Heijing Ancient Salt Capital: Imagine being the only guests in a Ming dynasty courtyard mansion in which little has changed since the days of its previous owners, several generations of a wealthy salt merchant’s family, the last unfortunate member of which – Wu Weiyang – was executed by the communists in 1949…
Wu Family in happier days in the Wujia Courtyard
the world’s most delicious and expensive mushrooms
Imagine strolling back to this mansion after dining on some of the world’s most delicious and expensive mushrooms in an atmospheric open-air restaurant where Chinese day-trippers squat down under the shady trees for the serious task of selecting and cleaning their own choice of ‘edible fungus’… Imagine being woken from your siesta by local residents singing traditional opera and performing folk dances to celebrate the 70th birthday of one of their neighbours…
Wu Family Courtyard Hotel
China’s ancient salt capital
This is exactly what it was like when we visited Heijing / Black Well Town, one of China’s ancient salt capitals. A mere 100 kilometres away from Yunnan’s booming capital Kunming, Heijing nevertheless belongs to another time and place: its streets are narrow, cobble-stoned and festooned with red lanterns; donkey carts are still the most popular means of transport and there isn’t a single souvenir shop to be found.
Text by Margie. Photos include some of the best murals from Wudang Shan taken with the permission of the monks and nuns.
Exercising-Monks
Climbing Wudang Shan should be on veryone’s bucket list if you are travelling the backwaters of China’s hinterland. This revered Taoist mountain, birthplace of Taichi and Unesco Heritage Site is more or less equidistant from Yichang and Wuhan. This is why, after disembarking from our Yangzi cruise in Yichang, we decided to make our way to the mountain from there.
Purple-Cloud-Temple
Getting there
An early-morning bus from Yichang’s modern bus station takes us to Wudang town in about five-and-a-half hours, lunch stop included. We are amazed by the brand-new and virtually deserted motorways on which we are travelling, through a pretty landscape of green fields, with a backdrop of distant mountains. Apart from the Continue reading “Climbing Wudang Shan”
Lao Fangzi Restaurant 一颗印 Kunming: By 6.00 o’clock the restaurant is packed and queues are beginning to line up in the waiting area. A palpable sense of expectation hovers in the air as customers mull over the huge menu, occasionally lifting their heads to glance at their fellow diners and nodding in approval as a dish is selected.
The noise level begins to rise as beer bottles are opened
The waiters stand around patiently, sometimes suggesting dishes to speed the indecisive along. As orders are taken to the kitchen, the carriers -whose job it is only to carry food to the tables on large trays – begin scurrying backwards and forwards between kitchen and dining area, delivering large plates of unfamiliar, yet delicious looking food.
A veritable army of waiting staff in traditional uniforms then take the dishes from the trays and serve them to the suitably impressed diners. The noise level begins to rise as beer bottles are opened, or Chinese rice wine is tossed down gulping throats to the shouts of Ganbei/ Cheers!
This is Lao Fangzi in central Kunming where food doesn’t come much better and the ambience puts the icing on the cake. One of the few – maybe the last- remaining genuine old houses in central Kunming, Lao Fangzi (the Old House) is one of the city’s best dining spots. How it has escaped the guide books is a mystery.
The 150-year-old building is an old grey stone, two- storey court- yard residence of the type known locally as ‘stamp houses’, due to their square shape. Once, this type of building was the embodiment of much of the vernacular architecture of central Kunming. Today, Lao Fangzi stands alone under the shadow of towering neon- lit skyscrapers, surrounded by the broken and dilapidated remains of old Kunming; an eloquent symbol of what could have been preserved if speculation and reckless urban planning hadn’t been allowed to prevail over conservation and restoration.
MATRÍCULA: CENTRO SUPERIOR DE IDIOMAS MODERNOS
C/ Donoso Cortés, 63 – pl. baja
Horarios: lunes a viernes: 9.00 a 15.00 h
Para matrícula online consulten: www.ucm.es/info/idiomas PRECIO: 256 € (alumnos y personal UCM) / 366 €
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Kangding’s Mind-blowing Summer Festival was one event not to miss if you were travelling in Western Sichuan in 2004. Having just returned to Kangding from Danba, we were lucky enough to stumble upon a one-off festival aimed at celebrating Tibetan Kham culture and promoting tourism in Western-Sichuan.
Khampa man in Kangding 2004
The streets of Kangding were jammed packed with proud-swaggering Khampas, dressed up to the hilt in their finest clothes. One could easily have imagined that the entire population of these once warrior nomads, had rolled into town off the grasslands. And like in the wild-west of old, many had come in on horseback.
Khampa Lady and baby
With so much going on, nobody paid much attention to me as I used up roll after roll of film. Kangding has changed and modernised radically since these photos were taken, so I hope you enjoy them. It was a magic moment.
