Bangkok , Ayuthaya Travel (Part II)

 

[continued from Bangkok , Ayuthaya Travel (Part I)]

Bangkok , Ayuthaya Travel (Part II)

Day 3 : Thursday, 6 December 2007

On the morning of 6 December 2007, we hired a “tuk-tuk” to bring my wife and I round the city for sightseeing. A young Thai man named See was our “tuk-tuk” driver and our tour-guide too.  The first place he brought us was the famous Grand Palace. When we arrived there we felt extremely disappointed to be informed that the palace, a Thai’s icon, was closed to public then. It was going to hold the Thai King’s 80th. birthday celebration. The palace is truly a grand and stunning one. Below is the description of it:

The Grand Palace

Llocated on the eastern bank of River Chao Phraya in the Rattanakosin District, this beautiful palace in a large area of over 200 000 sq. metres is surrounded by a high and unfriendly-looking white wall.  

The Grand Palace was built in 1782 during the reign of King Rama I (1737-1802) who used it as his royal residence. Subsequently, other Thai kings lived there too from the 18th. century till the middle of the 20th. century.

The last king to live there was King Rama VIII or King Ananda Sun Mahidol(1925-1946). The present king, King Bhumibol Adulyadei (King Rama IX), who succeeded him (his brother) does not live there. Instead, he lives at another place not far from the old one and is known as Chitralada Palace.

The Grand Palace is now used for religious, state and royal ceremonies. It has several buildings built in unique Siamese architectural style.

The Emerald Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Kaew)

In the compound of the Grand Palace is Thailand’s grandest and most sacred Buddhist temple known as Wat Phra Kaew. Built in 1785, it houses a Buddha statue known as Emerald Buddha Statue. There are other statues, such as monkey kings and giants resembling the characters in the Ramayana mythology, around the golden temple. Besides, artworks from art masters during the Rattanakosin era are displayed here.

As we could not visit the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew we visited a famous temple known as Wat Po or Wat Phra Chetuphon nearby.

Wat Po or Wat Phra Chetuphon (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)           

Wat Po houses a large reclining Buddha statue of 46 metres long. The walls inside the temple are beautifully painted with colourful pictures depicting the Buddhist way of life of the Thai people.

This temple has a monastery for the monks. Besides, it is the birthplace of the traditional Thai massage school. Around this temple are several large statues of characters with serious looks guarding some entrances of the temple.

Having completed the tour of this temple, we headed north-east to another famous temple, Wat Intrawihan

 Wat Intrawihan         

Located at 114, Wisutkasat Road in Phra Nakhon District, Wat Intrwihan was built towards the end of the Ayutthaya Period. Standing tall in the compound is a large golden statue of Buddha. It was built in the reign of King Rama IV in 1867 and completed in the reign of King Rama VII. It claims to be the world’s tallest standing Buddha statue and is known as Phra Si Ariyamettraiya or Luangpor Toh.

While we were at the temple we were shocked to see many cats and dogs roaming

freely in the compound and their excreta was all over the place. As we walked around the temple we were careful not to step on it.

Anantasamakhon Throne Hall          

Located in the Dusit District is a majestic building of marble built in the Italian Renaissance style. It was constructed during the reign of King Rama V and completed in the reign of King Rama VI.

It receives foreign dignitaries and holds the Royal Advisory Council meetings. It was once used for parliamentary meetings.

In 2006, royal personages from 25 countries celebrated King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 60th. anniversary of monarchy reign at this building. He is the world’s longest reigning king.

King Rama V Monument           

In front of Anantasamakhon Throne Hall is a large open space known as Royal Plaza. In the centre there is a monument of an equestrian statue of King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn) in a field marshal uniform. The Thai people loved him so much that they raised fund to get the statue cast by a French sculptor in Paris and placed it there in 1908 when he was still alive.

King Rama V (1853-1910) succeeded his father in 1868. He had travelled to many foreign countries in Asia and Europe and learned about their reforms and governments. With that knowledge he modernized his government. Besides, he abolished slavery in his country. In 1896 he built the first railroad in Thailand connecting Bangkok and Ayutthaya. His subjects called him “The Great Beloved King”.

During his reign he had four queen consorts and some royal common wives. He was the only Thai king who had the most number of children, about 77. His second son, Vajiravudh (1881-1925),  succeeded him as the sixth king (King Rama VI) of the Chakri Dynasty in 1910.

Not far from the monument, we saw a colourful arch with a large royal emblem at its top at the crossroads of Ratchadamnoen Nok Road and Si Ayutthaya Road. It was erected to celebrate the Thai king’s 80th. birthday. We also saw four horsemen, police

and many people lining the roads from Chitralada Palace to the Grand Palace. They were wearing yellow T-shirts and holding national flags and yellow royal flags waiting to cheer their king. The king who would pass them while he was on his way to the Grand Palace to celebrate his 80th. birthday.

{To the Thais, yellow symbolizes devotion to their beloved king. On the evening of the previous day (5 December 2007), the king’s birthday was celebrated nationwide with festivities and prayers, and thousands of people packed the streets near the Grand Palace to watch a spectacular firework display.}

Democracy Monument         

Located on a large roundabout where Ratchadamnoen Klang Road, Prachathipatai Road and Bandinsor Road meet, is the Democracy Monument. It

was erected in 1939 to commemorate the June 1932 military coup which resulted in the establishment of the constitutional monarchy.

In the centre of the monument is a turret which has two golden offering bowls on its top. The “1932 Constitution” is on the top bowl. There are four wing-like structures standing round the turret. They represent the army, navy, air force and police guarding the Constitution.

Victory Monument

There is another monument not far from the Democracy Monument. It is known as the Victory Monument which was erected in 1941 on Bangkok’s largest roundabout where Phahon Yothin Highway, Phaya Thai Road, Ratchawithi Road

and Din Daeng Road converge. This monument commemorated the Thai victory in a brief, bloodless war with the French colonialists in Indo-China. The victory led to Thailand annexing some territories in western Cambodia, and northern and southern Laos. Some of these territories were formerly Thailand’s and ceded to France in 1883 and 1904.

The monument has 5 human statues standing round a tall obelisk. The statues symbolically represent the army, navy, air force, police and civilians.

After the interesting Bangkok City tour, we went to a popular shopping centre known as MBK Centre or Mahboonkrong Centre which is near BTS Central Station (Siam).

There are a few more shopping centres near it, e.g. Siam Centre, Siam Discovery Centre and Siam Paragon. Later, we went back to our hotel to have a rest.

Silom Road        

In the evening, my wife and I went to Silom Road by “tuk-tuk” again as it could manoeuvre easily in a traffic jam and reach any place quickly.

Silom Road is in the heart of the Central Business District of Bangkok. Multi-storey buildings line the road. They house banks, trading companies, insurance companies, finance companies, law firms, shopping centres, luxurious hotels, etc.

The road is full of traffic and the walkways are always crowded during day and night. This place is easily accessible by either Rama 6 Road (an expressway), Rama 4 Road or the Skytrain.

When night falls roadside food stalls and other stalls appear and attract influxes of visitors both locals and tourists. Most of the tourists would head for the red light district of Patpong which is very near to the Sala Daeng Skytrain Station.

Patpong        

Patpong has two short roads, Patpong 1 Road and Patpong 2 Road, which are parallel to each other and sandwiched in between Silom Road and Surawong Road.

Patpong belongs to the Patpongpanich family. It is estimated to be worth over US $100 millions! When the family bought it in 1946 they built a road, Patpong Road, and shophouses for rent along the road.

A Red Light District     

Later in 1968 the whole area was transformed into a red light district catering mainly for the U.S. soldiers who needed recreation and recuperation (R & R) after their duties in Vietnam during the Vietnam War (1965-1975). Its notoriety spread far and wide by word of mouth in the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, the place has been featured in many western movies such as Deer Hunter (1978) and Miss Saigon

(1989). Besides, many authors have written about it in their novels.

Since the Vietnam War was over in 1975 the place has become a tourist attraction and many foreign tourists as well as Thais like to patronize the bars there.

Night Market         

In the 1980s, the enterprising Patpongpanich family set up stalls  for rent in the middle of Patpong 1 Road. These stalls are now a busy night market selling goods ranging from souvenirs, caps, T-shirts and shoes to jewellery and watches. Their presence has affected the night entertainment business of the bars there.

Hard Bargain

Then we decided to see the bars along Patpong Road. As we were walking past a few of them and trying to get a glimpse of some activities inside, some touts were inviting us in for a sleazy show. As we had no intention of watching it we did not heed them but kept on walking. I remember what our Ayutthaya tour guide had

told us about these Patpong bars. He said, “If you go inside with a lot of money, you will come out without a cent!”

Chinatown (Yao Wa Rat)

Having seen the Patpong area, we left for Chinatown that is not far from Patpong. It is a place where shops sell all kinds of products which are mostly Chinese and Thai, such as herbs, jewellery, clothes, watches, handbags, electrical and electronic gadgets, etc.

Sea Food

When night falls, roadside stalls in Chinatown suddenly appear and do brisk businesses, especially those that cater to food lovers like us. When we were there we looked for a sea food restaurant. We found one which was selling crabs, prawns, squids, snails, fish and cockles. The cooks could grill, steam and fry them for customers. Although they were not cheap we asked for a large crab and told a waitress to get it grilled over red hot charcoal. We tried other dishes too. We finished the delicious meal with some fleshy Siamese durians and a refreshing fresh coconut drink . Then we left Chinatown for our hotel.

Day 4:   Friday, 7 December 2007

Thai Body Massage

On the morning of our last day in Bangkok, we went for a Thai body massage at a shop, Mr. Feet, which is a few doors away from our hotel, Bangkok City Inn. While we were fully clothed, our young masseuses expertly massaged our limbs and the back of our bodies. Occasionally, we felt a little pain in some parts of our bodies when strong pressure was applied. After having been massaged for an hour we felt relaxed and energized. All our muscular and joint pain due to walking too much during our last three days in Bangkok and Ayutthaya miraculously disappeared. Before we left the shop I saw a floating market in one of the large pictures printed by the Thai Tourism Board on a wall. We regretted to give it a miss as we had to depart for Malaysia in the evening.

Floating Market

In the early days, there were many floating markets in rivers and man-made canals or khlongs which were lined with dwelling-houses in Thailand. Later, when

supermarkets were opened and people found it more convenient to shop at these places. Consequently, the number of floating markets dwindled a lot. Nowadays, there are few floating markets left in Thailand and they attract many tourists.

At a floating market, ladies in straw hats row about their small boats laden with fruits, vegetables, food, flowers, groceries, etc. looking for customers who usually live along the waterways. A busy floating market is a fascinating sight as you can see it in the photo on the left.

The largest floating market in Thailand is at Ratchaburi which is 101 km west of Bangkok. Small floating markets can be found in Bangkok, e.g. Tailing Chan and Wat Sai floating markets.

After a Thai body massage, we decided to walk to Phetburi Road nearby. While crossing a bridge over a large canal or khlong known as Khlong Saen Saep, we saw boats plying on the waterway.

Khlong Saen Saep

Khlong Saen Saep is a long canal connecting Khlong Phadung Krungkasem which flows into River Chao Phraya in the west to Prachinburi and Chachoengsao in the east. Today, it is a busy waterway which has 30 stops for over 100 passenger boats.

Originally, the canal was built to transport soldiers and weapons to Cambodia which was in conflict with Thailand during the reign of King Rama III.

After crossing the bridge we came to a long road, Phetburi Road.

Phetburi Road

Phetburi Road is a busy road lined with large buildings. It has a lot of traffic during day and night. Lots of stalls selling cheap food and snacks can be found on the roadside and five-foot ways in the morning. It is indeed a bustling place. Photos below show different types of stalls along the road.

Thailand General Election

While we were in Bangkok, the Thai people were gripped with a general election fever. The previous government of Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, was toppled by a military coup in 2006.

Posters of candidates standing for the coming Thailand general election on 23 December 2007 could be seen along major roads in the city. The photo on the right showing three candidates was taken along Phetburi Road. Besides, large portraits of the Thai king were put up in front of large buildings like hotels and government buildings in celebration of the king’s 80th. birthday.

While walking along Phetburi Road we were surprised to see lots of electric

cables and telephone wires hanging untidily high above the road. It was undoubtedly an unpleasant sight.

 Later we walked back to the budget hotel, Bangkok City Inn, claimed our luggage and took a taxi to the airport at 2.00 p.m. to check-in earlier before we departed for Malaysia at 6.00 p.m.

Bangkok City Inn

Located in Bangkok downtown, Bangkok City Inn is surrounded by many shopping centres which are within walking distance, including Central World, Zen, Big C, Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery, Siam Square, Siam Centre, MBK Centre, Gaysorn Plaza, Peninsula Plaza, Pratunam Complex and Amarin Plaza. In addition, bustling markets

and entertainment establishments are also nearby. The area is easily accessible by the Skytrain and some main roads. Taxis, tuk-tuks and buses are easily available here day and night.

We had stayed at Bangkok City Inn for three days and concluded that it is worth staying there. The rooms are clean and the bathrooms are large. The accommodation is inexpensive and free breakfast is provided daily in the clean and comfortable dining room. Its staff are helpful, friendly, and always smiling. They have made our stay a memorable one.

Check-In at Suvarnabhumi Airport

After checking-in at the airport we walked a long way to a place to wait for our plane. On the way, we came across a model of a royal Thai throne. Opposite the throne is a sculpture of a long serpent with a few heads, known as Vasuki, the “King of Serpents”. It is being pulled by several demigods and demons. There is a statue

of  Vishnu Kurmavatara with four hands standing on a “mountain”. The “mountain” with the serpent round it is carried on a “tortoise’s” back. It is a beautiful sculpture.

Vishnu Kurmavatara

According to a legend about Vishnu Kurmavatara written on a board placed in front of the sculpture, I quote:

“This scene depicts Vishnu Kurmavatara and the churning of the Milk Ocean. The naga, Vasuki, (the King of Serpents) curled around the mountain, Mandara. Vishnu, incarnated in the form of a great turtle, supports the mountain on his back. Devas (demigods) and Asuras (demons) pull the naga’s body to churn the water of the ocean

for thousands of years in order to produce the nectar of immortality, Amrita. From the churning, numerous opulent items are produced, including Dhanvantari carrying the pot of Amrita. In the end, the cooperation between Devas and Asuras is shattered. The Devas fulfill their plan of acquiring all Amrita and disperse the Asuras out of Heaven to the Underworld.”

Departure for Malaysia

Our air flight back to Malaysia was supposed to be at 6 p.m. but we departed Suvarnabhumi Airport at 7 p.m. On the way to Malaysia, my wife and I agreed that our three days’ stay in Bangkok was too short as we had missed many places of interest there. Anyway, we are now planning of going to another destination soon.

Thank you for reading this travelogue and hope the information is useful to you.

Written by: Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

Chiangmai, Chiang Rai, The Golden Triangle Travel (Part I)

Chiang Mai Travel

Thailand (Free Land) is dubbed “The Land of 65 Million Smiles”. It is well-known for its many tourist spots. And Chiang Mai is one of them.

Location  of Chiang Mai     Chiang Mai is in North Thailand and is about 750 km north of Bangkok. It is over 310

metres above sea-level and located in a large flat Slain surrounded by dense monsoon forest-covered mountains in the east , north and west. A river, Ping River, flows from north to south through the plain to join the Thailand’s longest river, Menam Chao Phraya.

Climate  It has a Tropical Monsoon climate with the temperature ranges from 13 to 28 degrees C between mid-November and January and 17 to 36 degrees C between February and mid-November. The raining season starts from June to mid-November.

Population    It is the second largest city in Thailand with a population of about 250,000. Most of the inhabitants are Thais and majority of them embrace Buddhism.

Hill-Tribes     Chiang Mai also has several small hill-tribes living in the rural areas, such as the Karen (Kariang, Yang), Akha (Ekaw), Lisu (Lisaw), Lahu (Mussur), Yao (Mien) and Hmong (Meo). These hill-tribes are steeped in traditions and cultures. They live on subsistence agriculture like planting paddy, maize, fruits and vegetables.

In spite of the rapid growth in the last 10 over years Chiang Mai is still a charming and quaint city. It is dubbed “The Rose of the North” and North Thailand is known as “The Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields”.

Tourism  Chiang Mai is well linked to Bangkok by road, rail and air. Tourism is now a fast growing industry in Chiang Mai. Its charm, beauty, tranquility and rich culture attract hundreds of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists every year. Besides, the people are kind, friendly and hospitable. Tourism is an important industry to the local people as it provides them lots of jobs in hotels, transport, restaurants, cottage industries and recreational and entertainment activities.

History  According to the Siamese history, Chiang Mai  was established by King Mengrai in 1296. Later, in 1558, it

was captured by a Burmese king, King Bayinnaung of Pegu,. Since then it was ruled by the Burmese for about a quarter century. Then in 1799 it was recaptured by a Siamese prince, Prince Kawila.

The present King of Thailand is King Bhumibol. He was born on 5th. Dec 1927 and acceded to the throne on 9th. June 1946. He is fondly loved and respected by his subjects because of his compassion, warmth and commitment to his country’s progress. He is the world’s longest reigning, living monarch.  

New and Old City  The city is divided into two parts by the Ping River. To the west of the river is the old part of the city whereas to the east the modern one. The former offers more interesting tourist attractions.

In the old part of the city there is a rectangular moat (1.8 km x 2 km) which surrounds a wall made of bricks and earth. The wall was built to protect the

royal city during the reign of King Mengrai. This part of the city is more than 700 years old.

Buddhist Temples  Buddhist temples can be seen all over the city and also in the outskirts. It claims to have more than 300 temples which the Thais called them wats. A large number of them are restored and used for religious purposes. Saffron-robed monks are a common sight in the city.

Most of these temples have common features. They have a consecrated ceremonial hall which houses a large Buddha figure and other artifacts. The walls of the hall are beautifully decorated with murals depicting scenes of Buddha’s life. Near the hall is a monks’ living quarter and a general purpose

hall. Besides, a temple has a tall tower (chedi or stupa) which is either in the shape of a bell or stepped style (prasat style). Some temples have a school in their compound.

Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama who lived in North India in the 6th. Century B.C. (Before Christ). The religion spread to Thailand via the Khmer Empire and the Silk Route from China.

Temples play an important role in the ritual and social life of the Thais. It is a normal practice for every Thai male to take up monkhood at least once in his lifetime.

My wife, our big son and I wanted to enjoy the sights and sounds of Chiang

Mai very much. So, on 4 July 2006, we joined three of our friends from our hometown and flew together on a low budget plane, Air Asia, from Kuala Lumpur straight to Chiang Mai. The journey took less than three hours.
 
The Travel Itinerary   The following is the itinerary of our unforgettable Chiang Mai experience:  

       Day 1       Travel to Chiang Mai City 
                       Cottage Industries I 
                       Cottage Industries II 
      Day 2        Travel to Chiang Rai  
                       Hill-Tribes of Northern Thailand I 
                       Hill-Tribes of Northern Thailand II 

                       The Golden Triangle 
                       Mae Sai (BorderTown) 
      Day 3        Maesa Elephant Camp 
                       Mae Ram Orchid Farm 
                       Mae Sa Snake Farm 
                       The Monkey Centre 
                       Wat Phratat Doi Suthep 
                       Chiang Mai Arts & Cultural Centre (Museum) 
                       Chiang Mai Night Bazaar 
       Day 4       Warorot Market 
                       Departure to Malaysia    

Day 1 Tuesday 4 July 2006    Travel to Chiang Mai City 

Upon arrival at the Chiang Mai airport before noon, we took a ‘minibus’ to the downtown. In the city we saw large pictures of the Thai king, King Bhumibol, and Thai flags flying everywhere. The whole nation was celebrating the 60th. anniversary of their king’s accession to the throne.

