From China with Chopsticks: I Think My Arms Might Fall Off (Day 3)

Starting the day with a beautiful view of the mountains and a hot, very very strong cup of coffee

Day 3 of our Yangshuo vacation started bright and early with an 8am pick-up to head to the Li River. We were joined by a couple guys who were headed for the same adventure as us for the day – kayaking. We got to the river and, much to our surprise (but not necessarily dismay) the guy who drove us simply handed us a life jacket, paddle, and kayak and pushed us off into the river. He told us that our stopping point was a big bridge, and there was only one big bridge so we couldn’t miss it. And then we were on our own.

Now, knowing what I know about….things…..I figured this meant there would be zero chance of us encountering anything dangerous or difficult. I was right. The day was beautiful – not hot, not cold, a little foggy. It was just us and the river…and the occasional fisherman and/or water buffalo.

It was amazing to be able to stop paddling, close my eyes, and hear nothing but the nature all around me. No honking horns, no yelling, no neighbor upstairs pounding around, no crying babies, no buses telling you which stop you’re arriving at or going towards. No, instead these sounds were replaced by cicadas, mooing cows, running water, the wind in the trees, and the occasional bird call.

At one point we both had to pee so badly that we pulled up along the riverbank and looked around for a somewhat hidden place to pee. And then we realized that there was nobody but us within eyesight so we just peed right there on the riverbank with a couple of cows a few meters from us. When in China…. .. It was definitely a serious arm workout, and there were times where I thought my arms might just fall off and that this bridge didn’t actually exist; that it was just one of those little white lies they sometimes tell you here in China.

Thinking this bridge might not actually exist

However, I can’t really complain about getting to spend my morning floating (and sometimes paddling) along a river in one of the most stunning places I have ever seen. And of course the bridge did exist and we made it there by around 12:30, which was very early according to the receptionist who looked very surprised to see us at 1:15. We then proceeded to shower, eat lunch, and nap.

Tooooeeeeeee shoeeesssss!!!

Around 5:30 we figured we should get up and get ready to head to the Liu Sanjie Impressions light show. It was sprinkling when we were heading into the theater so they handed out a bunch of rinky-dink rain coats....

The stage is made up of a portion of the Li River and 12 mountains serve as the backdrop. Here is the basic story-line of the show:

Sanjie Liu is a fairy singer in the myths and legends of the Zhuang ethnic minority. She is incomparably beautiful, and has voice to match her beauty. In the 'Impression Sanjie Liu', what you can see are the impressions derived from the daily life of the people living around the Li River, rather than the specific details of the stories. From these impressions, you will gain a realistic impression on the background of Sanjie's birthplace and understand the beauty of the folk songs' hometown. The performance is divided into seven chapters including the preface and epilogue. At the beginning, the lights are all turned off and the image of Sanjie appears indistinctly in the sky with beautiful songs 'Sing the folk songs, here I am singing and there you are echoing...'. As the lights come up, the twelve hills appear in front of the audients; and a small fishing boat is rowed from the hills. This is the Preface - the Legend of Hills and Rivers. The first chapter is the Red Impression: Folk Songs. On the water, many fishermen are rowing their bamboo rafts in a column. Either standing or squatting, they hang the large red silk in the sky and or upon the water. This red picture symbolizes the enthusiasm and praises the labors of the local people. The second chapter is the Green Impression: Garden. The color green symbolizes nature as well as the vitality. Among the green hills and rivers, the smoke from cooking fires curls upward; herders are heading home with their cattle under the gleam of the sunset. The women, washing clothes beside the water are waiting for their husbands who are rowing the fishing rafts back home. This chapter reveals the peaceful and happy life of the local people. The third chapter is the Golden Impression: Fishing Lights. Hundreds of bamboo rafts with golden fishing lights are spreading all over the river. The rafts, gently rocking make the golden fishing lights dance upon the waters, the straw rain capes, the frolic cormorants and the hills construct a perfect picture describing the simple existence of the people around the Li River. The fourth chapter is the Blue Impression: Love Songs. Under the deep blue sky, and on the dark blue water, the performer of Sanjie is singing classical love songs. Then, a crescent-shaped boat with a charming fairy dancing in is flying onto the surface of the water. A group of pretty and young girls, dressed in red or white are bathing around the boat. In this blue world, these beautiful girls seem to become the notes of Sanjie's love songs. The last chapter is the Silvery Impression: Performance Grand Ceremony. As the 'Wonder of Lijiang Culture', this scenery reflects the traditional ceremony in Sanjie's hometown according to the legend. Over 200 Zhuang girls form a long column across the bridge over the Li River. Their silver dresses make the river shimmer in a mysterious manner. In the Epilogue, the fishing rafts are rowed farther and farther from the audience while the beautiful songs of Sanjie are still echoing among the hills. The girls on the bridge present their thanks for the audience with their affectionate folk songs.

I’ve been to musicals and plays in downtown Denver, London, and on Broadway. Those were good…..but this was great. Unfortunately my camera wasn’t able to really capture how truly incredible it was. I even got chills a couple times because it was so amazing.