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9:25PM Saturday 04 July, 2009

Charmed by China

15 January 2009

| By Nicola Kerkenezov

Watching Jason demonstrate his series of kung-fu kicks and blocks, he appears so natural and powerful.

But as I follow the former Shaolin Temple instructor across the floor of his Yanghuo training centre move for move, I struggle to keep up and stick the series of spin kicks without losing my balance.

After all, I am behind the eight-ball – despite a few years’ karate lessons back home at Maroochydore’s Tang Soo Tao HQ – as he had been trained eight hours a day, six-days-a-week at the famous temple since he was young.

This exhausting hour, one-on-one lesson (which affects how I was to feel for days afterwards) was just one of the highlights during a 17-day Gecko’s Adventures Inland China trip during October.

Our tour group of 14 and ever-helpful guide Zu Hang, of Chengdu, had been on the road almost a week since meeting in Hong Kong and catching a hydrofoil to the mainland.

The group, which included myself and friend Fiona, was a mix of Australians and one Pom who ranged in ages from early 20s to those “of a certain age”.

But there was one thing we all shared: A desire to see this amazing country that is home to more than one billion from the grassroots.

Our trip was all overland – think overnight train journeys of 10-plus hours sleeping six-a-cabin, hold-the-nose toilets, road stall noodles and modest hotels.

But, despite all this, you couldn’t get much more picturesque than our first major stop, Yangshuo, which lies in the very heart of Guangxi province’s limestone karst country.

After exploring the range of top arts and craft markets down by the Li River, there is so much to take you out in the countryside with its golden rice fields.

Discovering the area on bike, we took in a relaxing river raft trip and lunched under the towering Moon Hill as rock climbers inched their way up its side despite the tropical conditions.

Escaping the humidity was easy at nearby Moon Water Cave where we climbed into the depths of one of the more than 20,000 karsts, taking in unusual formations, an enticing mud bath (complete with colourful techno disco ball hanging from the ceiling!), and crystal-clear creeks.

Arriving on the banks of the Yangtze River days later was a total contrast.

At 6300km, it is the third longest river in the world (after the Nile and Amazon) and cuts a powerful sight.

Taming this natural wonder has been one of China’s most impressive feats of modern times.

Walking by the Three Gorges Dam wall is mind-blowing. Set to form the world’s largest reservoir, the structure is 2km wide and 185m tall.

It has taken 17 years to build and includes the longest shipping locks and boat lift (still being finished).

However, the project has been criticised for reportedly swamping about 8000 unexcavated archaeological sites, endangering species and displacing millions of people.

During a three-day cruise of the Three Gorges, we saw firsthand the effects of the rising water level.

Back dropped against mist-swathed mountains and verdant undergrowth, locals were getting on with their lives.

Soon-to-be-flooded bridges, buildings, schools and more were being blown up or torn down while high above new structures were under construction.

Oblivious to China’s fast-paced progress are the 50-odd fury residents at Chengdu’s Giant Panda Breeding Research Base.

These lovable national icons enjoy nothing more than to laze around their enclosures munching on bamboo “cigars”.

While smaller than I had expected, the hand-reared animals are so adorable you will seriously fall in love with one look of their big eyes.

With only about 1100 shy pandas left in the wild, this wonderfully set- out centre is your best place of seeing these amazing creatures in China.

After nearly two weeks on the go, our tour group – who had by now developed a serious addiction to noodles and card games during transit – headed “back in time” to Xi’an, the nation’s capital for at least 11 dynasties over 1100 years.

This vibrant and modern city has many historical sites to explore, such as the 14km long city walls(the best preserved in China), ornate bell and drum towers, Great Mosque, and the Big Goose and Little Goose pagodas, which offer breathtaking views over the city.

But perhaps the best-known ancient highlight of Xi’an is the Terracotta Warriors.

The thousands of life-sized warriors and horses in battle formation were made from 210BC for the tomb of China’s first Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

The project reportedly took more than 700,000 people 38 years to build and was not discovered until 1974 when farmers digging a well struck the edge of the main pit.

Interestingly, every warrior was originally colourfully painted but unfortunately this faded in about 30 seconds when exposed to the air upon excavation.

Therefore, the main tomb thought to hold the emperor has not been uncovered as authorities wait for technology to advance and offer a solution to best preserve the buried treasures.

On a crisp and cool morning, after a final overnight 14-hour train trip, we hit the last destination of the tour – Beijing.

Put on your walking shoes to explore this huge city home to more than 15 million.

Hours spent marvelling at the ornate Forbidden City and Summer Palace, historic Tiananmen Square and geometrical Temple of Heaven are just a light warm-up for the rigors of The Great Wall.

With building started over 2000 years ago, the wall is now mostly in ruin except for a few sections restored for tourism.

We venture out of the city to Simatai where a 19km-section can be seen snaking its way up steep hills.

The climb is precarious up thousands of steps and ladders with no barrier should you tumble off the edge or take an unfortunate slip.

Still, as we make the final watchtower after an hour of huffing, puffing and the rubbing of tight boots, we can’t help marvelling at the human effort that went into building this amazing world wonder.

Perched on the wall, celebratory choc biscuit in hand and clear blue skies stretching all the way to Beijing, we all felt dizzyingly on top of the world.

A fitting way to end what had been an eye-opening and adventurous trip.

IF YOU GO:

When to go: Spring (March to May) and Autumn (September to early November).

Tours: Gecko’s Inland China 17-day tour from Hong Kong to Beijing ($1750 plus US$250 local payment). Land only, includes trip leader, local guides, transport, accommodation, sightseeing and some meals. Fortnightly departures from March to November, www.geckosadventures.com.

Don’t forget: Camera, warm clothes, phrasebook.

More information: www.lonelyplanet.com, www.tangsootao.com.au.

Recent Comments

Add a comment
Posted by annaoliver9 from Cotton Tree
on 16 January, 2009 at 11:43 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I really enjoyed the article Charmed by China
15 January 2009 By Nicola Kerkenezov. It was interesting and informative and made me want to pack my suitcase and book a trip to China. The martial arts lesson sounds like a great experiecne.

best regards, Anna Oliver

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