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Road trip to Hainan Island

Road trip to Hainan Island

It’s nearly time for Chinese New Year, and in keeping with habit over recent years, we plan to briefly swap the ubiquitous cold and overcast skies for warmer climes in the far south of China.

Last year, we drove to Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan Province, close to the Lao border, taking in the sights of Luzhou, Bijie, Kunming, Zhaotong, and Yibin en route, cities that have peaked my curiosity…

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Recently, Baji Group八吉集团, a Chinese developer of songhua stone松花石 and financial heavyweight, generously invited 50 of us individuals from around China to visit their headquarters in the city of Changchun, Jilin Province, a trip that coincided with the annual winter fish harvest on the feet thick ice sheet covering Chagan Lake.

Changchun is the capital city of Jilin Province in the far northeast, and along with Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia, is known widely as one of the coldest winter destinations in China, one that certainly lived up to reputation over the course of our visit this week!

A frigid blast of minus 20 degree air swept our faces on our first step outside Longjia Airport. Snow rested upon a layer of solid ice covering the roads and pavements, and streetlight halos fought their way through the dense evening fog.

Well over a thousand miles east of Chongqing, yet on standard time like the entire country, the skies dim from around three in the afternoon, and the sun shines palidly, low in the sky, throughout the day.

We hurried to load our suitcases onto the coach and huddle away inside for the hour plus journey through the evening rush hour, sleepy toll booths, then grid upon grid of traffic lights, before we finally pulled up outside the Warren Hotel opposite Baji headquarters.

In the midst of our frigid surroundings, very few locals ventured into the streets. Occasionally, anonymous and foolhardy jaywalkers scurried across the dark roads, all wrapped up tightly in countless layers of thick clothing.

Even during the day, pedestrians were few and far between. I saw parents hauling children along the streets in sledges, as the pocked, slippery ice rendered futile any hope of navigating anywhere with a pushchair. 

Bellowing smokestacks embellished the neighbourhood skylines, and ticker-tape signs boasted extremely unhealthy levels of PM2.5 particulate contamination.

We passed old tram cars reminiscent of the Soviet era as they ferried passengers their rails, and also numerous accidents were vehicles had skidded into innocent fellow road users.

However, despict my rather dystopian portrayal of downtown Changchun in winter, there were two unique highlights of our three day trip that made our venture into the frozen hinterlands worthwhile.

In my first installment, I wish to focus on the touristic element, the annual fish harvest on the frozen surfaces of Chagan Lake, an fascinating experience I dare say you’ll struggle to witness anywhere else.

Next time round, I will focus on the songhua stone of Jilin Province, and how Baji Group has based a financial empire upon this precious natural resource.

 Chagan Lake查干湖

 Prior to the onset of winter, fishermen cast acres worth of linked nets in advance of the big annual freeze, and once the ice sheet thickens enough to support armies of vehicles, people and horses, the hardy locals begin drawing the catch through a small hole they dig in the ice.

The basic method is to dig two small holes in the ice, that freezes solid to over a foot in thickness. One hole needs to be large enough to draw out the huge nets, while a smaller hole is used to quickly heat lake water by means of a fuel generator, and pump over the emerging catch to prevent re-icing.

Above the main ice hole, a man sprays a constant stream of warm water over the nets, as he sits rather precariously on top a mound of ice, a mere block of polystyrene keeping frostbite away from the nether regions.

Directly in front is a straight, hundred metre iceway where fisherman untangle the gigantic fish, then leave them to freeze completely solid out in the open.

Tourists vie to pose for shots with a considerably burdensome live catch in each hand.

Apart from the gasoline generator, the rest is achieved through a culmination of traditional human ingenuity coupled with the physical might of horses. These handsome beasts, seemingly oblivious to the cold, work alternately in teams as they turn a wheel that drags out the nets, then wind them up into bundles for re-use the following year.

Witnessing this incredible event isn’t so easy. We had the fortune and exclusive use of a coach throughout our stay, but even so, it took the best part of four hours to reach the Mongolian style lakeside village of Guoerluosi in Songyuan County up north, close to the yet colder lands of Heilongjiang Province.

After feasting on tasty dishes based on the local catch, we squeezed into local cars for a 20 yuan each return journey to the fishing site.

Our driver speeded gleefully along the roads of black ice, before making a turn onto the lake, and shot along the ice at a frightening pace. 

We joined a countless number of cars parked up near the catch site, and the driver politely waited as we braved the frigid temperatures to witness a true wonder of human ingenuity and battle for survival against the harsh elements.

Other than multiple layers of warm clothing, another must are exra thick woolen soles you push inside your shoes, as well as warmth pads 暖包(Nuan-bao) you stick directly onto the base of your feet, which then emit desperately welcome heat for many hours.

Before our long return to the cosy Warren Hotel, where I delightfully thawed out that night in the basement spahouse, a few locals accompanying us as guides bought some giant blocks of whole frozen fish, that villagers lay out in piles by the roadside.

At a bargain 16 yuan per kilogram, I was certainly tempted to purchase one myself, but there wouldn’t be any way of transporting them to Chongqing through warm hotels, coaches and airports!

As for the rest, I’ll leave my photos and videos of this once in lifetime experience, and let you marvel for yourself!

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 Chagan Lake Fish Harvest Recently, Baji Group八吉集团, a Chinese developer of songhua stone松花石 and financial heavyweight, generously invited 50 of us individuals from around China to visit their headquarters in the city of Changchun, Jilin Province, a trip that coincided with the annual winter fish harvest on the feet thick ice sheet covering Chagan Lake.

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As some readers may have caught on, the only regular complaint I voice over Chongqing are the prolonged spells of cold, fog, drizzle and overcast skies that doggedly settle in for the winter months, a viewpoint shared by many Chinese friends from other provinces, and who moved here long ago through work and marriage.

In a strange way, I occasionally find this weather conducive to my work ethic, and whenever the heavens sporadically gift a few warm, sunnier days, you certainly learn to appreciate them.

While there are plenty of great winter activities in Chongqing, a short escape down south to one of Xishuangbanna, Hainan, or the coastal regions of Guangdong (Canton) means you can dig out the summer apparel and replenish some vitamin c. 

At least in my case, I can return to Chongqing and go some weeks before the whole cycle begins to re-enact, by which time the advent of spring lies nearer on the horizon.

So in my post today, I would like to share my two day journey in Canton this week, and offer some tips on how you could do the same.

 Planning

 The most popular travel app in China is Qunar Wang去哪儿网, and you can easily reserve flights, train tickets and hotels, just as long as you can read Chinese and have a bank card issued in China.

Otherwise, you can ask a Chinese friend to reserve on your behalf, which also works fine nowadays.

I made the 7:30 morning flight to Shenzhen with a small back pouch of summer clothes, just enough to last two days without unnecessary burden.

On the ground before ten o’clock, I bought a souvenir transport card from an automatic dispenser to avoid the hassle of buying tickets on each journey, then we took a subway ride to Shenzhen North where we planned to stay the night closeby.

