An update for new readers and a reminder for long-time fans: we regularly publish photos from our readers and group members who want to show others the interesting, curious, creepy, unusual, mysterious, elegant, odd, lovely, frumpy, and otherwise fantastic China that they have found from behind the lens.  We publish work from beginners to veterans of photography, and our only requirements are that you only send us photos you have taken.

Some examples:

These first photos come from the China Photo Contest group on Facebook and were posted by Robert DaBoss.

These next photos come from our Facebook group A Million People Who Love China and were posted by Elisabeth Rowley Mitchell.

To see your photos here, post your photos first on the Blog of Dreams’ associated groups on Facebook: China Photo Contest and A Million People Who Love China.  We will feature weekly photos on the blog from each group and from any part of China and its autonomous regions.   Stories, anecdotes, notes about context, and information about the location where the photo was taken are more than welcome.

All money raised as a result of views of these photos and click-throughs on ads for these sites go directly to the Library Project and the Library Project Earthquake Relief Fund, a China charity now leading a campaign focused on helping to rebuild libraries and schools.

Tom Carter, an internationally acclaimed photographer currently based in Beijing, will be releasing his series of portraits from people all around China titled “China: Portrait of a People.” His photographs, there of which are featured here, provide a sense of depth and perspective on China, as does Tom’s career and body of work concerning China.

I wanted to feature Tom on the Blog of Dreams because of the intense passion and deep commitment his photos and writing seem to commit to understanding China. He does not seem to be content with the metropolises of Beijing or Shanghai, but has a deep interest in looking at parts of China that are often forgotten about or little-known to foreigners who have spent a short amount of time here. Most of us know that we need to go to Sichuan to see pandas, but how many of us are familiar with the Yao Minority people or Guizhou’s minority village of Zengchong? Tom’s articlulate stories and photos on both of these places are worth a thoughtful read.

More of Tom’s photos and articles can be seen on his China photo website, http://tomcarter.org.

China Travel: Chongqing Municipality

Photo from Thalia Kwok.

Chongqing is unique in China: it is one of only for municipalities, or cities located in provinces that reports to the national, not the local, government. The others includes Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai; however, Chongqing is the only one not on the east cost. It is also the newest municipality, incorporated in 1997, and the municipality with the greatest population: over 30 million people were counted there in a 2005 census.

The name Chongquing comes from the Jialing River that runs through the city into the nearby Yangtze River. Supposedly Chongqing was established around the eleventh century BCE by the Ba people and by 316 BCE, the State of Quin had overrun the city.

This photo of Liberation Tower is from Thalia Kwok.

Chongqing’s climate and geography are typical of areas in central China. The land surrounding Chongqing is very rough and full of many hills, making agricultural development there difficult. Chongqing has a semi-tropical climate with two seasonal monsoon variations. The annual average temperature in Chongqing is 18°C, but the summers are quite hot: temperatures reaching 45°C have been recorded in summer. The area is also known for its severe fog, which was a great tool used during the World War II for protection. In addition, the great amounts of coal burning without any controls on pollution, air pollution is a large problem.

Photo from Thalia Kwok.
Chongqing has been known historically for its large trading inland ports. However, during the mid twentieth-century Chongqing was transformed into a major industrial city. Many military industrial plants and factories began there, though recently these Chongqing’s industry has been under reform, ending production of military items and increasing production of materials for the development of the average civilian.

Photo from Thalia Kwok.

Many natural resources are available in an abundance, including coal, natural gas, and strontium. Nearly 4.8 billion tonnes of coal reserves, among the highest amounts of reserves available in China, are estimated to be in Chongqing. The city is also home to the worlds second largest strontium reserve. With all of these resources at its disposal, Chongqing is growing at a rate even higher than China’s national growth, with its economy growing at just over 12% on a yearly basis. The nominal GDP in 2005 $38.75 billion US dollars.