Lai-Thai Guest House    We checked in at a hotel known as Lai-Thai Guest House which we had booked earlier through Internet. It is at 111/4-5, Kotchasarn Road, Chiang Mai 50100 (www.laithai.com). It is a  three-storey semi-wooden building that is in a U-shape and has a clean swimming pool in the centre. The building is built in Siamese architechural style.

‘Tuk-Tuks’    After lunch, six of us hailed two ‘tuk-tuks’ to bring us to see

some famous cottage industries located along Chiang Mai-Sankampaeng Road. Our two friendly ‘tuk-tuk’ drivers introduced themselves as Yau and Pantip.

A ‘tuk-tuk’ is a small three-wheeled vehicle which runs on petrol and can carry three passengers at the back. The only problem with this type of vehicle is that its roof is too low.

Chiang Mai Cottage Industries  

Our ‘tuk-tuks’ we hired brought us to the Chiang Mai-Sankampaeng Road to visit some cottage industries. This road is also known as “Handicrafts Highway” as there are countless cottage industries of handicrafts on both sides of the road such as silverware, copperware, lacquerware, woodcarving, parasol making, leather goods and many more.

Silver Factory   The first industry we visited was P-Collection Factory which makes all kinds of silverware. In the factory, artisans can be seen busy making silver articles like jewellery and figurines.

Jewellery Factory  International Fine Creation Co. Ltd. was the next factory

we went to. It makes and sells jewellery with precious stones which are beautifully cut, like sapphire (pink, blue), emerald (green). topaz (orange), opal (mixed green and blue), garnet (red), diamond, ruby, amethyst and many more. 
 

Leather Factory   S.K. Leather Co. Ltd. produces goods made of skins of snakes, crocodiles, deer and cows such as bags, handbags, belts, shoes, wallets and clothes. It exports most of its goods. 
  
Lacquerware Factory   Then we went to another factory known as

Lantong Factory Ltd. where lacquerware is made. Here wooden objects are sculptured, painted and finally lacquered so that they look shinny. At that factory, I watched a worker painstakingly gluing small pieces of egg shell on to a seven-sided black board and then pressed them into smaller pieces giving the board an artistic pattern. That was an interesting and unusual piece of art.

Parasol Factory   Sankampaeng Umbrella & Handicraft Industry produces silk, cotton and paper umbrellas of different sizes. The umbrellas are beautifully painted by talented local artists. They usually paint flowers and elephants on the umbrellas.

Woodcarving Factory  Chiang Mai Sudaluck produces teak and

rosewood furniture with beautiful carvings. Besides, its skilful and artistic workers are able to produce 3-dimensional pictures of Siamese villages on rosewood and wooden sculptures. Carving a 150 cm x 50 cm three-dimensional picture of a village usually takes an expert-carver two months to complete. 

Carpet Factory  Heritage International Ltd. sells beautifully designed carpets for use and carpets with semi-precious stones sown on them for wall decoration. Besides, it imports bronze antiques from India for sale.

Jade Factory  Siam Gifts House of Jade was the last factory we visited. It

sells a variety of products using jades of all kinds of colours, like jewellery, figurines and large and small objects.

Day 2 : Wednesday 5 July 2006    Travel to Chiang Rai 

Our Coach Driver and Guide     At about 7 a.m. a coach we had hired earlier came to our hotel. The coach driver introduced himself as Mr. Nom and the tour guide, a young fresh university Thai graduate, as Mr. Hacks. As we had not taken our breakfast, our kind driver brought us to a popular roadside noodle-stall not far from the hotel. We sat tha tables on the five-

foot way and soon we were served with hot Siamese noodle soup. After the delicious meal, we began our long journey to the north to Chiang Rai.

Chiang Rai   On the way, we passed through a scenic mountainous region. When we reached Chiang Rai we stopped at a market known as Bandu Municipality Market, Fresh local vegetables and fruits were bountiful there. We bought big, juicy and sweet lychees, durians, rambutans and cut pineapples. Besides, we bought some local snacks to munch while travelling in the coach.

A Baby Elephant   At the market we were surprised to see a baby elephant. It was following its owner who was selling some snacks. Kind

vegetable and fruit sellers who found the animal so cute and lovable gave it some of their produce. Foreign tourists and I asked the friendly owner for permission to take a photograph with the tame elephant. We were amused when it curtsied.

Union of Hill-Tribe Villages   Then we moved on again. The next stop was a well-known place, Union of Hill-Tribe Villages, which is 12 km from Chiang Rai. At this place one will see five types of hill-tribes in their traditional costumes, namely Akha, Yao, Mussur, Palong and Karen. They stay at their mini-villages which are at different spots but near to each other. They are there during tourists’ visiting hours only as the place is just a showcase of Thailand’s different hill-tribes.

Hill-Tribes in Northern Thailand      In the olden days, the hill-tribes

migrated from southern China to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Now, there are six major hill-tribes in Northern Thailand belonging to the Thai national minorities, namely Karen (Kariang, Yang), Akha (Ekaw), Lisu (Lisaw), Lahu (Mussur), Yao (Mien) and Hmong (Meo). 

These hill-tribes are steeped in traditional cultures and live on subsistence farming. They use simple tools like hoes to cultivate hill paddy and plant cash crops, such as maize, fruits and vegetables on a small-scale. They also raise domestic animals like fowl, goat and buffalos.

Most of these tribes live in poverty. Their wooden houses are small and the roofs are made of dry large leaves or fronds of palm trees. They have bare necessities inside their houses.

Each tribe has its own distinctive culture, religion, language, art and traditional costumes.

The hill-tribes believe in territorial spirits for forests and fields, tutelary spirits for houses and towns, and ancestral spirits.

These tribes are good at making handicrafts. They sell them in Chiang Mai and other towns to earn extra income.

Union of Hill-Tribe Villages   Located 12 km from Chiang Rai, the Union of Hill-Tribe Villages is a showcase of five hill-tribes, namely Akha, Yao, Mussur, Palong and Karen. 

Before we entered the villages, a man at the main entrance asked us to look at a dirty, old map and told us the route we had to take to visit the five hill-tribes. As it had rained earlier the ground was wet, soft and slippery. So, he

asked us to take along a long stick each.

Akha Village  The first village we came across was the Akha village where we were greeted by a few young and old ladies in their traditional clothes. They were sitting on raised bamboo platforms in front of their houses. They were wearing black headgears covered with silver coins. We felt frustrated as we could not converse with them in their language or Thai. All we could do was to smile, say “Hello” and wave our hands to mean “Goodbye”. Then we walked to a larger house where a group of Akha ladies entertained us with their simple traditional musical instruments.

Yao Village   The next village we visited was the Yao’s. The Yao

ladies looked well-dressed in their traditional costumes. They wore black turban-like headgears. When they saw us, they greeted us with a big smile. We were surprised that two of them could talk to us in Chinese. After a short conversation with them, we had a good look at their handmade purses. jewellery, trinkets, etc.

Palong Village  Then we visited the Palong hill-tribe. We noticed the Palong people were wearing simple black clothing and some ladies were wearing simple coloured head-scarves. They entertained us with a lively traditional dance. Their children joined them too.

Karen Village   The last hill-tribe we visited was the well-known Karen. We were fascinated and amazed to see only female children and women

wearing shiny brass coils round their necks. They were very friendly and loved to take photos with us. 
Female Karens are the only people in the world having very long necks. They start wearing coils round their necks when they are a few years old. As they grow older more turnings are added to their coils. Some say they wear the coils to prevent tigers from biting their necks and others think they wear them for beauty hoping to get a life-long partner easily.

I left the Karen hill-tribe with a big question in my, i.e. ”How do they eat, drink, bathe, sleep and get up from their beds with the heavy metallic coils round their necks?”.  A large neck coil may weigh about 5 kilograms!

After visiting the hill-tribes, we went to a place where we sprayed water on the soles of our shoes to get rid of the mud which we had collected while walking in the hill-tribe villages. Soon we left the place and continued our journey to the well-known Golden Triangle in the north.

The Golden Triangle    The Golden Triangle was actually a notorious region for the harmful opium trade. It covered a large area of 350, 000 sq. km. including the northern parts of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, and eastern part of Myanmar. As the governments of the four countries knew that drug addiction would ruin their people’s lives and cripple their economies, they constantly cracked down on drug barons and encouraged their people especially the hill-tribes to plant cash crops instead of opium poppies. Now, they have successfully eradicated poppy-growing

in many parts of their countries. They are always on the look out for illegal planting of the poppies, especially in the jungle areas.

Now the Golden Triangle is a small area around the confluence where River Mekong (or Mae Khong- 4,184 km long) and River Ruak meet. These two rivers form the common border for Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. The Golden Triangle is now a popular tourist attraction that reminds visitors of the past busy and lucrative opium trade there.

Sop Ruak    A small old Thai town known as Sop Ruak exists in the Golden

Triangle and is 9 km north of Chiang Saen. It is located by the Mekong River. Small restaurants, souvenir shops and other types of shops line the roads of the town.

On arrival at the Golden Triangle we noticed that the place has a  picturesque view of the two wide rivers, the lush green forest-covered mountains in the distance, the quaint Sop Ruak town and the old and new temples.

An Open Air Temple   There is a beautiful open air temple at the confluence where a huge golden statue of Buddha sits cross-legged on its large altar. It is about 8 metres high. At the back of this statue is a smaller white statue of a

Chinese version of Buddha, “Tuah Peh Kong”. In front of the golden Buddha are three smaller golden statues of Buddha and a large statue of a black elephant carrying Buddha’s relics.  Further down the Mekong River bank are six golden columns with beautiful and intricate Siamese designs which I think are monuments to the great Siamese kings. On the Myanmar river bank in the distance are some red-roofed buildings which are known as Paradise Resort. It has a casino to attract foreign tourists.

It is a frustration for a foreign tourist not to know the names of the temples, the structures and the statues at the confluence as all the writings there are in Thai. I hope the Thai government will translate them especially in English for foreigners.

Wat Phrathat Pukhao  On top of a small hill near the confluence is a small, old

and simple temple which is over 1000 years old. It is known as Wat Phrathat Pukhao. To go up to the temple, I walked up a flight of 104 steps alone. These steps are lined with two long Siamese legendary grey dragons each with five heads. Each head has a long crooked horn projecting from its forehead.

When I reached the top, I realized I was the only person around. Fearlessly, I looked around and walked to the doorstep of the temple. I looked inside and saw a large statue of Buddha looking down at me. After taking a few photos at the temple, I walked to a vantage point nearby. From that point I could see a scenic panoramic view of Sop Ruak town, the wide Mekong River and the

lush green mountains in Laos. Then I went down the hill to join my tour group.

Hall of Opium Museum    Owing to time constraint, we did not visit a museum at the Golden Triangle. It is known as Hall of Opium where one can gain an insight into the history of opium trade there and harmful effects of opium. The museum provides photographs, films and videos about opium and other types of dangerous drugs from other countries. It should be a worthwhile visit there if one has some time to spare.

Our next destination was a Thai border town known as Mae Sai which is 28 km by road from the Golden Triangle.

Mae Sai (A Border Town)    Mae Sai is the northern-most town in North

Thailand. It is a small town near the Myanmar border. It has a large arcade where lots of stalls are selling a myriad of things ranging from accessories and clothes to watches and electronic goods. Near the place is a brightly and heavily-decorated temple which houses a large statue of Buddha. Besides, it has colourful murals inside depicting the Buddha’s life. 
 
Mae Sai has an immigration checkpoint at the border between Thailand and Myanmar. To cross over the border to a small town known as Tha Kwee Lek in Myanmar, one may pay 300 Thai baht to a Thai motorcyclist who will bring one

over there. One may extend one’s Thai visa when one comes back to Mae Sai from Tha Kwee Lek.

At about 4 p.m. I saw many Myanmar vendors pushing their carts with unsold goods to the the immigration checkpoint. They were going back to their country after a day’s business at Mae Sai Town.

Chiang Rai Hot Spring     After spending an hour at Mae Sai, we headed back to Chiang Mai City. On the way, we stopped at Chiang Rai to see natural hot spring water in three wells. The steam coming out of the wells has a little bit of sulfur smell. As the temperature of the water is 90 degrees C, local

people immerse bags of sweet-potatoes and corns in the hot water for half a day to get them cooked. Then they take them out and either sell or bring them home to feed their families.  
 
One can buy some eggs from lady-vendors near a well, borrow their bags for the eggs and slowly lower them into the well using strings attached to the bags. If one waits for a few minutes, one will get to eat the hard-boiled eggs.  
 
Many stalls selling souvenirs, jewelleries, accessories, handicrafts, clothes, etc. are found near the wells.

Dinner at Anusarn Market   At 9 p.m. we finally reached Chiang Mai. We had late dinner at Anusarn Market where there are many open-air restaurants. After dinner we visited a few stalls along Chan Klan Road. An hour later we went back to our hotel.

[To continue reading this travelogue please go to "Chiangmai, Chiang Rai, The Golden Triangle Travel (Part II)"]

Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, The Golden Triangle Travel (Part II)

[continued from "Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, The Golden Triangle Travel (Part I)"]

Chiang Mai Travel

Day 3 : Thursday 6 July 2006    Maesa Elephant Camp 

The tropical monsoon forests in north Thailand produce durable hardwoods. The best wood is teak as it has great durability, strength and immunity to shrinkage, fungus and insect attack. It is usually used for making furniture and building houses, ships and bridges.

Elephants are the Thais’ cultural icon. To the Thais, elephants are a symbol of fortune. According to their beliefs, one will get good luck if one passes under an elephant.

As elephants are large and strong many of them were used in the tropical monsoon forests to haul logs from the forests to the collecting points. Nowadays, as there are less forests to be logged some are used in the

Thailand tourist industry. They are used to carry tourists for joyrides and show them their  skills in logging, painting, dancing, etc  Their amusing and amazing tricks are often greeted with rapturous applause from the spectators.

Maesa Elephant Camp     To watch an elephant show, we went to Maesa Elephant Camp near Chiang Mai. On entering the camp, we saw several elephants bathing in a river. After bathing, they walked to an open space nearby where they would perform a show.

As we walked to the show ground, I saw a large board with a list of 77 elephants’ names and their ages ranging from 2 to 48 years old. Then we walked to a small stall and saw lots of drawings by elephants for sale. Each drawing had a photo of a

proud artist and cost a few thousand Thai baht! Entering the elephant show ground, we saw lots of people who had already taken their seats.

An Amazing Elephant Show   Soon the show started with two elephants walking majestically and carrying a big signboard round the place. The signboard said “WELCOME TO MAESA ELEPHANT CAMP”. It was followed by a few elephants.

After the welcoming ceremony, the elephant show began. The animals performed some interesting and entertaining acts like blowing harmonicas and dancing at

the same time, kicking a large football into a goal-mouth, painting, showing off massaging skills, playing a pick-up-stick game and logging. The show ended with the same elephants carrying another signboard which said “THANK YOU. HAVE A NICE DAY”.

The Amazing Elephant Artists    There were two performances that amazed the spectators and me too, namely the painting session and the football penalty shoot-out. It was fascinating to watch six elephants using water-colours to paint trees, flowers and their own species in the centre of the ground. With the paint brushes in their trunks, they slowly painted on white papers on the easels. They painted like a professional without any help except dipping their brushes in

water-colours by their masters. As soon as the elephants finished their painting, we were surprised to see a middle-aged European lady in the audience jumped up, pointed at a drawing with red flowers and shouted repeatedly, “I want to buy that painting.”

Penalty Shoot-Out by Elephants  The penalty shoot-out by two elephants was an entertaining one. One of them had a France flag painted on its body while the other a Germany flag. After a few shoot-outs, guess which elephant won the penalty shoot-out? It was the one with the Germany flag as the score was 1 - 0. We cheered and clapped loudly as the elephant that won kept on swinging its trunk in jubilation. But, the coming World Cup Final on 9 July

2006 was between Italy and France. ( Italy won the World Cup 2006 on penalty shoot-out : 4 - 2)
The elephant show is worth seeing. I think the elephant-masters should get the credit for the fantastic show.

After the elephant show we went to an orchid farm known as Mae Ram Orchid.

Mae Ram Orchid Farm    Mae Ram Orchid Farm is located along Mae Rim - Samoeng route. It has a large collection of different types of orchids of different colours, shapes and sizes.

Orchids are flowering plants belonging to over 800 families (genera) which

have over 25,000 species. Their flowers of different colours are beautiful to look at.

At the orchid farm, we saw quite a number of them blooming with colourful flowers. They were so beautiful that we wasted no time snapping photographs of them. Unfortunately, we cannot remember their long names. 

Having seen all the stunning orchid plants, we went to the back of the farm to see butterflies. Unfortunately, we saw workers pulling down the butterfly enclosures. We guessed they were going to build new ones for the butterflies.

We left the orchid farm for an exciting and thrilling snake show at Mae Sa Snake Farm which is nearby.                                  

Mae Sa Snake Farm      Mae Sa Snake Farm is located along Maerim-Samerng Road. It is the largest snake farm in northern Thailand. Many kinds of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes are found here. To attract tourists, it offers three snake shows a day.

When we entered the farm, we were in a place where a snake show had just started. We sat on long wooden blanks with other tourists and watched the show. It was performed by two young, energetic and brave men in a ring. 

In the show a performer showed us the way he milked the snake’s venom. After that

the two fearless men performed dangerous tricks with other poisonous snakes that kept us on edge most of the time.

A Large Python    In the middle of the show, the two men encouraged us to enter the ring and hold a large python. At first I did not think of getting near one as I was always wary of it. But when I saw two young boys entering the ring and holding the snake bravely, my fear for snakes suddenly disappeared. Without hesitation, I entered the ring and asked the two men to allow me to hold it. While holding the head of the snake in my right hand and its tail in my left, I posed fearlessly with the tame snake. That was my first unforgettable experience of holding and touching a cold-blooded creature.

“A Jumping Poisonous Snake”      Dring the last trick of the show, the performers told us that there was a jumping

poisonous snake in a box. Opening the box, they used sticks to poke at the snake inside. Suddenly, one of them using his stick flung the snake out of the box and it landed on one of the spectators, a young girl. She jmped up and screamed. All of us were shocked and wondered whether she was bitten by the snake. One of the performers rushed to the victim, picked up the snake from the ground and showed us a long piece of rope instead. When we knew it was a trick, we burst into laughter. The performer apologized to the “victim” profusely. We sympathized with the “victim” as that was a traumatic experience for her.

Snakes in Enclosures    After the snake show, we walked to the back of the

farm and saw a variety of snakes in their enclosures. Unfortunately, we could not see them clearly as the holes of the net round each enclosure were small. But we saw some snakes resting in the trees. Then we left and went to the Monkey Centre to watch a monkey performance.

The Monkey Centre     The monkey show at the Monkey Centre was our last animal show. It is located near the Mae Sa Snake Farm along the Maerim-Samerng Road.

Monkey Tricks    The show was an enjoyable one as those amazing monkeys could do a variety of tricks including plucking coconuts, shooting a basketball, cycling a small tricycle, selling medicine to spectators, looking for a spectator’s watch in a pool of water, pushing a cart of coconuts and picking the correct number which a spectator had asked for.

A Number Game      Among all the monkey tricks, there was one that puzzled the

spectators and me. In that trick, a monkey master put eight small wooden square boards each with a number on the floor. The numbers were from 1 to 8. He then asked a spectator to turn over all the boards so that the numbers could not be seen and mix them up. After that he asked another spectator for a number he wanted the monkey to pick. When the master told the monkey to pick number “4″ which the spectator had asked for, it walked to the row of the overturned boards, thought for awhile, picked up one of them and showed it to the spectators. Unbelievably, it had taken the correct one. We were all amazed.

