Riding the bullet train

Au revoir, Shanghai.

Tonight, we will collect our darling children from the airport, weather gods permitting (knock on wood!)
I have it on good authority that my daughter is returning from China with 2000+ photos! I'm hoping for 2000+ stories as well. May all of our travelers share their stories and pictures with their families.

Here are some links to a blog in which *Jeanne Lawrence shares some of her hundreds of thousands of photos of Shanghai:
June 21's post contrasts the old and the new, with glorious photos of markets.
Her June 29 post documents a visit by a group from the San Francisco Museum of Asian Art to the Shanghai Museum and artists' studios, and gives us a glimpse of their fancy hotel.

In her July 7 post, the SF group takes a day trip on the bullet train to Huangzho, visiting a calligraphy studio as well as other art venues.

If you want to a fantasy trip to Shanghai, I recommend clicking on these links!

*Urbanite Jeanne Lawrence reports on lifestyle and travel from her homes in San Francisco, Shanghai, and New York, and wherever else she finds a good story.

Other stories of China travel

In 2004, NPR' China reporter Rob Gifford did a fascinating series;

"In a seven-part series on Morning Edition, NPR's Rob Gifford sets out on a 3,000-mile, 14-day trek across China, and discovers just how far the world's most populous nation has to go to catch up with its potential."

You can still listen to the whole series archived here.
In 2008, Gifford published a book called China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power based on this series, and I was able to find it in the Hennepin County Library.

For more ideas about books on China, check out the "Good Reads" website's China page.

Shanghai Acrobats

1/4

2/4

3/4

4/4

Hangzhou highlights

Highlihghts of Hangzhou:

The group visited the famous "West Lake" or Xi Hu 西湖
The "Ten Famous Scenes of West Lake" explained as an artistic tradition in China:


Dragon Well Tea (Xi Hu (西湖) Longjing) from Hangzhou is one of China's Ten Famous Teas

Last report from Shanghai from Mr Yu

7/8 Friday

We arrived in Shanghai's newly completed Hong Qiao Railway Station located in the western suburb of the city. it was the biggest railway hub any one of has ever seen. we were greeted by our local tourist guide Sean. Half an hour later Rachel Hutt found out that she had lost her purse containing about $50 in cash plus her MN id cards. We reported this to the railway company staff but no one had turned it in when we went back to check in the afternoon. After this incident, we first drove to the Best Western Inn in Shanghai where we are scheduled to live from 7/9-11.

We checked in the big suitcases in the hotel so we did not have to bring them to Hangzhou. We had lunch by the Huangpu River at the Bund, after which we spent half an hour strolling the Bund area taking photos. it was breezy, not as hot as it had been reported just a few days earlier, it was quite tolerable. After this stop we went to the Yuyuan Garden surrounded by the real old town of Shanghai---not the newly-constructed replica of what it used to be like. We spent the next two hours scouting out the bustling streets swarmed with curious tourists and over-zealous vendors. Since the kids had just received their deposit, they went ahead to purchase a lot of trinkets some of which were deemed by the accompanying adults as completely worthless. This can be exemplified by Sam and Sean's purchase of two plastic chickens. Besides looking unbelivably ugly, the immature owners of these toys can make continuous loud and annoying sounds by simply applying pressure onto their yellowish bodies and no batteries are required. It was only after Mr. Yu had threatened to throw these chickens out of the window that these two boys reluctantly put them away on the bus.

We went back to the railway station in the afternoon to the 6:00 p.m. high speed train bound for Hangzhou. For this ride we only had soft seats like the airline seats but with more leg room. The top speed was recorded to be more 220 miles an hours. We arrived in Hangzhou in less than an hour which used to take 4 to 5 hours. After dinner we checked in the Best Western Inn in Hangzhou. It was quite nice. there was an exercise room on site. Some kids were observed to utilize the facilities to run and lift weights. Ben, Alec, and Maggie did some serious workouts while the others went for ice cream treats after five minutes of light work.

7/9 Saturday
The breakfast at the hotel was very good with various selections in both Chinese and western styles. At 9:00 a.m., we departed the hotel for today's tour. First we toured the West Lake, supposedly the most picturesque urban lake in China. We hiked through parts of the lakeshore area until we boarded a two-decker tourist cruise boat which transported us to the other side of the lake. The size of the lake is probably equal to that of Lake Minnetonka but with way more tourists, cruising boats, and vendors. The next stop is the Yellow Dragon Garden where a Romeo-Juliet type of story took place many years ago which eventually rendered this a tourist attraction. Then we had a typical tourist lunch. After a brief break we spent two hours in the Linyin Temple, or the Soul Recluse Temple in direct translation. Other than the Singzhanlin Temple in Shangrilla, this is by far the biggest and mist well-maintained and most crowded Buddhist temple we have visited. We had to climb quite a few steps before we got to the highest hall built along a mountain ridge. Next our guide took us to a tea farm after a short but beautiful drive through hills and valleys in suburban Hangzhou. We were treated to what conceived to be the best green tea in China called the Dragon Well Tea. As usual a few kids lost the battle of resisting the temptation to buy the best tea to please their parents because they have grossly over spent their budget. As I am typing we are all sitting in the railway station waiting for the train to depart for Shanghai. Our remaining item for today is to take the cruise along the Huangpu River to enjoy the brilliant night scene of Shanghai.
This will be the final report for the trip. Thank you again for your patience. Please remember to pick up your lovely child at the airport on July 12. Here is the flight information again:

American 609
Flight: Confirmed  Chicago O’Hare, IL (ORD)
Scheduled departure time: 8:30pm
12 Jul 2011   Minneapolis/St Paul, MN (MSP)
Scheduled arrival time:  9:50pm
12 Jul 2011
If you are late, please proceed to the Lost and Found Department to claim your child.

