Wild China #6 - Shuhe Old Town

We arrived in the old city of Lijiang in Yunnan Province with our nerves in tatters. Our four hour car journey across the mountains from Dali had opened our eyes to the perils of being driven in the Chinese countryside. Overtaking very slow moving lorries on steep winding mountain roads was not my idea of fun and our arrival in Lijiang could not come soon enough.

Something quiet and relaxing was required to settle the nerves and the old town of Shuhe nestling at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain fitted the bill rather nicely. Situated only four kilometres (2 miles) to the north west of Lijiang, it is similar in style to its larger neighbour but much more quiet and tranquil.

We entered through a wooded area bordering a stream, the waters of which are a dominant feature of this lovely little town. 














It wasn't long before we passed beneath the Qinglong Bridge which was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and which is one of the town's main focal points.









 
But even the main streets of the town do not escape the waters as each of them has a narrow stream running alongside. 













Different streams we discovered were used to wash and prepare food.

Or even from which to sell locally produced fruit and vegetables.

And some were used to wash clothes and household items.

The locals certainly made the most of their natural resources.

Wandering through the narrow streets was the perfect way to recover from the nerve shattering journey.









 

I found it fascinating to peer into hidden courtyards some of which have existed for hundreds of years, the town being situated on the famous tea road between China and Burma.

















The streets on the outskirts of the town offered a variety of sights which we are not familiar with in the western world.

Every available space seemed to be put to effective use, either for growing plants, ripening fruit or drying clothes. Yet there always appeared to be space to hang the traditional Chinese lanterns..

Occasionally the sound of horses hooves made one think of the transport used on this busy trading route in times gone by.

However these days it is more likely to be rides provided for the tourists from the central and more commercial town square. .










 

The local people are of the Naxi ethnic minority group and the town was one of their earliest settlements. As in other regions of China, it was fascinating to see their traditional costumes. .








 
 The picturesque town was also obviously used for a variety of photographic opportunities. Such as this wedding  -








 
 

-  and this model photo shoot.


Eventually our time came to leave this peaceful setting and return to Lijiang where we were to spend the next few nights. I was sorry to leave but knew that there were many more exciting things lined up for the next few days.

Wild China #5 - The Stone Forest

The fact that the BBC are re-showing their superb documentary series 'Wild China', plus the tragic news about the recent earthquake in southern China, has prompted me to continue with these occasional reports on my visit to the country a couple of years ago. Indeed it so happens that the earthquake occurred just north of the scene of my latest report, the city of Kunming in Yunnan Province.

We made an early start from our hotel in downtown Kunming and were soon in countryside that appeared a little different from what we had previously encountered in China. If it hadn't been for the abundance of road signs and advertising hoardings in Chinese, I could have sworn that we were in a mountain region in southern Europe. Our journey took us 75 miles (120 Km) to the dramatic limestone formations that are known as the Stone Forest.

Not that the journey was uneventful as on route we experienced some of the truly wild side of China. By that I mean the driving! Although we always felt relatively safe in the competent hands of our own driver, we saw some pretty awful driving and no fewer than three accidents. Thankfully none of them looked too serious.

Our visit coincided with yet another festival. This time it was the turn of the Yi minority group who were having their torch festival in the park. The disadvantage of this was that the entrance to the park was awash with people but the advantage was that we witnessed some wonderful brightly coloured ethnic costumes and of course the festival atmosphere. 

The 'forest' is so named because of the way the limestone peaks rise up from the ground like stalagmites with many of them having the appearance of petrified trees. Some have been given quite imaginative names though occasionally a good deal of imagination is required to recognise the likeness. 









Nevertheless this area of 400 square kilometres is rich in natural beauty and wandering around we found that we soon left the crowds behind and were able to take in the astonishing scenes around us.

Unlike our visits to Beijing and Xian where the skies had been grey with smog, here we experienced truly fresh air and beautiful blue skies.

In places, artificial lakes have been created allowing the reflections to further enhance the views.

And in strategic places, some welcome shade had been provided.



After several hours of wondering around this magical place, and managing to avoid getting lost, it was time for us to take our leave.

It had been yet another unforgettable day.

My thoughts at this time are with those who have been affected by this most recent earthquake.

Wild China #4 - Festival of Fire in Dali.

Continuing my tales of a visit to some of the slightly less well known parts of China.

It just so happened that our arrival in the ancient city of Dali in Yunnan Province, coincided with an annual torch festival held by the local Bai ethnic minority group of people. 

There were clues to this as we explored the city and the surrounding area. Everywhere we went, we witnessed large pieces of wood being carved into shape and decorated with brightly coloured paper flags, lanterns and even pieces of fruit. These creations were then somehow supported in upright positions throughout the city.

It was explained to us that this festival had been celebrated by the Bai people and other minority groups for hundreds of years though the origin was unclear. It was believed to follow the ancient tradition of fire worship because of the ability of fire to repel insects and drive away evil spirits, thus protecting the precious crops. The Bai people themselves are only one of fifty six officially recognised ethnic groups in China and are mainly based in Yunnan Province.

The houses set within the ancient city walls are clustered together at the foot of the Cangshan mountain range and very close to the beautiful Erhai Lake. 

Many of the narrow streets have small streams running down one side and are lined with quaint houses, shops and restaurants built of stone and wood. 

We paused at one to sample some of the local delicacies.

Despite all the activity, the city and the countryside with its Buddhist temples and pagodas, invoked a feeling of peace and calm, yet we sensed an underlying excitement building as the locals prepared for their festival. It was as the sun slowly fell behind the mountains and darkness penetrated the city that the celebrations began in earnest.

One by one, the torches were lit and flames were soon shooting into the black night sky. 

