Imperial China Day 19
Imperial China
OAT Day 2-15 - Thursday, April 24, 2008 - Fly to Guilin-Elephant Trunk Hill-Fubo Hill-Pedestrian Street-Night Market - Guilin, China
Our overnight stay in Chengdu was brief and uneventful. The hotel A/C is not turned on until the weather is warmer and reaches over 20º. Even though this Xin Hua International Hotel was a “4 star” the breakfast was very meager and the hotel was a disappointment to all of us.
Our departure time for Guilin was changed so we had to be out and on the bus at 8 AM. We left our big bags at the hotel for storage and just took our small carry-on bags for our three day trip to Guilin, the replacement portion of the OAT trip instead of going to Tibet.
The drive to the airport was about 45 minutes. Rush hour traffic was bad at 8:15 and made worse by construction of a new subway system. Merging in traffic was a challenge but most people seemed to manage.
On the way to the airport Matt gave us more information about Guilin, his home community. It is smaller, less than 760,000 people so in China it would be considered small city. There are more than 11 different ethnic groups in this part of southern China.
We flew on Southern China Air and arrived at the Guilin Airport at Noon. Forest of osmanthus is the literal meaning of Guilin. Osmanthus is a flowering bush related to the olive family.
On the way from the airport into the city we saw lots of rice paddies. Farmers plant and cultivate this grain by hand in the old traditional way. It is very warm here so they get two crops per year. The temperature today was 78º and 41%.
Farmers also raise ducks, fish, snakes, and soft shelled turtles. They grow mushrooms, lotus, and fruits such as oranges and kumquats. There is also a habitat in the suburbs for the preservation of Asian tigers and bears that are becoming extinct.
About 300 million years ago this land was all under a sea. The layers of limestone were thrust upwards to form the sharp irregularly shaped mountains. People still find many fossils in the hills.
Our first adventure in Guilin was driving from the airport to the hill city. Unlike the rest of China, drivers do not honk their horns unless it is an emergency. There is a 205 Yuan fine and a public humiliation apology on TV for disturbing the peace and tranquility of the city.
Most buildings here were occupied by the Japanese during World War II. They then destroyed the city. The buildings were not rebuilt until the 1980’s but because of poor construction many are being demolished and rebuilt now.
We got off the bus at the Elephant Hill Park where we had a much needed walk through the beautifully landscaped gardens near the Peach Blossom River. The Elephant Rock was originally under water but when the river water level receded the shape of the elephant’s trunk was exposed.
We walked around the park where many Chinese tourists were dressing in traditional ethnic costumes to have their photos taken. There were also trained bird shows, food vendors, bamboo raft rides, and plenty of picnic spots.
After leaving the park we walked along the Li River which is a surprisingly clear and clean river, confirming that Guilin is one of the most beautiful and pristine cities in China.
We walked along the river walk to the Fubo Park. In front of the park there is a huge bronze statue of General Fubo who was sent here in ancient times to subdue an uprising.
This is also a gorgeous city park where we could climb the steep rock formation, go into an underground cave, or walk along the waterfront. We chose climb to the top of the rock along six others from our group. There was a gorgeous 360º view of the River Li and the city on the two banks below.
On the way down I counted the steps - there were 325. When we got back to the bottom I went into the cave and Gennie walked along the river.
After walking back to the bus we went to our hotel, the Guilin Royal Garden, found our room, unpacked, and hooked up to the high speed internet. Duane was having some problems so I helped him get connected.
Matt met us in the lobby at 5 PM for our dinner together at a hotel in the city center. After dinner he took us on a brief orientation walk. Back on the bus, we stopped for a brief photo opportunity at the two beautiful Sun and Moon pagodas on Fir Lake.
This was a night off for Matt so he could be with his family. A few of us decided to continue exploring the city on our own and strolled along the pedestrian street lined with busy shops.
We ended up all the way back at the lake and the two pagodas which were now brightly lit and stunning in the reflecting pool of the lake. We easily found our way back to the Night Market taking photos along the way.
At the Liberation Bridge, we met Duane, Joanne, Marv, and Caryl to cross over the river and walk back to our hotel. The city is very safe, very clean, and had a beautiful fragrance of blossoms on this Spring evening.
We returned to our hotel to write the journal and to review our adventures of the day.
Accommodations: Guilin Royal Garden Hotel - - - Meal: B, L, D
Picture 1 - Map of Trip - Guilin
Picture 2 - Not GoingTo Tibet
Picture 3 - Elephant Hill
Picture 4 - City of Guilin with Mountains from Fubo Hill
Picture 5 - Sun and Moon Pagodas at Fir Lake
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Comments
I almost feel as if I'm with you all. Thanks so much for the great journal and pictures. Big hello to Don from his sis in New Jersey. Pauline
Post a Comment!You can't escape Elephant Rock, can you? I hope all is well, and hopefully drying up a bit.
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