Shanghai in pictures..

Shanghai was going through a period of 10-days of continuous rain so it didn't make for good sight-seeing weather. Didn't do much except wander around the Bund, a visit to the art musuem, and hiding in malls (retail and caffeine therapy).

Elegant art-deco style facade of the Shanghai Art Museum.

Shanghai skyline.. Views of Pudong from the Bund.. Not too long ago, Pudong was just a swampy marshland. Now, it is a gleaming example of China's economic and financial boom. It's impossible to take any photos of China without a crane in it!

The Bund.. with loads of tourists..and touts. I did a litte experiment. When i walked along the Bund with my camera in hand, i suffered the countless touts and was constantly harrassed to buy souvenirs and boat tours, just like the Western tourists. The moment i tucked it into my bag, i enjoyed some relative peace and quiet :-) Nice!

Sunday in the park - i thought you go to the park to escape from all the people.. but obviously everybody has the same idea.

Sunday social - oldies gathered in groups playing cards.

I'll be visiting Shanghai again so i'll be sure to write more the next time.

Zhouzhuang, the movie set

Zhouzhuang, so the tour brochure exhorts (and i shall type it all out here since i am incapable of coming up with something original today) was "originally built in 1086, just like a shining pearl between Shanghai and Suzhou. It is surrounded by water and boats are needed for short distance trips, thus the style and features as well as the structure of "small bridges, flowing water and households" of the town of meandering streams and rippling water in the south of lower reaches of the Yangtze River are preservced very well. Famous both at home and abroad for the preservation of numerous buildings of the Ming and Qing dynasties [between 1368-1911], Zhouzhuang has become an outstanding representative of water-town in the south of lower reaches of the Yangtze-river and the treasure of oriental culture for its one thousand years of history, rich Wu culture, its beautiful scenery as well as its unique folkways. "

So there.

I was also told that certain scenes in "Mission Impossible 3" were filmed in Zhouzhuang to depict the "old Shanghai". Do you remember the bit where Tom Cruise sprints through some old town shouting "rang kai! rang kai!!" as he tries to escape or rescue someone (or something like that?) - the movie was too forgettable..

Despite Zhouzhuang being postcard perfect, with its cobbled streets, wooden boats lined up along the waterways and well-preserved architecture, i found that the town had lost the spirit it was trying to preserve.

The exorbitant entry price of 100yuan into the town was quite off-putting and i imagine that it is even more steep to the local average Chinese. The streets were lined with tacky souvenir shops and i was constantly harrassedto buy some kitsch or eat in one of its similarly priced restaurants.

Yes, it was suffering from a case of over-commercialism endemic of many AAAA graded tourist sites in China.

Any site with this top grade stamped proudly on it typically means that it had better prepare itself for the throngs of domestic tourists that eagerly descend on them during weekends and national holidays.

A Chinese "ah yi" tourist poses on one of the numerous stone bridges connecting the streets of Zhouzhuang.

It being on the UN World Cultural Heritage list doesn't help either. Zhouzhuang also appeals to the Western tourist who has arrived in China, shocked and dismayed at how developed and modern the country has become, with its glass and steel skyscrapers, ugly power plants and smog-filled cities. Zhouzhuang presents the perfect antidote to these - the elusive, exotic "old Orient" that they had hoped to find in China.

I was glad i had packed a sandwich along with me for lunch. As i sat in a quiet corner of a temple located in the town observing the going-ons, i came to realise that the temple appeared a little too "make-believe", as though it was put there to enhance the ambience for the benefit of the tourists.

Of course, it came complete with the requisite buddha statues, incense burners, and monks. While there were no tourists around, the "monks" appeared to be very relaxed. In fact, a little too relaxed. They sang loudly and joked with the souvenir shop assistants, even slapping each other on the back. Hmm, a little too chummy for my liking, i thought.

Just when there were strains of a loudhailer and a big group of domestic tourists arrived, they immediately stopped and changed their expression, whipped out their prayer beads, sombre-faced as though they were in deep meditation as they strolled along the temple.

