July 4, 2004

• I'm Alive! (Cont') [29/6-1/7]

  29/6 - Da Lian (大連) & Lu Shun (旅順)

  Leaving Lu Shun in an Illegal Way

  I took a taxi to the coach terminal. The taxi driver, same as the previous one, offered to take me to Dai Lian at $100. I did deny as usual. I arrived at the terminal and a "Lai Man (泥魚孟)" taxi driver was looking for passengers. Then I went back to Dai Lian at $10. Later I told another taxi driver about that, he said "Oh, you are offending the law! (你作反喇!)"

  Dai Lian

  Dai Lian is called the "Hong Kong in the North". It's quite true. I haven't seen so many international banks and high-rise office buildings throughout the trip. The business district of it looked more similar to HK's than Shanghai's. Shanghai's commerical districts are conspricious in nature. The whole district is unnecessarily spacious and egomaniac. Dai Lian's and Hong Kong's are really for doing business. Their design is more realistic.

  There are many nice squares there. The major squares were important landmarks nad hubs.

  Xinghai Square (星海廣場)

  It's previously a bay for dumping. In 1997, the govt filled the bay and created this square for celebrating HK's handover (oh...). It was very very large. It's too large that the designers might not have ideas of what to fill it. Anyway, I like such spacious places. It seemed to be a good site for the locals to have their leisure time - museum, mini-theme park, sculptures, shops, etc. I visited the shop of Dai Lian Shide Football Club and got some gifts for my firends.

  Zhongshan Square (中山廣場)

  It's established by the Russians in 1899. There are several old buildings surrounding it. It's the place I used most of my Compact Flash memories in Da Lian.

  Renmin Square (人民廣場)

  It's the square surrounded by the government offices. It's large, too. There was a nice policewoman directing traffic in the centre of the road junction. If she has to stand there everyday, how come her skin still so white? God bless the northern ladies.

  Youhao Square (友好廣場)

  There is a big big ball in the middle. That's excellent for taking photos. If there's one stuff representing Da Lian, this sphere might be the best choice (1000 times better than the bad-taste Golden Bauhinia).

  Dalian Modern Museum

  This museum shows the economic achievements of the city. You can say that's the show room of Da Lian. The design of it is quite good. The interior is terribly clean and modern. Quite a good place for knowing the "performance engineering (政績工程)" of the city.

  Ordinary Resiential District

  I love to visit the down to earth things of the city. I wandered around in an "can't be more ordinary" residential area. Some old people gathered and played bridge, while some others were gossiping. There were the communist community offices talking about "how to create a better community and help the needed." As there's not many NGOs in China, the communist party is still looking after the social service and community building issues of every local communities.

  Back to Shan Dong

  I took the ship to Yan Tai at 8:00pm. Before that, I had a nice Korean BBQ dinner - BBQ shellfish.

  Thank God again I share the room on board with a family - a couple with two little daugthers. No dirty and terrible people. I guess the dirty people wouldn't buy the 2nd class tickets.

  I went to and left Da Lian by ship without living in any hotel. That means I could not have shower since for 48 hours... I could only clean myself by towel and wash my face...

  I arrived at Yan Tai at 4:00am. Then took a small and overloaded coach back to Jinan. That's another 6 hr trip and I slept during most of the trip.

  The man collecting fees was very stupid. He failed to recognize who had paid for the trip. I was quite sure that at least 3 of the passengers were free-riders. In an pre-civilized society, fee-collectors shouldn't be stupid.

  30/6 - Jinan (濟南) again

  Da Min Lake (大明湖)

  Every HK students know Da Min Lake out of the textbook. The article in textbook was writen many decades ago and therefore the lake is no longer that one described in it.

  Someone said the lake has been polluted. That's not true. It's water quality was alright. For a person with no literature background, Da Min Lake is merely a small lake with nothing special. What make it special literature.

  Suddenly, I heard some strange noise - someone was riding jet-ski (水上電單車)!!!!!! Oh God!!!!! How can they such noisy activity there??????????????? In fact, the lake is not that big for such activity. I wonder how they think about the word "heritage" mentioned by the official tourism materials.

  Like other "heritages", there were the gift shops. This time I found something not that bad - some interesting traditional tiger dolls.

  Baotu Spring (趵突泉)

  The tour guide books say Shan Dong has "Mountain, Water and the Saint", i.e. Tai Mountain, Springs of Jinan and the Confucis heritage in Qufu.

  Jinan is also called "the Spring City (泉城)". There are 72 famous springs there. I visited the most famous one - Baotu Spring (趵突泉), one of the "No.1 Springs in China" ((there are 6 "No.1 springs" in China. Everyone claims theirs the "No.1". But there's no doubt on the No.2, Hupao Spring in Wuxi. 無鍚虎跑泉)).

  Many famous Chinese writers wrote about the spring. The spring itself is not special (looks like water coming out from a broken manhole). What makes it special are the fictions, articles, poems. That's what we call heritage.

  Eat Eat Eat

  As it's the last day, I dared to eat anything I like. I tried mini lobsters, escargots, Sichuen food, goat soup, etc. All were good.

  1/7 - Hong Kong

  I took the 8:15am flight. That means I need to get up at 6:00am...

  Goodbye Shan Dong. I must go back to HK for the rally.

  • 11:40 am
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