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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 

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 the bald cypress has turned red, the area turns into exceptionally beautiful scenery.

The Dafushan Forest Park in Panyu

Unlike most other modern urban parks in China, the Dafushan Forest Park comes with some interesting legends. It is said that, during Panyu’s time as the capital of the Nanyue Kingdom, the state minister of Han dynasty, Lujia, came to Panyu to persuade Zhao Tuo, the King of Wu, to agree to subsume the Nanyue Kingdom under the Han dynasty’s rule. It was here in Dafushan Forest Park that the messenger became very thirsty. Legend has it that, when his horse stomped the ground, a fresh water source appeared right away to quench his thirst. Therefore, the “Horse Drinking Spring” stands in the western part of Dafushan Forest Park to this day.

It is said that Lujia, as a state minister of Han dynasty, “dafu,” was buried here as well. Thus the name Dafushan (Dafu Mountain) for this park.

Besides this legend that originated from the very ancient times, there is also the grave of a certain Li Juchuan, dated to the more recent Song dynasty. This burial site has significance, in that the prominent figures of the Li family throughout its history are engraved onto flagpole of the burial site. This is considered an unusual practice. The ancient tomb is located in the mid hill range on Dawugang, which is the highest mountain in Dafushan Forest Park.

A Short Walk in Dafushan Forest Park

Its name bearing the word “forest” does suggest the scale of Dafushan Forest Park. The park area is enormous with 580 hectares. In the park are 9 mounts of varying heights, the highest mountain is the Dawugang at 226.6 meters high. The park was open to the public in 1999 after the first phase of construction was completed.

Needless to say, such a large area of natural environ would be perfect for a whole lot of natural species. Before being turned into the park, the area featured relatively few species of trees, such as Pinus massoniana and Acacia Mangium. Thereafter, more species were introduced into its ecosphere, mostly consisting of bauhinia and other ornamental trees.

On this early winter day I had my family with me. We have some old folks and so the walk had to be kept at the minimum. We entered the park via the North Gate, and spent about an hour in that area.

Suffice to say, that there are a whole lot of waterfront areas, although some are manmade lakes. The park is very shaded with large grounds as sitting areas, very suitable for picnic. It will take a full day to walk through some of the significant spots in the park.

One can only imagine how beautiful the scenery would be during the red foliage season. That is planned for next year’s wintertime.

Sources

The Wikipedia on Dafushan Forest Park (Chin).

Baidu.com on Dafushan Forest Park (Chin).

The City of Rams — The Shawan Ancient Town in Panyu

The City of Rams — The Shawan Ancient Town in Panyu

There are endless things to do in Guangzhou, which is known to the Chinese as the City of Rams. In a recent family trip, I took my family first to Panyu, as part of Guangzhou, then we headed on to Guilin in Guangxi Province to 

Art Basel 2025

Art Basel 2025

It’s springtime and the major events of the year are underway. I visited the Art Basel 2025 last night at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Here’s a quick snapshot of my experience. The Art Basel brings together an enormous number 

A Symphony of Colors — A Fish Eye’s View of Osaka at Shinsekai

A Symphony of Colors — A Fish Eye’s View of Osaka at Shinsekai

I had just about a little more than a half day in Osaka and so I decided to visit Shinsekai.

Time stopped at Shinsekai after the reconstruction period post WWII. Meaning “New World,” Shinsekai was once a beacon of hope for Osaka. The area developed following the success of the 1903 National Industrial Expo, which drew 5 million people to this neighborhood. Shinsekai was meant to be where businesses and industry would flourish.

After WWII, the area lies, perhaps not in ruins, but certainly in a constant state of stagnation. Its retro vibes retained their original character of the early-to-mid 20th century to this day, nostalgic in its grand display of the Ganbatte spirit.

The most significant landmark that stands testament to its history is the Tsutenkaku Tower, the construction of which began in 1912. The construction stopped during WWII and began again in 1956. Modeled after the Eiffel Tower of Paris, the Tsutenkaku Tower offers an observation deck, where tourists can see the sprawling cityscape of Osaka. This part of Shinsekai was meant to be a mini version of Paris in the north and Coney Island in New York in the south.

Besides the Tsutenkaku Tower, the stores of Shinsekai feature all kinds of unlikely characters. Needless to say, most of the establishments are restaurants. And then there are the mix and match of arcade types of gaming store with arrow shooting and shuriken throwing.

The day was bright with the generous sunshine of the morning illuminating the caricature signs that populate this area of Osaka. It was not too crowded in the morning, so I strolled leisurely. At every point that I raised my head, I saw enormous signs featuring all sorts of commercial artwork. They seem to typify a certain Japanese sentiment, where enlarged wordings and exaggerated images speak loud and right in your face.

This part of Osaka presents a fish eye’s view of an aged neighborhood. The loud signages and an occasional tattered homeless man create a somewhat bloated vision of Japan that tourists don’t usually see. Shinsekai is on the edge of the largest slum in Osaka. Tourists are advised to be particularly mindful of their safety if they happen upon this area in night time. An estimated 4,000 homeless men congregate in this small area of just a few city blocks. Not far away lies Japan’s largest red light district as well.

Finally, watch out for the Billikens. They are all over in Shinsekai, and if you rub their feet, it will bring you good luck. The Billiken is a creature of American teacher and illustrator Florence Pretz of Kansas City. The Billiken came to Japan around 1910. It is believed that they represent “things as they should be.”

The Kushikatsu — Distinctly Osakan Food

The Kushikatsu is a type of cheap workmen’s food in Osaka. They are basically skewers deep fried in breaded batter, consisting of meats and vegetables. I thought I should have some, since I was at the home of kushikatsu in Shinsekai. Every restaurant in Shinsekai serves this kind of food.

