I returned to China for another documentation project.  This time, the four of us (Nick, Ringo,  Irfan and myself), were going to Guangdong Province in southern China.  We were invited by GD Today (Guangdong Today) and in collaboration with Chinese Culture Development Center were going to spend 11 days photographing the province that is adjacent to Hong Kong.

Another absolutely amazing experience with lots of fascinating photos, places and people.  

As I usually do I will go by day,  recounting a bit of my personal experiences and observations |

Day One | Qingyuan | Yao tribal area

Left Cairo on an EgyptAir flight after midnight and arrived late afternoon in Guangzhou.  After passing through customs and passport control in a breeze, I was met by an entourage of GD Today staffers and Nathan from the Chinese Culture and Development Center in Los Angeles.  Felt like a VIP

VIP reception at Guangzhou Airport | selfie

After meeting up with the group - who had arrived earlier from LA - at a downtown hotel, we boarded our bus and headed into the mountains.  They gave us gifts including a very cool photo vest which was reminiscent of my first photo vest that I had in Lebanon in 1981.  I've gone through dozens of camera systems (didn't keep any of them) but still have that vest.  It was rainy all day, but fortunately by the time we arrived at the mountain village where we were to have dinner it had stopped.

A delicious dinner of traditional Yao village fare and then the entertainment started up which included us.  Irfan and I got dressed in Yao outfits and tried our hand at their traditional dancing and attempted the bamboo stick dance.  Worked up quite a sweat, but managed to not to embarass myself too much |

Dancing the night away | local Yao fare | dancers 

 

Traditional Yao greeting dance | panorama

Day Two | Qingyuan | Yao tribal region

Started the day with a visit to Zhongshan Nan Road in Lianzhou City where we  "take photos of centenarians".  There were quite a few old people - mainly women - and yes, they could have been a 100 years old and if so, they were in pretty good shape.  

Street scenes in Zhongshan Nan Road | Lianzhou | centenarian | slipper maker - I collected a pair from each hotel we stayed at - they're great - wearing a pair now - and family in Egypt love them as well | kiosk saleswomen | card game at cafe | street with placard showing local police officer with contact information | 

Visited a museum on the Yao people - we were the only ones there.  Very nicely done museum and was a shame to rush through it, we had lunch to attend to.

Yao tribal costumes | Museum of Chinese Yao Nationality
Fellow diners | lotus root - one of my favorite dishes | Yao woman demonstrates traditional cooking | Yao greeting ceremony that involved drinking rice wine being poured continuously from successive containers for about two minutes - it was quite a challenge

then we ventured up into the Ten Thousand Mountain Range and to an ancient Yao village.  A bit touristic, but fantastic views of impressively shaped mountains |

Ten Thousand Mountain Range 
Yao mountain village scenes | Nangang | temple worshipper | stone walkways | farmer with Mao pin | last king of Yao grave marker | ducks drying | temple tokens 

Day Five | Guangzhou