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Magnificent Guilin —Bamboo Rafting and Cormorant Show at the Yulong River

Magnificent Guilin —Bamboo Rafting and Cormorant Show at the Yulong River

Lijiang River (not to be confused with the Lijiang of Yunnan) is the subsidiary of the Pearl River system in the west. It is the upper reaches to the Guijiang River. From its origin in Xingan County’s high mountain of Mao’er Shan in the northeast, 

Magnificent Guilin — All You Need to Know About the Precious Ganoderma Lucidum

Magnificent Guilin — All You Need to Know About the Precious Ganoderma Lucidum

In Chinese, lingzhi, the Ganoderma Lucidum is a type of mushroom that is grown on rotten wood. Also known as reishi in Japan, it is a medicinal herb widely used in the traditional medicine of Asia. In China, it is much sought-after and it is 

Magnificent Guilin — The Karst Peaks-Hugged Two Rivers and Four Lakes

Magnificent Guilin — The Karst Peaks-Hugged Two Rivers and Four Lakes

Guilin prides in itself as “the scenery that tops the world,” as the Chinese saying goes. The city offers a few options for tourists that want to enjoy an up-close encounter with Guilin’s unique natural scenery. Situated between the Lijiang River on the east and Taohua River on the southwest, the heart of Guilin City is wedged amongst the Ronghu Lake, Shanhu Lake, Guihu Lake and Longhu Lake, with its signature karst peaks as the backdrop to the cityscape.

Two Rivers and Four Lakes and the Twin Towers

The Shanhu and Ronghu Lakes were artificial lakes with a history dated to the early Tang dynasty (621 A.D.), when the military strategist Li Jing had scored military advantage in the southern China area, including this part of now-Guangxi Province. In establishing the ancient South Gate (Gunanmen) in Guilin, Li Jing also constructed moats for the ancient fortification. The moats fell into disuse during their long history. They eventually became the lake area that is today.

Standing in the Shanhu Lake are two beautiful towers, the Sun Tower and the Moon Tower, that are lit up at night. The Sun Tower glimmers in gold, while the Moon Tower glistens in silver. To visit these twin towers, head on over to the Riyue Shuangta Cultural Park. You may take the elevator up the Sun Tower to see aerial views of Guilin City.

The Sun Tower is known to be the world’s first bronze tower, once also the tallest, at 41 meters high and 9 stories strong. The Moon Tower is glazed, of 35 meters high and 7 stories. Both of them are pagodas that have religious significance. Together they are China’s first cultural venue combining Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in its characterization.

They were rebuilt in 2001 on the bases of former Tang dynasty era Buddhist pagodas. Both towers give home also to Tang dynasty Buddhist relics, now on display at the towers and the museum in the park. Finally, these two towers are linked up by an underwater pathway located 18 meters below the water surface. As a relatively recent construction, the twin towers are meant to give Guilin City a renewed image and a significant boost to tourism.

A cruise tour on the scenic waters of Guilin takes one through wide open waterfront views, and you will come across the hallmark karst peaks of Guilin. That includes Youma Shan, Laoren Shan, Diecai Shan, Baoji Shan and more. Furthermore, there will be innumerable bridges, beneath which the boat passes as it proceeds through this scenic water system.

Hiking is possible at a number of Guilin karst peaks. Please inquire locally for relevant information.

The Cloud Restaurant

I did not want to spend more than 200 RMB on a cruise tour to see the two rivers and four lakes area. The main reason being that we were quite tired from the days’ travelling already.  The enjoyment of a 1.5 hour boat ride, of which there are a few to do in Yangshuo and Xingping as well, would be diminished.

But it doesn’t do justice to a trip to Guilin if we hadn’t seen its proudest scenery. I figured then that I could visit a restaurant with views for our last dinner in Guilin. I found the Cloud Restaurant.

The Cloud Restaurant, in Chinese Yuanduan, is located at the Lijiang Poyin Hotel. I chose it because of the views that it offers. The restaurant overlooks the Shanhu Lake, and the Sun and Moon towers are clearly in sight. They were very beautiful that evening.

What came as a super pleasant surprise was how good the food was. The restaurant serves a “new” kind of Chinese food, with creative presentation and wonderful flavors, but certainly not compromising on the traditional strengths of Chinese cuisine. You may dine by the lake views as al fresco dining is available at the balcony.

