Cat Whiskers and Old Cat's Winter Vacation Trip

January 30, the second day of the lunar new year, sunny

After coming back from visiting the grave alone at noon, I made a meal of four dishes and a soup for Cat Whiskers and my third brother, who lives alone. Then we set off! Given that it's nearly 400 kilometers, our first stop was Zuoquan (formerly known as Liao County, later renamed Zuoquan County in memory of General Zuo Quan), about 140 kilometers away.

Traffic on the expressway was light. It was my first time on this road. As we drove, I marveled: Shanxi's tolls are indeed justified—look at these mountains and valleys! How did people travel before there were expressways or even decent roads? The country is truly prosperous now!

Though called an expressway, the speed limit was mostly 80 km/h. We only arrived in Zuoquan around 5 PM. For someone like me, a blind cat (nearsighted with 800 degrees, plus presbyopia with age), finding lodging before dark is crucial for travel safety! I booked a hotel on Baidu Maps: Junyi Hotel, 120 yuan. Small but warm! We parked the car in the backyard and brought our luggage up. I said we'd do some homework, but there was no desk lamp! Cat Whiskers was happy—finally, no need to write winter homework in the evening! After settling in, as it grew dark, we went out to find some food, but hardly any shops were open. We wandered about 500 meters, asked a few locals, but no one could tell us about local specialties or century-old restaurants. It seems tourism education here still needs work! Finally, we had to buy a bottle of water and some yogurt snacks (the main thing being Cat Whiskers' dried fish) at a supermarket and returned to the hotel to cook instant noodles. It was completely dark, the streetlights lit up, and the bridge we crossed looked quite pretty on both sides. We walked a short distance along the river path, but there was nobody around—I felt uneasy and decided to head back. Huh? What's going on ahead? Oh, a rear-end collision. During the New Year, safety first!

Cat Whiskers enjoyed instant noodles while watching Tencent VIP (bought for 18 yuan, yes, we brought the laptop) and had a happy evening.

January 31, the third day of the lunar new year, sunny

Cat Whiskers slept until 11 AM, and even then had to be woken up. A middle school student now, she's starting to need more sleep. The hotel checkout was at 2 PM, no deposit required. We had another round of instant noodles, left the room key at the front desk, and set off!

Before getting on the expressway, we went to Zuoquan Martyrs' Cemetery to pay respects to General Zuo. If the general could see the peaceful life of ordinary people now, he would surely be pleased! I'm not saying everything is perfect today, but overall, the country is not at war, people are safe, everyone has food. Don't always compare with others—compare with your own past. I think it's pretty good! Of course, when there are problems, I don't hesitate to curse heaven and earth!

Traffic on the expressway was heavier, but the speed limit was still low. There were tunnels over 10 kilometers long, and tunnel clusters with only two lanes. The loudspeaker kept repeating: no overtaking, no speeding. Everyone crawled along steadily in the dark tunnels, thinking: we must not have an accident here—rescue would be difficult, we're deep inside the mountain!

Finally, we crossed the Taihang Mountains and entered Hebei—flat, open plains! When we reached the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Expressway, traffic was as heavy as on an urban riverside expressway, but we could finally drive at 120 km/h. We had to rely on the navigation to warn us about speed cameras; otherwise, I think everyone would take off on these plains!

Our original plan was to stay near Anyang Wanda, but the map showed traffic in deep red, so we decided against it. We took a detour, parked in a spot that didn't block traffic, and searched on our phones for a hotel near Wanda. It had no parking lot, just street parking, but during Spring Festival we didn't worry about tickets from traffic police. We dropped our luggage and went to eat first! It was a few minutes' walk to Wanda, nearby were Anyang City Museum and library—a good location! As soon as we entered the mall, we were stunned—we knew Henan is a populous province, but seeing it is another thing! Crowds of people, and a little train in the mall! My god, can't they suspend it for a day? We finally reached the third floor where the restaurants were. Luckily we came a bit early, otherwise we couldn't even get in. Two Shanxi people in Henan ate a bowl of Qinghai beef noodles—the only one that didn't require waiting...

