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A Dalian Saturday Morning: Labor Park & Antique Market
Written by Stephen Keith
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
If you have a free Saturday or Sunday morning, I have a recommendation for you.Head to Labor Park (Laodong Park--劳动公园 ) around 8:00 a.m. and just walk around and enjoy the many different groups of people who gather there.
You will find various groups of fan dancers who are often dancing to the same beat of music but wearing different color costumes. You will see sword dancers showing their balance, dexterity, and flexibility.You will see other groups kicking feather (my term) at a very, very high level.One of my favorite groups to watch is the one where each person has a small tennis racquet-type deal (taiji rou li qiu) that has a flexible rubber covering instead of strings.These people are amazing in that they can move their racquets around in unbelievable ways and keep a plastic ball on the racquet through centrifugal force, toss the ball into the air, catch it, flip it over their shoulders, etc. all in unison and in time with music.
Around the lake filed with beautiful lotus flowers is permanent seating where people play cards, chess, and mahjong.
Lotus flowers cover center pond
The woods of Labor Park often have individuals who use the trees as stretching devices.Turn the corner and you might see a fellow reading a book while his right foot is hooked in a tree branch at eye level.
One of my favorite activities to watch is water calligraphy.People have large brushes on the end of a tube with a water bottle attached.They do calligraphy in the dust of the pavement.If you watch for a while, you can count on being invited to try your hand at it.
Chinese people love music, especially traditional music.In Labor Park, you will find many small groups playing their instruments for their personal enjoyment and for that of the onlookers. You are likely to see groups of people singing songs together, while in the next pavilion might be a group chanting traditional slogans of Chinese virtue--litany like. However, the neatest group will be found in the southwest corner of Labor Park next to the bird sanctuary.There you will find a dance band and 100 people or so engaged in ballroom dancing.The women will be dressed up very elegantly and a westerner will have no trouble finding a dance partner.The only downside is that the songs seem to last for 10 minutes.
Ballroom dancing at Labor Park
In addition to the people you will find in Labor Park, there are flower gardens, ponds, and the sculpture walk up the center of the park with the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac leading up to the huge, signature red and white soccer ball.This is a must-do photograph of you and your Zodiac animal.
The Rooster, one of 12 Zodiac animals
Toward the TV tower on top of the hill, you will find a cable chair lift.You can take a nice ride to the top of the hill and walk over to the TV tower and go to the top of it to see a gorgeous view of Dalian on a clear day.You can catch a taxi from the top of the hill or ride the cable chair lift back down or--for the adventurous--you can take a bobsled-type vehicle down a track, which is a lot of fun.Of course, there is also the giant Ferris wheel as well as other rides, primarily for children.
Chair lift to the base of TV Tower
Depending on your interest, you can spend the whole day at Labor Park.The visit described above is about two to three hours.
Next, We Go to the Antique Market
From Labor Park, you can walk to Zhongshan Road and catch bus 708 or 534 going west to Zhongshan Park, located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Huanghe Road and Dongbei Road. There you will find scores of antique sellers with their goods spread out over the steps leading up to the temple as well as on the temple grounds. This area is easy walking distance from Olympic Square, going north from the Starbucks.
Steps leading to Temple filled with antique sellers
Antique sellers go to the countryside and bring back all sorts of trinkets, books, jewelry, posters of Mao, statues of Mao, Mao buttons, musical instruments, abacuses, fancy chopsticks, etc.
I enjoy looking for antique Chinese padlocks.These come in all shapes, sizes, and structure, which makes them fun to collect.Most work on a push-key as opposed to a twist key principle.The last time I went, I actually found an antique combination lock that worked on lining up the characters of a famous Chinese saying. Haggling over price is the order of the day, If you are a westerner, you can expect the price to be marked up as much as 300%. There you have it, a very full Saturday or Sunday morning in Dalian.
The entry fee for adults is 20RMB and for small kids 15RMB. I went there yesterday, its nice, full of flowers and neat little architecturally beautiful structures.
yes, both parks are nice, I used to practice Taiji there, especially in Zhongshan.
Antiques market is too small, there is another one at Xiang lu jiao, maybe the largest open market of such kind in Dalian.
I'm interested in antique. Where is Xiang Lu Jia? Are there any stores which are selling nice Chinese antique furniture? What about any other stores close to Dalian?
crystal1979
shymadmin
If you have a free Saturday or Sunday morning, I have a recommendation for you.