Additional notes for July 9, Saturday

We did the night cruise on the river tonight. The weather was cooperating. It was cool and breezy. We enjoyed the show of neon lights during the one hour cruise. At the end of the cruise, James seemed to be absorbed in the beautiful night scene so much that he forgot to get off the boat at the end of the cruise. We were counting the heads at the pier when James was seem waving his hand frantically at us from the boat which was rapidly sailing away from the pier. Even though we notified the cruising company immediately,the harbor would not allow them to pull in the boat again for security and financial reasons. James was arranged to sit in the VIP lounge. When the boat arrived at its night pier 6 miles down the river, they arranged for a taxi to drive him to the hotel. So James' cruise lasted longer than that of everyone else'. This is the first time for Mr. Yu to lose a child on these excursions.

Sunday, July 10
Severa; kids went with Mr. Yu to look for Dimsum in Shanghai. First we went to to the Rainbow Seafood Restuarant, but we found that they did not offer dimsum at all. So we went to a nearby restuarant. We ordered tons of food and the cost is ¥55 apiece. The kids liked most of the food except the Stinking Tofu. Some kids went to the old market at various times of the day by taking the subway which costs ¥4 per ride. Zosha and Maggie reportedly missed the station near our hotel on the way back so they took a taxi back to the hotel  at the cost of ¥12.

Tonight half of the kids went to see the acrobatics show. I am waiting in the lobby for them to remind them of the meeting time for tomorrow for our final shopping trip.
I am signing off unless something else comical happens tomorrow. So long!

Added by your blogger:

photos

Chongqing photo

 Jack playing ping pong

Snack cart on the train

A few things about Hangzhou

Hangzhou is an ancient city with a glorious history. Marco Polo marveled at it, poets have praised the beauty of its West Lake for a thousand years. There are plenty of videos about the tourist attractions.
This one talks about the food market. Do you think the "bird on a stick" has a future at the MN State Fair? No? how about the "crab on a stick"? Looks good to me!


This video about is bike-share program gives a lot of information about the city itself.

The Biggest, Baddest Bike-Share in the World: Hangzhou China from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

The Qiantang River is the site of the world's largest "tidal bore," a naturally occuring tidal sruge that causes a giant wave to travels up the river, against the direction of its flow. People gather to watch it, and one year some pro surfers were invited to surf the wave.

Surfing China's Qiantang River Tidal Bore, Hangzhou - September, 2008 from GSM International on Vimeo.

On the road again

From Mr Yu:

Most kids got up late. a few kids went with Mr. Yu and Jackie to tour the central business area of Chongqing. From the hotel we were told to exit the building from the 4th floor through the back door towards the parking lot. We crossed two streets and rode a commercial elevator (for 1 yuan) up to the street maybe 200 feet higher. We ate some delicious but cheap noodle bowls before the girls found a bakery. In the center of downtown Chongqing, we found the Liberation Monument dedicated to the Alliance' victory in the Second World War. Most Chongqing people still have fond memories of Americans who fought against the Japanese with them during the war. Then we went into a genuine Rolix watch shop where there were no customers but two neatly dressed sales women. The prices started somewhere about $7000. On the way back we found a supermarket hidden in the basement of a large apartment complex.

Day 2. July 6 Wednesday

Some kids went with Mr. Yu to the nearby Cable Station to take a ride to the other side of the Yangtse River. Unfortunately the cable car was closed for today for regular maintenance.

7/7
in the afternoon we went to the Chongqing Railway Station where we boarded the bullet train bound for Shanghai. The train departed at 6:10 p.m.. We have the soft sleeper cars so everyone has a bed to sleep for the night. There are two bunk beds for four passengers in each cabin. There is also a dining car but its menu is mostly restricted to some prepackaged meals and instant noodles. Otherwise the hardware is very impressive. The average speed is about 160 miles per hour so when the kids woke up the next morning, we were already 1200 miles away from Chongqing. As I am typing, the train is traveling between Nanjing and Shanghai where we are scjeduled to arrive 90 minutes from now. This afternoon we will take the real high-speed train to Hangzhou with the average speed maintained at more than 200 miles per hour.

What is it like to ride the bullet train? Here's a video:

Chongqing at Night

From Mr Yu

Composing a report

Mr. Yu and his editorial staff.

