Day 5 - Execursion time!

Woke up at 6 today in preparation for the excursion. The shower's really refreshing despite the low temperature. Since we are to assemble at the main gate at 7.50, we, the MDE division, met each other at the foot of the hostel and walked there together.

Finally, we get on the bus and departed for 东湖(East Lake) with a tour guide on the bus introducing us to the lake.

And finally, we have arrived!

Mr Wong and our tour guide for this trip.
A group photo at East Lake. From left - Me, Nadiyah, Xiang Yu and Seok.
Capture the clear reflection as well as the landscape to produce some of the best shots. And you know what, Mr Wong is right! The symmetry's lovely here. Check out the willow... A painting and not a photo at all.
An inscribed rock in the park. You people don't see this in Singapore huh?
桃花 in bloom.
Another reflection photo. It makes me rather reflective on the beauty of a still lake.

And from here on, Zee min, Pei Jie and me travelled together with Mr Wong for the 1 hour plus walk.
Mr Wong had it tough with us 3 girls. Introduction time. Firstly, Zee Min and then Pei Jie and finally, me!!
This unique looking tree is like those bonsai only it comes larger and without leaves.

Well, you suggested that it was a good spot, right, Mr Wong? Wonder why all photographers enjoy this kind of view.... Is it that nice?

In this photo, the three of us had repeated attempts of jumping into the air for a good shot. However, Mr Wong's camera could not capture those shots. Damn it, we were tired.

Guess who's the statue of at the back?
Me: Qian Yu... I think..
Zee Min: Kong zi (孔子）
Mr Wong: Both wrong.

It's Qu Yuan and the Poetry-Reciting Pavilion. We have to be thankful to Qu Yuan for the dumplings, remember the story?

It's said that Qu Yuan is devastated over the loss of his country because the current emperor did not heed his advice. In grief, he carried a rock and plunged into the sea. People flocked to the sea in an effort to reclaim his body, but futile. They then tossed rice wrapped into leaves into the sea in hopes that the fishes will eat those and not Qu Yuan's body.

It's tragic to see good people go like that, really.

We see Mr Wong recounting the tale of Qu Yuan to Nadiyah.
Three Kingdom's King of Shu, Liu Bei actually said this? Woah, profound. We know you are cute therefore, you don't have to act cute. But we all love you anyway.
Once again, we 3 musketeers have to have another photo. It's a beautiful place, can't blame us.
Me and the giant bonsai. "Looks like you have standing hair," Mr Wong remarked.
This old man is a Chinese calligrapher using the lake water in replacement of ink. Ingenious.

We asked him to write our Chinese surname in calligraphy. This is Tan(陈), my surname.
D&T(Design and Technology) much? Nope. This guy is making a figurine for someone who requested it in the shape of a penguin.
The store selling the figurines. They have animals there from the zodiac. Nice?
The bride is like saying, "Come, this is our own paradise" but it is too dramatic.

As we were journeying back to our bus, we chanced upon the bride and groom taking their wedding photos in the park. We just 'invaded their privacy' by taking those pictures. So sorry.The map of the entire East Lake. It's the largest man-made lake. And there's still so many places we haven't even ventured to.

Finally, the last photo before we departed for the Museum. Re-introducing me, Zee min and Pei Jie.

Only a few minutes to the museum.

This is the left wing of the building. If you think this is a palace then wait for what's coming up next.

This is the central one.

Lastly the building located on the left wing. This is the entire museum. How does an hour enables us to cover the distance?

Introducing Malachite on the left and Slag on the right. Two mineral ores that can be found in China.

The remake of a noble home back in the old dynasty whereby nobles will receive guests. Felt like going in but we are not allowed to.

News flash! My camera's battery went flat after this picture so after this, all images are from my hand phone. Not only mine, a lot of people's cameras' battery also went dead.

This is a reproduced display that allows people in ancient times to groom or dress oneself up as well as a banquet set. Wonder what it feels like to be a noble then.

This is the ancient text of the '18 laws of Qin' on the Qin strips. So orderly huh?

A replica of Egypt's drawing. My dream destination...

This is whose grand coffin? A rich guy's.

This is... the outer coffin casing for the above picture. Shocking really and so the questions formed, "How do they carry and bury it?" Can you imagine modern day undertakers and their vehicles to contain this in Singapore?This is a collection of instruments dug out from some Marquis's grave. It's huge.

The whole time, all the above photos were found to be his after all. Marquis is somewhat like a duke rank, Haiyah, he's a noble.

It was a free entrance to those who join this snaking queue after all. Mind you, this is only a segment of the snake-like queue.

This photo was taken when we were on board the bus and headed for lunch.

On the way to the food area, we came across this sight. Monkeys who are working for tips. To be honest, when I saw the chains, I had mixed reactions because I know that the guy has to make a living through this method however, it seems inhumane to put the chains on the 3 monkeys.

This is the pavilion that concerns the great poet Li Bai. I read in primary school textbook on this pavilion. The translation name I can think of is probably, "Placing down the brush pavilion".

It goes that many poets will compose their works in pavilion. Li Bai went to that pavilion and was given ink, brush and paper. He saw another poem composed by a lesser well known poet. After reading it, Li Bai placed his brush down and declared humbly, "I cannot pen another better poem then this guy. He has given you the best poem." The pavilion was built to honor Li Bai's humbleness.

The poem on that wall belong to the lesser known poet whom Li Bai has agreed to pen down poems better then him.The bell that people can ring to get good luck but then again, you need to pay. Nothing is really free here.

The Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼). It was stated to have 9 stories but seriously, when I climbed the staircase, the tour guide was like, '我们现在在一楼半' and I was thinking, "If there's a half floor for every level then correction, it will become 18 floors. My poor aching leg...
This painting dipicts a myth of the Yellow Crane Tower. It was said that one of the eight immortals had a hand in it.

The immortal was Lu DongBing. He came disguised as an old man to help an honest restaruant boss by presenting him with a dancing crane. It was left there for 10 years and at last, the crane and Lu DongBing left for the heavens.
The painting of Li Bai on the 3rd floor of the tower. The painting felt rough on the smooth and cold tiles.

And here, most of us were seperated. By the time I made it to the 4th floor of the tower or so, I saw a fan labelled, "孔明扇子" (Kong Ming is another term for Zhuge Liang, a brillant strategist in theThree Kingdom Era). It really was like the fan I often seen actors or paintings of him are holding.

In the end, that fan was purchased by others as I ask Mr Wong, "Did Kong Ming actually use this type of fan?"

The beautiful chinese umbrella. The colors of the rainbow also.

Leaving the area, I and Zee Min were one of the last few to leave primarily because she had to prchase soviners for her family.

This area is to remember Great Man. Such as Chairman Mao. See, his statue is already there. Inside, I saw many red books which was rather interesting.

Luckily, we caght up with Xiang Yu and Weiguang who was photographing the area with another lectrer.

We then went to shop for combs. These are no ordinary combs at all. The handle was said to be made from a type of Redwood (红木) while the bristles of the brush were the antler/horns of a animal. It was said to stimulate hair growth as well.

Ended up, we were the latest to make it back to the bus. We even wanted to board the bus on the left side from the rear view like back in Singapore. But then, we are in Wuhan, so yea, totally made a large roundabout.

On the bus, I managed to fall asleep and was jolted awake. Just in time too, the bus was turning into the campus gate when I was awake.

And into the night, I went to the nearby provision shop to prchase some necessities.

And that's all, night!!