grizzly's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries

grizzly's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member grizzly on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/grizzly en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:52:22 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com Journey to the West - X — Dali, Yunnan, China http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258426554/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258426554/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258426554/tpod.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:52:22 -0500 Around the world in more than 365 days - follow me around the globe on my adventures.

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Dali, Yunnan, China

DaliI got dropped off outside the city wall, actually way outside, and had to take a ride into the city as my pack was a bit too heavy to walk.  I decided to stay at Sunny Lodge as I had seen a flyer for the guesthouse in Zhongdian and I liked what it said.  The owner is from Inner Mongolia, a friendly and smiling guy with two beautifil Golden Retrievers.  The dorm is a huge sunny room with 8 bed for 20RMB.  Its has lovely courtyard and a terrace to just sit and relax.  It also has a couple of double rooms. The toilet/shower are the only thing that I do not appreciate. So after running into Caroline, who I met at N's Lodge  in Zhongdian, here in Dali we checked out two other places and I decided to move into the place she is staying, The Lily Pad Inn and Guesthouse.  I got my own spacious room for 20RMB and the shower and toilet facilities are top notch.  Erin, the manager is extremely friendly and helpful. A bonus point too is that the place is outside the citywall, so far away from the noise of bars and restaurants.http://wikitravel.org/en/DaliThe past two days I have been exploring the Old Town on foot, though I was planning on renting a bike and go crazy riding around the Bai communities close to Dali. The 2nd day of my town exploration I run into Tony again (also a Zhongdian connection from N's Lodge).  This is the 4th time that we met, first in Yubong, which I can't remeber but he told me he met me there, then in Zhongdian, next in Lijiang and then again in Dali. Tony is one of the sweetest, nicest and funniest Chinese guy I have met in 3 years in China.  He is originally from Anhui province but lives and works in Shanghai now.  In any case, we teamed up again and went around Dali.  We checkd out the old Puxian Temple where the old ladies invited us for lunch, then we hang out in  a restaurant to try their homemade liquor or wine and watch the owner and an emplopyee de-bone chicken feet.  That's the stuff I love; hanging with the locals and talking about about this and that.  That's when I feel closest to the people, when I don't feel like a tourist just passing through.  But Dali has a special flavor, this is not a town to just pass through.  From the moment I got here, I knew that this is a place to linger for a while.  And linger I could.The next day our team of two beacme a team of three as we found another single traveller from Guandong province who joined us in our adventures.  Our goal for the day was Cangshan mountain.http://www.chinahighlights.com/dali/attraction/the-scenery-of-cangshan-mountain.htmWe avoided paying the 30RMB entrance fee be quitly passing by the ticket office, so as to not make any noise.  It was a steep 90 minute or so hike up to the main trail named Cloud Pass.  From there we hiked to Seven Dragon Pool and then on to Cangshan Grand Canyon.  We were pretty much the only people on the trail aside from some locals and 3 other tourists.  It was lovely; the view of the cloud covered mountains, the view of the city below and Erhai Lake, the streams and waterfalls, and the mix of colors - red, green, orange and yellow of the forest.Heading into the eastern direction, right above Zhonghe Temple lies the secluded Higherland Inn which offers dorms, food and a relaxing atmosphere. http://www.higherland.com/Passing through Zhonghe Temple, we made our way back down a horse trail and finished around 5.30pm.  But there is more to hike; the mountain peak, Yu Ju Peak, is at an elevation of 4089m, a challenge which I would like to take on with a hiking buddy, which I have yet to find.Today, we went to Cai Cun village about 5 km from Dali.  We walked through the village talking randomly to people, sitting by the lake and having a lady talk us into taking a boat out on the lake for an hour.  We agreed and I got to row the entire time (with her husband in the back).  We paid 20RMB per person for the one hour but is was worth it.  Just talking to them and watching the colorful ducks on the lake was worth it. Taking the big boat from Cai Cun to the other side is 150RMB per person, so this was out of question for us.  After visiting Cai Cun, we headed to the beautiful campus of Dali University.  This got to be one of the most beautiful universities in China.  The campus sits between the mountain and the lake and is a green oasis with modern and spacious buildings that just call you to take up your studies there.  And inquire about study I did; Chinese as a foreign language. We will see if and when I will take up residency in Dali; it sure is a place much to my liking.Tomorrow we will go to You Suo market which, according to the LP, is the biggest in Yunnan.One of the cultural events I would have liked to watch is Yang Lipings "Sound of Yunnan".  Yang, a of the Bai minority, grew up in Dali and has performed in and choreographed for a variety of ethnic dances.http://news.cultural-china.com/20090626161526.html?PHPSESSID=79c1c8d5e2da8217e6f93c45c4ca4da2
]]> Journey to the West - IX — Lijiang, Yunnan, China http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258422812/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258422812/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258422812/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:55:43 -0500 Around the world in more than 365 days - follow me around the globe on my adventures.

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Lijiang, Yunnan, China

Lijiang/Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia)I took the 7.50am bus to Qiaotou, the starting point for the Gorge west to east.Tiger Leaping Gorge is a canyon of the Yangtze River. It's about 15 km (9 mi) long and 2km (1.5 mi) deep. At the west end of the gorge is the town of Qiaotou. At the east end is the town of Daju. Most people that come here hike from one end to the other, either along the "High Trail" or the "Low Trail".  The low trail is usually used by bus tourists (the majority of Chinese take the bus, 90% of the hikers I saw on the high trail were foreigners).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Leaping_GorgeThe ticket price is 50RMB.  After about 300m, I came upon Jane's Guesthouse, run by Tibetan Jane.  She told me where to get on the trail and off I went.  Many people do this hike in either one day (pushing it) but more will do it in two days, staying over at Halfway House.  As for me, my goal was to get out of touristy Lijiang and enjoy the scenery for however long I deem appropriate.  My first stop after about 3 hours was Naxi Family Guesthouse.  The instant I entered their family courtyard I was charmed by the smile of the owners, the flowers and the incredible view from the terrace of the Yulong mountains.  So, after a three hour hike, I decided to make this my first overnight stop.  I set outside and started reading the "Forgotten Kingdom" by Peter Goullart.  I got a 20RMB room with a single bed since the dorm rooms were all taken.  In the evening, a group of students from Hong Kong International School arrived who were on a team building trip led by Asia Pacific Adventures.  I talked to Emma, one of the intructors who had been on this trail before and she mentioned that the White Terraces, Baishui Tai, was nothing special.  As I had planned on extending the TLG trip to Baishui Tai, I decided to make it an out and back trek instead, stopping at guesthouses randomly.http://www.chinatrekking.com/maps/yunnan-maps/tiger-leaping-gorge-trekking-mapThe next morning I left at about 8am and stopped at Tea Horse Guesthouse for baba, a local bread and later stopped at Halfway Guesthouse to take in the view from their "inspiration terrace".  I made good time and left the trail at about 3pm and stopped at Sean's Guesthouse where I met up with Chris who had taken a minibus directly to Sean's.http://www.tigerleapinggorge.com/I didn't like Tina's, as it is a huge modern building directly on the street. There was nothing local or romantic about this guesthouse. Sean's is a comfy place, each dorm bed has a teddy bear on its pillows.  And, you cant' beat 20RMB and a happy hour from 4-8pm. ;-)I left the next day to head back but did a short exploration of the bamboo forest trail which leads from near Tina's to Sean's at Walnut Garden.  The bamboo forest is lovely, with young trees and rushing waters and birds to view.  I went to the wood bridge, which is about 45 min from the main trail.  Talking to a couple who has done the trail with their 13 year old son that day before, it was a bit hairy at some sections for which reason they recommend to not to do the trail alone.  I returned to the main trail and continued to Halfway House which had intrigued me on my way up.  The family was happy to see me showed me nto the dorm room (20RMB) which had a lovely terrace overlooking the village and mountains. I can't comment on food as I had my dried food packages which I need to finish as they were a burden to carry with me.  I did, however, try their walnut and honey pancake which was delicious though a bit try (it just needed more honey).  After staying at Halfway house I hiked back to the Naxi family guesthouse where I stayed one more night.  They currently have a resident monkey which they rescued from a fight with another monkey.  He has some back or leg issues and the son assured me that they will release him in about 2 months after which time he should be healed. I could have stayed on the trail for another couple of days, it is relaxing, charming and it may be the last time to be able to hike on the trail if the government goes ahead with their plan of building a dam there.  I left Naxi Family house at 8am and got to Qiautou around 10 just in time to catch a bus back to Lijiang.  Back in Lijiang, I walked the streets one more time and indulged in local food at Nr. 88 Naxi snacks, at Nr. 52 another Naxi restaurant and at Aan Yoghurt, local made yoghurt that can be ordered with honey or fruits. I also went to a dongbei restaurant for some northern chinese food.  In the evening, I went to see the famous Naxi Orchestra, located inside a beautiful building in Old Town. All members (26 at last count) are Naxi and play a type of Taoist temple music (known as <i>dòngjīng ) that has been lost elsewhere in China. The pieces they perform are supposedly faithful renditions of music from the Han, Song and Tang dynasties, and are played on original instruments, some of which were buried during the Cultural Revolution lest they be smashed. Local historian of note Xuan Ke speaks for the group at performances and at the end gives his autograph to anyone who desires so.  Ticket prices are 120, 140 and 160 RMB and the show starts at 8pm until about 9ish every day.All of the members were colorful traditional robes and play a variety of old instruments.  Two lovely girls introduced the orchestra, some of the instruments and gave background information on the pieces performed (in Chinese and English).  The oldest member is 88 and there are a few others in their 80s.  I didn't get a lot of quality pictures of the orchestra so I am including a likn to a traveller's website who got some great shots of the members.http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/asia/naxi-orchestra.shtmlOne of the things to do in Lijiang is to rent a bike and explore the surrounding villages.  I went through a lovely village near the reservoir and then visited Shuhe Old Town, a smaller version of Lijiang. Nestled at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, 6 km northwest of Lijiang Old Town, Shuhe was once a staging post at ancient Tea & Horse Road. With an altitude of 2440 meters above sea level, it is a tranquil town with a population of about 3000 people. Along with its sister town Lijiang, it is also part of the UNESCO Heritage site. Shuhe is the earliest settlement of Naxi people in Lijiang when their ancestors first moved to this region. As mentioned, the town is just like a small-sized Lijiang with a similar layout, which boasts a Square Street (Sifangjie) and rivers flowing throughout the town. Compared with Lijiang, the town is less touristy and polished with more original characters. In history, with the rise of Tea & Horse Road, Shuhe town was a major producer of leatherworking in the region. On my last day in Lijiang I planed on biking to Baisha and Yu He village which is famous for its Joseph Rock museum.  However, the weather had changed from warm ans sunny to very windy and cloudy.  So, I decided to take it easy, finish my book "Soul Mountain", eat more local food and just enjoy the scenery.  The next day, I left for Dali.
]]> Journey to the West - VII — Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258364631/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258364631/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258364631/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:54:23 -0500 Around the world in more than 365 days - follow me around the globe on my adventures.

