14 DAYS IN CHINA

• 

  INTRO

  A life-long interest in Asian culture, art and literature prompted us – Lisa Holmes and John Vincent – to travel to China for the first time in April 2011. We traveled as part of a tour group to Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin (with side trips to Longsheng and Yangshuo) and Shanghai (with side trips to Suzhou and Tongli).
  
  While our photography and video efforts were hampered somewhat by the group experience, we tried our best to document our journey. We are pleased to share our experience with you.

  

  

• DAYS 1-2: TRAVELING

  Traveling to China takes time. Crossing the international date line, we started early one day and arrived late the next. Our trip started a block from our house where we caught the bus, transferred to the MAX and on to PDX. Flew to San Francisco then on to Beijing to begin our visit.

  

  

  

• DAY 3: BEIJING

  Our first day in Beijing was an eye opener. The size the city is remarkable (18 million range) and the traffic is fascinating. Pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, buses and many more cars than we expected all flow relatively well together… most of the time.

  

  

  TIANANMEN SQUARE

  Massive numbers of tourists visit Tiananmen – almost all of them Chinese.
  

  

  FORBIDDEN CITY

  Quite grand but barren feeling. We learned that trees were forbidden.
  

  

  HUTONG NEIGHBORHOOD

  Rickshaw ride through an old neighborhood in the shadow of Beijing's growth.
  

  

  

• DAY 4: BEIJING

  This day took us out of the city to visit a jade factory, Ming's Sacred Way and the magnificent Great Wall. We visited the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall and had the scene almost entirely to ourselves on a breezy, blue-sky day.

  

  

  JADE FACTORY

  We left this factory with a bracelet, ear rings and a jade rabbit (our shared zodiac sign).

  

  MING TOMBS

  We didn't make it into the tombs, but enjoyed the sculptures guarding the entrance.
  

  

  THE GREAT WALL

  Walking along this historical monument was as spectacular as we imagined it would be.
  

  

  

• DAY 5: BEIJING

  Day five of our journey featured Beijing landmarks. Parks at the Temple of Heaven provided a glimpse into the daily lives of Beijing citizens who practiced tai chi, performed group dances and gathered to spend time together.

  

  

  SUMMER PALACE

  A country get-away built for the imperial family.
  

  

  TEMPLE OF HEAVEN

  A Taoist temple visited by emperors for prayers to Heaven for good harvests.
  

  

  

• DAY 6: XI'AN

  We arrived in Xi'an the evening of Day 5 and had one of the best meals of our entire trip. We especially loved the hot and sour flavors. It was a perfect set-up for a day of wonders large and small… from the Terra Cotta Warriors to a home in a cave.

  

  

  TEA HOUSE

  Outstanding tea selection, good prices and a remarkable serving ceremony.
  

  

  TERRA COTTA ARMY

  Rather than bury his army alive, the first emperor had artists create an exact replica of each soldier.
  

  

  YAODONG CAVE DWELLING

  Some older yaodong owners still prefer these earthy homes to new government housing.
  

  

  

• DAY 7: XI'AN

  We spent most of Day 7 inside the city of Xi'an, visiting areas known for Buddhism and Islam. At the Wild Goose Pagoda our group provided an English lesson for a visiting class. Xi'an was the starting point of the Silk Road, and the Middle Eastern influence is clear.

  

  

  MUSLIM QUARTER

  The Muslim Quarter was filled with interesting shops, sites and aromas.
  

  

  BIG WILD GOOSE PAGODA

  When Buddhist sutras were first brought from India, they were housed in this pagoda.
  

  

  MUSLIM MOSQUE

  Chinese architecture notwithstanding, a traditional and well-attended mosque.
  

  

  

• DAY 8: GUILIN & LONGSHENG

  Situated on the Li River amid a karst landscape, Guilin often is called the most beautiful spot in China. On Day 8, we travelled north to Longsheng, where we visited a village of the Zhuang minority who are known for their tapestry crafts.

  

  

  LONGSHENG DRAGON SPINE
  RICE TERRACES

  The Zhuang people have spent many generations carving their rice terraces into the mountainside.
  

  

  

  

• DAY 9: YANGSHUO

  We left Guilin on an early boat and motored about 30 miles south on the Li River to Yangshuo, a town popular with tourists of all nationalities. The trip provided a glimpse into the life of the river people who rely on boats as their only means of transportation.

  

  

  LI RIVER CRUISE

  Weaving through limestone hills, we saw fishermen, orange groves and water buffalo.
  

  

  BIKE RIDE THROUGH COUNTRYSIDE

  Four of us were treated to a bike ride and visit to a local home by our wonderful local guide.
  

  

  

• DAY 10: YANGSHUO

  On a day featuring food, we began with a visit to an expansive local market where we saw every vegetable, fruit and animal you can imagine. We used our purchases to prepare lunch at a local cooking school.

  

  

  COOKING SCHOOL

  We added several new dishes and preparation methods to our Chinese repertoire.
  

  

  LOCAL FOOD MARKET

  The cleanliness of this market was as remarkable as its size and diversity.
  

  

  

• DAY 11: SHANGHAI

  With a population of around 20 million, Shanghai ranks as one of the world's largest cities, and it is certainly the most western-influenced of any we saw in China. From the old-world European stylings of The Bund to the immense newness of Pudong, Shanghai has much to offer.

  

  

  SHANGHAI CITY SCENES

  After the pastoral landscapes of Yangshuo, Shanghai's urban intensity was unsettling.
  

  

  

• DAY 12: SUZHOU & TONGLI

  Not far from Shanghai, Suzhou's world-famous gardens and Tongli's water town offer a completely different experience. In Suzhou we toured a garden then visited a local silk factory. A ride in a Tongli gondola gave some respite from the heat.

  

  

  SUZHOU GARDEN & SILK FACTORY

  Classic Chinese garden designs rely heavily on structure and borrowed scenery.
  

  

  TONGLI WATER TOWN

  Chinese water towns offer a glimpse into a way of life that has existed for centuries.
  

  

  

• DAY 13: SHANGHAI

  Our last day in Shanghai was a free day, so we got together with two other couples and caught the Metro to the Yuyuan District. In addition to Yuyuan shopping, we took in the Taoist Temple of the City God and took a walking tour through Old Shanghai.

  

  

  YUYUAN BAZAAR

  Excellent shopping for tea, dumplings and souvenirs of all types.
  

  

  OLD SHANGHAI

  The part of Shanghai that feels truly Chinese rather than international.
  

  

  

• DAY 14: RETURN

  The journey from Shanghai to Portland was one of the longest journeys of our lives. We left our Shanghai hotel at 6:00 am and arrived in Portland 35 hours later after flying first to Beijing, then on to San Francisco and, finally, PDX. Exhausted is an understatement.

  

  MAGLEV TRAIN

  Without the speedometer, one would never guess we were going over 200 miles per hour.