Destiny

9 Days Tour of Fairyland, Jiuzhaigou, ShenXianChi & Leshan/Mt Emei in China

2008-07-01T01:23:00.010+08:00

The name Jiuzhaigou came from nine Tibetan villages scattered throughout the valley. It is like a nature's jewel set into the mountains with majestic and unrivalled emerald lakes, layered waterfalls, colourful forests, snow peaks and Tibetian folk villages, all blending in harmony with each other.

Itinerary
Day 1 : Chengdu / Maoxian (4 Nov 2006 )
5am, yes this is the unearthly hour that I have to depart for the airport. Thankfully my sister and brother-in-law gave me a ride in their car and we made it in good time, reaching there in half an hour. What you expect, there's hardly any traffic on the road!

At the airport, there was the usual hustle and bustle at the counters to check-in luggages and issued tickets.

Finally at 7.40am, Air China departed and I'm on my way to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan.

Our first stop upon reaching was for lunch at this place.

These 2 pictures were taken just outside the hotel where a group of them who were flying to Jiuzhaigou were staying. The rest of the group will proceed by coach to stay the night at Maoxian. We will meet up with the smaller group on the 2nd day for tour of Jiuzhaigou valley.

Along the way to Maoxian , we saw this near complete bridge which would cut travelling time to Jiuzhaigou by half the distance (currently it took at least 10 hours to reach Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu).

...whole village submerged in water.

Stayed the night at this hotel and the hotel has a beautful garden with BIG flowers.

Day 2 : Maoxian / Jiuzhaigou (5 Nov 2006 )
Enroute we stopover at this place to use the washroom which was manned by this old grandpa.

The toilet location was chosen for a reason... this was what we saw.....and for 10Rmb we can get to sit on the maoniu (hairy bull) and pose for pictures.

We proceed to the Jiuzhaigou International Airport to pick up the rest of the group. This mountain range is seen from the airport.

Day 3 : Jiuzhaigou (6 Nov 2006 )
Inside Jiuzhaigou, we had to charter a special bus to bring us around. This is to ensure that the environment is not polluted with the carbon dioxide emiited from outside vehicles. We saw many beautiful and colourful lakes and waterfalls.

Five Flower Lake (left) and Panda Lake (right)

Pearl Waterfall

Tibetan Stupa
The nine white stupas in Shuzheng village symbolize the nine villages in the Jiuzhaigou Valley. They are located at the entrance to the Village

The proverbial group photo which is a must for every tour group.

We stopped at this place for lunch and shopping.

Day 4 : Shenxianchi - Fairy Pool (7 Nov 2006)

Huanglong

Day 5: Qiang Village (8 Nov 2006)

I was too sick to go down the coach - so no photograhs.

Day 6: Leshan Giant Buddha (9 Nov 2006)

Leshan Giant Buddha

Day 7: Mt Emei & Golden Summit (10 Nov 2006)
Mt Emei is one of four sacred Buddhist Mountains in China. It was so named because it has peaks that look like the brows of a moth. Its main peak - Wanfo Summit - stands 3,099 metres above sea level. Over hanging precipices, narrow gorges, quiet valleys, luxuriant pines and cypresses, flying waterfalls and singing streams has caused people to describe Mt Emei as "Beauty under Heaven".

In fact, it was recorded that in ancient times, many people, especially scholars were hypnotised by the euphoric feeling of floating above clouds that they leapt off the mountain thinking that they can fly like the gods.

Temple Builders

Silver Temple (left) and Bronze Temple (right)

Gold Temple

It was such an unusual sight to see these group of Tibetan monks posing for photographs and 2 of them looking so hype with dark sunglasses. I also like the display of different facial expressions and quickly snap a shot without delay and that's why the photo is slightly blur. Luckily I did that as they soon dispersed after that.

The 3 main casts of Jinsha (Musical show). They performed in Singapore a few months later.

Day 8: Panda Research Centre & Sichun Art of Quick Face Changing Show (11 Nov 2006 )

Sichuan Art of Quick Face Changing

Fantastic acrobatic acts from this couple.

Day 9: Sichuan / Home Sweet Home (12 Nov 2006)
Back to Sichuan and half a day of shopping at an underground shopping mall.

My boots had a makeover (shoeshine) for just 2RMB.

Background Info:

Jiuzhaigou County (previously known as Nanping County until being renamed in 1998) is located in the north of Sichuan Province and is part of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.

Lying on the highest tableland in the world between the Sichuan Basin and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Jiuzhaigou Valley covers altitudes ranging from 2,000 meters (656,168 feet) to about 4,300 meters (14,107,612 feet). With its large number of lake groups, waterfalls and rich variety of endangered plants and fauna, Jiuzhaigou was awarded the status of UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in 1997 and was also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

It has some of the most beautiful and inspiring scenery on earth and some of the reserves scenic spots considered holy by the local Tibetan and Qiang people. The park is opened all year round the authorities have ensured that the fragile environment is sufficiently protected with a range of comprehensive tourist facilities.

