Thailand has long been many people favourites place to visit for different reasons. The food, shopping, nightlife, festival to island and hill trip are just some of the long list of attractions. Colourful and vibrant and at time outrageous it attracted photographers from all over the world to descend onto Thailand annually.
One of the many attractions I find most interesting and distinctively Thai is their marketplace. There seem to be an abundant of market places all over Bangkok. Some are really humongous like the weekend market of Chatuchak or the famous but fast disappearing Thai floating market. The strange but amazing railway tracks market of Maeklong and the ever-popular night markets which can be found all over Bangkok.
Chatuchak Weekend Market.
This is Bangkok most famous and the biggest of all market, which is only open during the weekend. Every weekend thousands of people, tourists and local alike will be in Chatuchak roaming through the thousands of stalls selling every imaginable item you can think of. Chances are if you can¡¯t find them in Chatuchak you will not find them elsewhere in Bangkok. There are local designers selling exclusive items in tiny stalls to huge wholesales retailers. There are many photo opportunities here but you have to be cautious in taking pictures at the stalls. Some of these stalls are selling exclusive designer items and they do not allow it to be photograph. It is advisable to go early in the morning when it¡¯s not so hot and crowded. In the afternoon the heat can get unbearable and walking through crowded narrow walkway is not a pleasant experience and more than likely you will get lost in the endless rows of stalls.
Suan Lum Night Bazaar
This is an alternative to the daytime market of Chatuchak. Open daily in the evening it has hundred of stalls but lack the varieties of Chatuchak. It does have a number of restaurants offering a mix of Thai and other cuisine from affordable to more pricey outlets. Walking through the sprawling bazaar is more pleasant in the evening without the heats of daytime Chatuchak. There are enough stalls to keep most shoppers happy and the moods here is more relax as you browse thought the shops offering the usual Thai handicrafts, fashion and if you are tired of walking there are a choice of massage shops in air-condition rooms. Next to the night bazaar there is a huge outdoor beer garden, food court and a stage that feature live bands. Taking pictures here needs a much higher ISO as lighting condition is dim but some shops do have colourful lights that add to the ambience.
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
If you have seen one of those Thai Tourism poster of the floating market that show dozen of boats filled with colourful fruits and food you will not be able to find them here. A number of narrow klongs lead to a main market area where most of the boats gather framed by shops of both sides of the canal. This place is chaotic as many boats ferrying tourists narrowly avoid crashing head on with each other and with those boats by ladies selling fruits, food and drinks. And you not find them all lined up neatly for you to take pictures as there were always on the move. The best position is standing on the overhead bridge to wait for them to pass by below to get a good overview of the floating market but shops on the side with huge awnings blocked of the sun casting dark shadows.
Maeklong Railway Market
This must be one of the strangest markets in the world. The Maeklong Railway line pass through the market literally running directly through the middle of the market. At the sound of the approaching train vendors pull back their awnings and wares leaving just enough space for the train to pass through while shoppers and tourists jump to the side and push themselves back against the stalls.Just seconds later the awnings are put back to their original position and business resume as usual. Get your camera ready but do find a safe spot to stand. And the scene is replay 8 times daily. Now isn¡¯t this amazing?
The sunflower train to Lopburi During the sunflowers season from November to January, Lopburi province is a popular destination for Bangkok people to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city for a day trip. You can either take a train or a private car to Lopburi and during the weekend the train departs from Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok to Lopburi early in the morning and returned to Bangkok in the evening. The sunflower in Lopburi is definitely famous in Thailand if not internationally as I found out when I went to Hua Lamphong to purchase our train tickets in advance. With my limited Thai language and the ticketing clerk limited English I had a hard time trying to explain to him where I wanted to go. In an act of desperation I pull out the write-up of the sunflowers fields, which I have printed out from the internet he instantly break into a broad smile and ask me how many tickets I needed. A 3rd class ticket cost 280bht return, leaving Hua Lamphong at 6.40am and return back to Bangkok at 2.40 from Pasak Jolasid Dam. The train scheduled to arrive in Hua Lamphong at 5.40pm is not punctual as it made numerous stops along the way and at times seem to stop at traffic junction. I have experienced the infamous Bangkok traffic jam but a train that seem to get caught in the jam can only happened in Bangkok. The 3rd class coaches have fans and soft cushioned seats but the seats are the fixed L-shape type, which you can¡¯t fold back making it uncomfortable after awhile. As the train pulls out of Hua Lamphong Station we sit back and begin to have out breakfast. I bought a packet of rice with chicken fried with hot basil leaves and it was so spicy I have to go looking for mineral water. The almost full train begins to fill up as it stopped at a few more stations along the way. Leaving the city behind we past what look like padi fields and villages and after staring at it for a while I got restless and went for a walk through the other coaches looking for things to photograph. After about 3 hours later we finally see some signs of sunflower fields and that got everyone excited. As we were in the 3rd class coaches we can open the windows for a clearer view but the train is moving too fast to take pictures. When we were wondering how on earth are we going to take some decent pictures the train attendant told us that the train would soon stop for 40 minutes for us to get down to the sunflower fields. And as soon as the train pulled to a stop everyone rushed down and went straight into the sunflower fields like an invading army. The bright yellow sunflowers stood out in the green fields like carpet the stretches as far as you can see. The field is just too spread out for us the really explore with the limited time. And where we stopped the sunflowers were already half dead with the flowers drooping downward. But still the sights is rather exhilarating as the blue sky makes the sunflowers stood out even more stronger.
