It is said that the local people, who admired him, dropped sticky rice triangles wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river to feed the fish. The rice was wrapped so that fish would not eat Qu Yuan's body and eat the rice instead.[6] This is said to be the origin of zongzi. The local people were also said to have paddled out on boats, either to scare the fish away or to retrieve his body. This is said to be the origin of dragon boat racing.
The holiday gave us 5 days to travel, so only a 6 hour bus ride took us to Yangshuo in Guangxi Province.
We stayed at the Yangshuo Riverside Retreat. It was more like a bed and breakfast. It was spectacular.
 |
| View from our hotel terrace |
  |
| Outdoor dining, the food and view was fantastic |
 |
| We had about a 20 minute walk into town, we crossed this bridge to get there. It had rained the day before so the river was high and fast. Not many boats out today. |
The dish that is most famous in this area is Beer Fish, so we gave it a try. It was tasty.
Next we headed down the road on our bicycles which was really an adventure in itself...the driving in China is indescribable, and then in a tourist area like Yangshuo, with coach buses, cars, moto-bikes, bicycles and pedestrians it was insane!
According to:
http://www.chinatouronline.com/china-travel/yangshuo/yangshuo-attractions/Yangshuo-Big-Banyan-Tree_261.html
It is said that the banyan
was planted in the Jin Dynasty, and has a history of over 1,300 years.
Its age and towering beauty make this tree a must- see attraction in
Yangshuo. Yangshuo Big Banyan Tree is located 7 kilometers away from the
center of Yangshuo, and the old tree is 17 meters high and covers an
area of over 1000 square meters. It continues to grow strongly to this
day.
People in ancient times believed the tree to be as powerful as a god. Poor people look upon the tree as a doctor, capable of curing all illness. It is said that if a sick person writes their wish for health on a piece of red paper and sticks it to the tree, their wish for good health will be granted and they will recover.
People in ancient times believed the tree to be as powerful as a god. Poor people look upon the tree as a doctor, capable of curing all illness. It is said that if a sick person writes their wish for health on a piece of red paper and sticks it to the tree, their wish for good health will be granted and they will recover.
  | ||||||
| Gabe on the oxen and the boys bamboo rafting |
The boys gave the bamboo river rafting a go...Gabe's bamboo pole got stuck and he fell in, so I entered our video with AFV, hope we get picked! It was pretty funny, but I can't post it again until they decide if it will be chosen to air on their show.
  |
| A little wet, but still smiling |
This was along our walk into town, very near our retreat. Some local farm buildings and animals.
 |
| Eating Spanish Tapas |
On Thursday we rented a van and drove about 3 hours to...
Longsheng (龙胜; Lóngshèng) and nearby Longji terraces (龙脊梯田; Lóngjǐtītián) are in North Guangxi, near Guilin.
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangxi/longsheng/dragon.htm
Located approximately 27 kilometers (about 16 miles) southeast of
Longsheng County, a vast region of rice terraces stretches layer upon
layer, coiling around from the base of Longji (the dragon's backbone)
Mountain to its summit. This is the most amazing terrace in China, the
Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces. Construction of them began in the Yuan
Dynasty (1271-1368), and continued until the early Qing Dynasty
(1644-1911) when construction was completed. The Dragon's Backbone Rice
Terraces are the culmination of both the profound wisdom and strenuous
labor of the Zhuang people.
This was the view when we arrived, but the drive up to the terraces was beautiful
and a bit treacherous at times.
| |
 |
| Many of the roads were covered from the mountain washing away. |
  |
| We drove through this puddle/lake! |
 |
| Common to see three or more people on a motorcycle or scooter, we saw a scooter in town with two adults and three sleeping kids, missed the photo. |
View from the top...
On the way up the local villagers are selling many foods and souvenirs
We ate some delicious candy that tasted like toffee, chips on a stick and fresh cucumbers.
Here is an Internet description of the local women and a few Internet photos, their hair looks like a hat...
The Miao women wear colorful short jackets with short pleated skirts, and on special occasions wear large amounts of silver jewelry, and adornments. This clothing is worn on a daily basis. It is an unforgettable site to see the minority women working the fields in all of their finery.
If you are staying in Longsheng you can hire these women to carry your things to your hotel/hostel
A few more photos of our drive down the mountain, the river was amazing! This truck was exporting some wood, we eventually passed.
 |
| Matching couples in China is also very common, Hattie didn't even see them til after I took the photo |
 |
| This elderly gentleman gave us a Ni hao (hello) as we passed. |
 |
| Not sure what kind of critter this was, but he was on the menu! |
The view of the Li River in Xing Ping
While walking through town, which only consisted of two large streets, we stumbled upon a hostel/restaurant that served this delicious bacon sandwich! It is not very frequently that we get to eat something that tastes like home. We love Chinese food, but authentic Chinese food is not like our local establishments in the US.
A few more local pics
Later that day we went bamboo river rafting down the Yulong River, a tributary of the Li River, apparently if you start at 4 it's not as crowded.
The scenery of the Karst mountains was phenomenal.
 |
| Mason and Hattie on their bamboo raft, the driver continuously pushed with his bamboo pole. |
 |
| We see this kind of vehicle often it has an uncovered engine |
 |
| A shot from the bus window, this is also very common, they just sit on the back of the bike, side saddle. |
 |
| The super cute baby and her mom, sleeping next to Hattie, on our 6 hour bus ride home. She didn't hardly make a peep |
