A group of photographers is transported back in time when theygo off the beaten track in Guilin, writes Duratul Ain Duhamid
GUILIN’S mountain and water scenery is the best under heaven, or so goes a Chinese saying. Perhaps this is why 15 photographers made their way there for a six-day photography camp.
Organised by Saiful Nang Academy of Photocamp 7 led by academy founder Saiful Nang, Syibli Fakih and myself are taking the shutterbugs to non-mainstream tourist spots.
DAY 1-2
The first stop is Longji Paddy Terrace, southeast of Longsheng County, said to be one of the most spectacular sights in Guilin.
To get to the terrace, we board a bus and ride 1km to where we hop into a cable car to go across the terrace to the Golden Buddha Peak.
From the peak, we have a magnificent birds-eye view of the surrounding landscape.
At the entrance to Longji, a group of villagers, mostly old women, offer to carry our luggage to the hilltop hotel for RM30. Unsure of what’s ahead, we accept the service and are glad as the route to our hotel requires us to climb the slopes skirting the rice valley for some two hours!
Nevertheless, the ascend means we have stunning view of the valleys. It feels like we have been transported back to Imperial China.
The 3D/2N stay at Tian Tou Village not only allows us to capture the simple but unique village lifestyle but also to experience the way of life. The farmers are mostly Yao people and their women are known for having the longest hair in the world. They coil their hair into a bun which is covered by a turban.
Most of the houses are made of wood and usually three to four storeys high. Interestingly, under the houses are pig pens. The villagers feed the pigs through a hole in the floor of the house.
DAY 3
Next is Yangshuo, a city surrounded by karst stone mountains and beautiful rivers — a vista made famous in traditional Chinese paintings. Our photographic journey continues around West Street, the oldest street in Yangshuo, which is over 1,400 years old.
A night market offers a wide variety of items for sale and, just like at our pasar malam, customers need to do a little “bargaining” to get a good price.
DAY 4
In the morning, we cycle around the village and cross the Yulong River, stopping only to photograph the remnants of the old village, pomelo orchards and lakes filled with lotus flowers. Biking is one of the more popular ways to go sightseeing in Yangshuo and bikes can be rented for as little as RM20.
In the afternoon, we move to a small village near Li River, in the town of Xingping, 27km north of Yangshuo. Li River is famous for its traditional fishing method using cormorants. The fishermen and their cormorants are iconic to Guilin and can only be found at that river.
Take a look at the back of a RMB20 note and you will see the image of a traditional fisherman with the Yangshuo karst mountain scenery in the background. This is the same view you will see at Xingping.
We stay till dusk, awaiting the golden and blue hour that undeniably add dramatic effect to our photos.
DAY 5
We continue our adventure on Yulong River, on board bamboo rafts. During the ride, passengers are allowed to take their own pictures of the views or they can buy pictures of their ride from photography services.
Along the way, passengers who are hungry can request to stop at any of the stalls set up along the river bank. Try the grilled freshly-caught fish that comes with baked corn on the side.
In the evening, we head back to Xingping where we are divided into two groups. The more fit members hike to the top of Mount Lao Shan Zhai while the rest roam around the old village of Xingping.
Though only 220m high, the peak is quite a challenge and a strenuous climb. Halfway, it starts to rain but we press on to the peak.
Most of us are already breathless by now but the view overlooking Xingping makes the climb worth every minute. The sun has just started to shower Guilin with a golden light, and that’s the cue for us to snap away. What a beautiful finale!
Saiful Nang Academy
Tel: 03-5621 0605
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