Hiya folks! It's been a while since I last updated the blog, but here it goes! The Qingming Festival took place this last Tuesday in China and the surrounding countries; the festival appears to be held to honor deceased ancestors (thanks to locals and Wikipedia for assistance in that research!). For the ceremony, families return to the tombstones of departed family members and burn incense as well as paper replicas of items - sometimes even the genuine items themselves - that the deceased might want to use in the afterlife (cars, Ipads, etc). In the evening, feasts are held in honor of the relatives - but these are consumed by the family members that physically show up to the dinner. The holiday was interesting to learn about, in any case, since I had been unaware of any such celebrations or remembrances.
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Tonight I went for a walk around Taipa village, along the former waterfront of Taipa island. Really, the camera couldn't capture the atmosphere of the evening with any adequate detail. Perhaps the imagination would fare better? I'll attempt to paint that picture with words below.
The sound of the laughter of small children and the calls of many birds fills the air as one walks through the gardens and trees on the way to the old Portuguese quay. The gardens give way to a cut-stone and masonry boardwalk, an area that stretches down from a small hill before stopping abruptly at the waters edge. Between the hill and the waterfront lie several two-story houses. The brightly colored Portuguese style dwellings that line the former waterfront - which have since been converted into museums - still hold the same charm that must have emanated from them 50 years ago. The landscape has changed. Instead of the small straight of ocean between Taipa and Coloane lies a small lake followed by a flat land with monstrous man-made colossuses rising above the mists: the Venetian, City of Dreams, Venetian Parcel 5 & 6, and an apartment complex. Facing North, one can observe the myriads of heron taking shelter in the heavy tropical foliage on the north-eastern shore. Directly across the water are the busy streets that convey traffic between Cotai and Taipa.
The automobiles are moving more slowly now that the workers have just gotten off of work. The sun that had been hovering over the south-western shore has just disappeared behind the Galaxy. It's quite peaceful here. A dozen couples sit or stroll along the waterfront. Several tourists are photographing the birds on the northern shore and elderly folk sit on some of the benches, reading books or looking around. The fountains at the small outdoor amphitheatre, also made of dressed stone and lined with pillars, add a nice touch to complete the scene. Relaxing here? You bet!
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Tonight I went for a walk around Taipa village, along the former waterfront of Taipa island. Really, the camera couldn't capture the atmosphere of the evening with any adequate detail. Perhaps the imagination would fare better? I'll attempt to paint that picture with words below.
The sound of the laughter of small children and the calls of many birds fills the air as one walks through the gardens and trees on the way to the old Portuguese quay. The gardens give way to a cut-stone and masonry boardwalk, an area that stretches down from a small hill before stopping abruptly at the waters edge. Between the hill and the waterfront lie several two-story houses. The brightly colored Portuguese style dwellings that line the former waterfront - which have since been converted into museums - still hold the same charm that must have emanated from them 50 years ago. The landscape has changed. Instead of the small straight of ocean between Taipa and Coloane lies a small lake followed by a flat land with monstrous man-made colossuses rising above the mists: the Venetian, City of Dreams, Venetian Parcel 5 & 6, and an apartment complex. Facing North, one can observe the myriads of heron taking shelter in the heavy tropical foliage on the north-eastern shore. Directly across the water are the busy streets that convey traffic between Cotai and Taipa.
The automobiles are moving more slowly now that the workers have just gotten off of work. The sun that had been hovering over the south-western shore has just disappeared behind the Galaxy. It's quite peaceful here. A dozen couples sit or stroll along the waterfront. Several tourists are photographing the birds on the northern shore and elderly folk sit on some of the benches, reading books or looking around. The fountains at the small outdoor amphitheatre, also made of dressed stone and lined with pillars, add a nice touch to complete the scene. Relaxing here? You bet!
Qing Ming Festival in Taipa Village
Local temple? Decorated with many flower displays.
Along the way between Taipa and Cotai is what resembles a swamp. In previous posts, I've specified that this is all that remains of the sea in this area of Macao! The land on three sides has been reclaimed. The north-eastern shore is covered in heavy vegetation, and flocks of large, white birds (I believe herons) appear to make their home here year-round. Birds of all types and sizes make Macau their home, but these herons are definitely the easiest to spot!
Herons resting/fishing on the shore.
Sunset over the nearly-completed Galaxy project.
nice description!!
ReplyDeleteLovely article .hoping for more awesome articles
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