Since I was mostly tagging along with my wife on her business trip this day, my choice of destination was Shenzhen Bay park, a beautiful seaside walkway stretching from Nanshan district towards the narrow river separating Mainland China from Hong Kong.

For around two hours, we casually strolled along the palm lined coast under a balmy 25 degrees. People sat contentedly in groups on shaded lawns, young couples took in the bay view upon the rocks waterside, and cyclists breezed past nonchalantly. 

Everbody we saw looked happy and relaxed amid such a picture of serenity.

Come early evening, we took the subway to Xiangmei香梅, where an old Chinese acquaintance dating back to my first years in Chongqing at Number 8 Middle School invited us to meet. 

Originally a teacher of chemistry, his hedonistic personality and generous hospitality combined perfectly with an expansive web of connections to make him the head of student recruitment.

In China, there is great competition for entry into the most highly nenowned schools, even when classrooms are packed with upwards of sixty students each, so was often the case that parents with means arranged lavish meals with him to discuss placements for their children.

We foreign teachers always enjoyed a close affinity with Mr. Wu, as he invited us to attend such occasions to make a good impression on prospective families, even when it involved consuming large amounts of rice wine before an afternoon of lessons!

He only speaks Chinese, but in a special way that us beginners at the time found easier to comprehend, and when the goal wasn’t to meet parents, we always met in karaoke clubs, recreation centres, restaurants, or fun outdoor venues at Ciqikou Ancient Town.

Now he works in Shenzhen at an international school, this was the perfect opportunity to catch up since we last met around five years ago.

We ended up spending the whole evening on a rooftop terrace overlooking Yinhu Mountain, with the Pingan tower poking above the crest a few kilometres the other side.

Among the dishes was the local specialty of blood duck (血鸭Xue ya). I normally try to follow a vegetarian diet as far as possible, I’m sure most would find this meat dish where the blood isn’t drained out to be very palatable.

There is one admission I dare make here online, which inevitably deals with the slightly awkward matter of rice wine.

I barely drink any alcohol nowadays, and have never truly acquired a genuine taste for rice wine over all these years.

Nevertheless, the desire to gratify such generous hosts, combined with a determination to avoid getting drunk, meant that I needed a covert way to drink the infamous alcoholic beverage without actually swalling it.

My impromptu tactic worked to perfection. After each of the countless toasts, I took the mini glass cup of fiery liquid into my mouth, smiled a few seconds through the intense burning sensation, before taking a sly drink of tea to ‘wash it down.’ 

As the tea cup slowly filled, I took advantage of more boisterous moments to tip out the contents under the table, then refill halfway to rebegin the process.

This way, I ‘drank’ two mini glass pitchers of rice wine, and while the others drunkenly stumbled their way back downstairs, I had achieved both goals handsomely without any of my companions noticing!

Despite a gentle feeling of guilt, consuming those pitchers would have completely ruined my second day in Huizhou, which was by far the best day out on this journey.

Stay tuned for more!

Winter Escapes – Canton Province As some readers may have caught on, the only regular complaint I voice over Chongqing are the prolonged spells of cold, fog, drizzle and overcast skies that doggedly settle in for the winter months, a viewpoint shared by many Chinese friends from other provinces, and who moved here long ago through work and marriage.

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It’s Sunday, December 9th, and we have officially touched down in Beijing for the SG13 tour with China Travel Guide!

Since we took an evening flight from Chongqing, our initial leg simply involved meeting the friendly representative outside arrivals, who showed us an English message from our guide Linda, instructing us to wait in the lobby for a 7:45am pick-up to the Great Wall at Mutianyu.

As we waited just inside, I spoke with Linda on the rep’s phone, exchanged greetings, and confirmed our schedule for the next day. We’ll look forward to meeting her early tomorrow!

After a few minutes, we took our first breaths of the crisp, sub-zero winter air, across to a shining people carrier ready to drop us at the Great Wall Hotel. En route, the city gradually came into view through the dark, foggy backdrop, with thick layers of frost bordering the roadsides.

The journey took no more than half an hour, and as drove towards the third ringroad, I sensed a distant familiarity with our new surroundings, as all my previous visits to Beijing date back more than a decade!

On first impresssions, the Great Wall Hotel looks and feels great. There was no issue with our reservation, and the hotel is very spacious, with attractive decor, and cosy rooms with all the necessary amenities.

So it’s good night for now, and stay tuned for all the action from our first day out!

SG13 Beijing Tour It's Sunday, December 9th, and we have officially touched down in Beijing for the SG13 tour with China Travel Guide!

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Like a dramatic set to an extravaganza, the urban peaks of Chongqing bestow a scenic backdrop for all to admire on a daily basis, yet the rigours of life demand that few have the chance to regularly explore them up close.

Cue this early December, and the local climes have broken the norm by gifting consecutives days of balmy clear skies.

A free schedule, plus the impetus of a recent spike in website traffic, combined to inspire a three hour walk through Zhaomu Mountain Forest Park, starting from my home to Lanxing Pagoda, then down past the lake towards Happiness Square.

Zhaomushan sits imposingly across nearly three miles of Yubei district, and once stubbornly denied rite of passage beyond the north face, at least until a network of tunnels eventually transformed geographic isolation into a land of highly coveted real estate.

Miles of pathways and cycle lanes meander gracefully through over 700 acres of mostly unspoilt forest, amongst which traditional architecture adorns the upper landscape, while the lakes and grassland below entice those seeking to enjoy the surroundings, just without the exertion of ascending hundreds of steps.

Residential developments around Zhaomushan take advantage of this unique selling point by huddling tightly up against the slopes, where they can offer a more attractive living environment, and footpaths with direct access into the park.

The most recognisable landmark is undountedly Lanxing Pagoda览星塔 which stands tall upon the central crest of Zhaomushan, visible for miles in every direction, and splendidly lit until late evening.

Whenever you visit, it’s important to keep ambition in check, because all the routes will total in the tens of miles, and across quite steep terrain at times.

These narrow roads and pathways wind extensively across the mountain, along with flights of steep perpendicular steps that interlink the otherwise highly circuitous routes, whilst offering highly convenient shortcuts straight up or down the mountainsides.

Navigating all the paths and attractions can be a challenge, not only because of their maze like orientation, but the fact a dense canopy of trees usually obscures potential viewpoints and landmarks that would help the visitor gain their bearings.

The best advice when exploring the crests on foot is to use Baidu Maps with GPS, as even the smallest of pathways feature, and signal coverage is surprisingly good for a remote inner city location.

Also, the Baidu Map includes an automatic tourist voice guide you can select as you approach points of interest in real time.

On good weather days outside winter, locals pack the grasslands that surround the lake at the foot of the southern face, armed with tents, kites, and barbecues. On these days, cars pack solidly by the roadside, often two abreast for kilometres along the main road.

When the climes permit, Zhaomushan is still great to visit, even in the winter. As there are no gates, barriers or ticket offices, you are technically free to come and go as you please.

