BigWorldAndSmallWorld Blog

Located in Tanzania, Serengeti is Africa’s largest plain. In Swahili, Serengeti means endless. We saw and loved this typical African scene: animals rest and eat peacefully; powerful lions and meek impalas happily live together on the same land; sausage tree stands alone on a vast land under the sun; at sunset, Serengeti is so beautiful. This is what draws our human beings to Africa.
Two things are must when people enter Serengeti: open-top jeep and plenty drinking water. We bought 24 bottles of 1.5 liter water for five-day’s supply. Our tour package included a driver and a cook. The driver is also the guide. All vehicles entering Serengeti are modified Toyota SUVs either Land-rover or Land-cruiser. They are tough vehicles perfect for the rough roads. We had a good cook who cooked three meals daily for us. Considering he was cooking on charcoal at camping sites in the wildness, we were surprised by the delicious and variety of food the cook prepared for us. Lunch was usually something easy to take on the road such as sandwiches, fruits and drinks. For breakfast, we had eggs, sausages, toasts, coffee and tea. For supper, we had rice or potato or noodle, the main dish usually was a stir-fry dish with beef or chicken and vegetables. We had fruits like baby banana, mango, orange, papaya and watermelon. Eating under the African stars in the evening was a real treat for us. The meal service was English style. The cook set up plates, forks, spoons and cups on a table with nice table cloth. And he served our meals with polite manner. What a luxury! We would not have imagined this kind of service in the wildness. The cook also would put up the tents for us and we would help the driver take down the tents. The driver guide not only knew the roads well, he also was very knowledgeable about animals and plants in Serengeti. To be a driver guide, one has to go to special schools for a couple of years to learn.
Sleeping under the Africa sky was the most memorable experience for us. We chose camping on this trip so that we could be closer to the nature. At night we could hear animals’ sounds, it was wonderful but also scary at the same time. Knowing there is wildlife out there, I was afraid to go to bathroom at night. Clark said every time he went outside the tent, he would shine flashlight around to spot any eyes staring at him in the darkness:). Camping was also the cheapest accommodation among others such as sleeping in fixed tents, huts or in lodges.
Road conditions and toiletry conditions were pretty bad. Every day we were dusty from head to toe. It was hard to comb my hairs. Camping sites did have outdoor showers. We had to be brave to endure the coldness to take a shower. To our surprise, one place where we camped at the rim of a creator we even had a hot shower. It was the coldest place where days and nights were foggy. Africa has two seasons: wet season and dry season. We went there in August, it was their dry season and also winter. Morning and night were cool while daytime under the sun was warm. Travelers can enter Serengeti only in the dry season; otherwise jeeps would be stuck in the mud during the wet season. Human is not allowed to get out of vehicle in Serengeti. While we were at the bottom of the creator, a few hundred meters away from seeing a lioness under a rock, our jeep broke. It would not shift gears. The driver guide had to come out and work on fixing the car. We were worried. Time seemed frozen and we felt we had waited forever. Eventually we got a few other cars’ attention and they stopped to help us. Nothing bad happened and we were able to drive away with a temporary fix.
Africa is animals’ heaven. We saw baboon, zebra, elephant, lion, giraffe, hippo, hyena, buffalo, crane, impala, wildebeest, cheetah, leopard, ostrich and many kinds of birds. We had a very close encounter with a cheetah lying on top of a termite mound. He/she was relaxing but seemed stay alerted. The thought of the possibility the cheetah would jump on to our jeep was frightening, but it never happened. A huge male lion was also in close view. We could see his strong body powerful and beautiful. This fearless creature indeed had the king of the jungle manner. He walked confidently away from us towards a few female lionesses resting under a tree. My favorite was zebras and wildebeests. They were in great numbers.
We also saw native Africa tribe people Maasai. Like American Indians, they love nature. Some sleep in the wildness with surrounding bushes and sticks as temporary shelters, some sleep in fixed huts. The huts were made from mud, straws and cow pup. The main foods they live on are cows and sheeps. The cows we saw in Africa all were very skinny. The Maasai people rarely take shower. They wear red or purple robs, holding a stick in hand. The guide told us even lions could recognize Maasai and the lions don’t normally get too close to Maasai people.
Kenya and Tanzania people look poor and live a simple life. They live in shabby houses. The roads were dusty, muddy and bumpy. The Chinese are building roads in Africa. Water is a precious resource in Africa. Tuesdays and Saturdays are market days where people can sell or buy all kinds of produces on the market. Our guide told us his monthly rent was $15 US dollars and his monthly grocery was $20 US dollars. Tanzania shilling is worthless. 1 US dollar is equal to 1600 Tanzania shilling. The largest bill in Tanzania is 10000 shilling and the smallest bill is 500 shilling. People there like to receive US dollars because they can get good rate by exchanging them to shillings. When the tour ended, we gave tips to the cook and the guide in cash. We also gave them our nice sleeping bag, ropes, blankets and flashlights. They appreciated these good camping equipments because they did not have much stuff.
Our Africa trip is the hardest vacation ever. We met three Chinese people from Guangzhou in the beginning. They were to climb Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. It borders Kenya and Tanzania. I would think climbing Kilimanjaro would be a harder trip than our camping trip. They had to backpack everything themselves and sleep in tents on the mountain where base camps were set up. I asked these young people why they choose Africa and why climb Kilimanjaro? They told me they want to challenge themselves. What a terrific answer! Luckily after returning to USA, I was able to connect with one of the Chinese. They did climb to the peak and got a certificate. I liked one of their photos a lot where the moon seemed so close, the snow peak was within reach and the sky was so deep blue. Africa, you added another continent to our travel log. Kilimanjaro, we wish to climb you the next time we go to Africa.
You can watch our photo video Dailey’s Africa on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeTEK5ms9EY