Snacks

Trying starfish and scorpion

The gang

In Chengdu

In front of the Walmart

more photos from Lijiang

Jade Snow Dragon mountain

Lijiang airport with some new friends

Chongqing report

From Mr Yu:

We left Chengdu for Chongqing on July 4. The ride on freeway through greenish rolling hills and small towns took about 5 hours. When stepping out of the chartered bus, we immediately felt the heat. The city of Chongqing is known as one of the four furnaces along the Yangtse River Valley. We all agreed that Chongqing's reputation as one of the hottest cities in China was indisputable. We had lunch at a restaurant where we almost lost James again in the restroom. The hotel, called the Carol Hotel, is located right next to the Yangtse River. At both day and night we have panoramic views of the river and the highrises in the urban area. It is only about a few minutes walk form the hotel to downtown Chongqing, but most buildings between the hotel and the business area are the old, beaten-down buildings from many years ago (probably built during the 2nd World War Era when Chongqing was China's wartime capital), most of which seem to be deserted and are set to be demolished in the near future.

 This is also where our kids can find some really bargain food, like beef noodle for 5 yuan, fried rice for 4 yuan, etc. Once we get to CBD, we have easy access to the usual fashionable restaurants, retailers, cinemas, shopping centers, cafes, and fast food restaurant that our kids are very familiar with back in Minnesota.

We will stay here until 7/7 instead of 7/6 due to lack of sleeper beds for the group on 7/6. We will add Hangzhou on the itinerary. We will stay in Hangzhou on 7/8 and will come back to Shanghai on 7/9. The added cost will be covered by the group fee.
I will update the photos in Chongqing tonight.

Off to Chongqing

After a weekend of relatively unscheduled time in Chengdu, on July 4 the group will take a bus to the city Chongqing  (see video here ), a distance of about 340 kilometers. We hope the bus is air-conditioned, as it is hot in the area right now! Chongquing is at the confluence of the Jialing and Yangtze rivers.
 On their way, they will be able to stop and tour the Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO Heritage site with caves and cliffs elaborately carved and painted.



After dinner, the group will go to Eling Park for a night view of the megalopolis. Videographer David Goorney has a series of spectacular HD videos from all over Asia, and his night-time photograph of Chonqing is spectacular:

Lots of photos!

More photos from climbing Jade Snow Dragon Mountain

Shangri-La old town

Rainy day

Tea

Chengdu report

From Mr. Yu:

We left Lijiang for Chengdu on a late afternoon flight. While we waited in the airport, a bunch of high school kids from the city of Chongqing became curious about our kids. They soon approached them to start a cordial conversation and of course a photo session. They even wrote down Mr. Yu's phone number with which they would contact our kids again once we get to Chongqing on July 4.
The flight took only 1 hour and 10 minutes. We were greeted by the local guide whose name is Lily. Half an hour later we checked into the Minhang Hotel which is located right in the busy business area of Chengdu where Chinese department stores, restaurants and fast-food eateries like McDonald, KFC, and Pizza Hut are plentiful. I think there are at least three McDonalds within 5 blocks of the hotel.
On June 30, we first visited the International Studies Office of Sichuan University which has a student enrollment of more than 70000. They have about 450 international students from over 40 countries including USA and Canada. The monthly expenses including tuition, room and board would be about $400.00. Next our students sat in a level 2 Chinese class held for some college students from New York. Some of our kids became very encouraged because they could understand much of the contents.

Then we were taken to meet with some Chinese airplane engineers who were studying English at the university. They were engaged in a heated discussion for about an hour until it was time for us to go for lunch. In the afternoon we visited the Jinsha Museam which helps pushing Chengdu's history back to 3000 years ago. Other than the new technology used in this museum, the tour was boring. Then we were taken to tour the replica of Old Town Chengdu called the Broad & Narrow Back Alleys which are like any other reconstructed old towns in China we have visited. For dinner we had the famous Sichuan Hot Pot.
Over the course of this night, some kids spent their accumulated energy (there had been much physical activity as of late) running around in the hallway. A gymnastics meet was believed to have been held in one of the guest rooms. Complaints from other innocent travelers were delivered to the hotel management. So a curfew had to be declared to request all kids be in their rooms by 10:45 each night.
On July 1, we visited Chengdu Panda Breeding Center in the morning. Our kids were excited to finally meet with cute pandas face to face. Four students spent 1000 yuan each to hold a baby panda when posing for pictures. The price used to be 100 yuan but since the 2008 earthquake destroyed another panda facility 100 miles away. Of course this charge is categorized as a donation so each of the paying kids received a certificate commending their goodwill and generosity.

For lunch we went to a Buddhist Temple to feast on a Buddhist vegetarian banquet. It was very delicious. In the afternoon we toured the Wuhou Shrine dedicated to the Chief Counsul to Liu Bei in the Three Kingdoms Era. Around this temple there is another ancient street or a newly remodeled street in ancient styles called Jingling Avenue. It was said to be very crowded. In the evening we watched a live show featuring rapid face masks changing, acrobatics, dances, and other performances. They kids all enjoyed the show. This was evident in their elevated level of excitement when checking back into the hotel.
The weather in Chengdu has been nice. It was a bit humid occasionally. Other than that it has been tolerable.
The next two days will be free days. Some kids have made up their mind to sleep in late. They have been advised not to spend all their time and money in the western style eateries.

Panda preview

I can't wait to hear about the groups trip to the Giant Panda research center!