The "temple"

Forget MI3! It made me wonder if these "monks" were just playing a part in the big movie that is called Zhouzhuang, where the souvenir shop assistants, fortune tellers and monks were part of the show. I saw some tourists praying fervently and donating generously to the temple tonation boxes so at least some of the audience believed the temple was genuine.

Somewhat disappointed, i left Zhouzhuang. Cynical me didn't feel like playing a part in this Chinese Disneyland.

Chengdu - yep no sign of yaks here anywhere...

After weeks in the backwaters of southwestern China, we finally arrived in the Sichuan capital Chengdu. Like migrants "fresh off the boat", we gawked and marvelled at the skyscrapers, numerous expressways, fancy big cars on the road, and in general, the hustle-bustle of city life.

Immediately after dumping our backpacks in the guesthouse, we made a beeline for Western food - it had been 3 weeks since i'd sunk my teeth into a sandwich! French fries with ketchup!! I could cry... This is one of those rare times where i appreciate Ronald for providing consistent, identical, unhealthy junk food everywhere in the world. Hey, I need it! We had all shed quite a few pounds along the way.

In Chengdu, we were mostly in a recuperative mood and not too excited about any sight-seeing. The 3 of us were in good spirits and our appetites had returned. It was great to have consistent electricity, continuously hot running water in the shower, and clean clothes again. Chengdu weather was also much milder, at about 18-20 degrees celsius - which meant we could actually air our skin and feet without getting hypothermia. We spent 3 very leisurely days reading, playing table-tennis in the guesthouse, eating tuna sandwiches and running errands.

Chocolate-cheese for sale in the supermarket.. Why..?

As if blood tofu, chicken hearts and blow-torched pig trotters aren't exotic enough, a walk through the supermarket gives an insight into the various bizarre types of food you can try in China. I admit to liking chocolate and cheese... but not both at the same time!

On the way to the train station, we spotted this man poised and balanced perfectly on his motorbike, snoozing. I had a sudden, irresistable urge to walk over and tip the bike over..

Lake Mugecuo (part 2)

Apline lakes and hot springs dot the area, and about 45minutes trek from the lake, you can get a spectacular view of the Gongga mountain range, also known as the Minya Konka. (Everything here has about 3 different names! One in chinese, tibetan and sometimes English if you are lucky!)

Houses for Hobbits!

Along the way, we spotted some tiny houses that seemed to be stacked together entirely with stones - its a wonder it doesn't fall apart. We didnt' really go too near - there were lots of dogs barking!

With Will & Hazel - they made excellent travelling companions and i couldn't have done this long Sichuan journey without them! Will and Hazel have been backpacking through Asia for the past 15 months and China is their final stop before taking the Trans-siberian express home in time for Christmas. They entertained with their jokes and travel stories, watched out for me and looked after me when i was ill in Litang. Being in each other's company for almost 24 hours a day for a week meant that we all emerged with a new understanding of each other's idiosyncracies, habits, eating likes and dislikes!

Lake Mugecuo (part 1)

After Litang, we embarked (you guessed it, on another 8 hour rickety bus ride) to Kangding. The long, smoke-filled bus journeys were now taking its toil on us. No doub,t it was scenic on the way but we were always having to leave early in the morning e.g. at 6am, jostle onto the bus and endure the freezing bumpy ride. At Kangding, we were debating how many days to spend in this little town before moving onward. Should we break for 2 nights in Kangding or press on to Chengdu as soon as possible? We are now 8 hours away from Chengdu - not far now from the capital of Sichuan where there are more comfortable alternatives (Trains!) to other parts of China! Will, Hazel and I didn't find Kangding particularly interesting and we embarked on a little outing to Lake Mugecuo instead.

Lake Mugecuo or Mo Ge Tso Lake in Tibetan

Lake Mugecuo is a beautiful reserve area located about 35km away from the town of Kangding. It covers an area of about 500 sq km (bigger than the size of Singapore!), and the altitude is between 2900 -3800m.

Apart from the lake, there are several other scenic spots and walking trails.

Spin some Tibetan prayer wheels for good luck...