After dark, the pathways lights switch on, giving the park a whole new aura, as does the city skyline once the sun has set. While the darkness beyond the trodden path may sound quite eerie, I am yet to here a single case that suggests there is anything to fear from a nocturnal visit.

During my visit, I finally learnt the Chinese geographical term ‘Ya-kou垭口’ from a tourist sign, which describes a saddle shaped trough between two crests of a mountain ridge, exemplified by the He Family Pass upon Zhaomushan. The character Ya垭 featured in our recent post on Huangjueya黄桷垭 Old Street atop Nanshan Mountain.

A little extra background.

In the course of developing Zhaomushan into a popular inner city forest park , planners strived to attain a great variety of architectural features, enhancing its appeal through folk designs and locally sourced building materials.

Given ample time to cover the main tracks, you will encounter traditional style courtyards, halls, pavillions, coridoors, towers and arches, built using logs, stone, green tiles, white marble, cobbles, earthen bricks.

Eaves protrude stylishly from the rooftops, with elegant upward turns in each corner. Window are adorned with flowered line patterns. Horizontal inscriptions sit majestically above the door frames, announcing their title for passers-by alike. Either side, you can attempt reading the ‘antithetical couplets’, which are auspicious sayings carved and painted onto the vertical pillars as calligraphy.

The continuity in theme means all the structures mutually compliment each other whilst still retaining their individuality, offset against stone carvings, rockeries, ponds, mazes, and gardens amongst the pristine forrest backdrop.

In spring, as the trees and grasslands flower in a blaze of colour, the open fields play host to lively fetes where local, young entrepreneurs come to set up stall, and offer locals a chance to savour handmade delicacies, brewed coffee, teas and beers, as well as artefacts, painting, and musical performances.

Coming full circle, urban Chongqing encompasses many of these stunning natural enclaves, a gift that residents alike should allow themselves restbite to truly appreciate.

      Zhaomu Mountain – The Forest Park Next Door Like a dramatic set to an extravaganza, the urban peaks of Chongqing bestow a scenic backdrop for all to admire on a daily basis, yet the rigours of life demand that few have the chance to regularly explore them up close.

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Bridging Generational Chasms

As I once touched upon in ‘Fog City Night Tales,’ there’s a colourful facet to domestic relations that eminates ceaselessly from a profound divide in mentality, namely between Mao era generations and those born post economic reform.

Speaking in generalities, parents born mid century tend to be more thrifty, traditional, rurally orientated, with narrow horizons, while younger generations are more…

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Fotuguan Ridge spans a good length of the Yuzhong Peninsula, where narrow, windy lanes pass through time forgotten communities upon the slopes, and buildings hug tightly to the hillside, staking claim from foot to crest.

Naturally, the tranquil elevations that stand aloft the daily bustle has attracted more than local dwellers in times past.

Despite a modest scale in comparison to the ridges surrounding Chongqing, its central location, panoramic vantage points and thick canopy enticed a concentration of diplomatic activity lasting through the wartime period of last century.

At the summit, you can find Eling Park 鹅岭公园, built in the late Qing Dynasty, and opened first to the public in 1958. The highly recognisable landmark of Feige Pagoda stands on the peak, visible for miles around, and affording great 360 degree views from the upper floors.

A day parked up at Testbed 2 gave the perfect opportunity to explore further hillside attractions on foot, a trail I’m sure most visitors would enjoy following at least half a day.

  The Former American Embassy

  This eye catching, earthen wooden-brick structure began its days as Zhongzheng hospital, which later incorporated the American Consulate in 1896, the first diplomatic relationship between Chongqing and the US.

After serving a number of years as the embassy from the late 1930s, the diplomatic mission moved on to Nanjing following the war.

As with many old buildings of historical significance, the city has restored the site to its former glory.

Inside, one half is dedicated to the history, personel and great deeds of Zhongzheng Hospital, which now occupies a large, modern complex down the road.

The other side contains wall mounted photographs that detail the tribulations of wartime Chongqing, with a limited number of exhibits in the centre of rooms or in display cases.

While there are few exhibits that relate directly to the former embassy itself, the attraction is open free of charge, and worth a look as part of a walking tour in the area.

  The International Village

  As I strolled back up the road towards Testbed 2, I came across a stone gateway beyond which flights of sharply inclined steps led upwards through a dilapidated residential community.

Placing faith in tourist signs assuring me that a former US press building, Royal Navy Club and Radio Station lurked within, I began my steep climb alone, the only signs of life being the suspicious looks of elderly women peering from behind the dark interiors.

Low and behold, there were indeed three small, rather anonymous looking structures around a tiny courtyard. The press building and radio station were bolted up and unattended, while the Royal Navy club appeared to be a private dwelling which I decided against prying any further.

Arrows pointing in the opposite direction led back to Testbed 2 through a few hundred metres of deserted, moss covered walkways, cutting past more antiquated properties, and eventually to the back of Testbed 2 up a makeshift scaffold staircase.

Visitors could easily spend hours exploring this formerly derelict Republic of China era banknote printing factory, but now refurbished into a fascintating cultural enterprise park which attracts endless streams of domestic tourists each day.

In my case, I could almost navigate the alleys and exhibits blindfold after all these years, so I cut through and headed up the road towards Eling Park.

  Eling Park 

  Prior to now, my first and only visit to Eling Park was an overnight stay in the adjacent hotel on New Year’s Eve, when a friend generously invited us to see in 2007 with her lawyer colleagues.

Eling Park used to be the private residence of Yaoting Li, a rich businessman of the late Qing Dynasty. The ‘Li Garden’ became a park in 1958, and reached its present scale in 2008, when it merged with the neighbouring Fotuguan Park.

The first sight of interest is the former Australian resident mission, as attested by a plaque unveiled in 2006. The interior is usually off limits, but visitors are free to explore the gardens.

Next was the Lotus Pond and traditional covered walkway that runs along one side, a pleasant location for restbite, with crystal clear waters making a welcome change to the more turbid, algae infested features I usually see close to home.

Closeby is a tall stone monument and resting place for a pair of wartime Soviet pilots who fell in defence of the city. The memorial is kept in good condition, and park officials seem to lay out fresh flowers every day.

The main attraction is Feige Pagoda, a tall structure that tourists are free to climb and enjoy fantastic panoramic views of the city and both rivers.

Another feature that caught my interest during my prolonged stay were the imaginative uses of local apartment rooftops, which owners have turned into nicely tended gardens replete with small, private conservatories.

In the past, there have been extreme cases where top floor property owners have built extensions that appropriate entire rooftops, and without planning permission or consent of neighbours. Ultimately, domestic and international exposure has led to stricter regulation of these amusing personal additions.

At the foot of Feige Pagoda is the Hiroshima Garden, actually designed by landscape artists from Japan as a gesture of friendship in the early 90s.

I appreciated the immaculate beauty of the garden’s layout, gravel pathways, carvings, fish pond, bridge, native plants, bonsai, and the wooden coridoor beneath which couples like to take wedding album photographs.

Should you ever take in a full visit of Testbed 2 as part of the walking tour, Fotuguan Ridge offers plenty of enjoyment for one day.

