Sightseeing in Guangzhou

Views of the Urban Jungle in Yeuxieu Park

The next day, once the monsoon stopped battering the city, the weather got much better and I finally went across the canal into town proper, with low camera batteries, I soon found out. My first encounter was with Tibetan smugglers who were selling animal parts on the bridge over the open air industrial sewer that separates the island from the rest of the city. They were hawking, among other foreboding (and forbidden) articles, entire dried lower legs of tiger, including foot and claws. I found it quite shocking because it was totally unexpected and I had a vision of a tiger still attached to the shrivelled up leg, in a tortured grimace, but still powerful and not at all at peace with the notion of dismemberment. Naturally the camera let me down, but the following day, I found the Tibetans on their turf again and snapped a picture, overexposed but eloquent. It was the beginning of a calvary known as “chinese AA batteries”: they are sold after being on the shelf for indefinite amounts of time, most likely near complete exhaustion by the time they are unsealed. In the 10 days it took me to find a battery charger and rechargeable battieries (made in China, available in Haiphong, Vietnam), sometimes I went through more than 2 sets a day and even so I often found myself out of power. It was late in the day and the Tibetans were just outside the dried food and ointments area of Quingping market, which was in full tilt just before winding down. Out of power, I could not photograph extensively the thousands of almost identical cubicles completely packed with merchandise, though I ventured into some the following day. Not too different from my neighborhood, but the sheer volume of entire buildings with nothing but this really gave it critical mass. Sellers in the maket tried to make me leave with conspicuous amounts saffron and ginseng tea, all for 15 dollars, I broke loose claiming I had no money and I would come back the next day. I meant to, but in the end I was pressed for time, leaving town in a frenzy, in the pre-new year’s crush. I went on to Yuexiu Park, the equivalent of Central Park, but truly a piece of tropical forest in the middle of the city, in its best parts. It has some well preserved archeological remeains and lots of décor spannning gaudy topiary to sheer kitsch, though some of it was probably temporary, being installed for the special occasion of New Year’s coming up. And the mandated ponds with pedal boats, flowing through a good surface of the park. But walking throuhg the jungle really reconciled me with the whole experience of being in this oterwise grim metropolis (up to that point, the park was my best moment in Guangzhou. Being there made me realize that peace and harmony can be had in this town.

More Scenes from Quingping Market.