Winter in Sichuan

I believe there are ample of reviews about JiuZhaiGou and other place of interest in Sichuan. It is one thing to read about it, another to experience the incredible scenes. As the saying going, pictures tell thousands words, here you go....

After the morning snow at JiuZhaiGou - "Nine Village Valley" takes its name from the nine Tibetan villages along its flow path. Spectacular view in every season...

View from Emei Mountain - Great spectacles of  "Clouds Sea" and clear blue sky...just after the snow.

Nanjing

This year marks the 100 year of revolution, and Nanjing was the nerve center, so I have decided to make a short trip there. The question is...how could I cover the city of Nanjing in two days? Fortunately, this is a pretty compacted city, and all the places of interesting are well within reach by public transports or taxi. To maximize my stay, I did plan my trip in advance....at least have a good idea of what I would like to see when I'm there.

Taking a the bullet train from Shanghai is a breeze. Leave approximately every half hour, you can either booked the ticket in advance or buy the ticket when you are at the HongQiao station. The time taken to reach Nanjing will depend on the number of stops. The journey can take about an hour to two hours ...so do some checking prior. Here is the snapshot of the ticketing booth. Some of the must go places...

1. Confucius temple, imperial examination hall for scholars examinations, surrounding shops and eateries as well as the famous Qinhuai River.

2. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum. The most important political figure and revolutionary in China. This premises was built between 1926 and 1929. In the center of the hall is a 4.6-meter-high statue, where his body rested in a white marble coffin.

3. Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum - The tomb of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang from the Ming Dynasty, constructed more than a 600-year ago.

4. The Presidential Palace - A huge complex of buildings for the modern Chinese government. The place where famous leaders like Sun Yat-Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek left worked. There are exhibitions that briefly tell the history of revolution.

5. China Gate - The ancient wall from the Ming dynasty, situated at the south side of the city. Despite the wars, this part of the structures is well preserved.

 

Similar to Beijing, the long history of Nanjing has attracted many locals and foreigners around the world to this place. Unlike most modern cities, it  has that certain charms that grab your attactions. Recognized as one of the safest city in China, more reasons for you to pay a visit. :)

Reminiscing the past

The Qing Ming Festival is observed with big gathering among the relatives. For those that are new to Chinese customs, this is an annual event when families come together and visit ancestral graves to reminisce the past. To most of us, it is a form of filial piety to one's ancestors, to remember and pay respect even when they have passed on. During such occassion, the graves are cleaned, and the offering of food and spirit money are part of the deal.

It has been ages since I last joined such activity. To most of my relatives, this is still a very important annual ritual to observe. Well...tradition aside, such occassion does bring families together. For hectic Singaporeans with limited time to spare, this is a good opportunity to catch up with the rest, especially those we hardly meet throughout the year. For this very reason, it is very common to find traffic jams and chaotic mess at temples, graveyards and crematoriums.

It is unlikely that my ancestors will ever received those offerings, however I do see the importance to take every opportunity to build ties among each other.

I guess the nice thing about a typical Singaporean gathering, it always end with a sumptuous meal before we part our ways.