Guilin Part 1: The beautiful city

May 25^th, 2013

Chartres, France

Song of the Day: Vivaldi's Four Seasons

Mood: Expectant (Ready for energy after 3 days of this cold)

Guilin

In China, I made four stops: Shanghai, Guilin, Xi’an, and Beijing:

H/t Memory tours. My itinerary went in the opposite direction, but you get the gist

I chose this route because it is the best way to get a snapshot of China: there is the political capital (Beijing), the ancient capital (Xi’an), the financial capital (Shanghai), and the most beautiful scenery (Guilin). Guilin was the second stop and it did not disappoint.

B-E-A-Utiful

Writing about all the beauty in and around Guilin will take a few posts. As an appetizer, here are some views driving from the airport and around the city.

 

 

Traveling alone

This was my first time on this trip I didn't have a traveling companion or stay with friends. I enjoyed the time to think and reflect and was quite content, but meal times were always the loneliest.

My private dining room. Perfect for a small party, sad for just one man

However, they did feed me well and I love Chinese food so I was a happy camper.

Every meal had five different dishes

Moon Hill
Guilin has a mountain with an arch in it. There are many places to take amusing photos, although the tourist climb isn't inspiring.



Does it count as being a good citizen if you put your trash in or near a full bin?

Night cruise
A fun last minute adventure was going on a night cruise.

Who doesn't want to ride on a dragon boat!?!

The Yin and Yang towers are quite pretty at night with their reflections on the water.

Yin and Yang is a famous Taoist principle that refers to the balance in the universe and how within everything is also its counteracting nature. The yin and yang are not opposites, but complementary. Yin often refers to the moon and the feminine while yang often refers to the sun and the masculine.

An aspect of the concept I agree with is that there are very few things in this world that are all good or all bad. Within everyone is the capacity to do great good and great evil. Recognizing the complexity helps me have patience and offer grace to those who frustrate and challenge me. It also makes me realize my own need for the Holy Spirit if I want to live righteously as the temptation to use my relationships, talents, and resources for selfish reasons is always present and is easy to give in to. 

Guilin culture

There are many other sites of natural and constructed beauty as well as local culture (dramatized for tourists) on the cruise:

 

 

Cormorant fishing

On the water, we also passed by cormorant fishermen like this guy.

He fishes by training cormorant birds to dive into the water to catch fish. He ties each bird's throat so that the bird can't swallow the fish it catches. When the bird gets back to the boat, it spits up the fish and the fisherman collects it. At the end of the night, the constricting device is released and the birds can fish for themselves or are fed. As a reward for their night fishing, cormorants are given days off.

The fishermen take good care of the birds in part because a bird can work for several years and it is expensive and time consuming to purchase and train a replacement.

Random surprises

Perhaps the best part of traveling is seeing the unexpected or making a little discovery. While waiting for the boat, I was able to enjoy an impromptu South Korean dance party:

Opa Gangam Style!

At BCG, we often use the 80-20 rule (formally the Pareto principle) which says that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Like most dance parties, this party followed the rule in that 20% of the people had 80% of the fun. What set them apart is that they weren't embarrassed to look ridiculous (which they did) and because of that they experienced the joy of being totally free. I want to be the kind of person who is not so concerned with how others think of me that I am afraid to dance, be myself, follow my dreams, or do any of the other actions that fear can paralyze.