  Walking the Inner City Peaks Fotuguan Ridge spans a good length of the Yuzhong Peninsula, where narrow, windy lanes pass through time forgotten communities upon the slopes, and buildings hug tightly to the hillside, staking claim from foot to crest.

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Xinjing Hot Springs Beibei Towards late November, I drove to Xinjing Hot Springs with iChongqing, whom the resort had invited to shoot a promotional video, showing the natural environment, pools, facilities and pampering on offer.

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Once a remote land for banishment in ancient times, the topical island that is Hainan Province海南省 has long been a destination of choice for mainlanders keen to escape the depths of winter, with Chongqing no exception.

While spared of the harsh wintry conditions up in the far north, the months of cold, drizzle, fog, and drab overcast skies that can obscure the sun for weeks, eventually make locals and foreigners alike yearn for sunnier, warmer climes, if only for a short time.

In fact, there is an ancient Chinese idiom that goes ‘蜀犬吠日Shu-quan-fei-ri (Sichuanese dogs bark at the sun), a literal allusion to the fact sunshine comes in short supply over the winter.

There are still many great winter activities in Chongqing, such as the hot springs, spas, mountain getaways, ski resorts, and all city attractions you can explore at leisure outside the peak season. Life can still be pleasant when you know how to make the best of its seasonal variety.

Sanya三亚, the main city in the southern half of Hainan, is only a two hour flight away from Chongqing Jiangbei Airport, but this change of scene virtually guarantees you warmth and sunshine whenever you go.

The problem is that countless others nationwide have the same idea once Chinese New Year lurks over the horizon, so hotels and airlines hike prices into multiple thousands of yuan in eager anticipation.

And not only do Chinese flock to Hainan in winter. Russians jet in en masse from all over the federation, such as Moscow, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, and Vladivostok. In fact, you will find signage is dominated by Cyrillic more than English, even if the latter is more widely spoken.

Nevertheless, retirees who spend the winter months in Hainan can easily avoid such expenditure, one by flying out well in advance, and the other by living away from Sanya or Haikou海口, the provincial capital on the northern tip.

In the summer of 2004, I travelled to Sanya for the first time, overland from Chongqing, stopping in Guiyang, Guilin, Yangshuo, Nanning, and Beihai, before taking the night ferry ride to Haikou port.

Despite the relative state of under-development at the time, I loved the tropical climate of Sanya, the beaches, the coconuts, the atmosphere, the watersports, and its prime location for exploring the region.

Over the years, I have gone back many times, even in the summer, when most people in head for the cooler, higher elevations of mountain resorts like Huangshui黄水 or Fairy Mountain仙女山.

While Sanya is indeed hot in the summer months, it’s still a good few degrees cooler than Chongqing, one of the three traditional ‘furnaces of China,’ along with wuhan and Nanjing, and the sea breezes only enhance this difference further.

Along with great weather, crowds grow sparser, and there are usually great flight and accommodation deals on offer between the months of June and August.

Migratory Birds

  For decades, mainlanders from all over China have invested heavily in residential property, eventually driving up prices in Sanya and Haikou, and spurring the development of regional cities like Wanning万宁, Wenchang文昌, Danzhou儋州 and Lingao临高.

Then, a few years ago, the central government designated Hainan as an international free trade zone and major travel destination. Great infra-structure projects like the network of modern highways and high speed rail has revolutionised travel on the island, and the lure of visa free access has enticed more visits from overseas.

A stumbling block to long term development plans is now the large migratory population, who leave giant swathes of property unoccupied most of the year, when the province now requires a more stable population to achieve its ambitious plans.

The solution came in 2018, when a new law passed that demanded residential property be sold only to natives of Hainan province, at least curtailing the numbers of ‘migratory birds候鸟‘ from any further increase.

Since 2016, the mother in law and Uncle Chen have been migratory birds of Lingao County, with a small apartment in the northwestern part of the island, and where she now stays from around November to March.

While the north of Hainan doesn’t enjoy quite the same tropical climate of Sanya in winter, mainly thanks to the central mountain ranges that divide the two, it’s still a great domestic location to escape the coldest months of each year.

  Grand Winter Plans

  In the past, I have taken self-drive holidays from Chongqing to Weizhou Island, and also to Xishuangbanna in February this year, both of which you can find on my blog.

This time, Chinese New Year falls on January 25th, and our plan is to drive the 1500 kilometres to Lingao two weeks in advance, then return via an alternative route during the seven day holiday, when motorways temporarily cease to collect tolls.

We will keep driving times to within six hours per day, allowing us to explore many new cities and locations during our journey.

Another highlight will include the sea crossing, where trains from all over China also roll onto ferries on their way to Haikou and Sanya!

Come the time, I hope you follow our own winter migration with interest!

  Chongqing Migratory Birds Once a remote land for banishment in ancient times, the topical island that is Hainan Province海南省 has long been a destination of choice for mainlanders keen to escape the depths of winter, with Chongqing no exception.

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As Chongqing continues to revive its many vestiges of cultural heritage that had descended into virtual anonymity, the latest addition to the rapidly expanding tourist trail is Huangjueya Old Street, a once bustling epicentre of diplomatic and commercial activity that branches from the main drag upon Nanshan Mountain.

Word about this 350 million yuan restoration project has been going around for some time, as people consider potential business opportunity, especially since the developers are again keen to instill a unique artisanal feel by leasing only to independent names, not unlike Testbed 2.

In total, there are around 175 buildings as part of the restoration, but rather than simply making up numbers, the design is for each and every one to retain its own unique attraction and style

HuangJueya黄桷垭 translates very roughly as Yellow-rafter-landstrip, a name befitting of the traditional architecture and historical relevance the site once exuberated.

The 500 metre long street is one end of a larger area once known as the ‘Huangge Ancient Walkways黄葛古道’ that began in the Tang Dynasty, and prospered all the way through the Song, Ming and Qing. It has always enjoyed great prominence in the memories of Chongqing citizens.

Among the renowned locations about to proudly receive visitors, decades after their fall from glory, are the Yunnan and Guizhou Commercial Guildhouses, the former station house, the old post office, plus the original family homes of famous Taiwnese writer San Mao三毛,  and Li Kuian, a founding member of Chongqing University.

In and around these attractions are museums displaying historical artefacts, photo galleries, art exhibitions, book displays, and creative spaces that will embody the past glories of this ancient site.

My impromptu yet long envisaged walk through Huangjueya had a similar motivation to Huguang Guild in Jiefangbei. The overcast skies and drizzle suddenly gave way to cloudless horizons, and the inviting warmth of winter sunshine enticed me to make the half hour drive from my home in Yubei District.

Nanshan is a mountain ridge on the eastern side of Chongqing, and is a wonderful getaway any time of year, packed with manors, teahouses, bookstores, universities, museums, nightview platforms like Yikeshu and the Golden Eagle, botanical gardens, waterparks, Caribbean Bay and Japanese Spa. It’s truly a world unto itself.

