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Hongcun Village

5/28/2018

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Hongcun Village is in Anhui Province, near the base of Yellow Mountain (Huangshan).  In 2000, the village became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Although most travelers go to Hongcun for a day trip, the best way to enjoy the village charm and beauty is to spend a night.  We stayed in one of the family hotels right inside the village walls.  During the day, the streets are filled with tourists, but starting in the late afternoon through the morning, the only people around are the locals. 

The village's main draw is the beautiful lake that reflects the ancient buildings in the foreground and the mountains behind.  Like the sunrise and sunset on Huanghan, at different times of the day, I found myself taking pictures of the lake and the reflections, thinking that specific time could not be beaten in terms of its beauty.  I was proven wrong again and again as I returned to the lake at various times throughout the day.  

The evenings are cold through the late spring.  The streets are illuminated with red lanterns.  The locals sell snacks such as spicy homemade jam, cotton candy, egg crepes and roasted nuts.  I bought a cup of ginger tea to warm my hands and wound up drinking the whole thing before my hands had a chance to thaw.  

Hongcun's narrow stone paths wind around the village.  It is easy to get lost, which I did the next morning.  I ventured out into the peaceful village that had yet to awaken.  All paths do not lead to the lake, but I found my way after about an hour of wandering.  I was in no rush.  During my time lost in Hongcun, I passed by round doorways, red posters on stucco walls, horses carrying rocks in their saddle bags and people breakfasting on stools in tiny restaurants.  I highly recommend getting lost in Hongcun.  You'll eventually find your way too.

If you get a chance to visit an ancient Chinese village like Hongcun, seize the opportunity.  



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Cleaning up the Community

5/21/2018

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The streets are swept and litter is removed from every city street.
Most Chinese cities are clean.  Yes, that's right, Chinese cities are clean.  Some may still claim that the air is polluted.  Sometimes that is true.  But so was LA in the 80's.  In fact, the smog was so bad back then that sometimes it was hard to see.  And China is still a third world country.  It's ironic that we judge them on their air pollution when we were just as bad as a first world country.  The point is that the pollution has vastly improved over the last decade.  The Chinese government is committed to being on the forefront of environmental responsibility.  

In terms of cleanliness, I am referring more to the lack of litter.  The streets and sidewalks are cleared of each cigarette butt or gum wrapper as soon as it is dropped.  This is the benefit of a Communist society where the government employs all citizens.  This is the also the benefit of having such an enormous population.  There are people sweeping the streets, and picking up trash, on almost every block.  The cleanliness is palpable and shocking to most Americans who assume that Chinese cities are littered and dirty.

There are parks all over Chinese cities.  Regardless of where one lives or stays, there is a neighborhood park within walking distance.  The parks serve a few purposes.  First of all, trees remove CO2 from the air and create oxygen.  Of course, the trees, along with the beautiful plants and flowers, also serve to offer a respite from city life.  The government values this and invests heavily in creating and maintaining green space.  Finally, the parks serve to create a sense of community.  In the morning before work and in the evening, after work, there are hundreds of local people walking, jogging, doing Tai-chi, line dancing, singing, playing instruments, doing calligraphy and painting.  Most parks have an adult "playground" with exercise equipment for the elder generation to get together, talk and move their bodies around.  The Americans with whom I travel often comment on how lovely it would be if we had this "park community" in our cities and towns.  

Join me on a Chow Fun tour and see the cleanliness and sense of community that Chinese cities boast!

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Huangshan

5/14/2018

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Sunrise on Huangshan
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There is a magnificent mountain in China called Huangshan, or 黄山.  In Chinese, "huang" means "yellow" and "shan" is the word for "mountain".  Inevitably, westerners call it "Huangshan Mountain" which means "Yellow Mountain Mountain".  This always makes me smile.  The mountain is named after Emperor Huangdi (Yellow Emperor).  Huangdi unified China and is responsible for the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors.  

Although I took lots of beautiful photos, the pictures do not do it justice.  Famous for both sunset and sunrise, I went to Huangshan with a small group, including my daughter and father, and stayed overnight at a typically "no frills" mountain hotel.  The mountain range is vast and to get to the hotel, we took a cable car up most of the way and then walked for four hours to get to our hotel.  The scenery was breath-taking and the time flew by.  

Sunset did not disappoint.  With every centimeter that the sun went down, I would take three or four more shots, saying, "It can't get better than this," thinking I was taking the best sunset shot at that particular moment.  Yet, it just kept getting better.  

When the alarm went off at 4:30 for the morning hike to see the sunrise, it felt like I had not slept.  I threw on the warm clothes I had brought and grabbed the parka that the hotel provides for those unprepared for the cold mornings on the mountain.  Sunrise was even better than the sunset.  

There is a sense of serenity and peace on Chinese mountains.  Perhaps it's the thousands of pilgrims who climb the mountains to worship and give thanks.  Or the presence of little Buddhist and Taoist temples dotting the mountainside.  Perhaps that sense of calm just emanates from the sheer beauty of the trees growing out of the rock faces or the layer upon layer of mountains in the distance.  Whatever the reason, I was able to walk another six hours the next day, hiking from one peak to the next, up and down thousands of stairs, without feeling tired or sore, smiling all the way.

I hope that all travelers get to experience a Chinese mountain.  Please contact me know if you would like to visit Huangshan, or another mountain, but make sure you get in killer shape first!

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Tangbao (Soup Buns)

5/7/2018

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Puncture BEFORE taking a bite!
PicturePlace the 汤包 on a Chinese soup spoon, puncture, wait to cool, enjoy!
The first time I bit into a 汤包 "tangbao", like thousands before me, I scalded my lips and the inside of my mouth.  Back up.  I had heard that you haven't eaten in Shanghai until you try 汤包.  My first mistake was not asking what tangbao was.  The first character 汤 "tang" means "soup" and 包 "bao" means "package".  I thought I would be getting a bowl of 汤 with some little 包 in it.  When the little buns arrived in a steamer, I was confused, but figured I ordered the wrong thing.  Anyone who speaks Chinese as a second language knows that ordering the wrong thing is more common than one might think.  Many words sound similar.  At any rate, the contents of the steamer looked delicious so I grabbed my chopsticks and dug right in.

What I did not know is that the 汤 is inside the 包.  To eat the 汤包, one must place the little dumpling on a soup spoon and puncture it with the chopstick.  The steam seeps out of the hole, as does some of the soup, onto the spoon.  Blow on it and take a bite; drink the half teaspoon of soup.  In my excitement and hunger, I just bit into it.  The steam burned my lips as it escaped from the 包.  Rookie mistake, but hardly uncommon.  It didn't matter that I my lips were sizzling, I was hooked.

I now know the secret to the 汤包.  For a long time, I was puzzled.  How did they get the soup into the dumpling?  Apparently, the meat and/or vegetable filling is mixed with a gelatinous broth that melts inside the dumpling when steamed.  Brilliant.  Decadent.  Addictive.

Join me in Shanghai for a Chow Fun tour and try truly authentic 汤包.  I promise to remind you to puncture the dumplings first.

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    Lauren Drazen

    I have traveled all over the world, including adventures in China, Uganda, Taiwan, Thailand, Cambodia, Argentina, Vietnam, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, England, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, Netherlands, Canada and Mexico!  My greatest love is introducing Americans to the sites, traditions and people of China.  My hope is to give travelers a new lens through which to see the world.

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Lauren Drazen
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lauren@chowfuntours.com

Phone:  860-833-2106
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