A Crossbar Bicycle Walk in Hengyang

As I crossed an intersection on Chuanshan Avenue in Hengyang yesterday, I saw another person crossing the intersection in a far more interesting manner.

At first I assumed the bike was too large or not set up properly for the girl to pedal. But perhaps she was under orders to walk her bike across busy intersections. When I later looked back, I saw her riding the bike in a more typical fashion on the sidewalk.

An Unexpected End to a Long Day in Hengyang

Towards the end of an especially thought-provoking day in Hengyang:

A crowd had gathered in the road due to an apparently minor accident. I had a brief chat with this friendly man. He made some hand gestures. Instead of trying to better understand what was going on, in this case I just I asked if I could take a photograph.

And down the street I continued with one more thing to ponder . . .

Ice Cream and Water Calligraphy in Hengyang

A moment today in Hengyang reminded me of another a couple of years ago in nearby Shaoyang . . .

A Cupping Alternative

In response to the post about some outdoor Chinese cupping therapy in Hengyang, an Asian American reader mentioned a related treatment also common in China — gua sha:

Cupping freaks me out I'll stick to gua sha, thank you.

Gua sha is becoming a "new thing" here in the US with therapy clinics offering it in places like NYC. I feel sorry for these people who have to go and pay for it because they don't have a Chinese for Vietnamese grandma who will pin them down at the first sign of illness and force it on them for free.

I have to say, I don't know why it works better than a standard deep massage, but it is still the only thing that can get rid of my migraines after a megadose of ibuprofen fails.

It seems I am missing out. Another person has raised the possibility that the practice is like a grandmother offering matzah ball soup, though, so perhaps I have made out OK.

A Bit of Bamboo Cupping from Hengyang

I worried I might not have time for a post today. But instead of me copping out, how about some cupping — bamboo style?

The therapeutic event captured above took place today in front of the northern entrance to Yanfeng Park in Hengyang, Hunan. If the technique of this particular practitioner didn't suit you, at least two other options were available nearby.

One woman did her best to convince me I was in dire need of some cupping. I passed even though the prices appeared to be hard to beat.

A Strong Drink of Hengyang

No responses correctly identified the city captured in photos of a riverside path, a dish of eel, and riverside dancing. I'm not surprised since the city isn't well known and none of the photos captured anything particularly iconic. I had considered sharing just one more photo as a clue — one of a locally produced alcohol.

However, this felt like too easy of a clue for those familiar with Chinese, though a quick internet search might be required. Yanfeng Liquor (Xiaodiao)* is a straightforward giveaway, since Yanfeng is a central urban district in Hengyang, Hunan. The 128 ml bottle sells for 15 yuan (about US $2.20), and like the peppers in the eel dish the contents have a good kick. The baijiu is made from a variety of grains and at 46% alcohol goes down a bit more smoothly than many other inexpensive baijius. It is one of the ways I found in Hengyang to have a local experience — one that fortunately didn't leave me with a headache the next day.

This is my fourth visit to Hengyang, something I wouldn't have predicted after my first brief visit over five years ago. As with intervening visits, I have seen much that has changed. I have also seen much that has not. More about both later.



*The official name listed on the back of the bottle is 雁峰酒(小调). I don't know whether "xiaodiao" is intended to refer to the minor key in music or the genre of folk music, though I lean towards the latter.

Riverside Solo Dancing

There have been some good guesses on the city captured in food and in paths but still no correct answer. So I will share one more photo before the big reveal. The evening scene is at a location similar to some others I have shared from the city in the past, so perhaps it will awaken some memories for readers who have been around for a bit.

Update: The answer

A Spicy Clue

I haven't received any correct guesses of the city captured in the previous photo. So for another clue — one which significantly narrows the possibilities —I will share a photo of a local-style dish I enjoyed in the same city the other day for lunch.

On this note, with the exception of occasional forays into non-Chinese foods, I mostly eat local-style dishes wherever I happen to be in China. Unintentionally, it has been a while since I have been in any regions known for spicy foods. As can be pretty clearly seen in this photo, I have now rectified this issue. Those peppers had a solid kick. And the eel was good too.



Update: The answer

Different Paths

Today. Not in Guangzhou . . .

Bonus points to anyone who can identify the Chinese city — one which has been featured here before.


Update: The answer

A Heavy Dose of Core Socialist Values Signage at an Intersection in Guangzhou

Earlier I shared a photo taken of a sign promoting China's 12 "core socialist values" at Guangzhou's Shangxiajiu Square. An easy walk from there along the Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street takes one to the intersection where Wenchang South Road heads northward and Shibafu North Road heads southward. On the southeast corner of the intersection another sign displays the values.

And a smaller sign promotes the values on the northwest corner.

The northeast corner also sports a similarly themed sign.

And so does the southeast corner.

If there were a fifth corner, it too might have a patriotic sign. I don't recall seeing any other intersections in China with such a high density of core socialist values signs.

On most of the signs it isn't hard to see earlier advertisements which had been displayed on the billboards. For example, if you look closely at the sign in the last photo, you may be able to spot the iconic image of Colonel Harland David Sanders in an ad for KFC. Like baijiu, which was promoted near the earlier sign, KFC is popular in China but not explicitly mentioned in the core values.

I don't know whether the current signs more reflect fulfilling requirements, their owners' patriotism, or an inability to find interested buyers for the advertising space. Whatever the case, if you are a connoisseur of core socialist values signs, you may want to get here quickly before things possibly change. 

A Useful Sign in Macau

Several high-speed rail trips, trouble-shooting a problematic camera and lens, and other such fun have been keeping me unusually occupied. But things should be relatively sane for a bit, so, more . . .

[sic]
Seen in Macau

A Harbin Moment in Guangzhou

Drinking Harbin Beer on a late Sunday night