It is said that the Daruma Restaurant is the first restaurant that prepared the Kushikatsu cuisine in 1929. But I randomly walked in Oyajino Kushiya Honten, which is a restaurant that comes with plenty of retro vibes. A classic Volkswagen van sits inside the restaurant and the atmosphere was hip. Besides the kushikatsu, I also had some sushi and an udon. While I would not say that I liked the food very much, it was a special experience.

I took one last look at this microcosm of a make-belief world in Osaka, satisfied that I had traveled through a forgotten time in a bygone community. And there goes a perfect conclusion to my first trip in Japan.

Sources

Insides Osaka on Shinsekai: A Guide to Osaka’s “New World” District.

Japan Travel on Tsutenkaku Tower.

Intrepid Scout on What to Do in Shinsekai Osaka.

Japanguide.com on Shisekai — Nostalgia Evoking District Around Tsutekaku.

A Symphony of Colors — Nakatanidou Mochi as the Treasure of Nara

A Symphony of Colors — Nakatanidou Mochi as the Treasure of Nara

Visitors of Nara must not miss the Nakatanidou mochi as it is certainly a precious intangible heritage of Nara. In my Japanese food entry, the Nakatanidou mochi is the only food that I thought was an absolute must-try in this Japan trip. I passed by 

A Symphony of Colors — The Todai-ji Temple in Nara Park and Myriam Café

A Symphony of Colors — The Todai-ji Temple in Nara Park and Myriam Café

The Toadai-ji Temple is a significant temple within the grounds of the Nara Park. I simply took a look of its outside, and did not bother to queue a long line to see the big Buddha statue inside. Suffice to say, the imposing Nandaimon Gate 

A Symphony of Colors — The Nara Park and Its Free Spirited Deer

A Symphony of Colors — The Nara Park and Its Free Spirited Deer

I had concluded my journey in Kyoto after five full days touring numerous temples for Momiji. It came time for Nara, and I headed out on the slow Nara train in the morning. I arrived into a Nara that was slightly overcast and notably colder than Kyoto. Soon enough, I found my way from the train station to the Japanese homestay called Guesthouse Tamura.

A Brief History of Nara

Nara is a good day trip if you plan on spending a bit of time in Kyoto or in the general Kansai region. The foremost significance of Nara is its being the capital of Japan before Emperor Kanmu moved the imperial seat of government to Kyoto in 794 A.D. With this move marked the beginning of the Heian period.

Before Nara, the capital of Japan was in Fujiwara-kyo. Between 710 A.D. and 794 A.D., Nara was the capital of Japan, as such this time was known as the Nara period. The capital was named Heijo at the time.

The main reason why Emperor Kanmu moved the capital away from Nara was that the Nara Buddhists were becoming too powerful. They engaged in power struggles with the aristocrats in Nara. The Emperor wanted to detach from the influence of both the Nara Buddhists and the Fujiwara clan in Nara. He moved the capital to Kyoto, and began the Heian period there. He had hopes that the new capital will be a place where he can introduce reforms in the government.

As a capital of the country, Nara was built with features that modeled after Chang’an (now Xi’an) of China, the capital of the Tang dynasty, primarily, in the way that the city streets were laid out in an extensive grid. The seat of the Emperor stands in the northern part of the city. The main axis divides the rest of the capital into the left and the right. Unlike the Tang dynasty capital, however, there were no city walls in Nara.

Nara thrived in its decades of being the capital of Japan. There was a strong merchant presence, from all over Asia, to do trade in the city. This had brought forth an international and culturally vibrant character of the city.

Nara is important historically as the former capital of Japan, but tourists are actually more drawn to the free roaming deer at Nara Park.

The Nara deer, although wild, do greet tourists, especially those who would feed them. There are stalls selling deer crackers to tourists. Please only feed the deer with those kinds of food.

I chose to stay at Guesthouse Tamura because it is at a location that is walkable to the Nara Park. I went by some really nice waterfront sceneries. Particularly worthy of mention is the Ukimido Pavilion. That was where I encountered the first Nara deer.

The Deer of Nara Park

In Japanese, deer is called sika. For a very long time the Japanese people revered the deer of Nara as sacred. Legend has it that Takemikazuchi, one of the four gods of Kasuga Grand Shrine, rode a white deer and appeared on Mount Mikasa. The sika deer was so sacred that killing them was a capital offense until 1637.

Although the status of the sika deer has ceased being divine since WWII, they are still protected. Please respect nature and do not taunt the deer when you feed them. The deer could be aggressive if you tease them.

Surely, there are other wild animals that inhabit this large, 660-hectare reserved park area, including wild boars, raccoon dogs, Japanese giant flying squirrel, squirrels and others.

Accommodation in Nara

I had only one evening in Nara and I chose a Japanese homestay as my accommodation. I had never slept on a tatami before, and it was certainly a novelty that I welcomed. As it turned out, I slept the best in this homey environment as well, out of my week-long stay in Japan.

The homestay is well known for its traditional Nara breakfast, but I would be rushing back to Osaka for my flight the next day. I thus declined the landlady’s kind offer to cook me breakfast.

Sources

The Wikipedia on Heijo-kyo.

The Wikipedia on Nara Park.

A Symphony of Colors — A Five-Day Itinerary for Kyoto

A Symphony of Colors — A Five-Day Itinerary for Kyoto

In this journey I spent five full days in Kyoto and visited countless breathtaking sites for momiji foliage viewing. I found all of the sites that I visited to be worthwhile. Based on this experience, I have come up with the following suggested five-day itinerary