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Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China

ZhongdianArriving in Zhongdian from Daocheng, I decided to stay at Kevin's Trekker Inn in the hope of finding trekking partners to the Meili Shan area.  At the bus station, I met 3 Chinese travellers and we all headed to Kevin's which took some time to find. We settled into our 3 bed dorm room and headed out for dinner ' yak hot pot'.  We had a great time and the 4 of us paid 80RMB, 20 each for a delicious meal.  Bruce and I were planning on heading to Deqin and then to Meili Snow mountain area the next day; the couple was leaving for Lijiang.Meili Snow Mountain (Meili Xueshan), also called Kawakarpo, is a UNESCO nature site located in Deqin County dividing Yunnan from Tibet, a wonderful place to hike and explore both nature and Tibetan culture. Rising between the Salween River and the Mekong River  in the extreme edge of Northwest Yunnan, the Meili Snow Mt. region is part of Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas. Legend says that the Meili Snow Mountain is a god guarding Tibetan Buddhism. With 13 peaks over 6000m in the range, the main peak Kawakarpo ("Kagebo" in Chinese) is a sharp snow mountain with an altitude of 6740m, which, as of now, has never been conquered.So, off we ent the next day taking the 8.30am bus to Deqin. The road winds through beautiful villages and then through the busy half-way point town of Benzilan. We got to Deqin around 3pm, a bit late to catch the bus to Xidang Village which left at 3pm.   So, we sat down and had a delicious bowl of egg noodle soup and decided to hike a bit and then flag down a taxi to Feilaisi for an overnight stay. Luckily, we came upon a small bus station near the noodle restaurant and found a bus bound for Xidang (15RMB).  We squeezed in between the villagers and their sacks and bags and awaited the departure.  On the bus, we met another Chinese tourist who was heading the same direction as we so, now we were 3. Entrance to the Yubong area is 80RMB, to Minyong Glacier 65RMB.  Arriving in Xidang, we negotiated wih the driver to take us to the Hot Springs, which is the starting point for the Yubeng trek. The dorms were dirty but cheap at 20RMB. There was hot water, more travellers and food.  The next morning our group of three expanded to 7, all Chinese but me.  We started off around 9ish, sharing the trail with horses and other hikers.  For the most part, the trail  went up and up and up through forested areas.  Trash was overflowing from the many trash baskets but nobody seemed to be responsible to collect it.  The last rest area before descending into the village offered a magnificient view of one of the mountains of the snow mountain range.http://www.chinatrekking.com/maps/yunnan-maps/meili-snow-mt-trekking-mapWe arrived at Yubeng Village at around 3pm and went to a guesthouse Liu knew from a previous visit.  We got a nice room for 3 people, 20RMB per person with an incredible view of the mountains.  So, laying in bed I watched the stars and the moon over the mountains at night.  In the mourning, my first view was of the mountain waiting to be painted in red and orange by the sunrise. Yubeng Village is a beautiful and isolated village located at the foot of Meili Snow Mountain, in which about 200 Tibetan families live. The village is surrounded by majestic snow peaks, the main attractions are the Icelake (Bing Hu), the Holy waterfall (Shenpu). Though accessible only by foot or mule, the village has become a popular trekking destination for backpackers (mostly Chinese). I stayed 2 nights and the guys stayed 3.  The next day we hiked to the Ice Lake, a small lake at an elevation of over 3500m.  As I hike fast, I had the privilege of being the first person at the lake and having it all for myself (a rarity for any scenic spot in China).  I walked around the lake and investigated the glaciers (or whatever is left of them) around the lake.  I could here the cracking and tumbling down of bits and pices of ice; it reminded me of the glaciers in New Zealand and Chile. Though the lake is rather small, it was beautiful scenery nevertheless.  Blue skies, bright sunshine, the turqoise waters of the lake, the birds, the snow-capped mountains and the autumn colored trees - and no one around.  My friends arrived eventually and hoovered around the lakeside where the trail ended.  Interestingly, they didn't venture around the lake and later were surprised to find out that I was at the lake the entire time they were there. They were worried that I would have been attacked by a bear.  In any case, I enjoyed my time there and hiked back a different trail and later met up with the group further down the trail.  In the evening, we enjoyed a delicious dinner cooked by the Henan couple in our group.The next day, 5 of us headed back down the trail and eventually catched a minibus back to Zhongdian. Minibuses go for 500RMB, though some of the drivers quoted 550.  Back in Zhongdian, I started looking for another hostel and ended up staying at the new N's restaurant and lodge. The doorms were 30RMB and had their own bathroom/shower.  The common area was bright, but the best place was sitting outside the common area where pillows were placed on the stone benches and the sun warmed your tired and cold bones.  I strolled around Zhongdian Old Town which is pretty much like any other Chinese tourist town - lots of souvenir shops and restaurants offering Western and Chinese as well as local food.Zhongdian, known as Gyalthang in Tibetan, somtime around 2005 changed its name to Shangri-La.  The local government tends to transform, and pretty much has for the most part, the Old Town of Zhongdian to a Lijiang style site filling it with souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants. Nevertheless, for monastry lovers there is the SongZanLin Tibetan monastry with a steep entrance fee of 85RMB.  I didn't venture out there as I have seen many a monastry on my travels, but other travellers told me that the monastry is currently under renovations.  So, it may be worth waiting and visiting once the renovations are copmpleted.  By then, the entrance fee may have been raised again.http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/yunnan/shangri_la/songzanlin.htmZhongdian's surrounding lakes and villages have lots of opportunities for hikes and explorations; it helps, though, to have a Chinese speaker as a hiking buddy so you can ask for directions.  After 3 days, I left Zhongdian on an 8am bus to Lijiang.
]]> Journey to the West - VIII — Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258420685/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258420685/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1258420685/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:52:18 -0500 Around the world in more than 365 days - follow me around the globe on my adventures.

