Vignettes of the World
We woke up to a rainy morning in Samarkand. I had my Uzbek breakfast early in the morning and watched the rain as I ate. The weather was cool, perhaps in the low 20’s. We were going to see the Sha-I-Zinda that day, as the …
In our first night at the Bahodir B&B, we were quite disturbed by the group singing that went well into the depths of the night. The songs sounded like Christian songs to me, and I thought there were some evangelicals also staying at the hotel. …
Hiking on a late autumn day in Hong Kong is exceedingly pleasant, and we had such a day in Lamma Island. It would be my first walk from Sok Kwu Wan to Yung Shue Wan, and it took less than two hours. We saw wonderful aerial views on the way.
We took the ferry to Sok Kwu Wan, which lies on the eastern side of Lamma Island. We first picked a restaurant to have a traditional seafood lunch. Peach Garden Seafood restaurant had a owner that was very kind and generous. Our lunch was less than $600 for three and it was good.
Then we began an easy hike to Yung Shue Wan. During this route, we passed by the Tin Hau Temple, the Kamakaze Grotto, and an abandoned building of Lo So Shing School of the Lo So Shing Village. Then we saw aerial views at the pavilion and stopped by the Hung Shing Yeh Beach. Finally we reached the very happening area of commercial activities and restaurants in Yung Shue Wan. We made a final stop at Corner 84 for coffee and egg tarts before departing at the Yung Shue Wan Ferry.
There are quite a few options in terms of proper hiking in Lamma Island. The walk between Sok Kwu Wan and Yung Shue Wan would be the very beginners’ level. The Yung Shue Wan section of the walk is on a family trail (that usually suggests an easy walk).
Departing from Sok Kwu Wan, head out on the opposite direction from the Sok Kwu Wan Pier. You will arrive at the Tin Hau Temple very soon.
Tin Hau is traditionally viewed to be a goddess of the sea.
It is obvious to any passer-by that this Tin Hau Temple is a new structure. Due to a fire in 2004, the original temple was destroyed. Then the Lamma Island (South) Rural Committee gathered the donations to rebuild the temple.
In the temple, the incense burner was cast in the 6th year of the Daoguang reign (1826) of the Qing Dynasty. A bell was cast in the 21st year of the Guangxu reign (1895) of the Qing Dynasty. The plaque of the temple was dated the 8th year of the Daoguang reign (1828). This evidence suggests that the original Temple was constructed in the earlier parts of 19th century and possibly underwent restoration in 1895.
Keep on going along the coast, pass the estuary. Then keep on walking along the coast.
Soon, you will see the Kamikaze Grotto on your left.
Pass the estuary, where the river meets the sea. Take on the path along the coast, and you will see the Kamikaze Grotto.
During WWII, the Japanese Imperial Army maintained “the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II.” (Wikipedia). Kamikaze, meaning “divine wind,” came to be associated with suicide missions of the Japanese military.
In Hong Kong, the Japanese took over the Lo So Shing Village area in Lamma Island to be its naval port. As such, thousands of Japanese soldiers stationed in this area of Lamma Island. They dug the caves (therefore these caves are not natural caves) and hid speedboats there. According to the Wikipedia, there used to be some 20 such caves in all of Lamma Island. Now only a few remains visible.
When you visit these caves you will see that they are located for this specific purpose. The caves lie right by the waterfront. They are not too big, about ten meters wide and several tens of meters deep.
The intention was for them to be able to quickly launch suicide speedboat missions if the Allies arrive in their naval fleets. A suicidal speedboat mission was envisioned to be like this: speedboats carrying a large amount of explosives in its front would be launched at high speed to crash into a naval ship passing by. The Japanese military believed that this would sustain the largest amount of damage against their enemies. According to the description on site, however, the war ended before this work was completed.
After the Pacific War, the British military in Hong Kong destroyed all the kamikaze speedboats in Lamma Island.
Having seen the Kamikaze Grotto, you will come upon this split road. Take the path to the left. You will continue onto the Lo So Shing Village and see the Lo So Shing School.
The Lo So Shing School was the only school on Lamma Island. Due to insufficient enrolment, it closed its doors in 2004. Lo So Shing Village itself had three hundred years of history. But as far as we could observe, few villagers live there now.
Having passed the Lo So Shing School, you will soon see these stairs. If you go up these stairs, you will find a public toilet. But you should head back on the path on the right to go on with the trail.
You will soon see Lo So Shing Village, and at this point with the tent, go on the way to your left. You will then head up the hills.
When you see the pavilion, be sure to take a look at the panoramic and aerial views of Lamma Island there. At this spot, you see the Sok Kwu Wan Pier.
