10/16/07-Guilin/Yangshuo (Li River Cruise)

After breakfast, we traveled by bus through the Guilin countryside, arriving at a local village where we embarked on a memorable 4-hour lunch cruise down the Li River to Yangshuo. During this cruise, the river traverses through landscapes that seemed straight out of Chinese paintings. The Li weaves between sheer-sided Karst peaks, interspersed with tiny villages and bamboo groves. Click Li River Video for a short film of this area. Water buffalo can also be seen along the banks along the way. The shear beauty of the area is simply breathtaking. Our friends were absolutely correct about this area. As this was the end of the “dry” season, the river was very shallow (you can easily see the bottom) and ships must navigate carefully at times to avoid grounding. But, there were dozens of similar vessels in front of and behind us so the chances of this were slim. Local people row small bamboo rafts up to and along side each ship, offering trinkets for sale. They are actually able to stick their heads into the seating area. Also, some of the ships actually employ local people to board and cook fish at the aft of the vessel. Click Li River Cruise for pictures.

When we reached Yangshuo we thought we had seen “it all” on the river but we were wrong as we found out later. Yangshou is a small town (35,000 people) that carries a big tourist wallop. First of all, there are probably more street vendors here per square mile than any other city in China. Just getting to the hotel as we exited the bus required having to literally “swat” them away. The town was full of tourists and vendors all scurrying around trying to find or avoid each other. A bustling pedestrian-only shopping street a half block away was pointed out to us by our new local guide. We would put that street to good use the next day.

After we got our rooms, our local guide loaded some of us into golf cart-like motor vehicles called a “tuk-tuk” for an optional tour into the local farmlands. We (Elena and Tom, Lynda and Darrell, and us) were able to comfortably fit in the vehicle. On this tour we were to see the real rural China and we did just that. We quickly were out of Yangshou and after a short drive through a smaller town, entered a farming area that was easily as beautiful as that which we saw along the Li River. Now we were driving along green fields of various crops with Karst peaks all around and pleasant creeks meandering around. Tiny villages were randomly interspersed along the way where we saw lots of dogs roaming about, many of them pregnant, local people (mostly women) walking around, and lots of children with grandmothers in tow. And, almost impossible as it is to believe, yes, there were street vendors even in this remote location. They seemed to appear out of the ground every time we stopped to admire something.

One stop was particularly impressive: we saw rice being harvested by hand by 3 local men. Right behind them was a stream beyond which we observed a couple in white wedding outfits being photographed. At first we thought it was for an actual wedding but later surmised it was probably for a fashion shoot what with all the spectacular scenery around. There was even a water buffalo there at the shoot.

The next activity was an adventure on a bumpy dirt road as we wound through the area heading toward a tiny village. There we were met an 80 year-old women (Mrs Lee) who happily was our host for about 20 minutes. Again, we felt sure she was being paid for her time but nonetheless was honest and sincere so we enjoyed the visit. She showed us the little village neighborhood which included a memorial to a man who must have been the patron of the village and then showed us the engraved wooden front door of her house (hovel) that she was very proud of. In the house she introduced us to her husband (Mr Lee) who was just emerging from the kitchen. He let us observe how he cooks food on a small wood burning stove. The whole room was about as big as a small walk-in closet. We also saw the pantry (small, also) which contained a few vegetables. The only source of light in the whole house besides the window and wood stove was a ten-watt bulb hanging from the ceiling of the living area. Three young girls came in and were anxious to have their picture taken. They were silly and cute and were very pleased with their images.

We said goodbye to the Lees and bounded back along the bumpy road, passing a water buffalo being herded along, and finally reached solid flat surface and then home to the hotel. We thoroughly loved this intimate venture into the country. See Country Side Tour for pictures.

An hour later we had dinner and then, no rest for the weary, we were off to a show. The director of the show is the man who produced the movie “Crouching Tiger, Sleeping Dragon” and will be designing the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Olympics. It was optional but we were strongly warned by the guides that if we miss it we would be sorry. So everyone ponied up the money. And, as usual, the guides were “dead on”. This show really blew us away. The seats were spread out along an arc in a well lit amphitheater in front of a long dark lake. The end of the lake was out of view. On either side of the lake, were hills with Karst-like mountains behind them.

All the lights went out suddenly and music began. A few minutes later young girls appeared in front of the lake in a faint light and began singing a haunting melody. And then they stopped. There was a few seconds of absolute quiet and the lights suddenly went on riotously all over the place. The mountains were lit up in different muted shades, and half way across the lake from the left bank appeared dozens of men on small rafts in straight lines, holding red fabric screens that stretched from the shore to the man farthest out in the lake. Then music started again, this time quite a bit louder, and from all over the hills on both sides of the lake, hundreds of men quickly emerged, each carrying burning torches. The scene is difficult to explain. The men on the rafts then performed many tricky maneuvers with the drapes and then paddled the fabric across the lake while the torch-bearers converged on the lake. Then all the music stopped and all the torches were immediately extinguished and it was once again ink dark.

A few minutes later, another amazing display started and I will not even try to depict it only to say that it was equally impressive. The last one however, topped all the previous. Once again it was pitch dark for a few minutes and then the music started softly and a single white self-illuminated figure became barely discernible at the very farthest distance one could see down the lake and to the right. Then, slowly that figure moved slightly to the left and a second illuminated all-white figure emerged to its right. And then another, and another, and another, etc,. All the time the music continued but slowly started to increase in volume. After the line of white figures had stretched completely across the lake in the far distance, the insertion of more figures at the right end seemed to make the beginning of the line bend on an angle and the procession continued. Now the line was heading across the lake from left to right on an angle headed towards the far shore. It got there and turned again on an angle towards the left shore. All the time more and more white figures were being added to the rear and the music got louder and singing was added. This zigzag movement continued until at least 500, maybe more, white figures were in the lake each holding what appeared to be a lit candle or small flashlight. Then, there were even more activities and singing and music and lights, all seemingly coordinated, culminating into an amazing crescendo of movement and noise and then everything stopped, all the performance lights went out and the show was over. We were amazed and stunned by the beauty and ........ It was truly a sensory feast. The large crowd filed out, found buses and that was it. We were amazed to find out that this show is given 7 days a week, particularly since it is staged in the outskirts of a relatively small and remote city.

Here is a link to a site which gives more information about this incredible show: Click here.

What an fantastic day that was!