Public City Bicycles Not Only for Getting Around Zhuzhou

In 2011 Zhuzhou became the first city in Hunan province to operate a public bicycle rental system. When I was in Zhuzhou a month or so ago, I came across a few of the many stations where city bicycles could be rented or returned.

There is much which could be said about Zhuzhou's system. I will limit myself here to two things which especially caught my eye from a user experience perspective.

One was that some of the bicycles available have a special feature: an added seat, presumably for a smaller rider.

These bikes also have an extra bar, apparently for the second rider to hold. Since it is attached to the main handlebar, it is easy to wonder whether this could make steering the bicycle more difficult and present a safety issue.

The other thing I noticed requires having a suitably sized block of wood or similarly strong object handy.

Like the man in the above photo, if you prop up a docked bicycle, you have yourself a free stationary exercise device. And unlike renting the bicycles for a less stationary ride, it won't cost you any money no matter how long you use it.

A Snack for Two on a Motorbike in Changsha

Some people talk on a mobile phone while on a motorbike. Some people sleep on a motorbike.

Today in Changsha, some people ate while on a motorbike.

And in the background, you can spot something related to a couple of themes for some upcoming posts.

A One-Wheeled Phone Conversation

Recently I shared examples of people using mobile phones while in control of moving motorbikes in Hengyang. Today in Changsha, I saw an example of someone using a mobile phone while riding another type of powered vehicle.

Despite the vehicle only having one wheel, I suspect the phone use presents less of a safety issue given the vehicle's slower speed and it not requiring any hands to operate. Although they are not an everyday sight, I have noticed more and more electric unicycles in use, often rented for a fun ride. I didn't ask the girl if she owned the unicycle. She appeared preoccupied as she zoomed past.

Balanced Sleep in Hengyang

Whether or not you are a motorbike-taxi driver in Hengyang, sufficient sleep is an important part of a healthy work-life balance.

Some people are more flexible in where they can get it.

Waiting for an Early Passenger in Hengyang

Two motorbike-taxi drivers waiting for passengers around 7:30 a.m. in Hengyang:

The two types of helmets seen in the photos are common equipment for motorbike-taxi drivers in Hengyang. As suggested in an earlier set of photos of motorbike drivers in Hengyang, most other people ride sans helmet.

Motorbike Phone Calls in Hengyang

The Hengxiang Bridge offers an excellent opportunity to appreciate Hengyang's "traffic culture" and the variety of vehicles used there.

It also offers an excellent opportunity to observe some real-life mobile phone usage in Hengyang. On that note, here are four photos I took as I crossed the bridge one afternoon:

In all four cases, a person was using their mobile phone while driving a motorbike. The above capture most, but not all, of the examples I saw.

Later as I walked back across the bridge, I saw one man park his bike in the dedicated bike lane and then have a phone conversation as he stood on the sidewalk.

And finally, tying it all together in what felt like a brief magical moment, I saw a man using a mobile phone while he rode by and looked at a woman who had stopped to use a mobile phone.

It is a just a small period of time and only a single location. But if representative, it suggests a large number of people in Hengyang are willing to use their phones while driving a motorbike, at least under some conditions. And much else could be learned, better appreciated, or questioned at this single bridge in Hengyang.

Hengyang Contrasts: Opposite Directions

Enough of the boats, now it is time for motorbikes, cars, and buses. Here are late afternoon views looking east and west from a pedestrian bridge over Chuanshan Avenue in Hengyang, Hunan:

Two More Boat Scenes in Hengyang

I hadn't planned to continue yesterday's boat theme, but life had its own plans. So here is a night scene of two men fishing in the Xiang River:

And here is another man fishing in the Xiang River at night:

The first photo was taken in June last year and the second last night in Hengyang. It wasn't until recently I realized I had captured fishing scenes with contrasting boats at nearby locations, as indicated by the buildings in the background. In both cases, no other boats with people fishing were around.

A Hengyang Return

A boat in the Xiang River as the sun was setting one day in June last year:

A boat not far away on the other side of the Xiang River one day in April this year:

This is my way of saying I am back in Hengyang, Hunan, though for a much shorter time than the two months I spent here last year. I have already experienced and captured so much during recent days it could occupy my blogging for at least a month or two. That doesn't even count what I still have from last year.

As usual, more soon . . .

Prohibited on the Chongqing Metro

Although it is possible to buy ice cream inside a Chongqing metro station, there are still plenty of things you can't bring or do:

The sign is more extensive than one I saw on the Guangzhou metro a few years ago. And like the Shanghai metro, balloons are forbidden and scanners at stations are used to examine bags and larger items. In Chongqing I saw one family stopped by metro security because their son had a balloon, and I felt their pain.

Mr. Beauty

Minzu Road in Zhongshan, Guangdong

A Looney Tunes Sighting in Zhongshan

Who is not a fan of Looney Tunes?

