We had to set off early this morning as it would be a long journey to the places of interest & we are going to 3 places.
Ying Zhi was still not well, she had to stay behind at the hotel to rest, with Ms Poh to keep her company.
Fushun School sent teacher Mdm Guo to assist us. We had two tour guides today, Ms Gu Feng & Ms Ba Hui. Ms Gu is a very experienced & knowledgeable guide. She told us the rise & fall of the Qing Dynasty, the customs & traditions of the Manzhu tribe ....... on the bus. The kids were sleeping.
It was a long journey through the countryside & bumpy roads. Half way into the journey, we heard a loud noise. I thought a tire had burst. The driver stopped the car & went down to take a look. A piece of metal above the wheel had fallen off. He picked it up & put it in the luggage compartment. We continued our journey.
First stop, Qing Yong Lin (Qing Dynasty royal cemetery). We drove through the road that past Qing emperors walked on called yu lu. The past emperors had to dismount & walked in to the cemetery.
There was a souvenir stall a distance away from the entrance. Some kids rushed over to buy souvenirs & hot dogs. The guide & some of us waited.
There were 3 doors at the entrance, left, middle & right. We had to walk through the right door, which is for the emperor. The middle door is for the Gods.
The Chinese guide said if we touch the head & tail of this statue, our work would have a good start & ending (has head & tail).
The altar of the royal ancestors.
We walked to the back where the tombs of the Qing emperors were.
We could hire the emperor's costume for 10rmb (S$2) & take pictures. Jaymes turned little emperor for 3 minutes.
We waited 20 mins for everyone to board the bus. Some kids were buying hot dogs from a snack stall & they bought up all the hot dogs.
We went to Hetuahla City. A guide wearing the Manzhu robe led us through the history of the Qing Dynasty.
The view from the top of the high walls of the fort. The plains, where many important battles were fought, lay before us.
Inside the Ancient city.
The royal chamber of the emperor & his throne.
The Manzhu Cultural show performs only once a day at 3pm. We hired them for a special price of 150rmb (S$30). I love the Manzhu tribal dances. The performers were truly entertaining. The northern people of China lived in harsh conditions & they hunt for a living. The men were muscular & strong. Their dance full of vigour & so manly. The women so graceful as they take dainty steps. The bright smiles on their faces, whoa..........
They buy a strip of red cloth to hang on this tree for good blessings.
We watched a colourful & gay wedding between a Manzhu & a Qing.
A replica of the humble abode of Nuerhaci. The two-bedroom house measured only 450 square feet.
We listened to the fascinating stories of the Qing emperors & their lives. The rise & fall of the entire Qing Dynasty was painted on a very long, winding wall of a Manzhu house.
The kids were dragging their feet & walking so slowly. The Chinese guide walked ahead, urging the kids to follow quickly. She complained to several of her colleagues that the Singapore kids were so slow. We didn't have time to tour the old Manzhu street.
At 1.30pm, we bade the Ancient City good-bye & had lunch at Xinbin city.
Street scenes of Xinbin.
three-wheel taxi!!!!
We ate ben zu rou (stupid pork) & ben ji dan ( stupid eggs). This is what the people here called the meat of home-bred pigs & the eggs of home-bred hens. Why? Because they were bred to be eaten. Do they call their children ben xiao haier (stupid child)? home-bred mah! he he he
After lunch we took an hour's journey to arrive at Houshi Gongyuan(Monkey Rock Park). We climbed up very steep steps to a temple. We had to climb from the right side of the stairs. My left knee was killing me. At my age, I'm degenerating. sigh...... The kids bound up the steps. sigh......
It was scary coming down the steep steps. I felt dizzy looking down at them. Mr Yao had to lend his hand to some timid girls. Lucky man!
We had to climb up another 200 plus steps up to the top of a mountain. I raised my 'white flag'. I stayed behind while the teachers led the kids up the mountain. They were going to attempt to squeeze through two boulders at the top. The chubby ones would have some difficulty.
I looked around & took some pictures at the foot of the mountain. It was so quiet & serene. The mountain air was so fresh. The birds chirping..... I had a quiet hour to myself.
A toilet at the foot of the mountain. Hear the birds chirp as you pee.
An enterprising employee of the park sells spring water for 1 rmb a cup. He offered me a cup which I declined. I don't want to have diarrhoea.
He hung some swings & charges 1 rmb for a ride. 1 rmb to rest in his hammock. 1 rmb a ball to throw at empty cans. You get your money back if you hit one can. He sells wild vegetables, hawthorne fruits, ginseng plant.......
ginseng plant
hawthorne fruits, last year's crop
The kids came down the mountain after an hour & played for a while. When more kids started hiring his equipment, the man started to limit the playtime to ten minutes per dollar. Enterprising man. Everyone was tired but happy.
A man came by with his mountain sports car. He lets you drive it for 20 rmb (S$4). Zhi Hao wanted to try but Mr Yao stopped him. He has no driving licence. We set off for dinner near our hotel.
We had dumplings for dinner. A staple food for the northern Chinese. The restaurant sells them by weight. Mr Yao went to fetch Ms Poh & Ying Zhi to join us for dinner. The kids didn't seem to like it, especially those filled with vegetables. Many were left.
After dinner, we walked back to the hotel. It was a cool night & there weren't much cars.
We reached the hotel at 9 pm. It was a very tiring day. The kids had to sleep early as they are going to Fushun School earlier for their flag-raising ceremony.
Zhi Hao & Alvin pretending to be beggars at the roadside, I was laughing so much, I shook the camera.
Ms Poh had to attend to all the 'sick' kids again. Then disaster struck us. Our room was swarmed by the black flying insects. They flew in through the open window. We had to have the windows open because there was no air-con & it was so stuffy with the windows closed. They fell on our bed & pillows. I was bitten & it was itchy. Ms Poh asked for a vacuum & started sucking up the insects.
After cleaning up, I went straight to bed. Ms Poh was still working on her report....
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