OCOM Nanjing Study Abroad: Travel

Photo album of the 4 days in Bozhou 2012. Wow, what an adventure!

Day 4

Again we rose early to check out some of the specialty shops which deal in rare and expensive herbs, such as cordyceps. Then it was off to the Cao Cao tunnels before heading back to Nanjing.

Markov explainsthe process of turning antlers into Lu jiao jiao and Lu jiao shuang.

What does make a cordyceps genuine versus fake?

Last stop, Cao Cao's tunnels!

Here's a link to the full story.

Day 3

Actually, on both day 2 and 3, we rose early to wait at the gates with vendors and buyers at the largest wholesale herb market in China. A statue of Hua Tou keeps watch over the courtyard.


Once everyone has packed into the market, the shopping commences!

Fresh and wonderfully aromatic san qi roots!

Dragon bones and Long chi for sale!


A trophy ginseng root for sale in the upstairs market.

Day 2

After another whirlwind morning in the herb rush and herb market, we traveled an hour outside of town to visit a local farm growing some of the Bozhou medicinal specialties: Bai zhi, Bai shao, Mu dan pi. Below are some images of herbs drying on the roadside.

After a brief walk into the fields, we were able to dig up some samples for ourselves.

The final stop, for Bai shao, our guide and his father did the digging. these Bai shao roots had been maturing for several years and they wanted to handle the investment themselves :)

Even before they make it to market or an herbal company, the processing begins. Here are some herbs being smoked and steamed to help in the removal of skins and dirt.

Day 1

On the first day, shortly after arrival, we went to visit the location of Hua Tou's home. Now a nunnery converted into an herb garden and museum.

Capturing some of the architectural details...

Our guide, Markov, giving us the back story on Hua Tou's life, the history of the museum site and the importance of his story to Bozhou's economy.

The gardens on the grounds were a beautiful place for weary travelers to relax.

In addition to being a master herbalist, Hua Tou is also credited for creating five animals qigong.

Checking out the history of medicine displays, including fresh herbs, dried herbs and the famous "nine needles."

And finishing up day 1 with some reflexology. Ahhhh......

Here's a video of the new herbal tour we will be taking this year (2012):

In 2012, we will visit to the largest herb market in China.

In 2011 we traveled to several locations during the trip, including Yellow Mountain :

Hong Cun, the Ming Dynasty village where many Chinese movies have been filmed, including parts of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

TunXi Ancient Street for some tea tasting and souvenir shopping:

A visit to SuZhou near the end of the trip. SuZhou is famous for its Chinese gardens and was the original home of the Lan Su Chinese Garden transported and rebuilt in Portland: