10th February, 2001.
Li River Cruise, Guilin To Yangshuo: Local Farmers Work Of Winter Months: Changing Mountain Scenery, Tall Bamboo On Banks. People Bathing
August, 1987.
The Li River is one of the many attractions of Guilin. Li River boat cruises from Guilin to Yangzhuo are very popular. Our coach came quite early to pick us up at the hotel to take us to the cruise boat. The traffic to the Li River departure points justified a new toll road being built from Guilin, and from what we could see, almost all the work was being done manually.The coaches had to weave their way between completed parts of the road; parts which had been almost completed; large piles of foundation rubble; lorry loads of stones being delivered and of course the workers with their barrows and shovels. On the journey we had the opportunity to see people at work or play, from a very good vantage point, without feeling intrusive.
 There was hardly any evidence of heavy machinery in use on any part of the road. Four years later, I was in a minibus traveling on the same road, and it was as smooth a ride, as on any of the roads of the Western countries.
The track leading from the coach park to the boats was lined by open stalls with a dazzling selection of goods, many of which would have been made by local farmers during the winter months. We cautiously boarded the boat up narrow gang planks, then watched coolies, their shoulder poles sagging with their loaded panniers, confidently stride up gang planks of other boats. Having left its moorings, the boat started its journey, joining a convoy ahead.
 At each turn of the river we were presented with spectacular scenery. Many of the peaks had a legend associated with them, and some rock faces were said to represent figure heads, but I confess that the images were not apparent to me. On the river banks, clumps of tall bamboo, in shades of green, were a fitting backdrop to young buffalo grazing on areas nearer the river and where the banks had collapsed, people were bathing.
If you are searching for any of the following topics, then just click them !
|