All throughout this way, you will see signs and follow the sign for Yung Shue Wan.
There were actually quite a few beaches that we could see from the high points on the hill when we walked the family trail. There did not seem to be standard paths of access for most of them. But once you have descended from the hill on the family trail, you will arrive at the Hung Shing Ye Beach, which is a proper beach.
We were just about ten minutes away from Yung Shue Wan.
Finally, we stopped by Corner 84, a bakery with just one high table for seating. We had a drink there and Portuguese egg tarts that were surprisingly good.
The ferry to Lamma Island departs from Pier Four in the Central Pier. Please be very careful when boarding because the left side of the pier goes to Sok Kwu Wan and the right side of the pier goes to Yung Shue Wan. Ferries to Yung Shue Wan are more frequent. But in any case, you should check the ferry schedule and plan accordingly.
Descriptions on site in Lamma Island
The Wikipedia on Kamikaze.
The Wikipedia on Kamikaze Grotto (Chin).
Home Affairs Department, Hong Kong Fun in 18 Districts.
It’s finally open for public visits! The High Street Haunted House is a beautiful colonial building standing on No. 2 High Street at the corner of High Street and Eastern Street. The restored façade of the former hospital rises beautifully above the food and dining …
In my last excursion to Sharp Island, I went around 1:30 pm and did not manage to see the Kiu Tau Islet at low tide. I crossed half of the tombolo and had to return. On this sunny autumn afternoon, we could not go on …
Amir Timur ruled via the puppet khans in the khanate kingdoms in which he managed to consolidate his power. This was because Amir Timur himself was not a descendant of the Genghis Khan. Without this lineage he could not become the Khan. He became qurkan to the Khan’s family, meaning the “son-in-law,” by his marriage with his chief consort Saray Mulk Khanum.
Saray Mulk Khanum, now known commonly as Bibi Khanym, meaning “the elder wife,” was the wife of Amir Timur’s predecessor, Amir Husayn of Balkh. After Amir Timur defeated and killed Amir Husayn, he married Saray Mulk Khanum, a daughter of Qazan Khan. She was a descendant of Genghis Khan.
And this is the beginning of Bibi Khanym’s legacy in Samarkand. The group of monuments that bear her name originally consisted of three complexes. There was the madrasa, the Bibi Kanym Mosque, and Bibi Khanym’s Mausoleum. The Bibi Khanym madrasa was built to a very grand scale, but the structure was destroyed by Nadir Shah’s Persian troops when they invaded in 1740. By commissioning the madrasa, Bibi Khanym had intended to be the patron of education for Samarkand and the kingdom.
Bibi Khanym is the chief consort of Amir Timur. The fact that she had access to the resources required to construct these three significant monuments (the mosque was built during his absence in Samarkand when he raged his military campaigns) that were named after her already suggests her influence in Amir Timur’s royal court. She oversaw not only his harem but also the affairs of the state.
She had no issue with Amir Timur. In fact, even the second wife in seniority did not have issue with Amir Timur either. According to the Wikipedia, “it was the two Chingisid princesses’ personal qualities and pedigree that allowed them to develop such a prestigious dynastic position, since with Timurid consorts maternity was not in itself a path to power.”
There is an interesting story about Bibi Khanym’s effort to build the mosque. She had intended the mosque to be a surprise for Amir Timur upon his return. “The mosque’s architect fell deeply in love with her, and when she urged him to hurry to complete the work he demanded he be allowed to give her a kiss. The kiss left a permanent stain on her cheek; Timur saw it on his return and had the architect executed for his insolence. Legend has it that Bibi Khanym was beheaded too, but in fact she outlived Timur by four years” (Sophie Ibbotson).
There was maybe a twenty-minute walk from the Registan to the Bibi Khanym monuments. A point of somewhat lesser importance is the statue of Islam Karimov right by the Registan.
He was the leader of Uzbekistan even before the country’s independence, and he held on to power in an authoritarian regime until he passed away as recently as 2016.
The area had well-paved roads and nice storefronts. We saw these really cute Uzbek carved figurines. Although I wanted to take one home, there was limited room in my hand-carry so I had to pass.
Built between 1399 and 1404, the Bibi Khanym Mosque fastens upon itself in an enormous ground. In its time, the Bibi Khanym Mosque was the largest mosque in the world. Even as compared to the three madrasas in the Registan, the Bibi Khanym Mosque is grand. The main portal hovers at 35 meters and its arch alone is 18 meters in diameter. Minarets stand in its corners.
The beautiful front portal is adorned with tile mosaics. The high drum and the structures beneath the dome show adornments of plain and glazed ceramics.