Not high enough for some of the local people apparently, as pine resin was then thrown into the flames causing them to shoot even higher towards the overhanging tree branches that seemed perilously close. 

Fortunately orange suited firemen were strategically placed on crossroads with quad bikes converted into mini fire engines ready to negotiate the narrow streets. 

Pieces of burning debris were soon tumbling from the higher torches as people stood close-by clapping and cheering, young children scampering around at their feet. The locals did not seem to share our propensity for health and safety regulations.

Along every street, torches were soon burning furiously. Smaller pieces were broken off and were carried around by children. Fortunately we witnessed no accidents but decided to retreat to a safe distance. 

Throughout the city, there was a carnival atmosphere as people strolled about witnessing the scenes or just relaxed at one of the many bars and restaurants to watch all the activity around them. 

Soon we found a bar from which we could view the proceedings whilst sipping one of the delicious local beers. Smiling people in beautifully coloured ethnic costumes waved as they passed these strange westerners who seemed reluctant to venture too close to the flames. 

The celebrations went on late into the night and to the best of my knowledge, no one was killed or maimed.




As we leave Dali behind, I will next report from another of our destinations.

Wild China #3 - Erhai Lake

What a dull and dreary week it has been here in the north east, while it appears that the rest of the UK has been basking in sunshine. Fog on the Tyne indeed.

Anyway to end this week I will continue with my recollections of our travels in China, continuing with the area close to the city of Dali in Yunnan Province. We spent the early part of one morning achieving one of my ambitions for the trip.

The Erhai Lake (the name literally means ear-shaped sea) is the second largest highland lake in China. It is almost 6,500 feet (2000 metres) above sea level and is situated between Dali and the Cangshan Mountains. 

Our arrival coincided with a Festival of Fire that is celebrated each year by the local Bai ethnic minority group who dominate this area. Consequently as we travelled around the city and its surroundings, we encountered many large wooden torches being erected. As we approached the lake, one such torch had been completed and local people in colourful traditional costumes were performing a ritual dance around the decorated structure.






These same people who dwell by the lakeside, largely make their living from fishing during the winter months and when restrictions are placed on the amount of fishing during the summer, they rely heavily on tourism. The fishing here though is not done by rod or net, but through the use of trained cormorants. And it was to see these in action, that I had come to this place.

We were soon aboard a boat that was being rowed by a friendly local wearing the traditional costume and a very fetching flower bedecked straw hat. He smiled constantly and sang occasionally as he rowed us further out onto the lake. Eventually we reached the area where another boat waited. This was being rowed by an elderly woman whose husband we were told, was one of five men who had fished this lake throughout his life. Along both sides of the boat, rows of cormorants sat patiently waiting for the order to commence their work. 




One by one they were thrown onto the surface of the water but even then they did not dive. As a signal, the fisherman beat the surface of the water with a bamboo pole and only then did the birds disappear beneath our boat.

Only a minute had elapsed before one of the birds surfaced clutching in it's beak a large, bloodied fish. The bird was quickly scooped up by the fisherman and held aloft for us all to applaud as he sang a traditional song of thanks to the gods for his catch. 

























The procedure was repeated and once again another fish was caught within a minute. These fantastic birds were certainly in their element beneath the waves.


























Such was the activity, it was only too easy to overlook the magnificent scenery that surrounded us, but as were were rowed towards the shore, I took the opportunity to photograph some of the wonderful scenes in this hazy early morning sunshine.

At the edge of the lake, while admiring the scenery, the fisherman's boat approached and pulled alongside ours. He soon joined us clutching two of his prized birds and before I knew it I was being photographed holding one of the wet and bedraggled birds in each hand. I had hoped to get up close and personal with these birds but hadn't reckoned on being quite this close. It was an unforgettable experience.

My ambition was well and truly fulfilled so with that box ticked we moved on towards the city of Dali itself.

Next time, I will report on our visit to that wonderful city and of our experiences at the Bai Fire Festival.

Wild China #2 - Xizhou

Continuing my travels through China.

The town of Xizhou in Yunnan Province lies on the shore of the Er Hai Lake, not far from the city of Bali. Because of it's fine location, until 1949 it was a major commercial centre and for a period was even a major fortress and the site of the temporary palace of the King of Nanzhao. 

The most prominent feature of this town is the housing which is a very typical Bai design known as Sanfang Yizhaobi. Basically this involves building around a central courtyard. In most instances three of the four sides would have all of the windows facing in towards the courtyard and the fourth side would be a blank, white painted wall to reflect light back into the other three buildings.

In the past, all of the buildings surrounding a courtyard might have been occupied by one important family but nowadays they are more likely to be occupied by three or even four families.

The courtyards were put to good use, growing plants and herbs, preparing meals, socialising with neighbours or just hanging laundry out to dry.

 Other houses were built in the Sihe Wutianjing style which involved four buildings around a central large communal courtyard with a smaller private courtyard in each corner.

The photo on the left shows the windowless outer walls and an entrance to one of the smaller courtyards.

Besides serving as an entrance to the main building, these smaller courtyards were also useful for storing a wide range of items.

There are almost 90 of these buildings in Xizhou town and it was a delight to explore them and meet the residents. The Bai ethnic group of people are thought to have lived in this region for thousands of years.

The main street of the town was an odd mixture of traditional buildings outside of which people sold handmade ornaments and jewellery and an assortment of more modern fashion items.

The street led us towards the market place and clearly we were not alone in heading to market. These chickens were taking the lazy way but I am not sure what fate awaited them when they arrived.

The market itself was fascinating and I only wish that the photographs could also convey some of the sounds and smells that we experienced. (not all of them pleasant, but interesting nonetheless).









After browsing around the market, it was time for us to move on. Yet more wonders awaited us in and around the wonderful city of Dali.