Hey Hey and a Big G'Day toya,
 
Over the past nearing a year I've been told by many people about small ancient city near Shaowu. The main thing I've been told about it is that it has a beautiful lake and that I should spend a day there. Over time I forgot about it and a few weeks ago the town name came up in conversation with a friend. I asked if that was the same town that had the 'beautiful lake' and it was.
 
So I decided it was time to take the two hour bus ride and check the lake out for myself.
 
Isn't it funny that over such a long period of time and so many people telling me to go and see this lake that none of us ever disgust the size of the lake. I thought that it would be like 'West Lake' in Hangzhou City where there is a beautiful lake in the middle of the city. I guess everyone thought I knew that it wasn't anything like a beautiful lake in the middle of a city.
 
So without knowledge of the lakes size or any other details of Taining Town, Canadian Jo and I grabbed a local bus and took the two hour journey. When we arrived it was around midday and once we grabbed a map at the dusty little bus station I began searching for the lake.
 
I located the Min River but there were no other blue patches on the map.
 
Luckily for us a man came across to help us and we found out the lake was actually not a beautiful little lake in the little town. It was in fact nearly twenty kilometers away and it was bloody huge and an easy weekends worth of activity so sadly we decided to leave it for another weekend and to simply walk around Taining for the day.
 
It's funny what the Chinese call a 'city'.
 
Everyone I spoke to about the lake called it Taining City. What we actually found was a beautiful small town and like Shaowu built along the banks of the Min River. Shoawu is much more modern with its 'one neon lit' shopping street (which is actually at my front door! Kind of like living just off Sunset Strip....haha! Maybe not!).
 
But both Taining and Shaowu are filled with hidden ancient gems.
 
I don't really know anything about Taining except the fact that it was one of the 24 locations for the Red Guards and that several famous people either came from Taining or trained there for the Red Guard Army. I also know that it is filled with many happy people and that its river banks are much greener and beautiful than Shaowu's.
 
But that may change in the near future.

Half of Shaowu's river banks have been pulled up and are now fenced off and under construction. What the end result will be is anyone's guess. I'm hoping for something green and parky but I have a feeling it will be more of an 'eatery' type result. What ever the result it will be better that before. I am happy that they are leaving the last part of Shaowu's ancient city wall in place along with the beautiful archway.
 
Anyhow, back to Taining!
 
Along the river banks can also be found between 40 and 60 bronze statues telling of life in times long gone along with the last remaining piece of city wall and city gate that once surrounded it. Taining is definitely a tourist town as there is plenty of Tourist Shops running the length of one of its ancient streets. Behind the Tourist Shops can be found ancient homes that I believe must be around three to five hundred years old.
 
Very much like the Ancient Village of Heping I have visited several times.
 
I really don't have much more to write except that we had a wonderful day walking around the streets. There is the 'new section' that reminded both of us very much of like being in Europe but with a Chinese feel about it. Very much built for the tourists who come to visit the towns 'beautiful lake.'
 
Beers N Noodles toya.....shane
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The soundtrack to this entry was Deep Forest
The album was their awesome first release.