A previous chance to visit was thwarted by the nightly rush of visitors, and though it was a quiet midweek afternoon, I was fortunate enough to come across an unstaffed residential carpark just opposite on a crowded sidestreet.

Since there were few spaces available, I had to box in another car, but remembered to display a contact number on the dashboard should the owner return in my absence. A trait that has caught on with the high levels of car ownership, but dearth of legal parking space.

Should you decide to visit, I would strongly suggest coming by taxi or public transport.

I thoroughly enjoyed an hour exploring the main street and side alleys. At present, the attraction is still a work in progress. While plenty of buildings are already up and running, others are at all stages of completion.

Workmen were busy fixing slabs on the walkway, capenters chopped away at wooden structures, and the sounds of sledgehammers, metal cutters, and drills resonated through the otherwise pleasant ambiance.

There were cosy looking guesthouses in business, snack stalls, mahjong centres, artefact shops all along the main street, something to grab your attention wherever you should choose to wander.

At the end, you reach a verdant space where a flight of stone steps leads down to a community of local residents, who continue their daily lives in charmingly antiquated surroundings, and seem relatively unperturbed by the sudden mass of tourists on the doorstep.

As I walked back towards the station house, a friendly voice sounded in my ears from above. A young man selling Turkish ice cream from a stall perched upon a flight of steps asked where I was from.

Saying how much he loved England, we chatted briefly as my daughter tucked into a mango flavoured offering. He had only come to China three months ago, and answered that he was from the country emblazen in the stall name when I was dumb enough to ask. His English was good, but he did struggle trying to decipher my strong British accent.

Despite the buidling work, and the fact a majority of attractions are yet to open, there was a very sizeable number of tourists, both local and from out of town. I can only imagine the crowds Huangjueya will pull when the whole restoration project reaches completion in the next year!

Huangjieya Old Street Restoration As Chongqing continues to revive its many vestiges of cultural heritage that had descended into virtual anonymity, the latest addition to the rapidly expanding tourist trail is Huangjueya Old Street, a once bustling epicentre of diplomatic and commercial activity that branches from the main drag upon Nanshan Mountain.

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In my youth, I knew about all the classic novelists, such as Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, D.H. Laurence, Jane Austin, Victor hugo, just to name a few. Yet, somehow, I admit now to going through life without ever actually reading one of their original works, cover to cover.

Brute honesty drives me to say it was the superficial nature of public schooling, coupled with the trappings of popular culture and subsequent distractions of adult life, that distanced me from literature at both a personal and intellectual standpoint.

Granted, I did learn a few Shakespeare plays, and read novels by Orwell, Steinbeck, Camus and more, but the motivation was always a plain desire to satisy course demands, rather than a genuine interest in the works themselves.

How many of you, hands on heart, are like me in this respect?

  A Journey of Discovery

  When my early days as a complete beginner in Mandarin, I broke through to intermediate level with the aids of a good old fashioned textbook, paper and old Nokia phone dictionaries, pirate VCDs of Chinese pop songs with lyric subtitles, Mark Rowswell’s ‘Communicating in Chinese‘ show on CCTV, and the Crazy English Reader magazine.

Athough I could hold a basic conversation after a year, the journey from higher intermediate, where it was possible for me to communicate on most everyday situations with decent fluency, took close to four years, culminating in me scraping past the old HSK advanced level nine in 2006.

Slowly but surely, the day came where I finished reading Crazy English, and turned to China News Weekly, a Chinese only publication that covered an interesting range of political, economic and social issues.

My original plan was to cover China News Weekly as a study resource, but it has since disappeared from the traditional newsagent racks, and presumably moved online.

As with Crazy English Reader, the only practical options are to either subscribe yearly with China Post with the publication code (11-5313/G2), or purchase back issues from online vendors. However, I always felt more motivated when the articles were up-to-date.

At this stage, I feel it’s worth heeding a note of caution.

On a personal level, Chinese is without doubt the most fascinating, challenging and sophisticated language you could ever try learning.

Although I’m still far from perfect, I always feel great pride when locals compliment my language skills, when I can explain the finer details of English grammar in Chinese to young learners and communicate with parents, the feeling of deeper integration in the community, solving problems by myself, taking calls, the pleasures of reading and writing Chinese, the possibilities that open for you.

Undoubtedly, the effort has paid off, but not without blood and tears.

Over the past sixteen years, it has also taken thousands of hours, intense frustration, brick walls, confusion, misguidance, lack of guidance, shifting mindsets, isolating yourself from English speaking circles, fun pokes in your direction, and lashings of humblepie when you realise you got it all wrong.

On top of that, to truly live and breathe Chinese practically requires you to marry in, as I don’t see how I could have made it through without the support of family and friends.

Even that may not be enough. There are many foreign guys in a similar position who choose to just speak English with their spouse, and maintain that awkward, taciturn existence with the in-laws.

Lastly, even though most people in the community are delighted to speak Chinese with you in Chongqing, they generally have zero experience on how to explain the intricacies of Mandarin to foreign learners, or how to adjust their speech to make themselves more understandable.

It’s definitely a matter of sink or swim.

  Back on Topic

  For those who share my innate stubbornness, or simply curious on the next step, the way forward has been reading the Chinese translations of English classic novels, with one French exception.

Walk into a Xinhua Bookstore, and you will find stacks of these books from different publishers.

My recommendation is the World Literary Classics Collection 世界文学名著典藏 series from Huacheng Publishings 华城出版社. Not only are the books of high quality and attractive design, the translations are top notch, and the proof-reading meticulous. They are truly excellent value for the miniscule outlay of around 30 yuan each.

Armed with my handy iPhone Pleco dictionary, I have polished off Great Expectations远大前程, A Tale of Two Cities双城记, Tess of the D’Ubervilles德伯家的苔丝, Sons and Lovers儿子与情人, Pride and Prejudice傲慢与偏见, Brave New World美丽新世界, and am currently on volume two of Les Miserables悲惨世界.

Admittedly, I’m only scratching the surface of literary greats, but at least I have covered a few initial titles that usually come to the forefront when discussing the subject.

The advantage of learning Chinese this way is the two-fold benefit you enjoy. You can expose yourself to new Mandarin characters and expressions whilst also appreciating the book itself as a work of literature.

So far, my personal favourite has been Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. His immensly touching literary style unfolds seamlessly through his greater than life Valjean character, interspersed around explorations into history, profound philosophies, the exhilarating polarities between sorrow and elation, cruelty and benelovence, despair and hope, apparently drifting into tangents whilst actually narrating matters of cutting pertinence.

Whilst I have discovered a passion for all these novels, Victor Hugo truly stands alone for his brilliance in my eyes.

  Where to go from here?

  Good question.

Nothing has really changed since I first arrived. There was a never a systematic plan for me to follow. I’ve really fumbled my way through the dark, step by step, and somehow managed to stay on the right track to this day.

Like all my previous resources, I have stumbled across them by accident, with enough wisdom to identify their worth, and knowing when to move on.

It’s purely my hope to shine a light on the trodden path so that others may have the choice to follow in my footsteps. That’s all.