To convince us that the monkey was smart, the master asked another spectator for a different number which was “7″. After the boards were reshuffled (without the numbers being seen) by another spectator, the master told the monkey to

pick the board with number “7″. Amazingly, the monkey got the right one again. We were all quite impressed and wondered how it did it again. 

After the fantastic monkey show, we left for the largest temple in Chiang Mai, Wat Phratat Doi Suthep. It is on top of a high hill known as Doi Suthep overlooking Chiang Mai.

Wat Phratat Doi Suthep      Chiang Mai has over 300 temples. They add to its rich cultural heritage. They play an important role in the Thais’ ritual and social life. Many old ones have been restored to their former glories and are now a tourist attraction.

Among all the temples in Chiang Mai, Wat Phratat Doi Suthep is the most famous. It is located on top of a lush green rainforest-covered mountain called Doi Suthep which is about 1066 metres above sea-level.

Kru Ba Sivichai(1878-1938)    At the foot of the mountain, there is a monument in memory of a famous Lanna monk, Kru Ba Sivichai, who had supervised the construction of a road up to the top of the mountain in 1935 and the renovation of over 100 local temples.

Future Tourist Development Projects     The Thai government has several tourist development projects for the Doi Sutthep area such as a night

safari park, elephant park, world garden, theme or amusement park and mass transit monorail system. Some of the local people are not happy with the projects as they fear the charm, beauty, tranquility and sacred atmosphere of the place will be gone.

Wat Phratat Doi Suthep     It was raining heavily when we reached the foot of the mountain. To go up the mountain to Wat Phratat Doi Suthep, our coach-driver had to drive up a steep, winding and wet road, negotiate sharp bends cautiously and hope there was no landslide on the way.
 

When we arrived at the bottom of the temple, it was already shrouded in thick mist. There are two ways of getting to the temple: either one climbs the 306 steps or takes an inclined lift to the temple. A friend of mine and I decided to take the inclined lift to the temple as it was still raining. The rest of them preferred to shop for clothes and souvenirs at the car-park at the bottom of the temple.

Buddha’s Relics      On reaching the top, we were charmed by the beauty of  Wat Phratat Doi Suthep or Doi Suthep Temple. It has two large golden statues of Buddha in their beautifully and intricately designed buildings, a large golden pagoda-like structure or stupa which enshrines the Buddha’s relics, a large parasol at each corner of the stupa, a chanting house with two legendary crocodiles in front and a white statue of an elephant. The latter is standing in front of the grand temple in memory of the elephant which brought the Buddha’s relics to the top of the mountain during the reign of King Kuena (1355 -1385). Besides, colourful murals

depicting Lord Buddha’s life, several small Buddha statues and two rows of bronze bells can be seen at the temple. We were surprised to see an old tall Jack- fruit tree with lots of fruits on the left of the temple. That is the oldest Jack-fruit tree I have ever seen.

A View-Point     At the back of the temple, there is a view-point where we saw a breathtaking, panoramic view of the Chiang Mai city and its airport. We were lucky to see an aeroplane leaving the airport and climbing steeply to the sky with its engines roaring loudly and later another plane coming down slowly and landing at the airport. Occasionally, the view was blocked by thick passing clouds. 

After spending some time at the sacred temple, we decided to walk down the 306 steps to the bottom of the temple. These steps are lined with two long,

colourful and scaly Siamese legendary dragons. Each of them has seven fierce-looking heads. The flight of 306 steps is known as Naga Stairway. 

Soon we left Doi Suthep and went to Chiang Mai City to visit a museum known as Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre.

Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre       This centre is actually the city’s museum which showcases Chiang Mai’s history, economies, customs, traditions, arts and cultures. It is along Prapokklao Road.

Statues of Great Thai Kings       The museum is a historic building which was built in a royal architectural style in 1924. It was used for many purposes

before the museum took it over in 1997. Standing in front of the museum are three bronze statues of great Thai kings, namely King Mengrai in the middle, King Khum Maung on his right and King Ram Kam on his left. These statues are made in memory of them.

Exhibits in Museum      In this museum one learns the development of the northern Thailand region and Chiang Mai city from pre-historical times to the present. To make the tourists understand these better, the museum has models, slides, pictures with explanations, audio and video presentations and graphic displays.

The exhibitions on the ground floor of the building are as follows:

    

1     Chiang Mai Today
     2     The Prehistory of Chiang Mai
     3     The Civilization of the Kok and Ping River Valleys
     4     Establishment of the City
     5     Environment and Culture
     6     The Past 100 Years of the City
     7     Good Aspects of the City

Exhibitions on the 1st. Floor :

       1       History of the Historical Building
       2      The Rulers of Chiang Mai
       3      Life on the Ping Riverbank
       4      People of the Old City
       5      Buddhism in Chiang Mai
       6     The Office of the Former Governor
       7     The Agricultural Society
       8     The Mountain People

This museum is worth visiting if one wants to learn about Chiang Mai’s past and present.

Having visited the museum, we went to the Night Bazaar for dinner.

Chiang Mai Night Bazaar            Located along the entire Chan Klan Road, the Night Bazaar is a shopping paradise for tourists in the evening. Shops along this road sell all kinds of locally and foreign made goods. In the evening, over a hundred street-vendors push their mobile stalls fully loaded with goods like clothing, DVDs, souvenirs, perfumes, accessories, handicrafts and many more to the roadsides.

When night falls, this area will be crowded with shoppers and have an ambience of a carnival. 
 
Pavilion Night Bazaar and Chiang Mai Night Bazaar     Two large buildings known as Pavilion Night Bazaar and Chiang Mai Night Bazaar are located along Chan Klan Road. They house many stalls which sell all kinds of tourists’ goods such as silk, antiques, clothing, handicrafts, perfumes, watches, CDs, DVDs, shoes, painted umbrellas and many more. At such a place, one is expected to bargain with the vendors until one thinks that the prices are

reasonable.

Chiang Mai Artists      At the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, many artists can be seen busy drawing pictures in black and white or colours from the photos given by their customers. Besides, there are photo studios where one can take a photo in a traditional costume. With a little computer touch-up by the photo studios, customers will look several years younger in their photos.

Anusarn Market       A good place to have a meal will be at Anusarn Market where open air restaurants and stalls serve all kinds of Thai, Chinese, and Western food.  

Every night while we were in Chiang Mai we went there to taste different types of Chiang Mai food. I found that some of it are not to my liking. Whenever we were there, the place was always crowded and had an atmosphere of festivities.

Day 4:  Friday 7 July 2006    Warorot Market 

On the last day of our Chiang Mai stay, we decided to go to the largest market in Chiang Mai where local people buy their daily needs in the morning. It is called Warorot Market by the Ping River. 
  

When we arrived at the market, we saw lots of roadside stalls selling things ranging from fresh vegetables and fruits to breakfast food and fresh flowers. Customers who were mostly ladies went there by their own cars, motor-cycles, minibuses, tuk-tuks and trishaws and were busy buying daily needs from the roadside stalls and stalls inside the market.  
 
There are many shops near the market selling goods ranging from handicrafts to shoes and clothes. We went to a few apparel shops to check the prices of some clothes and found that they were cheaper than those we had bought at the Night Bazaar along Chan Klan Road.

The National Anthem of Thailand     While we were busy buying some

snacks from a roadside vendor, we were surprised to see people on the roads and in the shops standing motionless. Then we realized that the national anthem of Thailand was being played loudly from loud-speakers. Quickly, we did the same. When it was over, the people continued doing their own activities. Later, I was told that the Thai national anthem is played twice a day, i.e. 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. and the Thais always respect their national anthem.

After shopping at the market and nearby shops, we went back to our hotel to pack our luggage. We had to catch a flight back to Malaysia at 11.05 a.m.

Departure to Malaysia 

Old Chiang Mai City   As we had about an hour to wait for a minibus that would bring us to the airport, I alone

decided to see the old Chiang Mai City which is just opposite the Lai-Thai Guest House where we had stayed for the last three nights.

The old city was established by King Mengrai and is now 700 years old. To protect the place, the king built a rectangular brick-fortress (1.8 km x 2 km) round it and a moat surrounding the fortress for more protection. Most of the fortress is now gone except the corner walls and the gates. The moat has several fountains which look beautiful at night when coloured lights are switched on. 

Wat Chay Mol Muang   After walking for a few minutes in the old city, I

came across a small Siamese temple which is known as Wat Chay Mol Muang (Phrasing Muang). It is like any other Siamese temple: a hall that houses a large statue of Buddha, a stupa or chedi at the back, a general purpose hall and living quarters for an abbot and monks.

At 10 a.m. we left the Chiang Mai City for the airport. Then at 11.20 a.m. we flew back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by Air Asia again.

Why is Chiang Mai a tourists’ favourite destination?

Undoubtedly, Chiang Mai is one of the tourists’ favourite destinations. Its peoples’ friendliness, politeness and hospitality make the tourists feel welcome and happy. Besides, a tourist has no worry of terrorism there as its

people of different ethnic groups and cultures have been living in peaceful coexistence for a long time.

Chiang Mai offers a variety of activities for tourists such as watching animal shows, visiting hill-tribes, rafting, jungle-trekking, shopping at the Night Bazaar, tasting local foods, experiencing the peace and quiet at its beautiful temples and many more. It is not surprising to hear some tourists saying that they have gone to Chiang Mai a few times.

Thank you for reading this travelogue and hope you will make a trip there.

Written by: Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

Beijing, Tianjin, Chengde Travel (Part I)

Beijing, Tianjin, Chengde Travel (Part I)

Beijing City

Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China with a large population of 12 million. Located in north-east China, it has a history of 3,000 years and was a capital for six dynasties. Among the dynasties were Jin (1115 - 1234), Yuan (1271 - 1368), Ming (1368 -1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911). They left behind countless historical and cultural sites which are now tourists’ attractions. Beijing is an ideal place to learn about the Chinese ancient imperial past.

Rise in Standard of Living   Since China opened its door to foreign investors in the 1980’s, her economy has been growing fast. As a result, wealth has been created and the standard of living of her people has been raised. Now her people can afford to drive expensive cars of local and foreign made, like Toyot

Honda, Mazda, Volvo, etc. Besides, her people can afford to live in high-rise apartments, shop at foreign departmental stores like Carrefour, Giant and Parkson, eat at fast food outlets like Macdonald’s, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken, tour overseas, etc.

The last time I went to China was in June 2005. I went there to see the fast growing economy of Shenzhen City, the beautiful karst landscape near Hezhou City and the spectacular scenery of limestone hills of Quilin City.

From 31 May 2006 to 7 June 2006, I went to China to visit Beijing, Tianjin and Chengde in north-east China and learn their rich histories and cultures.

Below is the itinerary of my travel to some tourist places in China:

        Day 1      Air Travel to Beijing City 
        Day 2      Tiananmen Square,  
                       Forbidden City,  
                       Beijing Underground City   
                       Temple of Heaven   
        Day 3      Great Wall of China,  
                       Cloisonne Factory  
                       Ming Tombs 
        Day 4      Beijing Zoo   
                       Summer Palace 
                       Jubao Tang Jewellery Centre 
        Day 5      Ming City Site Park and Tianjin City 
        Day 6      Bei Hai Park 
        Day 7      Mountain Summer Resort of Chengde   
                       Puning Temple 
                       Ya Show Clothing Market 
        Day 8     Travel Back Air Travel to Beijing  

Day 1:   Wednesday, 31 May 2006  Air Travel to Beijing City

On the morning of first day of my travel, my wife and I joined eight tourists from our home town and went together with our travel agent to Changi International Airport in Singapore. Then we took a Cathay Pacific Airbus to Hong Kong. On arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, we disembarked and boarded another Cathay Pacific Airbus to continue our journey to our destination, Beijing. We were glad that both flights were smooth.

Chinese Tour Guide and Coach Driver    When we arrived at Beijing International Airport in the evening, a young local tour-guide, Mr. Liu. greeted us. Then a coach driven by a local man, Mr. Wu, brought all of us straight to

a brightly-lit Chinese restaurant in the city to taste some Beijing food. As we were very hungry after a long journey we gobbled up the food quickly without any thought for its taste.

Holiday Inn Downtown Beijing     After dinner we checked in at a four-star hotel known as Holiday Inn Downtown Beijing. Having taken a shower at the hotel, my wife and I went out and took a walk in a busy street nearby. As we were strolling in the street, we were surprised to see many street-vendors selling pirated VCD’s and DVD’s of the latest American movies such as The Da Vinci Code, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Omen and The Benchwarmers. Later, when we walked back to our hotel, we were surprised to see those vendors standing around without their pirated goods anymore. We guessed some copyright enforcement officers had made their appearance.

Day 2:  Thursday, 1 June 2005      Tiananmen Square   

After breakfast we headed straight for the largest public square in the world, Tiananmen Square or Gate of Heavenly Peace Square, which is located in the centre of Beijing City.

On the way to the place, we noticed that the quality of the air in the city was poor. The whole city was shrouded in haze and we were worried that the haze would spoil the sceneries of the tourists’ spots in Beijing and other places.

Air Pollution     According to Beijing Environment Protection Bureau, air pollution has been a perennial

problem in the city. It claims that about 23 % of the city’s pollution is caused by more than 2.6 million vehicles in the streets and the number is growing.

Tiananmen Square     Tiananmen Square covers an area of 440,000 sq. metres and can accommodate a million people. It has a political and historical significance to the nation. Many national celebrations and military reviews are held here.

Standing in the centre of the square, one can see the prominent red Tiananmen Gate in the north, both Museum of Chinese History and Museum of Chinese Revolution in the east, Chairman Mao Zedong

Mausoleum in the south and Great Hall of the People in the west. In the centre of the square, Monument to the People and Heroes is erected. A large five-star flag, China’s national flag, can be seen flying on a tall staff in the square. It is raised at dawn and lowered at sunset daily.

When we arrived at the Square it was already crowded with both domestic and foreign tourists. Many tour buses could be seen at the Square and countless bicycles near Tiananmen Gate. In tha square there were many peddlers approaching us and other tourists with their goods like kites, maps, postcards and souvenirs.

Chairman Mao Zedong

After snapping a few photos in the Square, we walked to Tiananmen Gate or Gate of Heavenly Peace and saw a large, brightly coloured and almost life-liked portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong hanging high on the Gate.

Chairman Mao was  the Chinese communist leader who gained control of China in 1949 from Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang). The latter was forced to retreat to Taiwan Island.

Our tour-guide pointing at the picture of Chairman Mao said, “That portrait is painted by a Chinese professor. He will paint one to replace

the old one every year.”

Tiananmen Gate     Tiananmen Gate was built in 1417. It is 3.37 metres high and has a terrace and a tower where one can have a panoramic view of  Tiananmen Square. Behind this large Gate is Forbidden City which was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Forbidden City     Forbidden City is the largest and well-preserved palace of ancient wooden architecture in the world. It had been an

imperial residence for 24 emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. It was also a place where the emperors handled the state affairs.

Built in 1406, the 4th. year of the Ming Emperor Yongle’s reign and completed in 1420, it covers an area of 720,000 sq. metres and has 8,707 rooms. It was inaccessible to ordinary people during the emperors’ reigns. In 1925, it was open to public and renamed as “Palace Museum”.

Forbidden City now houses a large collection of fine treasures and about 1 million relics such as arts and crafts, jewelleries, bronze objects, ceramic objects, ancient clocks, furniture, watches and ancient paintings. In 1987, UNESCO designated the place as a World Cultural Heritage.

Tthe Outer Imperial Palace      During the emperors’ rule, political activities were held in Hall of Supreme Harmony (Tai He Dian), Hall of Central Harmony (Zhong He Dian) and Hall of Preserved Harmony (Bao He Dian) which are in the outer imperial palace.

Among the three Halls, Hall of Supreme Harmony was the most important one as it was the place where grand ceremonies were held, such as the accession of a new emperor to the throne, the adoption of a new title of a reign, going on an expedition, the emperors’ birthday celebrations, wedding ceremonies and the celebration of the Spring Festival.

The Inner Imperial Palace      The inner palace consists of Hall of Heavenly Purity (Qian Qing Gong), Hall of Union and Peace (Jiao Tai Dian) and Hall of Earthly Tranquility (Kun Ning Gong) where the emperor and his empress resided and handled their daily affairs.

The Imperial Garden     The emperor’s consorts lived in the other

six buildings in the east and west of the palace.  Located at the back of the palace is the Imperial Garden. In this garden one can see two cypress trees with their branches interlocked symbolizing eternal love. It is said that Puyi and Wanrong, the last emperor and empress of the Qing Dynasty, respectively, had their photo taken in front of the trees after their wedding ceremony and both vowed that “We wish to fly in heaven, two birds with one pair of wings, and to grow together on earth, two trees with branches interlaced.”

Pavilion of Imperial Scenery    In the Imperial Garden, stands an artificial

hill of rocks which is ten metres high and has a pavilion on its top. It is known as Pavilion of Imperial Scenery (Ju Jing Ting). During the 9th. festival every year, the emperors, empresses and imperial concubines walked up a path to the pavilion to enjoy the surrounding picturesque scenery. 
We spent about three hours touring Forbidden City and were all the time being awestruck by its large courtyards and beautiful quaint wooden buildings.

Beijing Underground City   After lunch, we went to a strange place known as

Beijing Underground City. This ‘city’ is under a place where old buildings still exist. It has many interconnected underground tunnels. According to our tour guide, the total length of the tunnels is longer than the length of the Great Wall of China. There is a tunnel which runs all the way to Tianjin City. It was supposed to be an escape route for Communist leaders in the event of an attack on Beijing by a foreign country, especially the Russians then.

Underground Bomb-Shelters     When Chairman Mao Zedong had a conflict with Soviet Russia, he ordered underground bomb-shelters to be built in Beijing. Those shelters could accommodate 40% of the population of Beijing and the rest would have to hide in the nearby hills in the event of a Soviet air raid or land attack. The shelters had facilities which included schools, hospitals, theatres, living quarters, factories and stores for arsenal and food. It took twelve years (1967-1979) to complete building the so-called Beijing Underground City.

Qianmen District   To see the ‘underground city’ we went to Qianmen District in Beijing and took a short walk along a dirty, dusty and narrow lane to a shop front with a signboard which says “Beijing Underground City” in English and Chinese. The shop front is an entrance to the ‘underground city’.

Dimly-Lit Tunnels    After paying a fee at the entrance, we followed a young guide in a soldier uniform. He

brought us round in some of the dimly-lit tunnels which are 8-10 metres below the ground. Each tunnel is about 2.5 metres high and its lower part is between 1.5 and 2 metres wide. It is very cooling but damp inside with a temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius. We had to walk carefully when we came across wet and slippery floor in the tunnel. When we asked the guide about the air-ventilation in the tunnels, he brought us to a place and pointed at a long shaft that went up to the open air outside and could be closed to prevent poisonous gas from entering in the event of an air-raid on Beijing.

Bomb-Shelter Facilities     The guide also showed us an arsenal store, a reading room, a communication room and first aid room. A

we walked behind the guide, we saw old, dirty and blurred black and white pictures of the China Communist military activities of the olden days hanging on the walls of the tunnels. Finally, he brought us to an underground quilt factory where one of our tour members bought a quilt for herself.

Nowadays, many bomb-shelters in Beijing have been converted into shops, theatres, youth hostels, and markets.

