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Monday 22 February 2016

China Part 5....

After our overnight stay in Chongqing it was time to depart our hotel for a tour of the city, before our onward journey.   Our first stop of the day was a visit to Ciqikou Old Street, which means "Porcelain Port",  an ancient town originally called Longyinzhen and was also known as Little Chongqing. According to an old Chinese proverb: "One flagstone road, and one thousand years' Ciqikou". The name of the town can be traced back to porcelain production during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing Dynasties.   Formerly a busy port located at the lower reaches of the Jialing River, a thousand years after its foundation the town remains a symbol and microcosm of old Chongqing.

 Fascinating old buildings,

thriving businesses,


interesting entrances and carvings.

We found a lovely modernised coffee shop up a hidden flight of stairs where we enjoyed some refreshment.


It had a veranda at the front overlooking the street

and one at the back overlooking their back terrace.
Our next stop was lunch, yes you've guessed it another Chinese banquet, then a full city tour where our first destination was People's Square

with the magnificent Great Hall of the People, which is a large hall for political meetings and cultural events.
On the opposite side of People's Square stands the Three Gorges Museum

 with it's magnificent entrance hall.
Displays include painting, calligraphy, porcelain, coins, sculpture and cultural objects.



From the museum we joined our coach again to visit the Huguang Guildhall.
The Huguang Guild Hall is an old complex of buildings that was a cultural, business and social center for more than 200 years. When people came from other provinces to settle in the region during the Qing Dynasty, they built guild halls. The Huguang Hall was built for people from Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hunan.   This complex of rooms and halls served for business, entertainment, religious and social activity and as a meeting place for people from the provinces in the southeast and east.


It contains many interesting artefacts.


We were interested to know why every doorway had a steep lip to step over to enter a room and were told it was to deter ghosts from entering, apparently ghosts cannot step over anything.

As we were leaving the Guildhall we stopped for a while to watch the great traditional entertainment in the courtyard.


Then it was time for us to join The Century Sky Cruise Ship for a two day cruise.

I hope you will  join me for our cruise on the Yangtze River in Part 6.

8 comments:

Valerie said...

So much to see and absorb, yet you did it very well. I can't imagine there is anything uninteresting about China. Did you write all the names down or did you rely on memory - thinking of spelling now... smiles.

Looking forward to cruising up the river with you, Pearl.

Akelamalu said...

Yes your're right Valerie, everything in China is interesting! I always make daily notes on everything we see and do on these tours, otherwise I'd forget as we see so much. I always have the printed itinerary to refer back to also. xx

Ron said...

AMAZING photographs, Pearl! You really captured the essence and flavor of what everyday life is in China. I especially love the picture of the woman walking through the rain; carrying an umbrella. GREAT shot! Also the shots in the museum are just wonderful.

Those last few photos reminded me of when I was in Japan and visited the temples in Kyoto.

Lovely tour, m'dear! Thanks so much for sharing. Can't wait for Part6!
X

katie eggeman said...

My notes on my trip to Europe were not so helpful, as I couldn't make a lot of sense out of them. I had the same problem in college at test time. Really great photos and a cruise along the way!

Daryl said...

such amazing photos ... i hope you are making up a book of these

Commander Zaius said...

Awesome pictures! China simply blows me away.

Akelamalu said...

Glad you enjoyed it Ron. We really must consider going to Japan.

I have to make notes or I wouldn't remember hardly anything BankerChick!LOL

Thanks Daryl. No book, my blog is it. x

Cheers Beach, it blew us away too. x

Flowerpot said...

What an incredible trip! XX