A day in Chengdu

After flying in and out of Chengdu multiple times, I finally have the chance to see the city itself. When foreigners hear of the city the first thing that comes to mind is Pandas, since the city is home to the world's one and only panda breeding center. Unfortunately due to the habit of these creatures in order to see them active you have to go early in the morning when they are feeding. So I arrived at 8am and soon I was watching a group of pandas hungrily munching on bamboo.

This was the first time I have seen pandas so close. As I watched them I realized just how lazy and clumsy they are. Sure enough by 9:30 they were all perched on a tree fast asleep. What's also amazing is the size of an adult panda versus a new born who is the size of a large rat at best. No wonder the natural survival rate is so low for these animals.  

From there I took the city's sightseeing bus to Dufu Thatched Cottage. This bus is one of the best programs I've seen in any city. It brings you from one sight to another at free or minimal cost as long as you buy it with the next entrance admission. It was a great way to tour the city without having to worry about being ripped off by the taxi. Dufu's cottage is a park and memorial to the famous Tang Dynasty poet.  Once inside you can relax and admire his work in a serene atmosphere. One of the most visited section of the park is a wall with the words 草堂, meaning cottage, made famous from a visit by Chairman Mao.

I decided to stop for a late lunch before heading to the next sight. Lunch consisted of hot pot chicken with vegetables and traditional Sichuan chicken innards mixed in hot oil. The chicken was pretty good while the innards I had better in the states, but the real highlight of the meal was the pineapple beer which was sweet and refreshing like framboise.

Wish I could get that in the states! The Wuhou shrine, dedicated to the 3 kingdom was full of statues dedicated to famous men of that period. One of the most famous being ZhuGe Liang can also be found there. At such places I am always reminded of the advancement and power China was in that era.

Next to Wuhou is the famous Jinlin Ancient street. Once actually a part of Wuhou, now carved out and filled with shops decorated with red lantern selling local street food and souvenirs. Similar to Jinlin is another street nearby called KianXiangZi. The neighborhood used to be an old Mongolian district for the affluent so many houses have iron doors and stone lion statues out front.  It's name comes from the fact that it is made up of two streets one wide and the other narrow. Along both you can find street food, tea houses and other various shops.

Though it was crowded it did not feel hectic like the places in Tawian did. Had I not been up since 6:45 to see the pandas I would have loved to sit in a tea shop and taken a breather while sipping tea like the locals.

Rating:

Atmosphere: What I found the most impressive about this city is its ability to provide everything. The convenience factor has become expected in a large city. However it is the ability to take a quick escape away from all the hustle and bustle and stroll the gardens in Dufu or sit by the water lily pond in Wuhou that is refreshing.

Beauty: Though not comparable to the natural beauties of the prior places, for a big city it has done a great job of finding the balance between old and new.

Cleanliness: I'm impressed with how extremely clean and well kept it is. Unlike street food destinations in Taiwan where a waste bin was hard to come by, here there were no such problems. In addition the facilities in all the places I've visited was adequate.

Food: I'd never thought I would get sick of spicy food, but here I am on my last day in the city craving something other hot pot or food soaked in hot chilly oil. In general though the food was excellent, very flavorful and full of umami.

People: About average. They seemed nicer than Jiuzhai but in general the sales people are still very pushy and aggressive. 

Last Comment: I ended up liking this city much more than I expected. Though there wasn't any one factor that made the city the most beautiful or unique, as a whole the city just seemed to flow smoothly.

Scale 1-10: 8

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Beyond Chengdu ... Part Two (Jiuzhaigou/Huang Long)

The next leg of this trip took me to Jiuzhaigou and Huang Long, two of the most beautiful natural landscapes in China. Unfortunately upon arriving weather couldn't have been worse. There was no sun in sight and none to be hope for in the next few days. So a little deflated I proceeded up Huang Long not expecting much. The biggest draw to the park is the thousands of mineral ponds and lakes formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate deposited by mineral springs. Of these numerous formation the most famous is the Five Color Pond. This pond is made up of more than 700 large and small pools that can reflect the color of its surroundings depending on weather.  Even though the sky was a blanket of white, the pond was still mesmerizing. The colors of the pools ranged anywhere from crystal blue to turquoise green, with some even milky white. It was indescribably beautiful, even on a day like today.  

