Guilin in autumn

[Daoyin]

Guilin and the Li River needs no introduction to many. With its limestone karst mountains (hills) and the Li River serving as a backdrop, the surrounding area is an emerald waiting to be explored. As a popular Chinese saying goes:

Guilin's scenery is best among all under heaven
桂林山水甲天下

I had a chance to re-discover the Li River area some 22 years after my first visit. At the back of my mind as the plane dropped below the clouds was that this is the land which inspired many travel narratives of the imperial era. Herewith laid the source of many of those travel imageries from long gone days that we still hold true about this place. Summers are hot and winters chilly, thus making autumn the best time to photograph the river and karsts amongst the mist seen in shan-shui drawings.



Pic 1: The icon symbol of Guilin.

I took this photo with the image of another 22 years earlier in my mind. As fate would have it, I met another old friend that I have not seen for 30 years at this spot that day.


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[Daoyin]

Pic 2: Photo taken in 1993.

It seems like nothing has changed but yet much has changed. This photo was taken by the road running besides the water. Now the same view is blocked by flowers thus making one pay 75 RMB to enter the "scenic area" along the river bank further down. What happened to communism?


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[rcheong1282]

Wow..

 

[Daoyin]

Pic 3: Scene from travel imagery
Often one's mind and memory can play tricks and one sees only what one wants to see.


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[Daoyin]

Pic 4; In another far away place, this activity would be called "punting".
Here on the Li River, no longer can one row his own boat but have to pay for a seat on the many rafts plying the river in gangs.


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[Daoyin]

Pic 5: Boats returning in the sunset.
Sunsets are always easier to photograph than sunrises. Especially during this time as the mist gathers in the early morning.


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[Daoyin]

Pic 6: End of the day on the Li River.
As the day draws to a close, rafters can be seen lifting their boats from the river onto lorries waiting.


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[Daoyin]

Pic 7: Close up of the collective efforts to dry up the rafts for the day.
Collectivism is alive and well on the Li River. This propensitivity to organise amongst the Chinese is well documented. On Tai Shan before the advent of cable cars, gangs of men controlled the sedan chairs carrying those so disposed up the mountain. And those men were of Muslim faith.


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[Daoyin]

Pic 8: Closer up of same activity.
The young slog while the old relaxes.


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[Daoyin]

Pic 9: Wonder whether he is thinking of wife and family.
Money is never easy to earn on the Li River. I witnessed tourist throwing tips into the water for the rafters to fish out by hand,pole or bucket.
While the rising tide of China's economy lifts all boats, not all are lifted equally. This is "disguised capitalism".


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[ExplorerII]

Nice series!

 

[rcheong1282]

Swee swee,nice

 

[Justintime]

Nice photos Daoyin. Like Pic 3 & 5.

Natural looking photos. :thumbsup:

 

[chempaka]

nice.

more plse.

 

[Daoyin]

Hello Explorer11, rcheong1282, Justintime and chempaka, - Thanks and hope the photos that follows suffices.

 

[Daoyin]

Pic 10: Game of cards, Xingping Town
Guilin is not just about the Li River. Away from the banks one finds tourists shopping in the "old streets" now found in every "old town".
Here is an "old man" playing an old card game with old friends. What better way to spend the twilight.


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[Daoyin]

Pic 11: Rice terrace, Longji
Still further away from the river is the now well known Sanjiang Scenic Area with the Longji and Longsheng rice terraces.



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[rcheong1282]

The scene have quite same to those in Vietnam. you can have a look in my posting

 

[Daoyin]

The scene have quite same to those in Vietnam. you can have a look in my posting

Yeah. Can see what you mean. Same geographical features. Guangxi is just next to northern Vietnam and Halong Bay.

 

[Daoyin]

Pic 12: Working in the terraces.
Even though the harvest season is over and many of the fields have been drained, there were still work being done to prepare the land for winter.
One might think most labour remains manual (which is evident) but soil preparation is also been done mechanically. Didn't see a buffalo at all.


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