When I asked my daughter what she was most excited about seeing in  China, she replied immediately, "Pandas." Giant pandas are a powerful symbol of China, as is discussed in this blog post "Defending Chinese Culture and Kung Fu Panda."

First, baby panda cuteness.


Giant panda males are filmed in the wild by David Attenborough for the BBC, as they mark their territory. Pandas live solitary lives in the wild:


This great National Geographic documentary "Young Explorers: Secrets of the Wild Panda" gives a lot of detail about how pandas live in the wild, (see the whole thing here).
Watch more free documentaries

It has proven very difficult for pandas in captivity to breed or for their babies to survive their first year.  Their wild habitat has been so degraded by human expansion that  one in ten pandas now lives in captivity, as various places attempt to breed pandas in captivity in ways that might ensure their survival. All pandas on loan from China, and any of their offspring, must be returned to China eventually.

The biologist Professor Pan Wenshi has dedicated himself to studying pandas in the wild, and his research has been very important for improving the care of pandas in captivity with the hopes of releasing more pandas into the wild.

The baby panda is born about the size of a stick of butter, naked and blind. Within three weeks its eyes will open and it gains weight rapidly. One discovery from studying baby pandas in the wild is that the mother will leave the cub for hours to feed on bamboo; this was mistakenly interpreted as abandonment, and cubs were taken from the mothers, but did not thrive. Now, zoos have better understanding of how mothers care for cubs, and some zoos that have more successfully raised cubs recently include the Smithsonian, Atlanta, San Diego, Madrid, and zoos in Thailand and Japan.

Pan Wenshi's work has shown that habitat conservation is crucial to panda survival. His own imprisonment during the Cultural Revolution has shaped his drive to study pandas in the wild. He also showed how species conservation is directly linked to alleviating human poverty in a region to relieve pressure on habitat. In addition to pandas, Prof. Pan has contributed to the conservation of other species such as langurs and dolphins.

More about Chengdu's sights

There is more to see and do in Chengdu than visiting the pandas.

Wenshu Monastery is an important Buddhist monastery, with peaceful grounds and a tea shop. The area around it bustles with activities for the many tourists and locals who come there.

The Wuhou Temple dates back to the Shu Kindgom, one of the "Three Kingdoms" which struggled for control 2000 years ago. Stories of that period have inspired Chinese literature ever since and continue to be retold in manga and films today, such as the 2-part Asian blockbuster Red Cliff.

They will stroll JingLi "ancient street" or "folk custom street" where they can find traditonal crafts:


and attend a performance of the famous Sichuan Opera. Today's performances combine five past traditions, including "face-changing" "fire-spitting" as well as singing and dance.

After such a busy day, it is good to know that the group will be able to have the weekend (July 20-3) to wander the city and explore!

Photos

Photos from the horseback ride

Remember that you can double-click on these photos to see them in larger format!

Cultural conservation, cultural spectacle

The group has had a tremendous opportunity to visit a place where they can see natural wonders, begin to learn about the extraordinary and multiple cultural history of China and also witness the impacts of the rapid changes that are affecting all of China. I will be very curious to hear about their reactions when they return.

This video talks about the tensions between cultural conservation in Lijiang, as funded and promoted by UNESCO and the Chinese state, and the needs of the town's inhabitants who are faced with overwhelming numbers of tourists--almost six million a year--- from both China and abroad. {Note that it is doubtful that our group did kind of the bar-crawling and karaoke that is depicted at the end of the clip!)

The famous movie director Zhang Yimou, who also choreographed the amazing spectacle of the opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, has created an outdoor show called "Impression Lijiang" that employs several hundred local people. Rather than presenting the various ethnic groups of Lijiang in a "natural" or folkloric way, this oversized spectacle astonishes with its scale, color and movement. I confess to some ambivalence about this, but it is not pretending to be something it is not.

Eating in Chengdu

Chengdu has been named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy for 2011 because the cuisine of Sichuan (Szechuan) is considered one of the "jewels" of the many regional Chinese cuisines. Although Sichuan food is famous for some of its spicy dishes, not all Sichuan food is spicy: Tea Smoked Duck, for example, or Twice-Cooked Pork are not spicy at all. A few restaurants that serve Sichuan cuisine have opened in the Twin Cities in the past few years.

In this episode of his Travel Channel show Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern  (chef, food writer, and TV show host Zimmern is based in Minneapolis!) provides a great tour of Chengdu as he tastes his way around the city. Accompanied by fellow "food-geek" and martial arts national champion, Tiger Hu Chen  (fight choreographer for The Matrix, Kill Bill, Charlie's Angels, and stunt double to the stars) he tries all manner of dishes. A highlight of the tour is when Tiger's mother prepares a home-cooked feast for them.

Obviously, some foods are 'bizarre" to outsiders, but perfectly normal to those who eat them regularly.  Oddly enough, the only food Zimmern won't eat is walnuts!

If you want a taste of what it is like to live in Chengdu as an English-speaker, I highly recommend Chengdu Living.

On to Chengdu

The flight from Lijiang to Chengdu is only 360 miles: just a hop compared to the other plane rides they have had!