As expected the weather the next day at Jiuzhaigou wasn't any better as the whole sky was one massive white cloud. Once at the park I was pleasantly surprised to see how clean and well ran it was. There are shuttle buses to take you to the various sights given the massive size of the park. From there you can proceed to walk to the next attraction whose direction and distance is clearly marked or just hop back on the bus. The park is actually in a "Y" shape. The left side of the split is called the Zechawa Valley while the right side of the valley is called Rize. Of the two, Rize is longer and more beautiful and it is often recommended you start at the tip and make your way down.  All the lakes in Rize had a bluish greenish hue and was so clear you could see to the bottom.  The highlights were definitely Panda Lake, and Five Flower Lake. Panda Lake is on average 46 ft deep, surrounded by bamboo and other woodland. It's name is derived from the various pockets of the pond that is deeper and looks blacken resembling the eyes of a panda. Personally I couldn't really make it out. 

Five Flower Lake was even more unique as it was only 54ft deep and clear enough to see all the tree branches and bushes in the water. As for how the trees and bushes got there one can only assume it's natural though no one was able to confirm it.

From there I made my way to Long River, the tip of the left valley. At an altitude of 10,039 ft this is the biggest and deepest lake in Jiuzhaigou. The locals call it the mother lake. This lake also feeds to the nearby Five Color Pool, the smallest lake in the park but also the most intense in color. Compared to the lakes in Rize, I found this one to be less impressive.

By 3pm I was ready to head back when suddenly the sun shined through the clouds.  Looking up, I couldn't believe my luck as patches of blue started to emerge. I decided to retrace my steps slightly and see the lakes under this new light. As I reached Pearl Shoal Falls just in time to see the warm rays bounce off the water I was truly speechless.  

Rating:

Atmosphere: The little town of Jiuzhai is completely catered towards tourists. Up and down the streets all you find is restaurants and hotels. It also turns out that all these places has a local performance. Never being able to truly appreciate the arts and feeling like they are just a tourist scam I decided to skip. 

Beauty: The sights of Huang Long and Jiuzhaigou was every bit as pretty as people claim them to be. Though this place has long become a favorite destination of locals, you really don't see many foreigners. Personally I think it's one of the prettiest park I've been to around the world.

Cleanliness: To have an attraction in China that pristine and and well maintained is almost beyond belief. The bathrooms were cleaner than anywhere else in China I have seen recently. The wooden walkways were sturdy and easy to walk on. It made the experience in the park much more enjoyable and well worth the 310yuan admission.

Food: Nothing special, same or slightly worst than Chengdu in flavor. 

People: Before I came here I was not aware that the majority of the locals were Tibetan. Hence a lot of the people, buildings, and even prayer flags were similar to what I just saw in Lhasa. Again I didn't think the locals were extremely friendly and in fact many were even boarder line rude. 

Last Comment: As I made my way through the massive crowds in the park, I forgot how much I hated this part of China. Even though there were two dozen buses lined up to take people to the sights, people pushed on as if that was the last one. I know etiquette has improved a lot in China in the past decade, however compared to Western standards there is much more to go. 

Rating: 1-10 = 8

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At the Top of the World....Tibet

By far the most anticipated part of this trip is Lhasa. The longing to see this remote city and the Potala Palace it houses has been even more accentuated after the denial of my visa a few years back in Nepal. After landing in Lhasa we were met by our guide and whisked off to the hotel. At first impression the city was a lot more developed than I'd imagine and resembled a second tiered city in China. The streets were filled with smaller shops and people's attire looked like they were a decade behind. It wasn't until you reached the Bakhor circuit did you get a taste of Tibet. There, circling the most sacred Jokhang temple were locals on a pilgrimage offering their prayers. As they walked clockwise on the trodden path, some had prayer beads, other chanting wheels while a few even dropped and kneeled every few steps. I left myself get swept into the crowd as I made my way around the whole place, feeling it's spirituality. The next day we visited the much anticipated Potala Palace, originally constructed by the 32nd King and later rebuilt and expanded by the 5th Dalai Lama. This fortresses like grande structure stands 13 stories high on the red hill over looking the city.  