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Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China

LijiangI arrived at the Express Bus station near Fuhui Lu and left my luggage there to find a place to stay.  I was suppoed to meet with a CS host but since he was not available until 10pm, I decided to look for a hostel.  I stayed at Dongba Family Hostel, off Wuyi Lane for 20RMB a night.  The room had two beds but no one else became my room mate.  So, I got my backpack and settled in to explore the labyrinth-like streets of Lijiang.  The LP said that one will get lost there, and lost I did get.It is said there is a fairyland beneath the colorful clouds of southern China. A place blessed with fresh air, clear streams, breathtaking snow mountains, and an undisturbed landscape inhabited by a friendly group of people. Life in this fairyland is so peaceful, a fairyland called Lijiang, located in Yunnan, close to Sichuan and Tibet. The earliest recorded history of Lijiang can be traced back to the Warring States Period (476 BC-221 BC) but with the advent of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the local economy reached a peak with the development of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road which made a great contribution to both commercial and cultural communication between Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.To learn a bit about the original Lijiang, I bought Peter Goullart's "Forgotten Kingdom" at the Tourist Center (25RMB). eter Goullart was brought up in the Orient and spent most of his life there. This book describes his years in the ancient forgotten Chinese kingdom of Nakhi in Yunnan, by the Tibetan border, where, as a representative of the Chinese Industrial Co-operatives, he really mixed with the people. 'This is a book about paradise by a man who lived there for nine years. It is not easy to write a good book about paradise, but people are Mr Goullart's forte, and when he mixes us up with the Nakhis he delivers us up to his idyll. Likiang itself, fits sunlight and its flowers and its rushing waters, its wine shops and caravans, its glints of danger, its swagger and its happy laughter, is really here' (The Times Literary Supplement).At present, Lijiang City is an attractive tourist destination in Yunnan Province that exercises jurisdiction over four counties and an Old Town District. Lijiang is the main region inhabited by the Naxi Group, one of China's 55 minority ethnic groups. In its long history, the local residents have established their splendid Dongba Culture which has absorbed aspects of the culture of Tibet and the Central Plains along the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Lijiang has the best preserved ancient town in China - the Old Town which has been listed in the World Cultural Heritages by UNESCO in 1997. The Old Town was once the center of Lijiang and continues to maintain the original flavor of the local lifestyle, the typical groups of buildings and the profound cultural heritage of the region. But, as with any place that has gone famous, the quiet and peaceful streets are now filled with milling droves of people, this place must be THE mecca for Chinese tourists; a holy pilgrimage to Lijiang is most likely on every Chinese person's travel itenary.  As it doen't get light until about 7.30am, I ventured out the at 8am the next morning in the hope of finding empty streets filled only with busy Naxi women going to and from the market.  Wrong! The streets were already bustling with camera wielding tourists snapping pictures on bridges and under lovely willow trees. Check out some of the lovely pictures taken by travellers:http://www.terragalleria.com/asia/china/lijiang/lijiang.htmlWhile wandering the streets of Lijiang, I met Chris, and American who has been travelling around SEA repeatedly.  We went on a little guesthouse tour, checking out my place, Mama Naxi, Panba hostel, May hostel and Camellia Inn.  I was ready to move to another place for two reasons; I wanted to have the experience of staying in more than one place and I wanted a better shower.  I settled for the May Hostel, run by the affable Bai Mei and her lovely staff Jiao Jiao and Da Jie. The place has a lovely courtyard (as most of the Inns and guesthouses do), dorm rooms are 25RMB and one can do laundry for 10RMB. A bonus is that Mei, who is originally from Inner Mongolia, speaks English.  So, in I moved and got ready for my trip to Tiger Leaping Gorge (see next entry).
]]> Journey to the West - V — Chengdu, Sichuan, China http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1256520609/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1256520609/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1256520609/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:47:44 -0500 Around the world in more than 365 days - follow me around the globe on my adventures.