The driving mom was exhausted. We quickly returned to the hotel to rest. No heating! Only an air conditioner! The toilet seat was freezing! Why didn't we notice earlier? Oh well, just sleep—certainly won't get angry! And again, no desk lamp—another day without homework! Happy little Cat Whiskers!

February 1, the fourth day of the lunar new year, cloudy

Speaking of the weather in Henan and Hebei: on the expressway as we entered Hebei, Cat Whiskers said she smelled something strange. I knew it was air pollution. I remembered years ago taking a free shuttle at a high-speed rail station to Zhengding International Airport—the waiting hall had visible light haze, let alone the pungent smell—unforgettable! Yesterday when we arrived in Henan, it felt like the sky was getting dark, though it was only 4 or 5 PM. This morning, it's the same. Is Henan also heavily polluted?

First, breakfast. I knew what I wanted: bianfen cai (flat noodle soup)! A famous local breakfast! The key point: top it with minced garlic. Come to Henan, and you have to breathe garlic all day? Anyway, it was delicious, hot, like another version of malatang (spicy hot pot), with vegetables and noodles. For 6 yuan, it made me sweat even in winter. Don't forget to add a 2-yuan pancake, and soy milk and pear soup were free! A generous shop!

Today we planned to visit Yinxu (Yin Ruins). Not far. We checked out with our luggage—tonight we must find a warm place. As we approached the scenic spot, the road was congested with people. Not bad—though slow, the traffic police directed traffic, and we didn't stop completely. We finally parked by the roadside. A loudspeaker kept telling villagers not to charge arbitrary parking fees—thumbs up! Anyang government is putting effort into tourism!

The Yinxu Museum seems to have been built only a year or two ago. Locals call it the new museum, because previously there were only the palace ruins and the tomb ruins. The site is large, and the queue was long. At the ticket windows, it was packed. Forget it—we bought tickets online, though we didn't get physical tickets as souvenirs. There is a lot of open space around the museum, with names of Shang dynasty kings engraved on the ground. As I stepped on them, I wondered what expression the ancestors would have if they knew their names were carved on the ground for posterity to tread on. There was also a landing pad for drone food delivery, but before I could study it, I was swept along by the crowd. We queued and queued, the metal barriers winding endlessly. It felt like elderly people lining up for free eggs after spending 50 yuan...

Finally inside. Our IDs worked—Cat Whiskers got a half-price ticket for 40 yuan. The museum is very new. To be honest, it didn't feel ancient at all. Maybe the Shanxi Museum's interior style set my expectations? It felt more like an exhibition hall than a museum. Especially the top floor, where there was a short film. So many people that we had to sit on the floor. I thought it would be an overview, introductions, but it turned out to be a monologue by King Wu Ding of Shang, delivered in a deep baritone voice with grandeur. It was supposed to be stirring, but I found it embarrassingly cringeworthy...

Some exhibits were oracle bone fragments. Magnifying glasses were placed over them so you could see the carvings. Who first realized these were writing? And deciphered them! Genius! Lin Huiyin's name appeared again, along with many other great scholars. Thank you! They advanced Chinese civilization by many years!

Bronze artifacts weren't numerous. The most valuable one, the Simuwu Ding, has moved to the National Museum. I didn't see anything else particularly impressive. After all, Shanxi Museum's Jin State exhibition hall had bronze artifacts that dazzled me again and again—from much earlier periods, incredibly intricate. The cultural value is certainly high, but it depends on the viewer's level—I'm just a casual observer!

Crowded? Truly crowded! The air in the museum felt hot. In front of the chariot pits and bones, heads were bobbing everywhere. Hard to see what was so interesting. I wanted to read the text and diagrams, but people behind me were impatient—I was blocking the way! Forget it. Maybe next time I'll come again. This time, just a quick glance. When we wanted to eat and buy souvenirs, by around 1 PM, food was already gone. The queue at the souvenir counter was long. But we had to buy something—after all, we came a long way.

