Get out of the cities

My last week in China was spent in province, the main attraction being the incredible cast scenery which includes the setting of the 20Yuan note.

First up was a visit to the Langshou rice terraces where the immaculately tended crops stretch into the distance.



Langshou rice terraces

Langshou rice terraces

To get from Guilin to Yangshuo the plan was to take a bamboo boat most of the way along the river.

plastic bamboo boats, Yangdi

Once on the bus however we were soon informed that the boat was actually a plastic raft (45) but we'd have the chance of purchasing a separate trip on a bamboo boat (46) later that afternoon. Both trips were excellent despite the usual tourist trappings of tat sellers the scenery was great & the skies blue.







Li river, Xilong

Cormorant fishing, Jinlong

Water buffalo, Jinlong

bamboo boat, Jinbao river

The next couple of days were filled with cycling & walking. The hostel rooftop bar providing views of the river and Yangshuo town brimming with souvenirs, bars & restaurants it's no longer the hidden backpacker treasure of the old editions of lonely planet. Nearby the up to twice nightly Impression Liu Sanjie show plays to packed audiences of thousands, with a cast of 600+. It was directed by the guy who did the Beijing Olympic ceremony and wows mainly due to marvelling at the co-ordination of setting this on a lake (the Russian dancing horse still wins for entertainment).

En route to the fishing village

One day hike to me to the village of Xing Ping, where I finally found some of the hidden backwaters. Although in the nearby fishing village (it has no name) a local showed off photos of Bill Clinton sitting in their house.

Xing ping

Staying overnight in Xing Ping also gave the chance of a climbing a hill for sunrise. Setting off at 5.30 we waited for the sun to come up, but as is one of my overbidding memories of china, the mist win out & it just got lighter.















I can also claim to have cooked the best food I ate in China. Under careful instruction of a cooking class we prepared 5 dishes including a local speciality: beer fish. Before the cooking commenced we were taken around the local marker to get some final ingredients, fortunately that didn't include the dog that I watched being dismembered.

5 courses of culinary brilliance

beer fish being cooked

Onto one final overnight bus ride (47). This one counts for the crazy layout of full (for a chinaman) length bunk beds throughout the coach, I was do surprised at arriving in Shenzhen on time I forgot to get a photo, so instead here is Shenzhen's oddest attraction window to the world contains scale models of most famous monuments you can think of.

Window to the world, Shenzhen