Minjiang Donghu Hotel Meishan

We travelled to Leshan mainly to see the famous giant Buddha statue, but also to renew our visas, having heard that it was one of the best places to do it. There is not that much in Leshan apart from the Buddha, so if we hadn't had to get the visa, we would have only come on a day trip. However, we were there a day and a half and so we saw the Buddha and wandered around the town. We went to see the Buddha on a ferry ...

Teimme viikonloppuna paikallisen matkatoimiston järjestämän parin päivän reissun Emein vuorelle ja Leshanin kaupunkiin, jossa sijaitsee maailman suurin buddhapatsas. Patsaalla on korkeutta hulppeat 71 metriä, yksinään korvien korkeus on 7 metriä. Emei on yksi buddhalaisten neljästä pyhästä vuoresta. Matkaohjelmaan kuului Buddhan lisäksi tukku temppeleitä ja nousu Emein huipulle n. 3100 metrin korkeuteen ...

... of foreign language capabilities. Part of the problem when ordering in China is that rather than naming dishes after the ingredients, the Chinese translations our phrasebook provides say something like: "The Dragon flies over an open field", meaning "Duck with spring onions". So when I ask for a dish and one of the ingredients is missing, i.e. spring onion, the answer is meio, No, and there is no way of asking for Duck ...

... and it really is a unique museum viewing experience. I have had the opportunity to visit this complex twice, once with Sandi and once with Wendy (my friend from Oz). The galleries are each a showcase for a collection or aspect of Chinese cultural heritage. They are beautiful, contemporary buildings and each one has a unique feeling, character and atmosphere. There is the Hall of Unyielding Chinese Prisoners of War; the Hall of the Conventional ...

... are many stories about the Monk Haitong and his task, the Dafo now sits in the grounds of over 4 sq kilometers of hilltop and forest which is a UNESCO Heritage site. From Chengdu you take a bus (42 Yuan, one way) from the Xin Nan Gate Bus (tourist center) station along the river to Le Shan township. As you get off the bus in Le Shan take the number 13 bus for 2 Yuan to the Dafo precinct, (it is often there waiting at the station when ...

... I could hardly walk, climbing hills to valley views from the top and spending hours on the river with the fishermen. There are many highlights for a trip here but the fishermen were why I came. Karst is spectacular in this environment. Huge limestone formations, weathered, gray and standing like sentinels in the landscape. Add to that, water and misty mornings and you have a vision from another time. The karst is formed by fossilized sediment pushed upwards ...

... the early thaw waters starting to form dynamic and intricate passages through the frozen waterfalls. I had the opportunity to visit this area for a special project. I had met the Environmental Officer/Ranger from the park at a social meeting and from there was offered a part in a project that would contribute to one of the outlying villages of this spectacular area. In the first week of February I drove up with my friend, in a jeep ...

Route: Meishan Kou and Meishan village Total Distance: 10km Altitude up: 160m Altitude down: 160m Another early wake-up, 5:30 am. The too few hours and not deep enough sleep is again, as in the previous sections, taking its toll. At 6:15am we walk down to Meishan village, part of a roughly 6km trail. The bus stop for the kids is outside the village. Just beside a makeshift breakfast shop, lots of school kids having breakfast and waiting for the bus, as well ...

Route: Chinhe village- Yu Shuei Hot Spring - Fushing village - Meishan village Total Distance: 24 km Altitude up: 800m Altitude down: 100m It's 6:30 am. A look outside the window shows a fine day - fine means it does not rain. Also the view is beautiful with the Laonung river winding and rushing below and the mountains blanketed in fresh green. At the breakfast shop, the morning meeting place of the village, we meet all the people from the previous day, the KTV ...

lazy morning - breakfast, pick up laundry (hurrah!!!) bus to a mountain - cable car to top to see giant golden buddha! lots of cloud. hmm... bus to baoguo to monastery bum. gotta dash to have dinner. then off on three day boat trip tomorrow. sorry. you'll have to wait to hear the delights of our monastery stay... the communal showers and loos!!! xxxxx