Last Stop: Guilin & Yangshuo

Sun and Moon Pagoda, Guilin

It has to be said, for any traveller in China, Guilin is a must on any travel list. Famous for it's beautiful rice terraces and countryside lifestyle, I'd been told to head to Guilin way before I'd even arrived to China. It seemed only apt then that I made it one of my last stops during Spring Festival. Here, Beth and I were reunited again with Tom and we'd met some really lovely people at our hostel, who we ended up spending the rest of our time with until we returned to Tianjin - marking the end of our Spring Festival travels.

一。Reed Flute Caves

It was pretty cold and rainy when we got to Guilin. We arrived on Valentines Day. It's not something I've ever actively celebrated but Beth and I decided to 'celebrate' by grabbing some western food and later met up with Tom for a little explore of the nearby town area - making our first day there pretty chilled out. The following day, we took a little bus trip to check out the Reed Flute Caves, an impressive tourist attraction consisting of caves over a thousand years old filled with stalactites. Although it's artificial, the stone formations are lit up with rainbow coloured lights, making the whole experience quite trippy but beautiful.

Each formation is named after something it resembles. For example, 'The Mosquito Net', 'The Fairyland' or 'The Snowman'. It might takes some relaxing of the eyes or some squinting, but it makes for a fun, if not abstract, game to play whilst you're there.

After finishing the cave tour, we bumped into a few people who happened to be staying at the same hostel as us. As a group of foreign tourists, equally indecisive but up for anything, we all decided to spend the rest of the day (and in the end, the rest of our time in Guilin and Yangshuo) together.

One of the best things I found about Guilin was how incredibly friendly everyone was. There were many occasions where we were stopped in the street for photos. Especially sweet were the little kids that approached us to welcome us to their hometown and practise their English (which was impressively good for their age if you ask me). 

二。Blame it on the River Li

We'd had such a nice day exploring Guilin together, we managed to convince our new friends to change up their plans and come to Yangshuo with us the next day. We took a bamboo reed boat up the famous River Li where you are surrounded by amazing karst mountains and are able to really take in just how beautiful China can be.

Even better is that you can compare the surroundings with the scenery presented on the 20元 note.

Living the actual 20元 life

It's a slow and easy ride along the river which serves as a better way to get to and from Guilin to Yangshuo as opposed to a bus you can take. When we arrived in Yangshuo, we got stuck straight in by trying out the locally renowned dish of beer fish. It's genuinely delicious and I think that if we had known each other longer, we'd probably have been less polite and ravaged the entire plate much quicker than we did. Beer fish is a must try if you're in Yangshuo!

三。Countryside Cycle

So I hinted back when I first started writing this Spring Festival series that during my travels, I'd come away with approximately 10 bruises and crashed into 2 people. It shouldn't come as a surprise then that both were the result of me taking to the streets on a bicycle, despite the fact that I'm absolutely terrible on a bike. By this point, I hadn't ridden a bike for any extended amount of time since I'd been to Xi'an in November - and even then, it was pretty touch and go. But when one of the 'must-do' things in Yangshuo is to take a relaxing and scenic bike ride out to the countryside, you gotta do what you gotta do...

Despite my terrible cycling ability which left me with quite a few bruises, scrapes, a bit of a dodgy shin and some ripped jeans, I did genuinely enjoy the ride (when I wasn't almost riding into canals... or other people). It was the first time we'd had genuinely lovely weather so we definitely picked a good day to go and although this is a 'touristy' things to do, the cycling routes aren't over crowded and you can really enjoy the unique Yangshuo landscape in the sun. My only tip would be to rent a mountain bike rather than the basic ones on offer. It only costs a little more to rent the bike for the day, and it's worth it if you're planning to go a long distance.

