A land quickly transforming into a major player in the world

China is a country that has always fascinated me for a couple of reasons.  First it has some of the earliest civilizations in the world (if you take into account the 5 characteristics of a civilization),Second is the sheer geographic size of it, and third how many people currently live here, and how this society is kept clean and orderly despite its population.

I decided the best thing to do to see this country is take a job for a couple of years in order to travel around and check things out. 

Sure you have the major tourist attractions like the Terracotta Warriors, The Great Wall of China, the Pandas, and the big cities, but there is much more to China than these.  There is no doubt in my mind that I will visit the tourist attractions, but for now I want to focus on the outlying parts.  The parts that people do not really get around to see on a trip here and the people that live in these places….

Goqui Island

Jiang Lang Mountain and Village

Random Photos around parts of Shanghai

Yangcheng Lake

Moli Mountain and Hot Springs

Anhui Province

Zhangjiajie

Guangxi Province

Sichuan Province- Pandas!!

Harbin- Winter Festival

Hangzhou Longjing Village Tea Garden

Shaolin Monks and Grottoes

Tongli Water Town

Rainbow Mountains

Thousand Island Lake

Goqui Island- The Return

Inner Mongolia

Beijing and the Great Wall (not restored part)

Laoximen- Old Style neighborhood in Shanghai

Wuyi County Camping

Fuxing Park

The Bund- Tai Chi and Sunrise

Gouqi Island III

Laoximen with Students

Hong Kong

Minghe Ancient Water Town and Hot Springs

Tianzifang (French Concession), Food Tour, and Blue Grass

Xian- Terracotta Warriors and Muslim Quarters

Street Art Village- Zhejiang Province

Yu Gardens

1933 Slaughterhouse

LinAn- Zhejiang Province

West Bund

Macau

Goqui Island- IVth Time

Laoximen and Yu Gardens

1000 Island Lake III

Beijing and Great Wall Camping II

Tibet

Shanghai=Big City

There are so many different parts of Shanghai to walk around and photograph it is almost too much to handle.  I have been out a few times for photography and some of them are listed below (work in progress)

French Concession Area

Moli Mountain (hill) and Hot Spring Sauna

Another couple hours from Shanghai there is a small resort town with some of the most elaborate hot springs I have ever seen…..

The mountain (hill) hiking was done in the morning and on the way down you can pick fresh oranges to take with you for a minimal price.  The view on top of the hill was not as spectacular as I had hoped due in part to smog and the sun hiding behind the clouds.

The hot springs were simply amazing.  I am the first person to tell you that I am not a fan of sauna’s or hot springs but this one blew me away.  Different pools of different temperatures with different colors with different herbs or fragrances in them really blew me away.  Some pools had mint, some had coffee, and even some had roses in them.  Where I spent most of my time was in the pool with the little Chinchin that will clean away the dead skin on your feet.  Usually found in malls or tourist attractions, you can actually dip your whole body in the pool and watch the fish go to town.  A fantastic place that I will definitely go back to….

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A beautiful lake for cycling and Temples just out of Shanghai

A few hours outside of Shanghai there is a beautiful lake that has one of the most beautiful and extravagant Temples I have ever been to.

Yangcheng lake is known for its “Hairy Crabs” which is a delicacy among many Chinese and there were stalls everywhere. 

The temples were simply amazing with people out and about seeing the ornate structures inside and outside.  We were even treated to a meditation session (which I did not participate in), but most of the people I was with were in a calm area for about 15 minutes. 

Cycling around the lake (as i mostly took photos) seems to be a popular attraction, even though it is pretty hectic with people going in and out of the bike lane and children running around.  But a fun place to go for families and people just to enjoy the countryside of getting out of the city.

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I ran across this lady at one of the temples as despite her age, was content with life and looked very happy.  As the sun came from behind the clouds with her propped up against a temple of yellow, I couldn’t help but want to photograph her……

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A walk through here will make you think you are in a European City

The French Concession is probably one of the most elegant and beautiful areas in Shanghai.  If there were not any signs in Chinese, you would actually think that you are in a European city as the streets are carefully laid out. 

It was a Concession of the French from the mid 19th Century to the mid 20th Century of the French in Shangai and is probably one of the premier places to live in Shanghai.

I had the opportunity to go on a photo walk with a group around there and there is so much to photograph, and so much to see.  You can bet I will be  walking around here more in the future as the only thing that limits me is the prices of food and drink….

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A glimpse at rural china

Even though China is known for its big cities and famous sites, there are many sides to China that are still rural, and one of those places is up in the mountains about 7 hours drive from Shanghai. 

While there are many ancient towns in Shanghai that are overrun with tourists, there is one that was calm and serene.  The name of this place is called Nianbadu.  Taking a couple hours to walk through the town and see all of the different temples and mini museums reaffirmed  to me that this is the China that I want to see.

The streets were lined with people selling traditional food and sweets (seems to be a thing here in China with food everywhere).  As I do not speak Chinese, it was fun trying to communicate with people to buy stuff, but eventually I was able to make my purchases and get some good pics in of the streets.

The next day was a hike in a small mountain, but with a torrential rain storm, I decided to stay back at the guesthouse and relax as I did not want to get my camera gear wet.

The next day we headed to the great Jianglang Mountain.  The hike was moderate up top with some very big drops and when we finally reached the top, the cloud cover was so bad you could not see the surrounding countryside or area, but it was nice to be in nature again…maybe next time…..

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An Abandoned fishing village that is lost in time  军

There is an island in the middle of the ocean in the East China Sea that is unlike any other island in the world.  Part of the island is a tourist destination for many Chinese on holiday with its beautiful winding streets and plethora of sea food dishes.  The sunsets are one of the better ones I have witnessed here as they are free from the pollution engulfing the big cities on mainland China.    This islands name is Goqui Island….but there is a hidden part…

The other part of the island mirrors an image out of a post apocalyptic movie.  You have to arrange an old clunker boat to go there to spend your day.  This abandoned fishing village was the thriving center of the island to fishermen and their families.  But feeling the need to keep up with better wages, many of them moved to mainland China and left their houses to Mother Nature.

The scenery is absolutely stunning with many houses being overgrown with vines and weeds or sorts.  As many houses are crumbling away, you must be careful where you walk and should stay on the path. 

This was defiantly a highlight in China as it is not a major tourist destination and the photography is beautiful here.  Take a minute to look at the pictures below and I am sure you will agree….

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