#57 - China: Some Brief Recollections (1983 - 2003)

We returned to China in the following years exploring various aspects of the Chinese culture. I would like to share two special interest tours that we organized for the Northwest China Council:  A Culinary Tour of China and Waterways of China.  At the end, I have listed other journeys to China that we designed.

Our Culinary program began in Hong Kong where we visited Aberdeen, Repulse Bay, Kowloon and Hong Kong Harbor, where we wandered among the quaint floating fishing communities who live aboard the many sampans and junks.

We traveled to Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province and Oregon's China's sister state which was founded in the 6th century as an important trading center.  A scheduled morning tour of a nearby fishing village is followed by hiking in Drum Mountain, where Buddhist temples and pagodas stand among a forest of red-calligraphic stones and trees. The mountain takes its name from a large drum-shaped rock which lies at the summit.  We visited a culinary institute and learned about food preparation.  Other places included a stone carving and lacquer-ware factory, Fuzhou provincial museum, the zoo (with its performing pandas), and dinner at the Taste Market Restaurant, to sample typical Fujian fare.

On to Shanghai, China's largest and most modern city.  The Shanghai Museum, said to be the best in China, has whole floors devoted to ceramics, painting and bronzes.  We took a harbor boat tour and visited Old Shanghai to wander in the shops and try dumplings in a small restaurant.  At the culinary institute, we learned about the unique lower Yangtze culinary style, which is a slight infusion of Western techniques and ingredients.  Next a walk along the Bund and dinner in the Peace Hotel, overlooking the Huangpu River.  The Bund is a great meeting place for local Chinese and foreigners alike - people stroll up and down in search of vicarious excitement, often provided by street performers or peddlers.

Suzhou, which had recently accepted Portland as its sister city, celebrated its 2,500th anniversary in 1986.  Suzhou is often admired for its narrow streets, canals and elegant classical Chinese gardens.  We visited Tiger Hill, Lingering Garden, Western Garden Temple, the Forest of Lions Garden and dined at the Nan Lin Hotel, where soups in small, covered pots alternate with delectable dishes.

On a day trip to nearby Lake Tai, we toured Dong Shan township, noted for its gardens and surrounded by the lake on all three sides,  Tea, tangerines and rice are grown here, fish are bred in huge ponds and the local specialties are served in the village restaurants.  We visited the drama museum, where we viewed an outdoor performance of local opera and storytelling, while shipping tea and eating numts.  Back in Suzhou, we went to the silk spinning factory, the Silk Embroidery Institute and Guanquian Jie, center of Suzhou and home to the Taoist Temple of Mystery founded in the third century.

Yantai is on the northern Sandong peninsula and is a former treaty port.  Yantai had a new culinary institute, where we learned the secrets behind what may be China's most exquisite and technically sophisticated cuisine.  We rose early one morning to our a suburban fruit and vegetable farm and follow the fresh vegetables from picking to market to restaurant and then enjoyed a typical Chinese breakfast. 

 

After a flight to Beijing, China's oldest, continuously inhabited city, we walked on the great Tiananmen Square, tour the History Museum and Forbidden City and ate at the Beihai Imperial Cuisine Restaurant, which specializes in dishes favored by the Empress Dowager CiXi. The Great Wall and Ming Tomb were on schedule for those on their first trip to China, while others chose to visit the shopping areas of Wangfujing and Rongbaozhai.  We dined at Fengzeyuan,well‑known for its Shandong food.  Starting with a visit to a duck and animal farm, we observe the process of cooking Beijing duck at the Beijing Culinary Institute and conclude our stay in Beijing with dinner in a restaurant that specializes in this dish.

Waterways of China began after a flight from Hong Kong to Hangzhou, one of the oldest imperial cities of China and, along with Suzhou, is a city renown for its beauty and the Chinese saying, "Above there is heaven, below there is Suzhou and Hangzhou. We discovered the beauty of West Lake, the inspiration for the Song Dynasty's greatest artists, on a cruise.  West Lake has two causeways with numerable arched bridges and several islands, the largest of which is Solitary Hill (Gu Shan).
 

