Fontainebleau....

There is a touch of French culture in China........

Where? Nanhai, in Foshan

Also known as the land of Wong Fei Hong....
For those who don't know Wong Fei Hong, go to the local video shop and ask for the martial arts film staring Jet Li (i think it is called Once upon a time in China?...correct me if I am wrong...)

Apparently he was a real person who lived in China during the turn of 20th century! And all I thought along was that he was some ficticious person aka spiderman!

He was famous for his "invisible leg" kick....

So if you find yourself mysteriously flung for no reason, you know you have been hit by one of patented kicks....

There is a school of martial arts in Foshan (which unfortunately I didn't get to visit) named after him....

Why was I there?

I was invited to go down for a Greater China team meeting with my workfirm...
(Photo of me and some of my chinese colleagues below)

Had a productive weekend, where copious amount of food, and some amounts of alcohol were drunk.....and topics got brainstormed and discussed, sports were attempted....(I suck at snooker! And TP China have ping pong champions in the making !)
TshingTao has almost become my best friend....
But don't worry...I am having it in moderation....
No more Wuhan days for me...

Hotel which I stayed at is named Fontainebleau....
It is set in the mid-hill range, which makes for pleasant surroundings

You have heaps of green foliage (rare in China!), amid clean, pleasant air and roads!
This I can assure you feels not like China...

There are wide open spaces of water and greenery (probably artificial lake but i think the trees are real!)...and it feels like some Australian city park!

And there are not many people around! (This is EXTREMELY rare in China!)

Can't say much about the architecture of the building...
i think it attempts to be a french chateau, with wide sweeping lawns and statues...
But somehow it looks pretty but slight tacky...
kinda with a plasticky feel...

Perhaps it due to the lack of age of the building, or perhaps it is due to the materials used? Or perhaps it is due to the colour scheme chosen?

I am still impressed with the trees.....


Towers Perrin China's colleagues