Scenes of China: Chenzhou, Hunan Province

In the previous post I shared where I spent the last days of 2011 -- Hengyang, Hunan province. Typically I don't do two "scenes" posts in a row, but in the spirit of symmetry I'll now share where I spent the first days of 2012 -- Chenzhou, Hunan (map).

Like in Hengyang, the weather was overcast and caused me again to forgo a nature trip. This time I had hoped to see Suxian Hill -- a place of natural scenery and Taoist relics. Again, maybe in another year or life I'll see it.

Despite some rainy drizzle at times, I took the opportunity to explore the city. Some of my walks were directed to places of potential interest I saw on a map and others were more random. One thing I noticed that is consistent with what I've more recently read about Chenzhou was that the food didn't have the characteristic spiciness found in the food of other regions of Hunan. I suspect Chenzhou's close proximity to Guangdong province, where cooking styles aren't known for their spiciness, is at least partially responsible.

If you've kept track of the last 4 cities (including Chenzhou) I've posted about, you may see a connection between them. That connection will provide a clue both for where I headed after Chenzhou and for what I plan to write about in a future post.

But for now, here's some of what I saw in Chenzhou:

The department store on the right was very busy on New Years Day

Nearby Xinglong Pedestrian Street

Popular place for Cantonese style snacks
People thrust money at the very busy server to get her attention to take their orders - not my hands.

The lady in the red coat saw me passing by outside and was eager to speak some English. So, I went inside and said hello.

Seemingly new apartment complexes. Similar ones nearby appeared to be mostly empty - a not uncommon sight in China.

Some farming in the city

Bridge under construction

Walking in the rain

Chen River

Baby Bar -- No, I didn't try it.

Snoopy by Peanuts car

Fruit and vegetables for sale at a street market

Street vendor selling a sort of peanut crisp

Remnants of fireworks