A Day When Police Didn't Stop Me From Taking Photos at Nanqiao Market in Yulin, China

Nanqiao Market (南桥市场) in Yulin, Guangxi

In numerous cities in China and elsewhere in the world, I often visit wet markets. Each one has its own character, and they offer a glimpse into local culture. They can also be a great place to pick up some cheap and tasty prepared food. Last month in Yulin I stumbled upon the Nanqiao Market (南桥市场) on Jiangbin Road (江滨路). I took relatively few photos, since the market was rather quiet and many stalls weren't in use at the time.

I hadn't planned to mention this market around now, but my first experiences there provide some useful context for a story I have to tell. So I will add that while I was there on the first Monday of May, no police officers stopped me from taking photographs and no strangers clearly prepared to block access to certain areas accompanied me uninvited. Instead, my time there was relatively uneventful, except for meeting two friendly boys excited to meet a foreigner. In addition to the one above, below are some more photos I took there that day, like I have taken without problem at many other wet markets in China.

Wet market on a wet day

"Pork row"

Some dry goods for sale at the wet market

Many stalls didn't have any activity

One boy does his homework. One boy provides entertainment.

I of course freely roamed about.

Some color

Almost Injured by a Motor Scooter While Being Closely Watched in Yulin

I took the above photo of the crosswalk in Yulin because something unexpected happened to me there. As I attempted to cross it a woman riding a motor scooter passed so closely in front of me that our bodies touched. I didn't see her coming because she was driving the wrong direction on a portion of road used for making right turns at an intersection. She presumably saw me, though, unless she had taken things to another level by driving the wrong direction on a road and not looking forward. After I took two photos of the crosswalk following the incident, a man riding a motorcycle in the above photo kindly provided me an opportunity to capture a moment of somebody doing something similar to what the woman had done. Fortunately, he didn't feel inspired to include the almost-injure-somebody part.

Incredibly, something even more unexpected was happening to me during the close encounter, yet I didn't know it at the time. I was being followed by at least one person wearing plain clothes. Noticing something curious later caused me to become suspicious. Actions I then took confirmed my concern. And later experiences confirmed my belief this was not just some random person who was innocently curious about the rare foreigner they happened to notice.

Instead, the reason the person was following me was clearly tied to my observations that afternoon of the first day of the Lychee and Dog Meat Festival in Yulin. I had had interactions, also unexpected, with relevant authorities and what I suspect were relevant unofficial authorities. More followed that day.

So, this touches on why I didn't post anything here on the first day of the festival. It also touches on why there was no post yesterday when I spent eight hours on the first relevant bus. Needless to say, I'm not in Yulin anymore.

Also, needless to say, I have a story to tell.

Now, I wonder what my follower(s) thought when I was nearly hit. I'm not even sure if a more unfortunate event had occurred whether it would've simplified or complicated matters for them.

More later.

This Dog's For You: Budweiser Advertising at a Dog Meat Restaurant in Yulin

Tomorrow is a special day in Yulin, Guangxi — the first and biggest day of the Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival. And for the first time, I will be observing the festival person. I hope to better provide some important context that I feel much past reporting in Western media about the festival lacked. So there will certainly be multiple posts here in the future about dogs in Yulin, the festival, and the more general culture of eating dog meat in China.

To get the ball rolling, in the spirit of highlighting the everyday side of eating dog meat in China I will first share a photo of one of the easy-to-find restaurants which feature or serve dog meat in Yulin year round like many (many) other restaurants I have seen across China — no festival required. So here is the Camphorwood Dog Meat Restaurant (樟木狗肉管) on Dabei Road:

Restaurant signs with advertising for alcohol — typically baijiu or beer — are a common sight in (at least some parts of) China, and the Camphorwood Dog Meat Restaurant didn't pass up on this practice which at the very least helps save money on signs.

So if you want to wash down your dog meat with a cold (or outdoor / room temperature) American Budweiser beer, Camphorwood might be the perfect place.

The signs with Budweiser advertising would really be something if they included Budweiser's retired dog mascot Spuds MacKenzie.

Regardless, the Budweiser slogan on the sign says, "Be Your True Self". So fear not if you don't want dog meat. According to the sign you can get assorted cow or pig innards & meat there too — also with a Bud.