As things stand, I’m possible on the verge of a new direction in professional life, one that my years of effort learning Chinese has opened up almost exclusively to me, and will hopefully compliment ChongqingLife in future years.

I’ll keep you posted.

Whilst I may have to call a hiatus to the world of literary classics, there are still other Mandarin resources that I intend to present in due time.

    Mandarin Tips – Classic Novels In my youth, I knew about all the classic novelists, such as Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, D.H.

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Open barbecue stalls were a ubiquitous nocturnal phenomenon on the streets of Chongqing, until the stricter regulation of recent years forced them indoors, outside the city, or out of business.

That’s for the most part, yet not entirely.

One survival technique is simply going under the radar, where stall owners relocate to out-of-sight clandestine pockets, well away from the prying eyes of authority.

The contrary solution has been to operate in broad daylight, but with increased mobility in the form of tighter kitchen units on wheels. At least this way, they can split at the first sign of potential grife.

My elder daughter’s school is a prime example.

Each late midweek afternoon, out of sight from the main gate, a handful of stall owners set up to meet the after school rush of hungry students, selling them a range of tasty snacks, such as cooked pancakes (手抓饼Shou-zhua-bing), cool noodles (凉面Liang-mian) and glutinous rice balls dipped in red sugar powder.

Since the whole operation became so efficient, school teachers began to admonish pupils against buying from them, under the threat of detention should any fellow students acting as spies catch them red handed.

Whether it be going underground or overtly mobile, it’s officials from the Urban Management and Law Enforcement Agency known as ‘Chengguan城管‘ with whom they are keen to avoid any run-ins.

In tandem with Chongqing landing on the international scene for business and tourism, such regulation has contributed greatly to public order and cleanliness. However, I have watched the disappearance of street barbecue with heavy heart, as many truly were delicious, fun and economical.

The matter wasn’t solely the lack of a business license.

Air quality was another motivation for transferring the barbecue stall into modern indoor premises with extractor fans, as when they cooked outside with charcoal grills, the oils could often generate a haze that enveloped the immediate neighbourhood.

Public health also featured on the list of concerns.

I recall just two occasions where I suffered an upset stomach from suspicious hygiene practices. Interestingly, the main source of contamination isn’t usually the food itself, but the latter stage where everything is stirred together in a mixing bowl with a range of sauces and condiments, then served up on a larger platter.

Another issue I find grimly amusing are the disinfected cutlery some places hand you. Sometimes, you pay one yuan each for a set of ceramic bowls, dishes, spoon and glass tumbler, all wrapped up tightly in a transparent plastic seal.

It works like this.

Since many stalls and restaurants stay open until the early hours, they don’t have time or energy for washing up. At the end of the night, they place all the used cutlery into crates and leave them outside, so that a third party may take care of the collection, washing, disinfection, and re-packaging, before finally returning them in time for the next night’s patronage.

The only problem arises whilst the crates await collection. Unless they are securely covered up, members of the local wildlife, such as stray dogs, love nothing more than to eat out the leftovers once the front is quiet. I first learnt about this from a report on the local 360 television news station.

So, for better or worse, the days of street barbecue on every corner has been consigned to history, in the main city of Chongqing, at least.

The final major change I have noticed are in the faces of stall owners.

Over a decade ago, there were many Xinjiang migrants in the city who sold lamb skewers over small charcoal fired barbecues, and they were quite a familiar sight in daily life.

They were always immediately recognisable for their turkic appearance, moustache, traditional attire, and heavily accented Mandarin.

However, for reasons I’m not entirely certain of, they are only noticeable in Chongqing today through their complete absence, and in all walks of life.

Funnily, whenever a local discovers I speak Chinese quite decently, they first guess I’m from Russia, failing which the second is usually Xinjiang, even though I bear very little ressemblance. Many really do think highly of the westerner who learns Chinese well.

  Trials and Tribulations Only

  In the future, I will cover the delicacy of Chinese style barbecue, but my focus of my blog post today is more on developments I have witnessed over the years.

For those of you interested in seeing Chongqing barbecue, I will leave you with a clip from iChongqing, where Vivi hosts a barbecue dinner with Patrick, a frequent guest on the channel, a Croatian friend, and Ben, an American who moved to Chongqing in 1994, speaks great local dialect, and runs his own popular bar chain called ‘Ben’s Bar.’

Enjoy watching them tuck in the delights of pig’s brain and throat!

Bon appetit!

  The Vicissitudes of Street Barbecue Open barbecue stalls were a ubiquitous nocturnal phenomenon on the streets of Chongqing, until the stricter regulation of recent years forced them indoors, outside the city, or out of business.

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Late autumn has transcended into winter, but although the damp and mist has accordingly set in, the seasonal climes have been overall generous to us city dwellers here in Chongqing. But while many are naturally averse to drab overcast skies, the real thought one should harbour is looking beyond the superficial, and towards a magical side that lurks concealed beneath the surface.

My latest involvement with iChongqing led to an impromptu, yet fruitful afternoon exploring the peninsula in search of locations that have featured in recent Chinese film releases.

Retrospective inspiration came in the shape of a Weibo topic, where netizens discussed a spate of films produced in Chongqing, most recently ‘Better days少年的你,’Vortex铤而走险’, and ‘Ash is purest white江湖女儿.’

These films have starred big names in the Chinese film industry, like Deng Chao, Bo Huang and ???, so we spent an afternoon tracing their steps, and even imitating famous scenes on location that I will soon share for your viewing amusement.

A focus of discussion was the unique features of Chongqing that make such a great backdrop for cinematic productions.

At this point, I’ll share a few highlights of an iChongqing article I co-authored with their journalist, Wu Xiao;

An iChongqing Excerpt

  In a nutshell, the dramatic terrain, breathtaking skyline, along with the intriguing blend of modernity and folk tradition, all combine to form the distinctive charm of Mountain City.

The vertical topography means that usual conventions in urban planning cannot apply. Your satnav can mistake your position on roads that overlap a hundred feet apart. The experience of losing your way on the steep, windy streets and alleyways are as delightful as they can be confusing.

You can appreciate the incredible skyline and verdant mountainous background, all huddled around the mighty Yangtze and Jialing rivers, from many vantage points in the city. In the depths of winter, clouds often envelop the hilltops, instilling a sensation of beauty and wonder.

As one explores the antiquated, yet deeply charming alleyways and neighborhoods, you can witness the traditional lifestyles that have survived to this day.

The manual laborers who carry bamboo poles over their shoulders, a timeless symbol of Chongqing that locals call the ‘Bangbang’ army, continue to haul wares up and down steep alleys.

You can walk past bustling teahouses, see locals tucking into hotpot in former air-raid shelters, and hear the familiar grinding sound of mahjong tiles.

Chongqing has always been used to welcoming visitors due to its long status as a commercial hub, so perhaps the friendly inhabitants needn’t feel surprised on how tourism has exploded in this fascinating and gorgeous city after all!

A brief filmography of Chongqing

The ‘Yangtze Cableway,’ a local tourist hotspot, features on the cover of ‘Chongqing Blues.’

