Karst and Water: The Panlong Lake Scenic Area in Yunfu

The first thing that caught my eye as I arrived in Yunfu, Guangdong, was the incredible number of places selling various types of stone. The second thing was the karst topography in the midst of Yunfu's central urban area.

Soon I was photographing some it from my hotel room window. But the Panlong Lake Scenic Area which I had just passed is a more popular place to take in the karst views. It isn't as famous as similar sites in Guilin or neighboring Zhaoqing, but it has its own charms. And you can walk around the lake and hills for free.

I had planned to mention this scenic area earlier, but I ended up going down a rabbit hole trying to figure out what to call it English — more about that in a later post. The lake takes it name from Panlong Cave, which is in one of the hills surrounding the lake. More about the cave in another later post. A guide at the cave said it isn't possible to walk up any of the hills. But there is an accessible hill top not far away. More about that crag in yet another later post.

For this post, below are some photos taken on a cloudy and slightly hazy day as I walked around Panlong Lake in a clockwise direction. Yes, the sculpture in the last two photos is leaning to one side. And yes, there are ducks in the lake. But mostly, I share these to highlight more of the karst topography and some of the nearby urban areas in a city not familiar to most people outside of this region in China.

Buckling Up Success: Belts for Sale in Yunfu

The previous post with a photo of a crag in Yunfu I didn't try to name indicated that some future posts will include more crags. Incredibly enough, though, some other posts I have been working on don't include a single crag. So for a slight hint of what these cragless posts will be about, here is a sign for some belts for sale at a shop in Yunfu:

I believe that is it for this week. Next week should be more post-heavy.

An Unidentified Crag in Yunfu

I have recently spent much effort on research for several posts here. I don't actually have any of the posts ready yet though. And a good chunk of this research won't lead to anything that would make most people think, "Wow, you must have put a lot of time into this!"

If some people knew how much, they would probably wonder, "Why in the world did you spend so much time on this?"

Such is life.

So for a contrast (and to get something actually posted today) here is a scene from Yunfu.

I don't know the name of the crag / rock / hill in the photo. I am not going to try to figure it out. I just thought it was a nice thing to find while walking around an urban area in Yunfu.

More crags soon. At least one will be named.

Aspirations for Wheels in Yunfu

Advertisement in Yunfu for Miao You Che —
"a car-leasing platform that offers customers with one-stop auto financing services"

A Feilai Sunset in Qingyuan

No rainbows in Qingyuan today, but I'm not complaining.

Feilai Lake Park

A Long Wait: Colors Arc Over Qingyuan

Earlier today I returned to my room in Qingyuan, Guangdong, just in time to avoid a thunderstorm. Later as I worked at my laptop, I turned to look outside. The rain had appeared to come at least nearly to its end, and there was an unusual type of sunny brightness. I wondered if this could be an opportunity to see a rainbow. On several recent occasions I thought I might catch one only to be disappointed each time.

In fact, the last time I saw a rainbow in China was three years ago in Shaoyang, Hunan province. And four years ago after seeing a painted rainbow on a building in Hengyang, Hunan, I considered the fact that I couldn't remember having seen any real rainbows during my previous eight years in China. I later wondered whether the rarity with which I spotted them in comparison to when I lived in the U.S. could be at last partially connected to air pollution.

The end of daylight was soon approaching, and I thought about where the sun would be at the moment. I realized that if there were a rainbow, my window was facing a favorable direction. So I took a look.

I'll admit, seeing a rainbow outside led to a small gasp.

A glorious rainbow outside my window

After excitedly taking some photos, I raced outside. Well, the elevator wasn't in a hurry, but I did my best otherwise.

I made a quick decision that heading to the Qiaobei Road Overpass, from where I took a previous photo shared here, would be my best bet. And from the pedestrian bridge, I took more photos.

Glorious rainbow over Xianfeng East Road (先锋东路)

I had gotten there just in time. About 10 minutes later the rainbow was gone. And soon after that so was most of the sunlight. From the time I went out, the peculiar type of light when facing some particular directions wreaked havoc on my camera's white balancing. But I took effort to ensure the photos above are reasonably faithful to what I actually saw, which I prefer over taking some simple steps to make them more visually appealing to many people with a bluer sky.

I later noticed faint signs of a double rainbow in the photos. It isn't easy to spot, but it's there. That might be a first for me in China. The rainbow (and these photos) won't win any awards, but it still greatly lifted my spirits (though not that high). And after I received puzzled looks from some passersby, once they figured out the target of my attention, sometimes with my help, they appeared to appreciate it as well — especially the little girl who had pointed out the foreigner to her mother.

Hopefully it isn't another 3 years before I see another rainbow.

A Passing Day in Qingyuan

Playboy at Jiefang East Road in Yunfu

While just looking through my photos, I suspected one could have been included in the earlier post of scenes from historical Jiefang Road in Yunfu. I didn't consider it before, because when I first took the photo I didn't think of it as part of the same street. But a look at a map and enlarging an address sign in the photo confirms it is indeed from Jiefang East Road.

