江城

bumped into this "couple" picture, taken couple years ago at the spot where 汉水(Han Sui) joins 长江(ChangJiang). Find that it's touching of the scene where the couple holding hands and staring at the foggy rivers. Utilized the remaining 30mins prior to night fall taking some pictures... It's cold that day as I had to wear a vest and jacket during a meeting earlier the afternoon - guess what...heater is not a standard feature for WuHan area infrastructure. As suggested from Mr Octopus, foggy/greyish day shots can be turned into black and white - which will create another feel, as I was pretty disappointing that moment as all shots were so "grey" or "blue" because of the temperature and the weather...it turns out pretty good as attached at the collage-turned into gray scale+increase contrast+increase gamma+increase blue a little (to keep the cold feel), 3 years later ...that was my very first trip bringing a dSLR. 江城(river city) is another name of 武汉(Wuhan).

note: the trees shot, stone bridge, house reflection shots were shot at 东湖(Dong Hu). The rest on right were taken at the spot where the two rivers join.

蘇州之寒山寺

《楓橋夜泊》月落乌啼霜满天,江枫渔火对愁眠。姑苏城外寒山寺,夜半钟声到客船。-- 张继
This is a poem by a 唐朝Tang Dynasty student 张继. 寒山寺Han Shan Si (Han Shan Temple, buddist) located at the old canal by a bridge (see picture) called Jiang Feng 江枫 outside of the old city of 姑苏城Gu Su. 姑苏, ring a bell? one of the names of 蘇州SuZhou in old days, remember 金庸天龙八部？...The temple is ~1500 yrs old built before 唐朝Tang Dynasty.The bell of this temple will be rung 108 time during new year.
The poem translation taken from a webpage with more description:

• The moon goes down, crows cry under the frosty sky,
• Dimly-lit fishing boats ‘neath maples sadly lie.
• Beyond the Gusu Walls the Temple of Cold Hill
• Rings bells which reach my boat, breaking the midnight still.

Don't you think it's so cool to tour a place which we read it through a +1200 yr old poem? It was also part of the 唐诗三百首

苏州之虎丘

虎丘(HuQiu, Tiger Hill) is a garden like tourist spot at 苏州(SuZhou). It was made famous 2500yrs ago (yes, 500BC) for a burial of a king 吴王 at this region of ancient China during the warring states 春秋era. His son 吴王夫差 buried him with thousands of famous swords at the 剑池Sword Pond (see picture), including the famous 鱼肠剑(YuChang) Sword, according to legend. Many emperors since then trying to search for these treasure but without any luck. The tour guide did mention about the huge rock about size of a few modern day concert stage that we stand on next to the sword pond was the place where a feast for the labor/worker/craftman was held after the burial. And all these labors were slaugthered at this same spot after the feast...err...and that's why there are a few of the column like pillars at at four corners of this stage/rock to "control" or "protect" if you know what I meant. The characters on the stone walls dated from 明朝Ming dynasty (1400+ AD) and some even older.

The hill mentioned, is actually 30m tall. Per geological information, this place was originally under the sea and it surfaced from sea level, that the reason it was also name 海涌山(Hai Yong Shan, "hill came out from sea"), as labeled at the banner/signboard at the main entrance, next to the stone lion. As I don't know much about rock or geology, I cannot tell those signs of sea in this place...one may ask...it's SuZhou, it's 1.5hr from Shanghai, how can this be sea? There must be evidence to say so, and I believe it.

SuZhou people are lucky as this huge park/garden is full of awesome scenery's; not like the smaller scale Chinese gardens园林 for some royal or rich families...one can spend a day there to do some painting, take pictures (I wish I can stay longer, and the light is brighter) of the little pond, the moat, the walls, the pagoda (it's leaning too), steps (108 if I recall it according to the tour guide), greenery, flowers (lots of them), and walking around... Most of the buildings were NOT 2500 yrs old, as 虎丘HuQiu has gone through multiple wars, fires (some man made), and negligence ...

How to get there: join the tour by buying a tour package ~RMB200 at Shanghai travel center next to Shanghai Stadium 上海旅游集散中心(上海体育场南) at Puxi, which includes a few of the famous spots at SuZhou, including this 虎丘. Duration 0900-1800. Check with the hotel concierge on the ticket purchase and package 24 hr ahead so don't have to take subway to the Puxi, Shanghai Stadium/Sport Center exit and walk to this travel center to buy ticket on the same day.