With the sounds of the whistle the train once again continue as we settle down still feeling excited about the sunflowers. We then past more sunflower fields as the train moved on until we see a huge dam where the train stopped again. Looking out through the windows I see that we were in the middle what seems like a huge lake. And then people were getting down the train but there were not much place to stand between the railway tracks and dam. Many people jostled for a place to take pictures from the tracks, while others peered from the open windows the train tilt at a precarious angle. Then the train started and went backwards leaving us wondering what¡¯s going on, as we don¡¯t understand the announcement in Thai. After a quick check we were told it will stop at the Pasak Jolasid Dam station for us to get down and the train will later depart for Bangkok at 2.40pm. It was a very hot day with nice blue sky and the moment we got down from the train we headed straight for the juice stall where we had fresh coconuts and grapes juice. We had a 2 hours stop where some of us went up a tower for a bird eye view of Pasak Jolasid Dam and then break for lunch. There were many stalls to choose from and the prices were surprisingly cheap unlike the inflated tourist prices of some other places. Our return journey was uneventful and the coaches inside were hot and stuffy in the afternoon. The train didn¡¯t stop anymore but the 3 hours return rides seem like forever as my friend exclaimed that is seem longer than the morning ride. With nothing much to do I took out my E - P2 and started to take pictures of everyone while trying out the different Art Filters effect.
The elaborately dressed dancers with imposing masks danced with a slow but steady movement as lamas chant and blow the huge Tibetan trumpets. The crowds were tightly packed at the monastery yard forming a circle round the dancers. As the crowds surged forward a lama with a long branches of leaves drove the crowd back. The ceremony has already started when we reached the temple and I couldn¡¯t squeeze through the crowds to get a better view. Looking around I saw a group of photographers were already on the rooftop of a nearby house. Making my way there I found that I have to pay the house owner RMB20 before I am allowed to climb up the wobbly ladder.
The dancers are all monks wearing masks representing different gods and demons. The entire ritual is rather solemn despite the colorful costumes and masks. This ceremony is an important part of the Grand Summons Festival in the first lunar month, lasting over a couple of hours it will ends with a procession where the monks carry the Domar or sacrificial cakes placed on a triangle stand with a skullcap on top to the nearby woods. After more chanting the Domar were thrown into the fire to feed the hungry ghost. This ritual is aimed at dispelling the demons and evil spirits, by purifying the demons and liberates their souls from purgatory.
This is one of the many ceremonies that are held from the 8th to 15th in the first lunar month at the temples in the Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefectures of Qinghai and Gansu provinces. These ceremonies are held in different days in each temple, which made it easier for us to follow the celebrations as we moved from one temple to another over a few days.
Tongren County a major historical and cultural site famous for Tibetan Buddhist art and thangka is a favorite among tourists and local. There are 3 important monasteries in Tongren where these ceremonies are held on different day attracting many photographers and hundreds of locals who come from nearby villages to celebrate the New Year. The Tibetan come dressed in their finest clothes and jewelleries to take part in these ceremonies.
The highlight of these ceremony is the display of the giant Buddha thangka or popularly known as ¡°sunning the Great Buddha¡±. It begins with hours of chanting and an elaborate ceremony at the temple. The monks and villagers then carry the huge thangka to the nearby hill to be unveiled amidst more chanting and prayers. This once a year ritual usually drew hundreds of devotees from villagers around the provinces.
These areas here have some of the finest Tibetan culture and largest monasteries outside of Tibet. In fact I find them so much more culturally stronger than Lhasa, which has become too modernized. Unfortunately we as foreigner as not allowed into the more sensitive area of Xiahe where some of the most major monastery like Labrang and Langmusi are located. Because of this we had to divert our originally planned visit to these 2 monasteries and take a much longer route, which caused us to be late for one of the ceremony.