Khampa man with earrings
Kangding’s Mind-blowing Summer Festival: About Kangding
On arrival at Kangding bus station, you are first struck by the ugliness of the surrounding buildings, mostly square apartment blocks.
Khampa Girls Kangding
Very little of the old city remains, except for a couple of leaning half-timbered shops and food stalls, and most of the new buildings, including the hotels, look rather ramshackle.
Happy Khampa
The concrete central square is rather kitch and decorated with the ubiquitous inflatable rubber arches.
Valuable Hands
It looks staunchly Communist and reinforces the impression of the town being predominantly Chinese.
Kanding Having Fun
However, you won’t find the charm and interest of Kangding in its ugly centre. You have to look a little further out of town.
Kangding Festival
Lamaseries in and around Kangding
Kangding Festival
There are several lamaseries in and around Kangding. The largest and perhaps most attractive of these is the Nanwu monastery. You will find the monastery set on a hill on the outskirts of town; surrounded by beautiful gardens and inhabited by a bustling and friendly community of monks.
mobile monk Kangding
At the time of our visit, they were busy creating large circular “paintings” on the floor and on low tables. Only, they weren’t paintings, they were made of coloured powder (Mandalas).
Tibetan Monks Kangding
It seemed a very delicate and transient art, given that the decorations were not meant to last.
mobile monks Kangding
Nanwu Monastery and Kham Traders
At the monastery gates, we came across a group of Kham traders who had hitched their ponies to some nearby posts and were about to visit the monastery.
mobile khampa Kangding
The presence of the flamboyant Kham, as well as other ethnic groups of Tibetans, is what makes Kangding such a fascinating place.
Having a chat Kangding
All over town you can see these tall proud people, dressed in traditional Tibetan gear. Men wear oversized greatcoats with knives strapped to their belts, and the women in wrap-around woollen skirts or pinafores. Both sexes deck out in elaborate headgear and heavy jewellery.
Kanding Festival
Markets and shops are bustling with Tibetan as well as Chinese traders, and you can see large wads of banknotes changing hands ( not so much these days; even Khampa nomads are paying with their mobiles!)
Thousands of prayer flags blowing in the wind
Kanding Festival
Dominated by the mighty peak of Gonggha Shan the scenery surrounding Kangding (7556m) is impressive, and famous throughout China, due to a popular love song: The Love Song of Kangding.
Qiang Lady Kangding
An easy one-and-a-half hour hike through forests and flower strewn meadows, or an even easier cable car ride, up Paoma Shan will provide great views of Kangding and the nearby snow-capped mountains.
Tibetan Qiang Lady in Kangding
Thousands of prayer flags blowing in the wind, as well as small Buddhist temples and shrines, make for a slightly mystic atmosphere all the way to the top, which is crowned by a white stupa. The scenery is breath-taking.
In 2004 we stayed at the “Sally´s Café”, otherwise known as the “Knapsack Inn”; one of those classic Chinese backpacker hostels that we usually avoid but ended up really enjoying.
It offers / offered (see below) clean and friendly budget accommodation, right next to the Jinggang monastery and about 5 minutes away from the Nanwu monastery.
Beds here are normally 25 Yuan in three-people dormitories, with shared bathrooms: During the Kanding Festival, end of August- beginning of September, rates go up to 50 Yuan.
The owners, who speak excellent English, can provide tourist information and arrange transport. For example to Danba or Mugecuo Lake, bus tickets and accommodation for onwards travel. Somebody from the hostel might meet you at the bus station when you get in. It’s up to you whether you want to take up the offer.
Update: Not sure Sally’s exists anymore. Last reference we found was 2017. Pity; it had a great location
During the Festival, room rates in Kangding shoot up to astronomical levels.
More Recent
In Kangding we stayed at the comfortable Tibetan- run Ka-Sa hotel right opposite the bus station for 140 Yuan. There are many cheaper options if you are staying longer – or more expensive ones if you fancy a bit of luxury.
The restaurant scene in Kangding has improved. Only a few hundred meters from the bus station there are now lots of small family restaurants serving cheap and delicious Sichuan dishes.
Transport:
Kangding – Chengdu, 4 buses a day, about 7 hours.
Kangding – Litang, at least one bus a day, leaving at 7.00 in the morning, arriving at 15.30.
Kangding – Danba, one or two early morning buses, but not daily, see Danba section.
Kangding – Ganzi, leaving at 6.00 in the morning, arriving at 18.00 in the evening.
Kangding – Dege, leaving at 7.15 in the morning, arriving at 13.15 the next day, overnighting at Luhuo.
Other destinations include Daochen and Zigong.
Festivals:
The Kangding Festival takes place at the end of August or the beginning of September and attracts huge crowds of Tibetans to the town, to do their shopping, watch the shows, and generally eat, drink, and be merry. While the Festival itself is nothing special: some rather bland folk dancing and singing, often performed by Han-Chinese rather than Tibetans, the crowds make it a worthwhile experience. There is an incredible mix of people, wearing the most variegated costumes.
