Men walk towards the city's main square early morning. In the back dozens of little restaurants that cater to tourists on high season.

Man sits in a restaurant quietly while others shop outside.

Fruit vendor makes jokes and laughs with other villager.

Naxi women sell produce in the village main square.

Baisha village is on the foothills of the Himalayas. In the back is the Snow Jade Dragon Mountain.

As most places in China, grandmothers take care of children while the parents go to bigger cities for better jobs and send money home.

Two Chinese tourists browse souvenir and antique shops in the evening.

Woman carries two buckets of water while two other women, dressed in a more modern fashion, head back to work, most likely at the restaurants close to the frescoes where all the tourists are taken.

Naxi woman walks to work with an empty basket on her back.

Early morning these two vendors get ready to sell their produce.

Bicycles and motorized three-wheelers are the most used means of transportation in Baisha.

A man prepares food for a large group of monks.

Despite being ancient and traditional, electronic rides have arrived in this small town.

Woman waits for customers to sell fruit from her basket.

Group of Naxi women enter a restaurant in the evening.

A bit before sunset, a Naxi woman returns home with a basket full of corn.

Baisha: Life in an ancient Chinese town

June 27, 2017 in China, Daily life

On the foothills of the Himalayas there is this tiny Chinese village called Baisha. It is one of the oldest in the region, having its roots in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD) and home to the Naxi people. With its cobblestone streets, fresh air, and ancient constructions, you can almost feel as a fly on the wall watching this traditional Chinese town.

Couple poses in traditional Chinese attire in front of one of the canals in the old town on the ancient Pingjiang Road. The bride and groom are protecting themselves against the rain with the help of a traditional umbrella made with rice paper.

Chinese couples take wedding photos to the next level

May 25, 2016 in China, Wedding Photography

Text by Emma González | Photos by Bruno Maestrini

In China wedding photography is a huge business. My impression is that the pre-wedding photos are more important than the actual ceremony with family and friends. Many Chinese couples I know are extremely proud of their pictures and some even have huge prints on their living room wall.

Usually the couples hire a photographer and a small crew of make up artists and fashion stylists to immortalize their romantic moments before they become husband and wife. They spend a whole day, or sometimes even a weekend, posing in different outfits in front of variety of romantic settings. It is not unusual for richer couples to fly a photographer all the way to Europe just for these pictures.

For the shoot, photo companies offer a wide selection of dresses and accessories. Additionally, the make up artist and fashion stylist make sure that they look at their best in every picture.

There are places in China that are particularly appealing to those having their wedding pictures taken. One of those places is the coastal city of Qingdao. It is almost virtually impossible not to come across a wedding photoshoot when walking by the seaside. Another place that attracts the soon-to-be married couples is Suzhou for its beautiful canals. In Beijing, a popular spot is the Temple of Heaven.

Photographer's note: It's interesting to note that all these photos, with the exception of the top one, were taken at the same place during a one hour interval. We went to a Christian (episcopal maybe?) church near the lake and to our surprise dozens of couples were having their photos taken. I guess originality is needed in the Suzhou market. Or maybe the church was the most affordable package.

This could have ended in tears. The groom was trying not to fall down standing in two very unstable rocks while the bride was passionately kissing him for several minutes while the photographer searched for the perfect shot. I can imagine him thinki… — This could have ended in tears. The groom was trying not to fall down standing in two very unstable rocks while the bride was passionately kissing him for several minutes while the photographer searched for the perfect shot. I can imagine him thinking : "No pain, no gain", while he was struggling to stand straight. Nonetheless, I bet it turned out an amazing picture.

As I mentioned before, these photographic session can last hours or even days. It can be extremely tiring to walk in heels all day while someone keeps telling you to stand straight and smile. This bride takes a rest in a park while the photographer … — As I mentioned before, these photographic session can last hours or even days. It can be extremely tiring to walk in heels all day while someone keeps telling you to stand straight and smile. This bride takes a rest in a park while the photographer prepares for the shoot.

Many Chinese brides prefer the Western style dresses for their wedding pictures, instead of red. Traditionally, white has been the color used for mourning clothes in funeral services in most countries in Asia, including China. However, the strong in… — Many Chinese brides prefer the Western style dresses for their wedding pictures, instead of red. Traditionally, white has been the color used for mourning clothes in funeral services in most countries in Asia, including China. However, the strong influence of Western cinema has changed that and now young brides in China wear white wedding gowns. Nonetheless, it is still true that Chinese couples wear both red Chinese clothes and Western style outfits during their big day, where they change dresses at least once during the party.

