Winter Escapade - Transit To Macau

On the way back from Jin Tai Temple, we passed through the town centre of Dou Men, a bustling but non-touristy area of Zhuhai. I for one always like passing through such places as it gives more insight as to how the more working class of the working class (no typo there) live and work.

The salt-of-the-earth quality is more visible here and I liked that, for it told me that I was in a place that not many tourists would get to see.







The return trip seemed shorter however, and all too soon, we were in another taxi headed for the Macau border. We were told however, that traffic was choc-a-bloc over there and that we would spend most of our time queuing. The faster, but longer way, we were told, would be to travel via Hengqin Island. And that is what we did.

Hengqin is actually an island connected to Zhuhai and Macau by bridge. Signs said that it is being slated to be developed into some kind of new economic zone but from what I saw, the place looked rather deserted. At least the roads were empty, which meant that we were speeding towards the checkpoint.





And there it was...



Once we had cleared the Macau customs, we boarded a van which ran a detail to and from the airport, deposited our bags and then boarded one of the many free shuttle buses bringing people to the various casinos in Macau... We picked the one to The Venetian....

Winter Escapade - Jin Tai Temple

After we shuffled out of New Yuan Ming Palace, we boarded a taxi and I asked the driver if Jin Tai Temple, one of the attractions in Zhuhai, was far away. He replied that it was neither near or far so I asked him to go there.

It was more than a 100km away. I had the sense to ask if it would be easy getting a taxi back to the hotel. The taxi laughed and wished us luck. I then ask if he would wait for us. "Sure," he said. "But I will reset the meter and keep it be running..."

Having said that, the temple and its surrounding scenery, when we finally did arrive, was breathtaking.

Before we reached however, we turned into a small road which was flanked on either side by strawberry farms...




And this was the entrance to the temple.

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This, the pagoda standing watch over the car park...



And this, the walkway leading in.



This is the first building we saw. I don't know what it housed exactly but one of its most visited facilities was a toilet so...



While inside the toilet, I heard some rasping noises and so treaded carefully towards them. I realised they were actually bleatings and emanated from outside the window...



But then we saw where the main section of the temple was situated and collectively said, "Wah!"

But we had come so far and the meter was running so we hurried on.



Soon, my Mum was knackered climbing the steep steps. But my Dad, old warrior that he is, seemed to take the steps with ease. See the pagoda in the background? That's how far we climbed. And there was more to come!



But we made it to the top in the end, whereupon my Mum, quite a devout Buddhist, stumbled into the temple, collapsed onto the kneeling mat in front of the altar and started praying. She was later to reveal her thoughts:"Keep my family safe and healthy and happy. And by the way, we'll be going to Macau later and I'll be going to a casino so please give me luck as well"



There was yet another flight of steps to the main section of the temple, but my Mum, ever the 'frugalist' and mindful of the running meter in the taxi, felt we had seen enough. Besides, she had already climbed an equivalent of 8 storeys to pray before the Buddha statue at the lower level of the temple. Even if there was a larger statue up in the main section, there should have been a broadband connection conveying her prayers up there, so....

But I did manage to run up to take a few shots of the facade though...




And this was the view looking out from there...



And these were some of the scenery shots I got while we walked back to the cab...






When we got back to the car, we found that the meter had jumped only 11 Yuan, around 2 Singapore dollars. Darn...

Anyhow, that gave us more time to get back to the hotel, where our luggage was, which was a good thing... Cos my Mum, having given prayers, now had Macau firmly in her sights...

Winter Escapade - New Yuan Ming Palace

After a fairly comfortable night's sleep and a hearty, cheap breakfast at the hotel, we headed for New Yuan Ming Palace.

The original palace in Beijing, I was later told, was burned down by the foreign powers and is now not accessible to the public. This 'replica' was built some time in the 1990s, if I remember correctly.



And well-built it was. Apart from the obvious trappings of modernity, the palace was recreated in parts to painstaking detail over a sprawling expanse of land. This was what we saw upon entering the premises.





These were the military uniforms worn by Qing Dynasty officers. Life-sized figurines...



As was the case with this re-creation of a scene with officials reporting to the emperor...




The princes studying...



The emperor's study...




His diet...



And his throne!



My parents together in a picture!



While we're on that part of the palace, notice the building - a shrine - in the background? It's actually on a stand-alone island in the middle of the lake accessible only by boat, which we didn't take.



It was at that point of time when we were informed that we were in for a treat. The 'Emperor' was coming! We, the 'citizens' had the good fortune of partaking of some festivities to celebrate his arrival.

As we walked to the gallery, I got a shot of an 'imperial guard' getting ready. For some reason, he didn't seem to share our sense of anticipation. Maybe he's seen the emperor before...



Anyhow, we took our places and waited... Whereupon an eunuch appeared to announce His Majesty's arrival...




He's arrived!








Here's a lion dance to welcome him...



And some pretty lasses...



These acrobats were awesome. It was 15 degrees max out there!






Next, the eunuch told the emperor, were some princesses who had gone to France and learned the Cancan... Hmmm.. Can! Can!




A couple of young lads had also returned from Shaolin....







All too soon though, it was time to bid the emperor and his entourage farewell and explore the other parts of the palace.

This I think were decorations carved out of a tree trunk.



This, a fort within the palace walls....



This lake was where they re-enact naval battles at night, hence the cannons.




They even had a cable car service within the premises...



Not much at the summit however....



So the real treat is the view one gets while riding in the narrow, two-person cabins...






Indeed, there was just so much to see that we just couldn't take it all in...

From the flower-shrub-lined promenades...




To the bonsai section...



To the zig-zagged traditional bridges over the lake...




Which was full of voracious carp...




To all the other interesting sites which I did not adequately describe...







Yuan Ming Palace was a place which thrilled my parents, who would have been quite happy to spend the whole day there. But we did not, for I whisked them off somewhere else...