Jiangxi Sanqing Mountain Figures Way out

To achieve the goal of building a world-famous scenic spot, people in the Sanqing Mountain area are making great efforts to turn a grandiose plan into reality.

"The Sanqing Mountain is in the best time of development with the best outer environment in history," said Liu Shuzong, secretary of the local Party committee.





Enticing scenery of Sanqing Mountain in Jiangxi Province

Construction of the Sanqing Mountain Scenic Spot started just 20 years ago. But with improvement of the spot's tourism infrastructure, the number of tourists to the mountain has increased steadily in recent years.

In 2003, the number of visitors to the scenic spot hit 150,000. The number rose dramatically, to 450,000 in 2004 and 670,000 in 2005.

The surging number of tourists has brought considerable income to the scenic spot and improved local people's life.

Bottleneck and blueprints
However, the visitors also resulted in great pressure on the spot's natural environment and caused some problems, such as inadequacies in accommodation, transportation and car parks.

For example, the spot has only one cableway that can carry at most 4,000-5,000 tourists daily. Considering thousands of tourists swamped into the mountain in peak seasons, the inadequate transportation capacity has become a bottleneck for the spot's development.

To alleviate the pressure and achieve sustainable development, the authorities of the city of Shangrao and the Sanqing Mountain have mapped out an ambitious plan to build the mountain into a first-class global tourist attraction.

According to the plan, a series of large infrastructure construction projects, including service facilities, four-star hotels, water supply and drainage systems, and a new cableway in the east of the mountain, will be completed in five years.

As the most important part of the plan, the Jinsha Service Center at the foot of the mountain began construction in February last year.

Upon completion, the center will greatly improve the scenic spot's capacity for receiving tourists. With an investment of 1.6 billion yuan, the center boasts some of the best tourism facilities in the nation, such as a group of modern hotels, a camping base, a shopping mall and a food street.

The Jinsha Cableway, which connects the Huangmaogang and the Goddess Peak, will be put into use in May. The cableway, with an investment of 106 million yuan, is the third largest in China,

"We will insist on sustainable development of the scenic spot and keep balance between tourism development and environmental protection," Liu said.

In recent years, people in the mountain have adopted many measures to protect the natural environment.

The local authorities invested 150 million yuan on building a beautiful green belt and safety facilities along the 92-kilometer round-the-mountain road.

To reduce human beings' impact on the mountain's water system, a sewage treatment plant that can dispose 300 tons of wastewater daily is being built near the Sanqing Palace. A 5.6-million-yuan water plant aims to ensure water supply for tourists, along with 10 standard public toilets.

In recent years, the scenic spot has dismantled 56 illegal buildings, stopped building three large hotels and closed 26 unlicensed mines around the mountain.

"We spend one third of our income on environmental protection every year," said Yang Sha'ou, head of the scenic spot's management committee. "The spot's forest coverage rate has risen to 88.11 percent."

Situated near Shangrao City in East China's Jiangxi Province, the Sanqing Mountain is a national key scenic and historic spot, a national AAAA scenic resort, a national geopark and a national educational base of patriotism.

Jiangxi Cultural, Natural Scenery Highlights Protection

Sanqing Mountain is in the hinterland of Huaiyu Mountain in East China. It belongs to a part of the Huaiyu Mountain that covers an area of 760 square kilometres.

Sanqing Mountain is 12.2 kilometres from south to north and 6.3 kilometres from east to west. The total area of the mountain is 76.86 square kilometres. The mountain is in the shape of a lotus leaf, tilting from southeast to northwest.

Sanqing Mountain National Geopark has a planned area of 229.50 square kilometres. It is located in the northeastern part of Jiangxi Province. Running between 284822and 290042north latitude and 1175820and 1180828east longitude, the park includes five townships, 15 administrative villages and 124 natural villages. By the end of 2002, its total population was 16,167, representing a density of 70 people per square kilometre.

Geological heritage
Sanqing Mountain has an average sea level of between 1,000 and 1,800 metres. The mountain belongs to granite-eroded topography. Its main peak Yujing Peak is as high as 1,816.9 metres, making it the highest peak of Huaiyu Mountain.

