Some of my Chinese friends celebrated Tomb Sweeping day with their families before the actual day. I would have loved to join, but the weather was unstable and I didn't want to take the risk of having to travel in torrential rain or even fog. Some of my friends who drove in sunny weather on Saturday morning to nearby towns, had difficulties coming back either on Saturday (storms) or Sunday (fog) evening.
Today it was sunny and warm and we hit the park. Qianlin Park to be precise. It's the nearest to my house and the largest inner-city park of Guiyang. It has a big lake, some mountains with monkeys and a massive temple. There used to be a zoo, but it's been closed down.
There were many people there, since it is a public holiday and the last of the three-day festival.
There's an entrance fee of 50p to be paid, but then you can walk in the park all day. And you need all day to see it all. There are some extra fees for the temple, the cable car, etc.
Me and my monkey, as Robbie Williams sings. It's Monkey year in China and everything is decorated with monkeys. This one came up to me and offered to be photographed with me. After the two selfies, he took out a paper he was wearing around his neck, on which it was something written in Mandarin and the number 20. So I gathered that he wanted 20 Yuan from me (a bit over 2 pounds). My Chinese friends saw it and got angry, grabbed me by the arm and took me away. The monkey man followed a few yards, waving with his paper, but I told him that he should have said it before and not afterwards. Sorry mate, no money from me.
Happy Monkey Year!
The entrance of the park.
Around the entrance
In the park
Old men playing Chinese chess
OAPs playing cards and Chinese chess
Waterfall
Where is the safety inspector? Such a bridge wouldn't be approved by the authorities, but you see them everywhere in this country.
A traditional game to keep away the bad spirits
Where are they all going? hmm... let's follow the crowd.
Tunnel of love (by Dire Straits)
WWII Memorial. They're are waiting in line to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers.
Part of the lake in the background
The lake. Notice how all are wearing life jackets.
Not quite Ponte Vecchio in Florence, but still a bridge.
A great place to have a nap.
The Austrian actor Peter Weck married a family in the German series 'Ich heirate eine Familie' in the 1980s. This is my Chinese family :)
Monkey King.
Temple of love (by Sisters of Mercy)
Floating coins. Quite tricky and difficult to make them float and not sink. The coins are old copper coins from the 1980s and are not in use anymore. They are featherlight and can therefore float on the water. There's a lady next to this well, who exchanges your 1 Yuan note into ten copper coins.
Do you see the pots in the water? The trick is to make the coins fall into the pots. You make a wish, send your coins one after another into an underwater journey, and if it falls into the pots, your wish will come true. Eight out of ten of my coins landed in a pot, one landed on the edge and one floated away into the abyss of the well. Oh well! I'll let you know if my wish comes true.
Burning sensation
Smoke on the water (by Deep Purple).
Gallery of Deities
The monks say that you choose one of them and start counting deities. You stop at the number of your age. How old are you? 42? (The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything else. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams) Start counting and stop at the 42nd deity. Call a monk to tell you something about him and you. Because the deity represents you. This is mine. He and I are honest and steady personalities.
The monks give you a card of your deity with a description at the back.
Having fun making soap bubbles
Cute little Sherlock
A Video with the old man playing the traditional keeping the bad spirits away game. (It won't show and play on iPhones and iPads).
If you would like to read more by me, here are my novel and my diary from Ar'ar, in the northern Saudi desert. Both available on Amazon as soft and hard copy.
Today it was sunny and warm and we hit the park. Qianlin Park to be precise. It's the nearest to my house and the largest inner-city park of Guiyang. It has a big lake, some mountains with monkeys and a massive temple. There used to be a zoo, but it's been closed down.
There were many people there, since it is a public holiday and the last of the three-day festival.
There's an entrance fee of 50p to be paid, but then you can walk in the park all day. And you need all day to see it all. There are some extra fees for the temple, the cable car, etc.
Me and my monkey, as Robbie Williams sings. It's Monkey year in China and everything is decorated with monkeys. This one came up to me and offered to be photographed with me. After the two selfies, he took out a paper he was wearing around his neck, on which it was something written in Mandarin and the number 20. So I gathered that he wanted 20 Yuan from me (a bit over 2 pounds). My Chinese friends saw it and got angry, grabbed me by the arm and took me away. The monkey man followed a few yards, waving with his paper, but I told him that he should have said it before and not afterwards. Sorry mate, no money from me.
Happy Monkey Year!
If you would like to read more by me, here are my novel and my diary from Ar'ar, in the northern Saudi desert. Both available on Amazon as soft and hard copy.
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