Towing the Food Cart in Yulin

A Lingering Father's Day Display in Yulin

At least one sign of Father's Day in Yulin could still be found today at the Nancheng Department Store (南城百货).

It isn't unusual in China for holiday displays in stores or restaurant to remain long after the respective holiday is long past. The special Father's Day promotion was over according to the posted dates. But perhaps people could still get a deal if they asked.

Motorcycles, Dinosaurs, and Drums: Some Father's Day Fun in Yulin, China

In the past, I have shared signs of Mother's Day in China, whether in Guiyang, Hengyang, or Zigong. However, I have never done the same with Father's Day. The main reason is that I typically don't see anything as dramatic in terms of types or amount of business promotions.

This year was the same. But I did see some children spending time with their fathers.*

So to bring some balance, I will share that this evening on Father's Day in Yulin, Guangxi, I saw a girl help her father win a motorcycle race . . .

. . . a boy help his father shoot some menacing dinosaurs . . .

. . . and another boy play a drum duet with his father.

And on this note, Happy Father's Day to the fathers out there.






*I didn't verify the relationships, but I consider this a low risk claim to make.

Students, Tear Gas, and Masks: Today's Hong Kong Extradition Protests in 42 Tweets

Photo taken by Chung-wah Chow of the protest in Hong Kong today before police cracked down

The march in Hong Kong two days ago against a proposed extradition bill was not the end.

Today in Hong Kong people continued to protest. Today in Hong Kong the police responded with tear gas and more.

Below is a series of selected tweets covering a variety of topics regarding the protests that I shared after checking into Twitter this afternoon. They are presented here in the order I shared them, not the order in which the tweets originally occurred, with the exception of the first two since they provide overviews of what has motivated then protests. As usual, if you are viewing this post through an RSS reader and the images, videos, or referenced tweets don't tweets appear, try viewing the original post.

The last tweet was made not long before publishing this post. As it indicates, the protests haven't ended. What will happen next isn't at all clear.

If you’re looking for a primer on why hundreds of thousands of people are demonstrating in Hong Kong, check out this thread 👇 https://t.co/PCVtsAtVXz

— Megha Rajagopalan (@meghara) June 12, 2019

Also a very good overview and analysis of the current Hong Kong protests, with some recent history to provide more context—this piece by @benjaminbland at @bopinion. https://t.co/x1duW3w3ze

— Maura Cunningham 马丽娜 (@mauracunningham) June 12, 2019

Long video thread documenting the anti extradition law protests going on in Hong Kong today.... https://t.co/NzXf0eClXH

— BenjaminRobertson李博岳 (@BMMRobertson) June 12, 2019

I havn't posted anything on WeChat except this one image, with a caption "tear gas". Friends in China tell me they cannot see my post. #censorshiptech pic.twitter.com/S5HqcaihdI

— SJ (@SijiaJ) June 12, 2019

Multiple tear gas rounds fired towards the backs of retreating crowd, almost sparking a panic. Credit to all the protesters for keeping calm while being overcome by tear gas. pic.twitter.com/Pw6Uu3HcLA

— Antony Dapiran (@antd) June 12, 2019

Enraged Lawmaker Charles Mok argues with police on disrespecting the legislature: “This is Legco! Do you think you’re the boss here? ... you’re beating up Hongkongers!” #HongKong #ExtradictionBill #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/LwLfZY43Qn

— Naomi Ng 吳家殷 (@ngnaomi) June 12, 2019

#LIVE: Hong Kong police chief has just declared the clashes a riot. That declaration will carry serious implications for anyone arrested. https://t.co/fpKl8rH1bn #extraditionbill

— SCMP News (@SCMPNews) June 12, 2019

He added that protesters would experience “regret the rest of their lives if they did not stop,” but there was no need - at the moment - to declare a state of emergency or curfew. Photo: @appledaily_hk
Full coverage: https://t.co/kmLJLFCnSX #NoToChinaExtradition pic.twitter.com/vmTe4cnr8j

— Hong Kong Free Press (@HongKongFP) June 12, 2019

Some #extraditionbill observations:
1. Super young protesters
2. Leaderless but very organised
3. Unlike #OccupyHK, they‘re v cautious to protect their identities with face masks & reluctant to give their full names - prolly bc what happened to the young activists over years pic.twitter.com/Yps0btPaw2

