Baoshan

Our 4th 8AM busride in 4 days started out slowly as we waited along the roadside for 20 minutes for the driver's friend to show up with a load of firewood and vegetables that were then tied on the roof of the bus for "delivery to Baoshan?". However, once we got going, the drive was scenic with multiple long uphills and downhills - 15 kilometers or more each - and blooming rapeseed fields.

I should also mention that an 8AM bus in these parts of China is equivalent to a 6AM bus ride most places in the world. Why? China has just one time zone, based on Beijing sunrise and sunset, so for example the sun did not rise today in Baoshan until 7:49 AM. Thus one has to get up at the crack of dawn to catch the 8AM bus.

Baoshan turned out to be nice. "It feels like we are back in civilization for the first time since leaving Kunming," said Sun-Ling. For example, Baoshan is clean, has managed traffic, a library, a city museum, city buses, schools, a nice hill-top park, and a zoo. Wait, a zoo is not our idea of civilization.

We spent one day checking out the sites around the city, and another day visiting Jinji and Banqiao, a couple of old towns on the so-called South Silk Road.

Cinema - Circa 1952- Baoshan. Don't see many old cinemas in China with Chinese style architecture.


Wen Bi Pagoda - Baoshan


The dueling gates of the Buddhist(L) and Taoist(R) temples.


Taoist Temple - Wow!


Zebra? Headed to the Baoshan Park.


Old Stage on Square Street - Jinji


What's left of the old Hot Springs - Jinji.


Rapeseed near Jinji.


Rapeseed and wheat near Banqiao.


Circa 1950's cinema in Banqiao.


Monument to the South Silk Road Caravans at Banqiao.