Being a wedding photographer is no easy task as this adventurous shooter is showing. Because it is such an important event in their lives, the brides tend to be quite demanding and it is common to see them bossing around the photographer and the sma… — Being a wedding photographer is no easy task as this adventurous shooter is showing. Because it is such an important event in their lives, the brides tend to be quite demanding and it is common to see them bossing around the photographer and the small crew. After all, every little detail needs to be perfect.

We should never forget that this is China and there is always room for extravagance. Here, we can see a couple that has opted for not-so conventional outfits. The woman is wearing a puffy satin pink dress with a green ribbon. She has accessorized he… — We should never forget that this is China and there is always room for extravagance. Here, we can see a couple that has opted for not-so conventional outfits. The woman is wearing a puffy satin pink dress with a green ribbon. She has accessorized her outfit with a pamela hat covered with flowers. The best thing is her childish facial expression and her pigtails. Meanwhile, the groom poses in a very tight outfit in white and pink.

Emma González is a journalist and connoisseur of fashion and author of the anti-fashion blog El Mundo DeSastre.

These octogonal windows were a favorite for portraits amongst the tourists. I have to admit they do make a nice setting.

The Lingering Gardens of Suzhou

May 20, 2016 in China

The city of Suzhou is known in China for it's canals and its gardens. The "Venice of the East" has nine gardens that are together a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During my one day visit I had the opportunity to visit only the Lingering Garden 留园.

The gardens are basically big old houses built by rich people with a lot of green and water, to chill out in the humid summer of southern China. I can imagine hundreds of years ago just resting in the shade listening to the birds and the breeze passing through the trees.

Fast forward to 2016. Dozens of tour buses park outside the garden and a guide with a flag comes out with hundreds of tourists following with their little matching hats. Why? Because it's a class AAAAA tourist destination. That means Chinese tour companies will take groups there. Not because it's cool, not because people WANT to see it, but because it was determined it's supposed to be seen. I'm not saying it's not cool, because it is, but there is also a lot of cooler stuff without any A worth checking out. You can see by now that I'm not a big fan of how they decide what gets five As.

It is beautiful, go see for yourself. Ignore the tour buses.

Pond with dozens of little orange carps. The sound of water flowing can be heard but no waterfall is nearby. Hidden in a corner is a hose popping out of the water. I believe its only purpose is to generate sound. — Pond with dozens of little orange carps. The sound of water flowing can be heard but no waterfall is nearby. Hidden in a corner is a hose popping out of the water. I believe its only purpose is to generate sound.

A couple strolls around the part in the back where they have trees planted in vases.

A group of tourists rest sitting on a stone set of benches and table. It was a very humid day. So humid it rained a few minutes later.

Inside one of the buildings was a magnificent wood carving doorway. Hard to believe that during the Sino-japanese war this place was used as a horse breeding facility.

This old lady could barely walk. Three people helped her sit down on a very unsafe rock in a very unsafe position and persuaded her to reach towards the water closer to the water lilies just to take a photo. It's a miracle she didn't fall in just be… — This old lady could barely walk. Three people helped her sit down on a very unsafe rock in a very unsafe position and persuaded her to reach towards the water closer to the water lilies just to take a photo. It's a miracle she didn't fall in just because her finger had to be 3 inches from the flower. I guess that somehow makes a better picture. What do I know?

A little boat lies in the corner of one of the man-made ponds. They are so small I don't believe they are for actual rides, but more for cleaning up. Although a few hundred years ago I can see a rich fellow just chilling in the water.

The so-called "European-style palace" was an exotic building with its columns and round shapes, very different from the traditional local architecture. These are the most famous ruins of this site.

Ruins of the Old Summer Palace

April 29, 2016 in China, History, Beijing

Known as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness 圆明园, the ruins of the old Summer Palace are a memory of one of the most beautiful palaces in China. During the second Opium War, in 1860, European forces plundered and destroyed the place, taking relics that dated back 3500 years. Charles George Gordon, a French captain, wrote "You can scarcely imagine the beauty and magnificence of the places we burn. It made one's heart sore to burn them; in fact these places were so large, and we were so pressed for time, that we could not plunder them carefully." Many Chinese artifacts in western museums today are the result of plundering and looting of ancient China. Then in 1900 again the eight nations, during the boxers rebellion, came back and tore down whatever had survived.