— Jeffie Lam (@jeffielam) June 12, 2019

#HongKong's largest teachers' union has just declared it's launching a territory-wide school strike#NoExtraditionToChina

— Yuen Chan (@xinwenxiaojie) June 12, 2019

Pepper spray hurts, but these young protesters keep hanging around; there are still thousands here blocking a major road artery. “If I don’t come out this time, there is no next time,” one of them told me. pic.twitter.com/tanR0tHqiJ

— Mike Ives (@mikeives) June 12, 2019

Me: Are you closed?
Apple staff: We are closed.
Me: When will you re-open.
Apple: We are closed for the day.
4:15 pm.
Stores closing at Hong Kong’s IFC mall as #AntiExtraditionBill protests continue. pic.twitter.com/9vpaywEo6k

— 🚶🏻Curtis S. Chin (@CurtisSChin) June 12, 2019

More scenes from retailers closing at IFC Mall in Hong Kong at 4:15 pm. Clearly an #economic toll is beginning as HK government seeks to push thru an #extraditionbill & speed #onecountryonesystem #AntiExtraditionBill @cherykang @fion_li @SCMPNews @HongKongFP @endacurran pic.twitter.com/BjP1vW4GjM

— 🚶🏻Curtis S. Chin (@CurtisSChin) June 12, 2019

1000s of bottles of water and sodium chloride for treating tear gas victiums, thousands of construction helmets, miles of cling film to cover exposed arms, all ferried person to person to the front line. Saw a guy at lunch handing out maybe 200 burgers from Maccy Ds from a box.

— Mike Bird (@Birdyword) June 12, 2019

Brawl now pic.twitter.com/MLgPkOnHmx

— Mike Ives (@mikeives) June 12, 2019

Tear gas surrounds demonstrators carrying umbrellas as they clash with police outside Hong Kong's government HQ #ExtraditionBill #香港 #反送中 pic.twitter.com/s7e0C6S3OK

— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) June 12, 2019

“Special conditions” and “large scale activities” in Hong Kong today mean cross border buses from Shenzhen are being rerouted. It’s incredible that Shenzhen is only a 14 minute train ride from HK yet almost everyone I’ve spoken to here in SZ doesn’t know what is going on pic.twitter.com/foK2uixG4n

— Sue-Lin Wong 黄淑琳 (@suelinwong) June 12, 2019

The scene descended to chaos as the police move on the protestors. #ExtraditionLaw #HongKong pic.twitter.com/0Gy38xlrIo

— Katherine Li (@Katherineli1997) June 12, 2019

British consulate opens door to protesters needing sanctuary. #HongKong #antiELAB

Other consulates should do the same, immediately. pic.twitter.com/tdNF5XitqX

— Adam Ni (@adam_ni) June 12, 2019

So much tear gas was used by Hong Kong riot police that commuters waiting at nearby subway stations and people in shopping malls were coughing and tearing up, and many sought medical attention https://t.co/11vfkcurTe

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 12, 2019

Ice cream break #hongkongextraditionlaw #hongkongprotest pic.twitter.com/Gex98Srd5A

— Hannah Dormido (@hannahdormido) June 12, 2019

Hong Kong police have just fired tear gas on protesters who demand the withdrawal of the #ExtraditionBill

TicToc's @JosieWonghk is there #香港 #反送中 pic.twitter.com/Q4C7ls66Of

— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) June 12, 2019

Powerful quote that shows how the motivations of the protestors in HK today go far beyond the extradition bill. https://t.co/z41aNc8thS

— Sui-Lee Wee 黄瑞黎 (@suilee) June 12, 2019

pic.twitter.com/ean6ZgOlsN

— Nathan VanderKlippe (@nvanderklippe) June 12, 2019

Tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed out of Admiralty, protesters close streets of Central. pic.twitter.com/97nZXvH1cy

— Sheridan Prasso (@SheridanAsia) June 12, 2019

There is usually never a line at the train ticketing machines. Judging from an overheard convo, it appears that people are reluctant to use their rechargeable Octopus cards for fear of leaving a paper trail of them having been present at the protest. pic.twitter.com/s1rsgSnCqL

— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 12, 2019

"We're afraid of having our data tracked," one female protester told me.

She said that this ticket-buying was't as prevalent during the 2014 Umbrella Movement. Five years on, however, people are more wary & aware.

— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 12, 2019

A quirk of history: it used to be too humiliating for China to even ask for extraditions from Hong Kong. How the tide has changed with the passing of time. It would unquestionably be an embarrassment for China if the extradition bill were shelved now. https://t.co/NDHb7KNA8M

— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 10, 2019

Hong Kong protests on the front page of Wednesday's New York Times Live coverage here https://t.co/t86Q43LG4u pic.twitter.com/Yf1j5epy18

— Austin Ramzy (@austinramzy) June 12, 2019

Asked if she will withdraw the #ExtraditionBill, Carrie Lam said as a mother, she cannot budge every time her son demands something #HongKong https://t.co/nO92qsIy0o

— RTHK English News (@rthk_enews) June 12, 2019

Central is occupied right now, full of people checking their phones, trying to figure out what is happening. Teams are giving out water and bread. pic.twitter.com/aCmvJmiTL5

— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) June 12, 2019

Earlier inside Pacific Place shopping mall in Admiralty as #extraditionbill protest continues into evening. (courtesy of witness there) #HongKong

Police Fire Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets at Hong Kong ‘Riot Situation’ https://t.co/gwRbD0AhqQ @bpolitics @tictoc pic.twitter.com/NtreEhlxV9

— Fion Li (@fion_li) June 12, 2019

“A person residing in the U.S.—or any country that has an extradition agreement with Hong Kong—could technically be transferred from the city to mainland China, according to Jerome Cohen, a law professor at New York University.” https://t.co/RyOKe6U7MS

— Muyi Xiao (@muyixiao) June 12, 2019

Some incredible photojournalism by @LamYikFei for @nytimes of the Hong Kong extradition protests. https://t.co/pbtYxMpgv9

— Andrew Peng (@TheAPJournalist) June 12, 2019

New barricades are being erected. The occupation does not appear to have dispersed, just moved further into the CBD. pic.twitter.com/Br6TwjFV2f

— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) June 12, 2019

The view in Central tonight. pic.twitter.com/n6lakjvpY8

— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) June 12, 2019

What a timing?! Telegram is the key plateform for #HongKong #antiELAB protest organisers. https://t.co/dSBVnX3AXv

— Adam Ni (@adam_ni) June 12, 2019

When you're joining the revolution but also need to prepare for your math test. #HongKong #NoToChinaExtradition #extraditionbill pic.twitter.com/f9xSog9uDm

— Christopher McCandless 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@ChrisMcCandl) June 12, 2019

I’m not sure it is a miscalculation: starting from the post-SARs Article 23 protests in the early 2000 Beijing seems to have taken the tack that to give an inch is to invite a mile.. their MO seems to be to possibly allow mild concessions but press on. #2047

— Mei Fong/ 方凤美 (@meifongwriter) June 12, 2019

The view, a stonesthrow away from the HSBC building. You can see the lines of peaceful protestors stretching back from Central to the frontline close to the Government HQ @SCMPNews pic.twitter.com/p3ejoMc27Z

— Danny Lee (@JournoDannyAero) June 12, 2019

One scene from HK’s streets, which still reek from the gusts of teargas via Instagram: https://t.co/ApYlz1HA9H pic.twitter.com/Ptx8L1wteq

— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) June 12, 2019

This truck just rolled through in Centra with additional supplies, to cheers from the crowd. People are now helping to unload& unpack boxes of bottled water. The crowd claps. #HongKongProtest pic.twitter.com/EbFyUlsgOu

— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 12, 2019

Added note: Although there were relevant reports, the word "blood" in the original title was changed to "masks" since none of the above tweets directly mention them.

Yulin Too Has a Horse Flying for Tourism

Some readers may have noticed that a photo of Yulin's Youth Square in a recent post included a sculpture based on the iconic Flying Horse of Gansu bronze sculpture similar to the one at the Ganzhou Railway Station in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, I featured last year. Indeed, as in Ganzhou, the horse is a symbol for the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and the base of the sculpture indicates the city was identified as a "Top Tourist City of China".

Unlike the sculpture in Ganzhou, the one in Yulin is surrounded by area frequented by pedestrians — or on some days skateboarders.

My impression is that in their central districts Ganzhou offers more for tourists than does Yulin. However, I suspect Yulin's award may be for the many sights in its other districts. In any case, Yulin has its horse sculpture.