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Chengdu, Sichuan, China

The last leg of my Sichuan travels is coming to an end. Chengdu is depressing - its always grey, cloudy, misty, dark. It feels like judgment day has arrived. I need to see mountains again, feel the wind, see a blue sky.On another grey day in Chengdu, I met up with CS host Dhane and his guest. We headed out to the famous Dujiangyan Irrigation Project.It was built about the year 256 BC to provide irrigation water and to control the Minjiang R iver. Water surging in the river from annual runoff from the Minshan m ountain range destroyed property and killed people. So an official in the Kingdom of Qin named Li Bing decided to build an artificial levee in the river to control the flooding. It is said that he received money for the crucial project from King Zhao of Qin and utilized tens of thousands of laborers. King Zhao sought to strengthen his kingdom and conquer the kingdoms around him.After its completion, the Dujiangyan system eliminated the flooding and gave the Sichuan area in the Kingdom of Qin abundant harvests. The area around Chengdu became one of the breadbaskets of China. This project greatly strengthened the Qin Kingdom because the expanded agricultural output helped to sustain the kingdom’s large army. Within a few decades, a Qin king named Qin Shi Huang used their large army to become the Emperor of China. It was Qin Shi Huang who built the famous Terracotta Army in Xian that has wowed travelers from around the world and who directed the building of the original Great Wall of China.There are three major parts to this irrigation system. The first is a well designed levee named Yuzui (Fish Mouth) erected in the middle of the river that was shaped to control the amount of water that entered the two channels. The levee is shown in the picture. The second part isthe channel of the irrigation project that was cut through a mountain by means of heating the rock and then pouring water on it. The narrow opening to the irrigation system regulated the amount of water entering the system. It is called Baopingkou ( Cherished Vase Mouth ) . It issaid that the 20 meter wide channel required 8 years to finish. The third part is a spillway called Feishayan that was dug to discharge water and silt.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dujiangyan_Irrigation_SystemMy last trip from Chengdu was to Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve and Songpan.Located in the north of Sichuan Province, Jiuzhaigou County (previously known as Nanping County until being renamed in 1998) is part of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Since the opening of the Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area in 1984, visitors have flocked to the region year by year, and the prosperous tourist industry now accounts for a large proportion of local revenue.Lying on the highest tableland in the world between the Sichuan Basin and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Jiuzhaigou Valley covers altitudes ranging from 2,000 meters to about 4,300 meters. With its large number of lake groups, waterfalls and rich variety of endangered plants and fauna, Jiuzhaigou was awarded the status of UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in 1997 and was also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The reserve has received a string of other titles including that of a National Geological Park, a AAAA Class Scenic Spot in China and a Green Globe 21.With some of the most beautiful and inspiring scenery on earth and some of the reserves scenic spots considered holy by the local Tibetan and Qiang people, it is no wonder a number of mysterious legends surround the wonderful landscape of Jiuzhaigou. Many people are drawn to the area for these reasons, and with the park open all year round the authorities have ensured that the fragile environment is sufficiently protected with a range of comprehensive tourist facilities.http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_aboutchina/2003-09/24/content_21364.htmInformation on getting there and fees:http://wikitravel.org/en/Jiuzhaigou_Nature_ReserveThough beautiful it may be during sunny days, on a cloudy and rainy day one can't enjoy the green, blue or turquoise colors of the lake.  Nevertheless, I took the bus to the end of the Y fork and hiked down to the central meeting point to take another bus to the other end of the Y fork.  For the most part, I had the trail for my self as the Chinese visitors tended to congregate around the lakes or pools or waterfalls, hoping on and off the bus along the way.  The 3 legs have a distance of 17km, 18km and 14km one way so it is impossible to walk everything in one day.  Since overnighting in the park is prohibited, I opted for the bus ticket; later I discovered that is it possible to stay in the park albeit for 120 RMB including breakfast which pumps up the ticket price even more.  One can easily make a 500 RMB stay there, just buying the entrance ticket and then staying 2 nights to hike all the trails.  However, some of the trails were closed for maintenance so even if staying overnight, one would be reduced to walking o the road which is no fun with buses constantly going up and down the road.Hotels abound but hostels are very few and one has to book way in advance.  I had to pay 100 RMB for a mediocre hotel room with an albeit super friendly staff as all hostels were booked. After 2 nights there, I left for Songpan were I intended to do some hiking or horseback riding.  Along the way, I met Amy and Xiaomei from Taiwan and we travelled together for 3 days. SongpanLocated in the northern part of Sichuan, Songpan is a small minority town and a stopover place to/from Huanglong, Jiuzhaigou or Zoige butworth exploring. With the ethnic minorities people of Hui, Tibetan and Qiang inhabiting there, Songpan itself is so very lively. The style and atmosphere senses quite special there. More importantly, Songpan is a historic town, featured by a peace-craving political marriage of Princess Wencheng in the 6th century BC of Tang dynasty and the Songpan Battle in the famous 25,000km Long March(1934~1936) of Chinese Red Army. A sculpture and a monument was built in Songpan to memorize the 2 historical events respectively.In Songpan, we stayed at the guesthouse of the horse trekking company (30 RMB for a dorm bed).  Amy and Xiaomei went on a horse trek tour (160 RMB/day) but I opted not to go for several reasons. First, I found the price expensive as it didn't really come down to 2 full days.  They left at 2pm and were back the next day around 3pm.  They also had to pay 70RMB entrance to the lake area.  True, food was included and prepared by the guide but after just paying about 500RMB for Jiuzhaiguo, I wasn't willing to shell out another 300 or so for a cold, rainy and short horse trek.  Instead, I explored the town and otherwise hang out at Emma's kitchen drinking tea and reading up on Vietnam.Back in Chengdu, I stayed one night with Shirley (she works at the Xinnanmen Bus station)  and then moved in with CS host Dhane for 3 nights.  We wandered around the Chengdu riverfront and on Sunday, I went to Sanxingdui.http://www.chinahighlights.com/chengdu/attraction/sanxingdui-museum-in-guanghan.htmWhat got my attention when reading up on Sanxingdui were two things; that the discovery of the relic site equal to or even more important than the Terracotta Warriors in Xian and that the site revealed hundreds of bronze masks of the Shu people who mysteriously disappeared.Sanxingdui, also called Guanghan Sanxingdui, which is situated in Southwest China’s Sichuan Basin, is the ruins of the Bronze Age in the middle and late Shang Dynasty. The name was entailed for that its appearance resembles three earth pits. The excavation began in 1980. Two large sacrificial pits of the Sanxingdui were unearthed in 1986, becoming instant stirring news in the whole world. More than a thousand pieces of priceless treasures were dug out, including bronze wares, jade wares, ivories, shells, earthen wares, gold wares, etc. The bronze wares include vessels, weapons, large standing human figures, head portraits, animal figures, and masks etc. The bronze head portraits feature exaggerated styling and rich local flavor; the standing human figures depict characters with big eyes, straight nose, square face, and huge ears. The human figures, with hats, long robes and anklets on, are believed to be prototypes of local people in ancient times. The highest figure measures 2.62m and is the world’s biggest and best preserved bronze upright human figure. In addition, 4m-plus-high divine trees are more amazing. The discovery of the bronze articles demonstrates the existence of large-sized sculptures in the Shang Dynasty, which were created by ancient Shu people. And for the first time, people get a chance to peek into the highly developed bronze civilization of the Kingdom of Shu in the middle and later period of Shang Dynasty and its unique charms. The articles are precious for their value in studies. Also excavated from the Sanxingdui ruins are the world’s two earliest gold wands, which are 1.42m in length and 700g in weight, with human heads, fishes, and birds carved on them.The sacrificial pits are believed to be sites for the ancient Shu people to offer sacrifice to Heaven, Earth, mountains, rivers, and other natural gods. The upright figures and seated figures are respectively prayers and emcees, bronze animal-faced masks with  protruding eyes and flat bronze animal-faced masks may be natural gods worshiped by the Shu people; bronze divine trees modeled upon real plants reflect the Shu people’s religious consciousness of plant worshipping. The discovery of Sanxingdui shocked the world, but the history of the ruins remains a mystery.