We drove out to Lingyin (Temple of Inspired Seclusion) originally built in 326 AD but restored often.  It is a very popular destination for the Chinese from Shanghai, with statues such as the fat Maitreya Buddha and the towering Siddhartha which is sculpted out of camphor wood.  Other sites included the provincial museum, the Mausoleum of General Yue Fei and Baoshu Ta (Protect Shu Tower).

After a flight to Wuhan, we boarded the MS Biedou for a five day cruise on the Yangtze River with multiple shore excursions along the way and ended in Chongquing.  Venturing on, we arrived in Dali in northwest Yunnan Province, officially opened to foreign visitors in March 1984. With the snow‑capped Cangshan mountains on one side and deep, blue waters on the other, the drive from Xiaguan at the south end of Erhai lake to Shapin at the north is a picture postcard panorama. Off the main road runs a network of cobblestone and dirt paths, beckoning visitors to explore the picturesque villages of the Bai minority that inhabits the region. Adding an enchanting touch to an already enchanting scene are the Bai women in red velvet vests, blue aprons, and flowery headdresses. Nowhere in China does the natural landscape and the human landscape blend more harmoniously.

 

Less visited than Dali is the town of Lijiang, set in the foreground of Yuangxue Shan (Jade Dragon) rising to 18,500). In this area, one will find the Naxi minority which is a matriarchal society. A couple of the sites on the schedule included Black Dragon Pool and Yufeng Temple.  We were able to enjoy an evening of Naxi traditional music. 

We departed in the late afternoon for Guilin which is famous throughout China for its fantastic landscape.  The karst scenery was created by the erosion of limestone, forming steep peaks, underground channels and mysterious caverns.  We boarded the Li River Cruise which floats through a landscape of cliffs, villages, and bamboo groves to the small market town of Yangshou.  Along the way we could pick out Elephant Trunk Hill, Old Man Peak, Brocade Hill and Moon Hill.  We return from Yangshou to Guilin through the blue‑gray of these rock formations and numerous lakes and rivers and flew home via Hong Kong. 

 Custom Designed China Travels

China by Train
Early Childhood Education in China
China Gerontology
Chinese Architecture
Chinese Arts & Crafts
Chinese Gardens
Chinese Law
Jade Dragon Mountain Trek
Marco Polo's China to Pakistan
Minority Groups in China
Photography in China
China:  Tailor-Made Guided Journeys for Independent Travelers

#56 - China: Along the Ancient Silk Road (1982)

The Silk Road, a network of trade routes, began in Chang'an (Xian) and ended at the Mediterranean beginning in the second century BC and continued through the fourteenth century AD, which linked China with the Roman Empire in the Middle East and Europe.  When traveling the Silk Road, one encounters trading posts, markets and thoroughfares which assisted in the exchange between regional nationalities as well as distribution and storage of goods and services.  Because silk was the major trade product coming out of China along this route, the German geographer and historian Ferdinand von Richthofen gave this route the name Silk Road in 1877.  The Great Wall was built in the western part of China to help secure the safety of the trade along the route.  The Silk Road remained in use until 1453 AD when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with China and it closed.

 In 1980, after our Annapurna I trek and while doing research and planning for Finding Friends in China, I began exploring the possibility of traveling along the Silk Road, beginning in Beijing and ending in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Autonomous Region.  I would have continued on to Kashi (Kashgar), but is was not open to visitors at this time. (Note: if my remembrance is correct, we organized a second Silk Road trip within a couple years, After You Marco Polo, which traveled from Beijing to Urumqi, then flew to Kashi and traveled overland over the Khunjerab Pass down through Hunza to Islamabad.  I did not guide this trip and cannot find any files or notations about it, but remember our group and a small group from Lindblad Expeditions waited several hours at the border for it to open)

During a previous Beijing visit, I had discovered a very quint accommodation tucked in behind the Forbidden City.  It was like a small, narrow-lane village, both the one-room houses on each side and the passage between built in dark cobblestone.

During all of our China travel, we encountered few Westerners during the first couple days, while walking around Tien An Men Square, the Forbidden City and the Gate of Heavenly Peace.  We traveled in an old bus to visit a Peking Duck farm and explore the Ming Tombs, Summer Palace and the Great Wall.