Protesting Against Extradition in Hong Kong

There was a big march in Hong Kong today:

Over a million people have joined a mass protest against the Hong Kong government’s controversial extradition bill, according to organisers. . . .

The protesters marched towards the legislature over an issue that has underscored divisions in society over trust in the legislature and the Chinese judicial system.

Hong Kong’s government first proposed legal amendments in February to allow the city to handle case-by-case extradition requests from jurisdictions with no prior agreements, most notably China and Taiwan.

To add to the many already out there, with permission I will pass on some photos of the protest shared by friends in Hong Kong. A few were shared publicly, and those are attributed. Most were shared privately, so out of care and such they aren't attributed.

Source: Chung-wah Chow

Source: Chung-wah Chow

Source: Chung-wah Chow

A Claim About Truth at a Uniqlo Store in Yulin

The Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo recently made the news due to the some shoppers', shall we say, intense desire to buy items from a newly released clothing line. I don't know whether the only Uniqlo store, which opened less than two weeks ago, in Yulin faced similarly enthusiastic customers. A shirt from another collection did catch my attention on the 30th anniversary of the crackdown at Tiananmen though. I had noticed the shirt similarly displayed before, but the words and apparent image of a brick wall on it had a stronger effect that day.

The shirt also reminded me of last year's post here "A Tiananmen Story Told Through Shirts & Dresses in Guangzhou, China". Had I done something similar this year this Uniqlo shirt probably would've been part of it.

Another Anniversary of a Crackdown in China: Today in Yulin and 30 Years Ago in Chengdu

In Yulin, Guangxi, nothing seemed unusual at Youth Square (青年广场) this evening on the 30th anniversary of the crackdown at Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

The same held true for Dongmen Plaza (东门广场) in Yulin.

And again, nearby on the other side of the Dongmen Commercial Plaza (东门商业广场) nothing seemed out of place, including the children running about and chengguan (Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau officers) keeping street vendors away.

While considering the date's significance I have previously shared the seemingly everyday nature of what I saw in front of my eyes on June 4 in Chinese cities as far apart as Hengyang, Hunan, and Xining, Qinghai. But the first time was eight years ago when I was in Chengdu, Sichuan. So of all the excellent recent pieces on this topic, for now I will just share a link via a tweet to U.S. Representative Andy Levin's account and photos of the crackdown in Chengdu, where he was a student at the time. It's yet another reminder that what happened 30 years ago in China wasn't at all limited to just Beijing.

Thirty years is such a long time, and yet it was as if I was in Chengdu yesterday, wetting my bandanna to put over my face to battle the teargas, stepping through the glass and rock strewn streets to be with the people as they battled the authorities. https://t.co/9aPNKhJDw7

— Rep. Andy Levin (@RepAndyLevin) June 3, 2019

Uncle Sam Wants You in Yulin, China

Uncle Sam wants you . . .

. . . to work at a Color Lady (出彩丽人) beauty care store in Yulin, Guangxi.

This is far from the first time in China I have seen Uncle Sam in job advertisements. But it is the latest I unexpectedly found myself face to face with this popular symbol of the United States and pondered its usage here.

Gone from Tiananmen But Remembered

Screen capture of "Tiananmen Square Massacre: Black Night In June"

I'll never forget that young couple. When the shot moved in, the way she looked at me.

A journalist decides between staying to record more or preserving what they have already captured. He left. Presumably the young couple stayed. He can still share the story so it is remembered. They made the story.

Arthur Kent's video: "Tiananmen Square Massacre: Black Night In June"

Jennifer Creery's article in the Hong Kong Free Press: "Video: 30 years on, Canadian journalist shares newly restored footage of China’s Tiananmen Massacre horror"

Watched By a Gigantic Panda in Yulin

I am working on a post about the opening of a new shopping mall in Yulin, Guangxi, which speaks to a variety of issues in China. While I don't share a lot of video, in this case I feel it is quite useful for communicating some what occurred. However, uploading the video across the Great Firewall will require more effort and time.

So for now, I will just say my recent time at this new mall has helped me gain appreciation for the fact that even after all of these years in China I'm still not sure what to think when a gigantic panda intently stares . . .

stares . . .

. . . stares, I say, at me.

Good times. After this, the world only become more unusual when the panda danced on the stage. The moves were at times, shall we say, intense for a creature of such a size. Or really any size. At least the panda was distracted from me. I hope.

