The Hardworking Porters at Huangshan in Anhui Province of China

Said to be the most popular mountain in China, Huangshan has a highest elevation of just 1,864 meters, yet known to be physically challenging for visitors given its tens of thousands of steps! 

With rest stations and numerous hotels located within the mountain that has only paths for visitors, no road for vehicles and only a cable car that goes up to only mid-mountain, many would have wondered how resources are being sent.

Well, you would get your answers while climbing up and down the mountains. You don't even need to open your eyes big big as it's a 100% guarantee you would brush against them. 

Donned in red vest, with a bamboo across their shoulders, the porters would slowly move up and down the steps; hauling tens of kilograms of resources (vegetables, meats etc) on each end to balance the load, so that visitors can have the food and amenities at rest stations and hotels. 

It was hard work and despite the cold mountain air, I can't help noticing their tired expression with peals of sweat rolling down their faces. So, do give them the respect and space; let them pass if required, and if they take a rest from the heavy load and block your way, just wait a while as they catch their breath.

They undertake backbreaking jobs that tourists like me can have a more relaxing experience on the mountain, and it's not as if they would earn a lot of money from such work. So, my deepest respect for them! 

Do also take this opportunity to educate your kids not to waste food as the porters take so much effort just to deliver them. Without essential workers like them, we will likely starve to death.

The porters would also help to send your luggage to the hotels at Huangshan, for a fee, and it can be quite expensive if you bring along a cabin luggage like us. A carry-on bag cost RMB 40 each way, whereas a cabin was priced at RMB 80! 

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Click HERE for our 8 Days Huangshan, Tunxi, Yixian, Wuyuan, Mount Qiyun, Thousand-Island Lake, Hangzhou Tour Package to China via CTC Travel Agency

Pili Puppet Legend Waiting Room @ Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan

Following the Smart Green Energy Waiting Room at Taoyuan Airport, I chanced upon another theme waiting room next door; the Pili Puppet Legend Waiting Room!

Showcasing glove puppetry, also known as hand puppet theatre, it originated from the fujian province in mainland China and eventually made its way across to Taiwan in the middle of the Qing Dynasty.

Even though we also have glove puppetry in Singapore (a dying trade given the lack of popularity), there were noticeable differences to the puppets' attire and even the facial expression.

Much more elaborate, and prettier for the Taiwan puppets, to the extent I feel that they could have been the Taiwanese version of barbie dolls! In reality, however, only the head, feet and hands are made of wood. 

Different kind of characters in the glove puppetry. This themed room is called Pili Puppet Legend because it was named after "a well-known glove puppetry TV show in Taiwan that emerged in the 1980s" and revolutionize the traditional show by "incorporating animation into its performance"! 

Mind you; Pili has "released nearly 80 series, totaling over 3,000 hours of story content, and created more than 4,000 heroic characters."! Now, that's quite a feat for a puppet show! 

Moving on with times, their characters had also taken on a more cutesy look, that would appeal to the many youngsters who are obsessed with anime. My niece, Jovyn, would be one of them.

 I wouldn't be surprised there's a blind-box version for the characters of the puppet show. With over 4,000 characters, there's a huge market with plenty of money to earn. Problem was; is the appeal limited to just Taiwan? 

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Location

Near Gate D7,

Taoyuan International Airport

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)

Gunkee Claypot (灌记砂锅) from China @ Chinatown in Singapore

I visit Singapore Chinatown occasionally and one thing that always made me curious would be the large group of customers waiting patiently outside Gunkee Claypot, in the relentlessly hot and humid Singapore climate. 

My elder sister was as curious and we decided to check out the restaurant for a birthday lunch! To beat the queue, my younger sister made a reservation so that we didn't have to endure the outdoor heat. True blue Singaporeans love air-conditioning! 

Should you be unfortunate, please help yourself to the complimentary fans and also the free servings of iced sweetened water; latter was thirst quenching.

If you walk past Gunkee Claypot, your eyes would be drawn to this line of claypots. I don't deny that this was a sight that piqued my curiosity too. What's brewing within? We will know very soon! 

Interior of the restaurant, which hailed from Henan province in China and said to specialize in Hunan and Hubei cuisine. Not that it matters to me since taste should always be the determinant. 

Table setup; bowls and plates gave traditional Korean vibes. 

Without further ado, let's start with our meal.

Heilongjiang Wuchang Rice - now, when it comes to Hunan food, a bowl of rice is a necessity! Some dishes can be sauce-based and you will thank me for having rice to balance out the flavours. 