Litang, the wild town (part 3)

Kids clambering around Hazel -fascinated with the camera and excited to see their own images on it. They also wanted to take turns snapping photos! This one below was taken by one of the kids.

The Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling Monastery

Litang, the wild town (part 2)

On the way to the local lamasery, we passed through a small Tibetan village.

Traditional Tibetan houses with the distinctive red lining. Most of the houses are made of mud and brick.

These houses blend right in to the barren hills..

The biggest load of crap i've ever seen..

While wandering around the village, we passed by some villagers collecting yak dung. Someone must have came with a truck to unload the whole thing in the middle of the street. Yaks are useful animals to have around - good for meat, making butter, keep you warm with their fur and even their their dung can be used. During winter, when firewood is scarce, dried yak dung is a good and economical source of fuel!

Wind-burned cheeks and snotty noses!

Children from the village let loose after school - they were all very friendly and curious to know us. Even though they were shy at first, after the initial exchange of "tashideleks", we were able to converse a little bit in Mandarin! One or two of them asked Will and Hazel for "One yuan, give me one yuan!" - that was the only English phase they knew and no doubt they were trying their luck. I had to admonish them sternly in mandarin for begging.

Litang, the wild town (part 1)

From Daocheng, Will, Hazel and I continued our way northward toward Litang on yet another rickety local bus. Wild, remote, and scenic, Litang is situated 4014 m above sea-level on the Tibetan plateau.

Having ascended slowly from the various places we had been travelling through for the previous 10 days, we were able to acclimatize better. Still, the altitude got to me. The air here is freezing cold, dry and thin in oxygen. I found myself panting just walking up a flight of steps, or breathless and gasping for air when i walked too fast up a slight gradient. (How do people run a the Inca marathon in Macchu Picchu at 4000m altitude?!)

During the few weeks i was here, sleep came in fitful bouts and i awoke to the slightest noise. I also had really bizarre dreams and nightmares! Still, these made for only mild suffering. The travellers we had met coming from the opposite direction (from Chengdu & Kangding) had more severe symptoms like nausea and splitting headaches. Note to self: Make my way up to Kilimanjaro and Macchu Picchu real soon -before old age becomes another factor to consider!

Han Chinese are the minority in Litang and the town is mostly made up of Tibetans. The main street is colourful, chaotic and bustling with life.

Keep warm with fur. Where is PETA?! I think the animal-rights activists would have an absolute field day here nabbing people for wearing animal fur or for lining their bike! (see photo at the bottom of this post)

Young Tibetan monks padded out in their crimson red robes and winterwear - isn't it too cold to be wearing a robe around here?!

Crossing the road here is often a hazardous affair, even in the small towns. Pedestrians have to jostling with cars, bicycles, motorbikes, carts, and the occasional yak that finds its way to the middle of the street.

What better way to keep your fingers from falling off from frostbite - gloves with fur lining attached to your bike handles!

Tibetans are passionate about their motorbikes. A friend who has travelled through Tibet has seen nomadic Tibetans zipping their way across the grasslands at top speed, and parking their bikes outside their gers when not using them, right alongside their horses and yaks. At times, you just have to give your horses a rest!

Hazel & I

Sichuan snowscapes

Herds of yaks grazing in the bleak-looking plains- unfazed by the cold. These 2 photos were taken by Will/Hazel (i don't know which).

A traffic jam on the mountain pass -some monks got out of their vehicle to wait in the freezing cold! As it is the only road between some of the towns in south Sichuan, there can be lots of vehicles travelling on the Sichuan-Tibet highway at times. On this particular day, we were stuck in our crummy bus (with no heating) for half an hour waiting for a fleet of container trucks coming from the opposite direction to navigate the sharp bend in front of us. The roads were icy and while waiting, our driver had to dig dirt and earth from the slopes nearby to put underneath the wheels.

In Litang, we awoke to the loud din of locals shovelling snow off the pavement - at bloody 6am!! We opened the windows to find that the town had been blanketed in white. Litang probably gets alot of snow because of its high altitude of 4014m.

