thegoodfellas/blogset-br huggingface dataset:
pillows, poke them, etc., but didn't work. Anyway, I got to Nanjing as planned at 6 am.In the bus I had briefly spoken to a man that was seating in the bed next to mine. He couldn't speak English very well, just a few comprehensible words and most of our conversation went through with iPad's help and my passport's stamps. I tried to find out if there was a subway station close to Nanjing's bus station. I finally found out that he was offering himself to guide me until the subway. Ok.As I got there and started to unload my stuff, backpack and so on, he asked me to follow him. I did. We walked around 15 min until we found a subway stairway. The station had nothing different from other parts of China - including the machines to buy tickets. Still, he changed 10 RMB in coins for me and wouldn't allow me to pay him back.Finding Beppie & Gert's houseIn Nanjing I also had planned to couchsurf. And it was an awesome and unforgetable experience. It wasn't that easy to find their house but was totally worth it!Little & Big Gert, Aletta and BeppieI was on the road for more than 2 weeks, dealing with all the difficulties of traveling in China - something very scary at the beginning. Soon, being part of this family for 3 days was a relief. Breakfast, dinner and sometimes even lunch, in family style - Beppie, Little Gert and Aletta. Lots of laughs and lots of stories. They're an expat family from South Africa, speak English and Dutch and have been traveling through 27 different countries, hosting and being hosted many times. I was so happy to be able to interact with so experienced people having lots of fun and remembering what cheese, milk, pancakes and lasagna were. :)Nanjing's area I was being hostedBig Gert, Beppie's husband, is an automotive engineer and he was expatriated from South Africa 6 years ago. Little Gert and Alleta were small kids at the time they came to China. It's always interesting to talk to people who have been living in emerging regions for many years. According to Beppie, arround their neighborhood there was nothing but farms 6 years ago.Xuanwu LakeThis is one of the main lakes of Nanjing, with 444 hectare and 15 km in circle, so huge. It was one of my first tours in the city. Around the like there's also the remnants of the wall that used to protect Nanjing from invaders.Picture of Xuanwu LakeThe legend says that a dark dragon was seen inside the lake and according to Chinese Taoists that should be a water protection god, thus was given its name to the lake, Xuanwu.Nanjing Memorial MassacreOne of the signs in the MemorialIn 2nd WW context Japan dominated most of East Asia, including China. In 1937, Nanjing was captured by Japanese forces. The Nanjing Massacre is also known as Nanjing's Rape and was a period of 6 weeks where 240 to 300 thousand civilians and disarmed soldiers were killed. This episode was
denied by Japan many times in history, maybe, because one of the commanders was the prince Asaka and the massacre itself was commited under the orders of emperor Hirohito. Anyway, the incident remains alive in people's minds and it's one of the causes for the conflictual Sino-Japanese relations. For example, the popular anger about the sovereignity of Pacific Ocean islands probably already started from a bad and frayed image of Japan among Chinese people.Image of the stacked bodies during the MassacreThe museum has thousands of testimonials in Chinese and English of people who have survived, international correspondents, exapatriates, etc., who saw the carnage that happened at that time. My impression is that the museum fails to create a peace, forggiving and regret feeling instead of hate, revange and anger against the Japanese. Anyway, I believe that it should be like the experience of visiting Auschwitz in Poland and must be part of the tourist's agenda in Nanjing. PURPLE MOUNTAINThis is a complex of parks, cultural areas and touristic attractions all located in a 447m peak mountain in Nanjing. Usually you can purchase the through ticket for all the attractions for 100 RMB. However, walking all over it in just 1 day may be a challenge. I got exhausted after that and I didn't even walked the whole thing - the rainy werather for example made unnecessary to visit the top of the mountain or the observatory.Ming Xiaoling MausoleumEntrance gate to the mausoleumThe Ming dynasty had the tradition of burrying their members in huge mausoleums scattered around China. This mausoleum thus was built to emperor Hongwu, who died in 1381. The original walls of the mausoleum had more than 22 km of extension and were needed 100,000 workers to build it.Ming MausoleumThe mausoleum it's more interesting because of its exterior architectural grandeur rather than its interior. After getting through the tunnel, there's a ramp until you reach the walls level. There you can see a small shop and some minor exibition.Dr. Sun Yat-Sen MausoleumDr. Sun Yat-Sen was born in 1866 and died in 1925. He was known as one of the fathers of modern China due to his fight against the emperial government of dynasty Qing, which was overthrown in 1911 to the creation of the Republic of China.Stairway to the mausoleumThe mausoleum was finished in 1929 and it was build after a design competition in which the total cost of the winning proposal could not exceed 300,000 RMB. The mausoleum can be accessed through a stairway of linear 450 m and 392 steps. The Republic of China was founded by members of the Kuonmintang party which later would be expelled to Taiwan by the comunists. However, as strange as it is the ceiling of the mausoleum was left untouched by the Cultural Revolution, and it's painted as Taiwan's flag.View of the stairway from the mausoleumIf all those people were there in a rainy day, imagine in sunny day? From everywhere Chinese tourist groups and their guides - with loud speakers and flags - came. All that crowd should not be seen as
