Ni Hao China! Part 1- Hong Kong to Guilin.

A man being 'cupped' in a Guilin hutong

Outside the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou, Guandong

Moon and I with a status of Sun himself

I spent a few days in Hong Kong where I did little apart from visit the Chinese embassy, Victoria Park, Stanley Market and St. Stephen's beach. The drive on the bus to the beach took you past Repulse Bay, one of the most exclusive locations in Hong Kong.  I really like this city. Nowhere more clearly typifies the contrast between east and west than Hong Kong.
From here it was a bus journey to Guangzhou ( formerly Canton), about 120 km from Hong Kong. It stands on the Pearl River, and is one of China's biggest and most modern  cities. It has a population of 13 million people and is the largest city in Southern China and the third biggest overall. 
One of the main reasons for going to Guangzhou was to meet up again with Moon and her mum, who I had met in Penang. They were the perfect hosts and after meeting me at my hostel when I arrived they took me straight out got dinner at a local restaurant. It was so lovely to see them again! The following day I met Moon in the morning and we visited Sun Yat  Sen memorial hall.(Sun Yat Sen was one of the founders of the Republic if China). In the afternoon she had arranged to meet some friends at the Baiyan mountain, one of the main attractions in Guangzhou. It was particularly crowded with locals due to it being holiday time in China- the following day was Tomb Sweepers Day ( see below). I had a great afternoon and evening with Moon's friends (see picture) who themselves enjoyed practising their English and telling me a bit about themselves. You learn so much about a Nation and it's people from these type of exchanges. In the evening we had dinner at a local restaurant and wandered by the lake in the Lizhiwan district with its traditional architecture, trees alight with lanterns, river boats all lit up, people doing tai chi and a group of children learning Kung fu. I also managed a further evening out in Shamian Island where we walked  along the Pearl river. We had tea in a traditional  tea house and finished off the evening with a typical chinese meal of  hotpot (see my upcoming food blog)

Moon and her friends

A view from Baiyan mountain

Night time Ghangzhou

Hot pot in Guangzhou

Tomb Sweeping- 4th April. This is a day when families get together to pay their respects to their departed loved ones by cleaning their grave. It is a national holiday in China and makes for a very busy time if you plan to travel!  


 From Guangzhou I made my way to Yangshou, in Guangxi Province, by overnight bus. This is the area of outstanding natural beauty, nestled in the Karst mountains, that is often featured on postcard images of China. Apart from the weather not being great, you could not help but be stunned by the views. My hostel had a rooftop area that gave a panoramic view of the peaks. Yangshou is a tourist hotspot but I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Cycling through the dramatic landscape with a group of German people I met in the hostel was a particularly memorable day.

The wonderful hostel in Yangshou

A view of the Karst mountains in the haze

Me and the Germans!

The view from Hostel 11

From here I made my way to nearby Guilin from where I would be taking the train back to Beijing. It is considered one of the most beautiful cities in China and did not disappoint. It is a well preserved walled city nestled amongst the mountains. From here you can do river cruises along the Li river with the stunning scenery all around.

A view from the Li river, Guilin,Guangxi

Sightseeing in Guilin

 Once again I stayed at a great hostel The Ming Palace and had a pleasant day walking along the  river and taking in the scenery. I saw a group of men bracing themselves for a swim and many locals enjoying a Sunday afternoon stroll. Wandering into one of the local hutongs was an interesting experience as the pictures show. In the evening, I was leaving the hostel at the same time as a Chinese couple and ended up joining them for dinner (their treat) and was once again amazed at the generosity shown to me by the people in China.