The 12 months of 2016

Last year, I designed a customised calendar with sunrise and sunset as the theme.  This year I wanted something that is different from the usual scenery shots. I wanted something more imaginative.  I hope you will like it.

January

 February

March

 April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Important information to note if you are flying off from Beijing

I went to Beijing again on the 18th October 2015.  This time I visited the Great Wall (again but different segment), Chengde, Bashang and Panjin.  I will write about all these later.  But meanwhile I am quite keen to share the following with readers as soon as possible because I think the information is important.

If you are flying off from Beijing International Airport, be very sure which terminal you are departing from.  Why?  Well, Beijing International Airport Terminal 3 (T3) is 15 to 20 minutes DRIVE away from T1 and T2.  (T1 and T2 are next to each other.)  If you think T3 is next to T2, you are dead wrong! If you get to the wrong terminal, you could very well be in for a lot of hassle.

Next, if you are taking Cathay Pacific Airlines (CX), be very sure you are taking the right airlines. There is a local airline with a name that sounds exactly the same as Cathay Pacific in Mandarin and in Cantonese (though it is written differently).  I will show you the photo later.  So,  if you simply go to Guo Tai (or Kwok Tai in Cantonese) without verifying you may end up in Timbuktu.

This is the photo I promised to show you all.

DISCLAIMER :  THIS IS NOT, I REPEAT, NOT, AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE AIRLINES SHOWN IN THE PHOTO OR FOR THAT MATTER ANY OTHER AIRLINES.

Circumambulating the West Lake

The charm of the West Lake is legendary.

According to a Chinese saying,

Viewing the West Lake on a sunny day is not as ideal as a rainy day;
Viewing the West Lake on a rainy day is not as ideal as a misty day;
Viewing the West Lake on a misty day is not as ideal as a snowy day.

I take that to mean that the more obscure the view, the more enchanting the West Lake is.

There are west lakes and there are west lakes

Before I go on any further, I am of course referring to THE 'West Lake' in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province in China.  Well, the fact is that there are over 30 west lakes in China.  I have been to the West Lake in the city of Fuzhou in Fujian province.  It is nothing like the West Lake in Hangzhou.  So, don't bother to waste time visiting any other west lake.  From now onwards, I will only talk about THE 'West Lake' in Hangzhou.  By the way, there are also many heavenly lakes in China.  The two worth visiting are the Heavenly Lake in Changbaishan and the Heavenly Lake in Xinjiang.  I will write about these two some time later.

The West Lake in Hangzhou is one of the most easily accessible and conveniently located scenic locations in China. It is right in the city and the reasonably priced 4-star Ramada Hai Hua Hotel is just 150 m from the West Lake.  The pricey Hyatt Regency and Shangri-La are also equally well located. I have stayed in the Ramada every time I visited the West Lake.

Circumambulate the West Lake?

In the spring of 2014, I decided to circumambulate the West Lake.  Yes, I mean walk round the West Lake. I felt that in my previous visits I have not really seen the real the West Lake.  So, walking round it should be the best way to see more.  Is that possible?  Yes, it is.  How long does it takes?  I took about 12 hours including breaks for rest and taking of photographs. Was it tiring?  Yes, but not unmanageable.  In fact, I think I managed pretty well considering the fact that I was lugging along my photographic gear weighing about 20 per cent of my body weight.

As you probably already know, there are 10 classic scenes of West Lake:

1) Dawn on the Su Causeway in spring
2) Breeze-ruffled lotus in the Quyuan Garden
3) Autumn moon over the calm lake
4) Melting snow on the 'broken' bridge (The bridge is anything but broken.  The break is a visual delusion due to the melting snow.)
5) Leifeng pagoda in the sunset
6) Twin peaks piercing the clouds
7) Orioles singing in the willows
8) Fish viewing at the Flower Harbour
9) Three ponds reflecting the moon (This name is a bit of a misnomer and a mystery.  There aren't any three ponds.  What one sees are 3 pagoda-like stone lanterns about 2 metres high arising above the water.  This scene is depicted on the back of the RMB1 note.)
10) Evening bell of the Nanping Hill

(These days, the Chinese had come out with 10 'new' scenes of West Lake.  I have not visited any of them.  Firstly, they are spread out over quite a large area in Hangzhou.  Secondly, somehow, I feel that they are mainly tourist's traps.)

By circumambulating the West Lake, I tried to visit each of these locations.  Well I did 8 out of 10!  I did not make it to (9) because one would have to take a boat out to an island in the middle of the lake and (10) because one would have to deviate and go up the hill.

The following are some of the 10 scenes.