Xian, Chang'an, was one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities in the world.  It was the major terminus for caravans traversing the Silk Road.  We spent the day wandering the Tomb of Qin Shihuang, the unifier of China, and the monument to his rule, the vast necropolis with its army of terracotta soldiers and horses in battle formation.

We traveled by train to Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, to visit the Lanzhou Provincial Museum, known for the famous "Flying Horse of Gansu."  Our overnight train to Dunhuang afforded the opportunity to view the Mogao Caves, the great repository of Chinese Buddhist cave art spanning the period from the Northern Wei to the Yuan dynasties (7th to 14th centuries).  A monastery was founded at Mogao during Dunhuang's heyday as a stop on the Silk Road and between the 5th and 14th centuries numerous shrines were chiseled into the surrounding cliffs.  The caves are filled with terracotta sculpture and wall murals depicting parables and episodes from the life of the Buddha.  Whereas we had the freedom to roam the area and enter the caves, I understand that it is no longer possible.  

Boarding the train once more, we arrived in Turfan (Turpan) located in one of the lowest and hottest places on earth, yet, because of the runoff from the snows of Tian Shan (Heavenly Mountain), it produces abundant drops of delicious fruits.  The first of several very special invitations happened here when we were invited to a wedding celebration.  This is unusual for several reasons, among them 1) the strict official travel separation of foreign visitors from the local community and 2) we were in northwestern Islam China, a region filled with strife with the Han government.

Tired and weary from a late night celebration of music, dancing, food and drink, we boarded our morning bus to Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Autonomous Region.  The highest peak in the eastern Tien Shan, Mt. Bogda (17,000') is visible from this Uyghur city surrounded by agricultural plains.  We visited a local market and a small museum containing items of early Buddhist art.  The next day we departed to Tianchi Lake (Celestial Lake), located on the north side of Bogda Shan (Mountain of God) in a valley at 6,375 feet and 68 miles from the capital.  In my Silk Road research, I read about a monastery situated near the lake and wanted to visit.  Upon our arrival, we didn't find a monastery, only some old stone foundations where it had once stood.  We were invited by the local Kazakh herding community camping at the lake to enter their yurts and enjoy tea with them.

Upon our return to Urumqi, we were surprised to receive an invitation to a local music performance followed by dinner in a Uyghur home.  This was not just any local home, but the leader of the Uyghur Autonomous Political Party who was seeking independence from or political representation in the Chinese government.  (Note 1: When attempting to contact the family after our return home, all my communications received no response. Note 2:  It is estimated that over 100,000 Uyghurs are now currently held in political "re-education camps.)

You can imagine that traveling the Silk Road in 1982, devoid of any foreign tourists and organized local infrastructure, was a fantastic and fascinating experience.  

China
Along the Ancient Silk Road
 Folkways' Image Library

A YouTube Slide Show

https://youtu.be/oxTi4hLYuNc

#55 - Research, Planning and Logistics before Google and the Web

This post was, originally, going to feature China and Tibet.  Then, I realized, it might be interesting for whomever may be reading The Global Rambler's ramblings to learn how those early travels were planned and organized before Google and the Web.

For instance, the next Post, #56, will feature China:  Traveling the Silk Route (1982).  Research began in 1980, soon after the Men's Annapurna I Expedition - Around Annapurna Fund Raising Trek was completed.  (As a side note, we saw no other trekker during the 1979 Around Annapurna Trek until, toward the end, we reached the trail turnoff into the Annapurna Sanctuary).

What do you do, today, when you want to visit a particular country or location.  You ask Google to tell you what he/she knows about the place.  You can, even, ask Alexa, Siri or one of the other "smart" devices sitting on your desk.  You might visit Google Earth to have a look at the area.  Next, you might do a search for travel descriptions from Mountain Travel/Sobek, Geographic Expeditions, Wilderness Travel, Wildlands Travel, Lindblad Travel, Overseas Adventure Travel, etc. to read what they have organized in that particular country or location of interest.  Further, you can find someone's book that describes their recent travels in that region either at the library or download it to your reader.