Often times we heard people say learning Mandarin Chinese is difficult. Indeed it is one of the most difficult languages in the world. Being a China native, I can’t appreciate enough of the beauty of the Chinese language until I have a need to translate it into English. For example, 杭州八景 the eight famous scenes of Hangzhou is perfectly constructed in four small but precise and vivid Chinese words. These Chinese words paint a lovely picture on my mind. How can I translate them into English that still maintain the same beauty as they are in Chinese? I can’t! It’s a sad thing, isn’t it? But at least this is the best I can do to translate the top eight famous scenes of Hangzhou in English.
1．断桥残雪 Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter；
2．平湖秋月 Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn；
3．阮墩环碧 Ruan Gong Islet Submerged in Greenery；
4．雷锋夕照 Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset；
5．曲院风荷 Curved Yard and Lotus Pool in Summer；
6．三潭印月 Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon；
7．柳浪闻莺 Orioles Singing in the Willows；
8．南屏晚钟 Evening Bell Ringing at the Nanping Hill。

And then, it came the new ten scenes of the well known West Lake located in Hangzhou西湖新十景:
云栖竹径Bamboo–Lined Path at Yunqi
满陇桂雨Sweet Osmanthus Rain at Manjuelong Village
虎跑梦泉Dreaming of Tiger Spring at Hupao Valley
龙井问茶Inquiring About Tea at Dragon Well
九溪烟树Nine Creeks Meandering Through a Misty Forest
吴山天风Heavenly Wind over Wu Hill
阮墩环碧Ruan Gong Islet Submerged in Greenery
黄龙吐翠Yellow Dragon Cave Dressed in Green
玉皇飞云Clouds Scurrying over Jade Emperor Hill
宝石流霞Rainbow over Precious Stone Hill

How many of these scenes have you seen? Like the Chinese saying 上有天堂，下有苏杭Heaven is above, Hangzhou and Suzhou is beneath, Hangzhou and West Lake are truly one of the most beautiful places in China.