We spent an exceedingly pleasant evening with good food and wonderful scenery. Having snapped quite a few photographs of the two towers, we went back to the hotel satisfied.

For those who want to enjoy the night views of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes, I highly recommend the Cloud Restaurant—whether you do the city cruise tour or not.

The Elephant Trunk Hill

The Elephant Trunk Hill is namely the best known hallmark of Guilin’s scenery. The rocky hill acquired its name from the elephant trunk-shaped formation. The imagery is one of an elephant drinking water.

The touring of the Elephant Trunk Hill is quite simple. Enter the Elephant Trunk Hill Park and follow signs to the viewing area. But be sure that there are many tourists that will fight for the prime spot for photograph. I went as early as 8:30 am and there was a short line, particularly when tourist groups tried to take group photos.

Do also note that you may explore the area directly beneath the elephant’s trunk as well, and you may also do a short walk up on the rocky karst formation to see some of the cultural venues there, mostly of religious nature.

Photo: Minggui Mifen (Rice Noodles) is a very popular local shop for Guilin’s famous food, Guilin Rice Noodles, recommended by the locals.

Sources

Baidu baike on Riyue Shuangta Cultural Park.

Baidu baike on Guilin’s Five-Star Scenic Area Two Rivers and Four Lakes and Its History.

Happy Café

Happy Café

A joint venture of the former Happy Bakery and Shun King Restaurant, Happy Café brought together the best of Hong Kong’s culinary traditions in cha chaan teng meals. Being two in one, Happy Café has doubled down on the idea that 1+1 equals more than 

Magnificent Guilin — The Terraced Fields of Longji

Magnificent Guilin — The Terraced Fields of Longji

The Mountains are the back of a dragon. The fields are the staircase amidst clouds. Longji, the scenic area that features enormous acreages of terraced rice fields, was the most anticipated part of the trip to Guilin for me. The best-known sceneries of Guilin are 

Magnificent Guilin — The Long Hair Village of the Yao Minority

Magnificent Guilin — The Long Hair Village of the Yao Minority

“Ah Jie, I tell you the saying that we have about the ethnic minorities of Guilin,” Xiaohuang was keen to introduce me to the territorial politics of the province, “ages ago, the different ethnicities fought for land. It is said that those who won the battles took the flatlands. And the Han majority and the Zhuang minority did that. The runner up took the mid mountain areas, and that’s the Yao minority. Finally, the losers were relegated to the top mountainous areas, and that’s the Tong minority.”

In accordance with ethnic minority customs, the people of Guilin call each other Ah Ge (older brother) and Ah Jie (older sister) as a way to respectfully address each other. Xiaohuang himself is a Zhuang minority, one that has, in great numbers, assimilated into the mainstream culture of Guangxi.

The Long Hair Village of the Yao Minority

It would take a good two hours to reach the mountainous region in Longsheng from Guilin City. In the mid-range of the Longji mountains, we arrived first at the Yao ethnic minority village of Huangluo, also known as the Long Hair Village.

This particular village of the Yao Minority is also a Hongyao village, referring to the fact that the traditional clothes are red, “hong,” in Chinese. Hongyao is a branch of the Yao minority. Of the 13 villages in the Longji mountains, there is only one of the Yao minority, and it is this Hongyao village.

Three Bundles of Hair for Tying the Buns of the Yao Minority Women

The Long Hair Village fully lives up to its name. Just exactly how long is the women’s hair? It is said that the out of the 60 families in Hongyao, about 60 women have hair as long as 1 meter. The longest hair is 1.7 meters.

The Yao minority women all wear their large buns in a distinctive style. The way they dress their hair is an identifying feature of the women of Huangluo Yao Village. There are three ways that the women tie their buns. The maidens have one style of putting their bun together, wrapping all their hair with a black cloth and never showing the bun itself.

The married women have the “screw” style, with their hair twisted like a screw and resting on top of their heads. Finally, the Huangluo women that have given birth will show their bun on the foreheads. This is namely the proudest hairstyle for the women of Huangluo Village.

Their traditional appearance is especially photogenic for this reason. If you would like to see the actual long hair, by their letting down their hair and then tying their buns, the only such opportunity is at the Yao minority dance show.

My Aunt and I did query whether the hairdo was made up fully with real hair, or if there were some tricks or some wig involved in making the voluminous bun. As it was explained to us, the hair of the women of the Long Hair Village is real, as in all the hair that makes up their buns. They do have a wig, and the wig consists of their own hair.