]]> Journey to the West - VI — Kangding, Sichuan, China http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1256644496/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1256644496/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1256644496/tpod.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:15:15 -0500 Around the world in more than 365 days - follow me around the globe on my adventures.

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Kangding, Sichuan, China

I am back in Kangding travelling the western route on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway to Yunnan via Chengdu> Kangding> Litang> Xiangcheng> Zhongdian.The 2,412km long Sichuan-Tibet Highway starts from Chengdu of Sichuan on the east and ends at Lhasa of Tibet on the west. The road stretches into Lhasa passing Ya’an, Garze and Chamdo. The Sichuan-Tibet highway traverses 14 high mountains which average 4,000-5000m, spans dozens of famous rivers (Dadu River, Jinsha River, Lantsang River, Nujiang), crosses primeval forest and numerous dangerous sections. It has spectacular views along the line, with unique ethnic customs. <i>Southern RouteChengdu-> Ya'an-> Kangding-> Xinduqiao-> Litang->Batang-> Markam-> Bongda-> Baxoi-> Bomi-> Nyingchi->Bayi-> Gongbo Gyamda-> Lhasa.<i>Northern RouteChengdu-> Xiaojin-> Danba-> Daofu-> Luhuo->Garze-> Manigango-> Dege-> Gyamda-> Chamdo-> Bongda->Baxoi-> Bomi-> Nyingchi-> Bayi-> Gongbo Gyamda-> Lhasa.After Kanding, my first stop will be Litang which is famous for 2 things; the annual Litang Horse Racing Festival in July and the opportunity to witness sky burials. Lying in the surroundings of vast grasslands at an elevation of 4100m, 286km west of Kangding, Litang, an oasis between Chengdu and Tibet, used to be an important stage on the Tea-Horse Caravans Route, now is a stop on south Sichuan-Tibet highway, a simple pasturing area with bustling bazaar where the nomads and Tibetans gather to trade their products. To Litang I went, for two days in the hope of witnessing a sky burial.  I stayed at the Potala Inn (20RMB a dorm) which offered to take its guest to witness a sky burial for 30RMB. When it comes to making money, not just the Chinese are entrepreneurial, the Tibetans figured out pretty quickly that foreign tourists are interested in this ritual and stated charging money. Its a shame that one have to pay money to observe a person's last rite.  We were supposed to leave from the hotel at 8am but on both days the hotel failed us.  Litang's dusty main street makes for a quick retreat into the hills or the residential areas away from the main street.  The town has 2 or three monastries, the biggest one the Litang Monastry http://www.tibetmap.net/visits/sc/litang.htm. At the time of my visit, the monastry underwent some repairs and renovations, so only a part of it was open.  But the place is a great retreat from the hustle and bustle and dirt of the main street.  Here, everyday, believers make a clockwise circular perambulation to show respect to the Buddha.Wandering into the hills around the monastry, one can be alone with grazing yaks and hawks.  The hills offer a great view over the city all the way to the west gate through which people leave Litang behind in order to travel to Batang.After two days in Litang I was planning on heading to Xiangcheng and from there on to Zhongdian.  But the friendly and very talkactive minibus drivers convinced us (me and an Israeli couple) to go to DaoCheng as the bus to Zhongdian originates there at 6am and it would be safe to get a bus ticket.  So, off we went to DaoCheng which is the gateway to Yading Nature Reserve.  Since the entry ticket for the reserve was 150RMB, I opted to forgo it which I now regret.  We stayed at a Tibetean family guesthouse (20RMB) which was attached to the Meishan restaurant, run by the lovable Li Yong from Meishan, Sichuan. He and his friends are all from Meishan and run this restaurant for about 8 months, going back to Meishan over the winter months.  I spend an entire late afternoon/evening with them talking about all kinds of things.  He tried to convince me to go to Yading and could not believe that I would come to Daocheng and not visit the reserve.The next day in the bus, I sat next to a pretty BJ girl who has been living and working in Lijiang for the past year and she showed me pictures on her camera of Yading.  Ahhhh, what beautiful place. Niunai Lake (milk lake), the colors of light turqoise, snow capped mountains, colorful trees and few people.http://www.wangjianshuo.com/personal/places/daocheng/Eighty-three kilometers south of the county's central town, the reserve is anchored by Nianqing Konka Risumgongba as the ``three protective sacred mountains where the snow will never melt.'' The three peaks were blessed in the 8th century, when Buddha Padmasambhava shed his divine light on the range, and named the three elevations after three bodhisattvas. The 5,958-meter-high southern peak, Jambeyang (or Yangmaiyong in Mandarin), represents Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, while the eastern peak Chanadorje (Xiaruoduoji), of the same height, stands for Vajrapani, the Bodhisattva of Wrath. As the tallest of the soaring trio, the 6,032-meter-high north peak, Shenrezig (Xiannairi), represents Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the patron-saint of Tibet. The best views of the three peaks are from the Luorong Pasture, and if energy permits, visitors can clamber up the peaks to behold two mirror-like sacred lakes, Wusehai (Five-Color Lake) and Niunaihai (Milk Lake). As leader of the U.S. National Geographic Society's Yunnan-Sichuan Expedition, Joseph F. Rock, the renowned American explorer and botanist, visited Yading in 1928. Awed by the sacred snowy peaks, he wrote and took photographs for an article entitled ``Konka Risumgongba, Holy Mountain of the Outlaws,'' published in National Geographic in July of 1931. ``The Shenrezig peak resembles a huge white throne, such as Living Buddhas use when meditating -- a worthy seat for a Tibetan deity!'' wrote Rock. ``In a cloudless sky before me rose the peerless pyramid of Jambeyang, the finest mountain my eyes ever beheld.'' Topped by a crown of snow and veiled by wispy clouds, three peaks tower magnificently over an 1,280-square-kilometer area, but are visible only on clear days. Buddhists believe that a pilgrimage around these mountains is the spiritual equivalent of saying the Mani scripture 100 million times.  "In October, red, yellow and green trees form a dazzling autumn vista at Yading Nature Reserve Park, which is now attracting a host of visitors seeking "the last Shangri-la" in China.  If the altitude of Daocheng County doesn't leave you speechless, the magnificent mountains and meadows in the vicinity of this 4,000-meter-high plateau surely will. Holy snow-capped mountains, lakes and temples, once accessed only by the odd explorers, now attract a host of visitors seeking ``the last Shangri-la.'' So this is still a place to visit one day!
]]> Journey to the West - IV — Leshan, Sichuan, China http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1255347751/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1255347751/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1255347751/tpod.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:42:05 -0400 Around the world in more than 365 days - follow me around the globe on my adventures.