In addition to its strong industrial economy, Chongqing also has a powerful tourism industry, making nearly $26 million USD in this industry annually. Among the most famous tourist destinations is the Three Gorges, a breathtaking area located upon the Yangtze river and the most frequently visited canyon in China. A high number of historic landmarks cites are in the metropolitan area due to Chongqing’s role as a political and administrative center in World War II.

Chongqing also has a few quirky achievements. The worlds largest public bathroom was created in July 2007. The bathroom is a four story building with 1,000 toilets uniquely shaped. Several urinals have the look of an open crocodile mouth or a woman resembling the Virgin Mary showing her bust.

China Travel: Jiangsu Province

This photo of a Jiangsu city skyline was taken by Daryl Snow.

Jiangsu Province runs along the eastern edge of China, just north of Shanghai. The province is bordered on the north by Shandong, on the west by Anhui, and on the east by the Yellow Sea. Additionally, Jiangsu’s proximity to the Yellow Sea means the province is home to many waterways and lakes. Major cities in the Jiangsu province (or “Shu” for short) include Xuzhou, Zenjiang, Changzhou, and Yancheng.

Despite its relatively small size (Jiangsu represents less than two percent of China’s total land mass), the province is home to over 70 million people (a little over five percent of the population), many of whom live in sizable cities. The vast majority of the population is of the Han ethnic majority, with ethnic minorities representing less than one half of one percent of the population. The level of education is generally fairly high: over 99 percent of school-aged children have easy access to primary schooling. Additionally, the province is home to 94 colleges and universities.

This photo of a farmer in Jiangsu was taken by Tom Carter.

Because Jiangsu is home to the fertile Yangtze River delta as well as the Taihu and Hongze lakes (two of China’s largest freshwater lakes), Jiangsu’s land is also extremely fertile and is sometimes called “the land of rivers and lakes.” Like its neighboring provinces, much of Jiangsu Province lies within a monsoon climate zone that results in heavy summer rains. In the southern areas of the province, temperatures tend to be quite high, while the northern areas enjoy more temperate conditions. Jiangsu’s terrain is quite flat, owing to its proximity to the ocean, and because of its geography, much of the province’s land is developed for agriculture and industry. Major agricultural products include rice, cotton, and pigs, though freshwater fishing is also a major player in the area’s economy. Major industries include machinery, textiles, paper-making, and cement due to available deposits of coal, phosphorus, and pottery-quality clay.The densely populated Jiangsu Province is easy to navigate due to its well developed railway and highway systems and access to convenient water transport. The Asia-Europe Continental Bridge railway network, for example, begins in Lianyung and stretches all the way to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and the city of Nanjing serves as an important highway hub that helps to connect over 100 towns and cities.

This development means travelers have convenient access to the region’s many sites of cultural and historical interest. In Nanjing, for example, visitors are drawn to Dr. Yat-Sun’s tomb, while Lianyungang draws fans of Xuanwu Lake and Yuntai Mountain. Other major points of interest include the Suzhou Garden (recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Yixing’s Three Caves, Wuxi’s Tai Lake, and Yangzhou’s West Lake. Specialty products of the area include Taihu Biluochun tea, Wuxi clay figurines, Yixing pottery, Yangzhou lacquer-ware, and pressed salted duck from Nanjing. All told, the Jiansu Province is home to 416 sites that have been designated as historically and culturally significant by either the national or local government, making this province a top destination for history-seeking tourists of all types.

China Travel: Yunnan Province

This photo was taken by Daryl Snow.

Yunnan is located in the southwestern part of China, and borders Burma, Laos and Vietnam. Though the province is seated at the headwaters of half a dozen major river systems, including the Mekong, the Irrawaddy and Yangtze, only a small portion of Yunnan’s rivers are navigable. The landscape is varied, ranging from the mountains of the Tibetan plateau to semi-tropical lowlands, and attracts visitors and photographers from around the world. The provincial capitol, Kunnming is renowned for its “eternal spring” and mild winter weather. Yunnan is connected by air flights to domestic and regional international destinations through Kunmings’ Wujiaba Airport, although a newer airport is expected to be completed around 2015.