四。Fuli Village

On our last full day in Yangshuo, Beth and I decided to explore one of the nearby villages which is famed for the creation of hand painted silk fans. We took a very rogue looking 'bus', arriving in what seems like 'real China'. People lazing around in the shade on a sunny day, people visiting the local market to buy whatever vegetables and meat they needed for their dinners, people getting their haircut at outdoor barber shops. In Fuli Village, you'd never guess you were a mere 45 minutes away from the more tourist-y Yangshuo.

We strolled around the winding backstreets, peering into the open doors of people's homes to find families crowded around a TV or drinking tea. We also came across a few shops displaying and selling silk fans and were lucky enough to watch a craftsman at work.

He was happy to just let us observe so we stood for a while as he added small details to his paintwork.

六。Not quite done yet...

Although I haven't mentioned in detail every little thing we did during our days in Guilin and Yangshuo (amongst other things, we went to a trapsed up and down the busy and bustling West Street, tried our hand at dumpling making for our own dinner at the hostel, watched the impressive Yangshuo Sanjie Lui Impressions show and had a great last few nights at some of the local bars, complete with beers, dice games and a hilarious few rounds of Cards Against Humanity), I don't feel like I'm quite done with either of these places. After my first few days in Guilin, I'd already felt like it wouldn't be the last time I'd visit. There's so much to do and see in both places so it certainly won't be my last time to visit.

The plane back to Tianjin was bittersweet. I was ready to get back to Tianjin and rest up before I had to start teaching again, but we'd also had a really great few days making new friends and ending our Spring Festival travels in some of China's most popular spots. But there we have it, 37 days and lots of places in China ticked off my list! As exhausting as it was at points, given the chance, I'd do it all over again...

Hello Guangzhou

After what was a really great, yet slightly intense few days spent with newly discovered family in Shenzhen, I headed to Guangzhou for a few days to meet back up with my fellow Tianjin ELA corridor mate Beth to chill out and celebrate her birthday. Maybe it was the fact that I was super glad to be back in China, or maybe there was just some kind of innate subconscious love of Guangzhou in me considering my family are from Southern China - but I really like Guangzhou because there was some sense of familiarity with it. We spent around 4 days there, and this is what we got up to...

一。Birthday Beth

When it comes to birthdays I always like to put in effort, even with the smallest of gestures, to make someone feel special. Beth is such a happy go lucky person and luckily for me, it doesn't take much to please her. Having just done a few trips to Malaysia and the Philippines, she was glad to get some rest time in a comfortable bed and catch up with what I'd been up to in Vietnam. Along with being glad to be back in China, I was also secretly really glad to be reunited with Beth. It's great to have a travel companion who has similar tastes and is on the same page as you for most things. It makes making decisions about what to do or eat a great deal easier - I'm all about that fuss free life.

On the morning of Beth's birthday, I snuck out in the hope of not waking her (but there was no need to worry, she was dead to the world after an exhausting few days travelling) to source some birthday cake for her to wake up to. A scout around a local Tesco (yep, believe it or not, they exist here in China too) and all the nearby bakeries, I came back to the hotel with some cake and peach ring sweets, a favourite of ours since moving to Tianjin, knocking on the door much to Beth's surprise.

Happy wake up call

The rest of the day was really chilled out and easy going. We went shopping, had a modest meal of Korean food and later headed to The Four Seasons Hotel for a cheeky birthday cocktail at Tian Bar on the 99th floor. Tian bar would have given us an awesome view over Guangzhou, including the Canton Tower's rainbow light show were it not for the awful smog that engulfed the skies. No matter though, we were both highly content with our boozy cocktails and observing a number of awkward first dates which were going on around us.

Classy cocktails were later followed up with some more drinks in the 'classy' establishment, Perry's. We're talking student bar vibes here. No complaints though, we had a great night after being invited by some friendly local Guangzhou-ers to join their table and play dice with them all evening. They even put us in a taxi with a post night out yakult drink to ensure our health was tip top on the way home. They're friendly people in Guangzhou, very friendly indeed.

二。Van Gogh Age

The following day, Beth and I hit up the Van Gogh Age Exhibition at the Guangzhou Opera House. I'd been dying to catch a similar exhibition in Beijing back in November but failed to find the time to do so. I felt like it was great timing when I found out there would be one in Guangzhou when I was around too.