‘Hotpot Hero’ took inspiration from the culture embodying the delicious and fiery specialty for which Mountain City is known far and wide.

A popular Chinese saying goes, ‘You discover you married too early when you come to Chongqing,’ an adage befitting the film ‘Chongqing Girl.’

The natural beauty of ‘Yongchuan Bamboo Forest’ served as the backdrop in the film ‘House of Flying Daggers,’ a successful international release back in 2004.

The rich variety of city streetscapes provided many gritty ‘down to earth’ settings that brought audiences closer in ‘Crazy Stone’ and ‘Passing around the World.’

Riverside Flower Garden Cafe

  Our schedule was tight, so the main objective was to shoot an imitation scene from the 2016 release ‘I belonged to you从你的全世界经过,’ then quickly film some extra clips on the monorail, Huangguan escalator, and a roadside outside Gongmao Station.

Riverside Flower Garden Cafe (江畔寻花咖啡小筑) is my rough translation of the picturesque hillside terrace that sits perched on the steep slopes of Eling Ridge鹅岭, near Jiefangbei.

The open, spacious layout stretches nicely across two rooftops, tucked in closely by the electric monorail line, and over trains quietly whizz past every few minutes.

I’m sure most would normally shudder at such a thought, but here, the beauty of the surroundings, coupled with an expansive over the Jialing below, means that, however strange it may seem, this novel feature manages only to add further charm and romance.

At one end, a discreet wall mounted display publicises the fact a scene from ‘I belonged to you’ was filmed here. At the other is a two floor structure housing the cafe, where you can choose from a selection of tasty homemade beverages and snacks. Walking up the metal stairway, there’s more seating available indoors, with enough room available to even host meetings among the attractively whitewashed exterior and wooden floorboards.

While the scene itself was obviously shot at dusk on a warm, clear summer evening, we had to make do with the cold, misty drizzle that typifies the winter climate in Chongqing.

Nevertheless, the visitor needn’t feel discouraged. The quiet surroundings are no less appealing, and I still love to sit under the parasols as wispy cloud obscures the moutaintops above, while below, you watch on as daily city life continues to nonchalantly unfold.

Should you wish to come here on day, you can take the second monorail line to Fotuguan佛图关, then walk out through exit A, cross the narrow windy road, then spot the entrance a few metres up.

It’ll be worth it.

Following in Cinematic Footsteps Late autumn has transcended into winter, but although the damp and mist has accordingly set in, the seasonal climes have been overall generous to us city dwellers here in Chongqing.

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My Feelings on TEFL/TESOL

My Feelings on TEFL/TESOL

In a way, I was fortunate to complete TEFL as a credit module during my second year at univeristy, and although the 120 hour course was recorded on transcript, rather than in certificate form, the experience paved the way to ESL in China after I graduated.

Actual memories of the course itself have gradually hazed over the past twenty years, but I do remember the classes on teaching theory,…

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As far back as I care to remember, spas, bath houses and hot springs have never ceased to appeal, albeit to differing extents. It’s fitting, then, that I should have landed in ‘Hot Spring Capital’ all those years ago.

Today, however, dawned the most complete of experiences in the bath house come spa category, and that’s quite a statement.

I’ll never forget the sauna experience I once had in the Finnish outdoors near Kuopio. Bearing the heat of a log furnace with friends as long as possible, before running down the jetty and diving into a cold freshwater lake in the middle of nowhere.

During a two year stint teaching ESL in Guri, South Korea, I found no better way to unwind after a long week than the local spa, known there as a Jjimjilbang.

In Chongqing, there have been many great days and nights at the numerous hot springs, but until lately, the far eastern style bath house so romanticised in Korean and Japanese drama had been somewhat lacking.

Earlier this year, I discovered Haichang Tangdu on Nanshan Mountain, a fantastic bath house with an exclusively Japanese theme, and is somewhere we continue to visit regularly.

For many years, a chain of Chinese spas and recreation centres have operated in Chongqing, the most famous of which is Dalangtaosha大浪淘沙. These are also very decent, but don’t bare much resemblance to the Korean or Japanese versions.

So, when another Baidu Search produced Dayuetang among the results, I read the positive comments, flicked through the photographs, and placed it on my hit-list of places to visit once opportunity reared its head.

Reviving Fond Memories

  Dayuetang City Vacation Hot Spring大悦汤城市度假温泉 is part of the Pengrun Lanhai residential complex, but the entrance is accessible from the main road. The address is 18 Xingzhu Lu, just a block north of Jinyuan Sqaure.

After a 20 minute drive from Yubei once the morning rush hour had ended, I met the only slight annoyance of an otherwise fantastic day. The security guard of Pengrun wouldn’t allow me to use the residential carpark, and instead advised me to park on the road outside the main entrance.

Not wanting to risk a parking ticket, I returned to Jinyuan, where I attended the Hotpot Festival just a few days prior. All traces of the event had disappeared, with perhaps the exception of cleaners trying to mop up remaining pools of solidified hotpot soup.

Dayuetang is not easy to miss. Once inside the entrance, I felt struck by the clean, bright and spacious hall. I quickly gave up my shoes, took a blue wristband, and headed straight towards the baths.

The style instantly reminded me of my days in Korea. The lockers were brand new and secure, the floors had dark grey anti-slip tiles, and the shower areas were just as I remembered, just brand new and immaculately clean.

There are three pools with slightly different temperatures and themes, with a traditional far eastern style wooden canopy overhead. I bathed until near lunchtime, when I changed into a nice cotton outfit they provide before checking out the communal area.

As the bathing section was relatively small, I was amazed to find the huge space and range of facilities.

Dayuetang has three floors in total. The first is for reception, bathing rooms, and the communal section with a computer room, saunas, massage chairs, children’s play area, private social rooms where you sit on the tatami floor, crystal stone bath, snack bar, secluded dark holes where you can escape for a nap. The central feature is a huge tatami platform with another wooden canopy, and low tables to sit around and socialise.

The entire second floor is more of a Chinese style sitting room, and is where I’m writing my blog post now.

Indeed, this spa house cleverly merges the very best of traditional Chinese, Korean and Japanese features, without clashing in any way.

The upper floor has a great buffet restaurant, large rooms with sofa beds, a smoking room, a cinema, and a hotel style coridoor with private rooms guests can stay in overnight.

It’s an interesting fact that in my experience, Asians can somehow sleep well in quite noisy environments. For me, the slightest disturbance makes sleep virtually impossible, whether it be a snoring neighbour, chatty ladies walking past, or a bright phone screen shone in my direction. I’m sure I’ll use one of those private bedrooms one fine day.

As my post nears completion, I’m struggling to think what this spa house lacks, it really seems to have everything going for it!

I suppose the whole complex is indoor based, but I would never choose to nitpick on this issue. I just remember the Hotpot Sauna on the top of Wangshimni Station, Seoul had an open air rooftop bath I absolutely loved during the colder times of year.

My visit today set me back a mere 129 yuan, which included a very palatable buffet lunch. Overall, great value for a truly remarkable bath house. The only downside other than having to park at Jinyuan Sqaure was having to leave!

