Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!!!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone! This week has been quite the week. Not only is today August 15 according to the Lunar Calendar (meaning that the moon is its roundest and that the Chinese celebrate by eating mooncakes with their families), but this past week I have been on break for the National Holiday which was on October 1st. All seven of us went to different places around China. Ben and Sunny went to LeShan & EMeiShan; Laura, Sarah, and Matt went on a 3 day cruise down the Yangtze River; and Tabitha & I went to JuizhaiGou and Huangshan up in the northern part of the Sichuan Province. Our trip started on Monday at 5:30 AM. Both of us met up at West gate and then headed on over to East gate where the tour company sent a van to pick us up. Our first day was long and tiring. We rode the bus up until around 4 in the afternoon. In between, we stopped off and did some touristy stuff, like, me riding a camel. To think of it, I think this camel ride was the first time I have ever been on an animal. Nope, not even horses. So, it was sort of exciting. However, the entire time I was on this trip, I couldnt help but think that tourism is so exploitive of the culture and the socieities. One of the ethnic minorities that lives in the area we visited the Zang, or the Tibetans. Tourists dress up in their traditional for a photo opportunity...but all the while not really understanding the culture or what their clothing represents. I fell into this too as you will see later on in this blog.
On the other hand, the people here have sort of accepted this and have even begun on tourism to make a living. We went to a "Ethnic Minority" show. They had all of these re-dramatizations of their customs and festivities. During the entire thing, although really appreciating the culture and their dress, I had an uneasy feeling that I was contributing to an exploitation. I began to wonder, as I do whenever I partake as a mere tourists, what do these people really think about us being here? Is the situation here accepted? Or is it simply just tolerated?
I am currently reading a book entitled "Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice." It is my Mark Plotkin and it discusses his expeditions to the Amazon to work with Shamans of the native peoples so that their knowledge of traditional herbs used for medicine doesnt become lost. Part of the book discusses how the outside, more modern world has contributed to the loss of culture. I see that happening here in China too. I am just hoping that all of this doesnt come to a point where thousands of years of history and knowledge just...disappear.

Well, asides from my own contemplative insights, my trip was amazing. The world, nature, people just never ceases to amaze me. Juizhaigou was a place my mom has always wanted to go. After being there...I can say that anyone who appreciates natural beauty can not but fall in love with this place. From pools of aqua and royal blue to waterfalls and the mountains, this place was definitely the place to spend the holidays. Granted...I wasnt the only one thinking that. JuizhaiGou and Huanglong receive so many visitors everyday...but the greatest numbers come during the holidays. It took quite the effort to take pictures of the scenery without catching a tourist in the photograph. We spent an entire day at JuizhaiGou...and let me tell you...a day was barely enough time. I was highly impressed by how well the place is protected and preserved. There are, of course, occasional instances where visitors violate rules and touch some of the formations...but for the most part...I didnt find anyone smoking in the park *maybe it was the 500 RMB penalty that came with this violation* or people littering. The park itself is enormous. There are low pollution buses inside Juizhaigou that take you to all of the points of interest...from the tops of the mountains to the lower regions of the area. My favorite part of Juizhaigou was just walking through the mountains and forests. Autumn is usually the best time to go. Although it is a bit chilly during this time of the year, the forests of trees are spotted with yellows and reds. Occasionally, as you are walking along the paths, you come across a vast area of reeds and grassland surrounding pools of magnificently colored water. The most famous and most beautiful pool is called the Five Colored Pool. Upon reaching its waters...you are just completely blown away with the deepness and virbrantness of the blue. And all of the water in this park are so clear that you can literally see all the way to the bottom. Tiny fish swimming around can be seen from afar.

Huanglong was our destination on our trip day traveling away from Chengdu. It was very cold both at the bottom of the mountain and at the top. In order to save time, given that we only had 4 hours to climb and descend the mountain, a couple of us bought tickets to travel up the mountain via cable cars. That saved us nearly 3 hours of walking. After our lift, we walked for half an hour to visit the most celebrated part of Huanglong. As we began to walk and take pictures, it began to snow! Hard too! The snow and the changing autumn colors only added to the beauty of this place. It was difficult to restrain myself from taking so many pictures. Everything, it seemed, was worth pausing and photograhing. The lines of people climbing the wooden pathways was quite a scene too! People were gathered around the temples, snapping pictures of the flora. Sometimes...we literally had to stop, walk, stop, walk just because so many people were trying to take pictures on the narrow paths. :) Me included.
Overall...the trip was great. There were a couple of downers to traveling with a Chinese touring company...such as the rooms and the food. But when we travel...its more about the destinations, no? The journey itself can be rough...and it was...especially with all of the windy roads and my car sickness...but I have to say...the trip was well worth it!

I have many more pictures of this trip over in YahooPhotos. The link is in my blog...titled "Additional Photos of China."

:) I do have to say that despite the amount of photos that I did take...they only begin to express truely what a magnificent place these 2 places were. I guess you will just have to go and visit them for yourself!