Living in the Guilin(桂林Guìlín) is like living in a world made of amazing nature where karstic hills and mountains rise straightly out of the ground everywhere near to the pristine Li River(漓江Líjiāng). Here you can meet friendly and interesting Chinese people who are willing to share their knowledge about their city. Furthermore, it is a paradise for discovering colorful culture and food as well.
Category: Travel Chinese
Manchu impression at the edge of Inner Mongolia in China
Speaking about large-scale grasslands, historical sites, colorful traditions and friendly people from another tradition still living closely related to nature, out of the many places that this can be in China, one region comes to my mind. Let me think…, northern China and that region near to the lush steppes of Inner Mongolia is what my mind is flying to a region where a preserved nature is still living closely related to the modern world that China has become. For talking about northern China, this reminds me of a trip into the northern tip of Hebei Province, which encircles Beijing and Tianjin municipalities. Hebei Province is well-known for being home to the first Peking men, crossed from west to east by the Great Wall, and the area where major historical events of past dynasties, emperors and wars made the destiny of China.
The Great Wall Section——Shanhai Pass / Shanhai Guan
"The first pass under heaven"-Shanhai Pass's history is long and rich with cultural and historical significance and forms an iconic part of China's Great Wall. Shanhai Pass is the most Northeastern begging point of the Great Wall and was once a key military fortification of ancient China. At more than 26 kilometers long and only 10 kilometers from the now thriving hub of Qinhuangdao it is accessible to tourists. According to historical data record this section of the wall is more than 600 years old. Many celebrated Chinese generals have commanded on this section of the wall, including one of the Chinese few female commanders. Although now it is no longer used it still stands as a reminder of the ingenuity and the capability of the Chinese to resist invaders.
Classic Beijing in China
Back in Year 2007, my trip in northeastern China(中国Zhōngguó) with my University Program ended finally by the awe-inspiring(if you describe someone or something as awe-inspiring, you are emphasizing that you think that they are remarkable and amazing, although sometimes rather frightening) visit of the capital city of Beijing(北京Běijīng). Most famous Chinese city for its great historical and cultural background, Beijing was the destination that everyone was waiting for during this one-month trip. A destination full of hope and expectations that didn’t deceive us indeed at the end for its many sightseeing and great attractions.
Tour group accompaniment in Guilin and its vicinity
Saturday, 16th April Meeting time and place fixed with the English speaking tour guide Sharon(莎伦Shā Lún) that I was going to accompany during these four coming days, we first met at a bus station near to our place to go taking the Guilin airport shuttle bus(shuttle consisting of a bus that travels between two points). After an half an hour long route, we finally arrived at the airport, meeting the local professional driver and preparing the welcoming sign with personal name and Visit Our China’s flag.
Travel broadens the mind: Chengdu, Leshan
Travel, travel, travel…what a nice feeling, right? Every traveler looking for some large-scale and entertaining break has this restless feeling prior to their trip: where to go? What to see? Which hotels? Flights? … You all know what I am talking about: excitement! Of course you have to get informed on the destinations you chose for enjoying the tour at its best point and be prepared for the sightseeing you are going to see, but this is not everything about travel, life is not written in a book! "Reading ten thousand books equals traveling ten thousand meters" is what I am talking about. Let's get it started, live your life now and enjoy it for travel broadens the mind, relieves and even cultivates it. The best medicine I have ever taken so far.
May Day 2011: Spent My Holiday with Yangshuo in China
Thank God, the rainy days of Guilin(桂林Guìlín) City came to the end in April and girls in mini-skirts declared the coming of summertime! Pleasant weather, footloose(if you describe someone as footloose, you mean that they have no responsibilities or commitments, and are therefore free to do what they want and go where they want) holidays – that always make people want to do something relaxing, especially in Yangshuo(阳朔Yángshuò), a place where people never need to worry about how to kill time. The weather forecast told us that we would have a rainy holiday; fortunately, it was still cloudy after our lunch on 1st May, so we decided to take a chance to ride along the way to the Moon Hill to enjoy the nice countryside scenery and pick strawberries.
Li River in misty rain, Guilin
Being a land with best landscape under the heaven, the Guilin(桂林Guìlín) is a city enjoying a high reputation(to have a reputation for something means to be known or remembered for it) with breathtaking sceneries along the Li River(漓江Líjiāng). Rises in the Mao’er Mountain in Xing’an County (northern border of Guilin), passes southward through Guilin and Yangshuo, the Li River is a real fairyland on earth, which is endowed with graceful karstic hills, amazing caves and little streams. With its unique beauty that goes beyond any words, the Li River is one of the most represented landscapes embodied on traditional Chinese paintings and poems. As early as Tang Dynasty (618-907), the famous poet Han Yu(韩愈Hán Yù) was fascinated by its beauty and described this fairyland to people: "the river winds like a green silk ribbon, while the hills are like jade hairpins" (江作青罗带, 山如碧玉簪).
About Rock climbing in Yangshuo
Thanks to the peculiar karst landform(喀斯特地貌kǎsītè dìmào), Guilin(桂林Guìlín) especially Yangshuo is endowed with abundant scenery made up of karst hills in various shapes, while some of them are more than landscapes. In other words, it is no exaggeration to say that you can find a hill suitable for climbing wherever you stand in Yangshuo. Thus, no airport and no railway do not stop climbing lovers from all over the world from rushing to Yangshuo every year.
Chinese travel
Now, I learned Chinese in Beijing City, that means I learned my Chinese(汉语hànyǔ) with all the R’s, my first time hearing Chinese was in Beijing(北京Běijīng) and I kinda thought it sounded like a bunch of dogs barking. Ruf ruf ruf ruf ruf. But hey that’s how I started Chinese, so in 2009 when I came to Yangshuo to start teaching, and to learn Chinese, I wasn’t even remotely used to their Chinese. None of the R’s I fell in love with, or for that matter really good Mandarin. At that time hearing the difference between Northern Mandarin and Southern Mandarin was like hearing a true New Yorker speaking his form of English, and hearing someone from the deep deep South in a swamp in the middle of nowhere’s English.
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