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan 四川 province, in the heart of China, and has been inhabited for over 4000 years. In the summer the climate is humid but relatively mild (temps in the high 70s). People speak the Chengdu dialect of Sichuanese, and the food is delicious and spicy. Although it is a large and bustling city, it also is home to many historical attractions, and, of course, Pandas!

Film director Zhang Yimou made this short promotional film for the city:


Another film director visited Chengdu for inspiration:

 Some of the places the group will visit on their first day include the Sichuan University and the  Jinsha Museum. This museum is actually an archeological park, with excavations as well as displays of relics. The site was only discovered very recently, but the site shows layers of history going back 3000 years.

In the afternoon, they will have the chance to see a part of the city that has been preserved called "The Wide and Narrow Lanes," combining architectural preservation with shops and restaurants. Maybe they will see one of the sugar candy blowers make a dragon, as in this video:

More on the Tibetan Mastiff breed

Report: Riding excursion

From Mr Yu:
Rosemary slipped down from the stepping stones when crossing the little brook in town after dinner. She had some minor scratches on her left leg. We applied some antibiotic cream on the affected area and wrapped up with a patch. It was a little painful at beginning but she felt better later. She was able to participate in today's activities. After breakfast we headed for Baisha Village where we spent the next two and half hours riding on horse backs through a Naxi Village and some beautiful pastures.

The weather was just right. It was cloudy so there was no threat of sunburn.

After lunch most kids went back to the hotel to chill. Sam, Mike, Sean, and Jack Martin went with Jackie and Mr. Yu to the climb the Elephant Mountain located in the center of Lijiang. It took us more than an hour to get to the top where we had the bird's-eye-view of the city and the surrounding mountains. We were able to discern Shuhe Township where we have been staying some 10 miles to north.

I am also saddened to report that Maggie's day was interrupted and spoiled by her ailment related to the consumption of a pan-fried egg supplied by the hotel. She threw up once shortly after the horse ride started, so she had to walk back to the parking lot. We hired a taxi to get her back to the hotel before lunch. After we came back in the afternoon, Maggie reported that she was feeling much better. She vowed not to eat any pan-fried egg again provided to her by any hospitality-related facilities in the world. At this moment she is sitting next to Mr. Yu and a bunch of other loud kids in the Nomad's Cafe owned by a Dutch guy who married a Tibetan girl. She is fantasizing about being mauled by a gigantic panda bear and she is begging Mr. Yu to write this down as a piece of fact, and at which point she is repeatedly reminded not to confuse fantasy with reality.

The kids present at the cafe would like Mr. Yu to add that during the horse ride, Jack Martin's horse soiled a certain boy's trousers when relieving itself when transporting its cargo from Point A to Point B. The kids insist the boy's name is NOT Ben.

The writer confesses that he is under tremendous amount of pressure to write the above two paragraphs, which do not reflect the views or opinions of said writer.

Tea from Yunnan

The oldest planted tea trees in the world are found in Yunnan province, making it the origin of tea. This video, promoting one tea company's pu'erh tea, is describes how tea is cultivated in Yunnan:


The website Tea Facts is a very good source of information about Chinese tea, laid out in a very clear fashion in English, but also using Chinese sources.

Report: to the top of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

From Mr Yu:

6/27
Today is a tale of heaven and earth. The hotel we are staying in Lijiang is the traditional Chinese courtyard style with us occupying yard #5. Each room is facing each other and has a view of the distant mountains or of a wild pond. Besides the cool feeling of inside a traditional Chinese residence, the rooms come with most, if not all, modern conveniences we have been spoiled to take for granted. The service is wonderful and the breakfast offered here has more options than many other hotels we have stayed in so far.

In the morning we first visited the Dongba Valley, a replica plaza of what life was like to the local Dongba people many years ago. There was little worth taking note except for a guy who climbed up tree bare-footed on a ladder made of knives with sharp edges. There were of course the usual assortment of shops selling tourist trinkets dotted by a few Tibetan yaks and peacocks waiting for paying customers to take photos with them. From there we drove for about 30 miles before we arrived at the base cable car station at the foot of the Jade Dragon Mountain. Due to safety concerns, we left Eu-k and LJ here. It was believed they had spent the time there waiting for us playing games or surfing the net using Mr. Yu's 3G-enabled ipad. We rode the cable car up to the elevation of 4512 above the sea level. From there we had to hike for about 1/5 of a mile (more than 300 steps up) to reach the point of 4636 meters (about 16000 feet). There we were in close contact with the year-around snow and glacier. It was foggy for a few minutes but the wind would blow the clous away to reveal a stunning scenery of mountain peaks glistening with snow and ice. The white clouds were furiously rolling underneath our feet.

It was hard to put how we felt in words. It was absolutely worthy of the long ride up, of our shortness of breath, of the headaches, and of having to fork over ¥95.00 for each of us to switch the lower cable car that had been originally booked to the second highest cable car in Asia.
Rachel and Zosha inside a cable car cabin going up.

We had a lousy lunch at he foot of the mountain and then proceeded to tour a place called the Blue Moon Valley. In this valley some pools were created to contain beautifully colored water, but we could tell this was man-made. Here we saw more tourists swarming the trails. Between holding up umbrellas and waiting forever for the cable cars with hundreds of other tourists some of whom tended to budge in in total contempt of the waiting line, we decided this was not worth of our time all.