Bean and Eggplant in Claypot - not bad tasting with the chopped long beans and eggplants that were cooked just right, and a well-balanced soup. p.s. when eating in a large group, vegetables would be a must. If I have my way, let's just attack the meat. 

Honghu Lotus Root with Superior Pork Broth - remember the line of claypots? They were the vessels for this signature dish of Gunkee Claypot.

Don't assume that it would just be all soup and maybe a pathetic serving of lotus roots. Once you scoop using the ladle, you would be surprised to see a generous amount of thickly cut lotus roots and pork ribs! 

Thick broth tasted rich and would have been very desirable should a thunderstorm be raving in Singapore then! Pork ribs were tender and I guess my least favorite would have been the lotus roots which were sliced too thickly and didn't feature the crunch I personally like. And super filling.

Black Tiger Shrimp Balls with Vermicelli Pot - the massive doses of minced garlic swarmed the taste buds, making every bite sickly palatable, and the prawns were fresh with a yummingly crunchy texture. 

Salted Egg Yolk Shrimps - Batter was cloying, and overly thick without the sweetness that would have balanced out the saltiness. I think local tze char stalls would have done a much better job, although they would also be aware of local taste buds. 

Cumin Roasted Ribs - do you like Chinese skewers, also known as chuan chuan? These would be like the gigantic version! Taste was not bad, even though boneless would be preferred!

Black Truffle Beef Scrambled Eggs - want an interesting scrambled egg? Go for this one! Egg was fluffy with the iconic, appetising truffle aroma, and the thinly sliced beef was soft and springy! 

Sweet and Sour Chicken - note, not pork! While the batter wasn't crispy in the way I would have liked this, the meat was alright, and reminded me of sweet and sour pork when I was a kid, albeit with an orangey, zesty aftertaste. 

Red Hawthorn Pork Ribs - yes, another pork rib dish! To be fair, I didn't know the lotus soup had pork ribs! Anyway, the ribs were amazingly good and coated with a sour sweetness sauce that was most appetising! Shiok! 

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Would I be back? Yes, if no queue. 

If yes, I would go for Xiang Xiang instead. 

Address

277/279 South Bridge Rd, 

Singapore 058826

Map

As above.

Menu

As above.

Website

https://www.gunkee.net/

Pricing

Heilongjiang Wuchang Rice - S$1.60 

Bean and Eggplant in Claypot - S$14.90

Honghu Lotus Root with Superior Pork Broth - S$24.90

Black Tiger Shrimp Balls with Vermicelli Pot - S$22.90

Salted Egg Yolk Shrimps - S$27.90

Cumin Roasted Ribs - S$22.90

Black Truffle Beef Scrambled Eggs - S$19.90

Sweet and Sour Chicken - S$22.90

Red Hawthorn Pork Ribs - S$25.90

(Subject to Service Charge and GST)

Additional Information

While there was no ice cream or packets of snacks as desserts after our meal, there was this self serviced area where you can help yourself to a few things! 

Firstly, you actually don't need to buy drinks as you can help yourself to the roselle, chrysanthemum tea etc. We didn't know until we were already done with all all the main dishes, and I was literally stuffed. 

Most customers were more aware of the dessert section where you can freely take the ice jelly, including complimentary toppings like grated peanuts, raisins etc, and drizzled with brown sugar.

Thinking it would be similar to our local ice jelly, I was taken aback after putting a scoop into my mouth. It was bitter, and hardly edible without the brown sugar! 

Smart Green Energy Waiting Room @ Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan

As a true blood Singaporean, I have always been proud of our award-winning, world renowned Changi Airport, but there's one thing Taoyuan International Airport absolutely won over Singapore's crown jewel. 

Their numerous, numbering over 30, themed waiting rooms! 

And today, let's check out Smart Green Energy Waiting Room.

We all know the benefits of green energy, especially toward the environment and sources include geothermal (which Singapore is exploring), solar (we have always embarked on it), hydraulic power generation (sadly, not for Singapore).

Another untapped resource would be the fitness green power, given the global population of more than seven billion people! According to the above chart, a 30-minute exercise on the r-rider fitness machine by over 3.5 billion people can reduce seven nuclear power plants! 

Looking like the typical cross trainer fitness machine in your gym, you can give it a try to determine how much power and energy you can regenerate! Those looking for a short exercise can definitely check this out. 

Honestly, I wasn't that drawn to all the explanations. It's the seats that captivated me in this themed waiting room; they were in the design of the blades of a windmill! So reminded me of the Gaomei Turbine Avenue (高美風車大道) we went to just a day earlier. 

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Location

Near Gate D6,

Taoyuan International Airport

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)