Especially since the photo contrasts with the others, I will share it here:

Playboy is well known in this part of the world but not in the same way it is in the U.S. The brand positions itself quite differently here. More about that another day.

A Sign of the Donkey and Goat Food Street in Qingyuan

Earlier this evening while standing on a pedestrian bridge I looked for a particular bank. I didn't see the bank, but I did notice a sign for an eating establishment which reminded me of yesterday's post about a butcher shop in Yunfu, Guangdong province, which offers goat, donkey, rabbit, dog, and cat meat.

I will go ahead and translate the "驴羊食街" that appears on one of the signs in the above photo as "The Donkey and Goat Food Street", though as mentioned before the second character may be for sheep instead of goat. In China sometimes animals in restaurant names doesn't mean they are on the menu. Sometimes it does. In this case I would expect the latter.

Two years ago I shared an example of a restaurant I had seen the year before in Zhuhai, Guangdong, that featured the same combo. The sign was more explicit about the animals being on the menu since the Chinese character for "meat" appeared as well. I see I interpreted "羊" (yáng) as "lamb" then. That was before I began exploring what the character alone often represents in such cases in Guangdong.

Finally, the above scene isn't from Yunfu, nor is it from the city I visited next — Zhaoqing. Yesterday after an unexpectedly scenic bus ride I arrived in Qingyuan, yet another city in Guangdong. Specifically, I took the photo from the Qiaobei Road Overpass (桥北路立交), and this view looks down one side of Qiaobei Road as traffic slowly makes it way from the south.

Oh . . . and no, I didn't try the donkey and goat place. No food reviews for today.

From Donkey to Cat: The Selection at a Butcher Shop in Yunfu

A variety of shops line historic Jiefang Road in Yunfu, Guangdong province. One which especially caught my eye sells meat.

It was specifically the selection of meat available listed on its signs that I found notable. I have seen all of these types of meat sold and on restaurant menus in China before, but seeing them all together listed so prominently isn't a daily event for me.

The first meat listed is identified with the Chinese character 羊 (yáng), which can refer to sheep or goats (and some other animals as well). Given how I have found the term used in many parts of Guangdong province, including in Jieyang, I presume it refers to goat.

Donkey meat is next, which I saw on the menu at a restaurant in Huizhou — another city in Guangdong province.

Then comes rabbit meat, which I most strongly associate with Zigong in Sichuan province since it is especially popular there. A couple of relevant dishes I had in Zigong appear in a post where I offer spicy evidence that family-sized portions of rice are quite common in parts of China.

Next up is dog meat. I have seen this for sale in many regions. A post including photos of seven restaurants in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province, that feature dog meat comes to mind.

The last item listed, cat meat, is the one I come across the least in China. I don't have any relevant posts about it. I have photos of various sightings though — potential material for a future post.

While it significantly differs from what is available at typical grocery stores, I wouldn't consider this selection of meats especially exotic for Guangdong. In terms of what I have personally come across, the winner for that is probably a live animal market I visited a number of times in Shaoguan — more material for a future post. The bamboo rats did not look happy.

Eighteen Scenes from Historical Jiefang Road in Yunfu

Many of the buildings which line Jiefang Road as it winds it way through central Yunfu are indicative of some of the city's history. In nearby cities such as Zhongshan and Jiangmen, a few similar historical roads have in part been turned into popular pedestrian streets. Yunfu doesn't appear to have any such grandiose plans at the moment, though the city government has proposed renovations to this "living fossil" (reference in Chinese).

The series of photos below capture scenes beginning on Jiefang East Road, moving westward to Jiefang Middle Road which passes by Martyr's Park, and then onto Jiefang West Road towards the road's end near Pingfeng Hill, which appears in two of the photos. Many of the scenes include buildings with historical architecture. And many capture some of the life at the old street on two recent weekday afternoons.


Jiefang East Road (解放东路)

Jiefang Middle Road (解放中路)

Jiefang West Road (解放西路)

A Golden Visit to M8 Langhe Dumplings in Zhaoqing

Previously, I shared a photo of a wonton restaurant in Zhaoqing with a logo very similar to the McDonald's Golden Arches. The next day I happened to pass by yet again. I also happened to be hungry this time. So I took the opportunity to have dinner there.

After sitting down at a table, I noticed the M8 logo appeared in a number of locations, including signs featuring one of their ice drinks.

As indicated by their menu, in addition to wontons they offer a variety of other items, most common Cantonese fare.

The choice for me was easy. For 8 yuan (about US $1.25) I ordered a medium-sized bowl of the item featured in the name on their storefront sign — langhe wontons (塱鹤云吞).

The wantons are named after Langhe village in Zhaoqing (reference in Chinese). Some other restaurants I have passed in Zhaoqing similarly feature "langhe wontons" in their names.

I also ordered a plate of Chinese broccoli, but they were out. So for 7 yuan I had the usual choi sum — much healthier than the Big Mac I had earlier suggested pairing with the wontons.