So we concluded this tour early and got back to our cozy hotel rooms by 3:30 p.m..
We used portions of the fundraising money for the lift cable car upgrade. LJ and Eu-k will get the cash reimbursement because they did not go up with the cable cars.

Here is a video of a group of students from Stonybrook University, with their professor, as they ascend Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the cable cars and walking to the top. I don't think the weather was as good for them as it was for our group!


Additional links that may be of interest:
The travel writer Bruce Chatwin wrote an article for the New York Times in 1986 that brought international attention to Lijiang through his account of the botanist Dr. Joseph Rock who studied the incredibly rich and diverse plant life of the mountain. He tells how Rock's eccentric book about his time among the Naxi people captured the imagination of poet Ezra Pound while he was in a mental hospital. He also writes movingly of how the village survived the terrible destruction of the Cultural Revolution. {You'll note he uses the old pinyin conventions of spelling, so Lijiang is spelled Li Chiang, and the Naxi people are called Nakhi.}

A more recent visitor to Lijiang who has written an equally fascinating account of his time there is Michael Palin (yes, of Monty Python). You can read his travel tales here. Note that you will have to click on "next" to continue reading the account, as it is spread out over several pages. His tells of meeting Xuan Ke, the leader of the Naxi orchestra who was sent to labor in a tin mine for 22 years, andof the concert he attended. Lijiang's millenial history of cultural transformations and convulsion is a long one. This video has excerpts of of the concert. Xuan Ke is the man who speaks in the blue robe.

Report: Return to Lijiang

From Mr. Yu:
6/26

Yesterday afternoon we visited the Songzanlin Buddhist Monastery near Shangrila. The bus first came to the hotel to pick up LJ and Mr. Yu. LJ was feeling a little better, but not well enough to climb up the steps leading to the main building, so he waited at the gate. Then we were dropped in the old town where the kids went into different directions seeking for their favorite food.
We left Shangrla for Lijiang at about 9:00. By this time LJ has returned to his old form after a long night of sound sleep. His roommates who would rather remain annonymous reported that LJ was up immediately after the morning wakeup call, and dashed extremely animated into their room to shake them up by force. The drive back to Lijiang was beautiful. After lunch we visited the Jade Water Village and Yushui Monastery which was said to have Asian's biggest tea tree. For dinner the kids ordered lots of dumplings and noodles. Right now Sean, Sam, Orion, Eu-K, and LJ are sitting in a cozy cafe by the brook with wifi access.
More to follow tomorrow.

Added by your blogger momo: Town and Country magazine has an article with some great pictures about a visit to the Songzanlin Monastery.


This Flickr Slidewhow set by aljazz8 has some stunning images of Lijiang and the area:

Report from Yunnan

From Mr. Yu [with links added by your blogger)

6/24
We left the beautiful town of Shuhe (near Lijiang) in the morning. From the hotel we were able to see the snow-capped Jade Dragon Mountain which evaded us in our previous trip to Lijiang last summer. After a day of rainfall, the air seemed a little fresher and the clouds that usually shrouded the high mountain peaks drifted away to reveal a breath-taking scene of greenish farm fields dotted by colorful Tibetan residential houses with rows of snow-capped mountain peaks shining in the distant background. Even the most talkative kids stopped their heated debates to enjoy what nature had to offer. After two and half hours' drive through mountain valleys and rolling hills, we came to a place known as the Tiger Leaping Gorge---a narrow gorge in upstream Yangtse where it was believed that a tiger could jump from one bank to the other.

To get close to the roaring rapids beating against gigantic rocks in the river, we had to go almost 1000 steps down. After many pictures were taken, we left for lunch which was held on the rooftop of a restaurant by the river where we had a commanding view of the mountains and the river valley. The kids graded this meal higher than other tourist meals but Mr. Yu was reluctant to agree with their consensus. It could be that the kids were more hungry after almost two hours of intense physical activities.

We arrived in Shangrila in the afternoon. The name of the place was borrowed from a fiction entitled Lost Horizon by John Hilton in the 1920s. The elevation is above 3000 meters. There is also an replica ancient town here like in Lijiang and Shehe. The kids strolled around the stores. More souvenirs were bought. Some kids tried the spicy barbecued tofu and potatoes. Eu-k had pictures taken with two genuine Tibetan dogs after paying 20 yuan. Then we checked into the hotel.

6/25
Leejay has reactions to this high elevation. He puked a few times at night and has had headaches and stomachaches. These are considered typical symptoms of high altitude reaction. Mr. Yu accompanied him to the local hospital where he is receiving oxygen Tiger Leaping Gorge treatment. The doctor says his reaction is mild and he is expected to fully recover in a few hours, but advises him not to visit the Pudacuo National Park which is 1200 meters higher in elevation. Right at this moment, the rest of the group is traveling with Jackie to the national park while LJ and Mr. Yu are in the hospital. Hopefully LJ will recover soon enough to make the trip to the Songlinzan Buddhist Monastery in the afternoon.
It is a sunny day today but the temperature is very chilly. The kids have been reminded to bring their jackets and to pack a lot of bottled water. A few kids (like Eu-k) have been asked to purchase oxygen cylinders as a precaution.
Roof-top Lunch

I will have the students write a separate report on what would happen today later.