Next stop—the Royal Tomb Ruins! Let's eat first. Next to the museum, there was a cultural tourism town. It seemed to be on the site of a former cotton mill, with residential and office buildings. A short street mainly selling food—many shops were closed! We found a place selling fried blood and fried blood sausage. The main ingredients were pig or duck blood, cooked on an iron griddle like grilled squid. The key: you must dip it in garlic juice with salt to be authentic. It tasted good, reasonably priced. One portion 10 yuan, total 20—we couldn't finish it. Henan people are generous!

Driving to the Royal Tomb Ruins. The navigation directions kept telling me to turn, but the roads looked wrong—rural paths. It kept rerouting, until I saw a similar road—still narrow, but at least two cars could pass. At the entrance, we bought tickets—half price 25 yuan, including both the palace and tomb ruins. A shuttle bus arrived from the palace ruins, packed like sardines—I don't know if it was free.

As soon as we entered, a gray deer was on duty, its antlers not too large but looking a bit aggressive. No one would be happy standing outside all day in winter! Cat Whiskers wanted to touch it—I firmly stopped her! The site was large but not much to see—a few small buildings with exhibits, some chariot pits, and various bones. The only curious thing was an archaeological site covered like a greenhouse. I wonder how many more treasures are still buried. Were the ancestors ever annoyed by all this?

It was getting late. We hurried to the palace ruins. Actually, these three sites are very close, but we had to drive around in circles—maybe because we weren't familiar with the roads. We parked in a lot on a one-way street. The only good news: parking fee was a flat 5 yuan, not by the hour. By the time we reached this spot, we were exhausted. Walking outdoors for a long time in cold winter made our feet numb. As soon as we entered the site, we saw a coffee shop. We quickly went in to refresh and rest. The 28-yuan latte with latte art was special—the design was an ancient building, you could choose the pattern. Awesome!

Across from it was the Tomb of Fu Hao. We went underground. There were many burial objects on display. Fu Hao was a great priestess and a brave general, but under the patriarchal society, the biggest label attached to her was someone's queen. Just listen—appendix, so-and-so's something—I hate that!

We bought another notebook for stamps. Why is stamping so popular now? Some even require payment. I recall 20 years ago during my first visit to Taiwan, I got stamps at the National Palace Museum—that was my first encounter. I also saw tour groups standing in a semicircle in front of exhibits so everyone could see—never seen that in China. It's like in Japan, people push strollers on sidewalks, while in China, they ride bikes on sidewalks...

Finally, the day's tour ended. We went to the century-old restaurant Shengdeli for local Henan dishes. It was packed—even the water dispensers were empty; we had to get our own cups and fill them. We quickly ordered two quick dishes and left. The menu was a single laminated sheet. We ordered a steamed bowl set—always prepared in the kitchen, no waiting. Six small bowls: meatballs, fermented tofu with pork, eight-treasure rice, etc. Not much different from Shanxi's steamed bowls. The specialty was something like cold jelly cubes called pizha, but the texture was average. Also a sour rice soup with pickled vegetables—salty, called fenjiang fan. Anyway, as Shanxi people, we can handle sour food—we're not afraid of anyone when it comes to eating sour!

Tonight we planned to stay in another commercial area with a night market. But traffic was terrible—apparently Yinxu had a night event, and everyone was out watching the lights. We finally found a hotel near the train station. It had heating, but not much—had to use the air conditioner. It was a suite, with a desk lamp. Cat Whiskers perked up and did two pages of homework. Anyway, the traffic jam made us not want to walk to the night market. Quiet night, good sleep.

February 2, the fifth day of the lunar new year, cloudy

We didn't eat breakfast. Cat Whiskers said we'd eat on the way to Yuanlin. Turned out there was nothing to eat. Lesson from traveling during Spring Festival: near train stations, because of passenger flow, you can always find food—elsewhere, not necessarily!