Looking up the palace is divided into two colors, the white brick walls at the bottom symbolizes compassion and is the resident for the Dalai Lama while the red on the top stands for wisdom is used for religious functions.  The black framed windows all over the building provides for energy and power. Inside the more than 1,000 rooms contained dozens of magnificent chapels, golden stupas and prayer halls. As is the case with many religious landmarks, photos were unfortunately not allowed inside. After ascending and descending a total of 407 steps total we exited from the rear and made our way to Norbulingka Palace, the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas. Within this 89 acres park there are four palace dedicated to the 7th, 8th, 13th and current 14th Lama. The palace for the current Lama is the largest with two stories and fully equipped with a modern bathroom. Constructed in 1956, he resided there for a mere 3 years before fleeing to India. 

Finally we finished the day with a tour of Jokhang Temple, the famous Nepalese Temple constructed by the Nepalese wife of the 32nd King. The story goes that the temple was built on a river bed that had to be filled with sand, carried by goats from Nepal. The pillars are built from sand wood, also native to Nepal. Though it was originally built to house the 8yr Buddha brought from Nepal, currently it is the Tang Dynasty's 12yr Buddha that is worshipped there.  We walked around praying to the various Buddhas and pouring oil into oil lamps to provide for light in the after life. 

The next day we took a trip out to Namtso lake, the second largest salt lake in China and the highest in the world. On route we stopped by Laghen La the highest point in the area, measuring 5,190 meters. All around you can see the snowy mountain tops and prayer flags blowing in the wind. Despite being slightly lightheaded from the high altitude this was exactly how I've imagined Tibet. From there we drove down to the lake, whose beauty was beyond words. The clear blue water sparkled under the sun while the snow capped mountains lined the back. On the shore yaks lied peacefully, providing one of the most picturesque scenery I've ever seen and often the default marketing campaign for all of Tibet. 

Next up was the city of Shigatse, the second largest city after Lhasa in Tibet. To get there you needed to drive up the winding road on the Kampa la pass, where once on top you were rewarded with a complete view of the canyon.  

After driving around what seemed like endless bends suddenly the Yamdrok Lake appeared before my eyes. The calm glass like turquoise water reflected back the mountain ranges and clouds above. Unlike Namsto lake which was vast and commanding, this lake is much more delicate and graceful. 

Our next stop, Mt. Nyechen Kangsar Glacier was less impressive than some of the others I've seen around the world and a huge disappointment following the lake. At Shigatse, the most famous sight is Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, a massive complex made up of three building housing the tombs of past seven Panchen Lama. As with all the monetary in Tibet the inside walls were beautifully covered with drawings of Buddha. The land of Tibet is truly spiritual.

Rating:

Atmosphere: The high altitude and dry air took some getting use to as I experienced headaches and nose bleeds.  In the end it could have been a lot worse, though by the time it came to leave I was more than ready.  Even little things that I did back home that I wouldn't think twice about took a toll on me here.

Beauty: The landscape of the area is beyond words. No matter in the city of Lhasa or around the outskirts everything was breathtaking. The sight of Potala Palace perched on the hill did not disappoint, while the two lakes unique in style were some of the most unforgettable scenery I've yet to witness.

Cleanliness: The bathroom's conditions were atrocious. At one point the area we were in had no water, which you can image what that translated to. Aside for that, the actual streets of the cities were not bad. 

Food: Traditional Tibetan food was average at best. A lot of the dishes were similar to Nepal but not as good. Some of the better ones were their spicy yak noodle soup, which had a few piece of minced yak and their yak on a hot plate with spicy sauce. The local yogurt which I was told is a must try is similar in consistency to Greek yogurt, but slightly more coarse and mixed with various fruits, nothing special.

People: I found the local people selling things to be very dishonest, which is surprising for such a religious place. Especially shocking was this asshole of a police officer that blatantly tried to rip us off by yelling at us to pay admission at Mt. Nyechen Kangsar Glacier, a place that is free of charge!

Perhaps it can't be helped given the near poverty nature of the locals. On the other side, the local kids are really cute and it absolutely melts your heart the way they smile when you give them candy. Such sincerity, something hard to find these days.

Last Comment: When people say Tibet is a magical place, I can see why. Though I have been to Bhutan, this other side of the Himalayan couldn't be any more different. The contrast can be seen in the people and land, and I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience both firsthand. However I'm also confident both are a once in a lifetime trip.