Dayuetang Korean Spa House As far back as I care to remember, spas, bath houses and hot springs have never ceased to appeal, albeit to differing extents.

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I had to check twice when I noticed the icon forecasting clear skies for today! Once deep into autumn, the sun becomes a rarity in these parts, so the chance to enjoy a day out in the sunshine is an opportunity not to be missed, with doubts over unreliable weather apps cast aside.

Last week on my river cruise on Manjianghong with iChongqing, a feature that perhaps caught my attention most was the majestic Huguang Guild site, gloriously lit up upon the Yangtze riverbank.

A good six years had passed since I last took a tourist river cruise from Chaotianmen, and unless my memory has failed, the brilliant lights of Huguang Huiguan is a relatively new addition to the city’s nocturnal skyline.

From that moment on, my visit was just a matter of time.

Thankfully, the promise of cloudless heavens came to fruition once a dense blanket of fog dispersed shortly after sunrise. With morning familial duties seen to, we took the subway to Xiaoshizi小什字 in Jiefangbei.

  Locating the Guild House

  Despite the sense of proximity on a map, the walk from Xiaoshizi station to Huguang Guild takes you down a long steep flight of steps and through old bustling alleyways. Along the way, you pass by little clothing shops, food stalls selling breakfast snacks, and narrow doorways leading into labryinths of wholesale businesses.

In fact, the Xiaoshizi is the place in Chongqing where shop owners municipality wide source their clothing products. The streets are packed from early in the morning, and you have to watch out for busy manual labourers and motorbike powered minivans shifting wares.

Everybody was too busy to really notice me walking through, even though a foreigner walking the old narrow streets here must stand out like a sore thumb.

We a turned a 180 degree bend in the street and Huguang Guild came into sight just beyond the towering Dongshuimen Bridge, over which the Line 6 Subway trains roar across in either direction, every few minutes.

After a short coffee break, we admired the sparkling Yangtze waters through a gap in the foilage, then walked down the old city walls towards the ticket office, where a pair set us back the grand total of 50 yuan.

  What is Huguang Guild?

  There is no short answer that can immediately dispel your curiousity on this matter, as to understand the purpose of Huguang Guild requires the visitor to study little known history of this region.

I learnt much from my visit today, including how Chongqing was once fully guarded behind city walls, and that the modern day bridges of Qiansimen and Dongshuimen are actually named after ancient city gate towers that stood nearby hundreds of years ago.

Wishing to avoid the pretence I know this period of history well, here are some quotes from inside that should give you the right gist, and in their original Chinglishy version to boot, for now at least.

  According to the Display Panels

  1. In China, huiguan or guild halls are historical architectures built by a group of immigrants of the same origin including officials, merchants and ordinary people for their shared interests in terms of function. There are townsmen guild halls, immigrant guild halls, business guild halls, and industry guild halls.

In Bashu region, most guild halls are historical outcomes dating back to the big migration into Sichuan from other provinces in the Qing Dynasty. Evidences show that the construction of guild halls in Chongqing was initiated under Emperor Kangxi, then came to rise under Emperor Qianlong, and finally reached the peak under Emperors Xianfeng and Tongzhi. In history, after the Huguang immigration in the early Qing Dynasty, Chongqing became prosperous due to the inflow of a large number of merchants, especially those from Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Fujian, Jiangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou. Those merchants started to build guild halls as early as the reign of Emperor Qianlong.

Located beside the Yangtze River section at Dongshuimen,Yuzhong District, Chongqing Huguang Guild Hall is one of eight major guild halls in the city and consists of a complex of architectures, including antique imitation buildings and historical buildings dating back to the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, about 300 years ago, such as Huguang Guild Hall(also known as Yuwang Temple), Guangdong Guild Hall (also known as Nanhua Palace) and Qi’an Guild Hall. Chongqing Huguang Guild Hall is the largest urban architectural complex of its kind in China with its core region covering an area of 18,418m2, with a floorage of 7,653m2, representing the highest level of antique architectures in the city, it is a calling card for this historical and cultural city and also an important proof of the Huguang immigration and the past of the city as a prosperous port in the Qing Dynasty.

2. The province of Huguang was first established in the Yuan Dynasty as Huguang Xingsheng with a territory approximately equivalent to the Song Dynasty’s Jinghu South Circuit, Jinghu Norih Circuit and Guangnan West Circuit, roughly corresponding to today’s Hubei (including a small part north of the Yangtze River and the most area south of the Yangtze River), Hunan(whole), Guangxi(whole), Guangdong (only the arca west of Dianbai County and Maoming City) and Guizhou (excluding the Beipan River basin). In the early Ming Dynasty, Huguang Xingsheng was expanded to the northern boundary of modern Hubei Province, while the part of the previous Guangnan West Circuit was separated as Guangxi Province. In the Qing Dynasty, Huguang was split into Hubei and Hunan provinces which together were customarily known as Huguang.

In the late Yuan Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty, Huguang saw many deserted farmlands and a decreased population following the years of war-incurred chaos. To allieve the situation, the government of the Ming Dynasty migrated many people from provinces like Jiangxi to Huguang and even allowed them to distribute lands by placing flags. In the late Ming Dynasty and the carly Qing Dynasty, after a long time of warfare, Sichuan was desolated with a shrinking population. Thus, the government of the Qing Dynasty started to encourage people in other provinces to migrate to Sichuan. That’s the historical background of ‘Jiangxi fills Huguang, and Huguang fills Sichuan.” a folk rhythm widely popular in Sichuan and Chongqing. In the early Qing Dynasty, there were many immigrants from Hubei and Hunan in Sichuan. That’s why people put it as ‘Huguang Gills Sichuan.’

  My Impressions

  Huguang Guild can’t fail to impress, and I have to say the experience surpassed expectations in my case.

Although its style, layout and scale are a world apart from the Forbidden City in Beijing, stepping room to room throughout the complex, wondering about the antiques that awaited us next, the beautifully intricate carvings in the museum, exploring the coridoors and stages, the unique traditional gifts on sale, all combined to evoke a similar feeling inside.

Just inside the main entrance, to the left, there’s an exhibit that illustrates the transformation from abandoned ruins to its present day glory.

When you compare the site now to the old black and white photographs, you can only marvel at how the builders restored every last facet of this huge structure to their former glory, whilst also preserving the original style and decor.

Stay tuned for more!

    Huguang Guild – Jiefangbei I had to check twice when I noticed the icon forecasting clear skies for today! Once deep into autumn, the sun becomes a rarity in these parts, so the chance to enjoy a day out in the sunshine is an opportunity not to be missed, with doubts over unreliable weather apps cast aside.

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SG13 Reservation Experience

It’s a fait accompli! In the early part of December, I will join China Travel Guide on the SG13 four day tour of Beijing, taking in the renouned sites of Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven.

Our accommodation will be a deluxe room at the five star Great Wall Hotel in Chaoyang District, formerly the Sheraton.

In between our exciting schedule will be stops at…