Photo of Tiger Leaping Gorge from Wikimedia Commons.

Report from Kunming

[Note: to view photos in larger format, please double-click on the photo]
From Mr Yu:

6/22

We packed up and left the hotel in the morning. First we visited the Cuihu Park, located in downtown Kunming. There were a lot of people, mostly retirees, who were exercising in various methods. Then we went across the street to the military museum based on the site of China's third oldest military academy. In the afternoon we toured the West Mountain

西山 Xishan

. We took the cable car up and walked all the way down to the foot of the hill. Next we went to a tea shop where we tasted several kinds of teas before some kids bought some to bring home. There was a Walmart Supercenter across from the street. We spent about an hour there looking around while a few kids bought a few items such as peanut butter and chips. For dinner we had the mushroom hotpot. Since these plants were not as chewy as meat, some kids felt they were still hungry right after they left the restaurant. So off we went to the McDonald nearby where the kids happily ordered tons of fries and alike.

In the process they managed to clog the single-stall toilet. Then we headed for the train station where we boarded the second-class sleeper train bound for Lijiang. Each cabin had 2 bunk beds accommodating 4 passengers. The bed was kind of narrow but the compartment was very clean. We arrived in Lijiang early in drizzles. We had a bad breakfast and then went to the famous Black Dragon Pool. After lunch we checked into the hotel. It was nice! In the evening most kids went to have some spicy noodles. Tomorrow we will head for Shangrilla.

Sam holding a falcon in Lijiang

Edited to add: here is a video with ways of making noodles:

Scenes of people exercising in Cuiho (Green Lake) Park:

Lijiang, ancient town

After the overnight train ride, the group will arrive in Lijiang. The city itself is not small, but within in is the Old Town of Lijiang, a UNESCO Heritage site. It was a stop on the Silk Road trade routes, and has become a major tourist attraction.


This video labeled Lijiang from China Central Television (CCTV) in the Chinese Civilization YouTube Channel has no English translation, but TV announcers' voices worldwide share some characteristics! The image quality is extraordinary.

The next video is has no need of narration.What a beautiful place!



This video tour is from a Chinese travel show, in English.

Report from Beijing from Mr. Yu

 Tuesday at about 9:30 in the evening, we received this update from Mr. Yu, sent Wed AM  after their arrival in Kunming, Yunnan (I added the link and the video). I can't figure out how to detach the photo from the document, so I posted a video about silk-making instead, at the end.

Due to the tight schedule we have had and the students' need to use my 3G enabled iPad to send emails, it has become almost impossible for the student find the time to write the daily updates. So from now on I will try to update you on our latest progress in China. I will write to you every two or three days and will try to send you photos daily as we go along the trip.

We spent the last two days in Beijing climbing the Great Wall and shopping at the Silk Market. The night before we visited the Great Wall (6/18) we went to the Heaven & Earth Theater to watch the acrobatics show. The show was pretty amazing with the actors and actresses doing all these things that defy the law of physics. As we were not allowed to take photos, we have nothing to share with you except words of mouth from your children in the future.

Before the show started, Jack Grover and Maggie went along with some Chinese children one third of their height to beg free balloons from the clown. The show was about to start, and these two youngsters realized they had no chance of getting anything from the clown as all other children were lined up before them. While Jack was walking back towards his seat, he heard the clown tell him to go back. jack was promptly invited onto the stage where he used a hammer to strike a virtual button to start the show. So he was a star for that night!

On the 19th we drove to the Great Wall area. On the way there we first visited an emperor's tomb and a jade factory where a few children bought a few small items. The kids loved the Great Wall. Most of them climbed up to the top. Even Zosha climbed up to the first arrow tower. There was an optional Kungfu show tonight. Only Sam and Sean chose to go. Each paid 140 yuan for admission but claimed it was well worthy of the money.

Day 4 (6/20) in Beijing was light on schedule so we did not have to get up too early. First we were taken to a silk factory and shop where the kids were shown how silk was made. Jackie bought a silk comforter. The kids were amused by the discovery of a silk Packer underpants. Then we drove to the renowned or notorious Silk Street. This place has seven floors where you can hunt bargains for name brand merchandise ranging from T-shirts to electronic toys. After shopping was done, the kids were divided into groups of 4 and received instructions to explore Beijing on their own by using their Chinese skills. Some went to the Temple of Heaven, which is located just two blocks away from our hotel. Some went to see the Birdnest. They all came back safe and sound.