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Leshan, Sichuan, China

Chengdu/Leshan/Emei ShanAfter returning to Chengdu, I got myself the Panda Card (15RMB) which offers free entry to 10 sights in and around Chengdu.  At Sim's, I signed up for a tour to the Giant Panda Research Center (http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/sichuan/chengdu/panda-breeding-and-research-center.htm). I didn't like the trip as I felt like being herded around like an animal.  Next time, I would take the bus and go on my own to really spent time at the place.  In any case, we got to see the lovely Pandas, the black and white ones and the Red Pandas as well.  The higlight was probably seeing the nursery which had 3 very young pandas; one in an incubator and the other two in a huge bed (no photos were allowed). I am currently reading Gao Xingjian's "Soul Mountain" for which received the Nobel Price in Literature in the late 80's. In the book, he (as the narrator of the story) is out collecting cold arrow bamboo, the main food source for giant pandas, with a botanist. He asked the man about what scientific value there is in saving the giant panda.  The man replied, "it's symbolic, it's a sort of reassurance - people need to deceive themselves.  We're preoccupied with saving a species which no longer has the capacity for survival and yet on the other hand we're charging ahead and destroying the very environment for the surviva of the human species itself." He continues to say, " it's people and not animals that are frightening! Nature is not frightening, it's people who are frightening. You just need to get to know nature and it will become friendly.  This creature known as man is of course highly intelligent, he's capable of manufacturing almost anything from rumours to test-tube babies and yet he destroys two to three species every day. This is the absurdity of man."While in Chengdu, I went to Wuhou Temple which was constructed in memory of Zhuge Liang, who was a well-known strategist and statesman during the Three Kingdoms Period.  Wuhou might be translated as 'Minister of War', and was the title given to Zhuge Liang, a famous military strategist of the Three Kingdoms Period (220-80 AD) immortalised in one of the classics of Chinese literature, The Tale of the Three Kingdoms. Curiously, Zhuge Liang is not the main attraction of the temple. The front shrine instead is dedicated to Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang's emperor. Liu's temple, the Hanzhaolie Temple, was moved here and rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty, but the Wuhou Temple name stuck all the same. Many travellers at Sim's are planning trips to or through Tibet on the way to Nepal (trekking season in Nepal is September-December). This may be the place to go when I eventually make my way to Nepal.  However, I plan on checking out a Tibetan travel agency in Zhongdian, Yunnan and find out what prices and tours they have to offer.  All the prices I have seen are rather expensive, from 2700 to 4700 RMB for 8 to 10 days.In the morning, I took a mini bus from the Chengdu bus station to head to Leshan and then to Emei Shan. The Leshan Giant Buddha is a statue of Maitreya (a Bodhisattva usually represented as a very stout monk with a broad smile on his face and with his naked breast and paunch exposed to view) in sitting posture. The Buddha is located to the east of Leshan City, at the confluence of three rivers, namely, Min River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River.  In December, 1996, the location of the Buddha was included by UNESCO on the list of the World Heritage sites. Begun in the year 713 in the Tang Dynasty, and finished in the year 803, the statue took people more than 90 years to carve. During these years, thousands of workers had expended their efforts and wisdom on the project. As the biggest carved stone Buddha in the world, Leshan Giant Buddha is featured in poetry, song and story.Facing the river, the Buddha has symmetrical posture and looks which have been beautifully captured in its solemn stillness. It is 71 meters (about 233 feet) high, and has three-meter-long (about 11 feet) fingers. The eight-meter-long (about 27 feet) instep is big enough for one hundred people to sit on and the 28-meter-wide (about 92 feet) shoulder is large enough to be a basketball playground.It was a monk called Hai Tong who initiated the project. His concern was for the safety of the people who earned their living around the confluence of the three rivers. Tempestuous waters ensured that boat accidents were numerous and the simple people put the disaster down to the presence of a water spirit. So Hai Tong decided to carve a statue beside the river thinking that the Buddha would bring the water spirit under control.  After 20 years' of begging alms, he finally accumulated enough money for the plan. The project was half done when Hai Tong passed away, and two of his disciples continued the work. After a total of 90 years' hard work, the project was finally completed.The charm of the Buddha lies not only in its size but also in its architectural artistry. There are 1,021 buns in the Buddha's coiled hair. These have been skillfully embedded in the head. The skill is so wonderful that the 1,021 buns seem integral to the whole. Another architectural highlight is the drainage system. This system is made up of some hidden gutters and channels, scattered on the head and arms, behind the ears and in the clothes. This system, which helps displace rainwater and keep the inner part dry, plays an important part in the protection of the Buddha. The large pair of ears, each seven meters (about 23 feet) long, is made of wood and is decorated by mud on the surface. The entrance price has been raised to 90 RMB. If you want to take a boat to see the Buddha from below, you have to fork out another 70 RMB.  I wasn't too impressed with the Buddha; it didn't generate a 90 RMB worth impression. At Leshan, I met XiaoXue and her husband and we travelled together around the Giant Buddha and eventually to Emei Shan Town where we stay at the Teddy Bear Hostel for 35 RMB. (http://www.teddybear.com.cn/about_en.htm)Tomorrow, we will head up to Emei Shan, one of 5 holy mountains in China.  I plan on hiking for 2-3 days, staying at monastries on the mountain. Emei Shan literally means "Delicate Eyebrow Mountain" — it derives its name from two peaks which face each other and look like the delicate eyebrows of a Chinese classic beauty. The range stretches more than 200km from south to north, with its main peak, Wanfo Peak, 3,100m above sea level. Since ancient times, Emei Mountain has been described as "Beauty Under Heaven."  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Emei)Emei Shan's history has been recorded for over 2,000 years, during which time a rich Buddhist cultural heritage has accumulated. Mt. Emei is historically significant as being the site of the first Buddhist temple in China, which was built at the base of the mountain as early as the Eastern Han Dynasty (24-220) . From the first temple, Buddhism spread widely throughout the East. In the Ming and Qing dynasties there were more than 150 temples. A legend claims that the mountain was where Samantabhadra gave lectures on Buddhism and most temples house a statue of Samantabhadra.After a 3 day hike on Emei Shan I am back at the Teddy Bear hostel to update my blog.  So, I walked the entire circuit of more than 130 km.  I started at 7.30am on day 1 and walked along the road until I came to Wannian Temple.  The entrance fee to Emei Shan is now 150 RMB!!. Wannian Temple is at 1020 m, I hiked up to Jieyin Hall at 2540 m to stay overnight.  I didn't plan on hiking 50 km the first day but I didn't like Elephant Bathing Poll so I continued on.  A lovely place is Huayan Peak but I was there too early to stay.  The place has an open terrace in the back that looks out to the mountain and has a view of Elephant Bathing Pool.  At Jieyin Hall, I met three lovely salesgirls who manned the stall in front of Jieyin Hall.  They invited me for dinner which was delicious and necessary (I was starving by the time I got to their place).  Jieyin Hall was a bit more than I wanted to pay (50 RMB) but I had a nice room for myself and the beds had heating blankets. The people were nice and it was only a few kms to the Golden Summit.  The next day I left again at 7:30am and after one hour arrived at the Golden Summit (3077 m).   Arriving at the top, one is blinded by a HUGE and shiny multifaced stature of Sakyamuri. Unfortunately, the trail to Wanfo Peak was closed as was the monorail.  Upon getting to the Golden Summit, there weren't too many people, so I walked around and took a couple of pics.  After one hour I had seen enough and started to head down; that's when most of the tourist groups arrived.  Returning down the mountain, I choose a different route via Yuxian Temple and Magic Peak Monastry.  This side of the mountain has lush vegetation with a variety of trees and wildlife including monkeys. Magic Peak Monastry was covered in clouds, it was misty and one could not see far so I decided to head to lower elevations and stay at Venerable Trees Terrace.  Shortly before reaching the temple, I came across a bunch of monkeys who tried to get at my backpack. I retreated and waited for the couple that I had passed earlier to arrive.  Going alone is not advisable, so we were three and tried to get by the monkeys. These little suckers are dangerous and mean; they got the man's pack and ripped it apart.  The woman cried and and repeatedly said "wo de dongxi, wo de donxi (my things, my things)” while the man fought with the monkeys and I tried to get the woman's things.  We finally succeeded and headed for the Venerable Trees Terrace. What a lovely place and what lovely people to run this place.  I paid 30 RMB for the night in a dorm room ( a bit damp but its in the rain forest area).  Most of the temples have a dining room where one can order food or prepare his/her own food.  There is always hot water available which I used to make tea, coffee or cook my freeze dried food. I could have stayed at this place for a while and just read my book only if there would have been some blue sky and sun. So the next morning I took it easy and left at 9am to finish the final leg of the hike. After about a half an hour, I came upon a group of monkeys.  I tried to pass them without attracting too much attention, but one spotted my backpack and came after me.  He was soon joined by two others and there I was being chased by 3 monkeys flashing their teeth at me and trying to get on my back.  I screamed and run (which is a big no, no [which I didn't know at this point] and tried to keep them at bay with my bamboo stick.  I was scared shitless (they have rabbies). After witnessing the monkey incident from the previous day I could just imagine what would happen to my backpack and to my money that was in the bag.  So, I decided to wait for people coming my way so I could join them.  I waited about one hour until a couple came who were already informed by people who passed me going up the trail that a foreigner is waiting to join them. We all had bamboo sticks and got some rocks and were ready to face the monkeys.  The girl gave me a lesson as to what not to do, such as screaming and running, and off we went. By the time we went down the trail, all the monkeys were hanging out in the “Joking Monkey Zone" where they are supposed to be.  There, Chinese tourists had a blast feeding them all kind of junk and teasing them. I had enough of monkeys, in 3 days I was attacked 3 times by monkeys. This area was crowded with tourists as it was close to Wuxiangang bus station. Most of the Chinese tourists took the bus to the summit or somewhere along the way so for the most part the hike was pretty solemn and devoid of screaming tourists. Signs along the trail are not always in place (or only in Chinese) and one has to ask what the name of the place is.  Overall, this was the longest "famous mountain of China" trip - most of the mountains I have been to I hiked for 2 days.P.S. Books to read while traveling in China: River Town by Peter Hessler, China Road by Rob Gifford, Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian, Sky Burial by Xinran
]]> Journey to the West - III — Leshan, Sichuan, China http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1255344999/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1255344999/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1255344999/tpod.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:28:14 -0400 Around the world in more than 365 days - follow me around the globe on my adventures.

