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We will
fly west from Wuhan into the limestone mountains of western Hubei Province,
a land where rivers disappear under mountains whose tops are shrouded
in clouds. We have a number of personal friends in Enshi City, and we
will be visiting an area that is rarely visited by foreigners. We will
be staying in the Enshi Guest House, the newest and best hotel in the
city. The climate and food change dramatically in this country, with the
nights being pleasantly cool, and the food being reminiscent of the American
Midwest - corn, ham, and potatoes. This is a minority area, dominated
by the Tujia (earth people).
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The
magical mountains of western Hubei province. We will travel beneath
these mountains on an underground river and hear the folksongs of
the local minority peoples. |
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The
mouth of Flying Dragon Cave, Hubei. The river runs beneath a bridge
and under the mountains to re-emerge many miles to the east. |
Modaoqi
and the Dawn Redwood - We
will drive through the incredibly scenic countryside to visit the Tujia
village and the famous metasequoia or Dawn Redwood that was first visited
by an American in 1948. Dr. Ralph Chaney, a paleobotanist from UC Berkeley
gathered cones from the tree and brought them back to the United States.
The descendants from the tree now grow throughout the world. Sandy Lydon
first visited the tree in 1995 and has returned several times since. This
daytrip will also include a stop at the Flying Dragon Cave, one of the
most remarkable geological sites in China, where a huge river drops down
beneath the mountains to reemerge many miles away. Gary Griggs will help
us understand how and why these things happen in these mountains. This
will also be an opportunity to see the real China, and get a feel for
the way that most Chinese still live, far away from the shining, chrome
and steel of Beijing and Shanghai. This is not an easy day, and in fact,
in 1999 our group had to turn back and did not get all the way to Modaoqi
because the road was under repair. According to our local contacts, the
road is now in good repair and awaiting our journey.
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The
Grandfather Dawn Redwood Tree in spring 1948. Note that it has no
needles, as it is deciduous. |
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The
Grandfather Dawn Redwood Tree in summer 1995, photo taken by Sandy
Lydon. |
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