Today we actually had winter morning sun—rare good weather. Few tourists. Half-price ticket 18 yuan. The architecture was nothing special. The highlight was the dome-shaped tomb at the back of the site, with a Western feel. There was quite a bit of written introduction, and because it wasn't crowded, we could read carefully. This person was controversial—he established many modern systems, but also did regressive things. It reminded me of Yan Xishan. My home is very close to his Governor's Mansion; Cat Whiskers' school is opposite. Some parents wait for their kids at the mansion's gate. Now it's free to enter. It used to be the Shanxi provincial government office. After renovation, it became a Shanxi merchant culture museum. Ordinary people can go whenever they want. I think Old Man Yan would be pleased to see his hometown like this—unfortunately, in Taiwan I only visited the tombs of Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo, not his. Shanxi people don't speak ill of him. Even his old house in Hebian (a place name) is well preserved, though the name was changed from "former residence" to "old residence"—neutral, reflecting our political stance... Digressing: they say the top economy in the country back then was Guangdong, second was Shanxi. Now our economy is always near the bottom. I don't understand—did we give away all our resources for free? And those guys with a piece of cloth on their heads, the richest in the world—how did they get so rich? I heard that coal was shipped out by the truckload, and in return we got piles of IOUs. If Governor Yan were still here, could they take Shanxi's resources without paying? In this national chess game, is Shanxi meant to be the sacrificial lamb? Ah, I'm being cynical again—and it's useless...

We set off for Anyang Museum. Except for the stone coffin bed from the Qu Qing tomb, which interested me, the rest was ordinary. Overall, it was average—if you have time, you can visit; if you're tight on time, you can skip. Unfortunately, we didn't go to the library that Cat Whiskers wanted to visit. We had to get to Handan tonight!

For lunch, we went to the century-old Miaozhen Pingxi Hall! Parking was still a problem. Only because it was Spring Festival and regulations were lax could we park temporarily by the roadside. On a normal day, you couldn't do that. We ordered fried blood cake—also dipped in garlic juice—tasty. It seemed to be made from buckwheat flour, triangular, brown-black; we finished it. Also ordered "xiangxiang die shang zao" (a strangely named dish)—the waiter said it was a specialty. It tasted like stir-fried mixed vegetables—thin strips of vermicelli, chives, dried tofu, etc., sour and salty, with ginger—acceptable. Finally, a bowl of tripe noodles—wow, Old Cat exclaimed. That was no bowl; it was a big basin! Amazingly, Cat Whiskers managed to finish the six-liang noodles—just incredible!

National Museum of Chinese Writing—here we come! The main building had a huge queue. Forget it—the free one we couldn't get into, so we paid. There was a performance center-like building that charged admission. IDs didn't work this time—adult 45, Cat Whiskers 35, total 80. Few people inside. Mostly oracle bones and origins—not very interesting. We went to another building—free and no queue. Good content—they summarized many things from daily life, many categories, even Daoist talismans. Too bad for us mortals—even if we copied the talismans, we wouldn't have magical power. There was also Nüshu script—heard of it, never seen it—eye-opening! Interesting: the overall architecture was similar to Taiyuan's Changfeng Sixth Pavilion. The underground was actually ground level, with various training institutions and small shops. Cat Whiskers saw a boxing training place and was deeply attracted by the posters! It seems the desire for power is a path every child takes!

We left Anyang and headed straight for Handan—about 60-70 kilometers. Problem: Cat Whiskers' navigation brought us off the expressway onto ring roads that seemed endless. When I asked, she said she saw the destination "Chexiang Alley" was dark red on the map, so she changed the route without considering if it was suitable. I'll have to teach her later.

Finally we reached Handan city. Road controls started far from our destination—we couldn't get to the night market area. We had to inch through traffic, found a roadside parking spot, and walked 1.5 kilometers to Chexiang Alley. The streets were full of people, colorful lights twinkling, not too cold. We walked with navigation to the vicinity—wow! Old Cat exclaimed! Chexiang Alley and Handan Road are two pedestrian streets opposite each other, connected by an overpass with escalators packed with people—dizzying. We walked 10 meters into Chexiang Alley and decisively came out—shoulder to shoulder, almost no room to dodge. If something happened, it would be a big problem.

