Archive for November, 2007

Weekday business discussion in a quite but expensive tea house

Our company management went for a strategic meeting out of office today. We did not want to be interfered by the daily operational routines that are common in the office. So we opt for a quite place outside the office. We choose a tea house close to GrandBuy department store.

The team house is located in a residential compound. It is rather difficult to find. After we finally located it, we found a very quite place. We went there in early afternoon and we were the only clients. We sat in a corner and enjoyed our tea. The tea was rather expensive. It was 60 RMB/pot. The snacks are equally expansive and there is a minimum charge of 30RMB/person. We had very serious discussion about the company

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Weekend Getaway to Foshan City, GuangDong

Mother Buddha Statue

From the top of the hill, one can see the FoShan city line

The temple at the XiQiao Mountain

Located at the east side of GuangZhou, FoShan is very continent for GuangZhou visitors. I visited FoShan during the weekend. I enjoyed the two of the most famous attractions: XiQiao Mountain and The Temple of the Ancestors (ZuMiao) Temple. I also had fantastic the local cuisines.

XiQiao Mountain:
With its graceful peaks, caves, waterfalls, and springs, XiQiao Mountain is one of the four famous mountains in Guangdong Province. The major attractions include the giant Mother Buddha (GuanYin) statue. The Mother Buddha Statue is positioned at the peak of Daxian Hill at 290 meters above sea level. The statue, which is in a sitting posture, measures a 61.9-meter-high. It is made from copper. Beneath the Buddha is a lotus seat, which is 36-meters wide, 14.9-meters high and features 66 petals in three layers. From the top of the hill, one can see the FoShan city line in the horizon. However, the city is covered with a layer of haze, possibly polluted by the traffics and the industry smokes.

ZuMiao:
The Temple of the Ancestors (Foshan ZuMiao) is located inside the city. It dates originally from the second half of the 11th C, and was restored in 1372 following a fire. It is dedicated to the God of the North, Ruler of the Waters. Although the Chinese name ”ZuMiao” means ”Temple of the Ancestors”, this simply indicates that it is the oldest temple in town, “the ancestor of temples”. The rich ceiling decoration with many figures is its most interesting feature.

Local cuisines
Guangdong cuisine is well known in China and around the world. The food is mostly steamed which local people believe to preserve the nutrition most. I had the steamed chicken soap, some dim sum and steamed rise noodle with beef. Because of the proximity of Hunan and Guangdong province, there are many Hunan restaurants in Guangdong province. I also had a Hunan style dinner. It was one of the best prepared Hunan dinners that I have ever had for many years. I lived in Changsha, Hunan province during all my childhood. These dishes brought back my found memories.

Getting to FoShan is surprisingly easy. #1 subway connects to Kenkou which is on the suburb of both GuangZhou and FoShan. From Kenkou exit, there are many

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An excellent place for social dinning with friends and business associates:Mao Chinese Restaurant

Ever since I came to GuangZhou, I have been eating out every day. Among the many restaurants that I have visited, Mao Chinese Restaurant is top on my list. The best part is that it is next to our office building. I frequently have dinner in this restaurant. I recommend it to everyone who wants a serviced work dinner with friends and business clients.

The Mao Chinese Restaurant has nothing to do with the Chairman Mao. The name is used because the cuisine if Hunan where Chairman Mao was born. The dishes are reasonably priced with good potion. The service is excellent and the service staffs are well trained and courteous. The environment is nicely decorated and very clean.

The restaurant gets very crowded during the dinner time and usually lasts about 800pm. I frequently go there to enjoy a quite dinner on a window seat.

My review for this restaurant is: (out of 5)
Food: 4 stars
Decoration: 3 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: 4 stars

Summary: An excellent place for social dinning with friends and business associates. Very busy during the dinner time, reservation is recommended. Average 50 RMB/ person

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A easy afternoon in Changdao Island, Huang Pu Military Academy

Dr. Sun Yet-Sen

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The singing, dancing and socializing are signs of a

Dancing clubs

The next YaoMing?

Porker clubs

Ballroom dancing in open air 10 C degree

Located to the east of Beihai Park and north of the Imperial Palace, Jingshan Park is a worthy place spot to visit. JingShan in Chinese means Scenic Hill. The hill was originally made with the earth from the moat surrounding the Forbidden City. The hill is the highest natural place inside the city. From there, one can have wonderful views of Beijing, especially over the Forbidden City, The park was an imperial garden during the Yuan (1271 – 1368), Ming (1368 – 1644) and Qing (1644 – 1911) dynasties.

Living in Beijing for over 3 years, I have not visited the JingShan Park. I decided to visit the park in Sunday afternoon. The entrance fee is surprisingly cheap, only 2 RMB. I was impressed by the lush green grass field and the cypress trees surrounding the hill. There are many visitors, mostly are local Beijingers enjoy the Sunday afternoon outing. There are a lot of folk singings, dancing and even music performance in the park. These are the local opera, singing and music clubs and mostly consist of middle or elder aged persons. The singing, dancing and socializing are signs of a

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Chinese workers enjoy 11 paid holidays

Chinese government announced recently that the Chinese workers will enjoy 11 paid holidays. 1 more day than the previously 10 paid holidays.
These holidays are:
New Year

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Hiking the most photographed Great Wall: Jiankou

This is the hiking map for the Jiankou Great Wall

Our Group after reaching the ZhenBei Lou

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Historical relics and natural beauty. Perfect Weekend Getaway. Zhaoqing, GuangDong Travel Guide


The Huge Incense Burner on top of the DingHu Mountain

Zhaoqing is one of the famous tourist places in Guangdong Province. It is located 110 km west of GuangZhou, and on the transportation route that connects to GuangXi and Hunan provinces. It enjoys a mild subtropical monsoon climate (average 21? annually) and abundant rainfall. It offers tourists densely wooded mountains and caster landscape.

ZhaoQing is known for its historical relics and natural beauty. ZhaoQing has over 2000 years of history. The local government promotes it as the leisure getaway for city dwellers in GuangZhou and ShenZhen.

Tourist Attractions:
DingHu Mountain
Just 20km east of ZhaoQing is the DingHu Mountain. It has the China

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Where do you want to eat today? Outsourced Chinese kitchen.

Chinese fast food between 6-10 RMB/meal.

The cost of eat out is so low and the choices are so many. Many Chinese office worker eats out every day.

I came to Guangzhou 2 month ago and I have not cooked once. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in restaurants every day. I call it outsourced chicken.

Chinese are world class in many things, among them two stand out above everything else: 1st: cooking,
2nd: mass production.
One can find Chinese food in every part of the world. Chinese production line is one of the most efficient systems in the world which produces majority of the items that the world uses everyday. With the combination of cooking and mass production skills, you have a country that offers extremely efficient and good public canteen that is suitable for every occasion.

I walk to work every morning. On the way to work, there are at least two food stands that I can buy milk and Chinese dumplings for breakfast. I usually grab a box of milk and bread or a box of Chinese dumplings. The cost is 5 RMB. I usually have lunch in the office. A few local restaurants deliver the box lunch everyday.

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Here in China, if you are a foreigner, you are treated better than Chinese?

Humen Battery, where the Opium War started and China opens its door in 1850s. Now a busy port for oceanliners carry Chinese exports.

Reading last week

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