More tomorrow on the topic of cartoons in Zhongshan, China, though these cartoons will have a far more political aim than Looney Tunes.

A Day's Journey by Air, Bus, and Rail in China

Similar to the recent dinner I had on an overnight train, the meal I consumed on a plane today will not enter my top ten list of meals I have enjoyed in China.

The flight attendant told me the meat was chicken, but it didn't seem like a poultry substance. I am not sure what it was, but it reminded me of yak meat. The wet wipes had a nice smell and were made in Xinjiang.

I feel fortunate that my nearly three hour flight did not feature anything similar to one of the "flying China-style" problems which seem to often make the news these days. In other words, the flight was not delayed, no flight attendants were violently attacked, and no passengers attempted to open the emergency exit door for fresh air. Way to go, team.

The end of the flight did feature something I commonly experience when flying in China and which does not thrill me. Despite numerous open gates at the airport, the plane did not park at any of them, and instead we had to take a bus from the plane to the airport terminal.

Once off the jam-packed bus, I considered the architectural style of the airport concourse.




After that, I was excited to be back in a city I hadn't set foot in for almost exactly 6 years. Rail was not an option for traveling from the airport before, but it was now.



Since the monorail train, which soon filled, traveled above ground most of the time during my hour-plus trip, there was ample opportunity to look around at the city and marvel at its size.

I paused to soak in one scene when I was switching train lines.

Not long after that, I was able to put the plane's mystery meat behind me by diving into some appropriately numbing and spicy local food.

That was definitely fish.

Some savvy readers may have figured out my current location in China, which is far from Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Beijing. For others, I will provide one last clue: the beer which accompanied my outdoor dinner.

More soon about a fascinating hilly city where I have already noticed a tremendous amount of change since my last visit.

Loving the Moment on the Shanghai Metro

A Night Train Meal

On a recent overnight train from Hong Kong to Shanghai, this was my dinner:

Bought for 25 RMB (about US $4) from a train crew member pushing around a cart filled with dinner trays like this one—the only option available—the meal was pricey compared to similar options available at some convenience store chains. I can't say it was one of my finer culinary experiences in China, but it did help me pass some time.

During the past few weeks I have been in Shanghai, Zhangzhou, Hong Kong, and back in Shanghai. Due to travel, holidays, visitors, a cold, etc. I haven't posted much lately. I have much I want to catch up on, particularly related to my time in Zhangzhou & Hong Kong, so upcoming posts, like the meal above, will include a mix items.

Sixteen Zhangzhou Street Scenes

If you identified the location of the photos I shared last week as Zhangzhou (漳州), the southernmost prefecture-level city in Fujian province (map), treat yourself to a bowl of Zhangzhou-style duck noodle soup or whatever other Zhangzhou treat you desire. If you didn't, I still recommend trying the soup.

The coastal city borders the far better known (at least in China) city of Xiamen. By high-speed rail it is about 8 hours south of Shanghai and 3.5 hours northeast of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong. When I passed through Zhangzhou over a year ago on a long-distance bus, this portion of the high-speed rail line was sadly not yet open.

Similar to what I did earlier this year with Yangjiang's Jiangcheng District in Guangdong province, I will share a set of street scenes from a central urban area in Zhangzhou's Xiangcheng District (芗城区) north of the Jiulong River. Like the Yangjiang post, the photos were all taken within an approximately 10 km² (4 sq mi) area, and I walked to all of the locations. Although they certainly are not representative of Zhangzhou as a whole, which covers an area of 12,888 km² (4,976 sq mi), they offer a brief "everyday" look at a central area in Zhangzhou and provide a bit of context for upcoming posts. And if they raise a few questions, all the better.

Xinhua East Road (新华东路)

Xinhua East Road and Xinhua North Road (新华东路新华北路)

Daxi Lane (打锡巷)

Alley off Xinpu Road (新浦路)

Xiamen Road (厦门路)

Jiulong Avenue (九龙大道)

Jiangbin Road (江滨路)

Xinhua West Road and Zhongfa Road (新华西路钟法路)

Yan'an North Road (延安北路)

Datong Road (大同路)

Datong Road (大同路)

Tengfei Road (腾飞路)

Alley in Jinhu Village (金湖村)

Shengli West Road (胜利西路)

Zhongfa Road (钟法路)

Renshi Road (人师路)

A Shanghai Ferry

Most ferries crossing the Huangpu River in Shanghai are not covered with a scene of puffy clouds in a blue sky. Instead, they usually look more like this:

I took the photo while on board another ferry traveling in the opposite direction. Most of the other travelers brought their motorbikes along for the ride. This route would be a long walk from the one with the blue sky ferry. And as with my walk down Pudong Avenue, the air pollution was easy to see but a blue sky was not.