Day 5 (6/21) today we had to get up at 4:30 a.m. In order to catch an early flight to Kunming, capital city of Yunnan Province. We almost couldn't make it due to the fact that two students kept the group waiting for more than 15 minutes. After some minor incidents such as cigarette lighters hidden in the checked-in suitcases (which is not allowed in China), we made it just on time. The flight was more than 3 hours long, but after the Chicago-Beijing flight, this did not bother us a bit. Upon arriving we were greeted by the local tourist guide, a young lady named Murphy. We ate a bland tourist meal for lunch and were sent to the hotel located in the northern surburb of the city. After two hours' rest, we gathered in the lobby and took bus route #10 to the city center. The fare was only one yuan, approximately 13 pennies for the 10-mile ride on a double-decker. We all came back to the hotel for dinner, some went on their own searching for cheap food on the street, some 10 students went with Mr. Yu to a fancy restaurant next door to  the hotel. We ordered plenty of food and they were all very delicious. The cost was 45 yuan per person, around $7.00. There were a few video arcades around the hotel. Some boys were believed to have spent quite some time in these facilities.

[how silk is made]

The next stage of the journey: Kunming, Yunnan

On June 21, after breakfast at the hotel, the group will fly from Beijing to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. This is a distance of about 1300 miles (2090 kilometers), and the length of the flight is 2hours 36 minutes (for comparison, it's about as far as some East Coast cities from Minneapolis, but not as far as California from MN). If flying inside China is anything like in the US, it may take longer to get to the airport and on the plane than it will to actually fly this distance.

Kunming has been a center of trade routes from south and west for thousands of years, and has played important strategic roles in many conflicts. Currently it is a major industrial center as well a a hub of communications with Southeast Asia. About 25 of the 55 officially recognized  ethnic groups of China (the largest being the Han who make up 92% of the population of China and roughly 20% of the global human population) live in this area. Because the city is in the mountains, it will be cooler than Beijing.

During their day there, the group will visit Xi Shan (aka West Mountain or the Western Hills) taking the cable car up and the battery car down, the peaceful park of Green Lake (Cui Hu), the Golden Horse and Green Phoenix Archways in the historic centery of the city, and the East and West Pagodas.
Here's a video clip with some highlights of Kunming:


The hotel I have listed in my itinerary is the Kunming Jiaxin Pearl ("or similar"). After dinner, adventure! The group will take an overnight train to Lijiang. What I don't know yet is what class they will travel in? I have traveled in just about every type of train you can imagine (including the Canadian equivalent of overnight in "hard seat" from Toronto to Montreal).
Chinese trains have 5 classes:
1. Soft sleeper
2. Hard Sleeper
3. Soft Seat
4. Hard Seat
5. Standing

Group photos!

"So, what did you do today?"

What is it like to climb the Great Wall and see Tiananmen Square?
Here is our first student report!

We climbed The Great Wall of China, and we walked through the Heaven Gate. Everyone ate at a restaurant that was below Chinese standards, it was awful. Everyone is really hot and uncomfortable, but we all are glad we are in China.

More details to come...

Alec Dziuk
(I am being forced to do this)

For a few more details, I found some of the  many accounts online from college students or Western residents in China. Heaven Gate. Interestingly enough, they often include a mention of McDonalds.
For the visuals, here is a nice little clip from the Travel Channel about Tiananmen Square:



And for those of you who are food aventurers, here is Anthony Bourdain reporting on Beijing food our group might not get to taste:

Group Report #2 6/18 Tiananmen Square

[Hi, folks: I am not able to download the images separately as they are arriving as a single file, but I hope we can solve that problem soon.'

Tiananmen Square

Today we went to the Summer Palace in the morning and the Forbidden City plus Tiananmen Square in the afternoon. After dinner we went to the acrobatics show which was amazing. Jack Grover will tell in detail what happened today. I will have the pictures do the story-telling.

Leejay is enjoying his visit to the Forbidden City.

Teacher's note #1

From Dingman Yu (Friday 9 PM in Minneapolis)

I had problems finding the right 3G data card for my iPad and wifi is not available in the hotel. As a result we could not update you on our progress in China. When you read this, we should have solved the problem and will send you daily emails to keep you updated.

Day 1: From Minneapolis to Chicago, we had to sit in the plane for more than an hour because the pilot was flying from Texas on another flight and he was late. We had no problems with the connecting flight as the the board gate was located right next to where we had landed in Chicago. The flight was not totally full so the kids could switch their seats around. The flight was uneventful.

We got toBeijing just before midnight and were greeted by our local tourist guide, Sarah. We checked into the hotel hungry but it was too late for us to get anything.

We had a few hours to sleep before the morning wake up call sounded off. We went downstairs to have breakfast. It was in buffet style with a lot of options. Then we changed money at the lobby. Then we left the hotel for Beijing Royal School out in the northern suburban area. Our coach bus was very comfy with seats up to 50 passengers. The daytime ride through Beijing streets revealed a vibrant city scene decidedly different from the one the night before with a lot more traffic. Upon arriving in school, the staff showed us around school: classrooms, labs, and the library. We had lunch in the school cafeteria, nothing fancy, but enough to feed everyone. After lunch we toured the Chinese Herb Medicine Museum located inside a residential complex which was developed by the ownber-principal of BRS years back. From 2:00 to 4:00 we sat in for the school's graduation ceremony which was similar to ours except there were a lot more speeches from students and parents some of whom used English in addressing the audience. For dinner most kids went with some of the Chinese students who attended South last year. The weather today was not bad at all. It was cloudy and breezy at night.

June 18

As I am typing up, we are on our way to the Summer Palace. The weather will be a few degrees higher than yesterday. More details to follow.

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