We crossed the zebra crossing to Handan Road on the other side. The escalator was too scary to use. This side had mostly clothing shops; Chexiang Alley seemed to have more food. We strolled a bit—nothing special. There was a comedy theater by "Happy Twist." We followed the crowd to the end, and then—surprise! There was a park with the famous Learning to Walk Bridge (Xuebu Bridge), originating from the idiom "Learning to Walk in Handan." This is the capital of idioms—many we know can be traced here, like "Begging for Forgiveness with Thorns on the Back," etc. The name Chexiang Alley apparently comes from the story of Lin Xiangru giving way to Lian Po. We were hungry, but the restaurants in the commercial area were packed. We walked back to the parking lot, passing a small shop selling donkey meat rolls. Many customers, mostly locals. A helpful couple sharing a table told us that ahead was Congtai Park, the Congtai of King Wuling of Zhao. What more could we say? Full and rested, we continued!

The park entrance was inconspicuous. The security guard said all entrances were like that—no grand gate or main entrance as I imagined. The main landscape in the park was Congtai, the ancient city wall! Wait—what's on the wall? Oh my, it was full of children climbing the wall! Had a siege started? There were occasional adults—probably fathers who did the same when they were kids! Cat Whiskers was eager to try. She climbed a bit in her school uniform but felt it was awkward—too heavy and afraid of disgracing her school. She took it off and tried again! Ah, this time felt right—she climbed quite high!

We walked around the park with the flow. Inside was also a birthplace memorial hall of Qin Shi Huang—rather comical. Even if we treat it as an exhibition, this is still mild. I remember a news story about some place using Ximen Qing as a celebrity to attract tourists—all about money!

We reached New Century Shopping Mall, the center of Handan. The square we passed was also called Congtai Square, with a statue of King Wuling of Zhao, no doubt. We sat in a milk tea shop for a while, drank something to regain energy, then continued to the parking lot. Along the way, we asked about hotels—almost no vacancies. Another lesson: book accommodation early! We finally found a hotel—no picking and choosing. Quickly slept. Quiet night.

February 3, the sixth day of the lunar new year, sunny

We got up early, learned our lesson, and found a breakfast shop nearby. Only after a full stomach could we go to the Yellow Millet Dream Scenic Area! We paid 25 yuan for parking and set off!

The scenic area was at the edge of a village threshing ground. An old woman came with a parking ticket to collect money. We didn't want trouble—if we argued, we might save 10 yuan, but then we could get a flat tire or broken window—so we paid for peace of mind.

IDs didn't work: 30 + 15 yuan. The area wasn't large, but its theme was unique—no other place takes "dream" as its theme. The cultural value wasn't high. We followed a guide, who mostly told interesting stories. The classification of dreams was interesting: dreams of revenge, wealth, goddesses visiting, some with allusions like King Xiang, some probably from stories like "Liaozhai." But the halls were cold—couldn't stand long. We hurried through.

Now we set off back to Taiyuan! The navigation took us on provincial roads. We found a gas station with fuel at 6-something yuan per liter—compared to 7-something in Shanxi, it felt cheap! We filled up! Got on the expressway, smooth sailing—even the 10-km tunnel didn't feel so bad. But just after leaving the Donglu Expressway and entering the Erguang Expressway, we hit a huge traffic jam. The navigation said 1 hour delay. We decisively got off at Yushe North and took mountain roads for over 100 kilometers, passing roaring heavy trucks. It reminded me of the times I took Cat Whiskers to Yanmen Pass and to Laoniu Bay—similar scenes. Overtaking was very difficult; that's how I got speeding tickets back then.

We got home safely! The trip was over 800 kilometers, four nights away, spent about 2,000 yuan. We didn't buy any local specialties—the only souvenirs were stamped notebooks from various museums. Overall, a smooth trip, and Cat Whiskers was happy! Looking forward to where we'll go next!