• Beijing the Great Wall of China长城
Built in 210 BC by the first emperor Qin Shi Huang, the Great Wall stretches for more than 5500 miles.
• Beijing Forbidden City故宫 and Tiananmen Square天安门
Forbidden City (also known as the Imperial Palace Museum) was commissioned by the third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Yong Le. Built between 1406 and 1420, the total area of the complex is 183 acres and all together there are 9,999 1/2 rooms in the Museum.
• Xian Terra-cotta warriors and horses 兵马俑
With a history of more than 2000 years and covering an area of over 23290 square yards, more than 8000 terracotta warriors and horses and more than 40,000 bronze weapons have been excavated from the 3 excavated pits in the burial site of the first emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb.
• Sichuan Jiuzhaigou四川九寨沟
Also known as the Nine Village Valley, Jiuzhaigou is a natural reserve located in the North of the Sichuan Province. Ranked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, Jiuzhaigou is extremely famous for its mirror-like lakes with amazing blue colors and crystal clear waterfalls.
• Three Gorges, Three Gorges Dam and Yangtze River Cruise 长江三峡
Three Gorges are spectacular. There are many archaeological and cultural sites along the Yangtze River, and also the world’s largest hydroelectric power station: the Three Gorges Dam.
• Anhui Huang Shan 黄山
This is the Holy Land of Taoism since ancient times. It’s amazingly tranquil and it is such a natural beauty. Many Taoist relics and temples can be found on the mountain. It is said that the Chinese immemorial Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) used to refine his elixir on the Yellow Mountain.
• Picturesque Guilin 桂林山水
Li River is one of the most famous waterways in China. Along the riverbanks, you will see beautiful rock formations, caves, numerous hills and mountains.
• Beautiful Jiangnan watertowns 江南水乡
Zhouzhuang, Xitang, Tongli, and Wuzhen are among the top four water villages. They are typical ancient townships south of the Yangtze River delta. There is a lot more than the ancient bridges, canals, dykes and magnificent garden villas. Here ancient dwellings sit encroaching on each side of the canal that passes through the city. You will see rich and amazing history and have a feel for how ordinary people live their lives along the canal.
• Tibet Potala Palace布达拉宫
Potala Palace is a huge treasure house for materials and articles of Tibetan history, religion, culture and arts. The Palace is widely known for the precious sculptures, murals, scripture, Buddha figures, antiques, and religious jewelry.
• Hangzhou West Lake西湖
“Ripping water shimmering on sunny day, Misty mountains shrouded the rain; Plain or gaily decked out like Xi Zi; West Lake is always alluring.” These are the words composed by the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo (960-1127) when he compared the West Lake to Xi Zi, the most beautiful woman in ancient China. These poetic sentiments leave one in no doubt of the glory of the scenery.

Here is a link to CCTV’s video series on China’s world heritage sites: http://tv.people.com.cn/GB/39805/42848/12507371.html -> click the video(s) you wish to view.

“Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China’s Past and Present” was written by an American journalist Peter Hessler. China from 1999 to 2004 was a period that sounded so familiar and yet so distant to me. I can very much relate to many things in the book.
Thought 1: When I first came to the US, I used to say “peasant” all the time because that was what I have learned in school, rarely did I say “farmer”. So when I said peasant to my husband whose parents were farmers, he said: “Do you mean farmer?” There are big differences between Chinese peasants and US farmers especially in the areas of education and farming tools/methods.
Thought 2: It is very true that false/fake (假的jiade) products are everywhere in China, so be cautious in things you buy or people you deal with. In China from the food we eat, to clothes and accessories we wear, to diploma and official documents, all can be faked. Even the author Peter himself had to write a false resume in order to get a journalist visa. Is it the Chinese system’s fault that makes people do what is necessary in order to survive?
Thought 3: About the Uyghur. My first encounter with the Uyghur language was at the Urumqi airport during our Silk Road vacation in 2010. My husband saw the language was written everywhere but he did not know what it was. I told him it looked like Arabic. Later, our guide told us it was the Uyghur language because Uyghur is the biggest group in Xinjiang province. I also discovered on the trip that Uyghurs look more like foreigners than Chinese. I know Uyghur is one of the 55 minority groups, other than that I know very little about this unique ethnic group especially its political and religious beliefs.
Thought 4: The Movie Red Sorghum and actor Jiang Wen. In the book, the author talked about visiting a movie set in the Gobi where famous actor Jiang Wen was shooting a movie. I remembered watching the movie Red Sorghum in 1989 when I was a senior at Fudan University. The movie was a huge hit because it was the first kind that was brilliantly directed by the director Zhang Yimou, and Jiang Wen and actress Gong Li truly captured the audience with their brilliant acting. Jiang Wen’s personality is so characteristic both on screen in all his movies and off screen in his real life, surely he is well liked.
Thought 5: How ironic! As I ended reading the book today, I found out at the news time that Osama Bin Laden was killed. In the book the author described Chinese people’s Anti-American feelings for the war American launched against the terrorists after the September 11 attack. I am eager to find out what the Chinese think now that the Americans are celebrating the big victory after nearly ten years. The Americans finally did what they set their minds to.

If you ask me why I like to travel to China, I would say…
The number 1 reason you will like China is its cultural experience. China is a developed country that hasn’t lost its flavor. You will experience both fast-paced city life and authentic ethnic tribe’s colorful culture. Of the 55 minority ethnic groups in China, Yunnan a southern province has the most 25 of them.
The number 2 reason you will like China is its nature landscapes. From the panoramic limestone formations in Guilin, to the gorgeous terraced rice fields in Yunnan province, to the surreal fog-covered peak in Huangshan, to China’s most famous valleys – Jiuzhaigou, the snow-capped peaks, waterfalls, forests and lakes, and many mountains, rivers and grass lands will simply take your breath away.
The number 3 reason you will like China is its long and rich history. The Great Wall, the longest wall built for defense, is over 2000 years old. The Forbidden City, the world’s largest palace complex built in traditional Chinese architecture, is also over 2000 years old. The Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses, thousands of life-size figures with individually unique faces, hair and uniforms, is grand in their elaborate design and scale.
The number 4 reason you will like China is its delicious food. There are eight authentic cuisines with regional features throughout China, which are known as Anhui Cuisine（徽菜）, Canton Cuisine（粤菜）, Fujian Cuisine（闽菜）, Hunan Cuisine（湘菜）, Jiangsu Cuisine（苏菜）, Shandong Cuisine（鲁菜）, Sichuan Cuisine（川菜） and Zhejiang Cuisine（浙菜）. The varieties will surely satisfy your taste buds.
The number 5 reason you will like China is its top of the line accommodations. China has the most 5-star hotels in the world by my guess plus numerous boutiques hotels, B&Bs and traditional Chinese style hotels. You will easily find a place that suits your budget and style to have a good night sleep.
And of course the last but not the least, China is a safe country to visit. And the Chinese people are very friendly too.

Every time I visit China, I like nothing better to go back soon. China’s high mountains, elegant rivers, springs and waterfalls, rare animals and plants, numerous historical spots and sites, distinctive operas, music and dances, rich and varied folk customs and styles , and its world-renowned cuisine, this fascinating country attracts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists even me a China native.
This summer our family went on a Silk Road journey that stretched through the entire northwest region of China. The Silk Road was opened about 138 BC in Western Han Dynasty and gradually over a thousand years built both sea and land routes stretched more than 7000 miles from Chang’an (now Xian) to the Mediterranean Sea. The purpose of the Silk Road was to trade China’s silk, tea, spices, pottery and Chinese inventions with Western’s horses, linen, seeds, plants and new ideas. Nobody traveled the entire Silk Road and camel was used to transport goods and people. The last Dynasty the Qing Dynasty finally closed the trade routes.
Besides climbing the Great Wall and seeing thousands of human-size Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, our family found some favorite places along the Silk Road.
Grape Valley, Turpan
Turpan basin is located in the Valley of Tian Mountain’s east range. In Uygur, an ethnic group of China, Turpan means the low ground. In fact this place is 500 meters below sea level and is the second lowest place in the world after the Dead Sea. Green pearl-like grapes grow abundant in Turpan and grapes are what this place is famous for. We took a nice stroll at a grape valley shaded by thousands of grape vines. We visited a underground well museum and got a glimpse of the massive underground well system that keeps water supply to this region’s grape growers. We even tasted freshly squeezed grape juice. It was so yummy!
Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring, Dunhuang
The scenic area of Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring is located 5 km south of Dunhuang city. The name of Mingsha Mountain came from the echoing sound produced by the moving sand. Within Mingsha Mountain lies the Crescent Spring which resembles a crescent fallen down into the dessert. Being a place where spring meets desert, the area is a natural spectacle and has been known as a “desert wonder” from ancient to modern times. Climbing the sand mountain was a challenge, however the view from the top was definitely rewarding. We also rode the camels for the first time in our life. It was a lot of fun!
Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang
The Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as the “Thousand Buddha Caves”, are located 25 km southeast of Dunhuang city. There are 735 existing caves of various shapes from ten dynasties, and the caves contain some 45000 sq meter of murals and 2400 painted sculptures. At any given day, only 30+ caves are open to the tourists. We saw a huge stone Buddha statue (over 30 foot tall) and a 20 foot lying Buddha statue. The murals and sculptures were colorful and vivid; we were amazed by ancient Chinese’s skills and craftsmanship.