The Extraordinary Zhaozhou Bridge in Zhaoxian County, Hebei Province, about an hour from the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, is a stunning reminder of just how sophisticated Chinese engineering techniques were, more than one thousand four hundred years ago. That is the amount of time the Zhaozhou Bridge has stood spanning the Jiaohe River.
The Extraordinary Zhaozhou Bridge
The bridge is the work of the engineer Li Chun who had to overcome numerous technical difficulties when designing and building it. First of all, it had to be high enough to avoid damage from frequent flooding, but at the same time it had to be flat enough to allow trade caravans and the imperial army to cross. Li Chun’s answer to this engineering dilemma was a segmental bridge, the world’s first, and Continue reading “The Extraordinary Zhaozhou Bridge”
China Film Festival (El Matadero, Madrid, 2 February to 14 March)
Apart from the exhibition, visitors to the Matadero can also take in one or two Chinese films or documentaries a day, in the small projection room to the right of the entrance. From Tuesday to Friday, the sessions are at 17.00 and at 19.30; on Saturdays they are at 12.00 and at 16.00; on Sundays sessions may be at 12.00, 14.00 or 16.00. Programmes are available at the reception desk, or on-line at the Casa Asia web site.
Here is an overview of the films we have managed to see so far:
The Road 芳香之路(2002, directed by Zhang Jiarui) is the moving coming-of-age story of a young girl, Li Chunfen, set against the Cultural Revolution of the 60’s and 70’s.
Li Chunfen is a sweet and naïve young girl works as a ticket seller on a bus driven by Lao Cui, a decent, quiet man and a model worker who has been praised by Chairman Mao himself. Every day, their trusty old bus travels the precarious mountain roads of eastern Yunnan, connecting isolated villages and providing a valuable life line. In the course of these travels, Continue reading “China Film Festival Madrid (El Matadero)”
Hola China in Madrid: Beijing Time 北京时间(18 December to 21 of March)
Beijing Time 北京时间 is the title of an exhibition that is currently being held at the Matadero (Paseo de la Chopera 14), a centre dedicated to contemporary creative arts in Madrid. The exhibition has been organised by Casa Asia.
Meaning of BEIJING TIME
The title refers to the fact that the whole of the vast territory that makes up China, is run according to whatever time it is in the capital; regardless of the inconvenience this causes in the far-flung border regions. For instance, when it’s 9am in Beijing, it’s only 6 am in Xinjiang. Depending on the political stance you take, Beijing Time can be seen as a symbol of unity, or the government’s attempt to impose this unity.
A second reading of the exhibition’s title refers to the increasingly prominent position of Beijing/China on the world stage, whether in a
Last week, the Chinese community in Madrid celebrated the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger, right in the centre of the city. The parade started in the emblematic Puerta del Sol (where we live), and finished in Plaza de España, passing the Royal Palace on the way.
Each year the parade seems to increase in size, both in the number of participants and spectators. In years gone by, the celebration was limited to the charismatic neighbourhood of Lavapiés, where many Chinese have their wholesale businesses. These days, the narrow, hilly streets of Lavapiés have become too small for the growing celebration.
The parade included all the usual dancing dragons, lions and people dressed in folkloric costumes. Martial arts displays, mostly performed by Continue reading “HolaChina wishes everybody a happy Year of the Tiger from Madrid.”
Jiǔhuá Shān and the Smiling Monk: For a few magic minutes time stood still. A full moon illuminated the pond where a gaggle of Buddhist nuns were lighting candles and carefully balancing them upon enormous, floating lotus leaves. Overhanging red lanterns left their reflections suspended in the water. Occasionally, a well- fed golden carp broke the silky smooth surface and then, with a swish of its tail and a plop, disappeared into the murky depths again. This is the China we imagine when we close our eyes.
The China we see on ancient scroll paintings
The China we see on ancient scroll paintings, the China that we hope to find, but so seldom do. Was I dreaming? Well, not exactly. This was Jiǔhuá Shān in late September 2001, serene and so peaceful after the mayhem of Huang Shān. We remained transfixed by the moment, for how long? I don’t know. And then, out of the night came the shrill sound of laughter, and in the distance the local guitar- playing and folk-singing busker started up again. The nuns slipped out of sight through the temple gate, a cloud crossed the moon and the light from the candles paled. In short, the spell broke and we found ourselves again in 21st Century China.
History
A bit of history: Jiǔhuá Shān is one of the four sacred mountains for Chinese Buddhists, together with Eméi Shān, Pǔtuó Shān and Wǔtái Shān. Set in a beautiful area of southern Anhui province, Jiǔhuá Shān offers the traveller some rare moments of rural bliss and the chance to witness the Chinese at their most spiritual, as well as the many Japanese and Korean pilgrims.
