In Singapore, i am not exactly a park-goer given the intense heat and humidity in the little red dot. However, it's a different situation when i am in China as the seasons i picked for my tour package would never be in summer!
The cooler climate coupled with the fresh, crisp cool oxygen from the abundance of trees is something i actually look forward to. This time, on day seven of our guizhou trip, we were brought to park in the provincial capital of Guiyang; Qianling Hill Park (黔灵山公园).
Before you even step foot into the park that's established in 1957, you would first be greeted by the rows of dining establishments flanking the sides of the main road leading to the entrance.
Which animal would you commonly see in a park? Dogs of course and even though dog-meat is not that uncommon in China, you do have your fair share of dog lovers!
Entrance of the park, blessed with a humongous parade square!
Admission fee of RMB 5 per person (about S$1). This is quite an interesting phenomenon as in Singapore, parks are free except for those unique ones like Sungei Buloh Wetland Park.
黔南第一山 - meaning the top ranked hill / mountain in Southern Guizhou. The word 黔 (Qian) is a short form for Guizhou; similar to Guangxi province which is also known as 桂 (Gui).
Going another path as we were given the options of either a visit to the built in 1672 Hongfu temple or free or easy within the park! Some people might resist visiting temples when they are overseas, especially if one is not a Taoist / Buddhist or not particularly religious even if he / she is one.
Dog again! Despite the popularity of rearing dogs as pets, owners are considerate and i don't see poo around. This is unlike the situation in Singapore where i am constantly worried of stepping into a hot, fresh turd!
Navigating the 900-step, winding path up the temple; look out for the free roaming monkeys! I actually belong to the rare breed who likes temples; loving the sometimes stark differences in the architectural aspects of religious dwellings.
Check out the temple via here! There's a 9-dragon screen said to be able to grant your wish if you go through a specific process.Click here!
Back at the foot of the hill where we used our limited time to admire the beautiful, blooming flowers surrounding us! p.s. it's obvious that my dad is a flower fanatic; me think it's a generation thing.
Water calligraphy! How can a person be able to write so spectacularly using such a big brush?! I already have trouble controlling a small brush and even then; my calligraphy is horrendous!
Pretty isn't it? In addition to Hongfu temple, there's also a zoo in the park and since we were not given a lot of time, some of our tour mates took the cable car up to (and down from) the peak instead!
Singing in the park! Should this be brought to Singapore, i can guarantee you that complaints about noise would be raised even if the singers sing well.
People enjoying the performances.
The crowd in the park on a Friday afternoon! Don't they need to work? Back in Singapore, you would likely see more people in shopping centres than in parks.
River with a nice hill as its backdrop.
Crossing the bridge in case there were to be surprises waiting for us on the other side. When i am travelling, i would prefer to walk alternative routes, if available, so that we can see more things!
Well, i did mention in case although it's still great to be on a path that's less crowded.
At the very least, we didn't have to jostle with the crowds waiting to take pictures with the trees heavy with blossoming flowers!
Older generation playing cards and chess! Not much difference in Singapore even though gambling in public is considered illegal. Go Chinatown, behind Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, if you wish to play chess with the elderly uncles.
Old school haunted house - if i am with Alex, there's a high chance we would pay the tickets and go in for the thrill; provided tickets are not exorbitantly priced!
Walking out to the main road as our coach wasn't able to come so far in due to regulations set by the authority. Good though as the road wasn't cramped with dozens of tour buses.
Random photos on the nearby stores.
There's supposed to be local specialty known as 丝娃娃 (Si Wa Wa) which is something like a wrap / popiah. Pity i didn't have any time to give it a try. If you read Chinese, you can visit the baidu page here.
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