More later.

A Spider Dreaming Big in Yulin

Answers to a Special Return in China

Nicki in Haikou was the first person to correctly guess part of the significance of a location I recently came across on the first night of my return to a city in China. It is where I took the photo currently used in the header image at the top of this blog. After posting a third photo of the location, Nicki then became the first person to respond with the correct city without me providing extra hints not in the posts here.

Rather curious, I asked her how she did it. She replied, "Third photo.... I can read". I had checked that no signs in the photos displayed the city's name before sharing them, so I wondered what I had overlooked. It didn't take me long to now find it.

Here is a closeup photo of one of the non-cone-shaped traffic cones plainly in view in the third photo:

I have seen traffic cones with advertising for at least two different hospitals in numerous parts of the city. In this case, the advertising is for the Yulin Ruidong Hospital (玉林瑞东医院). And yes, the Yulin Ruidong Hospital is unsurprisingly in . . . . Yulin — a city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Although the text on the cones is rather fuzzy if you significantly enlarge the third photo at the highest resolution I shared, it is good enough.

So I award the prize for this edition of "Name the City" to Nicki. I even have a special prize in mind, though admittedly it's something I was planning to do anyway. I won't reveal what it is, but when it happens readers here should be able to recognize it. Nicki certainly will.

Sam Crane, who teaches contemporary Chinese politics and ancient Chinese philosophy at Williams College, deserves an honorable mention for my favorite incorrect guess that I received — Guangzhou. There are several aspects of the third scene, including the architecture, which may have lead me to consider Guangzhou too had I never been to this location in Yulin. After I provided some hints that didn't involve traffic cones he correctly figured out the city as well.

This was a tough one, folks. I wouldn't have expected anybody to correctly identify the city without digging deep into my blogging history, recalling some of my earliest posts over 8 years ago, having much familiarity with Yulin, or receiving additional hints. There is still more I have to share about why the location is significant to me and my blogging. That shall come later, as will more about Yulin.

Finally, a piece of advice: never ignore traffic cones.

One Last Photo for a Special Return in China

Last week I posted a photo of a location significant to this blog and later I posted a photo of the same place taken from a different vantage point. Before revealing all, I will share a photo of the same location also taken on that first night of my return but from a vantage point that offers a far more iconic view.

Do you see it now?



Update: Answers are here.

Another Photo for a Special Return in China

The previous post apparently didn't provide enough hints about the significant place (to me and this blog) where I recently arrived. So here is another photo taken from a different, but still not iconic, perspective on my first night back in the city:

The photo includes at least one significant additional clue. The wonton street stall isn't intended to be it, but perhaps the wontons help too.



Update: An additional clue is here. Answers are here.

A Special Return in China

About two weeks ago I arrived in a city I had explored a number of years ago. I was eager to return not only to see what had and hadn't changed and learn more about life there, but also because the city holds a special connection to this blog and my blogging experience. Relevant to the connection, there was one place in particular I especially wanted to seek out. Off the top of my head, I only had a vague sense of its location relative to the hotel where I had stayed long ago. I worried that if I couldn't find it, I might not even be able to be sure whether that was do due to an incomplete search or the location being significantly transformed. Cities can change quickly in China, and it had been a while.

After checking into my hotel, one in a different part of the city than the one I had stayed at during my previous visit, I set out that evening to walk around. I didn't look at a map, just let my wandering instincts take over, and wasn't intent on finding the special location that night. Nevertheless, after almost 40 minutes I was surprised and excited when I saw it in the distance. When I later looked at a map I discovered that without realizing it I had taken a route that couldn't have been much more direct.

So here is a photo taken that night which captures a vantage point that makes the location's significance far less apparent than some others would:

Now it is time for a return of the old game "Which city in China is this?" Normally, I wouldn't think people would have much of a chance with this photo. But in this particular case, reader's have real reason for hope. You don't even need to be a China expert to figure it out. And although digging deep into this blog (and another particular site) could significantly help in identifying the city, you needn't go far at all to see why I was so happy to find this location again.



Update: Two more clues are here and here. Answers are here.

A Stairway to Missing Rooms in China

I try not to be lazy. But yesterday I just didn't feel like taking the stairs.

This isn't the only time recently when I looked at some stairs and thought "nope". More about both of those locations, which are in two different cities, later.