This area of China is well known for its karst mountains, huge limestone fingers reaching into the sky, that are depicted in many Chinese paintings. These provide a dramatic backdrop to small cities, farming villages, rice paddies and a river that wends its way through the mountains.
A three-hour bike ride in the countryside surrounding the tourist town of Yangzhou has travelers going though rice fields and tiny villages. Many people are out in the fields tending to their crops. Graves on hills overlooking the farms contain the remains of ancestors buried near the fields they had taken care of during their lives.
Not that long ago, village communications was done using blackboards posted in prominent outdoor locations. These boards would contain information on agricultural production, such as goals and actual yields. The village also used this method to let folk know how their taxes were being allocated, for example, for construction or maintenance of roads, bridges, senior housing, etc.
A brief lecture on the superstitions that go into planning and designing a home was conducted in front of a traditional house where an old woman and young boy stood smiling at us the whole time. The mirrors placed above the front door are positioned in such a way that evil spirits see their reflections and, since they hate the sight of themselves, are chased away.
The farmers’ market – where everything is more than fresh (as in alive) featured: bags of frogs, live chickens, fish, eels and rabbits for sale (for food), as well as dead ducks, geese, chickens, fish and dogs. There were also every type of fruit and vegetable imaginable along with peppers, herbs and spices.
Along the riverfront there are a number of more touristy markets where travelers can buy souvenirs unique to the area. If lucky, you might see fisherwomen who used cormorants to fish, although this is just done for tourists now as this traditional method is less efficient than those used today.