I thought my first trip outside of Dalian was going to be somewhere exotic. More specifically,I was hoping my first trip would be somewhere warm. Yes,I was two minutes away from buying my 5 day trip to Shanghai, but I am a "responsible adult". I decided that I would go somewhere small and save up for a big birthday trip next month. Before Spring festival began,I was invited to Anshan for a couple of days to visit my boss. This for me was a great honor.Mostly it was really exciting for me to get out of Dalian for a couple of days. While there are many amazing things I got to experience, I will only name a few!
1. Bullet Train-I always associate bullet trains with Japan. I was honestly extremely excited to experience it. The regular four hour train ride was only an 1 1/2 hours! The seats were comfortable and the ride was extremely smooth.
2. Hiking Mount Qian Shan- Y'all know I don't do the hiking thing. I don't like the uphill battle and my foot always swells. Honestly though,I am BEYOND glad I decided to hike. I was surprised how in shape I was and how entertaining it was.The trails up the Mountain were more crowded than usual because of the spring festival. During the fifth lunar day, Buddhist go up to the temples to pray to the Buddha for good lucky and fortune.
3. The Temples-Breath taking.That's all I can say about how beautiful the temples on Mount Quan Shan were. My pictures don't them justice.They were beautifully preserved but obviously have been standing for hundreds of years.When my friend and I went up the mountain,we choose to escape the crowd and head up to one of the more secluded temples.It sat perfectly on the hill.It was the most peaceful and serene place I had ever been to. Some of the people around us were carrying incense up the mountain to take up to the Buddha.They would get their incense lit and hold them as they prayed.A man would hit the gong every time someone was praying. The sound filled the silence with such a sweet melody. Other people who didn't have incense would give offerings such as food or money to the Buddha. I stood in Awe and absorbed in the moment understanding that It would be rare if I saw something like this ever again.
4.Tea House- Tea Tea Tea! My boss knows the owner of the tea shop so when we went, it was just the five of us. We sat around a small table. Each of us was given a small cup and a tray of snacks decorated in front of us.The owner of the tea house led the tea ceremony. She would boil the water, and pour the water into the cup filled with tea leaves.She would then pour that water into a serving cup and then give it to us.It seemed super tedious but Hey,what do I know. I love tea like the next person but 1) tea makes me pee. Every time my cup was empty(which was often) it was filled. This resulted in frequent bathroom trips. 2) I really wish I had some sugar in my purse to make it taste better but that would have been really ratchet of me.
The best part of the tea house was the playing of the Guzheng. A Guzheng is a string instrument,stretched across a thin, flat body. It looks like the bridge of a guitar. It has 18 strings and is usually played by plucking. Shit looks difficult to play. It sounds so beautiful and a big part Chinese tea culture.
Anshan was a great first trip for me. I really enjoyed myself and getting to know my co-workers and boss. I look forward to continuing my travels throughout China. This was first of many to come!
1. Bullet Train-I always associate bullet trains with Japan. I was honestly extremely excited to experience it. The regular four hour train ride was only an 1 1/2 hours! The seats were comfortable and the ride was extremely smooth.
2. Hiking Mount Qian Shan- Y'all know I don't do the hiking thing. I don't like the uphill battle and my foot always swells. Honestly though,I am BEYOND glad I decided to hike. I was surprised how in shape I was and how entertaining it was.The trails up the Mountain were more crowded than usual because of the spring festival. During the fifth lunar day, Buddhist go up to the temples to pray to the Buddha for good lucky and fortune.
3. The Temples-Breath taking.That's all I can say about how beautiful the temples on Mount Quan Shan were. My pictures don't them justice.They were beautifully preserved but obviously have been standing for hundreds of years.When my friend and I went up the mountain,we choose to escape the crowd and head up to one of the more secluded temples.It sat perfectly on the hill.It was the most peaceful and serene place I had ever been to. Some of the people around us were carrying incense up the mountain to take up to the Buddha.They would get their incense lit and hold them as they prayed.A man would hit the gong every time someone was praying. The sound filled the silence with such a sweet melody. Other people who didn't have incense would give offerings such as food or money to the Buddha. I stood in Awe and absorbed in the moment understanding that It would be rare if I saw something like this ever again.
4.Tea House- Tea Tea Tea! My boss knows the owner of the tea shop so when we went, it was just the five of us. We sat around a small table. Each of us was given a small cup and a tray of snacks decorated in front of us.The owner of the tea house led the tea ceremony. She would boil the water, and pour the water into the cup filled with tea leaves.She would then pour that water into a serving cup and then give it to us.It seemed super tedious but Hey,what do I know. I love tea like the next person but 1) tea makes me pee. Every time my cup was empty(which was often) it was filled. This resulted in frequent bathroom trips. 2) I really wish I had some sugar in my purse to make it taste better but that would have been really ratchet of me.
The best part of the tea house was the playing of the Guzheng. A Guzheng is a string instrument,stretched across a thin, flat body. It looks like the bridge of a guitar. It has 18 strings and is usually played by plucking. Shit looks difficult to play. It sounds so beautiful and a big part Chinese tea culture.
Anshan was a great first trip for me. I really enjoyed myself and getting to know my co-workers and boss. I look forward to continuing my travels throughout China. This was first of many to come!