This is the view of Hong Kong Island from the
Kowloon side near our hotel.
We had an early appointment at the Temple Friday morning. Having our group of about 85 attend at one time, and in combination with the Spring Festival Chinese visitors, was a little overwhelming for the folks serving there. Everything went well and it was so good to be in the temple together again. We met up with two couples who had served with the Rhyasens when they were serving their 1-year temple mission in the Hong Kong. We were fellow workers with the Rhyasens in the Portland Temple for 2 years before they left. They had just returned home a few months before we left for China.
After the temple we had a meeting with Elder Gong, president of the Asia Area. He was a part of the administrative team at BYU, is Chinese and is now a full time church leader over all of Asia. The meeting was held in a very nice facility across the street from the temple. Part of it was the Mission office. Elder Gong talked about the BYU China Teacher's Program and the positive influence we are in China. Since we are forbidden in mainland China to do any "missionary work," he indicated we can talk about the academic institution that we represent, its academic programs and the standards of the university. He said that may be helpful as many teachers get questions from Chinese nationals about the church and it feels abrupt to give them the standard line, "We have signed an agreement with your government that we are not allowed to discuss religion." I think all of us were grateful for his suggestions.
That afternoon Stan was successful in getting his iTouch replaced, although the data had to be eliminated. We hope our back-up on the computer in Jinan will be successful! That evening BYU hosted a western dinner at a restaurant and we enjoyed the meal and being together. Following the dinner several of us took a tram to Victoria Peak, which overlooks Hong Kong. It was a little brisk on top of the Peak, but we enjoyed the lights of the city.
This is the tram we took to the top of Victoria Peak
View of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak
Saturday morning we met as BYU teachers and shared teaching ideas. We had a strict time limit. At the two-minute point, the crowd applauded and you sit down whether or not you have finished your presentation. Each of the ideas were included in a packet that we could study and use in our lesson preparation. We are thankful for the ideas as we begin planning our second semester classes.
We had free time for the rest of Saturday so we went with several others to another section of Hong Kong Island called Stanley. It is more a beach resort area, less crowded and had beautiful views of harbors and the ocean. We just strolled along the promenade and "shopped" at the local markets. Plus we took an hour trip on a typical sampan. Many of the fishing boats were already docked in the harbor as the crews had been given leave for the upcoming Spring Festival and Chinese New Year celebrations. It is a time when most people travel back to their hometown, visit relatives and eat "delicious" food!
On our way to the market in Stanley
The waterfront and promenade in Stanley
Floating restaurant in Aberdeen harbor
Some of our group on the Sampan boat ride
This is the Sampan boat
At a park near our Hong Kong hotel
Sunday we were up early to attend our Sunday services. No one -relatively speaking - was in the subway! The meetings were held in a chapel at the LDS Temple. We spent the afternoon exploring a nice park near our hotel with a aviary, flower beds and just enjoyed the pleasant weather. We then traveled by bus from Hong Kong back to Shenzhen to board a plane to Guilin. (Back through two custom stops again!!)
The Shenzhen airport is less than an hour from Hong Kong, but some flights are less expensive from that location. It is one of the most modern airports in China and is shaped like an airplane. This picture was taken from one of the posters in the airport!
Monday was a 4+ hour cruise down the Li River. The scenery is unusual with small mountains that are connected at the base, so they are not a mountain range like you would see in the Rockies. Unfortunately the weather was hazy and foggy so we didn't really get to see the area in its "prime". Following the cruise, we did have a "golf cart" ride through the countryside of Yangshuo and observed the life of the native Chinese in the area. We really felt like we where in rural China.
On the Li River many villagers "deliver" produce to the cruise boat via bamboo rafts.
The view on the Li River cruise
On the boat with Lily
Traffic jam in Guilin. This was taken from the bus. We were turning away from the traffic. All of us clapped when the bus driver successfully negotiated the bus through this maze!
Yangshuo village outside of Guilin.
This is a typical view from the Yangshuo village.
Water buffalo are used to help plough the fields in the village.
Near the village is rock formation of the "moon" through the hill.
The cormorant has a rope around his neck that prevents him from swallowing the fish. He is trained to bring back the fish to the boat and then he is rewarded, after a time, by having the rope removed and he gets a fish. This is an ancient way of fishing and a now more a tourist attraction as the younger generation is not interested in learning the "trade".
Julie Johnston, a BYU teacher from Beijing (really from Las Vegas) allows the cormorant to settle on her shoulder. He was heavier than she expected.
That evening we went on small boats to watch the cormorants (duck-like bird) catch fish. They only caught two, so they must not have been too hungry or the fish were hiding!
Tuesday, Jan. 28, we went to Reed Flute Cave, about 750 feet underground. It was more a dry cave and is quite different from the Oregon Caves with dripping water everywhere. It fact we almost thought the formations looked fake! The Chinese did a nice job of lighting the areas with colored lights and seem to see "animals, Santa Claus, old men, etc." in most of the shapes in the cave. One of the largest rooms was the "Crystal Palace" that can hold 1,000 people. We then spent several hours in the airport before taking an evening flight to Lijiang, near the Tibetan border in Yunnan Province.
Reed Flute Cave
The "stunned bunny" look
Wednesday we explored the area around Lijiang, which is at about 7500 feet in elevation. The sky was clear with no pollution! It was still cold in the morning, but warmed to the 60's by afternoon. Snow Mountain is a prominent feature in the area and we enjoyed picturesque scenery at Black Dragon Pool Park, which is formed from the runoff from the mountain as well as some natural springs.
Black Dragon Pool Park with Snow Mountain in the background
We also visited a working Chinese village of 1,000 people that many tourists never see. The people were very friendly, although most speak a dialect form of Mandarin. They are "Naxi", one of the 55 minorities in China. There was an embroidery school there, but the students had gone home for the Chinese New Year. Some of the tapestry that was displayed took about a year to complete. Those that took six months cost about $700 (US).
Naxi village meat market.
This tile work is on the outside of the home facing the street. There are many red lanterns in celebration for the upcoming Chinese New Year. Red is a lucky color in China. We were allowed to enter and take pictures of a typical home in this village. There is an inner courtyard with two homes - one for the grandparents and one for the other members of the family. The grandparents get the apartment that receives the most sun since indoor heating is limited.
This kitchen is on the outside of the home in the village
This is one of the entrances to the home. The wood carving is quite detailed. The guide said the doors look beautiful, but often the inside of the home is a mess!
The grandmother with her grandchild.
Each home has its own garden plot. This adobe portion of the home was built from straw and mud.
The guide said this was likely bean curd drying which will later be used to flavor veggies and soups.
Cleaning fish.
This woman was chasing her rooster. He likely would become a meal for the New Year feast. We tried to help her, but we were not successful. We observed that she later cornered him.
This 'tye dye" tablecloth was on display.
This Naxi village has their own writing language and is more like pictographs
In Lijiang there is an "Old Town" section with merchants, cobbled streets, canals, etc. as well as a more tourist area.
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