Scale 1-10 = 8.5

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Beyond Chengdu ... Part One (Leshan/Emeishan)

After arriving in Chengdu for a mere one night I woke up early the next day for a tour to Leshan and Emeishan. The biggest attraction at Leshan is of course the giant Buddha carved into the side of the mountain. As I sat anxiously on my tour bus as it made its way through the country side of Sichuan I got a taste of the farmer's way of life.  China like many countries still demonstrates a stark contrast between urban and rural condition, which is easily forgotten these days with the mega cities.  However as my bus drove by acres after acres of fabric protected crops surrounding structures barely passable as houses I couldn't help but feel a mixture of guilt and appreciation. Once at Leshan, the 24 story tall Buddha was quite a sight. Standing on the platform you barely came up to its ear. However in order to truly appreciate  its size you needed to make the long and crowded decent to the base where you were equal to the size of an ant in comparison. 

From there we proceeded to the back of the temple which houses many other Buddha and received an extremely thorough lesson on Buddhism. Our guide was not only informative but also seemed very passionate about the topic which added a level of interest. Dinner was at a local restaurant who specialized in a chicken dish unique in both flavor and preparation. The large wok sat in the middle of the table heated from underneath. In addition to the spicy chicken stew inside, what can only be described as corn biscuits were stuck along the side of the wok to cook. 

Though the dish was meant to be the star of the meal, it was the blanched chicken with chilly sauce and spicy chicken innards that was the highlight for me. Overall it was an extremely satisfying meal and not as spicy as I'd imagine given the area. The end of the night was concluded with a traditional Sichuan Show, including face changing and Emei Kungfu. In all honestly I really wasn't expecting much, as the whole thing sounded quite gimmicky. As the show started the first few minutes did not prove me wrong. They brought out some supposedly famous calligrapher and proceeded to auction off his work. They did such a good job creating a false sense of scarcity that in the end people were fighting to pay 500 yuan each for a piece. The act was despicable, yet who's really to blame, the unmoral seller, or the gullible buyers looking for a easy bargain? Aside from that, the show wasn't half bad, the face changing was interesting to see and the various performance were engaging enough to keep my attention despite being exhausted.

The next morning again started at the crack of dawn. By 6am we were boarding the bus towards Emeishan, one of the four most important Buddhist mountains in China. By 8am we began our ascend up the 16km staircase towards, the highest point in these mountain ranges. At the top of the Golden Summit, the  prominent 48m-tall golden statue of Samantabhadr was under construction so the only visible structure was the temple.

Though it wasn't necessarily the biggest attraction in the park, it was still disappointing to miss. The biggest draw to Emei is Wannian Temple.  Inside I went around following the rituals of Buddhism.  By the time I came back out I had a monk's blessing and my talismans to face the world. 

Rating:

Atmosphere: The city of Emei is a small little town completely tailored towards tourism. Though it looks and feel like any other town in China with my its pavilions and red lanterns, the overall feel of it seems a little fake and overbuilt. 

Beauty: The landscape of Leshan and Emeishan is covered with vegetation. Even without the temples as their main attractions, their beauty can stand on its own. Some of mine favorite areas were off the beaten path. On the little roads the locals use everyday you pass through fields of tea leaves being harvested and wooden bridges that that can only be found in books. 

Cleanliness: To this day China is still unable to figure out how to provide adequate bathrooms in tourist sights.  The concept of squatting toilets should be eliminated. Not only are they difficult to use for Westerners but also adds to the hygienic issue. After all who wants to see actual crap being flushed down form other stalls.

Food: Almost everything I ate there was really good. Given how much I love spicy food, flavoring was right on par for my taste. In addition, I can finally appreciate just how good chicken and fish in China is. In addition it was interesting to try their local alcohol which consisted of various herbs. 

 

People: Hard to judge given most of my interactions were with my tour guides. Overall I felt indifferent one way or another as nothing stuck out. 

Last Comment: I'm glad to have added a visited to Emeishan last minute as it would have been ashamed to have miss. As for the famous monkeys that inhabit the area, the closest I got to seeing them was in the bus as they climbed up the roof of a near by house, which is perfectly fine with me.

Scale 1-10 = 7.5

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The Mega City of Taipei

Taiwan has always been one of those places I flew over on my trips to Asia but never actually been. So this time I decided to finally make a stop there, allocating three days for Taipei. However when a Google search of  "must see sights" resulted noting back of interest, I soon began to wonder if a long layover wouldn't have sufficed.  

