Yu Deng Tang Shui (鱼灯糖水) Desserts @ Mount Qiyun Resort in China

While most people appeared to have retired for the night at Mount Qiyun Resort after the final performance; my mind was still alert and in fact, craving for desserts to warm my body in the cool climate.

And this beautiful yet imposing building caught our attention; no less because it's a dessert shop, and we were desperately looking for one to sit down, and slowly enjoyed the desserts we chose.

Interestingly, almost empty eatery! 

Don't the locals love desserts at all?!

Nevertheless, lesser people means a quieter environment to better enjoy the traditional decorations within the shop, like this pair of gigantic fish lanterns above us. The shop's namesake; 鱼灯 means fish lantern and is an icon of the huizhou culture. 

Nothing hit it better than live fishes though.

Like the ones swimming in the earthen pot.

Our order for four persons; one of which I shall not be reviewing since it's for a tour mate. p.s. Not nice for me to steal a bite right? Paiseh also.

Fresh Papaya Dessert Soup - I love papayas but never had them in sweetened soup! Interesting it was but taste wise; literally papaya in a saccharose broth. Not something I would crave in the future. 

Peach Gum Poached Pear - my order and the reason for having this was the numerous reels I saw on this heartwarming dessert before my visit to Huangshan! And despite being a procrastinator; I didn't take long to decide this over the other 10 contenders! 

I was expecting the dessert to be boiling hot but it was at most lukewarm, doing a half hearted job in warming my body. Whatever the case, the taste was similar to cheng tng and not overly sweet, with a yummy pear that was poached till soft and tender!

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Address

Within Mount Qiyun Resort,

Qiyunshan Town, Xiuning County, 

Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China

Menu (in Chinese)

As above.

Pricing

Fresh Papaya Dessert Soup - RMB 28

Peach Gum Poached Pear - RMB 28

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

The Golden Bridge / Buddha Hands Bridge 2025 @ Bana Hills in Danang [Vietnam]

Even though there are now many such buddha hands bridges around the world, the one I find to be most endearing would still be the very first one at Bana Hills in the Vietnamese city of Danang! 

Back on my virgin trip to the themed highland resort, I lamented that a day trip was too short for me to enjoy the place. Hence, I opted for a two-night stay at Mercure Danang French Village Bana Hills, where guests can enjoy the above benefit; checking out the Golden Bridge before the day trippers arrive! 

So, on the very first moning, insomnia resulted in me waking up to catch the cable car from the Ga Lourve station! There were three timings then; 6.00am till 6.05am, 6.30am till 6.35am and 7.00am till 7.05am. 

Damn, we missed the first timing.

Hence, awaiting the second timing.

Crowd behind us. With just 448 rooms across a few buildings at Mercure Danang French Village Bana Hills, you would expect a line but trust me, it's nothing compared to the estimated 10,000 to 13,000 people ascending the hills every day! 

An almost empty Golden Bridge when we reached at 6.35am! Sun was already shining on us but filled with nutritional vitamin d, and not the harmful UV rays that strengthen towards mid day. 

Time to grab a flag to show your love for Vietnam or patriotism for your own country! Strangely, despite being a member of ASEAN, there are not that many flags from other ASEAN countries. 

In the three days I was at Bana Hills, I visited the Golden Bridge three times in total. For those who are wondering why, there were other attractions at the same area as the golden bridge, and for those staying over at Mercure Danang French Village Bana Hills, you can consider coming after 4.30pm too, when most day trippers have left the place and the bridge was relatively quieter. 

Without the crowds, and without the need to rush down the hills, we can definitely appreciate the sights in front of us; the rolling hills of the highlands, the clouds shrouding the hills, the setting sun at the horizon etc.

On a clear day, you can even catch sight of Danang City, including its iconic beaches, the sontra peninsula, and the statue of the 67-Meter Tall Lady Buddha at Chùa Linh Ứng Buddhist Temple. 

Many visitors were amazed with the gigantic fingers.

From near, they just looked like stones. 

Photographs of my mom, and one with me! Given that it was already in May, the weather had not be forgiving and for someone who hates the heat; the slightly cooler temperature at Bana Hill was a good respite. 

Time to leave Golden Bridge, for French Village Bana Hills. And for the two times we were there before 8.00am, it's just the right timing for us to return for the buffet breakfast at Mercure Danang French Village Bana Hills. 

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Address

An Son Village, Hoa Ninh Commune, 

Hoa Vang District, Da Nang, Vietnam

Shopping On the Tour Bus @ Huangshan in China

Now, I was so taken aback by the sheer amount of commissioned shopping stops for my trip to Beijing back in 2012 that I swore off any visits to China for a few years, until there was no-shopping option! 

It did take another form, albeit one that is way more acceptance as the pitching took place along a long bus journey, in the comfort of the same tour bus that ferried you from one point to another, for almost the duration of the entire trip! 

Promoter - Xiaoxu, our tour guide! This wasn't something new as I have encountered such marketing in the past few "no-shopping" tour packages to China, and while there were persuasion skills, there's no pressure selling, and the tour guide will not force you to listen to him/her.

If it gets too bored (and it doesn't) or the products don't appeal to you (as it did for me for some of them), you can always look out of the window, and continue to be marvelled by the spectacular scenery in China. 

One thing I really enjoy on such shopping on the tour bus; the sampling, especially the snacks! I don't like about you but a much easier for me to open up my wallet was to entice me with your samples! Should my taste buds like them, it's a much higher chance for me to buy! 

Like this purple rice biscuit; not insanely sweet like many others in the market and came in smaller packets that would help to deter excessive indulgence. Only thing; not very sustainable with these small little packs. 

Favourite had to be the Chinese chestnuts; despite its name, it wasn't oily and, in fact, pretty dry to the touch. Furthermore, unlike most packaged Chinese chestnuts, these didn't have a strange smell / taste that I always attributed to some chemicals used for preservation, and tasted the best so far! 

Some would give you surprises; like the appearance of the five-eyed bodhi seed, which you would get after eating up the meat of the preserved plum.

I am not much of a preserved plum person but given the bodhi seeds, which would likely catch the attention of my mom; I bought a few packs. For all the above, you can mix and match and it would cost RMB 200 for 7 packs, RMB 400 for 16 packs; latter of which would cost about S$5.00 a pack.

Aside from snacks, you can also purchase the Golden Silk Crown Chrysanthemum, "a premium large-blossom herbal tea from Jiangxi and Anhui, China" that blossoms into a large flower once you put it in boiling water! Said to be organic and from highlands of above 1,000 meters, it cost RMB 200 for 40 individual sachets! 

There's also skincare; like the pearl powder cream, said to be made pearls from the famous Tai Lake and included ginseng extracts from Mount Taibai! p.s. can't remember how much this cost. 

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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