Jianshui 建水 2006. This photo was taken in 2006 in Jianshui, Yunnan province from the top of the city gate. I have been trying to work out which ethnic minority this lady belongs to for a while now. My guess is that she is from the Yi Minority 彝族, but there are also Miao苗族, Hani哈尼族 and Yao瑶族 minorities in the vicinity of Jianshui. If anyone else can be more precise I’d be grateful.
Para llegar a Tonghai desde Kunming, se necesitan menos de tres horas en autobús, es todo carretera y hay poco para distraer la vista. Tonghai es una pequeña ciudad agrícola, a pocos kilómetros del lago de Qilu, al lado del cual todavía hay un pueblo de descendientes de soldados del ejercito de los Mongolos. La ciudad, presa de una campaña de embelesamiento, como tantas otras en China, no es nada del otro mundo. Desafortunadamente, muchos edificios antiguos de la dinastía Qing ya han sido demolidos, mientras que otros están sujetos a reformas de dudoso gusto. Más que nada, el encanto de Tonghai reside en la mezcla interesante de su población y, sobre todo, el atmosférico parque de Xiushan.
Xiushan es un parque bastante grande, lleno de templos en el estilo de las famosas montañas sagradas chinas, situado en el monte Xiushan, con vistas sobre la ciudad y el lago Qilu. La falta absoluta de teleféricos, puestos de souvenirs y turistas, fácilmente convierten este parque en uno de los más agradables y relajantes de China….. Leer mas: HolaChina: Your Gateway to China
TONGHAI
(English Version)
The journey from Kunming to Tonghai takes less than three hours, a straight bus-ride down the motorway with very little in the way of visual distractions. Tonghai itself is a small agricultural town, a few kilometres from the Qilu lake, on whose shores a village inhabited by descendants of soldiers from the Mongol armies survives to this day. The town, which is currently undergoing a beautification campaign, like so many others in China, is nothing to write home about. Unfortunately, many interesting old buildings, mostly dating from the Qing dynasty, have already fallen prey to the sledge hammer, while others are undergoing dubious reforms. However, Tonghai‘s saving grace is its interesting population mix and, most of all, the wonderfully atmospheric Xiushan park.
Xiushan park is a large temple park in the style of China’s famous Holy Mountains, set on Xiushan mountain, overlooking Tonghai city and Qilu lake. Its total lack of cable cars, souvenir stalls and tourists make this park easily one of the most pleasant and laid- back in China…. For more go to:
Yuanyang Rice Terraces / 远阳梯田 As they were in 2006
would- be professional photographers descend upon this remote town
During the first two or three months of every year, thousands of professional and would- be professional photographers descend upon this remote town in Yunnan province to take photos of one of nature’s most beautiful phenomena, the changing of winter to spring on some of the most spectacular rice terraces in the world.
At this time, the paddies are full of water, and their beauty is enhanced by the shifting contrasts of light and rolling mists that provide stunning vistas. At sunrise and sunset the water in the paddies can take on a myriad of colours, ranging from an eerie blue, to pink, yellow and bright red, thus providing the perfect hunting ground for those in search of the ultimate shot.
Unfortunately, our work schedule left us with no choice but to visit Yuanyang in summer, when the terraces have taken on a bright emerald hue, but are devoid of water. They are still an awesome sight, especially at dawn, but they are no match for those glossy photos, adorning the multiple coffee-table books and postcards that you can find all over town. The locals, who seem to be fairly obsessed with rice paddy viewing, constantly remind us that this is the wrong time to visit and insist that we should come again in February, to see the real thing!