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Leshan, Sichuan, China

Kangding/Tagong/DanbaFrom Ganzi, I departed to head back to Kangding via Tagong.  I decided to stay one night in Tagong at the Snowland Hostel.  One the way to Tagong, the bus was stopped 3 times because I was the only foreigner and the police needed to check my passport. I got to tagong around 3ish and went to Snowland hostel which is run by the very energetic Sally who also runs the restaurant next to the hostel. The dorm room has about 6 or 7 beds and I paid 10 RMB for it.  This was the cheapest place I have stayed so far in China.  The downside was that I shared the dorm room with a bunch of Tibetan drivers who were talking, smoking and playing cards until shortly after midnight.  But then again, for 10 RMB one can't complain.  There is a new guesthouse opposite the monastry opening up, so there will be some choice in Tagong. ;-)Tagong in Tibetan means 'the favourite place of the bodhisattva'. Some 110 km northwest of Kangding, at about 3700m, the Tagong Grassland is a vast expanse of meadow lying beneath the sacred Yallah Mountain, and is landmarked by the famous Tagong Lamasery and the golden tower built to commemorate the living buddha, Panchan. The green meadow surrounded by snow-capped peaks and dotted with Tibetan herdsmen and tents.Tagong is a very wild-west kind of Khampa town, with Tagong village, Tagong Monastery (Lhagong temple), Tagong Pagoda Stupa, Yala Snow-capped Mountain, Tagong Buddhism College etc around. An annual horse racing festival features thousands of local Tibetan herdsmen and Tibetan opera. I spent about 2 hours exploring Tagong Monastry and walking around town.  The place is famous for the grassland and for hiking up the surrounding mountains.Tagong Grassland -  a vast expanse of green meadow surrounded by snow-capped peaks and dotted with Tibetan herdsmen and tents. The average altitude of the grassland is around 3500m. The well-known Tagong monastery is just sitting in the middle of the stretch. Tibetans celebtarate their their harvest and festivals here with drinking, dancing and singing for days, when is a good occasion to witness the truly Kham Tibetan folks. Also, the annual Horse Race Festival be held at the beginning of the 8th lunar month in Tagong Grassland. Tagong Monastery - a famous Nyingmapa monastery built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to commemorate the Han Princess Wencheng and Phags-pa, the Grand State Tutor of Tibetan Buddhism with Buddhism Institute inside, also named as "the small Lhasa Jokhang Monastery", is one of the 108 temples built during the reign of Songtsen Gampo in ancient Tibetan times. There is a sacred statue of 12-year old sakyamuni (Buddha) in the monastery, which have been brought by Princess Wenchen on her way to Lhasa. It collects statues, white towers, other cultural artifacts, and scriptures of the Sakya Buddhist sect. This temple is distinctive for its four towers painted green, red, yellow and white respectively. About 100 chortens lie behind the monastery. The place miraculously escaped destruction during the Culture Revolution.I left the next day to head back to Kangding where I planned on staying a couple of days before heading to Danba. 360km west of Chengdu, Kangding is the county seat of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The fairly large town is cradled in a steep valley with a collection of modern concrete buildings and dark-roofed houses randomly scattered along the torrential Zheduo River. Kangding is well-known throughout China for a popular Kangding Love Song / 康定情歌. One can see a big sign built of stones that states "Kangding, home of the Kangding Love Song".  So the first thing I did after arriving at the Zhilam hostel (http://www.zhilamhostel.com/About%20Zhilam.html) I asked the guys at the reception to play the song.  Beautiful song and upon returning to BJ I will have to download it to my computer.Ahh, it was good to be back at the hostel.  Lilian, the filipina manager, is just a warm and welcoming person who makes you feel at home.  It also helps to have fresh baked carrot cake and apple cake.  At the hostel, I met Chris and Barrat who were travelling around Sichuan for about a week.  They planned a trip to the Gongga Shan area ( Minya Konka/Mt. Gongga), not to climb the mountain but to hike to area from where they can see the mountain. After a long discussion with regard to where, when and how to go, I joined them and we headed out at 6pm since the road was closed during the day.  The girl at the reception told us its a 3 hour ride; it turned out to be 6 hours.  We arrived late at the village where we stayed with relatives of the reception girl at the Zhilam hotel.  We paid 30 RMB per night for our typical tibetan bed.  The enxt day we went up the valley until we reached the saddle from where we could only imagined how Gongga Shan looked; the mountains were covered in clouds.  We did a beautiful ridge hike and eventually got some shots of the mountains peeking through the clouds.  The nice thing about going with the guys was that Chris had a car and a driver so we were not bound to public transportation.  The family were 2 sisters and their children and they had sheep and Yaks that probably constituted their livelyhood.  The next day, we walked up a hot spring area from where we had a great view of Gongga Shan.  We stayed 2 nights and could have probably stayed another night as there are plenty of things to do around the village. But our driver did not like the place and he was very happy to leave.After returning to Kangding, I stayed one more night and then headed to Danba.  Danba lies in a valley 350km west of Chengdu along the east border of Ganzi, halfway between Kangding and Maerkang from south to north. Danba's landscape varies vertically from the high-altitude snow-capped mountains to the low-altitude grasslands and valleys. The population is principally composed of ethnic Tibetans and Qiangs. Recognized as "the Kingdom of Watchtowers" and "Beauty Valley", Danba is well-known for the spectacular watchtower groups, the representative Tibetan villages and the pretty Tibetan ladies. I stayed in Jiuju Village, about 7 km from Danba town.  The entry to the village is 30 RMB and one can stay with families.  I stayed with Baosheng's family for 2 nights (the families do offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I only opted for dinner).  This place is paradise on earth; friendly and smiling Qiang people, beautiful women wearing colorful traditional clothes and the tamest cows I have come across.  I walked through the village picking up apples and pears that fell from the trees and fed them to the cows.  I could pet them for hours, one followed me the entire time back into the village waiting for me to feed her grass or anything else I could find.  I loved it.  The next day I walked to the km 147, about 12 km from Jiuju village to take photos of thr famous Suopo watch towers.  Walking back up the mountain, I took in the stunning views of the mountains and rivers.  Danba is the place where the Dadu river originates.  The family dinner was sumptous; I got several plates of different dishes and was in heaven.  For the entire experience, I paid 50 RMB and had a wonderful time.  The Baosheng family is friendly and kind and welcomes guests at any time.  If there is no space in their house, they will find another family in the village.  Its is defintely a place to go back to. 
]]> Journey to the West — Kangding, Sichuan, China http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1254733141/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1254733141/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1254733141/tpod.html Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:43:05 -0400 Around the world in more than 365 days - follow me around the globe on my adventures.

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Kangding, Sichuan, China

After 3 years in Beijing, time has come to get to know the other places of China and Asia. And so, I decided to spend 3 months travelling and volunteering around Sichuan and Yunnan province in Western China.  After that, I plan on travelling around SEA, then in April to Oz to volunteer for another RacingthePlanet event and last but not least to Japan and Korea and back to China.Arriving in Chengdu at the beginning of September, I decided to stay at a hostel so that I could leave my backpack there and travel light around the western part of Sichuan.  Though I had arranged to stay with a CS host, I told Dhane, who is an English teacher at a Kindergarten in Chengdu, that the hostel is a better option.  We did meet for dinner and chatted about teaching, Chengdu and travel.   Not far from the train station is Sim's Cozy Garden Hostel (http://www.gogosc.com/), a lovely oasis of calm and green in Chengdu. Though I only spent two nights, I took some time wandering around the city.  People seem to be mostly smiling and friendly; the Sichuanese women are pretty.  I saw some wired advertising posters in Chengdu, such as a Chinese Marylin Monroe and a Chinese Audrey Hepburn (but not sure what products they are advertising). I stayed two nights (40 yuan/dorm) and then I left for Kangding from where I set off to my volunteer teaching job at an Orphan School (http://www.shechen-school.org/) in Ganzi Prefecture.Arriving in Kangding, I stayed one night at the Black Tent hostel for Y20.  Walking around the city, I later met American Richard from Idaho and Mary, a lovely Tibetan lady who runs the "Village Window" and the Bala Boutique behind the Black Tent hostel.  Mary speaks English and is a great source of information.  The next day, I left on the long journey to Ganzi which turned out to be  a gut wrenching journey of 14 hours.  The road to Ganzi looks like a one way road or at least it would be considered one in western terms.  However, traffic on this road is heavy in both directions with buses and trucks, all of them brand-spanking new Chinese models, competing for the right of way.  Major construction and delays on this stretch, and on many other roads in this area, are nothing for the weak-bladder minded. Along the way to Ganzi, we passed many Tibetan villages with colorful houses but trash ladden streets and river. The plastic bottle collectors from Chengdu and BJ would have a field trip out here.  To me, it is an oximoron; having such a beautiful environment littered with trash. It is heartbreaking to see the towns, roads, rivers, and grasslands littered with it. I realize that plastic bottles and wrapping paper are a realtively new concept to these regions but I don't think it is impossible to organize a sort of village controlled trash collection to keep the environment clean and beautiful.Watching Tibetan women, it appears that they do most of the work.  They can be seen in the fields, taking care of the animals, the kids, the house and the cooking whereas most of the men can be seen playing pool, riding their motorcycles or otherwise just hanging out chatting and drinking tea.I found out the next day that I actually didnt arrive in Ganzi but I got off 3 hours earlier in Luhou. Both Luhuo and Ganzi (and Dege as I discovered later) have a Golden Yak hotel.  All I wanted was a shower to get the dust of the day off me and rest, so for 80 yuan I got a beautiful room with bathroom and a hot shower which I enjoyed tremendously.The next day I continued to Ganzi where I was met by Zuola and the founder of the orphan school.  It was a 4 hour car ride to the village of Zhu Qing Xiang which is famous for the Dzogchen Gompa, an important Nyingmapa monastery with a stunning location at the foot of a glacial valley. The monastry was founded in 1684 and is the home of the Dzogchen school from which many important high Nyingmapa , now exiled abroad, originate from.  The Orphan School (gu'er xue xiao) is located about 4 miles from the village of Zhu Qing Xiang.  At the moment, there are about 50+ children living at the orphanage.  There are two buildings housing teachers, staff and students.  Then, there is the school building with 4 class rooms in need of tables, chairs, lighting, heating and a paint job.  There is an outside washroom, a toilet (bring your own toilet paper) and a basketball court. There are no showers on the grounds. The orphanage also has a little store when one can buy essentials.  The staff, all Tibetan women, are in charge of cooking, laundry and cleaning for the kids. Unfortunately, trash collection or proper disposal has not been taught to the kids or the staff as trash is littered around the grounds.  The one trash can available, will be discarded in the river behind the school when full.  This is sad, as it doesn't teach the children anything about being responsible with their environment.  The school would be an excellent starting point but I do believe it has to come from the elders who should set a good example.   Blackouts are common, especially in the evening, which means no electricity and water.  The last 3 days in school, we didn't have electricity nor water. For my own pleasure, there are about 13+ dogs on the ground, inside and outside the orphanage.  My teaching hours are light, one hour a day (actually 40 min.) from Monday through Saturday.  No school on Sundays.  I teach the older kids but the books available are horrible and useless, so I made up my own curriculum for the 2 weeks.During my free-time, which was a lot, I wandered around the grassland, went to Zhu Qing Xiang, read my book, or helped in the kitchen.  During the last week of my stay, the surrounding grasslands were taking over by yak herders which made it difficult to wander about without stepping into yak poop.  So, i looked for work in the kitchen and ended up peeling potatoes and de-seeding green peppers.  I realized than and there that the vegetables were not being washed before cutting.  But since I haven't gotten sick during my time at the school, they must have cooked the food thoroughly  enough to kill dirt and bacteria.  There wasn't a lot of variety in the food what whatever the women whipped up tasted pretty good.  We had fried noodles, noodle soup, fried potatoes with green peppers and Chinese cabbage and rice.For someone just visiting the school, they might get the impression of neglect (especially when comparing the photos on the website with the actual site) which is probably true to some extent. From my point of view, the place needs some TLC but it is difficult for an outsider to impose cultural or societal values on a culture that is very different from my own.  Values such as responsibility, order, respect for people and environment and hygiene may be values that mean nothing or little in this culture.  So, let's just say that the school has potential.If you are interested, you can contact lotuseduction at http://www.lotuseducation.org/to find out about volunteer opportunities at this school.  The website is a bit misleading as it states "volunteering in Tibet" which is not true.  You volunteer in Sichuan, not in Tibet.  Be aware though, if you go through lotuseducation directly you will have to pay a "participation fee".  Its better to contract the school directly as you dont have to pay or if you do want to make a monetary contribution, you can do it directly to the school.
]]> Journey to the West - II — Kangding, Sichuan, China http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1254871484/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1254871484/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/grizzly/rtw_2004/1254871484/tpod.html Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:06:11 -0400 Around the world in more than 365 days - follow me around the globe on my adventures.

