Dragon Boat Festival

How many people (that I know) can say they have seen actual dragon boat races on Dragon Boat Festival day IN China?? Now I can say that I have! This morning I woke up way earlier than I normally do to take in the festivities. I was able to find a spot that was near the finish line to watch the races.

Only a small portions of  the thousands
of people lining the lake

Now I've been to plenty of concerts and large festivals before but the crowds in China are something else. I have never had people touch, bump and just push their way through with no regard to who is around them. There was one old women with a child who forcibly pushed her way next to me. I'm not proud of this but I had a strong feeling to knock her to the ground! Fortunately I didn't but I guess when you have over a billion people, personal space wouldn't be a common issue. Nothing like being felt up by an elderly chinese women, haha.  

Each race had 4 or 5 teams, with 12 paddlers on a team plus a drummer and a steersman. They were divided into co-ed, male and female heats. Overall the races weren't all that exciting; other than the occasional tipped boat they were pretty standard. Though, still a fun event to see. 

And GO! 

Near the Finish Line

Some of the dragon boat teams

People watching the races 

Some of the members of my branch 

I met up with some friend from the branch to watch a beginning races, little did we know that there was a larger group of branch members there as well. It ended up turning into a mini branch activity.  

Sometimes I feel guilty for just sitting at home on my days off, I mean I'm in China and should be out there experiencing everything I can! However life gets in the way and I don't get as many memorable experience as I would like. I'm glad I can at least add this to my list.

Master of the Nets

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day, just the kind of day for visiting one of the many gardens in Suzhou. A couple ladies from the branch and I visited Master of the Nets Garden, a garden first constructed in 1140, gone through a few owner before being given to the government in the 1950s and becoming one of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou.

There were several pavilions traditionally used for entertaining, painting and playing music. The pavilions are pretty typical of most chinese gardens; beautiful wood furniture, classic paintings and tile roofs. 

                               

Inside the Pavilions

Beautiful wall painting

 

Entering into the garden area

 

But the center of the garden is a large pond surrounded by rocks, small seating areas and plants. It may have been because its spring but everything was so green, which is not a natural color you often see in the more modern parts of the city. I had forgotten how beautiful a bright green tree is. 

 At night they have traditional musical performance. 

Rocks in the rock garden area

Brenton, Chantel and Natalia 

Rocks you can climb 

Different pathways, they like the crooked style

One of my favorite pictures of the day

So much green! 

It was a great day to get out and experience more of this beautiful and 

ancient city I call my temporary home.