The town baseball team's name, the Louisville Bats, is synonymous with the mighty wood that Babe Ruth and many others used to smack home runs into history. So why is the team mascot a fuzzy flying mammal?
The world's eyes are on Louisville this weekend for Sunday's "Run for the Roses," also known as the Kentucky Derby and "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports". About 10,000 people watched the first race in 1875 - today, the Kentucky Derby draws an annual average of 150,000 visitors: locals, out-of-towners, celebrities, presidents (Richard Nixon in 1969) and the horsier members of royal families.
The guardian city on the Pearl River nurtures both classics and new-age marvels, as Li Jing discovers.
Our visit at the Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou began with the pick-up service. Because of a flight delay, we arrived in Guangzhou three hours behind schedule. As soon as we walked out of the arrivals hall, we were greeted by smiling hotel workers who ushered us to a waiting car, and thoughtfully offered us bottles of water.
It is verdant country laced with soothing streams and blanketed in evergreen trees and bamboos. Moganshan used to be a favorite summer retreat for the rich and royal of Shanghai in the past, and a sprawl of villas varying in style from medieval castles to country manors equipped with tennis courts, swimming pools and indoor ballrooms testify to that era of grand living.
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