|
|
|
THE CITY HAS A CIVILISATION DATING BACK 7,000 YEARS. SIX DYNASTIES IN CHINESE HISTORY HAVE BUILT THEIR CAPITALS IN HANDAN. MANY CHINESE WRITTEN TALES ARE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF HANDAN.
I FIRST WENT TO HANDAN AT THE INVITATION OF A LADY I MET ON THE CHINA LOVE WEBSITE. I FLEW TO BEIJING, MET HER THERE,THEN WE TOOK A TRAIN TO HANDAN. THE RIDE IS 2 HOURS TO HANDAN. THE BEIJING WEST RAILROAD STATION IS HUGE, HANDLING AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF RAILROAD TRAFFIC. AFTER WE ARRIVED IN HANDAN, WE BOOKED MY ROOM AT THE INTERNATIONAL HOTEL. THIS HOTEL IS WONDERFUL- I RECOMMEND IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY. WE HIRED A TRANSLATOR TO HELP US COMMUNICATE SINCE MY LADY DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH AND I HARDLY SPOKE ANY CHINESE. THE TRANSLATOR MADE OUR COMMUNICATION SO MUCH EASIER.
WE SPENT THE NEXT 5 DAYS TRAVELING AROUND HANDAN, SEEING ALL THE GREAT POINTS OF INTEREST. HANDAN IS VERY NICE, BUT IN ALL HONESTY, SOME PARTS OF IT REMEINDED ME OF A INDUSTRIAL CITY IN AMERICA. MANUFACTURING IS A LARGE PART OF THE CITY'S ECONOMY. THERE WERE A LOT OF FACTORIES,A LOT OF SMOKE AND GRIME. FOR THE MOST PART HOWEVER- HANDAN IS A VERY ATTRACTIVE CITY - RICH IN TRADITION AND HISTORY.
AFTER I HAD A WONDERFUL DINNER WITH MY LADY, HER SON AND HER FAMILY, IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE FOR NEW YORK THE NEXT DAY. HANDAN WILL ALWAYS HAVE A SPECIAL MEANING TO ME BECAUSE OF THE MEMORIES I HAVE OF ME AND MY FRIEND.
SOME OF OUR PHOTOS ARE SHOWN BELOW.
|
|
TO SEE MY BLOG OUTSIDE OF CHINA-CLICK - http://rob-asia.blogspot.com/