But, what did one do before Google - Search, Map and Earth.  Before the Web.  Before MTS, GeoEx, WT, Lindblad and OAT had been there to develop a travel experience.  Yes, there was such a time and it was not that long ago.

Maps

"Before Europeans reached the Pacific the Marshall Islanders were making stick charts. Sticks were lashed together with fibers to depict prevailing winds and wave patterns; shells or coral were inserted at the appropriate places to represent islands."

"The earliest direct evidence of map making comes from the Middle East, where archeologists have discovered several maps inscribed on clay tablets....  One of the earliest of these clay maps was found at Nuzi, in northern Iraq, and dated 2300 B.C., the age of Sargon of Akkad,"

The Mapmakers, John Noble Wilford (The Map Idea)

And Books - Explorer's Books, History Books, Early Traveler's Books

"On a June morning in 1842, in the Central Asian town of Bukhara, two ragged figures could be seen kneeling in the dust in the great square before the Emir's palace.  Their arms were tied tightly behind their backs, and they were in pitiful condition.  Filthy and half-starved, their bodies were covered with sores, their hair, beards and clothes alive with lice.  Not far away were two freshly dug graves. ... Stoddart and Conolly were merely two of the many officers and explorers, both British and Russian, who over the best part of a century took part in the Great Game, and whose adventures and misadventures while so engaged form the narrative of this book.  The vast chessboard on which this shadowy struggle for political ascendancy took place stretched from the snow-caped Caucasus in the west, across the great deserts and mountain ranges of Central Asia, to Chinese Turkestan and Tibet in the east."

The Great Game, Peter Hopkirk  

"The famous monk Xuanzang (602-664) traveled the Silk Road during this period.  He began his trip from Chang'an (today's Xian), passed through the Hexi Corridor (the area west of the Yellow River), Hami (Xinjian Region), and Turpan and continued westward to India."  

China Highlights, The History of the Silk Road in China

 "Like many Europeans who would eventually follow their wake, they tried, even as they charted the outlines of the major geographical features, to make sense of a place considered holy by millions of people, Buddhist and Hindu alike, a sacred landscape anchored by Kailash, a mountain so revered that to tread on its slopes would condemn the trespasser not only for this like but for a thousand to come.  For Hindus, Mount Kailash is the divine seat of the god Shiva and his wife, the goddess Parvati.  It is the point where the sacred form of the Ganges, the holiest of all rivers, spills from the heavens and runs invisibly through the silk of Shiva's hair before slipping into the earth to emerge from the mouth of a glacier, found some 140 miles to the west.  For Buddhists, Kailash is the site in legend of the Buddha Chakrasamvara, who sweeps up Shiva and his circle into the embrace of a gentle mandala of bliss.  It is famed in history as the place of the great victory of the Tibetan yogi Milarepa, a mystic wanderer of the twelfth century who, through the magical powers that accrue to supreme Spiritual purity, flew effortlessly to the summit of the sacred mountain, thus vanquishing his great rival, Naro Bhun Chon, a priest and shaman of the pre-Buddhist Bon religion, and securing forever the Buddhist path in Tibet.  It was Milarepa who established homes in the mountains encircling Kailash for the five hundred Buddhist saints who had achieved enlightenment, and whose prayers are still heard by the pilgrims who gain spiritual merit by circumambulating the mountain, through prostrations, one body length at a time. 

Into the Silence, The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest, Wade Davis

#54 - Vietnam: Past and Present (1987)

The war had ended in April 1975 when Marine and Air Force helicopters transported more than 1,000 American civilians and 7,000 South Vietnamese our of Saigon in an 18 hour evacuation.  More than 58,000 Americans, 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong, 250,000 South Vietnamese and 2 million civilians lost their lives during the fighting.

Few visitors came to Vietnam. 

Ho Chi Minh City. The Majestic Hotel. Second floor. I slept with my dollar- stuffed money belt under the pillow, wrapped around my hand. Same routine for 15 nights. Payment was in Hanoi. Cash only - US Dollars.  We had no diplomatic relations with Vietnam.  Our small group of Portland travelers included several Vietnam vets, a couple teachers, a Lewis & Clark College Asia Studies Professor, a television reporter, cameraman and news manager.  It was 1987.  We were one of the first Western groups to travel the country after the war (the first commercial flights began in 2004).  Travel was highly restricted, but we had a reporter and they needed tourist dollars.