Temple of Heaven      After visiting Beijing Underground City, we

went south to visit the Temple of Heaven complex. It covers a large area of 2.7 million sq. metres and is the largest temple complex in China. There are 4 main parts of this area: Circular Mound Altar (Yuanqiutan), Echo Wall, Imperial Vault of Heaven (Huangqiongyu) and Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Qiniandian). In 1998, UNESCO listed Temple of Heaven as a World Cultural Heritage.

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests     The most beautiful building in this area is Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests which is a majestic

and magnificent ancient temple. It is circular in shape and has three eaves. Its architectural structure is unique. It was built between 1406 and 1420 during the reign of the Ming Emperor Yongle. In this temple, emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties offered sacrifices to Heaven and prayed for rain and good harvests.

Inside the temple there are 4 columns in the inner ring that represent 4 seasons, 12 columns in the middle ring that represent 12 months and 12 columns in the outer ring that represent 12 Shichen which is one day. 1 Shichen is equivalent to 2 hours.

Covered Corridor    Leading to this stunning temple is a long covered

corridor of 360 metres. While we were walking along this corridor, we were amused to see people involving themselves in a variety of activities such as playing card games, playing Chinese chess, selling souvenirs, singing Chinese folk songs to the accompaniment of ancient musical instruments, drawing, etc.

When we reached Hall of of Prayer for Good Harvests, we looked at it with awe. It is a large, beautiful temple. It looked as though it was new then as it had a new coat of paint. On its wall outside, we were amazed to see thousands of small pictures and intricate designs drawn.

Imperial Vault of Heaven     Imperial Vault of Heaven is surrounded

by a circular wall known as Echo Wall. If a person whispers close to the latter at any point, his voice can be heard clearly at any other point by another person.

Circular Mound Altar    Circular Mound Altar was built in 1530 during the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty. It was a place for worshipping Heaven in Winter Solstice, annually. It has 3 layered marble terraces. If a person stands on the Heavenly Centre stone, his voice will sound resonant and sonorous. 

Strolling in the Temple of Heaven is quite an awesome experience for me. It was a sacred place for the emperors to worship Heaven which they believed would grant them their wishes.

Acrobatic Show   In the evening we went to a Beijing theatre and spent an hour watching young boys and girls performing spectacular acrobatic acts. One of the acts that amazed me was a young man in a horizontal position and being supported by 4 spears. He was a Shaolin disciple.

Day 3: Friday 2 June 2006   Badaling Great Wall of China   

The Great Wall of China     After breakfast, we travelled 67 km north of Beijing to Badaling to climb one of the seven wonders of the world, Great Wall of China. In ancient times, it was an important fortress to many kingdoms. According to a Chinese saying, “He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man.”

The Great Wall of China was first built in the 7th. Century B.C. by independent kingdoms to keep out the Mongolian invaders in the north. Later, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, linked many of these walls to protect the northern borders of the states of Qin, Yan and Chao. Subsequently, more walls were built by other emperors. The Great Wall of China now stretches for more than 6,000 km from east to west.

Beijing Jade Carving Factory     On the way to Badaling, we

stopped at Beijing Jade Carving Factory. After watching how jade products were painstakingly carved and looking at a variety of readily-made ones which were for sale at the factory, we continued our journey to Badaling in the mountainous region.

The Badaling Great Wall of China   When we arrived at Badaling, we were awestriuck to see for the first time in our lives the Great Wall

of China which we had heard so much. It is a brilliant human feat to build such a spectacular long wall of bricks and mortar. It looks like a serpent with a long, slender body moving up and down the mountains. Astronauts claimed that they could see the “serpent” on a clear day from their spacecrafts.

The Great Wall of China at Badaling was built during the Ming Dynasty. It is 7.8m high, 6.5 m thick at the bottom and 5.8 m wide on the top. Five horses or ten people can walk on it abreast. On its top, there are ramparts, embrasures, peep-holes and apertures for archers. Watch-towers for accommodation, storing military equipment and observing enemies’ movements were built at 500 metre intervals.

Climbing the Great Wall   Standing in front of the large Great Wall

gate, we noticed that the gradient of the wall on our left was gentle whereas the other one on our right was steep. We all decided to climb the one on our left.

While walking on the wall, we met many tourists from different parts of the world. The wall here was well restored and preserved. Steps were made on steep parts of the wall so that tourists could climb

easily. Sometimes, we stopped to see the spectacular, awe-inspiring scenery of the mountains and the long Great Wall.

Stalls on the Wall    There were stalls on the Wall selling souvenirs, T-shirts with pictures of the Great Wall and drinks. There were a few other stalls inviting tourists to have their photos taken with their camels or in ancient Chinese clothes for a small fee.

Wall in Disrepair      After walking on the wall for more than a kilometre, we came across a notice that told us not to continue beyond that point. Out of curiosity, I looked beyond it and saw the

rest of the Great Wall in bad conditions. Grass and small plants could be seen growing on the ruined wall. So we turned back.

The Steep Climb     When we reached the foot of the mountain, I decided to climb the steeper one. Although it was an arduous climb for me, I was glad that I could make it to the top and felt I was a “true man”.

At 12.30 p.m. we left the Badaling Great Wall for Changping. 

Jin Dian Cloisonne Factory, Changping    At Changping which is north-east of Beijing City, we visited a factory known as Jin Dian

Cloisonne Factory which manufactured cloisonne products.

Cloisonne is a unique Chinese art. It was originated during the reign of Jintai of Yuan Dynasty. It involves elaborate and complicated processes such as designing, base-hammering, copper-strips in-laying, enamel-filling, enamel-firing, polishing and grilling.

After watching some workers doing the interesting Chinese art and browsing some cloisonne products, we proceeded to a restaurant which is adjacent to the factory for a sumptuous Chinese lunch.

Shi San Ling Crystal Shop     We then left the restaurant for

another factory nearby and it is known as Shi San Ling Crystal Shop. It sells crystal products, like spectacles, jewellery, globes and figurines. After spending an hour at the shop, we left for a well-known tourist spot, the Ming Tombs.

The Ming Tombs     The Ming Tombs or the Underground Palace was a burial ground for 13 of the 17 emperors of the Ming Dynasty

located in a wide valley of 40 sq. km. to the south of Tianshou Mountain in Changping District, 50 km north-west of Beijing.

Emperor Yongle was the first Ming Emperor to be buried there. So far three tombs, Changling, Dingling and Shaoling have been excavated and Dingling is the only tomb that is open to public.

Dingling was a burial ground for Emperor Shenzong. In the vaulted stone chambers which are about 27 metres below the ground surface, the archaeologists found more than 3,000 artifacts. 

When we arrived at the Ming Tombs in the late afternoon, we walked straight to Dingling, where the coffins of Emperor Shenzong and his two wives were found.

When we reached Dingling, we walked down several flights of steps, and went through a short tunnel, the front chamber, the middle chamber and finally to the rear chamber which is 27 metres below the ground.

Box-Like Coffins     In the poorly-lit rear chamber, we saw three

red, large box-like coffins lying side by side. The middle one which is the biggest belonged to Emperor Shenzong (who died at the age of 58 in 1620) and the other two his wives, Empress Xiaoduan (his first wife) and Empress Xiaojing (his second). We were told that the present coffins are replicas as the original ones were already rotten. Near thr coffins, there were some small boxes containing their belongings. In the middle chamber, there were many displayed cultural artifacts. 

We were aware all the time that the underground chambers were poorly-lit. But we were glad that there were many tourists around then, otherwise a few of us would have a cold feeling there.

Merits & Virtuous Stele      In Dingling, there is a stone tortoise with a dragon head carrying a tall stone on its back. The stone has exquisite designs of waves, fish, turtles, shrimps and crabs. The whole structure is known as Merits & Virtuous Stele. The pavilion which housed this structure was destroyed by the Qing army in 1644.

In front of the Merits & Virtuous Stele are three stone bridges over a small river. They are collectively known as Baishi Bridge.

Bao Su Tang Su-Tech Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.      In the evening, we gladly left the Ming Tombs and went straight to a pharmaceutical shop known as Bao Su Tang Su-Tech Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

When we arrived there, we were invited to a small room where a young and smartly dressed man introduced to us many types of Chinese. He

told us that he would do a demonstration first to prove that Baofuling was an effective cream for treating scorched skin. Before he went for the red hot iron-chain in a corner, we quickly stopped him as we had seen that kind of painful demonstration before in Quilin. He obliged and continued to talk about the usefulness of other types of medicine. After listening to the talk, a few of us bought some. Then we left the shop for a Chinese restaurant, Da Heng Restaurant, in Beijing City for dinner.

{To continue reading this travelogue, please go to Beijing, Tianjin, Chengde Travel (Part II)}

Beijing, Tianjin, Chengde Travel (Part II)

{(continued from Beijing, Tianjin, Chengde Travel (Part I)}

Day 4: Saturday, 3 June 2006    Beijing Zoo 

On the morning of 3 June 2006, we went to Beijing Zoo. It covers a large area of 86 hectares and claims to have over 7,000 animals from 600 different species, ranging from fish to mammals. The zoo is about 100 years old. Animals from many parts of the world live here, including tigers, polar bears, monkeys, giraffes, rhinos, penguins, kangaroos, elephants, zebras and lions.

On arrival at the zoo in the morning, we went straight to a building to see giant pandas. When we were inside, we felt elated to see three

large, dirty giant pandas sitting on the ground in their own enclosures busy eating bamboo plants for their breakfast.

Giant Pandas  Giant pandas are now endangered animals. There are about 1,000 left in the world and half of them are in captivity. Zoo scientists are worried as the population of these animals is decreasing. They are now trying frantically to breed them in the wild and captivity. They have done it with little success as male and female giant pandas are not very cooperative.

After a few minutes of excitement of watching the animals, we left the zoo for a well-known tourist spot in Beijing, Summer Palace.

Summer Palace     Located 15 km north-west of the centre of Beijing, it covers an area of 291 hectares and three quarters of it is lake. It is one of the most charming, splendid and classical gardens in the world.

In the olden days, pleasure-seeking feudal rulers spent their leisure time at the beautiful garden. Later it became an imperial garden during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

In 1888 Empress Dowager Ci Xi spent a large amount of money which was meant for building a Chinese navy to rebuild the garden. She named it “Park of Nurtured Harmony” but now it is commonly known as “Summer Palace”.

Interesting Attractions     There are many interesting attractions at Summer Palace including the following:

1       Tower of the Fragrance of Buddha sitting on the Hill of

An Emperors’ Retreat     Summer Palace which has many beautiful

buildings, tree-covered hills and a splendid lake (Kunming Lake) was obviously a retreat for the emperors of China who wanted to escape from the scorching summer heat of Beijing.

Now Summer Palace is a popular place for local people who go there for their recreational activities such as folk and modern dancing, singing, playing Chinese ancient musical instruments, using water and big brushes to write Chinese characters on

cemented ground, performing tai-chi and qi gong and playing Chinese chess and cards. Others like to spend their time mingling with the tourists.

In 1998, UNESCO designated Summer Palace as a World Cultural Heritage.

A Tour    At Summer Palace, we spent a few hours strolling and enjoying the scenic views of the Kunming Lake, hills, temples and quaint buildings. We took a ride in a colourful boat at Kunming

Lake from a jetty near Gate That Dispels The Clouds to a small island known as South Lake Island and then walked across Seventeen Arch Bridge to Spacious Pavilion. At the pavilion, we were entertained by a group of Chinese musicians and singers.

After touring the large, pristine Summer Palace, we left for a pearl-jewellery shop known as Jubao Tang Jewellery Centre in Beijing.

Jubao Tang Jewellery Centre, Beijing     When we arrived at a pearl factory, Jubao Tang Jewellery Centre in Beijing, we were ushered into a room. Then we were shown a tray of live freshwater oysters. As a worker was prising an oyster, she asked us to guess the number of pearls it had produced. We were

astonished when she opened it and counted 28 little pearls in it. None of us got the answer right. Then she told us that pearls can be produced in many colours by giving oysters different kinds of food. After that interesting oyster lesson we moved on to a larger room where all kinds of pearl-jewellery were displayed in showcases. We were persuaded by salesgirls and salesmen to buy them. Some of us bought the inexpensive ones.

Tai Ping Underwater World      The next place we went to was a

small aquarium in Hai Dian District known as Tai Ping Underwater World. Arriving at the aquarium, we noticed that it is under a tall telecommunication tower. We went inside to see the fish but were disappointed as there were not many exotic fish there. But we were pleasantly surprised to see a little, pretty lady in red mermaid costume swimming slowly in a large aquarium.

Later, we went into a small crowded room to watch a seal performing an entertaining solo show which lasted for about 10 minutes.

Dr. Tea     After the seal show we left for a tea shop known as Dr. Tea. It is located at No. 1, Min Zu Yuan Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing. In the shop we were introduced to many kinds of tea, such as jasmine tea, ‘The King of Oolong Tea’, wild ‘puer’ tea, ‘tian qi’ flower and black tea. We tasted some of them and were told that each kind of tea could cure a specific ailment.

Garden of Chinese Ethnic Minorities     Near the tea-shop is a large area where 16 Chinese ethnic

minorities’ architectural buildings are built in the same scale as the normal ones. This area is known as the Garden of Chinese Ethnic Minorities.  It is a showcase of 16 Chinese ethnic minorities’ traditions, customs and cultures. Ethnic festival activities, dancing and singing performances, handicraft-making, cuisine-tasting and many more are held here. Owing to time constraint, we missed that place.

Day 5:  Sunday, 4 June 2006    Min City Site Park 

On the morning of 4 June 2006, we visited Min City Site Park in the

Beijing suburb. At this park, there is a 1.5 km long Beijing City Great Wall. It is the remainder of the 40 km city great wall which was built during the Ming Dynasty to protect the city. This short great wall is 8.2 metres high and has a large tower known as Corner Tower. In this tower, there are four flours. The first and fourth flours house modern paintings and sculptures by outstanding young Chinese artists and sculptors whereas the third floor shows the history, politics, economy and cultures of the Chongmen District since Qin and Han Dynasties.

In 1916, an arch which is 7.4 metres high and 9.5 metres wide was built in the great wall near the tower at the park. It was built for the round-the-capital railway. Now the line is not there anymore.

After visiting the park, we moved on to Tianjin which is 137 km south-east of Beijing.

Tianjin    Tianjin known as “The Diamond of the Bohai Gulf” is the 3rd. largest city in China. It is one of the biggest industrial and port cities in China and the closest seaport to Beijing. It has a population of about 10 million.

The coach journey from Beijing to Tianjin took about two hours as the traffic on the road was heavy. Our purpose of going to Tianjin was to taste the famous Tianjin’s steamed dumplings known as “Gou Bu Li” dumplings and visit Ancient Food Street and Culture Street.

“Gou Bu Li” Dumplings     On arrival at Tianjin, we went straight to a restaurant to taste the famous “Gou Bu Li” dumplings (’Gou Bu Li’ literally means ‘Dogs Ignore’). They are small white dumplings stuffed with little meat and green leafy vegetables. We ate a few different types but found that there was nothing special about them.

Why are Tianjin’s steamed dumplings called “Gou Bu Li”? We were told that about 120 years ago there was a man selling steamed dumplings. His customers liked to call him “Gou Bu Li”, his childhood’s name. Soon his dumplings were also known as “Gou Bu Li” dumplings. That is how the famous Tianjin’s dumplings get the name.

Ancient Food Street    After a meal of dumplings, we went to Ancient Food Street where there is a large building with its front built in ancient Chinese architectural style and a pair of guardian lions at its entrance. It houses many stalls which sell a variety of snacks, cooked meats, preserved fruits, nuts, souvenirs, arts, handicrafts, etc. on the ground floor and Chinese restaurants on the first flour.

Ancient Culture Street    Later we went to a well-known place in Tianjin called Ancient Culture Street

which is located in the north-eastern part of the old city of Tianjin. Two and three storey buildings built in ancient Chinese architectural style line the street. They sell a wide variety of Chinese arts and handicrafts, antiques, souvenirs, Chinese brushes of all sizes, etc.

Tianhou Palace    Situated near Ancient Culture Street is the oldest building in Tianjin known as Tianhou Palace (built in 1326). Local people prayed to the Goddess of the Sea to bless the seafarers of Tianjin at that place. Later, in 1984, it became a museum. Since then it showcases the history, customs and traditions of Tianjin
In the late afternoon, we returned to Beijing.

Day 6: Monday  5 June 2006   Beijing Hutong  

On the morning of 5 June 2006, we visited the Hutong in the centre of Beijing City. Literally, “hutong” in Chinese means small lanes or alleys. But the Hutong is actually an old residential place where houses are built around courtyards and has a maze of small lanes. Many hutongs in Beijing have been demolished and replaced by modern high-rise buildings and apartments.

A Hutong Visit    The Hutong we went to is sandwiched between a lake (Hihai, Houhai and Qianhai) in the north and another lake, Beihai, in the

south. When we arrived there, we were astonished to see a long row of trishaws parked on one side of a busy road waiting for tourists. My wife and I sat on one them. When all the members of my tour group were seated in their trishaws, the trishawmen started to tour the Hutong. As the Hutong lanes are narrow, trishaws have to move in a single file.

A Bumpy Ride     It was a bumpy ride at the Hutong as the road surface

was uneven. Sometimes we were thrown to one side when our trishawman avoided an oncoming trishaw or negotiating a sharp corner. I would say that the ride was very uncomfortable.

Passing through the place, we managed to get quick glimpses at the Hutong where the old, small grey brick-houses were built close to each other. There are a few more interesting attractions in this area, such as the Bell and Drum Tower, Prince Gong’s Residence and Mei Lanfang Memorial Hall.

The trishawmen finally brought us all back to the place where we had started. Then we walked across a busy road, Di’anmen Xi Dajie, to a beautiful garden known as Beihai Park.

Beihai Park     Located in the heart of Beijing, Beihai Park is well-known for its Jade Islet, Beihai Lake and White Dagoba.

White Dagoba   White Dagoba is 35.9 metres high and built on Jade Islet as a memorial to the Dalai Lama’s visit in 1651. Adjacent to White Dagoba is Circular City. It is a ’small city’ in the city proper of Beijing. Hall of Receiving Light is in the Circular City centre where an

800-year-old pine tree is growing.

Nine Dragon Screen   Beihai Park which is a classical garden with pavilions, halls, temples and covered corridors was an imperial garden. It has a beautiful wall known as Nine Dragon Screen. Both sides of the wall are artistically decorated with 9 large flying dragons chasing fiery large pearls on each side. Besides, the wall has 635 small dragons. It is 5.96 m high, 1.6 m thick and 25.52 m long and was constructed in

1756. It required 4,247 coloured-glazed tiles to make this masterpiece. It is the only kind which has both sides of the wall decorated in China.

A Recreational Park   Beihai Park is a popular recreational place for local people. They spend their leisure time doing relaxing recreational activities, like folk and  modern dances, water-calligraphy on cemented pathway, tai-chi, Chinese chess game, singing and sword practice.

Muslim Food   After strolling at the beautiful pristine Beihai Park,

we left for Chengde. On the way, we stopped for lunch at a small Muslim restaurant known as Sai La Ma Can Ting along Ju Xiang Qiao Road. Entering the restaurant, we were surprised to see 28 tourists from our own country, Malaysia, having lunch. “It’s a small world,” we said to each other. After exchanging greetings, we settled down to have our own meals.

Journey to Chengde     Then we continued our journey to Chengde which is 230 km north-east of Beijing . In the middle of the journey, we saw ruined Great Wall of China on the hills in the distance. After travelling for 4 hours on the busy highway, we finally reached the city in the evening. We had dinner at a restaurant at Qian Yang Grand Hotel,

18, Pule Road, Chengde. After dinner. we checked in at the three-star hotel, Qian Yang Grand Hotel and looked forward to a tour in Chengde on the following day.