“没有比爱人更为真确的艺术”

“Nothing more true than the love of art"

The whole exhibition revolved around digital projections of Van Gogh's paintings in the most vibrant ways. Each painting was animated, making aspects like the painter's yellow flower fields sway in the breeze, or the winds in his starry starry night whirl around the sun. It was a peaceful way to spend an afternoon. We ended up spending quite some time in each room, watching the same animations over and over in case we missed something the first time.

Van Gogh has a special resonance with me. I'm by no means an artist, but if you hadn't guessed by now, I do enjoy heading to art galleries and catching up with the latest in contemporary art. I'm not sure where that side of me all began but I have a vivid memory of being in primary school and being asked to paint our own versions of Van Gogh's Sunflowers. Seeing them so animated at the Van Gogh Age exhibition brought little memories like that back to me, so I'm really happy I got to catch the exhibition in the end.

三。Canton Tower

After a relaxing evening soaking up some art culture, we stuck around nearby the Opera House as the evening drew closer to enjoy the Canton Tower lightshow. Unlike the night before, there was far less smog, so we could actually see the rainbow lasers light up the sky and turn everyone around us into selfie taking zombies. You do have to hand it to Guangzhou though - boy does the city know how to put on a light show from one of the world's tallest free standing towers...

四。Xiaozhou Village

Yep, I said it before - I love me some art. So when I read that there was an entire village within Guangzhou known for being the home to local artists, I knew I had to visit. Enter Xiaozhou.

Mao mural

We took an hour long bus ride out of the city centre to the village. Upon entering Xiazhou, you feel like you're in a completely different world and would never believe you were in such a cosmopolitan city. The fruit markets and local people teamed with the lived in vibe of the whole place contrasts completely with the high rise buildings and fancy hotels of the city centre. We took a walk around the little bridges, got lost down alley ways whilst stumbling across quaint little coffee houses and handmade goods shops.

Oyster House

There's a few cool places to tick off the list whilst at Xiaozhou, and luckily they're all well sign posted. One of the more peculiar places is the oyster shell house. Yep you guessed it, the entire outer walls of the house are covered in old oyster shells. Why? I can't be sure but it's definitely quirky, which speaks volumes about the village itself. There are temples and art studios. In one, I was able to peer through a small crack to see hundreds of statues, some of Mao busts too. I really felt like I was discovering the secrets of an abandoned town.

Getting lost in temples 

Upon another turn, you come across a street which is home to student artists who practise their sketching and painting skills in workshops. For those looking to stock up on art goods, Xiaozhou Village seemed to have everything you needed. I couldn't help but wonder what the place would have been like had it not been the holidays. For the most part, there weren't many people around but I liked the peacefulness of the village. If I'm ever back in Guangzhou, I'd certainly like to visit again and see what else there is to be discovered.


五。Baiyun Mountain

After a relaxing morning at Xiaozhou village, Beth and I decided to spend the afternoon of our last day in Guangzhou climbing to the top of Baiyun Mountain. The park itself was pretty huge and it takes a bit of a walk to get to the main stair route to the top. Getting to the top of the mountain wasn't quite as hard as both of us anticipated (it was still a struggle though). When you get to the top, you are given panoramic views of Guangzhou, making the tiring ascent pretty worth it.

Apparently there's opportunities for bungee jumping off the top of Baiyun Mountain, although we didn't stumble across it. It could have been cool to say that I'd done bungee jumping in China, but the fact I was wearing a dress probably meant it wouldn't be my brightest idea, even if we did find the place to do it. 

At the top of the mountain stands a sign pointing to Beijing, indicating it was 1900km away. It was moments like this that showed me how far away from 'home' I was and made me realise just how huge China really is. I was literally a thousand miles away!

Still, I was ready for the next adventure and the final few destinations on my Spring Festival travels. next stop: the ever popular Guilin and Yangshuo!