Bordering on China in the north, Laos and Cambodia in the west and open to the sea in the east and south, Vietnam is a bridge linking the continental part of Southeast Asia to the archipelagos scattered through the Eastern Sea.  Vietnam lies along international sea routes between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans and between Indochina and Oceania countries.  Its land extends over 2,000 km. from Lung Cu in Ha Tuyen Province to Rach Tau in Minh Hai Province and encompasses thousands of islands off the coast.  More than 60 million people from 54 ethnic groups live within the country.  The Viet (Kinh) account for 84% of the population.

Vietnam is composed of five geographic regions:  The Northern Highlands, a mountainous region in northwest Vietnam covered by forests or jungles which is lightly populated; the Red River Delta, formed by the Red River which flows from Southern China through Northern Vietnam into the Gulf of Tonkin which is a densely populated area and Northern Vietnam's main agricultural area; the Annamite Range, a range of mountains running through Western Vietnam through the northern highlands and which is covered by forests and sparsely populated by the Montagnards; the Coastal Lowlands, an area between the mountains and South China Sea which extends between the Red River and Mekong Deltas and which is densely populated by fishermen and rice farmers; and the Mekong Delta which is formed by the Mekong River and all of the area south of the Annamite Range and the Coastal Lowlands in which over one-half of the population of South Vietnam lives and which is a major agricultural area.

Indochina is a mixture of cultures and religions due to the migrations of its peoples from Southern China, Central Asia and Indonesia.  This area has been invaded from all directions, from Thailand on the west, from China on the north and from the sea on the east throughout history.  Because of the diversity of cultures, it has been difficult to develop a homogeneous and unified people. 

Recollections:

The Cu Chi Tunnels are a network consisting of over 200 miles of tunnels connected with one another in an intricate web constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters (Viet Cong) during both the French and American wars. They were dug with rudimentary tools, complete with living and sleeping areas, kitchens, hospitals, ordinance workshops and a printing press.  The openings were camouflaged against detection. 

Travel by motor launch through the vast expanse of the Mekong Delta Region, an area built up over the centuries by massive quantities of silt from the Mekong River.  My Tho, a city in the Mekong Delta, is approached through traditional agriculture and fishing communities.

Da Lat, City of a Thousand Pines or City of the Eternal Spring, is the market garden of Vietnam and provides much of the countries fruit, vegetables, coffee and wine.  Founded in 1896 by the French scientist, Dr. Yersin, it has grown into a hill resort town.

Known to early Western merchants, Hoi An was one of the major trading centres of Southeast Asia in the 16^th century (1999 became a World Heritage Site by UNESCO). Hoi An has a mixed Chinese-Vietnamese atmosphere with low, tiled-roof houses and narrow streets; the original structure of some of these streets is still virtually intact. Many of the houses are constructed of rare timbers and decorated with lacquer panels engraved with Chinese characters and pillars carved with ornamental designs.

Near Danang lies the Marble Mountains, a scenic spot with caves, temples, shrines, pagodas and a great view of the surrounding area. The caves can be reached by climbing steep steps or taking the elevator to the top (subject to surcharge).  Marble Mountains consist of five hills made of marble.  Each of the former islands is named after one of the five elements of the universe:  water, wood, fire, metal and earth.  Thuy Son (water), the most popular pilgrimage site, is an unusual and beautiful Buddhist grotto.  Its central feature is a series of natural grottoes with temples carved into the rock, which are illuminated from above.  Huyen Khong Cave, a spectacular chamber studded with Buddhist and Confucian shrines, was used by the Viet Cong as a field hospital, while American soldiers lounged on nearby China Beach, a former U.S. in-country recreational facility.  Danang international airport reached an average of 2,595 flights a day during the war, more than any other airport or airbase in the world at that time.

