A Hole in the Ground

Ever wonder what it would be like inside a large tunnel boring machine? If yes, I can tell you all about it.

Chengdu is busy building its new Metro subway line. This involves tunneling under the city with large machines. The plan is to create two lines; one running North-South and the other East-West. The entire system will take a few years to complete, but I was lucky enough to take a tour and get up close and personal with the mighty machine.

We first explored the site on ground level taking notice of the large amounts of earth laden containers used to move what was recently dug up. Then it was underground with a hard hat and site supervisor. We toured the first length of the tunnel which already had its concrete ring. Then we made our way into the machine from the rear and right up to the very front, just behind the cutting wheel. Too cool!

Chinese Lantern Festival

After one festival ends another is just around the corner. This one being the Chinese Lantern Festival. It celebrates the first full moon of the lunar year.

There is a large park in Chengdu that is set up with large paper lantern sculptures. These are huge. Some even move. There are fair rides, candy and artisans who turn melted sugar into creative sculptures.

In the middle of the park is a large temple decorated with red lanterns and colourful lights. It was beautiful to see. Even if we couldn't see the moon through clouds.

On the way back we had to wait to find a cab. This is normal and something everyone has to get used to. It took us 30 minutes to get a cab. Sometimes it can take even longer.

Chinese Lunar New Year

After a great New Year's celebration in the bush it was time to celebrate another one in the East. Chinese New Year is marked by the first new moon of the year. On the Chinese calendar it falls on February 14th this year, marking the beginning of the year of the tiger.

Again, words cannot explain it. The celebrations run 15 days until the Chinese Lantern Festival marking the first full moon of the year. The city sleeps for 15 days. No honking horns. No playing Frogger to cross the street. Only loud and overwhelming fireworks every night with the largest on New Years eve.

These fireworks are not set up by the city or some professional, but rather sold on every street corner in orange tents lined with boxes of fireworks. We are used to individual fireworks that we buy on certain holidays. Now imagine a box, something the size of a microwave. Some even the size night table. You light this thing in the middle of the street and you get a professional looking fireworks show for 2 or 3 minutes. And that is just on one corner of an intersections in a city with many intersections. The sky was a sparkling sea of colour. The buildings echoed.