Shangrila (11)

Goodbye from Shangrila

Shangrila (10)

Early days printing press.

Shangrila (9)

Making smooth stones for accessories

Shangrila (8)

Making cotton the old fashioned way

Yangshuo - Shangrila (7)

Cutting paper (by hand of course).

Yangshuo - Shangrila (2)

The scenery at Shangrila is really stunning and couples arrive daily to have their wedding pictures taken with the Shangrila scenery in the background.

Yangshuo 阳朔 Li River

There are plenty of bamboo rafts on this part of the river. Old fishermen are daily rafting around with their cormorants. They are happy to have you take photos. Many of the locals swim in this part of the river early in the morning or evening.

Fuli 福利 at the market

This might be a dodgy version of TCM.

Fuli 福利 TCM

TCM - Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Some people have treatment in the market. Here the glass is made hot with a flame and then put on the back of the patient. The hot glass then sucks the skin inside the glass, making it look like a baloon. It is supposed to take the coldness out of the body. Its quite painful and leaves lots of red circles for about a week to ten days on the body.

Yangshuo 阳朔 Pamelos

Pamelo's. They look like giant pears but taste a little like grapefruit. Just not as sour or juicy. They are harvested in autumn and sold everywhere on the streets. Now they are wrapped in clingfilm as it is not the season for them.

Yangshuo 阳朔 Classroom

I guess I had the coolest workplace in the world. Right next to the Li River. But I am not working at the moment. Just traveling.

Yangshuo 阳朔 Dragon River

This is the Dragon river a short bike ride from Yangshuo. The sceenery is very beautiful but it does get a bit touristy. Wonder why.....

Fuli 福利

A tree that seems to grow out of a wall-sideways

Fuli 福利

Part of the market in Fuli

Fuli 福利

Fuli is a village near Yangshuo. Doesn't take long to get there and the fare is just 2.5 yuan. The town has a big market that is quite busy. There are mainly locals there and not many tourists. Walking through the old part of town one reaches part of the Li river where water buffalos enjoy cooling themselves down. Old women wash the clothes in the river or vegetables.There are many family businesses who make fans with traditional Chinese drawings. They are all handmade and painted by various family members.

Yangshuo 阳朔

This foot massage place offered to trim feet. How scary is that....

Yangshuo 阳朔

Came across a sign that sold Chinese madicine. Does one get mad when taking it?Maybe only when one has a boby massage with the madicine.

Xing Ping 兴坪

A not so convenient public convenience just outside Xing Ping on the way to the river.

Xing Ping 兴坪

In and around Xing Ping

Xing Ping 兴坪

Went to Xing Ping, an old town about an hour from Yangshuo. I had been there in 2005 and was very surprised by the change. It used to be a simple village that led to a famous place alongside the Li River, where one can take bamboo rafts on the river. The spot is famous as the picture of the 20 yuan note bears a photo of the area.

Unfortunately they have turned the village into a commercialised money making machine which spoilt much of the original beauty. New and modern restaurants are there and market stalls that are trying to sell all the usual trinkets that nobody really needs.