Kaiyuan and Qinghe (Part 1)

Last week Colette, Luz and I caught a bus to Kaiyuan and then a short taxi ride to Qinghe (pronounced something like Ching Her). We went to see the famous (well locally anyway) Qinghe reservoir. (http://www.liaoning-gateway.com/74599737935790080/20051104/1786747.shtml)

When we got to the gates of the park where the reservoir is situated we paid the entrance fee (10 rmb each) and proceeded to walk through the gates to the fascination of the guards. I guess once again we were the first westerners they'd seen (in a while anyway).

One of the young men decided it was time to test his best English skills and yelled out "See you tomorrow!". We wondered if it wasn't in fact appropriate since we couldn't read any of the signs.

After wandering lost in the park for a while we were drawn by the haunting sound of singing echoing over the pine trees. Following the irresistable sound of out-of-tune chinese singing over dodgy speakers we were drawn deeper and deeper into the wilderness (which was rather more little like an amusement park past it's prime).

We came across a steep red staircase and being drawn ever upwards we climbed... towards spiritual enlightenment. Also known as the largest (most kitsch?) sleeping Buddah in the north of China...