– an introduction to my home town
The movie “Shanghai” ended with the actor’s voice echoing over the Huangpu River “I liked Shanghai so much and I returned…” The end of 1930’s and the beginning of 1940’s, Shanghai was a playground for spy, soldier, foreigner, gangster, communist and capitalist all-kind. In the midst of turmoil, common people went to work as usual, retailers, movie theatres and night clubs were still open, and rickshaws and trolley buses were hustling on the narrow streets.
Shanghai is China’s largest industrial city and business center. Once you step your foot on the ground, you will feel its energy and excitement. Modern colossal buildings draw the skyline of Shanghai yet hiding among them there are many themed boutique hotels and streets let you see and experience the old time atmosphere. Among them The Mansion Hotel is at the top of the accommodation list. The villa was originally designed by French architect Lafayette in 1932 and was owned by a partner of infamous Shanghai syndicate boss Du Yue Sheng until 1949. Now it is an important historical building to operate legitimate businesses and host the cities most extravagant parties at night. To visit the hotel’s elegant 1930’s lobby and to eat at its rooftop restaurant are highly recommended when you visit Shanghai. Xintiandi (literally means “new heaven and earth”), the old French Concession district of Shanghai, is another very popular shopping and dining place. Interesting old city Shiku Gate (also called Shanghai Alley) were turned into mixed Chinese-European styles. Several famous Chinese’s residences are open for visitors including Sun Yat-sen’s Former Residence, Premier Zhou Enlai’s Former Residence, and Soong Ching Ling’s Former Residence.
Rich in historical and cultural resources, Shanghai attracts both domestic and overseas tourists. On top of the traditional views list are Yuyuan Garden, Town God’s Temple, and the Ancient City Wall and Dajing Pavilion. On top of the modern attractions list are the Bund, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Museum with a huge bronze collection, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Circus World, Jin Mao Tower with a stunning view from the 88th floor of the Grand Hyatt, and Shanghai Magnetic Suspension Train with a speed of 268 mph.
Crisscrossed with rivers, rivulets, lakes and ponds, Shanghai borders the Taihu Lake valley and has beautiful natural scenery zones along the Huangpu River and the Wusong River. On the periphery of Shanghai, 2 to 3 hours of bus ride will take you to several well-known water towns including Zhouzhuang Town, Xitang Town, Tongli Town, and Nanxun Town. Day tours to these water towns are offered at Shanghai Central Bus Station.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit Shanghai. Shanghai perfectly harmonizes the classic oriental charm with the modern metropolitan fashion, so include Shanghai in your itinerary the next time you visit China.
To see the movie “Shanghai”, click the link below: http://www.tudou.com/playlist/p/a32682.html?iid=59182652

August 16 Beijing 北京
Clark and I have been to the Great Wall in 1995, but this time we went to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. It hardly had any people. The view of the Great Wall stretched along the lush green mountaintops was breathtaking. We saw a wedding group taking wedding photos on the Wall. Good choice of a perfect spot!