The rich and varied mineral and natural resources of the area was and is a magnet for human occupation and trade from the earliest times. Indeed, the oldest hominid fossil in China, the “Yuanmo Man” was discovered there in the 1960s. The trade route between China and India which passed through Yunnan was known as the “Southern Silk Road”.

The province is the most ethnically diverse in China, and is home to a large minority of ethnic Thais who once had their own kingdom of Nanchao. The Naxi people, a sub-group of the Tibetans who live around the town of Lijiang, are famous for having preserved a matriarchal society into the present day. The Xishuangbanna people, whose communities are located along the Mekong, hold a “Water Splashing Festival” over the Lunar New Year, very like Thailand’s “Songkan” festival, during which everyone must be doused with water. The popular tourist destination of Dali is renowned for the Erhai Lake, where fishermen work with “fishing bird” assistants. Dali is also famous for local horse fairs and the Pagodas of Saintly Worship, three towers that are part of a ruined temple complex over a thousand years old.

This photo was taken by Craig Leslie Hodges.

Another popular tourist destination is the Stone Forest, an area near Kunming where spectacular limestone stalagmites grow among a number of lakes. The noted geological wonder known as the “Jade Dragon Mountains,” which are said to look like a gigantic jade dragon holding up the sky, is also located in Yunnan. Tourism has developed into one of Yunnan’s major industries, aside from tobacco farming, mining of copper and other metals, and the collection of botanical and herbal samples. Traveling to Lijiang will lead you to Tiger Leaping Gorge, a long range of mountains with a amazing scenic view including a massive river and a long hiking trail with dozens of small, cozy guest houses along the way.

Cuisine tends to be rather spicy, a fact often attributed to the presence of so many ethnic cultures. A curious habits in food here are the use of flowers as food, and certain local dishes feature such things as pineapple or goat cheese. Marinated and roasted duck is also extremely popular.

Although relatively undeveloped, Yunnan is self-sufficient in agricultural production. Tobacco and rubber are among the cash crops grown there, as well as tea, its most famous product. The custom of drinking tea is supposed to have begun in the high plateaus of Yunnan. Of all the plant species found in China, over half of them can be found in Yunnan alone, ranging across the province’s four different growing zones.

China Travel: Hubei

(This photo was taken in Wuhan University during the cherry blossom season. Chill, the photographer, is an active member of the Photography Association of Sun Yat Sen University.

Hubei Province is located in central China. This mid-sized province has no direct access to the ocean, but it is criss-crossed by several major waterways in China, including the Yangtze River. Hubei is bordered by the Shaanxi, Henan, Chongqing, Hunan, and Jiangxi provinces, and major population centers include Huangshi, Jingmen, Shashu, Xiangfan, Xianning, Yichang, and Wuhan. The population of the province is around 60 million people and covers approximately 185,900 square km. In the east, the world-famous Yangtze Three Gorges Dam Project, located just outside of Yichang City, is the largest water conservation project in the world. In the west, the national reservation of Shengnongjia is a dense wilderness Always mysterious, the reservation remains an enigma today after the discovery of traces of an ancient people and continues to aroused public curiosity.

Hubei Province is home to a relatively large number of ethnic minorities: according to the fifth national census, nearly 5 percent of the province’s population is a member of one of the 56 ethnic minorities. Approximately 50 of these groups (including the Tujia, Miao, Hui, Manchu, and Mongolian peoples) are present in the province, with most living in tightly woven compact communities. The Tujia, with 3.7% of the population, and the Miao, 0.7% of the population, are the two largest. The population of Hubei is concentrated in the eastern half of the province, while the western areas have a lower population density and are more agrarian. The majority of the Hubei Province population has a junior secondary education, meaning that the literacy rate in this province is among the highest in the country.

