Sixteen students of Celestial College and their friends (3 western faces among 13 Chinese Malaysian/Taiwanese Australians which gave us a cultural and language tourist advantage) enjoyed a fascinating 13 days sightseeing tour around China’s Sichuan Province. 
The tour was once again hosted by Grand Master Eng Chor. It was Karen’s third trip to China and Spencer’s first. Some of our highlights are summarised below.
Yangtze Cruise - Three Gorges Dam, early history along Yangtze
• Spectacular scenery - hills and low mountains rising high above the banks of the river.
• Engineering feat - the world’s largest dam has five big locks enabling large ships, including our cruise ship, to move past the dam more than 600 km upstream to the large industrial city of Chongqing.
• One new city built to house some of the 1.4 million people displaced as towns and farms were flooded by dam induced rising river levels.
• Colourful mockups of village and family life as it was for some of the minority group river people centuries ago.
• Contemplation on the effect of this project on China’s people, environment and economy.
• A fast train ride and bus connection further west to 3000m Mt Emei.
• Trekked with crowds of fellow Chinese tourists and pilgrims, by foot and cable car, to the very beautiful Golden Summit, shrouded in cloud.
• Temples and an evening performance enhanced the cultural visit with colour, action and an appreciation of Buddhism.
• 71m high Big Buddha, carved out of a very big red rock face, is quite spectacular!
Chengdu - ancient irrigation system, Poet Du Fu, Pandas, shopping, very hot and humid
• Chengdu, China’s fifth largest city and the capital of Sichuan Province without the China megacity feel.
• Large irrigation system established by father and son 2200 years ago, and still working today.
• A visit to the garden and (rebuilt) Chengdu home of China’s hugely influential poet, Du Fu (712 - 771), tried to buy English translation.
• Pandas (giant and red) at the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding.
• Shopping in an ancient village redesigned to cater for modern shoppers and tourists but couldn’t buy a $5 Rolex watch!
Banquets, beer, wine and LOTS OF FUN!!
• Two banquets daily!! While Spencer loved every morsel, he’s now off Chinese food for 6 months and, of course, on a diet. Sichuan food is peppery, not chili hot.
• Chinese wine is not often good, but Karen found a few interesting drops for sharing, resorting to beer, Chinese whisky and brandy with fruit juice.
Tai Chi
• 6.30am Tai Chi with Grand Master Eng Chor in sometimes very interesting car parks.
• The cruise ship’s Dr Lei was a medical doctor, an acupuncturist and a tai chi master, and some of us enjoyed his morning tai chi sessions. Dr Lei gave a very enlightening seminar on Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and Spencer was treated rewardingly for low back pain.
Most of all though, we shared great fun together!!! We got along tremendously and with great humour, making the whole time a fantastic experience. Thank you Sam for looking after us so well. Spencer’s experience was new and exciting, Karen’s a view of a different, more laid back and quite beautiful part of China.
Karen Coulston & Spencer Field, Eltham
