Another Market in the grounds of a Temple

Everyone knows about the Panjiayuan Market (see blog Nov 2010), but there is a smaller market which is also interesting and less touristy, Baoguosi Market.  The best day to go is Thursdays.

Now it may look as if you're going in to another temple (oh no not another one, I can hear some of you say!), and you would be right, but the grounds have been taken over by many, many sellers of all sorts of "antiques".

It's best to go as early in the morning as you can. If you haven't had breakfast you can join the other keen buyers for some noodles .....

....or the famous "jian bing", a kind of freshly made pancake Chinese style.

 

Once you're inside you'll see all kinds of things on sale, some very cheap like the lucky dip items below.

 

It's not as crowded as Panjiayuan but smaller in size.

 

and the temple buildings and trees make a nice environment for strolling around.

 There was only one foreign tourist the day I went, and that was a client of mine!

We  met a familiar person greeting us....

he was all over the place....the poster reads Long Live Chairman Mao!

 

The old red badges are now collectors' items, and come in all shapes and sizes.

 

 

This one is big enough to fit on your mantelpiece.

 Then there are some more valuable items such as this cloisonne clock.

 How do you like this old locomotive which acts as clock, barometer and temperature gauge?

 Not quite sure what these animals are, probably a pair of Chinese dragons.

 Another unusual clock!

And finally definitely not an antique.....can you see what it is?...yes, a model of London sights in honour of the 2012 Olympics.

There's still time to come and do some Christmas Shopping!

Season's Greetings to you all and your families, talk again next year!

Tea Houses of China

I love to visit Chinese Tea Houses especially if they are unique and different than the modern ones.  Here is the 270 year old Tea House on the Crooked Bridge leading into the Yu Garden in Shanghai.   Be sure to stop in and check it out.  Tea is not inexpensive but worth the time to absorb the atmosphere of a traditional old tea house.  For something different you might try the special "Tea Balls" in different flavors.  About the size of a large marble they are dropped into hot water and slowly open up to become a beautiful flower in your glass cup.  The tea is good too.  Another tea house I like is the QianTang Cha Ren in Suzhou outside of Shanghai.   It is very traditional with many antiques and you may sit on the floor in your own private room if you like also.  Many snacks are served with tea that you order yourselves.  The atmosphere is very special as well and you feel like you are in old China.  China is famous for tea and Suzhou is the Tea capital besides Hangzhou.  The say a gift of tea is a "Gift of Life".   I hope you find a special tea house too when you visit China.  Click on the photo for a full screen size view.

Pandas in China

Wolong Panda Preserve was destroyed by a a very large earthquake 7 years ago.  They are rebuilding it but the latest information has it that it will not be completed until late 2014.  Meanwhile it is fortunate that the Panda Experiment Station was updated just shortly before that and is located just outside of Chengdu in Sichuan province.  The photo here is of me at Wolong just before the earthquake playing with 2 year old Pandas.  At the Experiment Station you can have your photo taken with a young Panda with a donation of about $100. for a few minutes to handle if you are able and to have photos taken with them.  They do have large claws however they are like playing with young children who squirm and have a bounty of Energy.  It is best to visit the Pandas in the mornings as they usually sleep all afternoon and are less active.

For more information on visiting the Pandas, contact me at  interlak@eskimo.com    I own Interlake China Tours Inc. of Seattle and have worked in China for the past 25 years in the tour business doing private personal or private group tours to your specific interests. Our web site is www.interlakechinatours.com
Click on the photo for a full screen view.

Weird and wonderful papercuts by Siberian butterfly

This blog is not for young children!

Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends!

 

I went to an unusual art exhibition held earlier this year in Beijing, combining traditional papercutting with erotic fantasies of the artist. I think I don't need to say anything else, just let your imagination go wild as the pictures speak for themselves. If you think you see some naughty bits, it's either all in the mind, or really there, or both! I don't think I'll be giving any of these to my mother.

More views of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Chinese are very entrepreneurial, and can make money doing all sorts of business....

However, I'm not sure how well this company is doing with its design projects.

........here they are recycling used mobile phones, iPads, etc, probably to make some cheaper imitation ones. Be warned! 

Of course there are plenty of shopping malls and pedestrian streets, this one is in Causeway Bay.

The subway system is super efficient, so it's so easy and fast to get around.

I like this shop window which is promoting travel around the world!

No explanation needed....cheaper than Beijing!

You probably also recognise some famous brand names in these street signs on Nathan Road, but did you notice the one from Beijing? I was very happy to see this Chinese medicine store.

A mammoth exhibition in a shopping mall has people queuing up.

And even more queuing up at the local Apple store...even before iPhone5

A touch of history...the old Central Pier which was relocated to this new location.

And for those of you from UK, a touch of old England! Soho's in London, right? Yes but here it means "SOuth of HOllywood (Road)".

.........looks familiar?

Time for afternoon tea.....if you haven't got time to wait for a table at the Peninsula, or the money, try the Portobello in Soho!

 


 A streetside altar you would not find in Soho London!

........and coils of incense. 

 

  ....and worship of gold!

My friend's son was getting married, and they had a traditional village banquet with 60 tables...yes Hong Kong is not just a big city, there is country side too.Traditional red everywhere.

Traditional red cheongsam (qipao) worn by thebride, who did not have a traditional ethnic background.

Happiness....

is good food for many Chinese...a hotpot of all kinds of meats and seafood, delicious!

and more food.....

Family toast...note the band in the background

 Finally for our departure, the peace and quiet of Chep Lap Kok International airport, although it is one of the top ten busiest airports in the world. Same architect as for Beijing's Capital Airport. This is the downtown check-in which is so convenient.

Tibet Permit Rules

Tibet Permit requirements presently are that only groups of 5 people or more will be issued permits to enter Tibet.  They must all be from the same country.  This new rule while put in place this past year of 2012 may change in the future but for now that is what is required.   You must supply a copy of your passport, along with your occupation, birth date and itinerary.  Your travel service or tour operator will help you with this.

During the month of March in the past Tibet has been closed to all foreigners and we expect that to be the same again this year.  If this changes I will post any new regulation or requirements on my blog as soon as they become available.  Check my web site for tours of Tibet.  www.interlakechinatours.com   

I, Yi...a foreign traveller's tales

"I like going to China. I like watching the constant chaos of Beijing, where affluent modernism and something akin to centuries-old village life are all jumbled up together; where impressively aggressive sidewalk salesmen insist that I must buy five designer knock-off wallets right now, steps away from Burberry and Versace and in sight of a big red banner that extols us all to “Respect Intellectual Property Rights; Be Law-abiding Vendors;” where there’s food everywhere, and most of it delicious. Where western consumer-capitalism, Mao’s little red book, and 5000 years of civilization are all stirred together into something that’s clearly…well, that’s clearly something happening, although it’s hard to tell what, exactly, it currently is or may turn out to be............"

This is the beginning of a blog written by a recent client who climbed the Wild Wall with me. I can recommend you look at the whole blog for the great pictures that he took on that trip:
http://ebutterfieldphotography.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/i-yi/

Hope you like the photo of me too!