Market day in Daocheng

After returning to Zhongdian for a couple of days, it was time for Yingtze to fly home. Will, Hazel and I then continued our journey into Sichuan province, and our plan was to get to Chengdu city through the "back". From Zhongdian, we can travel on the southern Tibet-Sichuan highway, passing through the towns of Daocheng, Litang and Kangding in the mountains to enter Chengdu from the west.

After an excruciatingly long and bumpy marathon 12hour ride, we finally rolled into the Daocheng bus-stop hungry, thirsty, dying for a pee, and to stretch our legs! Being stuck in a rickety old bus, with lots of chain-smoking locals was excruciating. I felt like i had cut short my lifespan by a few years from breathing in so much toxic fumes from the cigarettes!

AND... Not to mention some of the toilet stops were of questionable hygiene. To avoid using them, we drank as little water as possible. But it was also rather cold, which made us want to visit the toilet more.. (ok enough details, i'll stop here) They did stare at us a lot and observed our every move and listend to our English conversation intently - they probably don't see many foreigners around! I got mistaken for being Will and Hazel's tour guide several times throughout the whole week i was with them..

Through another traveller's recommendation, we stayed at a lovely guesthouse called Tongfu - which was probably the cleanest and most spotless hostel we had found in the whole of China! The owner was friendly and invited us to join him and some other travellers for dinner the moment we checked in. Steaming hot soup, steamed rice and vegetables - a warm welcome indeed!

The next day, we went for a walk around the rather small but lively town and discovered a really interesting pile of yakheads outside a shop. Nobody really knows why they were put out there for, with puddles of blood all over. Locals didn't seem to bat an eyelid when they walked past it, but of course, we HAD to take a photo!

yakkity yak - see what happens when you yak too much! (sorry, i know its lame but i can't resist)

This is the boring vegetable section of the market we visited..

Moving on to the much more interesting non-vegetarian section of the market, big slabs of pork and beef are hung up on meat hooks and displayed on the racks. Also on sale are trays of curdled blood and assorted organs... Curdled blood is also known as "blood tofu" as it has a texture like beancurd, and it is supposed to be nourishing. Usually, people eat cook this in a hotpot. Yumm...

And over here, they are blasting some pig trotters with a blowtorch, which i'm not exactly sure why either..

And this is one of my favourite photos .. At the market, a woman doing her shopping has improvised a child carrier with a couple of rattan baskets. This little kid seems pretty snug and comfortable in there with all his winter clothes on. I guess it just proves you don't need alot of money here to buy fancy things- a few simple materials to construct your own child carrier is all you need!

First bend of the Jinsha river

Its been photoshop'd to cut out the afternoon glare - so it now looks just like the real thing!

Dongzhulin monastery

On the way back from Deqin county back to Zhongdian, we dropped by at the Dongzhulin monastery. The monks here are quite friendly and welcoming. Unlike some of the monasteries i've visited here, who only care about whether you make donations, the monks here were very sincere and took me on a tour around and inside the monastery to see the beautiful mandelas and statues.

Painting on the outer wall of the monastery. These wall murals are done by the monks themselves. While staying in the monastery, apart from learning Buddhism, the monks also learn reading, writing and art. Life here is simple and spartan but at least they receive an education! Many tibetans drop out of school at an early age to start supporting their families, especially in the rural areas. Even if they do stay in school, they do not study the Tibetan language but only the Han chinese language. As a result, these tibetans grow up missing a pice of their culture! The only place you can learn it , it seems is the monastery. The novice monks here have "vacation" time where they go home to visit their families for about 2 months a year. They also have to provide their own necessities, such as robes, stationery, toiletries etc.

The pilgrims of Markham

Since the Mt Kawa Karpo is one of the most holy mountains in Tibetan Buddhism, the waterfalls from this range, it goes without saying, is by default also one of the holiest. Naturally ;-)

Seriously, though, Tibetan Buddhists try their best to make a pilgrimage at least once in their lives (annually if they have to means to do so) to this site to offer their prayers to the spirit forces inhabiting the mountains. Traditionally, Tibetans will perform a Kora - which is a circumambulation around the peak. This will take about 2 weeks, depending on the circuit chosen. Bringing basic food supplies with them like barley flour, pots, pans, and firewood, they walk a portion of the circuit each day, and sleep in tents or in temples or the houses of local villagers. Oh, and a few mules might come in handy for carrying all those luggage.