The establishment of the geopark has integrated its unique granite peak views and its natural views with the Taoist relics. It has greatly promoted the research value of the scenic views at Sanqing Mountain and provides a foundation for scientific research and environmental protection.

It will effectively help protect geological relics and reasonably develop geological resources. In this way, the geological resources can achieve sustainable development.

The establishment of the park will also help adjust the industrial structure and expand employment chances to improve its investment environment and promote the sustainable development of the local economy of the Sanqing Mountain area.

Sanqing Mountain is made up of granite from the late stage of the Yanshan Period. During its formation, it was raised and eroded and collapsed to form its unique granite peak topography.

In the mountain area, there are rising peaks, strange stones, running waterfalls and deep valleys. The natural scenery of the area can be described as dangerous in the east and fantastic in the west, magnificent in the north and unique in the south.

Scientific research shows that the central scenic area covers 28 square kilometres. Within the area, there are 48 fantastic peaks, 89 huge stones in different shapes and more than 300 scenic views and places. This is the unique part of the mountain and a rare scene in the world.

Diverse climate
The mountain is situated in the middle and sub-tropic belt. It is about 340 kilometres from the sea in the east. Therefore, it is affected by the oceanic climate and belongs to the middle and sub-tropical monsoon climate. It also has the feature of a mountainous climate.

It has four seasons with a cool summer and long spring and autumn. In winter, the mountains are covered with snow.

Annual average temperature is 10.9 degrees. Its highest temperature is 33 degrees between July and August. The average temperature in July is 21.1 degrees and in January it is minus 0.6 degrees, with January's lowest temperature standing at minus 16 degrees.

The annual average precipitation is 1,857.7 millimetres and the average annual evaporation stands at 1,331.6 millimetres. The relative humidity is 82 per cent.

Precious resources
The surface water of Sanqing Mountain belongs to the ravine system. The water flows in two directions. Water from the southeast side runs into Xinjiang River, while water from the northwest part flows into Boyang Lake. Water resources on the mountain mainly come from rain. The rain comes down and flows into nearby ravines. The underground water is mainly contained in the layers of broken rocks.

According to the investigation conducted by the administrative committee of the mountain, the mountain has a forest area of 14,685 hectares, or a forest coverage rate of 88.1 per cent. Its wood reserve is 661,496 cubic metres. The vegetation belongs to the eastern evergreen broad-leaf forest of the middle and sub-tropical belt. The vegetation shows a distinction of vertical distribution. Between the sea level of 300 and 1,000 metres, the broad-leaf forest and coniferous forest grow together. Between 1,000 and 1,500 metres, there are mixed forests of broad-leaf and coniferous forests. At areas above 1,500 metres, there are coniferous forests and mountaintop woods.

The naturally grown plants fall into 157 subjects and 1,088 kinds. The area is thus considered a natural botanic garden. There are many tree species under State first-class protection. Many local specialties have both edible and medical functions.

The mountain has high peaks and deep ravines together with high forest coverage. The unique mountainous climate provides an outstanding natural environment for wild life and plants. According to a resource survey in 1982, there are more than 300 kinds of birds, animals, worms and amphibians in the area. Many of them belong to animals under State second-class protection.

Although Sanqing Mountain started late in tapping its tourism resources, it has gained rapid development. In 1988, it was approved as a State key scenic spot. Between 1997 and 1999, it received an average of 53,000 visitors every year. In 2002, 420,000 visits were made to the mountain and 470,000 in 2003.

The tourism revenue was 150 million yuan in 2002 and 190 million yuan in 2003.

The growing visitors also help drive the local economy. Its local GDP was 173.7 million yuan in 2002 and soared to 213.2 million yuan in 2003.

Jiangxi Symposium Puts Sanqing Mountain in Limelight

Although the Oriental Goddess, a pictographical peak in Sanqing Mountain in Shangrao in East China's Jiangxi Province, is not as famous as the Statue of Liberty in New York, its impact will definitely outstrip the latter, as it was created by nature more than 140 million years ago.

