Zhenyuan

We arrived in Zhenyuan immediately following Sisters' Rice Festival. Zhenyuan seemed like the opposite from the festival: plenty of comfortable lodging, quiet, beautiful setting...

We decided to stay for a few days, while Sun-Ling tried to sleep off her cold.

Sun-Ling resting on our hotel room's balcony. That's an historic group of temples across the way.


Sun-ling not resting but walking along the old city wall, refered to locally as the Miao Great Wall of China.


The old quarter in foreground and newer, but still old, quarter at back.


The old bridge on a foggy morning.


Shrine to Grandfather Earth.

Sister's Rice Festival

We spent the last six days in Guizhou Province in Taijiang City and Shidong Village enjoying the Sister's Rice Festival of the Miao people.

The festival has evolved over the years and has a modern touch to it. Nevertheless it feels authentic. The pride the locals take is evident. The costumes are simply fantastic.

Highlights were the Opening Ceremony Parade with singers, dancers, water buffalo, and traditonal costumes; the Dragon Lantern Dance where 20 meter long paper dragons are set on fire with fireworks amid a crazed throng of spectators; Dragon Boat Race with lucky ducks hung off the bows of the boats amid firecracker smoke and mijiu (rice wine) drinking oarsmen.

Young Miao women in traditional costume with loads of silver.


The Dragon Lantern Dance.


Dragonboat.


More photos from Guizhouclick here.

Itinerary 2008 - China (Yunnan, Guangxi) UPDATED

Date(s): Location(s): Transport
--------------------------------
3/2: Luang Nam Tha, Laos -> Mengla, China : Bus
3/3: Mengla
3/4: Mengla -> Mandan: Motorbike taxi
3/5: Mandan -> Mengla -> Jinghong: Walk 10km, Minibus, VIP bus
3/6-7: Jinghong (Xishuangbanna)
3/8: Jinghong -> Jianshui: Overnight Sleeper Bus
3/9-11: Jianshui
3/12: Jianshui -> Xinjie (Yuanyang County): Bus
3/13-15: Xinjie
3/16: Xinjie -> Gejiu -> Kaiyun -> Yanshan: bus, bus, bus, bus
3/17: Yanshan -> Guangnan: Bus
3/18: Guangnan -> Bamei Village: Bus, walk, boat through cave
3/19: Bamei Village -> Guangnan: Boat through cave, walk, boat through cave, walk, bus
3/20: Guangnan -> Baise: Bus
3/21: Baise -> Beihai: Express Bus
3/22-26: Beihai
3/27: Beihai -> Wuzhou: Bus
3/28: Wuzhou
3/29: Wuzhou -> Hezhou Hot Springs: Bus
3/30: Hezhou Hot Springs -> Huangyao: Bus
3/31: Huangyao
4/1: Huangyao - Yangshuo: Bus
4/2-6: Yangshuo

Last stretch

Last stretch

We entered SE Guizhou yesterday, the last of our three-province tour of China.  This area is known for Dong villages which we first visited in western Guangxi.

Typical Dong Village Drum Tower.


Atypical Dong Wind and Rain Bridge as this one has two levels, one for people and one for work animals.


We have our return flights to the US booked for 5/30.

Qingming

Last weekend we were in Yangshuo during Qingming, the traditional Tomb Sweeping season. This year, Qingming was a national holiday for the first time, and on Saturday the muddy roads and waters around Yangshuo were packed with tombsweeping locals and biking, hiking, and floating Chinese tourists enjoying the 3-day holiday weekend.

Both Sun-Ling and I had never seen real tomb sweeping. In Yangshuo, we obseerved the locals go as a 3 generation family unit to the hillside tomb(s). They walk, motorcycle, or drive. Usally one of the older men carrys a shovel, hoe, or machette. The others carry a cooked chicken and other food, a few hundred small incense sticks, 2 red candles, paper money, red paper, and a string of fire crackers.

After the tomb is cleaned up (weeds removed and stones straightened) incense is lit and food is offered. The more affluent may pay for a Lion Dance. Some burn paper money, others attach it to a flag atop the tomb. Rectangular red papers are pasted on the front of the tomb. Finally, the offerings - including cooked chicken - are taken away, and everyone leaves as the string or three of firecrackers is lit.

In addition, the locals make and eat zongzi, sticky rice squares wrapped in bammboo leaves.

Cleaning the tombs.


A cleaned tomb.


Floating tourists. Checkout their footgear.


Zongzi at lower left.