My first day in Taipei started extra early as my red eye landed at 5:30am. Even taking an extra leisurely pace to go through customs and baggage claim I was still at the hotel 2hrs later, way too early to even suggest asking if the room was ready. Instead we made our way a few blocks down to seek out some soy milk and fried curlers, the standard breakfast of China. The place we finally stumbled across was like many of the food establishments in Asia, nothing more than a hole in the wall. Sitting in the back room eating the mediocre food with minimal ventilation this definitely was not the start of my food tour I had imagined. As the day progressed the only thing that elevated was the temperature. Soon I found myself walking around in humid 95 degree weather as we made our way to Chiang Kai-Shek memorial.

 

The memorial surrounded by the National Concert Hall on one side and the National Theater on the other, is a great symbol in both China and Taiwan history. The building itself covered with blue tiles was erected in honor and memory of the once president. While the two side buildings were designed in a traditional Chinese palace style, with distinctive yellow tiled roofs and red pillars, creating a false imperial feel to the whole site. Next we made our way to Taipei 101, one of the tallest buildings in the world. Glancing up from the outside, the sleek skyscraper dominated all that it surrounded but was shy of being breathtaking.  

Inside, we were greeted by a mouthwatering food court serving anything you could desire while the floors above consisted of a typical Asian mall, vast and ostentatious. 

The next day we visited the National Palace Museum, a palace only in name.  From the outside it resembles the Forbidden Palace in design and layout, whilst inside is a museum of ancient Chinese artifacts. Though its two most famous pieces, the Jadeite Cabbage and Meat Shaped Stone were both unavailable, the Bronze Buddha collection and ancient scrolls were pretty impressive. At night we stopped by Shilin night market, one of the famous markets in the city. Any excitement I had about the experience was quickly diminished once I saw the massive crowds. Walking through the streets you were shoulders to shoulders with everyone as you edged your way slowly by. The heat emitting from the food carts mixed with the already thick stagnant air made it nearly impossible to enjoy. Within an hour I was ready to call it quits, this was far from the 小吃 experience I had idealized. Our last day was the hottest of them all as the blazing sun shined unrelentingly. In hindsight a trip to the Taipei zoo was probably not the best idea. As my sweat soaked clothes cling to everything it was hard to enjoy much of anything. Next we made a brief stop to Sun-Yat Sen Memorial Hall, which with its lone statue seated highly perched reminded me a lot like the Lincoln monument.  As my Tawianese history remains a blur, this was one sight I could have easily skipped. 

Our final stop of the day was to the old streets of Jiufen which was an easy 50min train ride outside of Taipei. No sooner had you left the city could you see the transformation, everything was older and less well maintained. The actual village of Jiufen was very quaint, as it sat perched on top of the mountain side. The narrow alley like streets winded up and down as people tried to sell you everything from pastry delights to little trinkets. In the right state of mind this would have been perfect. However being exhausted and hot, my patience was weaning thin. I was ready to call it quits in Taiwan.

Rating:

Atmosphere: I can't remember the last time I was in a place so mind numbingly hot. The weather made it hard to enjoy anything outdoors which was a shame since the city was so easily accessible.

Beauty: Surrounded by mountains the island of Taiwan is full of greenery. Though as the case with most major cities, "beautiful" is not a word I'd use to describe it. 

Cleanliness: It seems that all Asian cities suffers from the same fate of ill-equipped air conditioning in their high rises. This lack of central air conditioning is enough to make any building look dingy, as there is no bigger eye sore than an external AC unit. Aside from that the actual streets of the city is surprisingly clean, while the subway system built more than 20years ago still looked shiny and new.

Food: This was the biggest disappointment of the whole trip. The famous Taipei food I had so anxiously anticipated resulted in nothing more than dish after dish of mediocrity. From the famous steam dumplings at Din Tai Fung to the well known Yong He Soymilk chain I loved so much in Shanghai to even the local street food all was easily forgettable. 

People: As much of a let down as the food was, the friendly of the locals was the exact opposite. Not only were they polite but also sincerely helpful. This was definitely a more civilized culture than China.

Last Comment: I have no doubt that this will be the only time I visit Taiwan by my own will. Not because the experience was awful, it just wasn't memorable.

Scale: 1-10 = 5.5

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