红酒·绿茶 / Red Wine & Green Tea / Vin Rouge et Thé Vert

My short vacation was about to end. So I flew back to Beijing only to fly over the Pacific Ocean. Having visited so many art museums in US and Europe, I realized that I had not visited a single art museum in China. (Typical, huh?) Although I had only one afternoon to spare, I managed to pay a visit to the National Art Museum of China . National Art Museum of China Originally uploaded by yisu1979 The museum looked like a Ming-Qing era garrison, like the famous Jiayuguan I had visited eight years ago. Black Kite Originally uploaded by yisu1979 As usual, I started my visit from the top level downward. There was an exhibition of kites. Blue Kite Originally uploaded by yisu1979 I liked these two traditional designs. New Year Pictures Originally uploaded by yisu1979 The exhibition on the second floor was about the so-called "New Year Pictures", something you would put on your door for the New Year. Like the kites, they were made by "art...

Leaving Chengdu, we reached our final destination by bus: my hometown, the City of Mianyang. About 150 miles north from Chengdu, Mianyang is the second largest city in Sichuan Province, after Chongqing was separated from Sichuan. However, it is significantly smaller than Chengdu so that there is an immediately recognizable small-town feeling. I am in no way implying it is a bad thing to live in a small town. In fact, I like small towns exactly because I was grown up in one. But you know when people are young, they have a restless anxiety of "seeing the world". I was no exception. So when I was admitted by a university 1,500 miles away, I was like, "Yes! Finally!" Twelve years passed. Things haven't changed much, at least I think. A Policewoman Directing Traffic Originally uploaded by yisu1979 , courtesy of Xiaoxing We walked around the city without much of a plan. I got lost several times but recovered soon: it wasn't big anyway. In the center of th...

Our next destination was Chengdu , the capital of my home province, Sichuan . A Riverbank Tea House in Chengdu Originally uploaded by yisu1979 Famous for its laid-back lifestyle and creatively spicy cuisine, Chengdu is a wonderful place for vacation and retirement. There were thousands of tea houses for chatting/gossiping as well as for playing Mahjong, the favorite sport of Chengduese. A Riverbank Park Originally uploaded by yisu1979 The weather in Chengdu doesn't differ much from the rest of Sichuan: humid and cloudy. Sounds depressing to people who like sunshine but perfect for skin care. In fact, girls from Chengdu, or Sichuan in general, are praised for their smooth and watery skin so constantly that it's almost cliché now. Chengdu Chun Xi Lu Shopping District Originally uploaded by yisu1979 Chun Xi Lu or Chunxilu is the busiest shopping street in Chengdu. (Think Wangfujin in Beijing.) I always believe that you can judge how well a city is do...

As the title suggested, it had been three years since I went back home. So what had changed? You might ask. Well, for starters, this time I took my camera with me and acted totally like a tourist. Northwest Aircraft Originally uploaded by yisu1979 I was generally satisfied with my flight with Northwest Airline but I noticed minor changes as well: They stopped offering free drinks. Instead, they were sold for $5. Well, considering the soaring gas price, I forgave them. Road in Beijing Originally uploaded by yisu1979 Following my experience last time, I did not sleep at all the night I arrived at Beijing in order to deal with the 12-hour jet lag more efficiently. I learned this method from somewhere; it worked pretty well. The next morning, I was walking on the streets of Beijing. I could notice the poor air quality the moment I got off the plane and the booming number of automobiles and the lack of forestation explained it all. One Night in Beijing Original...