Dubbed the "first fairy mountain of Jiangxi Province," the Sanqing Mountain in Shangrao, a newly developed tourist attraction featuring granite forests, gorges and unique ecological scenes, have recently attracted the attention of the world's geology circle.

In a bid to strengthen exchanges with international granite geoparks and to further reveal the law of the formation and development of granite geology and landforms, as well as to better explore natural landscape resources, Shangrao city government hosted the First International Symposium on Granite Geology and Landscapes on July 24, 2006.

More than 160 foreign and domestic specialists and representatives specializing in geology, geogramorphology and tourism gathered in the city to take part in the meeting; elaborating and exchanging their viewpoints on the formation and evolution process and law of granite landscapes in the Sanqing Mountain.

They put forward suggestions on environmental protection, keeping a balance between the development of tourism and protection of geological resources, and the preparation for application for world geoparks and natural geoheritages.

"The symposium, the first of its kind in the city, is a great event for academic research on granite geology and landscapes, and is also a grand exchange platform for the construction of granite geoparks," said Shangrao Vice-Mayor Xiao Tianlian at the opening ceremony.

With China's fast-growing social and economic development, tourists have higher requirements for geoparks and their scientific popularization. One of the important goals of geoparks is to protect natural and cultural resources and biodiversity, with scientific research as its base, said Xiao.

"Currently, it is urgent for us to conduct scientific research and promote science popularization for the people. This symposium meets the needs for the development of China's geoparks and scenic spots as well as other tourism areas," said the vice-mayor.


The Sanqing Mountain

A famous national geopark in Shangrao, Sanqing Mountain has drawn great attention from the participants of the symposium.

Xiao said, through 20 years' development, the Sanqing Mountain has won many glorious titles from the State, including national scenic spot, national four-A tourism area, national geopark, one of the first batches of national natural heritage sites, national model of scenic area and national base of patriotism education.

At the symposium, Liu Shuzong, Party secretary of the Sanqing Mountain National Park, also gave a brief introduction to Sanqing Mountain.

He said the mountain is located in the northeast of Shangrao, boasting a total area of more than 700 square kilometres and 10 major scenic spots.

In geological history, the area went through violent orogenic movements, explaining why the peaks can reach the clouds. The long periods of erosion and the effect of gravity collapse has also contributed to the wonderful view of towering cliffs and deep secluded valleys.

The mountain has 64 fantastic peaks and 382 grotesque rocks. The highest peak, called Yujing Peak, stands at 1,816.9 metres above sea level. To the north of Yujing are two peaks sitting parallel, the Yuxu Peak and Yuhua Peak. The three peaks tower into the sky like three immortals sitting in a line with hovering clouds around their shoulders, said Liu.

The mountain is also known for its ancient pine trees of various gestures. The rhododendron flowers dotted over the hills and slopes in late spring and early summer lure tourists from home and abroad.

When mentioning the unique attractiveness of the mountain, Liu quoted Qin Mu, a famous Chinese prose writer, as saying, "The Sanqing Mountain is the hometown of clouds, a gallery of pine trees and fantastic rocks, and is a great, natural Chinese painting."

After hard work and strong support from local authorities, the basic facilities of Sanqing Mountain National Park have gradually been completed and its management updated.

With the scientific and aesthetic value of the area's granite forest landscapes becoming clear and attractive, the number of tourists increased to more than 500,000 in 2005 from 100,000 in 2003. The ticket income in the first half of this year exceeded the whole year in 2004, said Liu.

According to the national park's 11th Five-Year Plan , it intends to invest 3 billion yuan to build a tourism zone and a service zone. By 2010, the number of visitors is expected to hit more than 1 million with ticket income surpassing 100 million yuan , said Liu.

Hot topics

Experts from home and abroad exchanged their views on granite landforms, geology, geopark construction and other hot topics at the symposium.

The general goal of geoparks to integrate the preservation of geological heritage into a strategy for regional sustainable socio-economic and cultural development serves ideally the overall objective of the International Year of Planet Earth , which will be held in 2008, Dr Franz Wolfgang Eder, honorary member of the World Geoparks of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization and member of the board of IYPE, told the symposium.

