Qijiang is about 80 Km south of Chongqing City. It is famous for a bridge that is no longer there. On January 4, 1999, Cai Hong Qiao - the Colorful Rainbow Bridge - collapsed, killing 40 people and injuring 14. In this memorial, a hand reaches across the middle of the broken bridge.

We visited with friends in this city, and had a very nice time, including a famous Chongqing hotpot dinner.

The new bridge is called simply Hong Qiao - Rainbow Bridge. It is only for pedestrians, and is 200 m. (660 ft.) long. The arch makes the trek across it alittle arduous, but it also makes the bridge quite beautiful as it spans the Qijiang River. In the evening, many people will meet on the bridge to enjoy the fresh air, the river view and each other's company.

We stayed at the Green Bamboo Manor outside Qijiang. A teahouse made of bamboo nestles in a bamboo forest that lines the nearby river. You can just make out the misty outline of distant mountains.

We learned there are many different kinds of bamboo. Some have big leaves, some have big stalks. All of them are strong, but some are hard and some are supple.

Chongqing is famous for being hot and humid in the summer, so in the afternoon, we retired to our rooms. Here is Lee practicing his dizi - a bamboo flute. He is currently figuring out how to play Moli Hua, or Jasmine Flower, a popular Chinese folk song.

We saw moli hua growing on the grounds that morning. They grow in clusters of white flowers, with a sweet fragrance that will forever make me think of China.

Copyright 2004, Dr. Lee Williams

Last Modified: 15 July 2004

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