For the longest time, I've been hearing from Patrick about this *spectacular* place in China called Yangshuo. It became a recurring subject in conversations, though my only real exposure was a photo hanging from our bathroom wall - one Patrick had taken from a hot-air balloon ride during his visit there a few years ago that he had blown up and framed. It's a beautiful shot that captures the quintessential mountainous terrain and the region's subdued hues of green and blue quite nicely. But in the end, Yangshuo has always just been a 2-D image, with my experience limited to the narrow scope of the camera's viewfinder.
Well, not anymore folks! Following our stop in Guizhou, I finally got the chance to see Yangshuo with my own eyes. And, consequently, here are some of my own 2-D images to share (complete with commentary!).
From Guizhou, we took a day train to Guilin, and after a good night's sleep, we took a ferry boat from Guilin to Yangshuo. We could have taken a bus and arrived earlier, but why take a bus when you can travel by ferry?
Then, they set us loose to enjoy the view from the top of the boat, all of us scrambling for the best picture-taking spots.
From the top of the boat, we had a lovely view of the karst mountains, which Yangshuo is known for.
It was a foggy day, so a lot of them were partially hidden.
This location served as inspiration for the image featured on the 20 yuan bill. Lucky for us, they decided to serve lunch at the same time we approached this site, so while most people were fighting for a spot in the buffet line, we had all the time we wanted to take this photo.
When we landed in Yangshuo, I was surprised by how touristy the area was. There were a lot of foreigners roaming around, and I later learned it's a popular destination for backpackers.
There were shops selling everything from copious amounts of spicy red peppers...
...to copious amounts of phone charms.
And what place would be complete without this familiar building?
As we were wandering around, we were attacked by this young group of girls who were eager to take their picture with Patrick. Somehow they managed to contain their excitement long enough to pose for this photo (well, almost... not sure about "pink purse" there)... and then they asked for individual photos with Patrick.
During our stay in Yangshuo, we met up with Patrick's friend, Angela, and her friend Zhai Jin. Angela is from the Chinese minority group called the Mosuo, one of few matriarchal societies in the world today. They have some fascinating customs, like one practice called the "walking marriage" which basically allows women to have as many partners as they want. If you get the chance, I encourage you to read more about them on Wikipedia.
The first night, we met for beer fish, which is a Yangshuo specialty. It is usually made with either carp or catfish (we tried both on separate occasions but preferred the catfish because it has less bones). It is stewed with tomatoes, peppers, and of course beer.
The next day we decided to ride bamboo boats down the Yulong River.
Later that night, we attended a light and sound show called "Impressions." This show was directed by Zhang Yimou, the same man responsible for directing the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony.
Angela helped us score the perfect seats - far enough to see the entire stage but close enough to still make out figures.
The entire show took place on water. We couldn't follow the plot very well, but it didn't matter as it was more about the eye-candy. The synthesis of choreography, lights, and music was simply amazing. If you're ever in Yangshuo, see this show.
On Angela and Zhai Jin's last night, we found a restaurant off the beaten path and splurged on a huge dinner... we ordered beer fish (again), kung pao chicken, steamed prawns, and sizzling beef.
We concluded the night with karaoke... in a cave.
Patrick sang songs from his favorite Chinese artist, Cui Jian.
I stuck with English classics... like Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" and BSB's "As Long As You Love Me."
Later in the week, Patrick and I went to see another cave... this time sans boats or microphones.
Once again the lighting made for a rather psychedelic experience.
On our last day, I somehow convinced Patrick to sign up for a Chinese cooking class. It began with a market tour where we received a cursory lesson in the names and applications of different fruits and vegetables.
Snails are actually another Yangshuo delicacy. They are pried out of their shells, sautéed with some minced pork, vegetables, and seasonings, then stuffed back into the shells for serving.
Following the market tour, we rode to the countryside for our lessons. Behold our a beautiful view.
Our cooking stations were already set up for us. The Chinese woman below was our teacher (though you probably guessed that).
We started with stuffing and steaming vegetables as they took the longest to cook.
By the end of the afternoon, we completed five dishes:
Yangshuo-style Eggplant. Sliced and sautéed with ginger, garlic, and chili peppers.
Beer Fish. Traditionally this dish is made with the entire fish, but since the class consisted entirely of westerners, we were given boneless fillets to cook instead.
Sauteed Green Vegetables. Self-explanatory. We used bok choy (a Chinese cabbage).
Cashew's Chicken. One of Patrick's favorites.
Pork-stuffed Vegetables. We stuffed squash blossoms, mushrooms, and tofu.
Once all of our dishes were completed, we made them all disappear pretty fast.
Following Yangshuo, we made a quick stop in Shanghai.
Well, not anymore folks! Following our stop in Guizhou, I finally got the chance to see Yangshuo with my own eyes. And, consequently, here are some of my own 2-D images to share (complete with commentary!).