The Year and the geopark initiative have been well supported in the past and currently by China. China's authorities understand that geoparks, as well as the Year are excellent tools for educating the public at large on earth science, geo-environmental management and sustainable development, said Eder.

As a fundamental part of the natural world, geology and landscapes have had a profound influence on society, civilization and cultural diversity. The use of land for agriculture, forestry, mining, quarrying and for building homes, cities and tourism destinations is intimately related to the underlying rocks, soils and landforms, said Eder.

In his presentation named "Granite landscape geodiversity at its best", Piotr Migon, professor from the Department of Geography and Regional Development with the University of Wroclaw, Poland, said geodiversity has values involving existence, culture, aesthetics, economy, functions, research and education.

Individual landforms can be visually striking and many are indeed designated as natural monuments. However, it is the repeated occurrence of boulders, tors, domes, rock pinnacles and rock slopes that account for the scenic appeal of many landscapes and terrains, said Migon.

This creates two possible problems for geoconservation. One is that it might be difficult to select representatives for site designation, because of different possible criteria of evaluations. The other is that the preferred designation of larger areas might be impossible because of inadequate legal regulations in particular countries, or opposed by local people fearing constraints on economic development. The geopark initiative appears to be a welcome solution, said Migon.

After making demonstrations on the formation of granite landforms and landscapes theoretically, Professor Chen Anze from the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, said the development of the country's granite scenic spots should follow the way of science, instead of the way to seek fairy tales and legends.

He suggests that the geological scientific and research institutes should conduct systematic surveys on granite landforms and landscapes. More granite museums should be set up to popularize scientific knowledge.

Tourism guides should be trained and work with job certificates. Different tourist routes at a scenic site should be provided for different groups of people, such as for adults, students and specialists, said Chen.

During the symposium, domestic and foreign experts toured the Sanqing Mountain National Park and made on-the-spot inspections. When entering the scenic spots, they were all amazed by the stunning and wonderful views. "It's really wonderful. The scenery here is one of the most spectacular sceneries in the world," said Eder.

Jointly sponsored by Shangrao City People's Government, Jiangxi Provincial Land Resources Department, the State Geopark Research Centre, and the Research Society of Tourist Geosciences and Geoparks of the China Geological Society, the week-long symposium was organized by the Administrative Committee of the Sanqin Mountain National Park. The conference was supported by the Jiangxi Academy of Geological Surveys and Jiangxi Shangrao Land Resources Bureau.

Jiangxi Jinggangshan _ Red History, Green Getaway

Tourists who flock to Jinggangshan — the "cradle of the Chinese revolution" — seeking spiritual enlightenment from late revolutionary leaders usually get much more than that. Magnificent mountains intertwined with heroic stories make Jinggangshan an unparalleled scenic spot for both learning and relaxing.



Scenery of Jinggangshan


Jinggangshan, a city named after Jinggangshan Mountain in Jiangxi Province, has become one of the most popular places for patriotic education with the growing popularity of "red tourism," which refers to visits to areas related to China's "red" revolution from 1921, when the Communist Party of China was established, to 1949, when New China was founded.

Even though Jinggangshan, a typical mountain city 380 meters above sea level, is easily accessible now, it was hard to reach many years ago. That's the reason why its natural beauty has remained intact and also why the Communist Party of China chose it as its first rural revolutionary base.

In October 1927, the Autumn Harvest Uprising troops led by Mao Zedong marched to Jinggangshan and set up the first revolutionary base there. In late April 1928, the remainder of the army led by Zhu De and Chen Yi joined Mao in Jinggangshan and created the fourth Red Army.

Traces of the Red Army can be found everywhere in Jinggangshan.

Mao’s former residence cannot be missed. The house, with tile roof and mud walls, is surrounded by upright pines and green bamboos in Ciping, the center of the revolutionary base in Jinggangshan.

From October 1927 to January 1929, Mao lived and worked in the rear of the house. After Mao and Zhu moved their troops to southern Jiangxi, the Kuomintang army occupied Jinggangshan and burnt most of the houses in Ciping, including Mao's former residence. In 1961, it was restored to its original appearance.

