the communication anchor between Ron and the Chinese staff and NFLS. Henry is a gem beyond being able to measure in value.
One day last year we went to the zoo with Henry and his family - his wife Amanda and his son Qian Yi (who has since decided his English name will be Thomas - ala Thomas the Tank Engine!) Zoos in China are not really very pleasant places when you compare them with modern zoos and I struggled with the conditions the animals are kept in. The Pandas seemed to have a nice enough home but most of the other animals, although looking healthy enough, were in very poor containment and many were obviously emotionally stressed. Also the visitors to the zoo were not very careful about where they threw their rubbish and many of the cages had plastic waste and food wrappers strewn around.

Qian Yi was the saving grace of the day. At the time he was still 2 and full of fun and excitement. He has defintely inherited Henry's good nature and sense of humour and mischief. Amanda was kept on her toes racing around after him and playing with a bubble gun that really was more fun than the zoo!
We had a delightful afternoon and I just love the pic of Ron with Henry and family - one of the happiest moments in Nanjing.

Xuanwu Lake - Nanjing

 

Xuanwu lake is approached through the Xuanwu gate in the Nanjing city wall. Xuanwumen Metro station is the closest to the lake.  The name Xuanwumen means Xuanwu gate. Nanjing city sits to the south west of the lake. It is a quick ride on the metro from the city.
The lake is dotted with five islands and each of these has a history in legend. Chinese families enjoy the use of their parks and lakes and you will find it is a popular place for Chinese people to spend  the weekend.

The islands can be accessed by hiring small electric cars, boats or by walking. They are all inter connected with pathways and bridges. A convoy of electric open busses circles the park at an alarming rate so watch out for them as you amble along the paths!  There are many boat operators who will hire you a boat to drive yourself (pedal or electric) or you can cruise the lake with a driver taking the boat through the arched bridges and around the islands.
Legend has it that a large black dragon came to the lake one day when the clouds were settling low. There are also some stories concerning snakes and turtles that are said to live in the lake. The waters of the lake are now quite polluted, probably not a home for much marine life at all, more or less a large dragon. However there will always be a number of people fishing along the shores and they set up tents and spend the better part of the day picnicking in small groups. It is a lovely family environment.

There is a garden sculpture that depicts 2 dragons fighting and a large sculpture of a female in Buddhist regalia surrounded by children. I have not been able to find the significance of this statue and fountain but it is quite impressive.
Kite flyers can be found on sunny days with slight wind. Watching a string of hundreds of kites rise into the summer sky is quite spectacular.

There are a number of roadside restaurants and cafes dotted through the park.
All in all a lovely way to spend an afternoon in Nanjing.