25 September 2009
Hongcun to Huangshan
Hongcun, as we mentioned earlier, is immortalized in the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Many of the scenes from the movie were filmed in the walls of this old style village. The Anhui Province, in which Hongcun is located, is historically known for its scholars, artists, businessmen, and public officials. It use to have a thriving sword export business (as it was the only province sanctioned by the emperor to sell swords), as well a strong business presence in tea, paper scrolls, ink, and ink stone.
Like many tourist attractions in China, it cost money to get in (60 RMB each). We attempted to use our student Ids, but the expiration date on them had expired so the attendant refused to give us the half price, despite our adamant proclamations that they had expired due to the summer term, not because we weren't students.
To enter into the city, you have to walk over this low laying causeway and then walk over this bridge that crosses a large pond. In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the main characters can be seen flying over this pond. The pond is full of water lotus, which added a hint of "ancient charm" to the already old looking village. The city was initially designed to look like a buffalo if seen from a hilltop, with its center pond acting as its stomach. Despite having become a large tourist attraction, many residents still live within the ancient village walls, with many hawking the standard Chinese souvenirs from their doors, windows, and stalls. This included intricately etched bamboo wall mats, silk clothing, "UFO" magnets, and other junk (or perhaps someone else's treasure). A couple stalls featured local chefs utilizing a horizontally spinning flat circular stone to create thin waffle/crepe like things from various doughs, including pumpkin and wheat. It was very interesting to watch the process, as the waffle like things look like those multiple colored oversized lollipops in the distribution of their colors. Because the waffles are so thin, they become flaky and interestingly enough, taste like ice cream cones once they are cooked.
Because the city is famed for its beauty, a Chinese art school has set up a satellite campus in the area, and students come in mass to Hongcun to be inspired by its beauty. Everywhere we walked within the city walls, we saw young students either using water colors, chalk, ink, pencil, or paint to capture the ciy's beauty.
Following our short time in Hongcun, we headed to the Huangshan City center, where we planned to spend a few hours before catching the train to Suzhou. The city center has a historic shopping area, which is closed off to cars (but interestingly enough, not mopeds or bicycles... so you have to be on constant vigil so that you aren't run over). With China's 60th anniversary coming up in only a few days, the area was displaying its national pride, with 100s of Chinese flags hanging from the walls of the shops. The architecture was very beautiful, but the tourists wares grew quite old for Julia and I. Each shop hawked the usual Chinese souvenirs, and as Julia and I (1) had no space to carry any souvenirs in our bags, and (2) had no inclination to buy junk we'd have no space for in our tiny apartment, grew tired of the wares and the shopkeepers attempts to drag us into their shop for "lookie lookie." We ended up coasting down the side alleys, where we discovered the real culture of the area. We ran into dozens of mostly older people playing dominoes, children running down the alleys playing, puppies eating charcoal, and of coarse, the prerequisite laundry hanging from every and any corner.
Over the few hours we spent in the Huangshan City Center, we discovered our highest concentration yet of "poop" pants. Chinese citizens, while generally keeping their city clean, seem to have made an exception for their young ones. Many of their children wear pants with a strategically placed hole directly below their bottoms. This "clearance way" allows their children to relieve themselves anytime and anyplace, whether it be a number one or two, without the burden of diapers or having to pull down drawers. Unfortunately, the parents don't tend to carry poopy bags with them to clean up the mess.
Scott
Hongcun to Huangshan
Hongcun, as we mentioned earlier, is immortalized in the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Many of the scenes from the movie were filmed in the walls of this old style village. The Anhui Province, in which Hongcun is located, is historically known for its scholars, artists, businessmen, and public officials. It use to have a thriving sword export business (as it was the only province sanctioned by the emperor to sell swords), as well a strong business presence in tea, paper scrolls, ink, and ink stone.
Like many tourist attractions in China, it cost money to get in (60 RMB each). We attempted to use our student Ids, but the expiration date on them had expired so the attendant refused to give us the half price, despite our adamant proclamations that they had expired due to the summer term, not because we weren't students.
To enter into the city, you have to walk over this low laying causeway and then walk over this bridge that crosses a large pond. In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the main characters can be seen flying over this pond. The pond is full of water lotus, which added a hint of "ancient charm" to the already old looking village. The city was initially designed to look like a buffalo if seen from a hilltop, with its center pond acting as its stomach. Despite having become a large tourist attraction, many residents still live within the ancient village walls, with many hawking the standard Chinese souvenirs from their doors, windows, and stalls. This included intricately etched bamboo wall mats, silk clothing, "UFO" magnets, and other junk (or perhaps someone else's treasure). A couple stalls featured local chefs utilizing a horizontally spinning flat circular stone to create thin waffle/crepe like things from various doughs, including pumpkin and wheat. It was very interesting to watch the process, as the waffle like things look like those multiple colored oversized lollipops in the distribution of their colors. Because the waffles are so thin, they become flaky and interestingly enough, taste like ice cream cones once they are cooked.
Because the city is famed for its beauty, a Chinese art school has set up a satellite campus in the area, and students come in mass to Hongcun to be inspired by its beauty. Everywhere we walked within the city walls, we saw young students either using water colors, chalk, ink, pencil, or paint to capture the ciy's beauty.
Following our short time in Hongcun, we headed to the Huangshan City center, where we planned to spend a few hours before catching the train to Suzhou. The city center has a historic shopping area, which is closed off to cars (but interestingly enough, not mopeds or bicycles... so you have to be on constant vigil so that you aren't run over). With China's 60th anniversary coming up in only a few days, the area was displaying its national pride, with 100s of Chinese flags hanging from the walls of the shops. The architecture was very beautiful, but the tourists wares grew quite old for Julia and I. Each shop hawked the usual Chinese souvenirs, and as Julia and I (1) had no space to carry any souvenirs in our bags, and (2) had no inclination to buy junk we'd have no space for in our tiny apartment, grew tired of the wares and the shopkeepers attempts to drag us into their shop for "lookie lookie." We ended up coasting down the side alleys, where we discovered the real culture of the area. We ran into dozens of mostly older people playing dominoes, children running down the alleys playing, puppies eating charcoal, and of coarse, the prerequisite laundry hanging from every and any corner.
Over the few hours we spent in the Huangshan City Center, we discovered our highest concentration yet of "poop" pants. Chinese citizens, while generally keeping their city clean, seem to have made an exception for their young ones. Many of their children wear pants with a strategically placed hole directly below their bottoms. This "clearance way" allows their children to relieve themselves anytime and anyplace, whether it be a number one or two, without the burden of diapers or having to pull down drawers. Unfortunately, the parents don't tend to carry poopy bags with them to clean up the mess.
Scott