a negative aspect while traveling in China but faced as a real experience of traveling in China, as, in fact, we're talking about the most populous country in the world, right?Wuliang HallWuliang Hall pictureAlso known as Beamless Hall, it was built in 1381 and it's 22 m long and 53 m wide. In its construction were used just bricks from the ground to the ceiling without any nail or beam.Linggu PagodaLinggu Pagoda pictureLinggu Pagoda was built in 1929 as a memorial for soldiers who died in the Northern Expeditionary War fought between 1926 and 1928 with the purpose to unify China under Kuonmintang's command. The Pagoda has 9 stores and it's 60.5 m high. You can climb all the way up and have a view - even if not that clear due to clouds or rain - very interesting of most of Purple Mountain's foot.To find the Pagoda easily, go through Linggu Temple interior and follow the middle-track.Before leacing Nanjing I still spent some time in a smaller park, near my host neighborhood. However I didn't find the name in the internet. Anyway, when I went to buy train tickets to Suzhou, I was lucky and found a teller who could speak English. To make my life easier I bought not just the ticket to Suzhou but from Suzhou to Shanghai too.Nanjing was a revigorating and nice experience. I recharged my energies to keep going. Next stop will be "the garden capital of China", Suzhou. And, a detail, this journey will be done in a bullet train, at 240 km/h. See you soon! :)
Post anterior: The Southern Capital: NanjingVersao em PortuguesIntroEven if this post pictures may show the opposite, Suzhou is a big and important city next to the Yang-Tse river on its way to Shanghai. More than 4 million people in its urban area and 10 million in the metropolitan region, it's a city that, in the Chinese fashion way, mixes modernity, development and gigantic proportions with more than 2,500 years of history. It's often accounted as the Chinese Venice and since 1997 its famous gardens were listed as UNESCO Heritage places.Map of SuzhouArriving in SuzhouThe way between Nanjing and Suzhou was my first time ever in a bullet train. While I waited in the super modern station (would it be an airport??) in Nanjing I was excited about the experience would be. A quarter of hour before the time shown in my ticket the train arrived. From there on the ratchets lights turned green so we could move on. The trains, white and big with a huge nose were extremely clean and modern - a very different experience compared to my other train travels in China before. However that could not disguise the Chinese paradox. At the same time the showcased technology was modern, and, yeah, most part of the passengers were wearing suits, a significant number of Chinese families were carrying their disproportionate luggage, food, packages, etc., all boxed up to fit inside. There I could see the shock between urban, super modern, midiatic China and, the other one, which is still rural and trie to catch up with so many changes.100 km/h, 150 km/h, 200 km/h, 240 km/h and then the train didn't get any faster. Every 20-30 min we would get to a different station and the acceleration process would repeat again. Announcements, warnings and even the speed were available both in Chinese and English. At 240 km/h, which is not the fastest train in China, the scenery changed pretty fast. The curves were felt as bumps and there's some sensation like being in an airplane with seats and staff somehow similar. Not so long I reached Suzhou.It was night already and my first task was getting to the hostel, which, by the way, was from Mingtown brand, which normally offers just basic services - in other words, the bed. I found the bus that would take me to the hostels vincinity - the turistic area of Suzhou - and before I had time to get lost I asked a young Chinese man who took the same bus I did about what stop I should leave. I was correct, he was probably a university student and he could speak English fair well. As I left the bus, I took some narrow and dark alleys and tried to ask two old ladies who obviously would not speak English at all. The alternative was to show them my iPad screen which stated the name, in Chinese, of the hostel. Some murmuring and face gestures and I understood that I should just go on. Finally, I found the hostel.I did my check-in, paid
