Reed Flute Cave

Is a fascinating gallery of limestone cave formations in Guilin, China. The cave derived its name from a type of reed growing at the entrance of the site, which can be created into melodious flutes and other wind instruments. I've been to a number of caves in different locations but nothing quite like this one.


The cave is filled with tons of stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations in different shapes and sizes that are millions of years old. I find it truly amazing that the caves are still in such good shape after all of these years.



Illuminated by the rainbow coloured lights, everything looks magical and the water seems to be perfectly still.



The walkways are spacious and the cave has great lighting to see each area of interest.



However, when large groups were not around, the coloured lights would turned off, so I had to time my shots carefully and fast before the lights went out.



Some photos didn't turn out pretty well but at least I was able to get a few good ones worth sharing.  Hope you'll like them too.

Our World Tuesday

Skywatch - Good afternoon world

Beautiful blue skies and trees against a backdrop of majestic mountains at Huang Long Valley in Sichuan.  A wonderful spot to enjoy peace and solitude.



Skywatch Friday

Our World - Acrobatic Dance

There's really no way to fully appreciate the art of acrobatic dancing without seeing it in person. This lovely duo portrayed their acro expertise in a variety of positions and they made it look all so easy. Wow simply wow.



Sichuan Cultural Performance

Our World Tuesday

Skywatch - Twillight Cloudscapes

There is nothing like sitting on plane window seats and enjoying magnificent views like these.



Skywatch Friday

Scenic Weekends - JiuZhaiGou Natural Reserves

For Scenic Weekends entry, I'm featuring another memorable series of photos of my trip to JiuZhaiGou Natural Reserves in SiChuan. Enjoy.



Scenic Weekends

Our World - Lights Galore

While roaming around the city of Guilin, I came across this park with a wonderful display of lights. It was fun to watch the lights changed colours every 20 seconds or more.

I can't make up my mind which photo I like best so I'm posting all three here. What do you think?



OurWorld

Our World - China Lane, Chengdu

A walk along the bustling street will reveal the daily life of the locals and the surviving culture of Chengdu. One most apparent place we visited was China Lane featuring an interesting blend of old and new architectural designs.


Some of the buildings were built in the style of the Qing Dynasty and there were corners which displayed the ancient times.



The streets are also adorned with an array of modern boutique shops, restaurants, tea houses and an occasional bar. Even Starbucks has a big presence here.



As we moved along, our eyes were attracted to these amazing wall art that framed the streets. If only those people can speak, I'm sure they have many interesting stories to share.



In a different corner, it's great to come across artists at work, some are pretty talented.



Everywhere in the street corner is populated with lots of these vendors. It's fun to see what the vendors are selling because things they have in other countries are so different than in our own. I approached the girl for a photo but unfortunately, she declined and covered her face.



It's also quite common to encounter these kind of coloured masks which typically depict well-known characters from the opera. Not my kind of thing but I enjoyed watching them during opera performances.



Here is a big panda bear welcoming everyone to the store. Too cute and I couldn't resist buying one as most everyone else seems to have done.

OurWorld

Our World - Jiuzhaigou Natural Reserve

This is a continuation on my trip across Sichuan. We made our way from Huanglong Valley  to Jiuzhaigou Natural Reserve at the crack of dawn the next day.

Also known as Valley of Nine Villages, Jiuzhaigou consists of 3 main valleys arranged in a 'Y' shape.  As the layout within the park is enormous, shuttle buses are available to take you from one scenic spot to another, so it's really convenient.

We visited the park in the middle of peak season since it was the most beautiful time to see the place.


While I'm pleased that tourism in China is booming, I'm not happy with the big crowds. Despite the long queue, I was hesitant to get in line as this was the place we mainly came to SiChuan for.



When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the beautiful trees swaying in the air.



A wonderful start to autumn



The scenic landscapes were indeed a feast for the eyes. The water seemed to be perfectly still and everything had a balanced reflection



I learned that some lakes have a high concentration of calcium carbonate, which made the water crystal clear and the bottom often visible even at high depths.



At a different corner, here's a flock of beautiful mallards moving gracefully around the lake



Another breathtaking view along the way. The air smells great and refreshing too.



Before leaving the park, we stopped by to enjoy the the soothing sounds of a waterfall before we made our way back. A lovely way to end the day.

Our World

Our World - Huanglong Valley in Sichuan

While in China last year, we made our way to HuangLong Valley after reading that it had become a top destination for hikers, trekkers and nature lovers. The scenic area is known for its colourful ponds, snow-capped mountains, beautiful valleys and hot springs and as such, has been listed as a World Heritage site.


It was a beautiful autumn day but a long and strenuous hike.  It was tough to catch your breath in the high altitude and I moved like a snail most of the time. Despite this difficulty, I was fine the rest of the day.



We took a cable car to the summit and walked further uphill.  Along the way, we were greeted by heavenly skies and incredible mountains as far as the eye could see. Parts of it reminded me so much of the Austrian Alps.



This was the highest altitude of our hike, over 3,000m  above sea level.  And one of the many things I loved about this place was the multi-coloured ponds. I was told that it took thousands of years to harden and formed.



We passed yet another splendid view along the way.



The crisp mountain air combined with the panoramic view was lovely.



Every trail offers a magical hiking experience. There's so much to explore and trek around the valley.


As the sun beginning to set, I hurriedly took one last shot before we made our way out of the valley and headed back towards town.

Our World

Wordless Wednesday - Random Scenes from Shanghai