Hubei’s landscape runs the gamut from high-altitude mountainous to flat. low-lying plains. Hubei’s unique location between the second and third terraces of the overall topographical scheme of China creates this diversity in the landforms. Generally speaking, the western portion of the province has a higher elevation. Approximately 70 percent of the total land area is hilly and mountainous, with the Wuling, Wushan, Daba, Wudang, Tongbai, Dabie, and Mufu mountain ranges all located in this province, as well as Wudang Mountain, a sacred Taoist peak with hundreds of temples. The remaining 30 percent of flat land is heavily concentrated on the large Jianghan plain. The highest summit in the province is the Shennong Summit of the Shennongjia Mountains, which is also known as “the Roof of China.” The Yangtze River flows through the entire length of the province, and a large number of lakes and smaller rivers make the land rich and arable.

Hubei Province has a subtropical monsoon climate. Generally, temperatures are high, with annual temperatures averaging between 13 and 18 degrees Celsius. The plentiful sunlight, soaking rains, and long growing period (the frost-free portion of the year can number as many as 300 days) apparent in this province make it ideal for agriculture. Here, paddy rice, ramie, sesame, and wheat are grown in great abundance.

Many people are drawn to the Hubei Province due to its great natural beauty, as Hubei’s landscape is dotted with beautiful sights and awe-inspiring views. The Hubei Province is also home to a large number of cultural and historical points of interest. In Wuhan, for example, visitors can visit the beautiful East Lake and Yellow Crane Tower, while Wuhan City boasts ancient Longzhong, which was a spot of strategic military importance during past dynasties. Visitors looking for local specialties can find intricate embroidery, Siaogan sesame candy, and Suizhou sweet dates. A trip to Hubei is a great trip for those interesting in both China’s long history and its dramatic landscapes.

China Travel: Guangdong Province

Andy Lai is the photographer behind this photo. This is a mosaic photo from a Cantonese Opera.

Guangdong Province lies in the southernmost part of China. With its location on the South China Sea, the province is a natural entry point to south China and has long served as a gateway for Westerners interested in China. Bordered by Jiangxi and Hunan provinces to the north, Fujian province to the east, and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to the west, Guangdong has easy access to many other key parts of south China. Guangdong province also claims 651 islands, many of which are located in the Pearl River Delta, which has recently become a center of great economic development in the region. It is estimated that Guangdong Province generates as much as a quarter of the GDP in China.

(This photo of Guangzhou’s skyline and all the photos below were taken by Shenxy.)

The provincial capital of Guangzhou has a long history of international trade and cooperated. Originally transcribed by Portugese traders as “Canton,” who took the name of the region for the name of the city, the name Guangzhou literally means “wide state.” The name Canton is still used informally for events such as the Canton Trade Fair, the world’s largest trade and outsourcing fair. Guangdong was named during the Ming Dynasty, and it was at this time that it began to serve as a major trade hub for China and Europe, with Portugal and England contributing much to the region’s multiculturalism and international fame (see our posts on Macau and Hong Kong for more information). Guangdong was famous for its hongs (trading houses) and its traders known compradors, (which comes from the Portugese word for “to purchase,” comprar). Perhaps because of the powerful international influence and centuries of contact with foreigners, Guangdong people have a long history of immigration and worldwide travel, with large groups of them moving to the US and Canada in the 1800s. To this day, Cantonese is the dominant language in many Chinatowns and Chinese communities across North America (as well as other parts of the world).

(This is a photo of Hua Nan Xin Cheng 华南新城, one of the areas of Guangzhou in Panyu District)

Though Guangzhou has a complex and interesting relationship with the outside world that has lasted for centuries, it also has a fascinating internal history of diversity. Many people who live in Guangdong are of the Han Chinese nationality, which comprises the largest single ethnic group worldwide. Still, Guangdong has a diverse, multi-cultural population, with members of forty-two different ethnic groups making their home here. In addition to Mandarin, Cantonese, the local dialect, is the most common tongue and one of the most important dialects of Chinese spoken inside and outside of the PRC. Other languages spoken include Hakka, Kejiahua, Min Nan, Xiang, Dzao Min, Zhuang, and many others.