In short, the wontons were better than I expected. They are a smaller type of wonton which I have found at some places not to be especially flavorful. But these were tasty. The choi sum was a little overcooked for my tastes, not uncommon, but for 7 yuan I was still pleased.

And just to make sure . . . I asked the high school boy who took my money while the woman who had taken my order was back in the kitchen about the eatery's name. He said "M8" and also said this was their only location.

If I were living in Zhaoqing, I could definitely see myself returning. For comparison, I would also be curious to try some of the other restaurants in Zhaoqing which similarly feature langhe wontons.

But none of them will have the golden M8.

McWonton's Golden Arches in Zhaoqing

There is something about that M . . .

I saw the small eatery in the above photo today in Zhaoqing. Other than the M8 logo I didn't see anything else, including the Chinese below the logo on the sign, which seemed to have a bit of McDonald's spirit. Instead of hamburgers, this place features wontons (to be clear, "McWonton's" is my own creation). I refrained from asking about the logo.

The eatery especially caught my attention since it had been a while since I last came across an example of a logo seemingly inspired by McDonald's, whether at a hotpot restaurant in Changde or a Wichael Alone restaurant at highway rest area probably not very far from here. It was also notable in another respect. On the other side of the street and visible from the eatery are the famous Golden Arches themselves.

So if you're ever craving a side of wontons to go along with a Big Mac, this part of Zhaoqing might be a great place to go.

A Sign of Northeast China from Shenyang

Trying to track down a possible connection inspired me to dig through the photos I took in Shenyang about a year and a half ago. The city in Northeast China's Liaoning province is about a 2900 kilometer (1800 mile) drive from my current location in Zhaoqing in Southeast China. The photos made me think of how the two cities are different worlds in many ways yet definitely parts of the same country.

The focus here has been heavy on the southern half of China for a while. So for a change of spirit and color below are two photos of a remarkable sign in Shenyang that caught my eye both when I saw it in person and when I more recently scrolled through my photos. The sign's top section is for the Huihualou Jewelry Store and the lower section is for the Huihualou Business Hotel. I find the sign reminiscent of earlier times in Shenyang and endearing in its own way.

Working, Not Working, Traffic, and Sales: A Few Labor Day Scenes in Zhaoqing, China

Today was Labor Day (May Day) in China. And today I was in Zhaoqing, a prefecture-level city which borders my previous locations — Yunfu and Jiangmen.

As I have seen during past Labor Days elsewhere in China, today . . .

Some people worked.

Paifang Plaza

Some people enjoyed their day off work or school.

Paifang Park

Some people sat in traffic.

Duanzhou 4th Road

And some stores had holiday promotions.

Zhaoqing is a popular tourist destination in the region, and the increased crowds (and hotel rates) were easy to spot during the three day holiday period. More about Zhaoqing later after I first return to posting about Yunfu. For more Labor Day photos, see past years' posts featuring scenes in Shenzhen and in Yinchuan

Pingfeng Hill Park in Yunfu

At Pingfeng Hill in Yunfu, there is a park. Unsurprisingly, it is named Pingfeng Hill Park. According to an informational sign there, the park opened last July. At the moment it consists of a single path which connects an entrance from a a road, unsurprisingly named Pingfeng Road, on the southeast side of the hill with an entrance on the south side of the hill.  According to a posted map, the current path will apparently be extended to another entrance and an alternate route will be created as well.

The park includes a small simple Chinese pavilion. And the path goes by several tombs.

The path doesn't reach very high — nowhere near the top of the hill. So the views are somewhat limited.

While this park may be appreciated by locals, it probably isn't one which would make the itinerary for a several-day visit to Yunfu. Another of Yunfu's hills which is also part of its karst topography, though, has a path all the way to its top that doesn't require advanced rock climbing skills. This one would likely appeal to somebody seeking views in central Yunfu from a height much higher than available at Pingfeng Hill Park or even the top of Qilin Hill. More about that hill later.

Two Urban Views of Pingfeng Hill in Yunfu

The previous post featured a view from Qilin Hill in Yunfu with Pingfeng Hill visible in the distance. For today's dose of urban karst topography, I will share two photos of Pingfeng Hill taken from a much closer vantage point. As a bonus, the second photo includes a water truck watering things.

This is also an opportunity to correct a mistake. I previously identified this fine example of karst topography as Bingfeng Hill. However, I now believe its proper name is Pingfeng Hill.

The first Chinese character in the hill's name, 屏, can be read as either "bing" or "ping" in Mandarin Chinese, and those two pronunciations have distinctly different meanings. It's one of the many homographs in Chinese language.

Today, as I looked for photos of Pingfeng Hill I noticed I had taken a photo of sign for a street which runs along the hill's south side. The street uses the hill for its name, and the sign went with Pingfeng.

Additionally, given their respective meanings, "ping" seems more fitting than "bing".

So Pingfeng Hill it is. Enjoy the views.