Apart from the cultural experience, the landscape here is equally amazing. Some of this route will take you through mountainous areas of 3000m above sea level passing herds of yaks and sheep gazing, and a hill that is full of Tibetan prayer flags.
And there is no better place than Hom for nature and photo enthusiasts. Located in the southeast of Kanas Lake Nature Reserve in Xinjiang, Hom is an area surrounded by mountains, forest, valley and a river. Hom or Hemu is a village predominant by Tuva, which is a tribe of Mongolian and their livelihoods depend on grazing and hunting. The village with its many log cabins is quiet and tranquil as horses, sheeps and cows gazed in the nearby fields. But in the recent years it have become a popular destination for tourists especially photographers who are attracted by Hom¡¯s unspoilt scenery. Luckily the increase of log cabins in the village has not spoilt the serene environment as the cabins are built in similar design to the original log cabins of the village.
Tourism has bought many changes to the village but the village is still without electricity as individual guesthouses operate their own generator, which provides electricity for only a few hours at night. The conditions at the guesthouses are basic but clean and comfortable. Summer and autumn from June to early October are the best time to visit Hom as the weather is pleasant and the air is clear with blue sky. Daytime temperature is comfortable but temperature at night and early morning can be very cold as temperature can dips below zero degrees.
The village comes alive very early in the morning as tourists made their way to the nearby hills to wait for sunrise. The villagers with their herd of horses wait at the guesthouses to offer horseback rides for those who do not want to take the 45 minutes hike up the hills. The morning was very cold when I started to hike but by the time I reached the top of the hill I was dripping with sweats. The sunrise was a disappointment that morning as thick clouds blocked the sun. We spend about an hour there without much success and then took a 2km walk to a Mongolian farmhouse where we had a traditional Mongolian breakfast. We had freshly baked bread, fresh hot milk and honey from their farm among other traditional Mongolian treats. After our breakfast and more pictures taking at the farmhouse we continued our hike back to our guesthouse reaching it just in time for lunch. The hike back is pleasant as were passed woods of warm autumn colours and the Hom River.
Later in the afternoon a few member of our group went horseback riding to the nearby hills while some of us decided to explore the village. I choose to check out the village for photo opportunity as I have so far taken only landscape pictures of Hom. The village is surprisingly quiet, with very few people working in the field as crops have already been harvested since winter is just round the corner. The next few hours we took pictures of the villagers, chatting with some of them despite not fully understanding each other. By late afternoon we were at the woods overlooking the village waiting for sunset. On the way back to our guesthouse we lost our way and only after checking out a few lanes we finally found our guesthouse feeling hungry and cold.
Dinner that night was quite a feast as we had roast leg of lamb and lamb satay with potent Chinese wines that make us forget about the freezing temperature. Most of us had a good night sleep that night due to maybe the potent Chinese wines or just tired from today outings.
The next morning we decided to go for another sunrise shooting at another part of the village before we leave for the next destination of our journey in North Xinjiang. It was a very cold morning as we got into our bus for a short ride to another viewpoint and it was so cold that most of us decided to stay inside the bus till we can see the sun is about to rise. Standing at the open hill my hand was frozen numb and I could hardly hold my camera and tripod. After awhile I gave up and went back to the bus without getting any worthwhile shots.
Stepping into the old town of Lijiang is like taking a walk back in time. The old cobbled stone pavements were polished smooth and shining by thousands of pair of feet over the past few hundred years. Naxi women are dressed in their traditional garments with 7-star ornaments and many still live in the old houses inside the old town. Water from the melting snow-capped mountain and glaciers still spills out of the Black Dragon Pool and pass the old town in innumerable brooks flowing thorough the streets and alley. And the water is incredibly clean despite the old town being overly commercialised with endless bars and restaurants converted from the rows of old houses. And then the loud music jolt you back to your senses and reality.
The old town of Lijiang, a Unesco World Heritage Site is a delightful maze of cobbled street, rickety old wooden buildings and now, thousands of tourists. Its streets are filled with tourists from morning to late night with bars blasting the latest music. But beneath all these are wonderful and interesting subjects waiting to be discover and photographed.
Many of the old houses still retained their original architecture designs and structures. Li Jia DaYuan Inn where we stayed is made up of many old woodworks that dated back to a couple hundred years. And the guesthouse is currently run by a 12th generations Li, a hospitable businesswoman who is only too happy to tell you all about the old Lijiang.
The old town of Lijiang is not very big and can be easily covered on foot but careful planning is required to ensure you are at the right place and the right time to get that special shots.