Day 7 : Tuesday  6 June 2006    Chengde   

Chengde with a population of 3.4 million is known as “The Pearl Outside the Great Wall”. A wide river, Pule River, flows through the city from north to south. When we were there, we saw little water flowing in the river due to a long period of drought.

Mountain Summer Resort of Chengde    On the morning of 6

June 2006, we had breakfast at the Qiang Yang Great Hotel restaurant. I could not eat much as the dishes given to us were cold.

After breakfast, we went to a famous imperial resort in Chengde known as Mountain Summer Resort. When we arrived there, our local tour-guide, Miss Chang, brought us round to see the important spots of the resort.

The Largest Imperial Garden      Located in the northern part of

Chengde City, Mountain Summer Resort is the largest imperial garden in China. It has 10 km wall round it and covers a large area of 5.64 sq. km. which is twice as big as Summer Palace in Beijing. The Qing emperors, Kangxi and Qianlong, took 89 years (1703-1792) to build the resort.

Grand palaces, temples and pavilions were built all over the resort. The resort has a dense forest where lots of animals once roamed in the north and a large grassland where many reindeer once grazed in the north-east. Nowadays, a few tame reindeer can be seen roaming freely in the resort. In the olden days, the forest and the grassland were the emperors’ favourite hunting grounds.

In this resort, a large wooden building known as Hall of Frugality and Simplicity (Dan Bo Jing Cheng) which was built in 1711 was an important place where the emperors handled state affairs and held grand ceremonies during their vacation there. This building is now closed but tourists can peep inside through glass-covered doors and windows. Surprisingly, some Chinese money notes can be seen stuck in the gaps of doors and windows. Some tourists must have done hoping to be blessed by the spirits of the dead emperors.

Treaty of Beijing in 1860     Another large quaint wooden building, Hall of Refreshing Mists and Waves (Yan Bo Zhi Shuang),

which was also built in 1711, was the emperors’ residence. It was in that building where Emperor Xianfeng signed the Treaty of Beijing in 1860 which forced China to give up South Kowloon to Britain and a large territory north of Heilongjiang River and east of Wusulijiang River to Russia.

The most beautiful and romantic spot in the resort is the scenic lake garden in the south-east. A stroll in the garden where there are buildings and pavilions in splendid ancient Chinese architectural style, stone bridges built across the lake, lotus flowers growing in the lake and coloured fish swimming in the water will definitely

make a tourist feel relaxed and refreshed. No wonder, Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Kangxi liked to stay at the resort during summer for about half a year annually.

To go round the large resort, we took a nine-seater electric-powered vehicle ride. It brought us to a few popular spots in the resort.

After touring the picturesque, pristine resort, we went to another place near Mountain Summer Resort where there is a well-known

temple in Chengde City, Temple of General Peace or commonly known as Puning Temple.

Puning Temple      Puning Temple was built in 1755 by Emperor

Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty. It was built in the same architectural style as that of the Tibetan Sanmoye Temple. There are many other buildings in this area of 33,000 sq. metres, such as Bell

and Drum Towers, Pavilions, Hall of the Heavenly Kings, Temple of Universal Blessing and Protection and Temple of Universal Peace.

Temple of Universal Peace     Among the buildings, Temple of

Universal Peace is the largest. It houses the world’s largest wood-carved Buddha statue. It has a height of 22.3 metres and width 15 metres. Unlike other statues of Buddha, this large one has a thousand hands and a thousand eyes. Ironically, the people of Chengde call the figure “The Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin) with a Thousand hands and Thousand eyes”. We saw many worshippers praying to the deities and Buddha and some lamas playing ancient musical instruments in front of that large temple.

Hall of the Heavenly Kings houses four large statues of warriors, namely East Chiguo, South Zengshang, West Guangmu and North Duowen.

A tour at this sacred place, Puning Temple, teaches us a significant part of the local tradition and culture.

Life of Lord Buddha   Adjacent to the temple is a wall with colourful pictures depicting the life of Lord Buddha. After this wall is an entrance to a mini cultural village which has a lane with single-storey shops on both sides. The shops built in the Qing architectural style sell all kinds of souvenirs, Chinese paintings, crystal and jade products, post-cards, etc.

Later we left that sacred place and returned to Beijing.

Ya Show Clothing Market    On arrival at Beijing we went straight to a large departmental store known as Ya Show Clothing Market in Gong Ti Bei Street. It is a place where one can buy anything one wants : goods ranging from belts, shoes, clothes and handbags to watches, digital cameras, MP4, thumb-drives and picture-cards of 2 gigabytes.

Most of the vendors here will set their goods at prices that are astronomically high. It is advisible for a buyer to reduce their prices to between one third and one quarter before purchasing them. Buyers are forewarned that most of the goods here are not genuine ones.

After buying some goods at bargain prices, we left for a restaurant where we had Siamese food for dinner. While having dinner, we were entertained by young singers who performed a Siamese and then a native dance on a small stage.

Wangfujing Street (Wangfujing Da Jie)     After dinner we went

to a popular tourists’ street known as Wangfujing Da Jie in Beijing City. It is about 1 km long. Along this busy street are several large shopping complexes which (our tour guide claimed) sell genuine branded goods. Among them are Sung Dong An Plaza, Beijing Departmental Store, Beijing Arts and Crafts Shop and Shidu Emporium. The former is the largest shopping mall in Beijing.

Eastern Church or Wang Fujing Catholic Church     While walking down the street to Sung Dong An Plaza, we saw a catholic church known as Eastern Church or Wang Fujing Catholic Church. We

were surprised to see it as it was the first church we saw in Beijing after so many days of stay in the city.

Dong Hua Men Night Market Street    Then we walked to another street nearby, Donganmen Da Jie, and were attracted by a row of about 90 small, brightly-lit stalls on its right side. This place is a tourist attraction to both domestic and foreign tourists alike. It is known as Dong Hua Men Night Market and was opened in 1984.

Strange Snacks    As we walked from stall to stall at the night

market, we saw, besides noodles, buns and drinks, strange snacks for sale. Among them were dead scorpions, centipedes, grasshoppers, cockroaches, garden snails, sea-horses, star-fish and beetles which were properly skewed. The vendors would grill them if there were buyers.

Looking at those skewed creatures made my stomach churn with nausea. But I was astonished to see some people enjoying eating them.

After visiting the shopping centres and and night market we went back to our hotel.

Day 8: Wednesday 7 June 2006   Travel Back Home (Malaysia)  

As we had to catch an early morning flight home we woke up early and left the hotel, Holiday Inn Downtown Beijing, at 5.15 a.m. with a packet of breakfast each given by the hotel. When we arrived at the Beijing International Airport, we sadly bid farewell to our Chinese tour guide, Mr. Liu, and coach-driver, Mr. Wu, who had made our six day tour in Beijing, Tianjin and Chengde an unforgettable one.

After several hours of travel we finally arrived in our country, Malaysia, in the evening. We were glad that the air flight was trouble-free and safe.

Chinese Legendary Creatures      Below are some of the photos of the Chinese legendary creatures I have

taken during the Beijing Tour. Each of them has a special meaning to the Chinese beliefs.

Chinese Dragon     This four-legged legendary animal has a long, scaly body and a pair of deer’s antlers.

To the Chinese, the dragon brings wealth, prosperity and good fortune. They are held in high regards for its dignity and power for good.

Chinese Phoenix     It is a feathered creature with a cock’s peak, a

swallow’s face, fowl’s forehead, a snake’s neck, goose’s breast, tortoise’s back, stag’s hindquarters and fish’s tail.

It is a symbol of high virtue and grace. The Chinese consider a pair of dragon and phoenix as a symbol of a blissful relationship between husband and wife.

Kylin or Qilin    This bronze statue of a mythical creature known as kylin or qilin was made in the Qianlong’s reign. It is a strange-looking creature as it has a dragon’s head, a pair of deer’s antlers, lion’s tail, scaly body and ox’s hooves. 

The Qing believed that it had power to punish the evil and and keep away the wicked.

Chinese Lion     This is another mythical animal which has a face of a dog.

Lion and lioness are commonly found in pair at the entrance to imperial palaces, government buildings, restaurants, banks, temples, and other important buildings in China.

A lion has a sphere under the paw of his right fore-leg while a lioness has a cub under the paw of her left fore-leg. Symbolically, the male guards the building while the female protects the property and people inside. Besides, the  Chinese believe that the lions can ward off evil and bring wealth and prosperity to the owners of the buildings.

Thank you for reading my Beijing Travel and hope you have enjoyed reading it.

Written by: Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

Shenzhen, Hezhou, Quilin, Zhaoqing Travel (Part II)

Quilin City    Located in the north-east of Guangxi Zhang Autonomous Region, Quilin has a population of

650,000. Its main economic activity revolves around industries including medicine, foodstuff, cars, electronics and many more. It is well connected by roads, railways and air with other cities in China.

Quilin is a famous ancient city with a history of over 2,000 years. It is an enchanting place and known worldwide for its scenic spots like green hills, splendid rivers, grotesque caves and exquisite rocks. Quilin in Chinese means ‘osmanthus forest’ as there are many osmanthus trees around the city. River Li or Lijiang flowing from north to south cuts the city into halves and is joined by another river, River Peach Blossom (River Taohua ), in the middle of the city.

Scenic Spots   Quilin’s beautiful scenic spots attract many

dignitaries and tourists from home and abroad. The popular scenic spots are:

Elephant Hill (Xiang Bi Shan), Camel Hill, Tunnel Hill, Folded-Brocade Hill, Wave-Subduing Hill, The Hill of Unique Beauty, The Pierced Hill Park (Chuanshan Hill), Flute Cave, Banyan Lake and Fir Lake, Fubo Park (Whirlpool Hill), Diecai Park, Xishan Park, Nanxi Park Seven Star Park and the list can go on and on.

Besides the landmarks, Quilin offers many activities such as boat cruises on River Li, cycling in the countryside, learning Chinese

painting and taking photographs of beautiful scenery of the countryside, mountain-climbing, canoeing, and many more.

Pierced Hill Park     After breakfast at City Garden Hotel in Quilin, we went to Pierced Hill Park (Chuanshan Park) in the south-east of Quilin. The hill has a round hole in its middle and it looks as though it has been pierced, hence its name. The hole resembles a moon if it is seen from a distance. Near this hill is a smaller one called Ta hill (Pagoda Hill). On top of it is a pagoda built in the Ming Dynasty.

Flowing in between these two hills is a small river called Xiaodongjiang (Little Eastern River). The reflection of the two hills in the river is fascinating.

At the foot of Pierced Hill, there is a huge bronze bell which weighs 2,624 kg and has a height of 2.5 metres. It was made in the eighth year of the Kangxi Period of the Qing Dynasty. 

 Dong (Cave) Nationality     We climbed up the steps of the steep Pierced Hill and entered a cave to watch pretty native girls of the

Dong (Cave) nationality performing their traditional dances and at the same time singing their native songs. They even asked some tourists to perform a mock marriage ceremony with them and do the bamboo dance.

Li River (Lijiang)    After watching that short and entertaining performance, we climbed to the top of the hill (about 75 metres high). Standing on its top, one can have an absolutely breathtaking 360 degree panoramic view of Quilin City with limestone hills surrounding it and the green Li River (Lijiang) flowing through it.   

Then we came down the hill and strolled at the beautiful park by the

Li River. Three black statues of China’s important figures under a tree caught my eyes. I stood with them and asked someone to snap a photo for me.

I saw a man on a bamboo-raft on the Li River using a long net to catch fish. After throwing the net into the water a few times, he did not land in any fish. It was his unlucky day.    

More Hills    Then we visited two more hills which are nearby: Fubo Hill (Whirlpool Hill) and Xiangbi Hill (Elephant Trunk Hill). One can

walk up to the top of the former and have a good view of Quilin City. Inside its cave, some Buddha statues and frescoes dated from the Tang and Song dynasties can be seen. The Elephant Trunk Hill has a shape of an elephant with its trunk extending into Lijiang River (River Li), hence the name of the hill.

Dibao Silk Products Co. Ltd.    The next place we visited was a silk factory called Dibao Silk Products Co. Ltd. in Quilin. Arriving there, we watched female workers making quilts from silk. Besides quilts, this factory sells a variety of silk clothes.

Later we went to Chuanshan Road to visit a famous Chinese tea-shop to taste more than five types of tea. The employees claim that Chinese tea is good for health and longevity. In the shop we were surprised to see, hanging on the wall, big photos of Mr. Clinton (the ex-president of U.S.A.) and his family drinking Chinese tea in the shop.

Banyan Lake (Ronghu) and Fir Lake (Shanhu)    After lunch we headed straight for a large garden in the Quilin downtown where two

lakes, Banyan Lake (Ronghu) and Fir Lake (Shanhu) are connected to each other. The lakes  were a part of the Quilin city moat during the Tang Dynasty. There are some small islands in the lakes which are linked by zigzag-bridges. One part of a bridge is made of glass and has a beautiful, romantic glass-shelter. Standing tall at Banyan Lake, are two beautiful pagodas, one gold in colour and the other silver. There are many shady trees around the lakes and a few of them are more than 1,000 years old. It is a good place for relaxation and exercise. Local people like to gather here to play card games and Chinese chess under

shady trees. At this park, it is a common sight to see poor boys and girls persistently asking tourists to buy flowers.

 This clean and tranquil place and a certain part of Quilin city were once surrounded by a high wall to protect the inhabitants against enemies’ attacks in ancient times. Now, most of the wall has been demolished and cleared for roads and buildings. A gate of the

fortress still remains near the lakes and it is called the Southern City Gate (Gunanmen).

Beijing Baoshutang Pharmacertical Company   After strolling round the two lakes in Quilin City, we went to a Chinese medicine company, Beijing Baoshutang Pharmacertical Company, along Long Ying Road. It boasts of many kinds of medicine which can treat health problems ranging from eczemas , rheumatism, impotence to diabetes mellitus and complications of cardio-cranial vascular disease. Quite a mouthful!

Once inside the shop, we were invited to watch a demonstration by a young, pretty lady. Before she touched a red hot iron chain, I could see her frightened facial expression (or was she acting?). When her assistant brought the red hot chain to her, she touched it quickly and there was a cry of horror from all of us. Then she showed us the red patch on her palm and stretched her hand to her assistant who applied a white cream on the scorched area on her palm. After that she introduced the cream, Baofuling, to us. She told us that the cream can also be used for treating other skin problems. After introducing many kinds of medicine to us, she happily raised her

right hand and asked us to look at the palm which had earlier touched the red hot chain. The red patch had surprisingly disappeared. A few tourists who were convinced that the cream was magical bought it.

Dreamlike Lijiang Theatre    In the evening after dinner, we went to a big theatre known as Dreamlike Lijiang Theatre to watch “New Ballet Circus Show”. I was surprised to see many busloads of tourists going there to watch the show. When we were inside the large theatre, we could see that it was fully packed.

We were treated to a variety of splendid performances in the theatre. Most of the performers were young. They did ballet, exotic dances, acrobatic acts, rotating saucer dance, some circus acts, silly acts by clowns and many more. The continuous change of coloured lights made the show more colourful and exciting. It was indeed a stunning show.

Night Market along Zhongshan Road   At about 9 p.m. I came out of my hotel and walked alone along Zhongshan Road. I was attracted by a brightly-lit spot down the road. When I reached

there, I saw hundreds of temporary stalls selling intricate embroidery works, Chinese paintings, antiques, ornamental stones, apparels, bamboo, wooden and jade sculptures, jewelleries and many more. There were a few stalls where customers’ portraits could be drawn on the spot and done in 15 minutes by male and female artists.

That night-market was purposely organized to attract tourists from home and abroad. After browsing all the stalls, I walked back to the

hotel. On the way, I had an unpleasant encounter. I was stopped a few times by young Chinese men and ladies who told me that they could get me beautiful girls. But I politely declined their offers.

Day 5: Friday 3 June 2005     Quilin City (Last Day) 

During our last day in Quilin City, we visited a few more places there. Among them were as follows:

Yushan Park    After breakfast, we left City Garden Hotel and

headed for a beautiful park in Quilin City, Yushan Park. It looks like a Victorian garden with beautiful flowers, a big fountain and cascading water. Besides, it has a huge green peacock shaped from a cluster of plants, and a smaller peacock, a big mushroom and a few elephants all made of thousands of small, colourful medicine-bottles. All these figures are fascinating to look at. A big, old banyan tree which is more than 1,000 years old is still growing at the park.

After lunch at 12.30 p.m., we went to visit a famous Chinese painter who works at a Chinese temple-like building . He is very good at calligraphy and Chinese painting. His beautiful works are hung on the walls for sale.

Jingjiang Princes’ City    Then we went to visit a historical place, Jingjiang Princes’ City. It was built in A.D. 1372 during the Ming Dynasty. It was occupied by the princes and their families. Some of

them later became emperors like Emperor Zhao Gou, Emperor Shun and Emperor Tuohuan Tiemuer. 14 Jingjiang princes of 11 generations had lived there. It is the best preserved princes’ city in China even though it had been burned down several times.

Western Hill Park (Xishan Park)    The last visit in Quilin was Western Hill Park (Xishan Park). The park is located near Li Jun Road. 200 Buddha statues dating from the Tang Dynasty can be found on the hill. On a slope of the hill stands a big rock which is in the shape of a

dragon head. At the foot of the hill, there is a green calm lake, Xishan Lake, which reflects the beautiful surrounding scenery. 
By the Xishan Lake, we saw a pretty young lady playing a Chinese classical music on a stringed instrument called ‘guzheng’. We crowded around her and listened with enthusiasm.
 
Yangshuo    Our next destination was the City of Yangshuo, a small city situated 65 km south of Quilin. It has a population of 300,000. Like Quilin, its unique hills, grotesque caves and winding rivers attract many tourists from home and abroad.

When we arrived at Yangshuo in the late afternoon, we checked in at a three-star hotel called Baofeng Hotel.

Day 5: Friday 3 June 2005    Li River Boat Cruise 

Li River Cruise Boat     In the evening, we went to Li River for a boat cruise. We boarded a long, broad double-decker boat at a jetty. To get a panoramic view of the scenery, most us went up to the upper deck of the boat. Soon the boat moved upstream. After moving for a short distance it stopped in the middle of the river. Then a bamboo raft

rowed by a man in Chinese trditional clothes and carrying a pretty young damsel in her colourful native dress came and stopped near our boat. Then the lady serenaded a few folk songs to us. Our tour guide courageously serenaded to her for awhile.

Animal Figures    After that, our boat continued cruising upstream. As it moved, we were brought to the attention of unique hills near and far by the boat-commentator. She told us that some hills resembled figures like a dragon’s head, horses, rams, etc.

Besides the spectacular scenery of the limestone hills, we saw some activities in the river such as children and adults swimming in the big river, and large, black water-buffaloes bathing in the water. Tourists will be surprised to see toilets built above the water of the river.

Cormorants (Fish Catchers)    When night fell, our boat stopped in the middle of the river. Then we watched a fisherman in his small boat commanding his black birds, cormorants, to catch fish in the river. He directed a brightly lit lamp onto the water. The obedient

ones dived into the swift-flowing water. The stubborn ones were gently pushed into the water by the man. When the birds surfaced a few times without any fish, we laughed. Minutes passed. Then one after another surfaced with a big fish inside its beak. The owner happily extended a pole to the birds in the water so that they could easily get onto his boat. Holding a bird at a time, he pulled the fish out of the bird’s beak. All of us on the cruise-boat were very impressed. We cheered and applauded the birds for their amazing skill.

