Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/11/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Our cruise on the Yangtze ended in what is the world's largest city by population, estimated at 32 million people, China's wartime capital, Chongqing. We just had half a day there before we caught a flight to Xi'an, so did very limited sightseeing. My first impression as we made for the pier was a city with way too many bridges across the Yangtze, including this one - finished but unused and not opened to traffic for some strange reason. It was dreary, overcast and drizzling throughout our stay, and the smog had turned the atmosphere into a funny (probably mildly sulfurous) yellow: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141016-1223.jpg.html The only tourist place we visited was a renovated centuries old complex, the Huguang Guild Hall, where migrants from South China lived and worked during the Qing Dynasty, the final one, which ruled China from 1644 to 1912. It was a majestic complex, but it was hard to say which bits were old and which were reconstructed: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141016-1229.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141016-1238.jpg.html As is usual with me in these old places with dozens of virtually identical rooms, I got bored and went back to photographing people: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141016-1804.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141016-1809.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141016-1817.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141016-1840.jpg.html The only other place we visited in Chongqing was the zoo, which is one of the premier breeding centres for the critically endangered Giant Panda. Normally, I hate posting animal photographs from zoos, but I figured that chances of any of us of seeing a Giant Panda in the wild was precisely zilch, so I went ahead anyway - it was feed time when we landed up, and they were enjoying their brunch of bamboo: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141016-1792.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141016-1798.jpg.html Please see LARGE Comments and criticism, as ever, welcome Cheers Jayanand