it, left my stuff in the lock and left to find some food. At 10 pm, my hostel's street was getting empty and everything was closing down. There were lots of cafe - expensive - which sometimes could not offer anything as food. I walked for half an hour and ended giving up. I walked in the cafe next to my hostel, packed with young and modern Chinese, and had "dinner" as a frappuccino for 35 RMB.Exploring SuzhouI had just 2 nights and 1 day in Suzhou, so, everything I'd like to do should be done within this single day. With that in mind, differently from my dorm colleagues, I woke up at 6 am, and started my solo tour.My first attempt was to buy my breakfast. A little bit hard, because tourists usually do not wake up so early and the whole turistic are was closed. However, as it's seemed to be common in China I found something that looked like a dumpling and bought 8 of it for just 10 RMB. I kept walking and eating at the same time. My idaea was to pay a visit to the "twin towers", two Pagodas next to each other but when I got close I realized the towers were closed for renovations, what a pity.Chineses The Chinese Gardens ArtChinese gardens look to recreate natural landscapes. This art evolved during 3,000 years and it was very common among emperors who built huge and sumptuous gardens while small gardens were recreated by nobles, scholars, artists, etc. The classical composition of a Chinese garden includes walls, one or more ponds, stones, flowers and trees, a combination of halls, pavillions and zig-zag paths, in order to present carefully planned scenes to ther guests.The Garden of the Master of the NetsThe first garden I got into the entrance ticket was 30 RMB. It was originally built in 1140 and recreated in 1770 by the bureaucrat Song Zongyuan.Internal view of the gardenThe context of the classic gardens is somehow the same. A prosperous bureaucrat/businessman/etc decides to transform his own residence in a landscape piece of art, adding ponds, plants, stones, areas to represent peace, harmony, etc., common elements of the Chinese culture.Details in windows and glass Panmen GateThis place has its name given to a gate built thousands of years ago that served as entrance to Suzhou. However, I'd say that the attractiveness of the place is not given by the gate itself but by the gardens, ponds and constructions in the surrounding. In my opinion this was the greatest garden I visited in Suzhou.Picture of the gardens in PanmenA visit to the place costs 40 RMB and will take at least 1 hours of walking through the whole area. I'd advise to arrive early so you can have the place to yourself before the crowds arrival.Waterfalls and vegetation in the gardensAuspicious Light PagodaI'd say that one of the highlights it's the imponence of Auspicious Light Pagoda, 53 m tall, and built in 1004 BC. For extra 6 RMB you can climb up the stairs to the top
- worth it! - to have an impressive view of Suzhou from the heights.Here I did my first pit-stop so I could rest from my accelerated tour totally on foot. I ate some dumplings more enjoying the view from the Pagoda.Suzhou: big with styleCrossing in SuzhouExclusive lane for motorbikes and bicyclesWalking through the city at 10 am the traffic, people and everything else were moving at full steam. Not different from other Chinese cities I've been to, the city was busy and crowded but without loosing its charm. Some big avenues had specific lanes for bicycles, motorbikes and other slow speed vehicles.Central lanes were for cars, a subway system and water canals would raise the flag for boats. All that surrounded by many trees. Observations like that make me think that once the "industrial revolution" is gone from China, beautiful cities will arise.The Surging Wave PavillionThis is one of the oldest gardens in Suzhou among the famous scholars of the city.Moon shape entranceMaybe one of the more intriguing elements of Chinese gardens architecture is the Moon shape entrance ways. Every tiny detail of this entrance could have a different espiritual meaning, as also the roof. Anyway, a Moon shape entrance it's an invitation to the guests to get into the property, and usually found only in noble and/or wealthy Chinese houses.Pingjiang RoadOld houses next to the canalNot just my hostel's road but maybe one of the finest and coziest places in town. One of its sides have a long pedestrian path in good state of conservation and perfect for a coffee/lunch, or just for walking around enjoying such a calm place.Old house next to the canalAt the same time you walk next to the canal, at the other side some very old buildings are presented in almost authentic Suzhou's black and white. Moreover, architecture here is quite different from Northern China for example. While there would found grey and walled houses/structures, in this part of China the buildings are lighter, with more windows and doors and some predominance of the white colour.The Humble Administrator's GardenPicture of a small bridge over the pondI got finally to my last place to visit. Maybe one of the most famous gardens - or it's what the ticket counter trie to tell you with a 5 A's national attraction classification board, the maximum - as its considered the finest example of gardening in Southern China spreading through more than 51,000 m2.Picture of a small pavillionIn 1510, Wang Xiancheng, poet and prosecuted emperial envoy moved to Suzhou and started his works to transform a former monastery in a garden. His will was to retire from politics dedicating himself to a simple life.Vegetation pictureIt took 16 years to the garden's construction to get finished however it suddenly changed owners since Wang had to sell it to honour gambling debts. Architectonic changes and different owners went through the years. In 1997 it became an UNESCO Heritage site.Well, the Suzhou tour came to an end, but, amazingly, all that was done until 2 pm of the same day. Well, it became
clear for me that was totally unnecessary to wake up so early and rush everything at the cost of blisters and sun burn. Next time stop will be a real megacity, an Alpha city and extremely important not just for China but for the whole world. The biggest Chinese city, with more than 23 million people, Shanghai!