Day 5 : Friday 3 June 2005   West Street (Yangshuo) 

In the evening, we went downtown of Yangshuo and strolled along the famous street, West Street. It is bustling with life with an ambience of a carnival. It is popular among local residents and foreign tourists. Shops along this narrow street sell all kinds of souvenirs, colourful clothes, Chinese paintings, CDs, DVDs, fruits, native handicrafts, foot-wear, snacks, beer, etc. You name it, they have it.

Our Tour Guide’s Warning   We were forewarned by our tour guide to reduce their offered selling prices for goods as much as we can. A

smart lady in our tour group managed to reduce the selling price of a Chinese painting from RMB 280 to RMB 100! A big discount of 64 %!

Shops with Foreign Names    Surprisingly, some shops uses foreign names, like Lisa’s Cafe, Hard Rock Cafe and Mickey Mao’s. To keep up to their shops’ names they serve western food and drinks like beef-steak, French fries, apple pies, beer, wines and ice-cream sundaes. One will not feel faraway from home here as there are

shops which provide Internet services. If you have a lot of time on your hand, you may go to a secondhand book shop to rent and read an English, French or other foreign novel. It also buys and sells secondhand books of any languages.

Day 6: Saturday 4 June 2005   Travel to Zhaoqing City 

In the morning, we left Yangshuo for Zhaoqing in Quangdong Province. On the way, it was raining slightly. As we were travelling, we saw more limestone hills near and far. With a little bit of

imagination we could see some hills resembling animals, fruits and human beings. There are paddy fields, vegetable farms and orchards along the way to Zhaoqing. The road to Zhaoqing was wet, bumpy and narrow. We could see an expressway to Zhaoqing City under construction. Besides, we saw rivers swollen with yellow water due to heavy rain and erosion in the interior where deforestation had taken place.

West River (Xi Jiang)    Before reaching Zhaoqing, we were travelling along a road which is parallel to China’s third largest river, West River (Xi Jiang). Small and big boats carrying sand, stones, logs,

mineral ores and other heavy goods can be seen moving on the river. They are plying between cities along the large river. Finally, we arrived at Zhaoqing City. We checked in at a five-star hotel, Hua Qiao Hotel, along Tian Ning North Road, a busy street in the centre of the city.

Musical Fountains    After dinner, we walked in the light rain to Star Lake nearby and watched musical fountains dancing to the tunes of loud musics. The colourful lights made the fountains dance more lively. At the same time, there was a concert on a big stage

near the musical fountains. The place was so crowded that it was difficult for us to enjoy watching either the musical fountains or the concert. So we left the place and went to browse at the brightly-lit shops along a busy street.

Day 7 : Sunday 5 June 2005    Zhaoqing City Tour 

Justice Bao Memorial Hall    At 8 a.m. we left Hua Qiao Hotel and went to visit Justice Bao Memorial Hall which was built in the style

of a traditional Chinese temple. In 1056 during the Song Dynasty (960 -1729), the Emperor of China appointed a Mr. Bao to be in charge of administering the Emperor’s regulations in Kai Feng Prefecture. The administrator, Bao Gong (Justice Bao) as he was commonly called, was allowed to use a head-cutter to cut off the heads of criminals before reporting to the Emperor. In other words, he was given the authority to make decisions on the spot.

Head-Cutters    In the hall, there are three models of head-cutters. The dragon head-cutter was used to execute royal members who

committed crimes, the tiger head-cutter was used to execute corrupt officials and the dog head-cutter was used to execute evil gentry and local tyrants. There are two halls there, each has a big statue of Justice Bao.  The place is considered a holy shrine of Justice Bao. People from near and far go there to worship the famous judge.

Star Lake Boat Cruise    Later, we went to Star Lake to enjoy a boat cruise on the lake which is shaped like a star; hence its name. Located in the suburb of Zhaoging City and made up of two scenic spots, viz. Seven-Star Stone Hills and Dinghu Mountain, this lake is

a popular place for dragon-boat races. We saw some young people training hard at canoeing for the 2008 Olympic Games which will be held in Beijing. 

Day 7: Sunday 5 June 2005   Back to Shenzhen City    

Red Forest Park    After an early lunch at 11 a.m. in Zhaoqing, we travelled back to Shenzhen City. It was cloudy and hazy all the way. On arrival at Shenzhen City, 3 and a half hours later, we went straight to a park, Red Forest Park, by the sea. It is a clean place where shady trees and grass are well kept there. Breeze from the sea

continuously brings in fresh air to the park. As it was Sunday, many people were strolling and relaxing at the park.

Windows of the World    After a few minutes of refreshing and relaxing walk at the Red Forest Park, we went to a famous theme park, Windows of the World, at Overseas Chinese Town in Shenzhen City. It is a large area where one can see more than 100 miniature replicas including seven wonders of the world, world famous monuments, arches, cathedrals, temples, and many more. Some people say that If one can see all these replicas in one day there, one does not have to travel round the world to see the real ones.

“Oriental Dress” Show    Having seen some of the replicas at the “Windows of the World” Park, we hurriedly went to Central Theatre to watch a 5 p.m. splendid show called “Oriental Dress”. In the show, the audience was thrilled and excited to see tall, gorgeous Chinese girls showing off colourful, elaborate Chinese national costumes and ancient royal dresses. It was like a fashion show. As poems about romances were expressed the girls appeared on the large stage. The show of five acts was spectacular.

China Folk Culture Villages   After the show, we visited some “villages” at the “China Folk Culture Villages” Park. At this park one

can visit 24 villages of China’s 22 minority nationalities ( Uygur, Tibetan, Mongolian, Li, Wa, Mosuo, Dong, Miao, Yi, Dai, etc.) where they showcase their folk arts, customs and architectures.

Splendid China    Then we walked to another theme park which is adjacent to the earlier one, “Splendid China”.  At this park we took a tour of  the “whole” of China. As we walked along a path, we saw China’s scenic wonders which are miniature replicas. There are about 82 of them including Nine-Dragon Screen Wall, Wind and Rain Bridge, Ancient Star-Observatory, Shaolin Temple, Three Gorges of the Yangzi River, Tengwang Tower, Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum, Summer Place, and the Great Wall of China.

Dancing with the Dragon and the Phoenix    Later, at 7.30 p.m., we went to a large open air theatre, Phoenix Square, to watch another splendid show called “Dancing with the Dragon and the Phoenix” which was about 5,000 years of China’s history. It was performed by over a hundred actors and actresses. The performers brought ancient China to life through Chinese folk dances, opera, wedding custom, wars and colourful lantern shows. It was a surprise to see real animals such as horses, sheep and buffalos participating in the show. When the final curtain of the spectacular show came down, the whole audience stood up and broke into loud applause.

Day 8: Monday 6 June 2005   Travel Back to Malaysia 

On the 8th. day, our tour of South-east China was over and we were preparing to go back to Malaysia.

After breakfast, we sadly left Shenzhen City for Shekou Port Passenger Ferry Terminal and took a ferry to Hong Kong International Airport on Lantau Island. At 12.20 p.m. we left the airport and flew by a smaller China Airline plane back to Changi International Airport in Singapore. At about 4 p.m. we landed safely. A few hours later we were finally back in our hometown in Malaysia.

Although our tour covers a small part of China it has left an indelible impression on all of us. We hope in the near future to go to another part of China to learn more about the unique and splendid country.

We thank you for reading our travelogue and hope you have found it useful. Happy travelling!

Written by:  Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia.

Shenzhen, Hezhou, Quilin, Zhaoqing Travel (Part I)

Shenzhen, Hezhou, Quilin, Zhaoqing Travel (Part I)

China is a large country with the world’s largest population of 1.4 billion. She is rich in history, arts,  traditions and cultures of 5,000 years. Besides, China has unrivalled natural physical beauty.

Since China opened her door to foreign investors in 1980, it has transformed from a country of poverty to one of the world’s fastest growing economies.

Early year 2005, my wife and I decided to travel to China for the first time to learn about her people, culture and history. The first two main places we wanted to visit then were Shenzhen City and Quilin.

Below is the itinerary of our travel.

             Day 1    Travel to Hong Kong                                                                                                                        Day 2    Shenzhen City Tour
                          Travel to Hezhou City I
             Day 3    Gu Po Mountain Visit 
                          Silver Cave (Lipu)
             Day 4   Quilin City Tour
             Day 5   Quilin City Tour (Last Day)
                          Li River Boat Cruise
                          West Street (Yangshuo)
             Day 6   Travel to Zhaoqing City
             Day 7   Zhaoqing City Tour
                         Back to Shenzhen City
             Day 8  Travel Back to Malaysia

Day 1: Monday 30 May 2005  Travel to Hong Kong 

Our Tour Group  On 30 June 2005, my wife, son and I joined a group of 17 Malaysians for an exciting tour

of some cities in the two China provinces of Quangdong and Quangxi. As summer in Southern China is hot and wet, we decided to bring along light clothing and umbrellas for the trip.

At Changi International Airport in Singapore, we boarded a China plane (A737 300) and at about 5.30 p.m. the plane took off for Hong Kong. After a few minutes of flying, we felt slightly hot in the plane. I was wondering whether the air-con inside was under utilized. During the flight, the plane encountered a few moments of minor turbulence over South China Sea. Although we were asked to be seated and tied ourselves with safety-belts during the turbulence I was surprised to see the air-stewards and air-stewardesses continuously distributing food to the passengers.

Arrival at Hong Kong   After 3 1/2 hours of trouble-free flight, the plane landed safely at Hong Kong

International Airport (Chek Lap Kok) on Lantau Island.

Then we passed through the Hong Kong immigration, custom and health checkpoints smoothly. After that we boarded a green coach and were on our way to mainland China.

Before entering mainland China, we had to go through another immigration checkpoint at the border, Shenzhen Checkpoint.  We went through the checkpoint fast as there were not many people at the late evening (10 p.m.)

Day 1: Monday 30 May 2005   Arrival at Shenzhen City 

After the Shenzhen checkpoint we boarded another coach and began our 7 day-tour in south-east China. At 11.00 p.m. we checked in at Sunon Hotel in a narrow street, Yongxin Street, in Shenzhen. After checking in and leaving our luggage in our room, my wife and I hurriedly went out shopping near the hotel. We were surprised that at such late hour, shops were still open and the brightly-lit streets were crowded with people. It looks as though Shenzhen is a city that never sleeps.

About Shenzhen    Shenzhen is a fast growing metropolis with a population of 5 million. It is located in the southern coastal area of Guangdong Province and 35 km north of Hong Kong City. It faces

the South China Sea in the east and high mountains in the south-east and low ones in the north-east.  It is commonly known as Hong Kong’s “backyard”.

In 1979, China, under the leadership of Deng Xiao Ping, opened its door to foreign investors. Since then she has transformed from a country of poverty into one of the world’s fastest growing countries. She  produces goods ranging from apparel to vehicles. Her goods are sold everywhere in the world as they are produced cheaply by her hardworking people.

Economic Zones    Shenzhen is divided into three parts: the Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Shenzhen City and Shenzhen County. 

The SEZ attracts many foreign investors as China offers significant tax concessions during the early life of their projects. It now has many industries, including machinery, automobile assemblies, electrical goods, electronics, textiles and foodstuff.

The world demand for goods is so great that Shenzhen has built three harbours for a large number of container-ships which help to export its goods.

Day 2: Tuesday 31 May 2005   Shenzhen City Tour 

After breakfast at the Sunon Hotel restaurant, we went on a sightseeing tour of Shenzhen City.

Old Shenzhen City   First, we went to the old city. It was once a busy fishing village with a population of 30,000. The streets here are narrow, crowded and jammed with traffic. Quaint buildings are still standing there. It is a popular place among both locals and tourists as it offers myriads of merchandise ranging from apparel to the latest cell-phones as well as a variety of local cuisines.

New Shenzhen City   When our coach brought us to the new city, we were amazed to see a complete change. The new city is planned and modern. Here the streets are wide and lined with trees. Multi-storey skyscrapers are mushrooming on both sides of the streets for commercial and financial purposes. The tallest is 356 metres high. They house offices, banks, shops, restaurants, hotels and many more. High-rise residential buildings can be seen in the outskirts of the city.  

Cars of Popular Brands   It is amazing to see many cars of popular brands on the roads. The people in the city must have benefited from the rapid economic growth in Shenzhen and become affluent. As China’s one-child policy has stopped many from having a second child, more people have much disposable income to buy a car.

Shenzhen City has no interesting historical and cultural sites, but it has some interesting attractions, like the theme and amusement parks, viz. “Splendid China Park”, “China Folk Culture Village” and “Window of the World”.

Lianhua Hill Park (Lotus Hill Park)    After the city tour, we went to Lianhua Hill Park (Lotus Hill Park) which is about 2 km from the city. It is a clean, refreshing, open space with carpet grass. The park is on a gentle slope of Lianhua Hill (106 metres high). A small road leads to the top of the hill where a statue of Deng Xiao Ping is

located. Locals bring their families there for fun, relaxation, jogging, hill-climbing and kite-flying.

Xingyu Mineral Museum   Then we went to Fu Tian District in Shenzhen to visit Xingyu Mineral Museum. Its exhibits include crystals in their natural shapes and forms, crystal balls of different colours, jade made into jewellery, miniature boats, fruits and animals and intricate embroidery works. Most of the exhibits in the museum are for sale.

‘Pixiu’   The only exhibit  that attracted my attention was a figure of an unusual creature known

as Pixiu’ (dubbed as David’s Deer). It is a mythical animal with a dragon’s head, horse’s body, lion’s paws and kylin’s horns. The Chinese believe that if you have a ‘pixiu’, you will have a peaceful and healthy life, good luck, wealth and power.

Day 2 : Tuesday 31 May 2005   Travel to Hezhou City 

At 11 a.m. we left Shenzhen City and headed west for a long journey to our next destination, Hezhou City in Quangxi Province.

Expressways   Travelling west on the Guan Shen Expressway, we

noticed the scenery changed from urban to rural. The expressway cuts across the Pearl River Delta. The delta is one of China’s most densely cultivated areas as rivers, Xi Jiang, Pei Jiang, Tung Jiang and Pearl River, from all over the provinces flow through this fertile region to the South China Sea. In the countryside, villages of old buildings, fish-ponds, duck-ponds, paddy fields, vegetable farms and orchards are common sights.

The expressway passes by many towns. When the the traffic was approaching Quangzhou City, it started to crawl. Vehicles ranging from smoke-belching heavy ones to the latest model cars choked the expressway. Then our tour guide told us that we were not going to visit Quangzhou City as the traffic jam there would set us back two hours. So we bypassed the city

and travelled along a few more expressways, such as Hua Nan, Guangfo and Guan San. The motorists using these expressways have to pay toll charges which are high.

Lunch-Time   At 1.30 p.m. we stopped at a restaurant, Nan Jiang Fishing Port, in the outskirt of Sihui City which is near Sansin City for lunch. The food served here was bland and salty. As we were hungry, we ate it without much complaint. Then we were on our way again to Hezhou City.

Bad Roads   This time the journey was uncomfortable as the coach was travelling on narrow, old roads in Quangxi Province. It had to make a detour at places where roads were under repair. While

travelling in the mountainous areas, our coach-driver had to drive cautiously on the narrow, winding and steep roads. There are many heavy vehicles travelling on these roads. Each time a big vehicle passed by, it came too close to our coach making us worried.

Simple Washrooms     At 3.30 p.m. our coach stopped at a petrol station, Fan Lin Petrol Station, for refilling. Some of us went to a washroom nearby. When I entered the washroom for gentlemen, I was surprised to see a row of small cubicles with low walls of 1 metre high and without doors.

Out of curiosity, I entered one of them. Then I figured out that if I wanted to do the big ‘business’ I would have to squat over a narrow deep drain which ran under all the cubicles. As there was no water in the cubicle, I would have to leave the

cubicle without flushing away my “deposit”. I was told that it would be flushed away at intervals together with the rest by a large among of water rushing down the drain and making all the ‘things’ disappear down somewhere. I was told by the ladies that their washroom had the same toilet facility as the gents’. Some of them who were shy used umbrellas to hide themselves for privacy!

Quangxi Province   Soon we entered Quangxi Province from Quangdong Province. There is a blue arch over the road that marks the border btween the two provinces. Quangxi province is less developed than Quangdong Province. It is a common sight to see

farmlands of paddy, maize and vegetables, orchards of lychees, longans, plums and peaches, fish-ponds and duck-ponds in the rural areas. Along main roads, traditional industries such as stone-cutting, bamboo-collecting and brick-making can be seen.

Hezhou City   After about 8 hours of travelling from Shenzhen City, we finally arrived at Hezhou City and checked in at a hotel known as “New Century Hotel” along Gu Po Hill Road.

Hezhou City is in the east of Guangxi Zhang Autonomous Region with a population of 900,000. It has a history of more than 2,000 years. Besides cultural relics and historical sites, it has beautiful landscapes of limestone hills and caves attracting many tourists from home and overseas.

Motorized Tricycles   The roads in Hezhou City are wide. Most of the busy crossroads do not have traffic-lights. The most popular means of city transport here is motorized tricycles. On these vehicles, the drivers sit in front of their passengers. It is surprising to see many young women driving these vehicles for a living.

Day 3: Wednesday 1 June 2005   Gu Po Mountain Visit 

An International Passport Incident    After breakfast at the New Century Hotel restaurant, we were shocked when we learned that one of our tour members had lost his international passport. He was bombarded with a lot of questions about his lost passport. A thorough search in his hotel room paid off. It was found hidden under his comforter. He said he could not remember putting it there the previous night. Anyway, we heaved a sigh of relief when we were told that it was found.

After that incident our tour guide told us to hand over our passports to him every night and he would keep them in the hotel safe deposit box. He added that he would return them in the morning.

Gu Po Mountain    At 8.30 a.m. we departed for Gu Po Mountain (Gu Po Shan). The road to the mountain is narrow and bumpy. When we arrived at the foot of the mountain, it was raining heavily. Crystal clear water could be seen rushing down a stream with rocks at its bottom. The place was lush green and scenic and the air there was clean and

refreshing.

Angel Waterfall   To go to a beautiful waterfall called Angel Waterfall, we took a 9-seat vehicle. It took a few minutes to reach there. Standing in front of the waterfall we were awestricken by the spectacular sight of water continuously rushing down the steep 30-metre high waterfall.

Legend   According to a legend, there was a long drought in the

farms near the mountain. One day, an old lady went to the mountain and spent many days praying to an angel for rain. Finally, the angel answered her prayer and the farmers were happy to see rain falling down for many days. That is how the mountain gets its name, i.e. Old Lady Mountain (Gu Po Shan) and the waterfall, Angel Waterfall.

When we came down the steep mountain, we stopped at a winery where gluttonous rice is made into rice wine. We tasted a few types of wine, each containing different amount of alcohol. A few of us bought it. Then we went to a small tea farm to learn about tea-making. Later we went back to the foot

of the mountain where our coach was waiting to take us to one of the most spectacular karst landforms in the world in Lipu. It is known as Silver Cave.

Day 3: Wednesday 1 June 2005   Silver Cave (Lipu) 

On the way to Lipu, we passed through a few towns and villages. We also crossed a long bridge which is over Xijiang river (China’s third longest river) in the mountainous region.

Silver Cave    Silver Cave is in Maling Town of Lipu County. It has been opened to tourists since 1999. It is about 2 km long: passing through twelve limestone-hills. It consists of three parts: Lower Part, Grand Hall and Upper Part. It is like a fairyland inside the caves as one can see stunning stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and sizes resembling “musical curtain”, “preaching Buddha”, “waterfall on snowhill”, “pearl-decorated umbrella”, “twin towels”, “sea corals” and many more. It took us more than an hour to walk from one end of the cave to the other. The beauty of the structures is enhanced by colourful lighting.

