Hey Hey and a Big G'Day toya,

For those who are planning on a Hanzhong Adventure I have created two pages full of things that aren’t so exciting to visit in and around the city. Though the city has a huge history (it is from this city that the Han Chinese gets their name) there really is not a lot to do in the actual city itself but there are several rather dull sites to find if you grab your bike and spend a few hours searching.

Always remember, though the 'sites’ maybe dull it is what you find and experience between Point A and Point B that is of actual value.

If you are a bike rider like me (or love long walks) then Hanzhong is not a bad place live and teach as the city is surrounded by fields scattered with small villages where a few decent bike rides can be found. All you need is a set of peddles and adventurous spirit to make your time worthwhile. It is also impossible to get lost as the city sits in a huge basin and everything is flat so all you need to do is simply head back the way you came.

Here is my first list of ‘Not So Exciting Things to See & Do’ in and around Hanzhong city.

This though is my personal view and after spending five and a half years living and travelling north, south, east and west in China I think it is pointless telling you that what I see here in this city is going to be completely different to any visitor new or otherwise. This is my blog though and one day when I am old and more silly than now I want to even remember the parts of China that didn’t really appeal to me.

Along with those that blew my mind.

Xingyuan Lake Park

Found around three kilometers north of the city along busy Tianhan Avenue is this not so nice puddle.  Brad and I had noticed it on several of the city’s ‘Brown Tourist Signs’ so we were actually pretty excited as we made our way north towards what was to be our first city site (beginning of March 2010).

After we entered our excitement was more than squashed!

I think the entry fee was three Yuan and I can tell you that three Yuan is three Yuan too much to visit this lake park. Instead the government should be paying anyone who enters the park three Yuan. Besides Mahjong Tables and a very unsafe looking Ride Park there really isn’t anything to see or do there. The grounds are full of weeds, the lake itself had several ‘dead’ things floating in it and I am more than sure that a maintenance man hasn’t stepped foot within the grounds for the past several decades.

Sadly there is also a small zoo located within the park which from memory costs a further five Yuan to enter but we couldn’t bring ourselves to actually walk through the gate to view animals trapped in their tiny concrete cages where they will stay for the rest of their uncomfortable lives.

Why do the photo’s look like it is a nice place to visit?
Because I bet Brad that I could actually make it look worthy of its three Yuan entry fee.

The Horse Drinking Pool/Pond

The walk/ride to and from this site is worth more of your time than the actual pool/pond itself. I’m sure it has some historical significance (none of which I could find on the internet) but once you do actually find it you will give it a salute more in thanks for the walk/ride around the small and busy backstreets in which it is situated and to be serious Brad and I actually rode past it several times in our search for it. It wasn’t until we stopped to ask where the Horse Drinking Pool/Pond was that we actually realised that we had shrugged it off hoping to find something a little ‘more’.

It is located somewhere near the intersection of Big Dongda Street (East Street) and Beituanjie and Nantuaanjie Streets.

Lotus Park/ Pond (Lianhuachi Park) & The Muslim Quarter

Even though it really isn’t that beautiful this is a little gem to visit when you want to get away from the city noise which is mostly made up of car horns and clothes stores blaring music hoping that it somehow attracts the attention of your wallet. Well my wallet is actually not Chinese so it kind of has the opposite effect on it. Lotus Park is found amongst the tiny back streets just off the small yet vibrant shopping street (Small Dongba Street) that runs parallel east of Tainhan Avenue and is surrounded by Laodong East Road, Beituanjie Street and Big Dongba Street.

If you venture a little further east from the Lotus Park/Pond and cross Beituanjie Street then you will enter the Muslim Quarter of the city where several mosques can be found along with an ancient pagoda in a small Primary School. The tiny lanes in both areas are usually full of locals going about their day and small food eateries can be found hidden and tucked away in any space available so it really isn’t a bad a place to spend some time if you are in the area.

The Ancient City Wall & Tiger Bridge Remains

Believe it or not Hanzhong City was once surrounded by city walls and right next door to the KFC located near the local bus station and opposite Tainhan Square, can be found the Tiger Bridge Remains. This, from what I can gather is where one of the city gates was located and the Tiger Bridge once allowed passage way across the city moat to and from the city.

When I first saw the remains I actually thought it was the entrance to a small temple.

Remains of the ‘actual’ city wall can be found south west of the city on the corner of Minzhu and Xihuan Roads. There really isn’t that much to see as what you see in the photos is actually all there is and I doubt that they are actual real remains and that not so long ago they were re-constructed as a historical monument and a hopeful city attraction

Beers N Noodles toya…..shane

PS: When I use the current KFC as my city pinpoint I always mention that is across from the Tianhan Square this is because they are now busy building a new KFC in the Ding Ding Shopping Complex a little south of the current KFC. Brad and I have debated whether they will keep the current KFC allowing Hanzhong city to have two KFC’s or simply move it to the new location at Ding Ding. My guess is that they will close the current one so I guess I really should be using Tainhan Square as the main pinpoint but as I’ve already written the blog I think I’ll just leave it as is.
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The soundtrack to this entry was by Great White.
The album was ‘Twice Shy.
Fireworks anyone?
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