The ruins are one of the very few remaining "unrestored" ancient sites of Beijing I know of. Most places have been either completely restored to look like they would have in ancient times or simply torn down to give space to modern buildings.

I used quotation marks because although these are ruins, I can't say I'm completely convinced this is all original. While I don't have proof of anything, several facts lead me to believe these aren't simply the ruins of what was once the largest palace in the history of China. Many of the stone pieces and their engravings seemed to me too well conserved for such an old piece, specially when thousands of people are stepping on them and handling them everyday.

Another notable fact is that - and architects or engineers reading, please correct me if I'm wrong - some of the stones were noticeably different. It seemed that several blocks were actually marble, while others were of a simpler material, not cement, but of the likes.

The pictures in this post are from two very different times of the year, winter 2015 and spring 2016.

Students walk over the ruins of one of the European style buildings. These stones seemed like marble to me.

I found it very interesting that visitors were allowed to walk over the ruins, something unthinkable in Italy or Greece these days.

The gardens have been more or less restored to the same layout as they were and some of the rubble piled up in an orderly fashion. This picture is from 2015. This year, a boardwalk is being constructed for people to walk on and probably only view th… — The gardens have been more or less restored to the same layout as they were and some of the rubble piled up in an orderly fashion. This picture is from 2015. This year, a boardwalk is being constructed for people to walk on and probably only view the ruins from a distance.

On a hot spring day last week, a tourist looks at ruins that have been stacked up in a seemingly random fashion. It's like a modern day Stonehenge.

The column standing in the back is one of the items I suspect of its veracity. The engravings look so fresh to be that old and gone through so much.

In China, it's very common to see people, specially women, with umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.

In one corner of the park there is a maze, which I believe is modern. I like mazes. I saw several people just jump over the little walls. I swear I figured it out myself.

At the center of the maze, there is a beautiful gazebo with a bit of shade for you to rest before trying to find your way out.

This pavilion and arch are two of the very few structures that remain standing in the site of the Summer Palace. Although very beautiful, the current Summer Palace is a lot smaller than this one and, they say, less beautiful.

Several man-made lakes decorate the gardens of the palace.

This lion seemed authentic. I'm no specialist, but after all I've seen in China with its repairs, I'm skeptical of everything.

In the winter, although super cold and windy, there aren't many people and it's well worth the visit. In the summer, it's packed and might not be as pleasant.

"Department of Halting Destruction of Living Beings - administers punishment for any act of harming living beings. (...) Upholding human value and protecting living beings form an important aspect of China's traditional morality" - says the sign bes… — "Department of Halting Destruction of Living Beings - administers punishment for any act of harming living beings. (...) Upholding human value and protecting living beings form an important aspect of China's traditional morality" - says the sign beside this statue.

The Dongyue "Temple of Hell"

April 21, 2016 in China, History, Beijing

Along with the Imperial Palace and Tiananmen Square, one of the most famous landmarks of Beijing is the Temple of Heaven, in the southern part of town. It's in every guidebook and about every tourist that passed through the city since Marco Polo has been there.

What a lot of people don't know is that hidden in what is now the Russian shopping district lies the TEMPLE OF HELL HELl HEll Hell hell *echoes and fades just like in Fraggle Rock*

In reality, it is a Daoist temple called Dongyue, which was named after Mount Tai, one of the Five Sacred Mountains of Daoism.

New and old contrast in today's Beijing. A Walmart is just across the street and about 3 Starbucks.

The place is known informally as the Temple of Hell because of it's scary statues of death and punishment.

Well, that seems like an awesome place to bring the kids, right?

School kids go on a field trip to see statues of demons killing humans and other scary stuff.

There were 76 "departments" of all sorts of sins, and then some others dedicated to paperwork, such as the "Department of Filing Forms" and the "Department of Distribution of Medication". This was the "Department of Suicides".

Some people come to worship these gods and ask for their help. They go door to door with incense and bow to the statues.

The school kids could care less about the statues. All they wanted to do was run around.

I call this one "Donnie Darko". Didn't know he was a Daoist god.

In the entrance of many temples and palaces in China, there is an elevation. Legend says this is to keep spirits from coming in. It also works with toddlers.

In the back of every single room there was what I believe is a Daoist Priest, looking over this big bureaucratic underworld. All rooms were dark, damp and humid.

Shy little girl walked past in silence. I wonder if she had a good night's sleep after this visit.

This department was of Nature's Creatures. On the left you see a ghost with a twig on his head. Now imagine him talking.

