Meet the Dragon Bridge

Gently floating down the pristine Yulong River on bamboo rafts, surrounded by the romantic karst hills of Guangxi (also shown here and here) and shrouded in a soft mist, we passed under the charming 600-year-old Yulong "Meet the Dragon" Bridge.

 Guangxi, 2007

Local legend has it that a dragon from the East Sea came by and was so enthralled by the stunning scenery that he decided to stay. Not content to move around only at night, he was spotted by the villagers, who thereafter called the river Yulong, meaning meet the dragon.

This ancient single arch stone bridge is linked with the blogging communities at Weekend Reflections and Sunday Bridges.

::::::

UPDATE: I am raising funds to get TWO children OUT of the charcoal factories in the Manila squatter community of Ulingan and INTO school.

I am thrilled that with the contributions of my fellow bloggers and friends I reached my first goal of sponsoring one child to school. I've raised the goal to TWO scholarships.

If you care to help too, chip in $5, $10, $20 or whatever you can in the secure CHIP IN form on the top of my right sidebar. 

I posted a longer introduction a few days ago.

Project PEARLS: Peace, Education, Aspiration, Respect, Love, Smile

Y is for Yangshuo

(These are the first paragraphs of a travel article I wrote in 2007.)

Yangshuo has something for everyone.  

For a first time visitor to China, this small town in subtropical Guangxi is a soft landing into an ancient Chinese setting with many of the comforts of home.  For the veteran Asia traveler or resident, Yangshuo, with its proximity to Hong Kong (a mere one-hour flight) and other large urban Asian centers, is a spectacular place just to hang out and unwind for a few days.  

This popular backpackers’ destination since the ‘80’s has more recently been discovered by tourists both domestic and foreign. Yet the crowds still fail to detract from the town’s architectural charms and its serene location amongst green rice fields, gently flowing rivers and mystical karst peaks.

 

The old part of town is blissfully free of vehicles of any kind, a rarity in China.  That gives the pedestrian unfettered access to the scores of commercial concerns that line the streets from one end of town to the other.  A surprising number of locals serving in the businesses speak passable English; it’s no wonder the place is called “a global village.”  Perfect for those who can’t leave their shopping cravings at home!

 

Shoppers can find souvenirs of minority crafts and antiques (some real, some not);  exquisite embroidered tablecloths; popular Western (often fake but decent quality) branded clothes or very chic Chinese apparel and accessories; hand painted T-shirts or fans; art and calligraphy… and much more, all for still reasonable prices compared to other tourist centers in China.

But you have to bargain. Pretty “pashmina” shawls in a rainbow of colors were initially offered to me for RMB60 a piece; I walked away with ten shawls for RMB150 (under US$20).  Haggle for the fresh fruit sold by the local farmers on the streets, too.

Even the non-shopper can take pleasure in just a relaxing stroll along the marble stoned streets past the 1400-year-old buildings. Then stop to enjoy a great cup of coffee (really!) or a cold pijiu (beer) and a pizza in one of the many Western-style bars, coffee shops and restaurants, many managed by foreigners. 
 

Another day I will show you the exquisite surrounding landscape. If you can't wait, check out my earlier posts here, here and here.

Yangshuo enters the medley of Ys at ABC Wednesday. 

And this final photo taken early in the morning before the storefronts opened their shutters to show their wares, my favorite today (nicer enlarged) and processed in sepia, is for Sepia Scenes.

Yangshuo, 2007

PS. I am back home in the Philippines and will continue to share local sites as well as my travels around the globe as time permits.

The Finest Scenery under Heaven

Generations of Chinese poets and painters have called Guilin “the finest scenery under heaven.”

Traditional Chinese brush painting

During his visit to the area in 1979, Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State at the time, commented: "Before l came here l thought the Chinese landscape paintings were but the romantic creation of painters, but now having seen the landscape… l realize they are realistic genuine portrayals." 

There isn't much that can surpass the serenity of softly floating down the Yulong (Meeting the Dragon) River on a simple bamboo raft (which you can see here) surrounded by magnificent limestone pinnacles veiled in a gentle mist… “merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.”

Guangxi, 2007

This bridge with a lone bicyclist is posted for Louis la Vache's Sunday Bridges and Aisha's Scenic Sunday. The link will take you to links to other bloggers posting amazing bridges and scenes around the globe.

Reflections on Yulong River

Karst hills along the Yulong River, China, 2007

This photo I took on an Easter weekend getaway to Yangshuo, a charming tourist town near the better known city of Guilin in Guangxi province, is posted to join the internet meme Weekend Reflections hosted by blogger James. For a list of other participating blogs, click HERE.