Boxing Day Borderlines

If my Christmas was quite alternative, my Boxing Day this year trumps it in terms of being unconventional. Normally I spend Boxing Day eating left overs of Christmas dinner, seeing more of my family for yet more food and playing card games well into the night. This year, I spent Boxing Day exploring the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) of Korea - a 4km wide strip of land that stands between both North and South Korea. Nothing quite says festive spirit like paying a visit to one of the most tense borders in the world.

The only way to explore the DMZ in Korea is to go with a tour company. Luckily our lovely guide Gina was really informative and militant with the half day schedule we booked onto, ensuring we got to see everything in a timely fashion. We drove about an hour outside of the centre of Seoul and the weather seemed to get more bleak the further we went. It had snowed over night so everything felt quite peaceful but also quite tense. We were dropped off at Imjingak, a small tourist resort which is home to the Freedom Bridge significant for returning thousands of Prisoners of War (POWs) back to the South at the end of the Korean War.

Next part of the tour took us for a visit to The Third Infiltration Tunnel. To date, only 4 secret underground tunnels which were intended to be used by North Korea to spy on and invade the South have been discovered. The Third Tunnel was only discovered in the late 1970s but there is thought to be many more yet to be found. We were given hard hats and ventured down the tunnel. The descent was a little steep and the tunnel itself stretched some 1600m long. It was a bit of a tight squeeze for some of the boys, but this was probably the first time being a little short has paid off for me. Of course, I was still grateful for the hard hat though.

The DMZ is a bit of a odd place to visit. The signage and monuments all speak of a hope that one day, both North and South will be united again. Perhaps it was the bleak weather, but you could really feel how deserted and eerie the area was. It was as though any sudden movements could cause big trouble.

Next stop on the tour was the Dora Observatory. It was already quite drizzly on the way to the first parts and Gina told us it was doubtful we'd see much out of the telescopes. She was right...

What should have been a panoramic view overlooking North Korea was a big foggy blur. I suppose it was still pretty beautiful in it's own way though.

The last stop of the tour was a trip to Dorasan Station. One might say it's a pointless station because no trains run through it and no one is actually allowed to use it. If anything, the station is another symbol of hope for reunification one day. The main destination sign reads 'To Pyeongyang Station', North Korea's capital. Although trains don't run there yet, it shows that there's hope for the future. 

It was a real whistlestop tour of some important landmarks in modern Korean history. I can't say I really knew much about it before going to Korea, but physically being in the places certainly helped to understand it in a poignant way. Given more time, I'd have liked to have gone on a full day tour including the Joint Security Area (JSA) where North and South Korean soldiers actually face each other. Still, the DMZ visit was definitely one of the highlights of my time in Seoul.

So, after an interesting and unconventional morning at the DMZ, we decided to occupy our afternoon with a visit to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA). If I haven't mentioned it before, I bloody love a good visit to a contemporary art museum and MMCA did not disappoint. With a flash of my provisional driving license, my ticket was free. Apparently if you're under 24, you account for a student in South Korea.

We spent quite a few hours at MMCA. Some of my favourite pieces included Julius Popp's 'bit.fall'. The installation uses water droplets which shoot down in short pulses, forming words which disappear after a second. I could have spent a long time just watching the water fall and attempting to read the words. The whole installation is supposed to represent the temporary nature of information today in a world of social media and the high speed ability for news to travel around the world and quickly be forgotten. I thought it was really clever.

My next favourite piece was Rebecca Baumann's 'Automated Colour Field'. I'm a sucker for quite colourful art pieces so I was instantly drawn in by this one. The wall was mounted with flip clocks but rather than numbered cards, they were replaced with various colours which flip and change intermittently according to the time.

Amongst the rest of the exhibitions, we saw a big range from French black and white documentaries, goldfish installations and a concrete sphere which invited you to step inside but be silent. It was particularly hard not to giggle inside the ball to hear your own echo.