The revolutionary museum is also located at Ciping. Founded in 1959, it is the first local revolutionary museum in China. More than 800 precious relics and 2,000 replicas depict the glorious cause of the late revolutionaries. The oil lamp and inkstone Mao used to write the famous article "Struggle in Jinggangshan" and the shoulder pole Zhu used to transport food are among exhibits there.

The museum also features many paintings by renowned artists depicting the life and battles in Jinggangshan. Audio-visual rooms have been opened in recent years, offering visitors a more vivid glimpse into the past.

Compared to the crowds in the above two places, Jinggangshan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery is a much more tranquil location where tens of thousands of martyrs rest.

Two flights of stone stairs lead visitors to the cemetery which is halfway up Beishan Hill. The first flight has 49 steps, marking the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, and the second has 60 steps, signaling the cemetery was opened in 1987 — the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Jinggangshan revolutionary base. The martyrs' monument is on the highest peak of the cemetery.

Apart from its rich history, Jinggangshan has many natural attractions. Lofty mountains, immense forests, clear springs bamboos and roaring waterfalls, together with the fresh air, make for an invigorating tonic for people fed up with urban life.

Huangyangjie is a place visitors cannot afford to miss. A perfect combination of natural beauty and historical significance, it is the site of the Battle of Huangyangjie, in which the Red Army defeated a Kuomintang force 10 times its size in 1928.

Locked in clouds, Huangyangjie, at an altitude of 1,343 meters, is an ideal place for tourists to enjoy the sunrise and the sea of clouds. Standing on the former entrenchment, visitors sometimes get a clear view of one of the most famous scenic spots in China — the Wuzhi Peaks, which are pictured on the backs of older 100-yuan notes.

Standing side by side like five fingers, the peaks are the symbol of Jinggangshan with dense forests, overlapping ridges, cliffside falls and abundant animals and plants.

However, most of the time, they are veiled by thick clouds. Surrounded by water, they can only be accessed by boats, which take visitors from the peaks to Dragon Pond, a less famous but extremely intriguing place.

Dubbed a "natural oxygen tank," the pond consists of 18 waterfalls emptying into five small pools, which are Jade Pool, Locked Dragon Pool, Pearl Pool, Flying Phoenix Pool and Fairy Pool.

Fairy Pool is the biggest and the most fascinating. It is located at the foot of a waterfall which plunges 40 meters down the crags and looks like a dancing fairy in white.

Bamboos can be found everywhere in Jinggangshan. In spring when the bamboos bud and bloom, they sway in the breeze and send out a light fragrance.

When in Jinggangshan, remember to rent a Red Army uniform , sit on a bamboo raft and pose for photos.

It is said that bamboo rafts were first used by Hakka people who moved to Jinggangshan many years ago.

They made a living by selling bamboo which was cut from the mountain and floated to the lower reaches of the river. Now bamboo rafts have become a unique way to see the area.

Most tourists in Jinggangshan stay in Ciping, which is the city's commercial center with an unbelievably large number of star hotels.

There are frequent tour buses between scenic spots and Ciping, but it is more convenient to rent a taxi at about 80 yuan for a day. But during golden weeks, the price will jump to between 200 and 300 yuan.

Food in Jinggangshan is very cheap, with pumpkin soup, potherb and red rice strongly recommended. Even though most of the eateries offer dishes strongly flavored with red chilies, visitors who are not accustomed to spicy food can easily find Cantonese-style restaurants run by Hakka people.

In Ciping, tourists can find a legion of stores selling bamboo souvenirs, ranging from bowls to toys. Dried bamboo shoots are also very popular.

Jiangxi Hanging Coffins Performance Attract Visitors

A mimicking performance on how to arrange coffins up onto high cliff caves was re-staged on Sunday at the site of ancient hanging coffins at Xianshui Cliff, Longhu Mountain in Yingtan, east China's Jiangxi Province.







Performers simulate the installation of hanging coffins up onto grottos at Xianshui Cliff, Longhu Mountain in Yingtan, east China's Jiangxi province, on Sunday, November 25, 2007.

