Back for another edition of 'Amazing April' because that fourth calendar month has kept me on my toes! From 2016 to 2019, I am going to pull a few things out of the memory vault from my Aprils that were spent living in China! 2012 to 2015 saw a lot of change but post 2019, you know the world hasn't been the same since COVID-19 struck the world down! 'Amazing April', let's go!
April 2016 pulled up with my first ever Tomb Sweeping Festival weekend, known as '清明节' in Chinese. That annual April break allowed me three days off work, speeding down the China High Speed Rail line from Wuhan Railway Station to Changsha South Railway Station was the right thing for me. I had made friends with a guy called 'Andy' and we had agreed to meet up for the weekend, staying at his place there was no need to make any reservations at a Hunan hotel. From the train I made my way to meet 'Andy', after dropping my bag off at his apartment we then headed over to 'Orange Isle' also known as '桔子洲' in Chinese. It was an actual island, I was not ready for the absolute hysteria until we reached the foot of the 'Young Mao Zedong Statue' it served the same amount of frenzy that a Magic Kingdom parade calls for! What was April 2016 doing to me? It was like a whole new world! The next day we went for some Hunan style noodles and managed to get a great view over the city from Changsha's own 'Tianxin Pavillion'. Oh, CS!
After cementing our friendship, I made the short one stop down the same China High Speed Rail line from Wuhan Railway Station to Xianning North Railway Station after work during that April 2016 time. Greeted by Fiona, we headed for her place because Friday had many plans for us! The night was just getting started, Xianning took me by the hand and had me dancing on an elevated nightclub runway! From day to night, Hubei Province had me going from one extreme to another! The weekend in Xianning was madness, I loved it! Fiona made the journey to Wuhan because she had some business to take care of, making a weekend of it, we decided to get tattoos! April 2016 saw me ditch negative energy, welcoming new energy with much love and understanding, spending time with Fiona was always a recipe for disaster in the best way! China Besties until the very end! April 2016 kept things for me within Hubei but that didn't mean it had to be boring! Oh yeah, Changsha isn't in Hubei Province! I went to Hunan Province also, C!
During April 2017, my feet stood firmly on Chinese soil after the stress of the semester, I wanted a break! I got what I wanted and even though I almost had it taken away from me I made every moment of this month count! Hangzhou, China had me covered for the Tomb Sweeping Festival as I had a trip booked that was as pretty as a picture. Touching down on-board my China Southern flight from Wuhan I wasted no time, admiring the Feilai Peak Scenic Area to see the mystical looking grottoes. 'Like A Prayer' I found Hangzhou's Lingyin Temple without any stress, embracing the busy nature of the temple I got my photos and a great feel for that colourful place of worship without much thought, there was something about my 22nd destination within Mainland China that I loved! I had kicked the woes of April 2015 away like a football and scored the winning goal! Kindergarten work duties had me busy but I felt very blessed to still be working in China at that point. Zhejiang already knew something about the future, well I didn't!
China Highlights had me booking up my third trip in less than two years, being the second trip of 2017 with that company after my Harbin extravaganza, I was pumped for the day of Hangzhou delights I had been promised. Concurring the first Chinese Yuan note, the 'Three Pools Mirroring the Moon' gave me life for certain as the beauty of Hangzhou's West Lake blew me away without question. Lunch was enjoyed a the Chenghuang Pavilion, those delectable Hangzhou snacks satisfied my stomach without a doubt! Breezing through a museum about Chinese Medicine was over in a flash, I'm just not a museum type! Picking my own tea leaves within the plantations where Hangzhou's famous Green Tea grows was an experience for certain, I looked the part throughout! April 2017 concluded with my Hainan Airlines flight to Lanzhou in-preparation for my overnight train to Lhasa! I now know that life can change without a seconds notice, Hangzhou's memory has my 2022 heart feeling lighter! Zhejiang, I'll see you '22?
100%, April 2018 had me in some kind of daze and for that I wasn't mad about that state of mind! Beijing had been part of my life for about six months, with that China rhythm reinstated, it was time to go back to the beginning for just one weekend! Suzhou City in Jiangsu Province had been the second place I visited in China during those first moments back in 2015, I was more than ready for that 'Tomb Sweeping' glow up! With 'Jia Ming' in tow, we both made it from our respective parts of the country for us to meet at Suzhou Railway Station. 2015 seemed longer than three years before that April 2018 reunion but Suzhou took us by than hand. I saw new things, old things and appreciated the fact I had the privilege to return because those first few months after that initial visit to Suzhou life had been chaotic indeed! Feeling more than blessed, 'Amazing April' allowed me to make a toast to 'life' and to 'Suzhou!' April 2018 was the month that kept on giving me more, I had one more weekend away planned! Hey, Changchun City! Go!
Sure, life in Wuhan saw me traveling to many places across China's vast Mainland but I had missed out Changchun during my 2017 Chinese Spring Festival break. Being only a 11 hour night train away from Beijing Railway Station and then a four hour High Speed link back to the Capital, I had to visit that Jilin City! April had Changchun feeling chilly as I stepped down from my night train the next morning, I didn't complain as I made my way to see the 'Throne of the Manchukuo!' I paid attention to read the museum exhibits clearly, some shady business was dealt for certain! Changchun had me schooled! It was a Chinese History 101! Yes! The Japanese food hit right, I had found a place near 'Renmin Square'. Choosing 'Panda Club' I ensured a good night was had, dancing and drinking for my life because it was a celebration of life! Oh, the hangover was grim! The second day had me on my game, Changchun showcased itself for my eyes only and I loved every moment! Not the hangover though! April 2018 showed up, majorly!
Jiangsu Province definitely had some kind of hold over me, finding myself on another China High Speed train heading from Beijing South Railway Station to Nanjing South Railway Station was the category! Through 'Jia Ming', I had been talking with 'Chris' who had recently settled into Nanjing life, he had also been Teaching English as a Foreign Language like I was. It was amazing to finally meet Chris, we had just communicated over social media, so a face to face weekend in Nanjing had been called for! Heading straight out onto the streets, I was fronted with the same location that I had gotten lost around during my initial trip to Nanjing that was back in September 2016. With Chris accompanying me, I was enabled to rediscover that corner of Nanjing City without taking any wrong turns! After riding rental bikes near to the Qinhuai River, we both enjoyed some German food and beer before hitting the SPA! April 2019 had me wondering if change was on the horizon? Certainly not, I didn't have that Pandemic in mind!
The first night out had us visiting a whisky bar and then Catherine Park before getting a good nights sleep! After a hearty bowl of homemade 'soybean milk' Scotch Porridge and IKEA ground coffee, it was back on the road for me and Chris! Heading to Yuejiang Tower had me confronting my fear of heights, once I was settled on a viewpoint I was fine because the view over Nanjing from the top of the Pavilion had me gobsmacked. Beijing life had me busy but I couldn't deny that being further south, being closer to Wuhan had me feeling comfortable. I won't lie that it was a comfort to be near the familiar waters of the Yangtze River once again! Chris led the way to the InterContinental Nanjing, heading up to the Sky Bar was the mood! Sipping on some bubbles, we toasted life in China on the 40th something floor! A Drag Bar Revue? Yes, we headed out and took the three different lifts in that unassuming tower-block to find the bar in-question! April 2019 blessed me, it allowed me to have one last party! April 2023, take me back!
April... What Happened!?
Desperately Seeking Adventure