They believe that completing a kora amounts to gaining merit (something like brownie points) and having all past sins forgiven. This should be enough motivation for me to embark on one, really. The kora around Mt Kawa Karpo takes pilgrims around a sacred waterfall, some lakes and a glacier.

Given the limited amount of time i could spend in this area, i had to choose between a day trek to the waterfall, or the glacier lake. We were told that the waterfall route was more scenic, and also shorter and flatter than the trek to the lake. Considerably cheered, we decided on the waterfall. All in all, it would be a 6-7 hour trek.

En-route to the falls, we passed a small village at the bottom of the valley called Lower Yu-beng village. Yu-beng is already quite a well-known and well-regarded trek route amongst local Chinese outdoor enthusiasts, not least because of all sacred sites. As it is not in any of the English guides (yet), (e.g. Lonelyplanet and Roughguide), it is still relatively low-profile amongst Western tourists and well off the beaten route. As we circled round the stupa 3 times for good luck (everything is done in a clockwise circle with Tibetans, it seems), i noticed the surroundings were so peaceful, and tranquil. The animals grazed quietly in the farms. We met the occasional villager and they were all friendly and curious at the Western tourists amongst us. We returned their greetings with a “Tashideleg!" and this would never fail to bring on a surprised smile on their faces.

The breeze blowing across the village came from the Meili Snow mountain range and was crisp, fresh and so icy cold it felt like there was an air-conditioner blowing in our faces. We had to scramble to put on our gloves, hat and extra layers of warm clothes before continuing our walk. Still, the calmness and tranquility of the surroundings was amazing.

Soon, the path turned into a climb again. At an altitude of >3000m, i became breathless and tired easily, stopping frequently just to take deep breaths.


The road to the waterfalls is adorned with prayer flags

We met a few hikers and locals on the way back from the waterfalls - and when we asked them how far more to go, the standard answer would always be "not far, about 20 more minutes and you're there". Well, several "20 more minutes" passed and still no sign of the waterfall. At each bend, we were greeted with more bends, and upward slopes. Oh, the pain of being so unfit!

Out of nowhere, a sprightly group of Tibetans in their traditional dress appeared from behind us. There were about 15 of them, mostly elderly women on a pilgrimage to the waterfalls. Armed with bamboo poles and prayer beads, they walked energetically and bantered amongst themselves. There was a purposeful air about them. We exchanged our greetings, and it wasn’t long before they over took us, disappearing into the distance.

Finally, 4 hours after we started from upper Yu-beng village, we reached the waterfall. Someone neglected to tell us that at this time of the year, the waterfalls are rather dry and the water coming down was more in drips than gushing falls - much like the leaky faucet of our crappy hostel. Oh well. I plonked myself down on a piece of rock - too tired to do anything else but rest my jello legs and admire the view of Mt Kawa Karpo. It was even more majestic from this close up.

The Tibetan pilgrims had already reached much earlier and begun preparing for their praying ceremony. They came prepared with rolls of prayer flags and started a fire to burn some incense. Smoke began billowing out of the juniper branches.

Soon, all of them gathered near the foot of the waterfall and the ceremony began. At first, their voices were low, but slowly gathered in volume. A slow, lilting melodious chant rose in the air. It sounded mystical and yet strangely soothing. As they chanted, their hands were in prayer pose clasping their beads; their heads gazed up at the waterfall.

A few of us decided to join in and stood respectfully behind them. We all watched quietly, perhaps aware that something unusual was about to happen. I felt as though I was in the presence of something very powerful.

Suddenly, the wind kicked in, and a fine mist began to blow over the top of the waterfalls. The mist billowed gently in the wind like waves before disappearing into the air above us.

The pilgrims took a few steps forward, still chanting,their eyes never leaving the top of the waterfall.