China News Service reported that the site owns more than one hundred ancient hanging coffins, that dated back to the ancient Yue State from the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Period .

The coffin caves, dug into precipitious cliffs twenty to fifty meters above the Luxi River, have remained impossible to access over the past 2,500 years. As a result, the contents inside the coffin grottoes remain enshrouded in mystery.

However, there is still no definite explanation on how ancient people exactly installed their ancestors' hanging coffins into the grottoes. The mimicking performance at Xianshui Cliff was anyhow just one of the said ways to arrange hanging coffine, although the way has not been verified as exact by scientific research.

Nanchang Building 'Nuo' Mask Park

A labourer works on a 'Nuo' mask sculpture at a park in Nanchang, eastern China's Jiangxi province December 29, 2006.


December 29, chinanews – A Nuo themepark, spanning 79,200 square meters and injected with 45 million yuan, is built in Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi Province.



A labourer works on a 'Nuo' mask sculpture at a park in Nanchang, eastern China's Jiangxi province December 29, 2006.

Twenty Nuo masks, 6 meters high, with Chinese and all over the world characteristics, stand at the both sides of the park. The maijor sculpture, called Nuo Soul, is more than 30 meters high, boasts the highest Nuo mask sculpture in the world.



A labourer works on a 'Nuo' mask sculpture at a park in Nanchang, eastern China's Jiangxi province December 29, 2006.

'Nuo' is an ancient Chinese festival held to exorcise the evil spirits causing any plague, especially popular in Jiangxi Province.



A labourer works on a 'Nuo' mask sculpture at a park in Nanchang, eastern China's Jiangxi province December 29, 2006.

Jiangxi Unique Cultures, Vast Wonders

For many people, this is all they know about the world's most populous nation. It is simply the place with more than 1.3 billion inhabitants where everything is made.



First built in the middle 600s AD, the Tengwang Pavilion in Nanchange, China, was built by a prince who liked the view from the area.

But the People's Republic of China is more than just a center of commerce. It is a country of diverse people — China is made up of 56 ethnic groups — landscapes, cultures and sounds.

Recently, my wife and I had the opportunity to travel to China to complete the adoption of our first child. We had the chance to visit three locations in the world's fourth-largest country, each of which is unique. We met fascinating people, saw historic places and experienced much of what makes China truly amazing, all while logging close to 17,000 airline miles.


Beijing

Our first stop was Beijing, China's capital and second largest city with a population near 15 million. It is the home of the Forbidden City and Tianamen Square. Beijing is in northern China, and our January visit was punctuated by bone-chilling temperatures.

Part of a day was spent exploring a section of the Great Wall — one of the world's seven wonders, and such an impressive feat of construction it can be seen from outer space. The Great Wall stretches 3,948 miles, and construction began in the 5th century B.C.

With temperatures in the 30s — and wind chills much colder — our group braved out onto the wall. Some only made it up a couple of hundred meters in elevation; others climbed to the end of the section where we stopped. The views were amazing, and the thoughts of the countless hours of labor that went into the Great Wall were staggering.

While the Great Wall remains a constant, the city of Beijing is in a state of change. Construction sites can be seen on every street, surrounded by bamboo scaffolding. High-rise buildings are being built among some of the poorer sections of the city. Five-star hotels sit next to buildings with no windows and heat. The rich and poor coexist only a stone's throw from each other.

For pictures from the Great Wall and other Beijing landmarks, go to reflector.com


Nanchang

Nearly 800 miles to the south of Beijing was our second stop — Nanchang, on the banks of the Gan River and about 40 miles south of the Yangtze River. Nanchang, with a population of just under 4 million, is the capital of the Jiangxi province, where the weather is much the same as in eastern North Carolina. Our trip saw us enjoying temperatures in the 50s — far warmer than the freezing temperatures of Beijing.

Nanchang is home to Tengwang Pavilion, a towering structure dating back to 653 A.D., and Nanchang's People's Square, the second largest public square in China. We had the chance to explore the square one afternoon. It was amazing how a group of more than 20 Americans stands out in a crowded square and how many people came up to speak to us.

