Day #5: From Yangshou Local Market to Hong Kong

Day #5: Local Market in Baisha ~ Music, Calligraphy and Cupping

The morning before leaving this magical world for the airport we go to a local but huge market in Baisha. Clearly I need more time. Other than one other Western looking couple this truly feels like an authentic local experience. I don't think bus tours come here.  

Listening to music and singing 

There is live music with locals singing to a real life orchestra and dancing. However, only two men are dancing but I am tempted.  Eric laughs saying this is Karaoke as anyone can take the microphone and sing. Later John insists this is not karaoke because of the live music.  

People seem happy to see us here and smile at us. They are unconcerned with my picture taking. 

John takes a hand at calligraphy from a man selling paint brushes. He is surrounded by a group of people laughing as he tries to copy a Chinese symbol.

Men watching John's calligraphy efforts 

 In the herb section of the market we watch cupping therapy taking place with 3 different men and their therapists. The skin on the man's back is first cleaned, pounded and thrashed in various ways. Then the skin is drawn into a cup by creating a vacuum in the cup placed over the targeted area. The vacuum in created by either the heating and cooling of air in the cup. The traditional bamboo cup is left on for 5-10 minutes and is believed to treat pain and muscle knots. Apparently more modern cups are made of glass. 

Apparently there is no good evidence-based for cupping benefits and might even be harmful because of creating small burns.  However, I am not sure the science is important to these people as cupping has been practiced in China for over 3,000 years. I suggest to John that he might try this out for his back pain because after all Michael Phelps has done this!  Being a scientist and not having the data he refuses.  

Each section of this market is categorized by food types such as fish, fruit,  meat, herbs or baskets. 

A bird in the hand...

Chickens being weighed 

Weighing beans

Local Beer 

 

Snails

frogs 

Sadly, we have to leave for the airport as I am sure I could stay here all day. Definitely not enough time for pictures! 

Back in Hong Kong

We have another day in Hong Kong where John takes me to a temple one of his favorite places he visited while I was at the conference. Thankfully this time it is a sunny day and  it is fun to walk in the narrow streets and see the people at work. The temple nestled in between huge apartment towers seems oddly misplaced. 

However, entering the temple it feels authentic with people coming to pray, light candles and incense.  John enjoys returning for this meditative experience and finally I am anxious to leave to find an air conditioned place to cool down.

In the evening we meet up with Dylon, the son of two of our good Seattle friends for dinner. He and his girlfriend arrived the day before from New York and are spending a long weekend here!  Upon the recommendation of our hotel we have reserved at a Chinese restaurant called Ho Lee Fook (say quickly and you will get the joke) and have a great Chinese meal enjoying the duck, pork and chicken.  John says it is his favorite Chinese meal of the trip. 

View from our hotel room 

Day #4

Yulong Rafting, China Impressions and Markets

600 year old bridge 

We set off in the van but ask to be let off in a small village to walk around and watch the locals go about their daily routines washing clothes in the river, cleaning fish, gardening, playing cards and chatting. Walking over a beautiful 600-year-old bridge and I feel like Alice in Wonderland who just dropped down the hole into a magical land.

This brick no longer permitted because it is not stable

Both men and women are involved in heavy back breaking construction work as well as agriculture work. 

I notice many grandparents taking care of babies and children, often carrying them on their backs.  I want to stay all day taking pictures and watching this village life. Could I retire here? Well I guess not because I am now like a dripping faucet as it must be 90 degrees with incredible perhaps 90%  humidity. Where is the air-con? 

Rafting 

Next taking an authentic bamboo raft (for two plus pole driver) we drift down the Yulong River, a tributary of the Li River that is completely surrounded on both sides of the river with these amazing mountains.  It is cloudy and raining slightly but the breeze feels good and we can put up the umbrella if it rains harder. We try to keep our shoes dry when we navigate over 5-6 little falls and rocks. We both like this relaxed and peaceful trip somewhat better than the Li River large boat trip. 

To our amazement we see two wedding photography pictures being taken on their rafts! 

Bride and Groom taking a Selfie

Sunset at Cuiping Hill 

Late afternoon we drive to Cuiping Hill in Cuiping Village, Putao town. As we pass through the town the children are getting out of school and being picked up by what seem to be grandparents and they are put on scooters or in old taxis. I am sorry we have not come earlier to wander around this delightful village.  Climbing up over 1000 stairs to the top of Cuiping Hill there is a wonderful viewpoint of the Karst Landform. (200 meters above sea level) The towering Karst peaks surround the village, rice fields, and rivers. I wait for the sunset to take pictures and am surprised there are only 3 other people here taking pictures with their tri-pods and professional equipment. Probably I have taken too many pictures that won’t capture the beauty of this place. But I try to capture the essence and the magic.

 

Eating again at our lovely hotel this place is beginning to feel more like family. Several of the women managing this hotel have their own small babies, siblings and even their own parents are there during the day. I watch their family meals and exchanges and how they all help each other as a team. They always greet us with big smiles and seem pleased when I take a picture of their their baby girl.  I dream of making a film of Chinese family life.

Family Meals in Hotel 

Impression Light Show 

We go to the late Impression Light Show. There are 2 shows an evening each with 3000 people. The large outside natural theatre is set in stunning scenery of the Li River with a back drop of beautifully lit karst formations.  The show is the creation of Zhang Yi Mou, also director of the opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It features over 600 locals, mainly from the Zhuang minority, including fishermen with cormorants and farmers. While it is all sung in Chinese we can easily follow the basic story line of a beautiful woman (with beautiful voice) falling in love with a farmer’s boy while the warlord also loves her and kidnaps her. Of course the village helps her escape and they live happily ever after.  The light on the costumes is mesmerizing and I do feel like Alice in Wonderland.

Lighted rafts on Li River