The departments are small rooms full of statues. The temple has been in this place since 1319. Apparently these statues are from 2002.

Durham, NC, fairly represented at the Dongyue Temple.

On the other side of a busy street in front of the temple is a large gate.

A group of Daoist priests were there practicing their instruments. I do have video and will edit and post them some time in the future. I think it was the first time they ever picked up an instrument... or they were actually supposed so sound like t… — A group of Daoist priests were there practicing their instruments. I do have video and will edit and post them some time in the future. I think it was the first time they ever picked up an instrument... or they were actually supposed so sound like they were in hell.

And tonight when you go to sleep, remember this face. He'll take you to the other side. MUAHAHA *Vincent Price's evil laugh from Thriller*

Yu Yuan, the happiness gardens of Shanghai

April 12, 2016 in China

Probably the most well known park in Shanghai, the Yu Gardens are right in the heart of the old city. Today, surrounded by shops and restaurants, this place little resembles the peaceful spot it was for the 500 years since it was built. That is except during the Opium wars and WWII, when it was torn to the ground. Twice.

Yu Yuan, or happiness gardens, were built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty.

Right in front of the Starbucks, hundreds of tourists wander like ants and one little boy keeps trying to launch himself into the water while his mom incessantly held him down.

A little further back, another group of tourists poses for pictures with the Starbucks and the suicidal kid from the previous pictures.

The second tallest building in the world, the Shanghai Tower, rises over the city with its 632 meters in a beautiful contrast between new and old.

Pan Yunduan had the gardens built for his parents, but had to leave for Sichuan for 20 years before actually starting the project. Unfortunately, they passed away only a few years after it was done.

Girl cries sitting on a bridge while a friend talks to her as the sound of water from the artificial lake below hides from the dozens of tourists walking by whatever they were saying.

This part of the park is one of the most popular, with people wanting their picture taken framed by the windows.

This, to me, is the standard old Chinese lady. The type of clothes, hair style and even the way she walks is so descriptive of the seniors I've seen and at the same time to unique to China.

Man checks his phone beside the famous round arch of the garden. You can also see several others checking their phones through the doorway.

Woman rests and watches the fish swim across the bridge where that other girl was crying.

One of the cool things of this garden are the old pieces of furniture. I felt that the tables can be a bit uncomfortable since my knees kept banging on that horizontal bar on the bottom.

Outside the garden is a huge market. A group of kids was running around and playing. This boy was blowing into his little flower windmill and his friend was from the house of Hufflepuff.

Starbucks, McDonald's, Dairy Queen, all the ancient Chinese restaurants are right around the corner from the gardens.

The ancient town of Qibao

April 07, 2016 in China, History

In the outskirts of Shanghai is the little ancient town of Qibao 七宝镇. The name means "Town of Seven Treasures".

According to legend, the seven treasures are

iron Buddha made in the Ming Dynasty
a bronze bell that came out of nowhere
Gold Script Lotus Sutra written by a 10th century concubine
1000-year-old catalpa tree
jade axe
gold cockerel
jade chopsticks

The place has been inhabited for over 1000 years and is the only ancient town in central Shanghai. It's easy to get from downtown, just take the subway.

Differently from the Beijing hutongs, the small alleys in the ancient Shanghai area are two stories tall. Today, this street in Qibao is full of shops selling souvenirs and food to tourists.

Little girl struggles to eat a squid tentacle. Street food is one of the main attractions in Qibao.

One interesting xiaochi (snack) I had never seen are these eggs. There are hundreds of quail eggs piled up with some goose eggs in the middle and then cemented together with some kind of sugar or salt. They then heat it up from the bottom to cook it… — One interesting xiaochi (snack) I had never seen are these eggs. There are hundreds of quail eggs piled up with some goose eggs in the middle and then cemented together with some kind of sugar or salt. They then heat it up from the bottom to cook it and break it open from the side and sell the individual eggs.

The Puhui river cuts the small town in half and is a big part of the attraction. Restaurants and teahouses are along the margins.

Some people still live in the ancient houses in the town. Qibao is also known to be the place where Zhang Chongren, the artist who inspired Chang Chong-Chen, character of the Adventures of Tintin. — Some people still live in the ancient houses in the town. Qibao is also known to be the place where Zhang Chongren, the artist who inspired Chang Chong-Chen, character of the Adventures of Tintin.

The roofs of the buildings are unique to this region and distinct from those in Beijing and Xi'an. It's amazing you can tell apart each region by the architecture of the roofs.