In the lifetime of the women in the Long Hair Village, they only cut their hair once. When they come of age at around 16 to 18 years, they will have the only haircut of their lives. That bundle of hair will stay with them for life as part of their “wig.” Then they will wear their natural hair and let it grow throughout their lives. The third bundle of hair is the hair that they shed. They collect it as also the “wig” for their big buns. When tying their buns, all three bundles of hair is woven together to form its amazing shape.

The long hair lies front and center as a defining feature of the Long Hair Village because the villagers believe that long hair signifies longevity and wealth.

Hair Care for the Yao Minority Women

There is a Chinese saying that “the hair is three thousand strands of trouble.” For a village of long haired women, the way they care for their hair is a well sought-after secret. Such secret has been turned into an economic opportunity. There is a research / factory facility at the village that produces hair care products that are based on the way that the women used natural resources to care for their hair.

Suffice to say, the aged-old wisdom in maintaining their hair is in the rice water. The women of Huangyao wash their hair about once every three days or so with fermented rice water. The research facility discovers that it is the bifida ferment lysate in rice water that keeps the hair healthy and strong.

Matriarchy of the Yao Minority

Properly speaking, the Yao minority is both a matriarchal and matrilineal society. Being matriarchal, the village is run by women, with them making the most important social and economic decisions. Being matrilineal, the village children take the mother’s last name.

In a practice known as “running marriage” (zouhun), the men would climb up a long pole that leads to the maiden’s bedroom at night. He would woo her and if she likes him, they would spend the night together. The children that are born of this union would be part of the women’s lineage. Zouhun was a custom in a number of ethnic minority communities in southwestern China.

The way that zouhun fits into the established culture of a matriarchal society is that there is no formal marriage binding either party. Both in terms of their personal independence and livelihood, neither the man nor the woman is deemed to have a privileged (or exclusive) position with or the responsibility for each other.

However, the Hongyao village do celebrate proper marriages now, and their group weddings are featured in the Hongyao dance show.

Photo: This long wooden pole at the village’s century-old house shows how a man who had successfully wooed a woman would climb up to her bedroom at night for zouhun. The pole has been preserved for the sake of demonstration only now. The long hair of the Yao women evokes the fairytale of Rapunzel.

The Environment at the Huangluo Yao Village

The Sangjiang River flows along the Huangluo Village. The Sangjiang River is the lifeline for the mountainous economy during the summertime, when the tides are high and tourists can participate in river water sports. Xiaohuang told me that all the structures of the villages are built of wood, without one piece of nail. That enables the villagers to disassemble their homes in times of flood, then move upstream to reestablish their livelihood after a significant flood event. It sounded a little incredible to me (removing the whole house?!).

Despite its low level at this time of the year, the water is pristine. The air was crisp with generous sunshine upon our shoulders.

Somehow I thought this village is reminiscent of some rural Japanese villages that also have wooden houses.

I was indeed pleasantly surprised by the environment of the Huangluo village. When we were finished touring all the sites, we walked back to the restaurant area along and across this river.

There was significant effort to transform this landscape. Well-structured stone slabs indicated the way through the river. We had a close encounter with nature there. It came as no surprise that we spotted quite a few fish and some waterfowls in this river.

What impressed me particularly in this environment is the fact that the hair care research and production facility is right by the river, and yet there is not one hint of pollution despite the industry. I was truly impressed, because someone was thoughtful with how an economic activity that benefits the native population must be done with a keen concern for the environment in which these same people live. I find that to be exceedingly admirable.

Food and Dining at the Long Hair Village

Like all tourist sites in China, there is never lack of choices for food and dining. At the Huangluo Long Hair Village, we found a surprising gem of Barn Coffee.

It serves “real” coffee, nothing of those instant powder coffee that is usually the only option in remote places in China. They have a real espresso machine with coffee grinding function.

As with always, we went to the restaurant that Xiaohuang recommended here. The food was truly good. But perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of dining in the village was being able to eat by the river with great views.

Sources

Kknew.cc, Longsheng’s Long Hair Village of the World, the Secret of Long Hair of the Women of Hongyao (Chin).

Baidu’s Baike on zouhun (Chin).