From Guizhou, we took a day train to Guilin, and after a good night's sleep, we took a ferry boat from Guilin to Yangshuo. We could have taken a bus and arrived earlier, but why take a bus when you can travel by ferry?
First, they sat us all down and served us tea.
Then, they set us loose to enjoy the view from the top of the boat, all of us scrambling for the best picture-taking spots.
From the top of the boat, we had a lovely view of the karst mountains, which Yangshuo is known for.
It was a foggy day, so a lot of them were partially hidden.
We were careful to abide by this sign.
This location served as inspiration for the image featured on the 20 yuan bill. Lucky for us, they decided to serve lunch at the same time we approached this site, so while most people were fighting for a spot in the buffet line, we had all the time we wanted to take this photo.
When we landed in Yangshuo, I was surprised by how touristy the area was. There were a lot of foreigners roaming around, and I later learned it's a popular destination for backpackers.
There were shops selling everything from copious amounts of spicy red peppers...
...to copious amounts of phone charms.
And what place would be complete without this familiar building?
As we were wandering around, we were attacked by this young group of girls who were eager to take their picture with Patrick. Somehow they managed to contain their excitement long enough to pose for this photo (well, almost... not sure about "pink purse" there)... and then they asked for individual photos with Patrick.
During our stay in Yangshuo, we met up with Patrick's friend, Angela, and her friend Zhai Jin. Angela is from the Chinese minority group called the Mosuo, one of few matriarchal societies in the world today. They have some fascinating customs, like one practice called the "walking marriage" which basically allows women to have as many partners as they want. If you get the chance, I encourage you to read more about them on Wikipedia.
The first night, we met for beer fish, which is a Yangshuo specialty. It is usually made with either carp or catfish (we tried both on separate occasions but preferred the catfish because it has less bones). It is stewed with tomatoes, peppers, and of course beer.
The next day we decided to ride bamboo boats down the Yulong River.
It was a very relaxing ride, though the peace was disrupted from time to time by people stationed in stands along the river trying to sell us things.
Later that night, we attended a light and sound show called "Impressions." This show was directed by Zhang Yimou, the same man responsible for directing the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony.
Angela helped us score the perfect seats - far enough to see the entire stage but close enough to still make out figures.
The entire show took place on water. We couldn't follow the plot very well, but it didn't matter as it was more about the eye-candy. The synthesis of choreography, lights, and music was simply amazing. If you're ever in Yangshuo, see this show.
On Angela and Zhai Jin's last night, we found a restaurant off the beaten path and splurged on a huge dinner... we ordered beer fish (again), kung pao chicken, steamed prawns, and sizzling beef.
We concluded the night with karaoke... in a cave.
Though the interior didn't look very cave-like at all.
Patrick sang songs from his favorite Chinese artist, Cui Jian.
I stuck with English classics... like Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" and BSB's "As Long As You Love Me."
Later in the week, Patrick and I went to see another cave... this time sans boats or microphones.
Once again the lighting made for a rather psychedelic experience.
At the end of the cave tour, we swam in a mud bath and soaked in some hot springs. FYI, the mud was quite cold, though I sucked it up since the guide kept insisting it was full of minerals that were good for the skin.
This section of the market sold fun, squirmy things like snails, frogs, and eels.
Snails are actually another Yangshuo delicacy. They are pried out of their shells, sautéed with some minced pork, vegetables, and seasonings, then stuffed back into the shells for serving.
Following the market tour, we rode to the countryside for our lessons. Behold our a beautiful view.
Our cooking stations were already set up for us. The Chinese woman below was our teacher (though you probably guessed that).
We started with stuffing and steaming vegetables as they took the longest to cook.
We then got to work preparing the rest of our mise-en-place.
I was very impressed by Patrick's knife skills.
By the end of the afternoon, we completed five dishes:
Yangshuo-style Eggplant. Sliced and sautéed with ginger, garlic, and chili peppers.
Beer Fish. Traditionally this dish is made with the entire fish, but since the class consisted entirely of westerners, we were given boneless fillets to cook instead.
Sauteed Green Vegetables. Self-explanatory. We used bok choy (a Chinese cabbage).
Cashew's Chicken. One of Patrick's favorites.
Pork-stuffed Vegetables. We stuffed squash blossoms, mushrooms, and tofu.
Once all of our dishes were completed, we made them all disappear pretty fast.
Following Yangshuo, we made a quick stop in Shanghai.
We reunited with our friend, Matt, who's been working there for the past 5 years. It was his birthday, so we celebrated in style by going to Morton's Steakhouse.
They were kind enough to give him this complimentary dessert...
...and this complimentary photo signed by the staff members.
Patrick and I provided the cake - a German chocolate cake to be exact.
And if you ask me, I could not think of a better way to end our trip to China than with a slice of cake :)
oo,
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