The most eye-catching piece on the compound is the enormous, one-meter wide Kuran. It lies open on a stone pedestal right in the center of the courtyard. Ulug Bek donated the Mongolian marble that supports the Kuran.
The interior of the Bibi Khanym Mosque does show the dilapidation that troubled the building soon after it completed. Yes, that means the building was in need of repairs during its entire existence, and for centuries. The structure did not bear the weight of Tamerlane’s grand vision for it. “Unsound foundations, ambition outpacing contemporary possibilities or simply undue haste” (Calum Macleod) caused the bricks to fall. It did not help that there were small earthquakes in the area. You can still see cracks on some of the structures.
In any event, there was significant effort to restore the complex and it is more than worthwhile to visit it. Suffice to say, that while it is certainly not as grand as the madrasas in the Registan, the Bibi Khanym Mosque was beautiful in its own right. Its story was itself a fascinating legend. It was my favorite spot in Samarkand after the Sha-I Zinda, which will be the sightseeing in the following day.
Bibi Khanym had a lavish burial that was atypical under Islamic traditions. Her body was exposed in the 1950s, and people found her wearing expensive jewelry in her coffin.
The Bibi Khanym Mausoleum is a petite brick structure. It is actually mostly new, with the upper parts only constructed in 2007. The open crypt itself was a structure of the 14th century.
After visiting the Bibi Khanym monuments, we headed over to the Siab Bazaar, which is right next to the complex. I was very happy to see pomegranate juice on sale there, my friend and I each had one cup.
We also saw wonderful meyer lemons there. I have never had meyer lemons, in fact I had never previously seen them before either.
The Siab Bazaar is a wonderful spot to see local life. But it was dinner time and we headed on over to the Restaurant Labi G’or.
We picked this restaurant because there are seats upstairs overlooking the street below. It was also very close to the Registan and we could watch the light show nearby when we were done at the restsaurant. There was this mouthwatering aroma from its open grill on the street, so we had a wonderful dinner there. The rating of this restaurant was actually not very high on Google review, but we liked our food. The fish shaslik was particularly good.
The Wikipedia on Saray Mulk Khanum.
The Wikipedia on Islam Karimov.
Sophie Ibbotson, Uzbekistan, Bradt Travel Guide (2020).
Calum Macleod, Uzbekistan: the Golden Road to Samarkand (2014).
The Registan of Samarkand is the very soul of the ancient city’s heritage. Standing majestic in the heart of Samarkand, the Registan has witnessed the turns of history that shaped the ancient city as well as Uzbekistan. Its historic presence represents Samarkand’s legacy as an …
The plan of the day is to visit the Cape Collinson Battery Search Lights via the Leaping Dragon Path in Siu Sai Wan. We began at the Siu Sai Wan Promenade and hiked up on a gentle incline to reach the Search lights of the …
There is speed rail in Uzbekistan.
We made it to our 7am train to Samarkand. About two hours later, we arrived in Samarkand. From the train station we took a taxi to Bahodir B&B, where we would stay for two nights until we headed out onto the next leg of the journey in the Nuratau Mountains.
As we went on with our tour of Samarkand, the level of sophistication and grandness of the sights would also progress, culminating in the final scenes at Sha-i-Zinda. But that is for a later entry.
With excitement we headed out for our first sightseeing. From Bahodir we walked about 20 minutes to reach the Gur-i-Amir (meaning Lord’s Tomb, the Mausoleum of Amir Timur). Of the sights that we visited in Samarkand, Gur-i-Amir was perhaps more “down to earth” in its appearance as compared to others. Being the resting place for many royal members of the Timurid dynasty, however, the Gur-I-Amir’s interior was the grandest of all that I have seen in the places I visited this time in Uzbekistan.
Perhaps the key learning about Amir Timur at his mausoleum is the fact that this was in fact not the place of his own choice in terms of a burial. He had wanted to be buried in his hometown, Shakhirsabz, and in a single tomb. The Gur-I-Amir was actually built for his grandson in 1404. Muhammad Sultan, who Amir Timur had named as the successor, died preceding Amir Timur’s own death.
When Amir Timur died in 1405, his remains could not be carried to the mausoleum in Shakhirsabz due to snow. Therefore he had to be buried in Gur-I-Amir. Thereafter, the Gur-I-Amir became the site for dynastic burial. A few of the Timurid royalties, including Amir Timur’s sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah, and his other well-known grandson, Ulug Bek, lied in rest here.
Amir Timur’s learned grandson Ulug Bek, who was a well-reputed astronomer, saw through the completion of Gur-I-Amir. He acquired a large plaque of jade from Mongolia. This piece of jade was rumored to be the largest one-piece jade in the world. This jade slab contains an inscription in Arabic, “When I Rise, the World Will Tremble.” It covered Amir Timur’s coffin.
