Everyday Art in Everyday China

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Sheaves of grain along a village wall

My month in China was one beautiful scene after another. The natural environment is gorgeous and so is the formal art — paintings, architecture, sculpture. But even more, I loved the art of everyday things in China — the art you don’t find in museums — like the ways shopkeepers display their goods or design that is incorporated into packaging or how people tell stories in ways that are accessible to everyone. These small ways people express their love for what they are selling or a little part of their environment are gifts to the rest of us.

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OMG China

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I just left China after four weeks of travel and, wow, it was one surprise after another. Whatever you’ve heard about the Chinese government and whatever is true about the Chinese government, it appears the Chinese government views its role as taking care of the many rather than the few. And it appears to be doing a lot to take care of its (very large) corner of the earth. It seems to be thriving. Explaining even what I observed as a tourist would require a short book, but I’ll just provide a few generalizations, with the understanding that these are my impressions combined with some simple research.

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Guilin, China

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As often happens, I went somewhere to see one thing and found something I wasn’t expecting. But before I explain that, I’ll just say that I’m technologically challenged right now because China has a different system and I’m not even sure how I was able to get to this site. Even so, it’s awkward to use, so, I’ll keep this short.

Back to the main event….Guilin, China. I was there last week to see its stunning natural setting of “karsts,” which are dramatic limestone mountains. There are thousands of them for dozens of miles in every direction beside lakes and rivers and green agricultural land. The landscape gives a feeling of being connected to something primordial and was even more breathtaking than I’d expected.

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The Sacred and the Profane in Hong Kong

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I don’t think I’ve ever been in a more city-like city than Hong Kong. It’s miles and miles of skyscrapers, unrelenting traffic noise, and concrete. At first, it had a lot of anonymity vibes, but, after Id’ walked around for a couple of days, it felt almost user-friendly. Overhead foot paths cross giant boulevards and wind through high rise complexes. Quiet paths hug the harbor through green spaces and large parks. No garbage and no bad smells except the fish sauce. The public transportation is impressive. Buses, trams, subway trains, and escalators. Also ferries. Because Hong Kong’s commercial districts are located on different islands, there is a lot of back and forth across Victoria Harbor. For 80 cents, you can hop a Star Ferry and almost any time of night or day.

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Ljubljana Means Beloved

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If you’re looking for idyllic, try Slovenia. It’s one of those places that is so rightfully self-confident and pulled together, it’s almost other-worldly. Once a part of Yugoslavia, Slovenia declared its independence in 1991, following the death of Yugoslavia’s long-time benevolent dictator, Tito. Since then, Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, has changed a lot. It’s a wildly popular tourist destination and I understand why.

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The Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia

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On my way from Syria to somewhere else, my first stop was Istanbul’s airport, where I took a short flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is a region in Central Turkey called Anatolia that’s famous for its “fairy chimneys” — geological formations created by volcanic eruptions that occurred when the region was underwater. That was about millions of years ago.

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Syria’s Fragile Peace

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I left Syria about a week ago, both gratefully and regrettably. On the morning I was scheduled to fly to Istanbul from Damascus, the US and Israel launched a senseless war against Iran. The war forced the closure of the airports in Syria, as well as those of many of its neighbors. At the time, I was in Damascus visiting my (amazing) nephew who works for an NGO after traveling with a (wonderful) group to Syrian cities and historic sites. I had an uncertain five days after the war started, and then a kind Canadian couple invited me to join them in their hired car to Amman, Jordan. From there, I flew to Istanbul.

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Egypt a Little Off the Beaten Path

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I’ve been in Egypt for the past few weeks, lucky enough to see the most important pyramids and temples and tombs for the second time. I’m not going to write about them here because you have a million online resources at your disposal, or you can check out my postings from 2014. https://kimmie53.com/category/egypt/

Of course, anyone who travels to Egypt should see the antiquities but, like everywhere else, Egypt has plenty of lesser known magic and I personally needed to get away from the crowds. Egypt is one of the most visited places on the planet right now. Of the 73 countries I’ve visited, it’s also the most difficult from the standpoint of keeping my equilibrium. It’s been a constant hustle. I’m glad my first visit here was on a tour. And I’m glad my second visit included these gems.

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