Previous years it had been difficult for visitors to get to Jiuzhaigou due to its isolated location, however this is no longer a concern due to the construction of the Jiuzhaigou Ring Way which links the reserve with Chengdu and the Jiuhuang Airport, and has made it easier to gain access to the park. Today most visitors transfer at Chengdu onto long-distance buses or flights going to Jiuzhaigou. The route on the ring way passes through a number of attractions and is surrounded by beautiful natural scenery, providing many a distraction for anyone making the journey.

Merlion and Esplanade

2007-09-01T11:53:00.003+08:00

The Merlion Park is a lovely place to spend your Saturday evening. It's free and you get to enjoy the beautiful scenery and plenty of fresh air. After dinner, I went with two friends to stroll along the Esplanade and was surprised to see a sizeable crowd of people sitting near the Merlion enjoying themselves. I use my Nokia 73 and took these few pictures.

Background:
The Merlion and its Significance
The choice of the Merlion as a symbol for Singapore has its roots in history, The Merlion commemorates the ancient name and the legend taken from the "Malay Annals" (literary and historical work from the 15th or 16th century) explaining how Singapore received its present name. In ancient times, Singapore was known as Temasek which is Javanese for the sea. It was then, as it is today, a centre of trade. At the end of the 4th century A.D, Temasek was destroyed by the Siamese, according to some historians, but by the Javanese according to others. As recorded in the legend in the Malay Annals," Prince Nila Utama of the Sri Vijaya empire rediscovered the island later in the 11th century A.D. On seeing a strange beast (which he later learnt was a lion) upon his landing he named the island Singapura which is a Sanskrit word for Lion (Singa) City (Pura).The Merlion, with its fish-like body riding the waves of the sea, is symbolic of the ancient city of Temasek. At the same time, its majestic head recalls the legend of the discovery of Singapore by Prince Nila Utama in the 11th century, when Singapore received its present name.

The Merlion at the Merlion Park
The Merlion was first built as an eight-metre tall sculpture in 1972 and was located at the mouth of the Singapore River to "welcome all visitors to Singapore". Built by a local craftsman, Lim Nang Seng, who won several prizes in the Singapore Handicraft and Design competition organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (then known as the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board) in 1970, it was commissioned for approximately $165,000 in 1971, and formally installed on 15 September 1972 by Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the then Prime Minister. The Merlion, a symbol to welcome all visitors to Singapore, has since moved. On 15 September 2002, it settled into its new home at Merlion Park, located next to One Fullerton, overlooking scenic Marina Bay, with the park opened by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

(The above are extracted from the STB website).

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay

2007-07-04T23:57:00.000+08:00

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay is currently one of Singapore's most exciting performance arts venues. Located at the waterfront overlooking Marina Bay, the complex with its distinctive dome-shaped roofs comprises a 1,600-seat concert hall, a 2,000-seat theatre and several recital rooms, theatre and rehearsal studios, as well as outdoor performing spaces.Also lovingly dubbed “the Durian” by locals, after the prickly tropical fruit, the Esplande – Theatres on the Bay also houses a mall, cosmopolitan food outlets and the library@esplanade – Singapore’s first arts library with literature and audio-visual materials covering music, dance, film and theatre.

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay presents a myriad of local and international performances - from musicals and concerts to dance and theatre. Outdoor performances and lunchtime concerts offer casual and light-hearted entertainment.

Sunset from Top of the M, Singapore

2007-07-02T23:50:00.000+08:00

It was around 6.50pm when I reached the revolving restaurant, Top of the M at the 39th Floor of the Meritius Mandarin, Singapore and saw this awesome sight. The surrounding Singapore landscape was bathed in golden light from the setting sun. It was breathtaking. Luckily I had my camera with me and started taking lots of photos. The sun started dipping down the horizon around 7.15pm which by then my dinner had started. It was a wonderful prelude to a delicious Italian dinner at this lovely place.

Mt Lingshan, Wuxi, China

2007-06-29T11:58:00.003+08:00

Buddha statue of Sakyamuni

On Day 2 of our 7 Nights 6 Days Shanghai / Suzhou / Wuxi Tour (16 - 22 Sept 2006), after breakfast, we proceeded on our journey to Wuxi to visit the giant Buddha of Mt Lingshan.

The giant Buddha stood imposingly at the mid-slope of Mashan Mountain. Its base is mounted on a lotus pod. Climbed further up the steps and one can rub the toes of Buddha, believed to bring good luck. The view at the top is fantastic but if you cannot climb right up to the top, stop halftway where there is a strategic point where you can "touch" the hand of Buddha. #

For a closer glimpse of the Buddha, there is a smaller scale of it in front. There is also a bronze Buddha Palm planted vertically on the ground called, "The First Palm in the World". Many queued up to touch the Buddha's palm so as to be blessed with good fortunes. Devotees prayed for good health and abundant wealth.

This is the grand entrance.

Giant footstep of Buddha and a group photo.

My first view of the Giant Buddha was 'blurred' as it was misty.

Luckily, the sky cleared in time when this awesome musical fountain show of the story of the birth of Buddha started.

