Bizarre City

NYC 2010
Originally uploaded by S. Zachko

I almost forget how bizarre that New York City could be. Pulling a long nail from the nose? At the sidewalk. Man. It is a crazy place

Huangshan - Sun Rise

Huangshan Day 2
Originally uploaded by S. Zachko

Sun rise at 6:00 AM in autumn, we should have had plenty of time to reach one of the peak to see it. However, there are so many people who were so brave to hang their lives at the edge of the cliff. We decided to go some other places to save our lives instead. We were able to find this spot to take pictures. It was just amazing how beautiful the place is..

Huangshan - The stone coming out of nowhere

Huangshan Day 1
Originally uploaded by S. Zachko

For ages, people can not understand how this huge stone ends up at the tip of the peak and believe the stone has some kind of magic power - fertility. People will bride the stone by stocking coins in a crack and pat the stone. Poor park ranger has to keep cleaning the coins but not taking the coins. It is a brutal task when it is wet, cold and dark.

Huangshan - Heart Lock

Huangshan Day 1
Originally uploaded by S. Zachko

People believe to keep two lovers' hearts attached to each other, these two lovers should buy a lock together and make promises to each other. Then they attach this lock in one of the chain and throw the key over the cliff.

What do you think?

Huangshan - Pine

Huangshan Day 1
Originally uploaded by S. Zachko

Yellow Mountain itself likes groups of giant granite. There are only dusts or derbies stuck between stones. Those pine tree manages to stick their root in such a tiny space and grow in a such elegant ways. Depending on the altitude where those pines grows, people naming differently. For those pines grow at the lower altitude areas, people call them pony tail pine because their leaves/branches only grow one direction. For those pine trees grow at the higher altitude areas, people call them Yellow Mountain Pine.

No matter how the tree grows or leaves are heading, their roots are so strong and firm that make those trees grow more generations to come.

Tunxi- Chinese Ink Stones

Old Street in Tunxi
Originally uploaded by S. Zachko

One of four major Chinese traditional stationary: Yieng Tai (a.k.a. Chinese Ink Stone). The better ink stones come from the oldest mines. There are four major patterns in the ink stone. Fish Scale is one of them and I really can not remember the rest. It will be a good excuse to go back. The design of the ink stones could be very elaborated. Some of ink stones are just for holding to cool down the body temperatures in the hot sunny days..

Tunxi - Old Street

Old Street in Tunxi
Originally uploaded by S. Zachko

This is a very interesting street in Tunxi - Old Street. This street could dates all the way back in Ching dynasty or older.

Huai-Cho is famous for the supply of traditional Chinese stationary: brush pens, Ying Tai, Ink stick and paper. This is a street for one shop shopping for all of them.

Huai-Cho is also famous for its teas. Well informed by all sorts of travel guides, there are four most famous teas in China, and Huai-Cho produces three of them: Mao-Fong green tea, Monkey King green tea and Chi-Meng black teas. Well, you might be able to find all of them on this street. However, this street targets tourists not real tea drinkers.. :)