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苏州之耦园

苏州园林甲天下。苏州园林综合建筑、山水、花木、雕刻、书画集于一体，漫游于园中将经历步移景换的意境。拙政园和留园名列中国四大名园，耦园为现有60多个园林之一。自公元前6世纪春秋时吴的部局；水陆并行、河街相邻，还可在园林里外见到它之缩影。所摄之照片不及实景之一二， 尤其带不出书卷气，只好把对联，匾额及诗画也带进。撑艇老妇有唱江南小曲，吴侬软语加上沧伤。。。

由上海旅游集散中心买苏州一日游套票约200人民币.大约1.5小时车程。启0900-回 1830。

Ou-Yuan is unique among other SuZhou chinese gardens because it has 2 gardens in one residence, therefore it's called Ou ("O") for being duo/twin/couple. It also subtly implying a couple live in "low profile" or quietly and away from the busy life (hideout) especially city. Built in early Ching Dynasty 1644-1910 (not sure the exact date). Three sides of it adjacent to water/river and the remaining side is a street. It's filled with classical chiese residence elements like study, living room, lobby, artificial "hill"/garden/pond,plus lots of trees and plants. It's like a chinese painting of a residence, in reality. In fact, there are many chinese painting and calligraphy in the rooms, guess it's a must for scholar/government official those days. This garden is the remaining of 60+ gardens at SuZhou and "melt" into the old city city plan dated 2500+ yrs ago in the warring states era - where the city was planned to be criss-cross with waterway+land...

How to get there: join the tour by buying a tour package ~RMB200 at Shanghai travel center next to Shanghai Stadium 上海旅游集散中心(上海体育场南) at Puxi, which includes a few of the famous spots at SuZhou, including this Ou Yuan. Duration 0900-1800. Check with the hotel concierge on the ticket purchase and package 24 hr ahead so don't have to take subway to the Puxi, Shanghai Stadium/Sport Center exit and walk to this travel center to buy ticket on the same day.

。。。以下简介采自中国网。。。

耦园位于苏州市内仓街小新巷，原为清初陆锦涉园。清初，保宁知府陆锦致仕归里后于此始构涉园，一名小郁林。后一度由书法家郭凤梁赁居。继为崇明祝氏别墅。同治十三年左右，归按察使湖州沈秉成，聘画家顾沄主持，重修扩建如今。因一宅而有两园，遂称耦园，并寓夫妇偕隐双栖之意。1941年为常州实业家刘国钧所得。

全园布局，颇为得法。黄石假山作为全园主题，堆叠自然，位置恰当，陡峭峻拔，气象雄浑，为苏州园林黄石假山中较为成功的一座。实为值得游赏流连的去处。此园因在住宅东西两侧各有一园，故名耦园。古时两人耕种为“耦”，“耦”、“偶”相通，寓有夫妇归田隐居之意。

东园面积约4亩，以山为主，以池为辅，重点突出，配搭得当。主体建筑坐北朝南，为一组重檐楼厅。这在苏州园林中较为少见。其东南角有小院三处，重楼复道，总称“城曲草堂”。西园面积更小，以书斋及织老屋为中心，前有月台，宽敞明亮，后有小院，幽雅清秀，隔山石树木又建书楼一座；其南亦有一院，为不规则形状，西南角设假山，设置花木，间置湖石，显得幽曲有趣。

全园主景黄石假山，筑于城曲草堂楼厅之前，石块大小相间，手法逼真自然。假山东半部较大，自厅前石径可通山上东侧的平台及西侧的石室；平台之东，山势增高，转为绝壁，直削而下，临于水池，绝壁东南设磴道，依势下至池边，此处气势为全山最精彩处，假山西半部较小，自东而西逐级降低，坡度渐缓，止于小厅右壁。东西两半部之间有谷道，两侧削壁如悬崖。而绝壁东临水池，假山体量与池面宽度配合适当，空间相称。山上不建亭阁，而于山顶山后铺土之处，散置十余种花木，随风摇曳，平添了山林趣味。而池水随假山向南伸展，曲桥架于水上，池南端有阁跨水而筑，称“山水阁”，隔山与城曲草堂相对，形成以山为主体的优美景区。

。。。。。。

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