Dinner:   After the awesome experience in Silver Cave, we had an early dinner at Silver Cave Restaurant nearby. At 6.20 p.m. we left for Quilin which is 85 km north of Silver Cave.

On arrival at Quilin at 8 p.m. we checked in at a three-star hotel, City Garden Hotel, along Zhongshan South Road. Later, all of us went for a foot massage. After that painful and ticklish treatment, we felt fresh and rejuvenated. Then we went shopping in a few streets which were brightly-lit.

City Garden Hotel, Quilin

 

 

{To continue reading this travelogue, please go to “Shenzhen, Hezhou, Quilin, Zhaoqing Travel (Part I)”}

Written by: Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

Hong Kong Travel (Part II)

{Continued from Hong Kong (Part I)}

Hong Kong Travel (Part II)

Day 2:  1 May 2007

Ocean Park

It is a large theme park covering an area of 87 hectares. It consists of two parts: the Headland on the higher ground and the Lowland on the lower ground. To enter the theme park, visitors can use either the Main Entrance at the Lowland or Tai Shue Wan Entrance at the foot of the Headland. There are covered elevators or cable car to go up to the Headland. 
The Park has been in operation for 30 years. It is a place where people, young or old, like to have fun, entertainment and excitement.

 

 

With over 40 attractions and rides, the Ocean Park keeps attracting millions of tourists, annually.

At the Ocean Park, thrill-seekers can ride a roller-coaster of The Dragon and Mine Train, drop 60 metres to the ground suddenly made possible by The Abyss, get wet while riding a boat in The Raging River, drive go-karts in Grand Prix, spin in Space Wheel and swing in Flying Swing. 

For animal lovers, they can join Animal Close Encounters programs to see animals like foxes, wolves, bull frogs, rabbits, dogs, jelly fish, sea lions, dolphins, fish, pandas, sharks and birds.

Those who enjoy relaxing rides can go for a cable-car ride, Ferris Wheel, Ocean Park Tower and SkyFair Balloon ride.

For show-lovers, they can watch shows performed by dolphins and sea lions at Ocean Theatre, world class ice-skaters at Tai Shue Wan Theatre and birds at Amazing Birds Theatre.

Ocean Park Tower  When my wife and I were at Ocean Park, we went for the Ocean Park Tower ride. It rotated as it moved slowly up to a height of 200 metres above sea-level providing a 360 degree aerial view of the South China Sea, Aberdeen and small islands as well as the Headland theme park below. We went up twice as we loved to see the stunning scenery.

Ocean Theatre: A Dolphin and Sea Lion Show

    After the enjoyable Ocean Park Tower ride, we went to watch the dolphin and sea lion show at Ocean Theatre which is a stone throw from Ocean Park Tower. Before the show started we were entertained by a group of musicians for half an hour. It was fun to sing along with them.  
In the show, three dolphins showed off some stunts, like jumping out of the water to do the twist and turn, and touch a ball high

above the water, giving a trainer a piggy back ride and dancing in the water, while three sea lions made us laughed as they kept teasing their master.

Ocean Park: Lowland    After the dolphin and sea lion show, we went to queue outside the cable-car station. It did not take us long to wait for our turn. Sitting in a cable-car and moving down to Lowland, we enjoyed the spectacular, scenic views of Repulse Bay,

the coastline, the lush green terrains, islands and blue South China Sea. 

SkyFair Ride   On arrival at Lowland, we headed straight for the SkyFair balloon ride. The helium filled balloon took us to a height of 120 metres for bird-eye views of the coastline and South China Sea as well as Lowland below.

The balloon has a diameter of 22 metres, contains 6,000 cubic metres of helium gas and can take 30 passengers in its gondola at a time on a fine day.  

After the enjoyable balloon ride, we went to watch an acrobatic show staged by a team of daring young men.  

Giant Pandas   There are two famous giant pandas, An An and Jia Jia, in their HK$80 million habitat on a higher ground in Lowland. When we were there it was closed to visitors. We were told that it was under renovation.

Later, we went back to Headland by cable-car again to have a last look at the breathtaking scenery. In the evening, we left Ocean Park through Tai Shue Wan Entrance and took a bus, No. 629, to

Central. Arriving at Central, we took another bus, No. 15, to go up the famous Hong Kong peak, Victoria Peak or, simply, The Peak.

The Peak or Victoria Peak   The Peak or Victoria Peak is in the south-western part of Hong Kong Island with a height of 552 metres. It is the highest mountain on the island and forms a backdrop of the island city.

The road to the top is narrow, steep and winding. The side of certain parts of the road is almost over the steep slope of the

mountain. While ascending the Peak, our experienced bus-driver, skillfully, negotiated some difficult bends. He, finally, brought us to the top safely in 40 minutes.

The Peak Tower  When we reached the height of 395 metres above sea-level on The Peak mountain, we were amazed to see the latest landmark of the island, The Peak Tower, with a height of 33 metres. It is built in a unique modern structure that looks like a large rice-bowl or wok.

The seven floor tower houses restaurants, shops and entertainment areas. It provides a rooftop platform for viewing the breathtaking scenery of the cities on both sides of Victoria Harbour: Hong Kong and Tsim Sha Tsui. The rooftop platform is 428 metres above sea-level.

Peak Galleria  Opposite The Peak Tower is a large shopping complex, Peak Galleria. It has lots of shops selling a wide range of goods and restaurants.

The Peak Tower Rooftop  In the evening, we went up to the rooftop of The Peak Tower by elevators. When we reached there we

were surprised to see a lot of people there. As it was so crowded we could not get to the edge of the rooftop to have a good view of the skyscrapers of the city below. After waiting, patiently, for a few minutes, we got a good spot. Standing there, we were mesmerized by the awesome panoramic view of the colourfully-lit Hong Kong City below and part of Tsim Sha Tsui City in the distance. It is like a fairyland with a sea of colourful lights.

Fireworks on Labour Day  After 8 p.m., fireworks were, suddenly, shot into the air from the city-skyscrapers lighting up the sky, brightly. They were set off, intermittently, to celebrate Labour Day (1 May 2007). The extravaganza lasted for several minutes mesmerizing all of us on The Peak Tower’s observation deck.

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong  The Peak Tower has a wax museum known as Madame Tussauds Hong Kong. It houses over 100 stunning life-like wax figures of entertainment, fashion, TV and film celebrities,

historical and national heroes, sports heroes and music icons, like Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, Anita Mu, Bae Yong Jun, David Beckham and President Hu Jintao. We did not enter the wax museum as we have visited one in London.

The Peak Tram  Visitors can go up or down The Peak by The Peak Tram. It is the world’s steepest funicular railway that brings 120 passengers up the Peak in about 8 minutes each time. It is pulled up along a 1.4 km track by a thick haulage rope. The gradient of the track is between 4 and 27 degrees. When the tram is moving along a steep track, the passengers will think that the nearby buildings are tilting.

The Peak Tram is similar to the one on Penang Hill in my country, Malaysia. It has been in operation since 1888. While riding on the tram, passengers will have panoramic views of the cities on both sides of Victoria Harbour and the harbour itself. (Ticket: HKD30 one way)

The Peak Descend    At 8.40 p.m. we came out of The Peak Tower and decided to descend the mountain by The Peak Tram. But we were shocked to see a very long queue outside The Peak Tram terminal. As we were not sure how long we had to wait for the tram, we decided to go down The Peak by bus No. 15 again.

While descending The Peak, we felt the bus jolted a few times along the long, narrow and winding mountain road. But the skilful driver brought us safely to the foot of The Peak in 25 minutes, 15 minutes faster than the ascend!

Day 3:  2 May 2007

A Visit to Lantau Island  On the third and last day of our stay in Hong Kong, we decided to go to Ngong Ping Village on Lantau Island to see a giant Buddha statue, known as Tian Tan Buddha. It would be a welcome change for us to visit a countryside.

Lantau Island  After breakfast at Mongkok we took an MTR train

to Tung Chung, a small town on Lantau Island. Lantau Island with a small population of 45,000 people is the largest island of Hong Kong. The views of Its pristine terrains of lush green valleys and mountains are spectacular. The island’s highest mountain, Lantau Peak, has a height of 934 metres. Half of the island is now protected for its natural beauty and charm.

Skyrail  On arrival at the Tung Chung MTR station, we proceeded to the Skyrail terminus nearby to buy tickets for the cable car ride

to Ngong Ping. Although there was a long queue to the ticketing counters, it was moving fast.

A “Special Day”  After 20 minutes of lining up, I finally came to a ticketing counter. I was shocked when the ticket seller told me that I had to pay HKD10 more for a ticket as that day was a “special day”. But I told him that the price of a ticket should be reduced as it was a “special day”. He then explained that “special day” means ” holiday” when there were many visitors and so the

price of a ticket was increased. Having understood what he meant, I paid for the tickets for the Skyrail ride for my wife and myself .

Skyrail was opened on 18 September 2006. It is a 20-25 minute cable-car ride from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping Village as the distance is 5.7 km.

A Scenic Journey to Ngong Ping Village  While we were in a Skyrail cable-car moving over Tung Chung Bay towards Hong Kong International Airport, we saw airplanes taking off from the airport one at a time. Then our cable-car turned at an angle at Airport Angle Station and moved away from the airport and over the bay again towards Lantau Island.

As it was gliding high above the island, we had breathtaking views of lush green mountains and valleys of North Lantau Country Park and the South China Sea. Occasionally, we saw nature walking tracks in the protected park.

Soon we saw Ngong Ping Village and a figure, Giant Buddha or Tian Tan Buddha, sitting serenely on top of a hill in the distance. Finally, we arrived at Ngong Ping Village.

 Ngong Ping Village  The village looks new and has been

designed and landscaped to reflect the Chinese ancient culture and spirituality. The houses look like those we saw in Beijing Hutong.

An Amazing Act    Entering the village we were attracted by a small crowd watching a show performed by some Chinese men dressed in red Kung-fu uniforms. They were demonstrating their acrobatic, fighting and other skills on a small stage. One of their acts amazed me. In the act, a man in red stood barefooted on sharp knives without getting hurt in the soles of his bare feet.

“Walking With Buddha” and “Monkey’s Tale”  As we strolled through the crowded small village, we passed shops selling food and drinks, souvenirs, antiques, apparels, etc. There is a Chinese traditional building with red walls and yellow roof featuring a multimedia show, “Walking With Buddha”, that traces the Buddha’s path to enlightenment. Another building nearby shows an animation presentation about a monkey learning the importance of humility and kindness. It is called “Monkey’s Tale”. Having seen the village, we entered a large garden known as Tian Tan Garden.

Tian Tan Garden (‘tian tan’ in Chinese means ‘heaven’)    We left the Ngong Ping Village and entered a

garden adjacent to it. The garden is known as Tian Tan Buddha Garden which was opened on 10 September 1996. In the middle of the garden stands a large bronze Chinese traditional urn with three large colourful joss-sticks planted in the middle. Near the urn is a circular mound altar which is smaller than the one in front of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. There is a row of stalls further down selling postcards, hats, fruits, ice-cream, drinks, snacks, etc.

Giant Buddha or Tian Tan Buddha  Standing in the middle of the garden, we looked up and saw a huge bronze Buddha statue sitting on a lotus throne atop a hill. Many tourists were walking up the 268 steps to the statue. The statue is known as Giant

Buddha or Tian Tan Buddha which is 34 metres tall. It is the tallest seated outdoor bronze Buddha statue in the world. Completed in 1993, it took the engineers 10 years to construct the large figure. It is an engineering feat.

On the way up the steps, we saw a few large bronze sculptures, like an ancient Chinese urn and lamp, in the middle of them. The climb to the top was slightly difficult, as it was long and steep (about 268 steps). But when we reached the top we totally forgot about our tired legs. It was because we were overwhelmed by the hugeness of the statue. Besides, the panoramic views of the Ngong Ping terrains and the bird’s eye view of Tian Tan Garden and a Buddhist monastery, Po Lin Buddhist Monastery, near the garden, were spectacular. Kneeling down at the base of the Giant Buddha

statue are six bronze statues of beautiful ladies each making an offering to Him.  

Po Lin Buddhist Monastery and Wisdom Path   Po Lin Buddhist Monastery was built in 1917. (”Po Lin” in Chinese means “Precious Lotus”). Not far from the monastery is a place where tall wooden pillars carrying sacred texts are planted in a figure of the infinity symbol, symbolizing the immeasurable splendour and infinity. This place is known as “Wisdom Path”.

Return to Tung Chung  After an enlightened tour of Ngong Ping Village and Tian Tan Buddha Garden, we walked to the Ngong Ping station and boarded a Skyrail cable-car. Then we were on our way back to Tung Chung.

As we were travelling to Tung Chung by Skyrail, we saw an unusual thing on a high hill. It was a lonely white Chinese graveyard. I wonder whose graveyard that is and why it is high up there.

Before reaching Tung Chung, we saw some fishermen in the waist-deep water of the Bay of Tung Chung searching for shellfish.

Tsing Ma Bridge  On arrival at Tung Chung, we took a bus to Admiralty. On the way, we crossed a long suspension bridge known as Tsing Ma Bridge. It has two decks carrying road and rail traffic and is part of the Lantau Link which links Lantau Island as well as Hong Kong International Airport to the urban areas in Hong Kong. Opened in 1997, Tsing Ma Bridge is the world’s longest road-and-rail suspension bridge (1.4 km long) but the 6th. longest suspension bridge (2.1 km long).

On arrival at Admiralty, we decided to go to Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre    At Hong Kong Convention and Exhibiton Centre, we were surprised to see a multitude of tourists there. The Centre is a large building with the world’s tallest glass wall and a roof that resembles a seagull’s wings in flight. Opened in 1988 and expanded in 1997, the integrated complex houses exhibition halls, theatres, hotels and restaurants.

Golden Bauhinia Square  Located in front of Convention and Exhibition Centre is Golden Bauhinia Square. It was at that square that the historic ceremony at which Britain handed over Hong Kong’s sovereignty to China at midnight on 1 June 1997 was held. Erected in the square is a beautiful gold-coloured monument of a flower known as “Forever Blooming Bauhinia” to commemorate the handover in 1997.

Bauhinia trees are common in Hong Kong and produce large beautiful flowers that have become the emblem of the Hong Kong flag. 

Star Ferry  Having visited Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre,

we went to the Wan Chai ferry pier to board a green-and-white ferry, Star Ferry, to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. (Fare : HK$2.20).

The ferry began its operation in 1898. As it was crossing Victoria Harbour, we saw spectacular sceneries of the cities on both sides of Victoria Harbour and a large cruise ship known as Star Cruise Pisces berthed at a terminal. This ship reminds me of her sister

ship in Singapore known as Star Cruise Virgo which brought my wife and I on an enjoyable cruise in the Straits of Malacca on 11 September 2001 (American date).

Clock Tower  When we arrived at Star Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, we went outside the terminal and saw a tall structure in an open space. It was Clock Tower which was erected in 1915 as part of the former Kowloon-Canton Railway Terminus. When the terminus was demolished in 1978 Clock Tower was left untouched . This 44-metre tall tower, built of red bricks, was declared a historical monument in 1990.

As we were strolling along the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, we came across a few prominent buildings. Among them were the following:

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

  It is a venue for classic performing arts, Western and Asian.

Hong Kong Museum of Arts  It features Chinese antiquities, paintings and calligraphy, arts works from around the world and many more.

Hong Kong Space Museum  Opened in 1980, it features astronomy exhibits. Besides, its egg-shaped roof houses Stanely Ho Space Theatre where Omnimax and Sky shows are presented. When I was there the museum was advertising three shows, viz. “Small Solar System Bodies”, “Jan Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees” and “Mystic India”.

In the evening, we left Tsim Sha Tsui  for our hostel, Dragon Hostel, in Argyle Road in Mongkok.  At the hostel, Stanley, the kind, helpful and friendly hostel owner, allowed us to use his Internet service for free. We took that opportunity to send e-mails to our loved ones in Malaysia and Singapore.  

Day 4:  3 may 2007  

Departure for Macau  In the following morning, we left Hong Kong with fond memories. We travelled by ferry to Macau to have a day tour there before going back to Malaysia.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this travelogue.

Written by Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

Hong Kong Travel (Part I)

Hong Kong is a well-known territory in the world. Located in the south-eastern part of China, it consists of Kowloon, the New Territories, Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island and over 260 small islands in the South China Sea. It has a total area of 1,104 sq. km. and a population of about 7 millions: 90 % of them is Chinese. Most of them are live in Kowloon and the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong Island is considered as the most densely-populated island in the world. “Hong Kong” in Chinese means “Fragrant Harbour” as it was once a busy port where fragrant wood products and incense were actively traded. It is separated by a narrow stretch of water known as Victoria Harbour from Kowloon, but it is now connected by three underwater tunnels, viz. Cross-Harbour Crossing, Eastern Harbour Crossing and Western Harbour Crossing.

Historical Facts on Hong Kong:    In 1841, Great Britain seized Hong Kong Island from China. A year

later, China ceded Hong Kong Island to Great Britain under the Treaty of Nanking. In 1860 China ceded Kowloon and Stonecutter to the latter again. In 1898, China granted 99-year lease on New Territories, Lantau Island and other islands to Great Britain. 

In 1997, Great Britain returned Hong Kong to China, after ruling it for over 150 years. Since 1997, Hong Kong has become a China’s Special Administrative Region (SAR), operating under the “one country, two systems” principle. It means that it enjoys a high degree of autonomy in all affairs except foreign and defence for at least 50 years.

A Vibrant City   Hong Kong is a vibrant city and a well-known financial and banking centre in the world. Besides, it is a famous tourists’ destination which offers lots of attractions ranging from historical colonial buildings, places of worship and lush green scenery to restaurants serving delicious and diverse local and

international cuisine, shopping malls, unique modern architectural sky-scrapers and theme parks. For these reasons, my wife and I decided to visit the city in 2007 for three days (from April 30 to May 2, 2007).

Air Asia (Malaysia) often offers cheap airfares to many destinations in Asia. As Hong Kong was not in its list of destinations, we booked the return ticket for a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Macau. Hong Kong is 60 km north-east of Macau.

Hong Kong Itinerary  Below is the itinerary of our memorable three-day tour in Hong Kong. 

    1.     Travel to Hong Kong / Tsim Sha Tsui / Kowloon Park
    2.     Urban Areas of Kowloon / Nathan Road
    3.     Avenue of Stars / A Symphony of Lights
    4.     Joy Guest House /  Dragon Hostel / Victoria Harbour Tunnels
    5.     Central / Chater Garden / Legislative Council Building
    6.     Legislative Council Building / Sir Thomas Statue / A Street Tram
    7.     Ocean Park / Ocean Park Tower / Ocean Theatre
    8.     SkyFair at Ocean Park
    9.     Victoria Peak / Peak Tower / Wax Museum / Peak Tram
   10.    Skyrail / Lantau Island / Ngong Ping Village 
   11.    Tian Tan Garden / Giant Buddha
   12.    Po Lin Buddhist Monastery / Wisdom Path / Tsing Ma Bridge
   13.    Convention and Exhibition Centre / Golden Bauhinia Square 
   14.    Star Ferry / Clock Tower / Museums

Day 1: 30 April 2007

Travel To Hong Kong    On the first day of our journey to Hong Kong, we left our homeland, Malaysia, by an Air Asia plane for Macau. On arrival at Macau, we took a ferry to Hong Kong which is 60 km. away. The

70-minute ferry journey was smooth except for a few minutes of rough ride on the choppy sea near our destination. {We took the budget Air Asia plane to Macau because Hong Kong was not in its list of destinations then.}

Tsim Sha Tsui  At 1.10 p.m., we reached China Ferry Terminal at Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. From the terminal, we walked through Harbour City (a megamall of four levels of shops, services and restaurants, and a departmental store), crossed a pedestrian bridge over Canton Road, walked through Kowloon Park and finally to Tsim Sha Shui MTR Station.