August 17 Beijing/Urumqi北京/乌鲁木齐
We went to a local restaurant for lunch. It was a nice place for dumplings. We tasted ten different kinds of stuffing; most of them were vegetables with only one meat stuffing that the kids liked.

August 18 Urumqi乌鲁木齐
On the way to Heavenly Lake, we stopped at the roadside to look at a yurt (a tentlike dwelling of the Mongol and Turkic peoples of central Asia). Inside it was huge, large enough to comfortably sleep a dozen people. It was beautifully decorated with colorful carpets. The yurt was located on a scenic creek bank side. When winter comes, the nomad’s family just takes down the entire yurt, packs it and moves to warm grounds, next summer the family returns to the same spot and sets up the yurt again.

Sitting on top of a hill overlooking the Heavenly Lake, there was a Daoism Monastery we visited. It was so peaceful and beautiful there, truly heavenly.

August 19 Turpan 吐鲁番
Turpan was hot. We stayed at the Huozhou Hotel. Huozhou 火洲in Chinese means Fire State. Our room had a see-through glass wall bathroom, it was really cool. This was the first time we saw this kind of bathroom.

August 20 Turpan/Jiayuguan吐鲁番/嘉峪关
Our overnight train ticket had some issues. In fact we did not even have a train ticket. Our guide had to bribe several staff on the train with cigarettes and money so that we can get on the train with soft-sleep beds. Only a Chinese can handle this situation, westerners can’t even imagine what to do. Because of the ticket issue, a couple of us had to move from one compartment to another in the middle of the night; we did not sleep much.

August 21 Jiayuguan嘉峪关
Jiayuguan Pass was the first pass to Hexi corridor. People traveling westward must pass this fort in ancient times. Compared to Fort Snelling, Jiayuguan was huge. It housed one thousand soldiers and horses in ancient times.

August 22 Dunhuang 敦煌
We had our first camel ride at the Singing Sand Mountains and Crescent Moon Spring. It was fantastic! Most camels had two humps. We learned that the camels with standing humps were the healthy ones while those with hanging humps were not.

At Mogao Grottoes we saw a huge (over 30 foot tall) Buddha stone statue and a 26 foot lying Buddha statue. The Grottoes have over 700 caves, but at any given day only 30 caves are open for tourists.

August 23 Dunhuang敦煌
Dunhuang night market was a nice place to go. It had all kinds of spices, artworks and food. We particularly liked the local art and bought one wooden carving tiger for CNY800. The tiger looked so real, it was cool. Seeing the artist working on their projects in the market was definitely eye opening.

August 24 Dunhuang敦煌
We have been reading Chinese/English signs at places we went to. Here were the funniest ones we have seen. “Grapes and fruits taste the spot” in Chinese 葡萄水果品尝点，in proper English it should be something like this “This is the spot to taste grapes and fruits”. “Watch for ladders” in Chinese 小心台阶，there was no ladder rather there were some steps, in proper English it should be “Watch for your steps”. “Be careful of landslide” in Chinese 小心地滑，in proper English it should be “Floor slippery, be careful!” This sign on a bathroom door made us laugh for a long time.

August 25 Lanzhou 兰州
Two days in a row we traveled to different states; we were tired. Taking a speedboat ride on the Yellow River was an interesting experience on its own. The 45-minute one-way ride was scary considering the boat was tiny and completely enclosed with eight people trapped inside for a long time; not to mention on the way back the driver told us he saw a dead body floating on the water. However the serene Bingling Cave Temple hidden in the mountains along the Yellow River was worthwhile to see. Water buffaloes were happily resting in the valley where caves, mountains and river meet, it was picturesque! There was no other way to get to the Bingling Cave Temple, so we had to take the speedboat.

August 26 Xian 西安
After daily breakfast buffet and banquet style Chinese lunch, McDonald’s sounded so good to us. We often craved for ice cream on the trip and that was our supper.

August 27 Xian/Shanghai西安/上海
In Shanghai we departed with the rest of the group. Shanghai is my hometown.