Twin peaks piercing the clouds

Leifeng pagoda in the sunset

Fish viewing at the Flower Harbour

Dawn at the Su Causeway in spring

Maojiabu

On the western edge of the West Lake are several smaller lakes called Maojiabu.  This area is seldom visited by tourists and walking along the lakes, one really gets to soak in its tranquility.  Maojiabu is not to be confused with the Xixi, the wetland made famous by the 2008-movie 'If you are the one' staring Shu Qi and Chinese actor Ge You.   Xixi wetland, is a short car-ride from the Westlake.  The following are some shots of Maojiabu.

Zhang Yi Mou's impression shows

Zhang Yi Mou, the movie director, has produced several large scale, live, on location shows at some of China's most notable scenic attractions.  His shows involving several hundred performers make creative use of light and sound woven into the location's setting.  The content of the show is invariably about the local customs and dances. But each show will inevitably contain some elements of surprise that vow the audience.  Zhang is credited to have provided employment opportunities to many of the local people and made a lot of money for himself too.

The following is my impression of Zhang's Impressions. 

Impression of Hainan 

It is set in a stadium-like arena.  The theme is contemporary (his only show with a contemporary theme) and is about young people's yearning to enjoy sun and the beach of Hainan.

One of the surprises is how the stage turned into a sea of water with the clever change of lighting.  I figured out that the stage is actually built of mesh over a pool.  It turns from land to water by lowering the mesh and vice versa by raising the mesh. Another surprise comes towards the end where the back of the stage opens up and 'viola', the beach,  coconut tress and the waves washing ashore highlighted by the clever use of lighting.

My rating: *

Impression of West Lake

This is probably the most unusual.  The performance is carried out on the waters of the West Lake at night.  The storyline is set against the legend of Madam White Snake which in itself is an enchanting tale.

You have boats sailing on the lake and dancers dancing on water.  The highlight is the broken bridge sequence where a huge bridge-like structure (resembling anything but a bridge, least of all, the real 'broken bridge') is mechanically raised from the lake.

The dance sequences with the creative use of light is scintillating.

My rating :***

Impression of Guilin

This show uses the unique characteristic of the Karst landscape in Guilin (more specifically, Yangshuo) as the backdrop.  It also featured the characteristically unique folk songs ('mountain songs' literally in Chinese) of Guilin.

To a large extent, the dance items are similar to the West Lake's with dancers performing 'on water'.

My rating : **

Impression of Lijiang

The only of his shows that is performed in daylight.  The reason is obvioius.  The location is at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow mountain some 20 minutes drive from Lijiang city.  The audience will be literally frozen if the show is staged at night.

The backdrop is the magnificent 4680m Jade Dragon Snow mountain.  The dances and content are centered around the local tea-trading 'horse gangs' with  real horses galloping around.  Other than that, nothing really unusual.

I think the magnificent Jade Dragon Snow mountain was a distraction as there were several times during the show that I found myself admiring the grandeur of the mountain rather than watching the show.

My rating : *

Sorry, I do not have any photographs of the night shows.  Well, I abide by the rules; no photography and video recording allowed.  Of course, that made me the odd-one-out in China.   Actually, I was prepared to 'follow the custom when one enters the village' as the Chinese saying goes.   However, it does not make sense to shoot anything in the vast night space without a firm tripod.  

Travel tip#9 - How high can you go?

How high can you go?

I am not a fitness buff.  I am not even the outdoor-type.  But I have summited Mount Fuji (3776m) and gone up to altitude as high as 5248m without falling sick.

Once you are at an altitude of about 2000m, you will inevitably feel breathless when you strain yourself.  But this is not Acute Mountain Sickness (AMC) or Chronic Mountain Sickness (CMS), maybe not yet. Hypoxia is a condition in which the body as a whole or a region of the body is deprived of oxygen resulting in what we generally called ACS/CMS.  When ACS/CMS becomes serious resulting in fluid build-up in the brain (HACE) or in the lungs (HAPE), it is fatal if not attended to immediately.

As a matter of fact, Acute Mountain Sickness (ACS) or Chronic Mountain Sickness (CMS) has little to do with a person's level of fitness, gender or age.  Herein lies the danger.  It is therefore important to be prepared, recognise the signs and symptoms and know what to do when faced with it.

Now, if you are going to Tibet (which is an interesting place for holiday), most of the time you will be above 2000m.  The altitude of Lhasa is already 3650m.  The first thing to do is acclimatisation.  When you arrive at Lhasa, for example, you do nothing on the first day.  Just rest.   Don't be a hero and insist on venturing out.  Some people think that they have paid a lot of money for their holiday and they are not going to idle around and waste a day or two.  You are only asking for trouble if you do so.

