The fame of Huanglong stems...
by ErnieGal
The fame of Huanglong stems to a large extent from its unique travertine and limestone landform. At the foot of the snow-clad Xuebaoding Mountain lies a gully 400 or so metres deep that was brought into being by ancient glaciers.In times immemorial,large quantities of calcium carbonate was dissolved by meltwater and seeped through earth's surface to form a huge travertine deposit 3.6 kilometres long and 30-170 metres wide .The deposit is studded with 3,400 or so pools and many caves, and streaked by many waterfalls and a 2.5 -kilometer-long stream. Meltwater flowing all over the travertine deposit tumbles down one cliff head after another, threads through forests,feeds ponds,overflowsdykes, rolls across shallow places until it empties into the Fujiang River.The ponds,lying one atop the other, assume a hundred and one different colour and form what looks like a terraced field. The waterfalls emit a pleasant sound as they cascade like colored clouds. The calcium-containing shoals are crystal clear to the extent of being transparent. The streams flow this way and that along courses that look like numerous golden dragons swimming in dense woods and between snowy peaks and a blue sky that is filled with blue clouds. The entire scenery is evocative of the dwelling place of the Queen Mother of the Western Paradise. Hence the nickname of the place: Jasper Lake of the Mundane World. In 1982, Huang- long was designated as one of China's first group of key scenic resorts. In 1990, Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou topped China's list of forty best scenic. In 1992,Huanglong was one of a group of Chinese scenic zones to appearing the UNESCO list of world natural heritages. After so many years of oblivion and seclusion, Huanglong today is poised for a takeoff like a real dragon.
Cultural Act
by akikonomu
Watch performances in an open air courtyard and be served tea from one of those long spout kettles.
Music performance - the musician plays the erhu and uses his skills to create a melody that imitates the galloping of horses (excellent!!)
Shadow Play - the artiste makes use of his fingers to create shadows of animals and images on a screen.
Mask Play (or Bianlian) - the performers switch masks within split seconds.
Opera - Don't really know what's going on but still enjoyable.
Puppetry - the artiste skillfully manipulates the puppets (rather lifelike)
Jinsha Relics Museum - NOT OPEN YET
by mke1963
Contrary to what it says in a number of guidebooks and at a number of government websites and on official city maps (WHY DO THEY DO THIS!!!!!!!!), the Jinsha Relics are NOT open to the public. There is a brand new building (huge, expensive, state-of-the-art....the usual massive overinvestment in infrastructure) which the guards "think" is a museum. They weren't sure as they have only been working there four months and hadn't really noticed the huge building 100 meters behind where they sit in their hut.
"When will it open?"
"What?"
"The museum"
"Don't know"
"Do you feel that life is passing you by while you sit in your hut?"
"I don't understand your meaning"
"So that's a 'Yes' then......."
When, oh when oh when oh when will tourism and heritage authorities in China stop misleading tourists and visitors about attractions and sites? When will they realise that providing wrong information (and confusing "what will happen in the future" with "what you can do today") just angers people and leads to people making long unnecessary journeys?
It's a disgrace.
UPDATE: According to a Chengdu government website, the museum was FINISHED in June 2004 so why isn't it open. Have RMB200 million just been wasted??