Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 132

Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 132, originally uploaded by Serenity in China.

Last of my favorite lotus blossom shots taken this morning during a walk around Martyr’s Park in Changsha.

J

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Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 149

Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 149, originally uploaded by Serenity in China.

Alright, the lotus blossom blog posting blitz is almost over . . .

Another of my favorite shots from today.

J

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Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 153

Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 153, originally uploaded by Serenity in China.

Close-up shot of a lotus blossom before it fully blooms and assumes a much larger form.

J

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Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 180

Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 180, originally uploaded by Serenity in China.

Another of my favorite close-up shots taken with a Sigma 120-400mm telephoto lens in Martyr’s Park, Changsha.

J

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Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 198

Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 198, originally uploaded by Serenity in China.

The Sigma 120-400mm telephoto lens captured some really beautiful close-ups during my walk around Martyr’s Park this morning.

J

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Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 215

Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 215, originally uploaded by Serenity in China.

Another of my favorite lotus blossom pics from my walk early this morning in Martyr’s Park.

J

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Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park

Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 208, originally uploaded by Serenity in China.

I’m posting this picture to give readers an idea of how many lotus plants there are in the park’s lake.

I didn’t shoot any wide angle pictures today because I didn’t want to change lenses and expose the internal parts of my Canon 400D (aka Rebel Xti) to the heat and humidity. I did put my Sigma 10-20mm wide angle lens on my Canon 1v film camera and took some pictures of the entire ‘garden’ of lotus blossoms; I’ll post some of those pictures here and on my flickr page once they’re developed.

Anyways, it was a gorgeous morning with beautiful lotus blossoms everywhere and while it was warm and humid the heat had yet to hit hard . . . I had a great time taking more pictures here.

If you visit Changsha in June this is, in my opinion, a must visit location!

J

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Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park

Lotus Blossoms in Martyr’s Park 081, originally uploaded by Serenity in China.

During my early morning walk around a park in China I returned to the lotus blossom ‘garden’ sitting at the end of one of the lakes in Martyr’s Park.

This time I came with my Sigma 120-400mm telephoto lens and tripod and was able to shoot blossoms that sit much further out than my Canon 100mm macro could reach . . .

This picture is one of my favorites from this morning’s shoot.

J

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China Park Scene – Women Fan Dancing

China Park Scene – Women Fan Dancing, originally uploaded by Serenity in China.

This morning I did something for the first time in China: I got up quite early and went for a walk with my camera in Martyr’s Park.

This is something I really should have done a long time ago! Let me explain.

The early morning culture of parks in China is something I’ve read about on other blogs and websites. I knew about how there are people doing Tai-chi, dancing, and several other activities usually in groups.

What I didn’t realize was how many Chinese people go to the park early in the morning–although I should say that it seemed to be mostly elderly people over 50.

I saw groups of people learning dance routines to English pop songs (Lady Gaga has a huge following in China which is an UNDERSTATEMENT to say the least).

I saw groups of women learning how to belly dance . . . and one sub-group doing some kind of squatting position-movement practice to music that was just a little too . . . ‘erotic,’ lol. Maybe Patrick Swayze has an underground following here . . . hehehe.

I saw a group of elderly men and women doing what I think is Tai-chi with swords . . . and tried to imagine older Canadians I know doing the same thing and struggled because seniors in Canada that I know don’t do much that I would consider physically demanding. Some of the positions and movements the Chinese elderly were doing with their swords in the early morning heat and humidity would likely be beyond the elderly I know.

I saw ballroom dancing groups in several locations too . . . and the list goes on.

At the end of my walk around the park I came across a group of women doing what I’m going to call ‘fan dancing.’ One of the woman in particular was very graceful and elegant–and the picture in this post of of her dancing.

Julianne and I will definitely be heading out to the park at least a couple more times early in the morning before we leave China–and if you visit China I definitely recommend it as one of the most enjoyable (and free!) cultural experiences you can have here.

J

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China Street Scene – Old Boys ‘N The Hood

Old Boys ‘N The Hood, originally uploaded by Serenity in China.

Some of the reactions from people on the street here can be quite funny.

The old boys here gave Julianne, myself, and a friend quite a look as we walked past them to go eat at a restaurant.

I wonder what they had to say after we were gone?

J

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