In addition to rich environment of culture and language, Guangdong’s physical environment features a subtropical climate, with high humidity and hot weather in the summer and brisk and humid winters. Be careful about visiting during the rainy season in March and April! Due to its favorable geography and mild weather, Guangdong is the area’s major producer of rice, tea and tropical crops. Less than a quarter of all the land in Guangdong is used to produce food, so the areas that are set aside for agricultural purposes are farmed intensively.

(This is a photo of Shenzhen’s Dapeng Bay, 深圳大鹏湾).

In terms of its economy, light industry has brought an economic boom to Guangdong, and Guangzhou, not Beijing or Shanghai, boasts the highest GDP per capita in mainland China. Food processing, including sugar refining, as well as textile manufacturing and weaving are major industries here, as well as heavy industrial pursuits such as shipbuilding and repair and machine manufacturing, among others.

(This is a photo taken near Hailing Island in Guangdong Province.)

Perhaps more than anything, Guangdong is famous for its Cantonese cuisine. Because Guangzhou was a major trading port, its access to trade from all over the planet brought a wide variety of foods to the city, creating a huge amount of diversity within the cuisine. Someone once said, “the Cantonese eat every thing that flies except planes, every thing on the ground except cars, and every thing that is in water except boats,” and the saying has stuck. Fresh ingredients, mildly spiced, are favored, and the flavors are brought out with steaming, stir and deep frying. Because Guangdong is on a sea coast, seafood is often featured. Choice dishes include dim sum, hot pot, steamed eggplant, wonton noodles, fish balls, and beef brisket.

Visitors to the Guangdong province enjoy the scenic beauty of the Danxia, Zijiao, Luofu, and Dinghu mountains. In Guangzhou you will also want to visit Yuexiu Hill and Park, as well as the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, an ancient Buddhist temple. There are many beautiful temples to see in Guangdong, including the Nanhua Temple located in Shaoguan. You will also find the informative Guangdong Provincial Museum in Guangzhou. Offering examples of Chaozhou wood carving, ceramic figures, old Chinese pottery and traditional Chinese calligraphy posters, you can enjoy the best of Guangdong’s culture, past and present.

Guangdong is also the home of Coffee, Yue Ying, and the League of Extraordinary Chinese Women.

Look for posts here soon about Yanzhi and Dawei’s adventures in Baiyun Mountain and Qi Xin Yan, two of the most scenic areas in Guangdong Province.

China MBA: Cal Poly State University

MBA留学：Cal Poly

中文:

One of the dreams of many Chinese and International students is to study abroad. Part of the mission of the Dreamblogue is to help individuals realize their dreams through information and financial support when and where we can offer it. This is part of a series of posts that will spotlight schools we believe to be the best in China, America, Canada the UK and Australia for overseas learning.

Top boxers are always being sized up against others outside of their weight class and are referred to by sports pundits as, “pound-for-pound” the best puncher, or overall fighter in the game. The same metaphor can easily be applied to International MBA Programs and especially those with China as their primary focus.

The China Dreambloue Team below as translators for Cal Poly Visitors to Zhongkai University. For more visit their popular blog CAL POLY MBA TRIP

Long before Cal Poly became partners with the Dreamblogue, Dawei had a chance to interact with students and faculty from the Orfalea College of Business: the best pound-for-pound International MBA program based in America. Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, California via The Orfalea College of Business offers a 1-year program for qualified students from China and the world: The MBA program with a focus on international business in China, concludes with a 1-month tour of Chinese culture and business. Prospective graduates visit small and medium-sized”expatraneurs” and China manufacturers, educational institutions and renown multi-nationals like Walmart, Lenovo, and The Sands/Venetian. This year they climbed the Great Wall, toured the water village of Zhouzhung, and visited the UNESCO sites in the former Portuguese colony of Macau.

And the entire MBA program, located in one of the safest and most scenic areas of California, costs less in total than does a semester at a school with more recognizable branding. Despite named #1 by US News and World Report as the top Masters Degree granting institution in the west, Cal Poly is bit of a a well-kept secret, but that is not likely to last. Their leadership via Professor Chris Carr (Interviewed by the China Business Network Here) continues to innovate with its world-class faculty and curriculum.

You can download information in Chinese or English about Cal Poly’s programs here, as well as information about how to prepare and study for admission:

• About Cal Poly and Its Environment
• About Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and the Orfalea College of Business
• Cal Poly’s China MBA Program
• GMAT Study Help

In addition to their MBA program there are other international options and several concentrations, such as finance, accounting, or agriculture available; one of the most successful has been their degree in Industrial Technology that provides students with lucrative and professionally fulfilling job opportunities in high demand in the private sector:

China MBA Admission Info, Cost Info, and Deadlines

Cal Poly Masters in Industrial Technology

Masters in Industrial Technology Admission Info, Cost Info, and Deadlines

Pound-for-pound we think the Cal Poly MBA is the best in the world….

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Travel in China: Zhejiang Province

This is a photo of the West Lake, taken by Catty Lee.

Zhejiang Province is located along China’s central coast on the South China Sea and boasts more than two hundred islands along its coastal waters, more than any other province. The climate is sub-tropical, with distinct seasons. The rainy season strikes in early summer, making spring and fall the most pleasant times to visit. The province is often regarded as the cradle of Chinese civilization, with signs of human habitation dating back to the Neolithic period.

The provincial capitol of Hangzhou is one of the six ancient capital cities of China, with the beautiful and scenic West Lake situated in the heart of the 2,000 year old city. In the 11th century, it may have been the largest city in the world. Traditionally it was said that “Above there is heaven, below there is Suzhou… and Hangzhou.”

While the northern part of the province has historically been prosperous, the southern part is mountainous and unsuited to intensive cultivation. Generally the countryside is hilly and scenic, with most flat land along the coast and river valleys. There are many canals and waterways in use, beginning with the Grand Canal of China, which linked the provincial capitol to central China in the 5th Century.

Traditionally known as the “Land of Fish and Rice”, Zhejiang was also a center for the manufacture of silk and exquisite celadon porcelain, which has been manufactured there since the 11th century. Rice is still the main agricultural crop. A major industrial fishery is said to be the largest in the world. Other cash crops include wheat, jute, cotton and tea. Longjiang tea or “Dragon Well Tea” is one of the most prestigious varieties grown in this area. Industries are well developed, principally textile production and the manufacture of paper, viticulture and packaging of food products. Variants of Zehejiang’s regional cuisine emphasize poultry and freshwater fish, seafood, and make use of bamboo sprouts, among other vegetables.

Due to Zhejiang’s rich collection of historical and religious sites, and scenic mountains and rivers, tourism is well developed. Major attractions in Hangzhou include the Lingyin Temple, one of the ten most famous ancient Buddhist temples in China. The Lan Ting, or Orchid Pavilion, is famous among poets and practitioners of the art of classical Chinese calligraphy. Other tourist attractions include the mountains: Putuo Mountain is known for its three famous Buddhist temples and surrounding national park, Yandang Mountain, which features a rich variety of plant and animal life, and Mount Tiantai. All three peaks have long been revered by Chinese artists. The city of Ningbo boasts the oldest private library in Asia, the Tianyo Pavilion, with over 300,000 volumes. Another famous natural attraction is the Qiantang River Bore. Due to the peculiar shape of the Hangzhou Bay near Ningbo, the tide rushes up into the Qiantang River with tremendous force, rising to a height of more than 30 feet at times. A custom of watching the tide come in has been observed since the 1st Century, and elaborate local tide-watching festivals take place in mid-August at various locations near the river mouth.