We started the day at the east end of the island, Hong Kong.

After saying our goodbyes, we took a taxi to another hotel.

Lots of construction here in Central. Where we walked was mostly passageways.

St. John’s Cathedral is an Anglican Church, completed in 1849.

And off to the peak!

After wandering a bit, we took the tram back down to Central and saw more of Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong flag, with the flower and stars is meant to symbolize the “one country, two systems” framework of the special administrative region.

In a tunnel under a street was a sanctioned area for homeless women and children. We tried not to disturb them as we walked by.

Goodbye karst topography! You are so beautiful.

We took a bus to a bigger city, Guilin, for a train station. Not too far a ride.

Again, the train station was more like our airports. Well organized, good signage.

Views of Hong Kong across from the island where we stayed.

Four of our group decided to learn more about tea, and this side trip did just that!

A lovely lady, owner of this small tea plantation, welcomed us and gave us collecting baskets and sun hats. Then Peter, our tour guide, led us to the plants.

After we picked tea for a while, the owner showed us how to make green tea using a large warm wok.

All three major teas, green, white and black, are made from the young shoots off the same tea plants. Processing the young leaves gives the tea the different characteristics desired. We learned about the favorable properties of each variety as we tasted them.

Green tea, the only one we could help make in our short visit, is unfermented. “Green tea contains tea polyphenols, which have the effect of improving vascular toughness, preventing arteriosclerosis, reducing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as refreshing the mind, protecting the heart, clearing heat and reducing internal heat, lowering blood lipids, anti-aging, promoting metabolism, sterilizing and reducing inflammation, preventing bad breath, aiding digestion, and improving immunity.”

White tea, the most expensive variety, is slightly fermented. “White tea has health benefits such as antibacterial and anti-radiation properties, antioxidation, and the ability to lower the “three highs” (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high blood lipids). It also has nourishing effects on the heart, liver, eyes, spirit, qi, and complexion. Furthermore, it can effectively balance blood sugar, prevent and treat diabetes, and prevent cerebrovascular diseases. It also has effects such as clearing heat and reducing internal fire, antiviral activity, refreshing the mind, enhancing immunity, reducing anxiety, and improving sleep.”

Black tea, fully fermented, is often made with older leaves from the tea plants. “Black tea is mild in nature and can aid gastrointestinal digestion, remove greasy feeling, stimulate appetite, promote health, ennance appetite, promote diuresis, and eliminate edema. It has a strong myocardial function. It has strong antibacterial properties, lowers blood sugar levels and high blood pressure, and its benefits are more beneticial to the heart. For people with weak spleen and stomach, adding some milk when drinking black tea can nave a certain warming effect on the stomach.”

After our tea lesson, the small group went on another hike through the karst mountains, steep, with a lot of stairs. We all wished the air was less misty.

Later that day, most of the group went to the Romance Park, mostly to watch a spectacular show. The other parts of the park were similar to amusement parks in the U.S., halls of mirrors, illusions, games to win toys etc.

These are quotes from signed in the park.

Introduction of Guilin Romance Park

Performance and Guilin Tourism, is rooted in excellent local traditional culture, integrating cutting-edge experience and interactive entertainment.

The masterpiece of the park, “The Romantic Show of Guilin” is a “must-see show” of lifetime. It reproduces the history, culture and ethnic customs of Guilin, and is suitable for all ages, rain or shine.

Everything in the park is visitor-centered, with large indoor air-conditioned No.3 secret tourism complex, wind and rain gallery, and five-star standard restrooms. The park integrates the history, culture, and ethnic customs of Guilin. The giant singer statue is magnificent and integrated with the Guilin landscape. It is the incarnation of the true, kind, and beautiful children of Bagui. In the park, there are high-tech and children’s attractions such as the haunted house, the living Qingming Riverside painting, and the Wonderful Street. Yangshuo Ancient Village has created a unique agricultural and market life style. In Market Street and Fengqing Street, Grandpa’s Wine Jars, Mom’s Pastries, Dad’s Toys and other handicraft workshops retain nostalgia and look for the memory of their parents. Lover Harbour and No.4 Bay are good places for young people to relax. In addition to the large-scale song and dance “The Romantic Show of Guilin”, there are also live-action experience shows “The Earthquake”, as well as performances and technology shows such as “Lingqu Parade” and “Guozhuang Carnival”. It’s a feast of culture and technology. Give us one day and we’ll repay you with thousands of years’ experience.

The grand song and dance “The Romantic Show of Guilin” casts the soul of culture for the landscape and reproduces the history, culture and national customs of Guilin. The show is divided into “The Call of the Ancients”, “Flying Song of the Earth”, “Rice Noodles Love”, “Jingjiang Palace”, “Liu Sanjie” and other scenes, which shows the audience the beauty and magnificence of Guilin’s mountains and rivers. And sometimes the audiences feel like cruising in the stormy waves of the Lingqu flood, and sometimes immersed in it. In Liu Sanjie’s duet of folk songs, galloping in the vast and magnificent historical scroll of Guilin. to feel the sensory shock of spirit and flesh, blood and tears, life and death, love and affection.and it reproduces the romance of Guilin. The show uses advanced sound, light, computer programming and other high-tech means and stage machinery. The actors perform enthusiastically. in the three-dimensional space of water, land and air, they sing the legend or the truth, goodness and beauty of the land of Bagui which travels through time and space. Bagui culture has brought into everyone’s vision. Guilin Romance Park has become a new benchmark for Guilin tourism performance.

Lights on the rocks as we were leaving the park

Yangshou has a humid climate, which is why the limestone weathered into such iconic mountains.

In the morning, Brian and Clare wandered on our own around the city of Yangshou, especially in a nearby park.

With the group again, we saw the moon rock, which changes phases as you watch it, walking parallel to the mountain.

Then we went to Ruyi Peak scenic spot, showcasing the Yangshuo Karsth8 landscape. The limestone formed in the Cambrian Period sea, 500 million years ago. When the Indian subcontinent smashed into Asia, the earth’s crust folded and uplifted. The limestone was gradually weathered and eroded, resulting in this unique karst landform. This area was selected by the National Geographic of China, for its precious and rare landscape aesthetic value that brings good luck for our health and careers.

Ruyi cloud top is a 360-degree glass viewing deck at the highest point of peak Ruyi, which is not only a good place for people to pray, but also to enjoy the wonders of karst peak forest landscape.

The whole group walked the entire path, some on glass floors!

We took a gondola up to the paths.

We all walked at our own speeds, enjoying the unique scenery and man-made structures that allowed us close access. Pictures show the beauty.

Everyone experienced this in their own way. Only Brian got lost.

So good to have seen this place.

Often in China, restaurants have plastic wrapped plates and such, leaving the customers to unwrap their own stuff. It seems an unusual use of plastic.