The words felt like a mighty curse and history might have proven it so as well. According to Sophie Ibbotson, a Persian invader Nadir Shah took the jade slab to Persia in 1740. Thereafter all kinds of misfortunes befell him and his son, so severely that his advisors demanded that he return the jade slab to Uzbekistan.
On June 22, 1941, a team of Russian scientists exhumed Amir Timur’s remains for scientific inquiry. Within hours, the Nazis came into Soviet Union territory.
No matter how unbelievable these stories sound, Amir Timur possessing a strong postmortem spell of the spirit is perhaps not so surprising, given the strong will that enabled him to stare down the whole world with mounted archery.
In Ulug Bek’s time, the Gur-I-Amir was a complex “containing a madrasa (religious college), and a khanqa (hospice), around a walled courtyard with a minaret at each corner” (Moya Carey). By now, the mausoleum is restored, but the original school and hospice are no longer standing, although their foundations remain. The grand entrance portal was also the work of Ulug Bek.
When you look above the mausoleum, there is a “high drum with decorative facing beath a ribbed, pointed, azure blue dome 34 meters high” (Moya Carey). The high drum feature that lies beneath the ribbed dome is unique to Central Asia’s Islamic architecture. While the mausoleum, particular its azure dome, stands proud and beautiful on the outside, the interior will take your breath away.
The crypt that houses the coffins of the Timurid royalties is in a square. When we entered we came to face with a grand interior glistening all over with gold. It was amazing inside the crypt.
One can immediately observe the layers of craftsmanship that makes the interior dome. On the bottom layer lies a row of glazed tiles in geometric patterns. Then comes sections of tiles, perfectly-aligned in various patterns of blue and gold. An architectural feature that is worth mentioning here is the binna’I technique, whereby glazed bricks arranged in geometric patterns are placed within groups of unglazed bricks.
On top of that layer is a band of Arabic inscriptions. The lower walls then extend upward, “rising to a cornice of muqarnas (stalactite-like decorative vaulting)” (Moya Carey). Then you would eventually look up to see the dome, that rises to an interior height of 26 meters.
We wondered about the coffins. Of the coffins inside the mausoleum, most of them show a rather petite size (especially being thin) for men. Maybe they were mummies inside? But we would not know. Uzbek men do not strike us to be small in their stature.
We did not think twice when the guard of a newly-constructed (or possibly restored) mausoleum space invited us to see this not-yet-named mausoleum, right outside the back door of the Gur-I-Amir. Yes, we had to pay him to get in, but again there was amazing work on the interior inside.
However, no matter how beautiful the mausoleums are, they are the chambers of death. The guard told us that the identities of the two buried in the tombs of this crypt remain yet unknown. My friend came back out of the crypt saying that it was very creepy inside. One of the remains may have belonged to a woman.
I became very hungry when I was done at the tombs. We sat down at Kafe Jasmin. With the aid of Google I managed to ask for a bowl of veggie-only soup noodle. The veggie Lachman was very good with no mutton gaminess.
I chose the budget hotel of Bahodir B&B because of its proximity to the soul of Samarkand. It lies just about five to six minutes by walk to the Registan. When you have been touring for a long day, you would just be glad that the hotel is steps away from the touristy spots. A point of some significance is that Bahodir is the name of the 17th century Mayor of Samarkand Bahodir Yalangtush, who was responsible for reconstructing the Ulug Bek Madrasa, which was lying in ruins then, and also building the Sher Dor Madrasa anew in the Registan.
The Bahodir B&B seemed to be a family-run business. The property has quite a few rooms. I particularly liked its homey patio, where people have breakfast and gather for chats.
We checked in to our bedroom, and it was clean. The budget hotel is a bit aged, and you can tell from its general conditions, but cleanliness was my primary concern. The only problem was its shower. We learned at night that the water came out in a trickle and it was very difficult to take a shower there. If we had learned earlier, we would have requested a change of the room.
That concludes our first morning in Samarkand. So far, the city strikes us as being the favorite for local tourists. It was shoulder-to-shoulder in many places.
Moya Carey, An Illustrated History of Islamic Architecture (2012).
Sophie Ibbotson, Uzbekistan, Bradt Travel Guide (2020).
Dominique Clevenot & Gerard Degeorge, Ornament and Decoration in Islamic Architecture (2000).
After visiting metro art, we exited the Amir Timur station and arrived at the vicinity of the Amir Timur Square. When we saw Hotel Uzbekistan, we decided that we could take a break and have coffee there. Our coffee session turned out to be an …