Magnificent Guilin — The Duckbill Fish as the Star of the Show

Magnificent Guilin — The Duckbill Fish as the Star of the Show

Guilin, in Chinese, means “a grove of osmanthus.” The osmanthus is, therefore, in every way representative of Guilin. From the way that osmanthus trees wave fragrance in their native habitat, to the way that its tiny yellow flowers perfume in coffee, the osmanthus stands tall 

Magnificent Guilin — Preliminaries for a Second Trip to Guilin

Magnificent Guilin — Preliminaries for a Second Trip to Guilin

My family wanted to visit Guilin for their biannual trip. Unlike my last trip to Guilin, which was a solo adventure in the same year, I had to plan for a group of five adults. There are two older members of the family. As such, 

The City of Rams — The Food of Panyu

The City of Rams — The Food of Panyu

Panyu is the haven of food in Guangzhou, which is a heaven of food itself. I took my family to Panyu because of the great food, and it certainly did not disappoint. The following is in random order and it is not a ranking.

Baomaye Abalone and Chicken Hot Pot 鲍马爷鲍鱼鸡煲

Restaurant Location Comment Recommendation
Baomaye Abalone and Chicken Pot

鲍马爷鲍鱼鸡煲

No. 230 Yushan Road, 4-105 (near Yinzuo Hotel 银座酒店), Panyu District, Guangzhou

(广州市番禺区禺山大道230号之四105号(近银座酒店))

This restaurant specializes in fresh abalone cooked with chicken and served in a hot pot. The flavors are quite good. There is a selection of abalone in different price ranges and you order the abalone by the piece. The menu does not come with too many choices, however. The absolute highlight of the meal is actually the brown sugar steamed cake, called Malagao in Chinese, and certainly a Cantonese favorite as far as dessert goes. Yes

The Dairy Queen of Shawan 沙湾奶牛皇后

Restaurant Location Comment Recommendation
The Dairy Queen of Shawan Ancient Town

沙湾奶牛皇后

No. 3 Anning Lu, Shwan Ancient Town, Panyu District, Guangzhou

(广州市番禺区沙湾古镇安宁路3号)

Thirty years in business, the Dairy Queen of Shawan Ancient Town is the very originator of the dessert ginger with milk pudding (it’s like a milk curd). This dessert is certainly a Cantonese favorite. If you visit the Shawan Ancient Town, you must try the Dairy Queen of Shawan. Must-try

Changdianxian Shunde Restaurant 尝点鲜

Restaurant Location Comment Recommendation
Changdianxian Shunde Restaurant

尝点鲜

101, S5 Building, Xiongfeng Cheng, Zhongcun Jie, Panyu District, Guangzhou

(广州市番禺区钟村街S5 栋101)

This restaurant serves Shunde cuisine, and its specialty is the steamed pot. Fish or seafood is cooked right at the table with a steamer. The essence of the food cooked on the top level will seep into the congee base at the bottom stack. Yes

Bingsheng Private Kitchen 炳胜私厨

Restaurant Location Comment Recommendation
Bingsheng Private Kitchen

(Tianhe District, Guangzhou)

炳胜私厨

No. 178, Tianhu Donglu, Tianhe District, Guangzhou

(广州市天河区天河东路178号)

Bingsheng is a 1-star Michelin restaurant in the Tianhe district of Guangzhou. I gave it a lukewarm recommendation not because of the quality of its food. Its food was all around excellent. The enormous pineapple buns were an absolute highlight, amongst other great savory dishes.

We had a bad tea lady who had terrible attitude, and another lady was also uncouth. The service aspect of the restaurant did not meet Michelin grade in my opinion. We have reflected this to the manager and I hope they did something about that.

Lukewarm Recommendation

Chaoyan Yuzai Dian 潮宴鱼仔店

Restaurant Location Comment Recommendation
Chaoyan Yuzai Dian

潮宴鱼仔店

60 meters from the southeastern Intersection of Xiongshu Zhijie and Xiongshu Hengjie, Panyu District, Guangzhou

(广州市番禺区雄数直街与雄数横街交叉口东南60米)

This restaurant has a special style of ordering. There is a display area that serves as the menu, and you basically tell the waiter what you would like by pointing at the displayed ingredients. Yes
The City of Rams — The Dafushan Forest Park in Panyu

The City of Rams — The Dafushan Forest Park in Panyu

In early December, the beautiful bald cypress at the Dafushan Forest Park had not yet turned red. There was a whole afternoon of free time, so I decided to take my family for a stroll at the Dafushan Forest Park anyway. In the wintertime, when