The Marco Polo Bridge and the start of WWII

March 30, 2016 in History, China, Beijing

Described by the famous Venetian traveller Marco Polo in his book, the Lugou Bridge, as it is known in China, became internationally known by the adventurer's name. Written 20 years after his visit to Cathay, in The Travels of Marco Polo, the explorer described the bridge as a wonder of the orient, although his faulty memory played some tricks on him.

When you leave the City of Cambaluc and have ridden ten miles, you come to a very large river which is called PULISANGHIN, and flows into the ocean, so that merchants with their merchandise ascend it from the sea. Over this River there is a very fine stone bridge, so fine indeed, that it has very few equals. The fashion of it is this: it is 300 paces in length, and it must have a good eight paces of width, for ten mounted men can ride across it abreast. It has 24 arches and as many water-mills, and 'tis all of very fine marble, well built and firmly founded. Along the top of the bridge there is on either side a parapet of marble slabs and columns, made in this way. At the beginning of the bridge there is a marble column, and under it a marble lion, so that the column stands upon the lion's loins, whilst on the top of the column there is a second marble lion, both being of great size and beautifully executed sculpture. At the distance of a pace from this column there is another precisely the same, also with its two lions, and the space between them is closed with slabs of grey marble to prevent people from falling over into the water. And thus the columns run from space to space along either side of the bridge, so that altogether it is a beautiful object.

The Travels of Marco Polo, apud Historic Beijing in Pictures

In the central part of the bridge are stones from the old bridge, worn out by time. In the back, Wanping fortress gate.

Marco Polo did get a few things wrong. I can't blame him, it was a long time after his journey. He said the bridge had 24 arches instead of the actual 11. Then again, the bridge was destroyed and then reconstructed in 1698, 400 years or so after Polo's visit. Who knows what other modifications it went through over the years.

Undated ancient painting of the bridge. You can see that the structure is arched, unlike today's completely flat surface. China.org.cn — Undated ancient painting of the bridge. You can see that the structure is arched, unlike today's completely flat surface. *China.org.cn*

A very interesting thing about the Lugou bridge are the hundreds of lions sculpted all over. Legend says they are uncountable. Some have tried and say they are between 482 and 496. Originally were supposed to be 627. It's also important to note that not all lions were carved at once and were added along the centuries in different dynasties.

Pretty old statue of a male lion. You can see it's very worn out.

Just like in real life, there are basically two types of lions, the male and the female. But unlike the furry live animals, you can't tell the gender apart by the mane. It is what is under their foot that shows their sex. Male lions have balls (duh) under one paw and females have little cubs.

Newer statue of a female lion with its cubs.

Another female statues that seems very recent.

Now you might be asking yourself "how come there is no consensus on how many lions there are?" Shouldn't it be simple as taking the time and counting? Well, it's not that simple. You see, not only are some statues worn out with time, many lions are hidden, such as cubs popping out of their mothers mane or the ambiguous one at the beginning of the bridge.

Is this one lion looking to the left with a super wide face or are they two lions head to head? This statue is one of the first you see when you walk on the bridge.

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident and WWII

While westerners know this bridge because of Marco Polo - myself included-, this place is known for something completely different in China. It was exactly on this spot that the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II started in 1937. What about the invasion of Poland? Well, that happened in 1939. The two continental wars merged eventually.

On this bridge the Japanese attacked the town of Wanping, now a part of Beijing municipality. Bullet and cannon holes can still be seen on the fortress walls.

The WWII Database has loads of historical photos and details of the incident.

In China this place is very symbolic of the resistance against Japanese invasion. When I took these pictures, several families with older folks were there. Some of those men, visiting with their grandchildren, probably lived the war when they were kids. The Japanese committed unspeakable war crimes against the Chinese in Beijing, Jinan, Nanjing and several other places. The forces of Japan are said to have issued an order to not consider Chinese people human, therefore international war law would not apply to them (Haruko Taya Cook & Theodore F. Cook, Japan at War 1993 ISBN 1-56584-039-9, p. 153 apud Wikipedia).

The war only finished after American intervention and the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki with Japanese surrender in 1945. This part of history we all learn.

China's participation was the first to start, and the last to finish.

In recent years the bridge has been restored and new stone bricks were laid. Now there is a parallel new bridge for heavy traffic and this one was retired and is used only by pedestrians, bicycles and electric bikes.

Japanese troops celebrate victory at the Lugou Bridge in 1937 (World War II Database)