The Hue Imperial Citadel is situated on the Northern bank of the Perfume River and built by Emperor Gia Long it was designed for the exclusive use of the Emperor and his household. The Citadel is a square 2 km wall  encompassing 3 walled enclosures; the Citadel, Kinh Thanh Hue, the Yellow  Imperial city, Hoang Thanh and in the centre the Forbidden Purple city Tu Cam Thanh where the Emperor lived. The Hue royal complex has been officially recognized by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  The Imperial Citadel was heavily damaged between 1968 and 1975 during the Vietnam war due to troop occupations of Viet Cong, South Vietnamese and allied forces.

The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a logistics and military supply route from North Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia to South Vietnam where tons of supplies, weapons, manpower and ammunition were moved on trails, footpaths and roadways through dense jungle and rugged mountain ranges.  According to the US National Security Agency's official history of the war, the trail system was "one of the greatest achievements of military engineering of the 20th century."  It was, also, one of the single most intensely bombed areas of the war, with bombs dropped on average every seven minutes.

 

French mercenaries invaded Hanoi in 1883, and it became the seat of the colonial government of French Indochina from 1887 to 1954.  When they departed, they left grandiose ministries, an opera house and villas with yellow facades and green shutters.  In fact, much of the city looks like a French provincial town of the 1930's, with shady, tree-lined boulevards.  In the old commercial section are the 36 streets where the handicrafts or trades were centered from the 15th century.  Each trade worked on its own separate street, which was, and still is, named for the business that was conducted there: Tin Street, Jeweler's Street, Broiled Fish Street, Basket Street, etc.  The area now houses a variety of small shops.  We were hosted by the Sweden Ambassador at the Embassy during our stay in Hanoi.  Further, I was able to meet with the organization with whom I organized our special tour and hand them a pile of cash.  No more sleeping with my money belt.

The picturesque Halong Bay has more than 3,000 limestone islets rising from the clear emerald water, many of them containing beautiful grottoes - Thien Cung and Dau Go grottoes situated on the south-west side of the bay, 4 km from the wharf outside of Ha Long City. The way to Thien Cung grotto is covered on both sides by thick forest. After entering a narrow gate, the grotto’s 130-meter-long girth opens up. On the east wall of the grotto, there is a grandiose and imposing picture with characters of tales. This grotto is one of the most beautiful ones in Halong Bay.  Legend has it, that a beautiful young lady named May (cloud), caught the eye of the Dragon Prince and he fell in love with her. They were betrothed and their wedding lasted seven days and seven nights in the very center of the grotto.

VIETNAM:  Past and Present

Folkways' Image Library

A YouTube Slide Show

https://youtu.be/egckCcPexNg   

#53 - Some Reflections on Folkways International Trekking (1976 - 1986)

"Chaque pays a sa loi, chaque mason sa coutume"

(Each country has its system of laws, each house its customs)

                                          Basque Proverb

For those of you who pause at this page, I would like to suggest the notion that travel is art and the artist's task is to discover the "genius loci," or spirit of place, which is present in every event or journey, then, while respecting its fundamental structure, portray that spirit for others to aid their own journey.

The concept of "spirit of place" was proposed by the English writer Lawrence Durrell in his essay by that name. It is meant to denote those distinctive characteristics of a given region or city.  It implies that each place possesses a set of inherent and fundamental attributes that determine a uniqueness of landscape and people.

The artist as traveler explores each place, seeing those characteristics which reveal unique differences at each turn.  The picture takes shape at each bustling, cosmopolitan city and quiet, pastoral hamlet; each farmer, hot and sweaty from toiling endlessly under the summer sun; each ivy draped, Gothic cathedral; and each winding country lane shadowed by aged oaks enhances the portrait which depict the experience of the journey.

I would suggest that you, as artist, must become properly equipped with the skills and tools to evoke the mysteries of the spirits for your portrait.  Whether you are a mature or inexperienced artist, being properly equipped make the difference between seeing only the shadows or perceiving the richness of color inherent in the structures of the "genius loci."  It is our desire at Folkways to provide the conceptual framework and canvas, to equip you for portraying the unique experiences which will characterize your journey.

                                   Introduction to Folkways International Trekking Catalogue - Treks & Outings 1985-1986

 

Woodcut by Joyce Morgan