Day 34: Outing with John

Today I met with John, who I know through the English Speaking Corner, and we took a bus to the city center of Lanzhou. Here we met his best friend, Liu-kang, who he studied with before they went to separate schools. Together we went to Relics Market, which is housed in a traditional area in amongst the big city. There were all manner of items for sale here, from weapons such as swords and crossbows, brushes for calligraphy and watercolour, old memorabilia including stamps, badges, photos and newspapers, and much, much more. You could spend a good half-day or more browsing through everything! While we were there we saw a fascinating collection stones, some which had been found with image-likenesses in them, and those which had been enhanced with images. We were also able to see calligraphy master at work:



Next we went for a walk through the Waterwheel Gardens, where there is a display of some of the old waterwheels that helped irrigate Lanzhou. It is a very peaceful spot with lush green gardens with many places to sit and relax. There are also models of some of the old water pumping technologies (human driven!) which you can work yourself (if you still have the energy!).

After the Waterwheel Gardens we met with a female friend of Liu-kang's, Venna, who took us to a popular restaurant for a feast of bāozi (steamed stuffed buns, 包子). We dipped these in saucers of vinegar and chilli and they were delicious! We walked around the Yellow River for a while before parting ways. I am so pleased to have met all these lovely people!