Ever so slowly, the spray thickened and it wasnt long before water started to drizzle down the falls.

The pilgrims began to walk in single file towards the base of the waterfall. As the first pilgrim stepped into the drizzling water, it thickened into a heavy downpour. One by one, everyone entered the falls.

Arms outstretched some pilgrims prostrated in front of the waterfall. A few touched their foreheads against the rocks as they muttered their prayers. Some collected the holy water with their hands to drink, while others came prepared with plastic bottles to collect it for their family back home. All this time, icy-cold water rained down on us and we were all getting soaked. It was a very spiritual moment, which I feel I still cannot describe completely in words. The pilgrims were singing, praying, laughing, their faces were blissful and contented. They had successfully completed yet another part of the kora.

After about 15 minutes, the head of the pilgrimage signaled the end of the prayers and everyone formed a single line to walk around the waterfall (you guessed it, clockwise) 3 times before stepping away. Almost immediately as the last pilgrim left the waterfall, the downpour slowed into a drizzle again. It wasnt long before the drizzle became just a fine mist again, billowing in the wind.

Ceremony completed, the pilgrims sat down near the falls and unpacked their food. Sat in a large group, they generously broke off large chunks of bread and offered them to us. In fact, they almost forced it into our hands despite our polite declines. Some of them can speak a little Mandarin and repeatedly urged us to join their group. We could not refuse their offer and yet we felt a little guilty taking their food, when we knew they had so little and couldn't afford the luxuries (ok, pot noodles and Pepsi isnt exactly gourmet but...) we enjoyed on our trek. We hadn't brought any food with us to share with them either because there were rest stops along the way to fuel up.

From somebody's conversation, I learned that these pilgrims were from 2 small Tibetan towns of Markham in east Tibet. Together, they had pooled some money to hire a van to drive them across to northwest Yunnan to perform this pilgrimage. They were staying at a temple in lower Yu-beng tonight and moving on to the Mingyong glacier (another part of the kora) the next day.

We sat in the sunshine and enjoyed their company, trying to refuse as much of their food as possible. We did not speak much because of the language barrier but our body language, lots of smiles and bits of sign language were enough to get by.

With their weather-beaten faces and toothy-grins, these grannies were at once curious and self-conscious in front of the cameras. They were shy and somewhat unaware of how to smile or behave when taking photos but would be amazed and explode into innocent giggles and laughter when they saw their own images on the playback. One of them carefully adjusted her hair and urged me to take another photo. Again, they collapsed into peals of giggles when I showed them the result.

Soon, it was time to leave. The pilgrims packed up quickly, stubbed out the fires and gathered their bamboo poles. We waved our goodbyes as the group started their descent in a single file. As I navigated my way gingerly down the steep slopes, I was again amazed how these mountain folk deftly skipped their way down, seemingly unfazed by all the slippery loose gravel. One of the grannies came up to me, put her arm around mine, and gestured at my backpack. I figured out pretty quickly she was offering to carry it for me AND help me down the slope! I was so amused I couldn’t stop laughing. Did I really look so pathetic and awkward that a sweet, old granny took pity on me?! I refused her offer because I was afraid she might drag me down the slope at the speed she was going!

Back at the lodge, I reflected on the whole day’s events. It was one of those times where I was (and still am) at a loss of words because I would not believe the spectacle I had just witnessed if I didn’t see it for myself. So I don’t expect everybody reading this to be convinced and perhaps some of the more scientifically inclined can offer some explanations, or convenient coincidences...

The exchange with these women was simple, and yet so profound. I was touched by their kindness and generosity, moved by their faith, the simplicity and uncomplicated-ness of their lifestyle. No hiking boots for them but just simple cloth shoes. No high-tech Goretex windbreaker but homemade woolly sweaters. For them, it was quite straightforward. Even so, they didn’t see us as rich, camera-wielding trekkers decked out in fancy gear. On that day, we just happened to be making the same journey to their holy site and they shared their joys, their faith and their food. I have much respect for these mountainfolk who have so little and yet shared everything with us unconditionally.