While in Nanchang we had an experience none of us will forget — a trip inside a Chinese Wal-Mart. It was tucked inside a four-story shopping area with Wal-Mart taking up nearly two stories of the complex. A rough estimate would have put the number of people in this particular story over 10,000 based on the inability to move. It was a claustrophobic's nightmare.

For pictures from Nanchang, go to reflector.com.


Guangzhou

Our final stop was Shamian Island in Guangzhou in southern China. Guangzhou is the capital of the Guangdong province and has a population of 12.6 million in the metro area. We were greeted by palm trees and temperatures in the 70s on this island surrounded by the Pearl River.

Guangzhou is an area heavily visited by western tourists. In fact, English was spoken by many of the people we ran into while on Shamian Island. We were able to walk the streets in the downtown area and speak with many of the shop owners. But we also heard German, Spanish, Russian and other languages.

Shamian Island at night was somewhat like a cross between Disney World and Las Vegas. The countless high-rise buildings on both sides of the river were lit from top to bottom, and the walkway around the water's edge pulsated with lights. A laser show cut through the night sky once an hour, making it feel like a true tourist destination.

For pictures from Guangzhou, go to reflector.com


While the places were all wonderful and unique in their own way, there were other things that struck us during our visit.


Traffic

No matter where you live, people believe the traffic in their area is the worst. Having lived in a college town for the last 20 years, I have complained about Greenville's traffic signals and flow more times than I can count. But let me tell you, the roads here are a welcome relief.

Throughout China, street lights and road markings appear to be there for one reason and one reason only — decoration. Traffic flow is a choreography of chaos backed by an orchestra of car, bus and truck horns.

Intersections are a meeting place of pedestrians, buses, trucks, cars and motorized scooters, all fighting for a small piece of real estate to call their own. Many times, large vehicles are forced to share that fought-for land with another vehicle or a handful of pedestrians.

I had the experience of a lifetime during a taxicab ride in Nanchang. Only Disney could have dreamed up a wilder ride. While returning to our hotel from a downtown appointment, our cab driver somehow managed to squeeze between three buses with two wheels on the curb so we could make our exit — all the while doing so with one hand on the steering wheel and the other rhythmically pounding out a tune on the horn.

I was left to catch my breath and be thankful for making it to my destination alive. Give me game-day traffic in Greenville anytime.


Food

You only have to keep your eyes open as you walk through the streets of China to see the main staples of the Chinese diet. Often hanging right next to the laundry on people's balconies are such delicacies as chicken, duck, ham and sausage.

It is a widely held practice by the Chinese people that no part of the animal should go to waste. So it is not uncommon for such things as chicken feet to be on the dinner plate. And for the squeamish, turn your head, because chances are the fish, duck or chicken will be served with the head still attached.

A breakfast buffet will include fried rice, curry chicken, baked beans and many other items that may seem out of place in the United States. But how many restaurants have you been to lately that the menu included bird's nest soup, rabbit, squid, crocodile and Peking duck?


Olympics

Beijing is abuzz about the coming of the 2008 Summer Olympics. As soon as you step off the plane, there are signs of the Games everywhere. From Fuwa — the official mascots of the Olympics — to the slogan, One World One Dream, all of Beijing proudly displays the coming event.

In various locations around Beijing, you can find signs that give you an up-to-date countdown until the Games begin. Road construction is rampant as the city tries its best to improve traffic flow for the pending onslaught of foreign journalists and athletes.

We had the opportunity to drive past some of the areas in Beijing where construction on the Olympic venues was under way. The world is going to be impressed with the look of the structures. From the National Olympic Stadium — known as the "Bird's Nest" — to a building that appears to be covered with bubbles, China is showing the world its best.

Stay tuned for the 2008 Olympics and a true look at the country of China and the vast creativity of its people.


China is more than a land of more than 1.3 billion people. It is a country full of history, unique cultures and vast wonders. It is a land you can visit again and again, and never plumb the depths of all it has to offer. And even if you could, at its rate of change, China will be all new in five years. One visit can't possibly be enough to see and experience all it has to offer.