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| Tourist
Guides for China |
Jiu Jiang
Tourist Guide (October 2008) |
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General Comments:
Jiu Jiang is a town lying on the West Pearl River 20
miles Southeast of Foshan. Inter-City coaches are the
only way of reaching it, of which there are numerous
and frequent versions to choose from
The town of Jiu Jiang is not really notable at all,
except for offering another, and different glimpse of
rural town life. The main employer is the local rice
wine factory. This sits across the river from a Pagoda
complex perched atop a small mountain. This is very
well worth visiting and comes complete with stunning
views
Here my focus lies in the river, or rather, two islands
in the river. By this time, the Pearl River has split
into 3 main water courses, and Jiu Jiang lies on the
West Pearl River at a place where the river must be
2 miles wide! It is hard to define the opposite bank
of the river. The second Island from shore offers a
heritage site, conservation area and Temple complex.
It is an interesting place to visit.
More interesting is the nearer island, which has 24-hour
ferry service, and offers activities such as 'Banger
Racing', rough terrain vehicles, dodgems and water park.
You can also hire such diverse items as in-line roller
skates, horses and bicycles.
The island is a little under developed, but does have
a shop, bar, manned BBQ and restaurant. It also offers
a selection of villas with bed, bathroom and TV for
around £7 per night. There are also sections for
Disco, Public Karaoke, Dancing, TV, live entertainment,
and DIY BBQ tables
For me, the pleasure is in just being 'away from it
all'. To sit with friends in one of the gazebo's built
on high stilts out over the river, watch the sun go
down and see the Chinese lanterns sway in the breeze.
It is perfect with waitress service for beers, BBQ and
restaurant food. Gazing out over the river 100 miles
inland, and I see a nautical version of the M6 motorway,
with ships and boats of all shapes and sizes plying
their trade - for at any given moment, there will surely
be 20 travelling in each direction.
Nearer to shore, a fisherman and his family will be
reaping the last catch of the day, and their nets sparkle
with silver fish caught. They will collect the fish,
(Keeping them live), and stow the net, before cooking
on a single gas ring and wok/steamer, eating and going
to sleep moored nearby. And this is their life - interesting
to see it for real. At other times of the day, other
fishermen are active on the river, searching for crabs,
prawns etc; which you can buy fresh from the boat at
ridiculously cheap prices
Recently the Island's Owner (And another personal friend
of mine) has leased a large central section to a great
couple who have made serious financial investment to
develope an Outward Bound activity centre. The central
part of this area features a maze which is open to all
visitors to the island. Much of this focuses on Assault
Course type arena, and short or week-long courses are
available and very cheap. Prices including food, lodgings
and supervised instruction by multi-lingual, fully qualified
staff, start at around £20 for 3-days. They will
also design a program of events to match your own specific
requirements. Please contact us for further information
Summary:
Jiu Jiang Island offers a perfect retreat
for those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of
city life. I recommend you spend a day and night here,
taking time to explore hidden trails and a cove with
sandy beach, before heading back for some simple amusement
park activities. Evenings can be very romantic in such
an idyllic setting, before retiring to a well furnished
bamboo hut or Japanese style villa |
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This information is as supplied by the Chinese Embassy
in UK, as dated 20th June 2008, and/or other reliable
sources. Please check this information yourself as it
may alter without notice, and whilst we try our best
to ensure it is correct, please do not hold us responsible
for any errors - this is intended as a simple guide
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