This spectacular piece of technology is a circular fountain surrounded with nine dragons protecting the Little Buddha. At the centre of this masterpiece is a tall pillar structure with a lotus flower. Once the musical fountain show started, water slowly jets out at different directions. The lotus flower opens gradually and at the same time rotated clockwise to reveal a little buddha. Towards the climax of the show where the water started shooting skyhigh, many who came prepared sheltered themselves with umbrellas! For those ill-prepared, they consoled themselves with saying they received 'showers of blessing'.

Many believers armed with cups, containers, bottles, etc collected holy water from the 2 urns to drink or washed their faces. And no, I did not go near the water urns.

more Buddha statues....

Devotees with their offerings

more pictures of the Buddha

The Buddha Palm... and yes, I queued up to touch it.

Next pic: The smiling Buddha looks hugh at this angle but the real hugh one is the one in the background!

# Unfortunately, due to time constraint, our group could not climb to the top of the Giant Buddha. However, a few of us managed to touch base with the smaller scale Buddha.

Jurong Bird Park, Singapore

2007-06-28T11:23:00.000+08:00

Jurong Bird Park is the largest bird park in SEA. It is located at Jurong in the western part of Singapore. Visitors can enjoy an air-conditioned Panorail ride for an overview of the park, walk into the waterfall aviary (the highest man-made waterfall at 30 metres high), watch performances by the penguins and birds and get up close and personal with the birds at the lory loft.

Simpang Kiri Park Connector

2006-11-27T16:57:00.000+08:00

The Simpang Kiri Park Connector stretches for almost 2.8km all the way to Yishun Avenue 2. Along the pathway adjacent to a wide canal ultimately leading into the Johor Straits are fitness stations and benches to rest your tired feet. It demarcates the Southern border of Sembawang New Town, starting from the Southernmost tip of Canberra Link and terminating at Jalan Mempurong where the Bottle Tree Village and Masjid Penempatan Melayu Sembawang can be found.

Masjid Sultan & Newater Visitor Centre, Singapore

2006-11-27T14:07:00.000+08:00

The Sultan Mosque, named after the first Sultan of Singapore, was built with a SGD3,000 grant from the East India Company. It is the largest mosque in Singapore and the present building was constructed in 1928. With its massive gold-topped dome and spacious prayer hall, the mosque has one particularly interesting feature--the base of the dome is made up of glass bottles.

The NEWater Visitor Centre offers visitors a totally different experience to explore and witness first-hand how water for Singaporeans is being processed using advanced membrane and ultraviolet technologies.

Dawn at MacRitchie Reservoir

2006-10-31T02:02:00.001+08:00

The forest around MacRitchie Reservoir was protected as a water catchment reserve. There are many boardwalks skirting the edge of the scenic reservoir and walking trails through the forest ranging from 3 km to 11 km distances.

The HSBC TreeTop Walk (HSBC TTW) is the highlight of several long hiking routes in MacRitchie that brings nature lover through different stages of mature secondary forest. The first of its kind in Singapore and in the region, a free-standing suspension bridge connects the two highest points (Bukit Peirce and Bukit Kalang) in MacRitchie and offers a bird’s eye view of the community of plants and animals that live in the forest canopy. The total length of the walkway is about 250m and its height from the forest floor varies, with the highest point at 27m.

2006-10-19T11:06:00.000+08:00

Flowers at Sungei Buloh

Clarke Quay, Singapore

2006-08-29T13:57:00.000+08:00

Clarke Quay is situated near the mouth of the Singapore River. During the late 19th century, it was the centre of commerce. Today, Clarke Quay is buzzing with life and activity. The waterfront godowns now play host to a colourful kaleidoscope of restaurants, wine bars, entertainment spots, retail shops, pushcarts and five-foot way merchants.

Boat Quay, Singapore River, Singapore

2006-08-28T09:18:00.000+08:00

The setting was perfect for these few photos; not a ripple disturbs the calm of the water on this Sunday morning. The time was 6.30am and no usual office crowds neither walking around nor had the bum boats started their daily business of ferrying tourists.

Low tide

Asian Civilisations Museum and Singapore Waterfront

Merlion and the 'Durian' (Esplanade)

more photos of the Esplanade...

Background Info:
A century ago, Boat Quay was the hothouse for trading. When Raffles signed the agreement securing the auspicious title of free port for Singapore, this instantly opened the floodgates of immigrants from neighbouring countries. Within six months, a familiar scene in this location was sun-tanned coolies and swaylos (water-hands) balancing heavy gunny-sacks of rice on their shoulders, with springy gangplanks under their feet, loading and unloading a bewildering plethora of produce. By the 1860's, three-quarters of all shipping business was done at Boat Quay. Here was the starting point of Singapore’s success as a business hub. The south side of the river is crammed with shophouses because it resembled the concaved belly of a carp, which according to Chinese believers, was the source of prosperity and wealth. The row of shophouses (with variance in height- this symbolizes each man's wealth, the higher the shophouse, the wealthier the owner) has been carefully conserved. Today, Boat Quay is the trailblazer of the Singapore entertainment scene. With an eclectic mix of high end restaurants and alfresco dining and lively bars and pubs, Boat Quay is arguably the favourite place to “chill out” for most professionals and expatriates.