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Kangding, Sichuan, China

After my stay at the school, I went to a few places along the Sichuan-Tibet highway. The 2,412km long Sichuan-Tibet Highway starts from Chengdu of Sichuanon the east and ends at Lhasa of Tibet on the west. The road stretchesinto Lhasa passing Ya’an, Garze and Chamdo.  The Sichuan-Tibet highway traverses 14 high mountains which average4,000-5000m, spans dozens of famous rivers (Dadu River, Jinsha River,Lantsang River, Nujiang), crosses primeval forest and numerousdangerous sections. It has spectacular views along the line, withunique ethnic customs. As the October holiday was approaching, heavy military presence could be seen in every village or town in this region.  Police road blocks were present and many a times foreigners had to show their passport before the bus could continue.  On my trip from Ganzi to Kangding, I was the only foreigner in the bus and we got stopped 3 times so they could check my passport.  By this time, rumors were confirmed that foreigners were not issued bus tickets in Chengdu for western China.Manigango/Dege/GanziWhile waiting in Manigango for the bus to Dege, I met Shiyi and her "master lama".  Shiyi speaks English and divides her time between China and New York.  She, her friend and the lama are planning on building and opening a meditation center in the Ganzi province.I jumped on the 11am bus from Manigango to Dege where was planning on visiting the Bakong Scripture Printing Monastry, a storehouse for Tibetan culture. The ride to Dege is breathtaking, literally speaking.  Hairpin roads wind their way up to the top of the Chola Pass at 4916 m.  The road, as gruelling and gut wrenching as it is, affords incredible views of the towering snow peaks of the Chola mountain and the Xinhua glacier.  Looking down the side of the mountain makes your stomach churn and holding on tight to the seat in front of you. Once in Dege, finding a cheapo place to stay was a challange.  I ended up at the Shambala Monastry Hotel where I negotiated a 80 yuan rate instead of 120.  The room was shabby and cold but had hot water.  After 2 weeks at the orphanage, I longed for a hot shower.  I went to bed early that night as the bed was the only warm place (took two covers). At around 10.30pm, I got woken up by a bunch of people, some of them police, the others probably hotel stuff, who were standing next to my bed.  First I thought this is a dream.  Then, I watched a women positioning herself opposite my bed and starting to film the event.  I got a little pissed; after all, it was late, I was tired and I got a bunch of people gawking at me. Having just finished reading Peter Hessler's "River Town" who recounts a similar incident of police storming into his room to check his passport, I thought I am going to finally write my own version of River Town.So, I got up and told everybody except for 2 officers to get out of my room.  Then I asked the police officer what he wants and why in the world he comes in the middle of the night and not around 8pm.  He said sorry and all he wanted to see is my passport and visa.  It took 5 minutes and then they left.  I told them if they need to see my passport again the next day, he should come earlier.  During this entire time, the lady kept filming our conversation.  I bet that they returned to their police station all the officers huddled around the video recorder to watch how the "waiguoren" behaved in front of the Chinese officers. Thanks god it wasn't summer, otherwise I would have been sleeping without clothes with would have put me into an awkward situation and I could have been taken into police custody for indecent exposure.  Now there is a story! Only in China can this happen (and maybe in North Korea).While walking around Dege the next day, China's paranoia before the National Holiday was everywhere.  Police, military police and SWAT teams exercise in the early morning hours and otherwise show their presence everywhere.  The government wants to make sure that nobody - no waiguoren (foreigner), no religious groups, no unruly element will interfere with the country's 60th anniversary.The next day I went to the Bakong Scripture Printing Monastry (http://www.khamaid.org/about_kham/news/dphstandard.htm). The place is beautiful and one can watch employees print scriptures in rapid speed.  Located in Gengqing monastery on the east bank of Jinsha(Sequ) River, the place was founded in year 1729 in the Qing Dynasty. The construction took 21 years. The main structure is a four-storey building with more than 30 rooms. The first floor consists of several sutra halls where Buddha and the ancestors of the Dege clan are worshipped. The second and third floors have rooms for proofreading, engraving blocks, printing and binding, plus administrative offices. The fourth floor is used to air the printed pages. The Dege Scripture Printing House has 217,000 engraved blocks in its archives, including classics from different sects of Tibetan Buddhism. It has 100,000 blocks for books on Tibetan culture, science and technology, history, biographies, medicine, mathematics, language, and various other works. It is estimated that materials stored at Dege make up 70% of Tibet's literary heritage. Because of its role in preserving Tibetan culture, Dege ranks together with the Sakya Monastery and the Potala Palace in Lhasa in historic and cultural significance. The roof offers great views of the city and the nearby mountains.  I took it easy and strolled through town and wandered along the river. It would be wodnerful if it were possible to stay with Tibetan families instead of having to stay in a hotel.  The next day I went from Dege to Ganzi where I stayed overnight at the Tibetan run Kham hotel.  385km northwest of Kangding, Ganzi(also "Garze") is the county seat of Ganzi Autonomous Prefecture, an important town in the now defunct Tibetan province of Kham, most populated by Tibetans and Khampas.Resting in a large valley of 3800m sorrounded by the sleeping giant Chola Mt. (Qe'ershan), Ganzi is northeast of the gorgeous snow-peaked mountains of Minya Konka (Mt. Gongga / Gongga Shan) range. Tibetan life is abundant here, it's easy to spend a few days in this friendly place exploring the beautiful sorrouding countryside which is scattered with Tibetan vilalges and monasteries.  The twon is interested and I could have stayed at least 2-3 days which would have given me the opportunity to explore the surrounding area, but I wasn't willing to pay 80 RMB per night for the accomodation.  So, I wandered through the town and up to a monastry.  Though i asked the monk about the name of the monastry, I forgot it.  Its either the Garze monastry or the <i>Dontok Gompa and Dingkhor Chorten  which I think is more likely.(http://www.chinatrekking.com/destinations/sichuan/garze)
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