The View Windows of Riverside Pavilion (迎江阁) at Green Lotus Peak (碧蓮峰) @ Yangshuo [China]

The signage clearly indicated 'view windows' and i was under the false assumption that the entire pavilion was named as such; thankfully, my grasp of the Chinese characters wasn't that weak and i know 迎江阁 doesn't translate directly to view windows. 

View windows refer to the upper level of the pavilion which we shall visit first as part of our tour to loop the area. I shall cover the first floor shortly in this post.

According to the information panel, this pavilion was featured in the story surrounding the region's most famous person; Liu San Jie (or Sister Liu). It was said that Sister Liu was kidnapped and locked up in this same pavilion! 

Well, unless the windows were hoarded up in the past, i bet it would not be too difficult for our brave Sister Liu to attempt a one-floor jump to escape from the crutches of the evil landlord who restrained her against her will. 

Given its advantageous location, the pavilion overlooked the Li River (漓江) and should have been a great place to socialise in the past. As you can see, the riverbed was rather dry and i wonder if it were a common phenomenon. 

A shot of the entire pavilion; if the story on Liu Sanjie is true, the structure would have been more than 700 years old since the legendary Liu Sanjie dated back to the Song Dynasty.

Anyway, the second level of the pavilion had eight window frames and each of them gave you a slightly different view of the outside scenery! 

I think it's best to refer to the photographs displayed right outside the pavilion for that eight window views; at least it covers all the seasons and the changes in colour across the photos were less boring. 

Okay, now looping back to cover the first floor. 

You can clearly see the signboard with the words "迎江阁" which should have been indicated on the directional signage. However, i understand that "View Windows / 画窗" would have generated a lot more interest. 

The "lower" views with tree trunks and branches partially blocking the sight ahead of us. 

Cruise ships continued to traverse along the river even though the depth appeared to be shallow. As understood from our tour guide, this section of the river was Southern bound and water flow was calmer. 

There's a reason for this particular shot although i don't follow such superstition; to bask in the glory of notable politicians etc so as to "absorb" their goodness in the hope that one can succeed in the future. 

This was the same spot sat by former China premier Zhou Enlai in year 1960. Since there was no harm whatsoever to strike the same pose as the beloved premier Zhou at the exact location, the older generation in our group didn't hesitate to model for the cameras! 

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For the itinerary of the tour package (guaranteed no shopping stops) to Guilin via Chan Brothers, please check out the link here.