Just be mindful that you are at high altitude and do things slowly; don't run, don't jump, don't bent down to pick up something abruptly.  I even tell people to brush their teeth slowly.

Some people think that when going to Lhasa, Tibet, taking the train will enable them to acclimatise better as the ascent is more gradual compared to taking a plane.  Sure the ascent is more gradual but the trains are pressurised and therefore do not help in acclimatising.

Many people believe in consuming the Chinese herbal medicine HongJinTian as an antidote for ACS.  I am skeptical.  But if you believe in it, please go ahead; I cannot underwrite your life.   I would suggest that before your trip go and see a GP and get a prescription of Diamox.

If you experience giddyness, nausea, headache, perspiration, light headedness, prolonged breathlessness, consume the medicine based on the doctor's prescription.  If the symptons still persist, go to see a doctor as soon as possible.  The doctor will most likely put you on a drip.  Now, if the doctor recommends that you evacuate to a lower level, comply as soon as possible.  Even Everest climbers have died for refusing to follow advice to evacuate.

You may also come across tourist shops selling oxygen cannisters that look like insecticide spray. I am doubtful of its content.  Again, I don't want to underwrite your life; go ahead and buy if you want it as a precaution.  If you are travelling with an organised tour, make sure you that the tour coach carries a real oxygen bottle, the type used in hospitals.

One final point, avoid consuming alcohol at high altitude.

The 12 months of 2015

'The 12 months of 2015' is a customised calendar I made with selected sunrise and sunset theme I have shot in the past at various places.   I have intentionally not mentioned whether they are sunrise or sunset in this post as I would like to leave it as a teaser for the reader.  Sorry, no prize for the right answers.   Most of these shots are originally landscape shots.

2015

Huangshan 

A Chinese saying has it that,

"After returning from Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), you do not want to see any more mountains.  After returning from Jiuzhai (Jiuzhaigou), you do not want to see any more waters."

Huangshan (1864m) is located in Anhui province, China.  The saying above is testimony of its unparalleled beauty.  Most people go up Huangshan via the cable car.  I walked up all the way to the top all in 8 hours!  It was tough but absolutely satisfying.

Now before you jump to conclusion that the above shot is a sunrise or sunset shot, do note that I had stayed on the mountain top (in a hotel, of course) for a night.  

January

U Bein Bridge, Mandalay, Myanmar

U Bein Bridge, Mandalay, Myanmar.  The teak-wood bridge is quite an icon.  This is a popular location for photographers and it should be easy to find out if this is sunset or sunrise.  The shot was taken from a small boat on very shallow waters.

February

Jogjakarta, Indonesia

This shot was taken on top of a hill.  It should be easy to tell if this is sunrise or sunset.  The tell-tale sign is obvious.

March

Bagan, Myanmar

Yes, those are hot air balloons.

April

Xiapu, Fujian, China

Xiapu is famous for its mudflats but you can also capture some glorious sunrise and sunset scenes.

May

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

This is Brunei Darulsalam, Land of the Peaceful Abode.

June

Fisherman Wharf, Danshui, Taipei

Don't expect to see fishing boats returning with their catches in Fisherman Wharf in Danshui.  There aren't any.  The place is full of eateries and tourists.

July

Lake Inle, Myanmar

This is a pair of the iconic 'leg-rowers' in Lake Inle.  The fishermen use one leg to row the boat with the other keeping him standing.  Guess what they do with their hands.

August

Two dogs

There are two things I would like to say about this August shot.  First, guess the location.  Second, I think the two dogs made a difference in this shot.  Actually, the two dogs went into the water for a swim after I took the shot.

September

West Lake, Hangzhou

The legendary 'Broken Bridge' at West Lake, Hangzhou.  The bridge is anything but broken.  It got its name because when the snow on the bridge melts, it looks like it is broken.  It is one of the 10 classical scenes of West Lake.

October

Haikou, Hainan

I was looking out of the window of this restaurant by the sea in Haikou, Hainan Island, China and voila, the big round egg yolk was above the horizon.  I immediately grabbed my camera and dashed out of the restaurant to take this shot.  Of course, I did tell the waiter of my intention.  So, was I having breakfast or dinner?

November

Gardens By The Bay, Singapore

Singaporeans should not have problem telling if it is sunrise or sunset.

December

Mile, Yunnan, China

The name of this location is not pronounced as 'Mile' (as it would be in English) but 'Mi Le' as in Hanyu pinyin.  There is nothing very much to see in this city.  I was there en route to the beautiful Yuanyang rice terrace. There is this big cigarette manufacturer in this city that has gotten so prosperous that as a way to demonstrate its corporate citizenship (or rather to atone its sin) built a large resort with a man-made lake in the city.

Planned topic - Across the Qingzhang Plateau