August 28 to September 2 Shanghai上海
We still had a few days before we heading back to the States. One day we went to a nearby water town called Wuzhen. It rained and such moments appeared in many Chinese literatures “beautiful Jiangnan in the rain 雨中的江南是很美的”.

On the last day in Shanghai, a Typhoon hit the city and we got heavy rain for hours and hours. It reminded me how much I loved Typhoon weather when I was a child in the hot and humid over 100-degree days when the only cooling device we had was the fan in the house. It felt so nice and cool during Typhoon.

We had a great time in China and we have over 800 pictures! For a sneak peek of the photos we took on the trip, go to this link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/108878095563854310219/ChinaOldAndNew?feat=email#slideshow/5519900334163292242

When I was young, I learned these classic Chinese literatures. One of them is the famous Dang dynasty poem from Wang Wei “A Song at Weicheng” and another one is one of the four Chinese classic novels “Journey to the West” from the 16th century. My trip to the Silk Road three weeks ago made all these literatures into reality.

王维Wang Wei wrote《送元二使安西（又名“渭城曲”）》A SONG AT WEICHENG
渭城朝雨浥轻尘，A morning-rain has settled the dust in Weicheng;
客舍青青柳色新。Willows are green again in the tavern dooryard….
劝君更尽一杯酒, Wait till we empty one more cup —
西出阳关无故人。West of Yang Gate there’ll be no old friends.
I was able to see the so called Yang Gate阳关 at Jiayuguan 嘉裕关and the nearby Jade Gate 玉门关. These gates together marked the boundaries between ancient China 中国 and the surrounding barbarians. West of the gates was desert while east of the gates was the civilized China in old days. Making the geographic connection allows me to fully understand the true meaning of “West of Yang Gate there’ll be no old friends”.

One of the most famous characters in Journey to the West 西游记was the Monkey King孙吾空. In one of the episode, the Monkey King had to pass the Flaming Mountain火焰山with his crew. The only way to pass the Mountain was to borrow a super fan from a powerful person. I thought the Flaming Mountain火焰山was existed only in literature when I was young. But there is the real Flaming Mountain in Xinjiang province that I saw this time. The red sandy mountain under the sun is breathtakingly beautiful. Not only did we find the real Flaming Mountain, we also went to Guazhou 瓜州. In Journey to the West, the Monkey King also went to Guazhou 瓜州. We tasted sweet melon at Guazhou, maybe that is why it is called Guazhou because melon in Chinese is Gua瓜.

By the way, if you don’t know what Four Chinese Classic Novels are, they are: Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義, Water Margin 水滸傳, Journey to the West 西遊記 and Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢. Happy learning because what you have learned could be true.

After watching the movie “Red Cliff”, I thought about the famous Battle of the Red Cliff in Chinese history immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms era around the winter of 208/9 AD. The movie is fascinating and entertaining. Several famous actors and actresses from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan worked together to make this movie even more worthy of watching. Probably every Chinese child read Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三 國 演 義, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, can tell you the result of the battle where the movie “Red Cliff” came to an sudden end just before the battle. A small army of Zhou Yu and Zhu Ge Liang defeated a much larger army led by Cao Cao through courage and well-planned strategies. These strategies are enormously witty even today’s business world can use some.
Three well-known people throughout Chinese history were involved in the battle: Zhou Yu 周瑜, Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮, and Cao Cao 曹操. While you can find many records on who they were and how they contributed to the Chinese history, I though of Zhu Ge Liang as calm, full of wisdom, and a war and political strategist, Zhou Yu as an excellent army commander and a handsome man who died early, and Cao Cao as a proud man, with no fear, and knew how to use his power and army to his political advancement. Among the three, Zhu Ge Liang is my favorite. Many stories of him captivated my imagination throughout my childhood.
So where is the location of the Battle of the Red Cliff? While it is widely debated and remains uncertain, many believed the location is southeast of Wuhan and Yueyang in Hunan province on the south bank of the Yangtze River. I have not yet visited the place, but for sure someday I would like to see it where the word Red Cliff 赤 壁 is written on a rock standing on the river. You may watch the movie online at this link http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/svoS0m9mx4s/