Previous post: Pingyao under rainVersao em PortuguesIntroXi'An it's a 3,000 year old city which saw 13 dynasties and 73 different emperors to rule over ancient China. And thus it won't take too long until the first time traveler to notice some similarities among Xi'An and Beijing. The historical part of the city was designed in a squared manner, protected by huge and well preserved walls. There are wide green boulevards, for no doubts some nice memories to a nice metropolis.Besides that, Xi'An represents the start (or the end) of the ancient Silk Road which for many many years was the only possible connection between Europe and Asia, until the Europeans started to "discover" the world in the 15th century. Therefore, Xi'An is different. May be due its accent, totally different from Beijing, or maybe it's the food and the arts, with a strong islamic influence. That mix and some other monuments around Xi'An, in my opinion, make it a real must go stop in China.Xi'An MapThe WallsI had just arrived from Pingyao, which was literally under rain, the sun came high in Xi'An and the visual forecast of good weather made me to delay any rest. As fast as I could I looked for my host in town, Sheila, who I left my stuff with, had a good breakfast and started another 'walking a lot' day. The first place to visit was quite obvious, The Walls of Xi'An, the biggest urban wall of the world.View from the WallFor 40 RMB (20 RMB if you're student) you can climb the wall and walk around it as much as you want. You can even rent a bicycle to make it faster and more exciting. Since I was due to my low cost scheme and it was quite early that day, I decided to walk almost half of the +13 km path. Xi'An Avenue seen from the WallI started my tour over the Wall through the Northern side and planned to finish it as I reached the directly opposite gate in the Southern side. The thing is that in the Southern side there are many gates, which makes you a little bit confused whether you have reached the right one or not. Before I get lost I asked for help from an "apparently, Chinese university student", who was walking in the same direction. Even though his English wasn't that good, we could comunicate and then we became friends during my stay in Xi'An. Shao was a Civil Engineering student and was born in Chongqing, Southwest China, this time on vacations in Xi'An. Many of the monuments/museums I'd like to visit were also on his list so we decided to explore it together.Forest of StelesImage of a Chinese symbolwritten in the stoneThe former version of what would be called as paper in ancient China were stones, in fact, whole blocks of it in which Chinese manuscripts. In Xi'An, especially for those who can understand Chinese, there's a huge museum with 2,300 samples since 7th century which present the Chinese classical texts and other historical aspects. The
cost is 90 RMB/person, if I'm not wrong, and I'd recommend, again, only to those who can clearly understand Chinese or those who had done some previous research about the subject since the visit can get really boring if done in a superficial manner.FoodLunching w/ Shao Xi'An style noodles and lots of spicesWith no doubts Xi'An has a very rich gastronomy. Hundreds of years of exchange between Islamic and Chinese culture have given birth to a wide sort of different dishes and combinations. I'd say that the best way to take advantage of that would be to avoid riskless options - and no taste - like KFC, McDonald's, etc., easily found at major avenues and take a chance at small stalls, alleys, and small restaurants in which, to get started, the communication will be a first challenge. The look and point method is by far effective and perfectly combines with the calculator pricing method. Thus you can taste local food even not knowing Chinese. Fortunately this task was even easier for me since Shao obviously could speak Chinese and so he did take care of our menu.Big Goose PagodaView of the city from Big Goose PagodaFor sure one of the most visited parts of Xi'An are the surroundings of the Big Goose Pagoda. Built in the year 652 it's one of the city symbols. Arround there are many temples and parks. There's a 50 RMB cost to get into the complex and more 40 RMB to climb the stairs up. Although it can be a tiring climb and you won't get to the top - it's being refurbished - it's really worth it. As many other places in China, Xi'An can be very beautiful from the top. A typical Chinese phenomenon it's the impressive number of buildings being erected in the horizon.View of the Big Goose Pagoda from belowMuslim QuarterThis is the real charm of Xi'An, where suddenly the Middle-East finds China. A very busy street with tourists, hawkers, food stalls, etc., which starts just after the Drum Tower, in Xi'An's center. Shops and more shops selling T-shirts, decoration stuff, dry fruits, foods I haven't found anywhere else in China and a marvelous 2 RMB/glass plum juice avaialable at every corner. Curiously I forgot to take pictures of that area, but certainly it's a must see for any tourist in town.The Great MosquePorch with Arab writings at The Great MosqueFrom the outside - and even for most of its inner part - this mosque smoothly and insinuatingly deceive you. After having a hard time to find it through Muslim Quarter's narrow street you may think that's just another Buddhist temple. Going through some courtyards, only at the end, then you'll finally find some Arab inscripts - yes, Arab - which reveal one of China's most important mosques. There's room for a 1,000 people praying in the last pavillion. The entrance tickets cost 25 RMB/person.Xi'An at nightAs in other Chinese cities some monuments get really charming at night when they get special lightinh, thus it's worth to see and even wait in the