Start early just before sunrise for a bird-eye view of the old town. The Wanggou Lou Pagoda sitting on higher ground offers a panoramic view of the old town. Or climb up to the rooftop of your guesthouse if it has a balcony. These are great for both sunrise and sunset. Wanggou Lou charges 15Yuan for entrance and expect you to produce the 40Yuan Lijiang Ancient Town Pass as well.
After sunrise when the sun is high enough to light up part of the streets go eastward from the Square Market or Sifang Jie. Look out for the alley that faces the sun and wait for some Naxi women in their traditional dress to walk pass. As the shops are not open at this hour there is less tourists to spoil your compositions. By mid-morning the Square Market will be a hive of activities with Naxi men and women in traditional dress dancing in formations. But you will have to push your way through the many tourists to get really good shots of them dancing and singing folks song.
Once it gets dark the areas around the old town lighted up with hundreds of red lanterns turned into a different world but the endless flow of tourists walking pass within the 3 main streets make it difficult to set up tripod for slow shutter shots. Stay away from the main street of bars and restaurants and look for smaller alley. With less people to block your view you can take your time to compose your photos without someone tripping over your tripod or wanting to borrow it for their compact cameras.
For some cultural photography booked yourself a ticket to the Dayan Naxi ancient music performance. The Dayan Naxi group comprises of musicians with many of them above 80years old offers some great photos opportunities during their nightly performance. Dressed in colourful long gowns and other ethnic costumes with their assortment of musical instruments they make interesting photos despite being dimly lit and no flash allowed.
For some landscapes and nature photography take a trip out to the nearest mountain. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which is only 15km away from the town of Lijiang, is a popular and most photographed place in this part of Yunan. This is another must visit place even if it¡¯s just for a day trip but more days are required if you wanted a more comprehensive shoot of Jade Dragon Snow mountain. At 5596m it¡¯s the highest in Yunan and have a numbers of scenic places for photography. Like most mountainous places in China hiking is a must and day trip is just not enough to cover all the different scenic spots ranging from Tibetan temple to meadows and glaciers. Trekking can be very strenuous as most parts of these mountains are located 3000m above sea levels. For the less fit horses are available for the longer treks.
I can almost imagine the roars of the imperial army as they rushed toward me and suddenly right in front is Jacky Chan. The next moment sound of camera shutters releases brought me back instantly. And my friends call out to the donkey cart driver to backup and come down the narrow passage between the huge cliffs again. Once more we got ready in position at this famous location where Jacky Chan filmed his movie the ¡®Myth¡± and also many other Chinese productions as well.
Yinma Gorge is the largest of the gorges in the Yellow River Stone Forest National Park. ¬The Yellow River winds from west to east with the Stone Forest in one side and opposite the river is a small village. Thus the area where the river winds through is called ¡®Lung Wan¡¯ or Dragon¡¯s Curve. The village itself is a typical dusty place with very basic amenities similar to most of the other places here. The guesthouse we stayed for the night is a simple village home with no hot water and toilet is a shack out in the open. The people who come here are usually photographer who doesn¡¯t mind what¡¯s lacking in the village, as they are more interested in the surrounding landscape.
I can pictured this place will be much more photogenic during summer and autumn when the rows and rows of apple and red date trees are ready for harvest. Winter is cold and dry making it very dusty and what¡¯s left are rows of leafless trees under a hazy sky. The nearby hill provides a panoramic view of the river as it winds round the village. And it¡¯s best to shoot this during sunrise as the warm morning sunlight turned the yellow gorge into shades of golden brown. This stretch of the Yellow River is surprisingly clean and clear. After the morning shoot you can hire a donkey cart to take you into the gorge that stretches for about 4km inside. Later part of the morning is better for taking pictures inside the gorge of Stone Forest as the towering cliffs blocked off the too early morning sun. As we were there during winter the place is deserted which made is easier for us stop anywhere we like to take photos. We were the only group inside the gorge and occasionally locals passed by in their motorcycle, which seem out of place as horses and donkeys would fit this place much better.
Our donkey cart owner was one of the extras in the ¡°Myth¡± and was eager to tell us all about the shoot and the locations where the action scenes were shot. And thus we made him drives his donkey cart through the same narrow passage a few times for us to take pictures. ¡®One more time¡¯ my friend called out again and again till the wooden cart looks like it¡¯s going to break down as it rumble pass the rocky path.
Lung Wan is about 2 hours drive from Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu. Lanzhou itself has nothing much to attract photographer except the old iron bridge, and during the Chinese New Year the bridge is decorated with hundreds of red lanterns and were brightly lighted up at night