Mass Transit Railway (MTR)   Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is an underground system that is quite extensive in Hong Kong. It is a fast, cheap and convenient way to move around in Hong Kong.

On the way to the MTR station, we stopped for a few minutes in a garden on the rooftop of Harbour City to admire the beautiful dolphin sculptures. These animals were named the official mascot of Hong Kong’s 1997 handover from Great Britain to China. There are big trees in the garden and we wonder how they are able to survive on the roof-top.

Kowloon Park   We also stopped in the shady and beautiful Kowloon Park to watch some waterfowls in a pond, like swans, ducks and flamingos. Then we sat in a shady area to rest our tired legs.

Octopus Card   On arrival at Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station, we bought an

electronic fare card known as Octopus Card. We bought it as it was convenient to pay for public transport as well as bills at restaurants and stores.

Joy Guest House in Sham Shui Po    Then we left Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station by train for Sham Shui Po where we checked in at a small hostel known as Joy Guest House in a high-rise building in Yee Kuk Street. It is run by a young enterprising couple, Buno and Pansy. After resting for an hour, we left the hostel and started our tour in some urban areas in Kowloon.

Urban Areas of Kowloon:    In Kowloon we visited three urban areas,

viz. Sham Shui Po, Mongkok and Tsim Sha Tsui. After visiting them we found out that they have many things in common. They have, among them, a predominantly Cantonese-speaking population, many old multi-storey residential blocks, street-markets, crowded streets, large signboards with colourful neon lights hanging over the main streets, an MTR station, air-conditioned noodle and chicken rice shops, restaurants, shops and roadside stalls selling the same kinds of products at bargain or wholesale prices, some shopping complexes selling branded goods and heavy traffic in the main streets. These places have frequent influxes of bargain-hunters and food lovers from neighbouring areas and Hong Kong Island.

Among all the urban areas in Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui has the most number of attractions. It has historic buildings, skyscrapers, a variety of museums, a cultural centre, a beautiful garden, large shopping and

entertainment centres, a scenic promenade where tourists will be mesmerized by the spectacular views of the city on Hong Kong Island and Victoria Harbour.

Nathan Road     There is one important road, Nathan Road, which runs directly from Tsim Sha Tsui in the south to Sham Shui Po in the north. It was originally known as Robinson Road, named after the 5th. Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Hercules Robinson. But in 1909, it was changed to Nathan Road, named after the 13th. Governor, Sir Mathew Nathan, as there was a road on Hong Kong

Island having the same name. Along this long busy road are tall buildings that house shops selling branded goods, restaurants, banks, hotels, etc.

Avenue of Stars    In the evening we went to the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade where there is a well-known

place which pays tribute to famous film stars and the people involved in Hong Kong film-making. It is known as “Avenue of Stars” that is similar to the Hollywood’s “Walk of Fame”. It was opened  in 2004 and features sculptures, plaques with famous film stars’ names (some with the stars’ handprints) and movie history milestone. At the entrance of the place stands a large bronze sculpture of a Hong Kong Film Award.

At this place, there are some kiosks selling film-related items, taking photos of tourists, selling snacks and drinks, making hand models from wax, etc. and are patronized by many tourists.  

A Spectacular Display of Lights:  ”A Symphony of Lights” Extravaganza   

Avenue of Stars is the best spot for looking at the stunning skyline of the Hong Kong City on the other side of Victoria Harbour during the day and night. It is also the best place for watching the city’s “A Symphony of Lights” extravaganza at 8 pm, nightly. This dazzling light and sound presentation of neon lights, laser lights and searchlights on more than 30 skyscrapers on both sides of the Victoria Harbour choreographed to some lively musics mesmerizes the tourists. It is supposed to showcase the vibrancy and charm of Hong Kong as a metropolitan city.

“A Symphony of Lights” earns Hong Kong the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show”.

Tourist Cruise Boats    While we were at Avenue of Stars watching the “A Symphony of Lights”, we saw some

boats chugging along the Victoria Harbour. They were carrying tourists to watch the spectacular show and see the stunning sight of the brightly-lit skyscrapers. After the 20 minute light show we went back to our hostel in Sham Shui Po.

Day 2: Tuesday 1 May  

In the morning of the second day, we checked out from the hostel, Joy Guest House, and walked to a coffee-shop to have our last breakfast in Sham Shui Po. (Most of the food and beverage shops in Hong Kong are air-conditioned.)

Secondhand Goods  As we were walking along Yee Kuk Road, we saw some workers busy loading

secondhand electrical goods, such as refrigerators, TV’s, VCD/DVD players, radios, etc., into a blue container. Out of curiosity, I asked a local man about the activity and he told me that those things were meant for export to third world countries. After a hearty breakfast at a coffee-shop in Sham Sui Po, we left for Mongkok.  

Dragon Hostel in Mongkok    On arrival at Mongkok, we entered another budget hostel, Dragon Hostel, in Argyle Street. As we were too early to check in, we left our luggage with Stanley, the hostel owner, and decided to visit Central on the Hong Kong Island.

Instead of taking a ferry from Kowloon to the island, we took an MTR train from Mongkok to Central. This rail transport is faster as the train goes through a tunnel under the Victoria Harbour water.

Victoria Harbour Tunnels    Hong Kong Island is now linked to Kowloon by three tunnels built under the Victoria Harbour water, viz. Cross-Harbour Tunnel (opened in 1972), Eastern Harbour Crossing and Western Harbour Crossing. These tunnels help to reduce travelling time between the financial and commercial cities on both sides of Victoria Harbour.

Central    Central, Admiralty and part of Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island were the early British settlements

when Hong Kong became a British colony in 1842. They were, originally, known as Queenstown but later Victoria City. Nowadays, the name “Victoria” refers to Victoria Harbour and Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. Central has been Hong Kong’s hub of commercial, financial and banking activities since the arrival of the British in 1841.

Central Business District    Located in this central business district (CBD) are many multi-national commercial, financial and banking headquarters, five-star hotels, large shopping complexes and shops

selling branded goods. Besides, it has some historical buildings built in the British colonial era, such as Western Market, Government House, Legislative Council Building, Court of Final Appeal, Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Star Ferry Terminal and St. John’s Cathedral.

Skyscrapers  Standing in Central, we felt so small in size as we were surrounded by skyscrapers, like

Cheung Kong Center(62 floors), Island Shangrila(57 floors), Bank of China

Tower(70 floors), Standard Chartered Bank Building(45 floors), HSBC Main Building(52 floors), AIG Tower(40 floors), Jardine House(52 floors), Exchange Square(52 floors), Two IFC(88 floors, the tallest building in Central), and many more.

Bank of China Tower    Among the skyscrapers in Hong Kong, I find Bank of China Tower the most unusual one. This unique building is easily recognizable in the distance. Built in 1990, it has geometrical lines which are supposed to resemble a bamboo plant symbolizing revitalization and hope. It was designed by a well-known Chinese American architect, Ieoh Ming Pei, who is an MIT and Harvard graduate in architecture. He was born in Canton,

China in 1917. Louvre Pyramid in Paris (1989), Raffles City in Singapore (1985), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio and Museum of Islamic Arts in Doha, Qatar are some of his designs.

Chater Garden    While walking to a public garden, Chater Garden, we heard a lot of noise. At first, we thought birds were making the noise there. But when we reached the place we were surprised to see many groups of foreign maids having picnic and chattering away. Then I jokingly told my wife that the name of the garden should be changed to “Chatter Garden”.

Foreign Maids in Chater Garden  A lot of foreign maids were at the garden because it was a public holiday, Labour Day (1 May 2007). I guess they meet each other on weekends too and Chater Garden is one of their favourite rendezvous. At present there are about 250,000 foreign maids in Hong Kong and most of them are from poor countries, like the Philippines and Indonesia.

Chater Garden is named after an influential Hong Kong businessman, Sir Catchick Paul Chater (1846-1926). It is a medium-sized garden with many shady trees and a pool of water located right in front of Legislative Council Building.

Legislative Council Building  Standing in Chater Garden, I saw a majestic, quaint building. It was built in 1912 in neo-classical style with columns and arches along Jackson Road. Originally, it housed the Supreme Court. But in 1985, it was taken over by the Legislative Council which still occupies the building.

On top of the front roof of the building is the Statue of Justice, a

blind-folded lady, Themis, (the Greek Goddess), carrying a sword in one hand and scales in the other. Strangely, this statue has one thing that is different from the Statue of Justice on top of the Old Bailey in London. The latter is not blind-folded.

Statue of Sir Thomas Jackson (1841-1915)  It is not easy to find a bronze statue of an important person in Hong Kong. But in Chater Garden, I found one. It was the statue of Sir Thomas Jackson (1841-1915) in front of HSBC Building. HSBC erected it there in honour of his excellent service when he was its Chief Manager from 1870 to 1902.

Court of Final Appeal Building  Not far from the Chater Garden is the Court of Final Appeal Building. It was built in neo-classical style in 1917 by the

French Mission. In 1953 it was sold to the Government which successively used it as the Education Department, the Victoria District Court, the Supreme Court and the Information Centre. Now it houses the Court of Final Appeal.

A Street Tram  In the afternoon, we left Central and walked to a bus station near Lippo Tower in Admiralty. We intended to visit Ocean Park in the southern part of Hong Kong Island.

On the way to the bus station, we saw an unusual double-decker vehicle moving noisily but slowly on a railway with a cable attached

to its top. It is a street tram that runs along a 13 km railway line on North Hong Kong Island. Since 1904, this classic icon of Hong Kong has been providing an old fashion-style travel experience in the hustling and bustling city. For a ride on a tram, you need to pay a small sum, HKD2.

At the Admiralty bus station, we boarded Citybus no. 629 and soon we were on our way to Ocean Park in the southern part of Hong Kong Island

{To continue reading this travelogue, please go to Hong Kong Travel (Part II)}

Australia Travel (Part II)

{continued from Australia (Part I)}

Day 4: Monday 15 Nov 2004S   Sydney City Tour 1

At 10 am we left Melbourne and travelled to Sydney by plane. When we arrived there, a coach immediately

brought us to the city for a sight-seeing tour. 

Sydney City  Sydney is the largest city in Australia. It is a vibrant metropolitan city of 4 million people of diverse races and cultures. It spreads over a vast coastal basin with many harbours, e.g. Sydney Harbour and Darling Harbour.

Sydney Tower  The tallest structure in the city is Sydney Tower which is in Market Street. It is a famous landmark on the Sydney city skyline. Tourists can go up to 250 m above the street level

and view a breathtaking scenery of the city and its harbours. 
Sydney Skyline Sydney Chinatown
First, we went to Chinatown where there are many Chinese restaurants and shops which are traditionally run.

Royal Gardens  After that, we went to the Royal Gardens which is located on the eastern edge of Sydney CBD. It is a place of natural beauty. People go there for peace and relaxation, and to learn about plants and horticulture. Surrounding the gardens is an open parkland of the Domain which is a place for sport, entertainment and recreation.

A large tree of diameter 80 feet can be seen in the Royal Gardens. (See photo on the right)

Darling Harbour   Then we walked about at Darling Harbour, The Rocks, and the outside area of Sydney Opera House.

Darling Harbour is a wonderful place for visitors to spend their time to relax, shop, wine, dine, watch a show and do other activities.

It is a leisure and entertainment precinct in the city. It has 120 specialty shops, 30 waterfront food outlets, National Maritime and Powerhouse Museum where you learn about Australian history and culture, Chinese Garden of Friendship

which is a green and peaceful sanctuary, Sydney Aquarium which keeps more than 11,000 Australian aquatic animals, Imax Theatre where you can catch a movie on a giant screen and Star City Casino where you can try your luck.

The Rocks  At The Rocks, we admired some well-preserved quaint buildings. We could see at close range Australia’s largest steel bridge, Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is one of man’s greatest engineering works.  

While we were at the Sydney Harbour waterfront, we came across two famous Australian iconic attractions, viz. Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

Sydney Harbour Bridge  Spanning across the Sydney Harbour is a massive steel and single-arch bridge which has a total length of 1149 metres. Opened on 19 March 1932, the bridge carries motor vehicles as well as trains. It links the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) and the North Shore.

It ofers a tourists’ popular activity i.e. “The Bridge Climb”. You must have courage and tough legs to walk up

the catwalks, ladders and arches that lead to the top of the bridge which is 194 metres above sea-level. Once on top, you will be able to have a 360 degree panoramic and stunning views of the city and the harbour.

Sydney Opera House  Sydney Opera House has a unique and spectacular shape. From afar it looks like a ship with white sails. Opened in 1973, it is located at Bennelong Point. It is about 185 metres long and 120 metres wide. The highest roof vault is 67 metres above sea level. Inside, there are 5 main auditoria, a reception hall, 5 rehearsal studios, 4 restaurants, a library, 60 dressing rooms and suites, and many more. A guided tour is available here.

The Opera House offers a wide variety of exciting entertainments ranging from theatre, musicals and opera to films.

Sydney Harbour Boat Cruise  After a walk around Sydney Opera House, we went to board a cruise boat

which took us round the beautiful Sydney harbour. As it was cruising, we saw the magnificent views of the city skyscrapers, Sydney Opera House, and Sydney Harbour Bridge. We even went under the huge bridge and were awe-stricken by its complicated massive structure of steel. 
Enjoying a boat cruise in Sydney Harbour
At that time, the temperature was 35 degrees Celsius and it was of course scorching hot on the open deck of the boat. But the cruise was an enjoyable and memorable one. No visit to Sydney city is complete without a Sydney Harbour cruise.

Star City Restaurant  In the evening we had a buffet dinner of over 100 kinds of food at Star City Restaurant. I tried many of them. Our tour guide had prawns only for her dinner and later she fell sick.

Star City Casino  After the dinner, we entered a heavily guarded casino, Star City, which was just opposite the restaurant in the same building. I could only watch people gambling as I had said earlier I was travelling

on a shoe-string budget. The casino offers all forms of gambling, like Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Mini Baccarat, Sic Bo, Big Wheel, Caribbean Stud Poker, Pai Gow and Pontoon.

Day 5 :Tuesday 16 Nov 2004   Koala Park Sanctuary (Sydney)

Wombat & Koalas   After breakfast, we travelled to Koala Park Sanctuary which is along Castle Hill Road, Sydney.  At the sanctuary, my wife and I first took a photo with a ranger

carrying a big, sleepy 14 year-old wombat. Then we took another photo with a young koala at another place nearby.

Kangaroos   When we entered a fenced-up area, we saw some tourists feeding kangaroos. They were quite tame as they did not mind tourists getting close to them. There was a big and beautiful peacock in the area. It often spread its long colourful and shiny feathered tail to show off its beauty.

Sheep Shearing   Later we walked to a place where a fat, dirty-looking

man with a cowboy hat showed us how a sheep was sheared. After shearing half-way, he asked a tourist to continue shearing the sheep for him. As the novice could not hold the sheep properly, the whole audience had a good laugh.

Boomerang Throwing & Sheep Dog   After the shearing demonstration, the man went to an open space and showed us his boomerang throwing skill. Then he commanded his intelligent black and white dog to show us how it rounded up a few sheep in the fenced up area. In another fenced-up area we were fortunate to see some big emus co-existing with the sheep. 

                                                                                
Day 5: Tuesday 16 Nov 2004   Travel to Blue Mountains National Parks 

We left Sydney city in the morning and travelled westwards to the well-known Blue Mountains National Park.

It is a World Heritage Region. On the way, we stopped at Katoomba to have lunch at a Chinese restaurant, Canton Palace Restaurant. After lunch, we continued our journey.

 Scenic World  Soon we reached a tourist spot known as Scenic World in the Blue Mountains. Then we took a ride on the Scenic Railway which is the steepest in the world. It goes down 200m to Jamison Valley. In the valley, we strolled through lush fern filled rainforest and came across an old coal mine area where there was a

statue of a coal-miner and his horse-drawn cart. We also saw some rusty buckets lying on a slope. They were once used for carrying coal across the valley. One day they fell onto the slope because the cable holding them snapped.

To go up a hill, we boarded Scenisender which is a big carriage carrying about 70 people at a time. It has transparent walls and roof so that the passengers can see the breathtaking panoramic views of the blue mountains, valleys and waterfalls.

Echo Point and The Three Sisters  Later we went to a vantage point, Echo Point, to look at a unique rock formation which looks like three human figures. According to the

aborigines’ legend, there were three sisters who were turned into rocks by their father as he was running away from a powerful evil spirit. Later, he could not change them back to human beings as he had lost his magic wand. So the three figures is now known as “The Three Sisters”.

The views from Echo Point are spectacular. You can see rugged tablelands, sheer cliffs and deep valleys. The whole region, covered with rich green flora, is engulfed in a blue haze caused by the oil from the Eucalyptus trees.

Sydney Olympic Stadium  Travelling back to Sydney, we stopped at Australia’s largest stadium. It was in this stadium that

the Olympics was held in year 2000. We were fascinated by many pillars erected outside the stadium. These pillars carry hundreds of Olympic gold-medalists’ names inscribed on them. I tried to look for some Malaysians’ names on them but, unfortunately, I did not find any.

Looking at the huge stadium outside, I started to imagine that I heard thousands of spectators cheering at the athletes who were running on the track inside. Having finished the race first, the winner jumped up for joy and happily threw kisses to the cheering crowds. Before I could go on imagining, we were asked to return to the coach to continue our journey back to Sydney City. 

Day 6 : Wednesday 17 Nov 2004   Queen Victoria Building (Sydney) 

Queen Victoria Building  After breakfast in Sydney, my wife, son, my wife’s Australian friend and I walked

to a well-known shopping quaint building, Queen Victoria Building, in George Street. It has 5 levels of shops which offer branded fashionable clothes, food, arts, jewellery, antiques, gifts and souvenirs. In the middle of the building stood a very tall Christmas tree which was beautifully decorated. It reminded the locals of the Christmas shopping season. There is a large clock tower in the building with 4 paintings and figurines depicting the life of the Australian aborigines before the white settlement, the Captain Cook’s landing in Australia in 1770, the second fleet landing in

1790 and the taking of the children of the aborigines.

Sitting on a throne on a tall white pedestal outside the building is a bronze statue of Queen Victoria of England.

 
Paddy’s Market  Later, we walked to the Sydney’s largest and famous market, Paddy’s, in Hay Street. It has lots of shops

selling all kinds of merchandise ranging from souvenirs and apparels to vegetables, fruits and seafood. It was fun to browse in the market. But we did buy something there.

City Monorail Ride  After visiting the busy market, we took a monorail which brought us round for an interesting sightseeing tour of the Sydney’s CBD (Central Business District).

In the evening, we took an early dinner and left for the Sydney airport to catch a flight home. At 11 pm (Sydney local time), our plane took off and we were on our way home (Malaysia).
Day 7 : Thursday 18 Nov 2004   Journey Back To Malaysia

On the way home, I started to recollect the beautiful and interesting places I had visited, the friendly people I had met, native animals in sanctuaries I had watched, historic buildings I had seen, spectacular landscapes of the Blue Mountains, different city skylines, and many more that I had admired in Australia. Furthermore, I remembered the Australian foods and wine I had tasted, the air at different places I had smelt, the boat cruise I had enjoyed, and many other unforgettable experiences.

A Long Flight Risk   As it was a long journey home, I got up and walked up and down the aisle in the plane several times. That was to avoid the risk of developing dangerous blood clots in my legs. These blood clots may cause death if they block lungs, brains, or other vital organs.

Well, that is a diary of our Australia travel. Thank you for reading it and hope you have enjoyed it.

Written by:

Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor

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