City of Linfen rises from coal dust to restored beauty

I was delighted to be chosen by China Daily to return to Shanxi Province as a participant in the "Shanxi in the eyes of foreigners" program. It was a real eye-opener to say the least. China has been developing at breakneck speed, and places I had visited only a few years ago were unrecognizable because of the fast growth curve. The coal dust I remembered blowin' in the wind and on the streets was nowhere to be found.

We think of Shanxi as a province known for coal mines and fabulously rich and obnoxiously gauche mine owners, a la the Beverly Hillbillies of my long-ago youth. This, however, is not at all the real Shanxi.

The place that impressed me the most was a first-time visit to Linfen city in southwestern Shanxi. A perceptive marketing guru might rename Linfen as Phoenix City because it has begun its rise out of the coal dust and ash back to its former glory.

Before 1978, Linfen was quite famous for its agriculture, spring water and lush greenery. However, with unchecked coal mining, it became one of the most polluted urban areas on the planet. While still not out of the woods, under enlightened leadership, mine closures and with an abundant budget, Linfen is clawing its way back from a city blackened with coal dust toward a green 21st-century metropolis.

To be honest, I'd never heard of Linfen before this trip. China has scores of cities with populations of over 1 million that 99 percent of foreigners have never heard of, even those who have lived in China for more than a decade like myself. Linfen's population of nearly 4.5 million is more than the population of any US city except New York. And Linfen is vast: 20,275 kilometers.

Our group stayed in a different hotel every night of the trip but the best was clearly the Jindu Garden in Linfen. It was the equal of any five-star hotel not only in China, but anywhere. We all wished we could have luxuriated there longer, but alas, duty called.

We were all blown away by the Fen River Park. This 16-square-kilometer urban retreat was completed six years ago. Once little more than a smelly and unsightly cesspool, now this oasis of tranquility offers visitors more than 150 scenic spots scattered throughout the park, including 150 buildings typical of Ming and Qing dynasty (1368-1911) Shanxi.

An electric boat ride in the park on the Fen River at night was at once environmentally friendly, romantic and relaxing. Buildings were well-lit for maximum appreciation and the electric carts that conveyed us to and from the docks are symbolic of Linfen's environmental commitment. Advanced technologies and materials used for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 Shanghai World Expo were incorporated into the park's construction.

Because Linfen is so big, it has many attractions within its boundaries. Perhaps one of the highlights is the Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River, second in China only to Guizhou's Huangguoshu Waterfall. While it isn't Niagara, it is still impressive, dropping 20 meters, and depending on rainfall, anywhere from 30 to 50 meters wide. We were there after some heavy rain and the Hukou was loud, powerful and fast. Being on the iconic Yellow River at a point that divides Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces, the Hukou Waterfall evoked for me visions of the long and powerful sweep of Chinese history. The Hukou Waterfall has nothing to do with the controversial residency registration system. Hukou's literal meaning is "flask mouth", because some people say that it appears as if the water is poured down from the spout of a gigantic teapot.

One of the highlights of our trip was the China Daily drone. Selfie-sticks are so pass, not to mention dangerous to tourists. Our drone took fabulous photos and zoomed and soared at tremendous speeds taking pictures that until recently required a helicopter or plane. No one should be without one.

Thank you China Daily for this memorable Shanxi experience.

The author is a freelance writer from the United States.

harvardfella@rocketmail.com

(China Daily 10/22/2015 page6)