Before we left, Beth and I decided to leave our mark. In the museum lobby stood a massive Christmas tree where you could write a message to tie onto the tree. Mine is below:

Thanks Seoul, it was a good one!

Shanghai Part 1: Shanghai Shenanigans

At the beginning of October, we were given a week off from work to celebrate Golden Week. We were warned by former ELAs that plane or train tickets could sell out pretty quickly because every man and his dog travels during national holidays. Luckily, the people I had made friends with during training camp were on the ball with booking flights and hostels in advance before things sold out or got too expensive.

I was looking forward to a little break from teaching and to seeing all my friends to catch up and let off a little steam. In search of recommendations of must see things, I told a few of my students that I would be headed to Shanghai.

“Teacher, it’ll be very busy! Busier than Beijing!” they warned. And they were not wrong.

Perhaps I was lulled into a false sense of security when I got to Tianjin airport. I was pleasantly surprised at how empty the airport was. Although this was technically my first experience of it, I think I can safely say that travelling during any national holiday in China is crazy. Herds of people pile themselves onto subway carriages. People queue in front of tourist attractions for hours.

Of course, we adopted the ‘when on holiday’ mentality and found ourselves doing just those things…

(The Bund)

First things first, no trip to Shanghai would have been complete without a visit to the Bund and a cheeky photo in front of Shanghai’s iconic skyline. The trouble was the thousands of tourists with the same idea, making a photo without the corner of some random person’s head sneaking its way in nearly impossible. This was about as close as I got:

(Still clearly loving life though)

One of my favourite parts of our city break was the visit to the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre. Located in the basement of what looks like a block of housing flats, it is a place easy to overlook. But if you’re a bit of a history buff or are just looking for a way to get a snapshot of how influential Mao was though, the propaganda museum is a must see.

(Room B-OC, President Apartment, 868 Huashan Lu)

The museum took me right back to my GCSE history days. It reminded me of when you were given a propaganda poster and asked to analyse the imagery for meaning, relating it to contemporary historical events. I can’t say I have any background in Chinese history, but it’s something I’m looking to discover more about whilst I’m here for the year. The original propaganda posters were really striking. It was intriguing to see how the styles changed over the years, as well as how the Chinese perceived huge historical events in the western world like the 1960s social movements in America. It's not really an aspect you really consider when you think about China, so well worth checking it out if you're into history. 

(Taking sneaky photos of some of the posters)

Continuing our exploration of the cultural aspects Shanghai had to offer, one night we ended up at a bar called JZ Club playing live jazz. It was great to see some live music! The main composer (the pianist of the ensemble) was a bit of an oddball. Between each song, he'd attempt to charm the audience by explaining his creative influences when it came to composing. Strangely enough, he admitted that one jaunty number was inspired by a Christian prayer. So there you have it folks, Christian jazz is apparently a thing!

The lead saxophonist also looked suspiciously like Ai Wei Wei, or even a long lost son of his. Was Ai Weiwei really in the UK promoting his latest exhibit at the Royal Academy? We had a sneaking suspicion that this was not the case. Clearly, he moonlighted as an underground jazz saxophonist...

(Ai Weiwei taking centre stage at JZ Club)

I was also really pleased to see some art in Shanghai too. As many of my friends know, one of my favourite things to do is to visit art galleries – the Saatchi Gallery being one of my favourite places ever. We took a taxi to the m50 Art District on Moganshan Road and explored the many warehouse spaces there.

The work on show ranged from some pretty abstract pieces, the kind that you step back and wonder if it really is 'art'. Others were right up my street in terms of the type of art I like looking at. Some of my favourites, below.

(Continuous Movement collection by Song Xi) 

(#Selfie as part of the Noir Blanc exhibition at the Island6 Studio, home of the Liudao Art Collective)

For a 5 day city break, we managed to fit in a fair bit of cultural sightseeing. I can't help but feel like I merely scratched the surface though and I can imagine I'll definitely head back to Shanghai again at some point to explore even more.