The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
In and Around Shenyang
Mao is still a presence although his legacy is mixed. Locals call this a statue of Mao hailing a cab! The department stores are huge and very busy. Most of the restaurants serve Chinese regional cuisine but they are starting to see some different concepts.
We got to know the hotel dining room well -- the breakfast buffet was always the way to start the day, even if all the selections were Chinese. Our rooms did have a good view of the lake, however.
I don't recall the story behind this temple complex, but I believe it was one of the summer palaces of one of the early emperors.
In an unlikely "field trip," we drove about an hour out of town to the crocodile park ... that featured a transvestite talent show! The Chinese audience was as nonplussed as we were. Then we went "rafting" down the river in about a foot of water! I think we walked it as much as we paddled it. Click on the sign for a more readable picture of the rules. The adventure ended up with a boat ride through a cave complex on the property. All in all, a very strange place!
© 2002 Restaurant Doctor
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