China in miniature

If you are in China for only a short time, Shenzhen is a good place to visit as the city seems to specialize in miniature parks. Window of the World has 130 reproductions of world--famous sites, including the pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, etc. Last evening I visited Splendid China, a huge park with replicas of famous sites in China. Photos below show 1. a Beijing house 2. a mosque 3. caves outside of Dunhuang, Western China 4. Longmen Caves 5. Giant Buddha, Le Shan  6. Tai'an Mountain (where I'm heading from here) 7. Terracotta Warriors 8  Beijing's Forbidden Palace.

If you still want to see more miniatures, adjacent to Splendid China is the China Folk Village Park, comprised of traditional Chinese ethnic houses, temples, bridges. Very well done, as shown in above photo.


And then after spending hours exploring all of China, as a grand finale is a free evening music & dance extravaganza.

On to Shenzhen...

 I really enjoyed visiting Macau, but after a week there, time to start the trip back home to Beijing. Above, 4 parting shots: enjoy your coffee & pastry as you go round in circles; incense coils at a Macau temple; an insect tomb for champion cricket fighters; night shot of Macau's famous Cotai Strip.

 On to mainland China. Above 75 minutes via ferry from Macau to Shenzhen.

 Shenzhen is a Special Economic Zone, so there are people from all over China living and working here. Above is a view from my room. That is Hong Kong just across the river.

 Always interesting to read the rules in China. For example the hotel pool rules require you to discharge "bodily waste" before entering, and states that drunks and psychopaths are not  allowed in the pool.

 Some interesting translations in China.

 Really packed at Shenzhen's Dongmen Food Court

 Above 2 photos, various insects for sale at Dongmen Food Court.

Above 3 photos: this morning I took the subway out to Dafen Oil Painting Village. There are some 600 studios here where you can special order any painting you want, including van Gogh, Rembrandt, Picasso, still lifes, self-portraits, etc.

Vegas of China

Macau, a peninsula in southern China, is a gambling mecca. A Portuguese colony for about 300 years, the city is a blend if old and new, traditional and glitzy. From Quanzhou on the mainland I took a train, subway, shuttle bus, ferry, then a taxi to reach my Macau hotel. Above is the entrance gate to board the high-speed train in Quanzhou.

The casinos in Macau seem a lot more sedate than Vegas casinos. The Chinese like to keep a clear head when gambling, so instead of alcohol, there is complimentary water, tea, and coffee.

Above 4 photos, some of the more traditional elements in Macau.

Above 3 photos taken at the upscale Wynn Palace.

The 4 photos above taken at a performance of the Monkey King, an elaborate Vegas-like show at the Macau Sands Theater.

Traditional Chinese teahouse

 Funeral offerings, Kaiyuan Temple, Quanzhou.

 Museum display on proper procedure for praying, Quanzhou Mosque.

 Cooking up some sort of Chinese donuts.

 Selling temple paraphernalia outside of Guandi Temple, Quanzhou.

 Typical breakfast area at a Chinese hotel.

 Just outside of Quanzhou Confucius Temple is a traditional Chinese teahouse. Entry is free to hear south Chinese classical music (Nanyin) and enjoy complimentary green tea. I went there every evening during my stay in Quanzhou.

Quanzhou, ancient port city

 I love Shanghai, but time to continue heading south toward Macau. Next stop, the ancient port city of Quanzhou, not far from Taiwan.

 I've seen these "IV" fruit juice bags for sale at snack shops several places in China.

I'm Staying at the Overseas Chinese Hotel in Quanzhou. In addition to fruit and tea, I got a complimentary set of mini Mao cups.

 These are for sale in the hotel lobby for 7 yuan, about $1.

 View from my room is okay, but the view from the bathroom/shower is fantastic.

 A favorite Chinese dish of mine, vegan hotpot. The cook even ground sesame paste for me.

 The furniture in the hotel lobby is for sale. The price there on the table is 128,000 yuan, or about $20,000.

 The ships in this region used to be modeled after birds.

 While taking a break in the Islamic Cemetery, I saw this bug, colorful and unusual enough to merit a photo.

Above 4 photos taken at Shaolin Kung Fu Temple outside of Quanzhou. The temple architecture is markedly different in this southeast region of China.