Armed with popcorn and a sense of curiosity, my childlike wonder for Abominable was sparked by the few children also at the theatre to watch the film.
The movie follows a familiar storyline of three friends on a mission that traverses unfamiliar territories. Believe it or not, the trio travels more than 3000-kilometres from the east coast of China to the Himalayas. The imageries alone were enough to keep me focused.
Abominable does a good job advocating the beauty of China’s diverse landscapes. For those who understand China, it might not come as a surprise that China takes the lead with the largest number of natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which is the second largest number of cultural sites.
Here are five destinations that the film takes us through to get Everest home to Everest.
1. Qiandaohu or Thousand Island Lake
Our friends Yi, Jin, and Peng begin their adventure by stumbling upon the Thousand Island Lake in Zhejiang province, near Hangzhou — the city known for West Lake and its rich historic and cultural contributions. The Thousand Island Lake became what it is today in 1959 when the area became flooded after a hydroelectric dam was constructed. This site is still largely unknown to foreigners and even domestic travellers. The flooded city below the lake is well preserved and is a diving destination for adventurous tourists.
2. Huangshan or Yellow Mountain
A popular destination for domestic and foreign tourists, Huangshan has been the subject of classical Chinese paintings and literature for centuries, and now the subject of many photographers. The mountain range sits in the south of Anhui province. Not only is it a UNESCO World Heritage Site but it’s also of significant spiritual influence in Chinese culture. The yellow in its name is said to have been named after the mythical Yellow Emperor.
3. Leshan Giant Buddha
Quite literally named, this site is the sculpture of bodhisattva Maitreya carved off the side of a mountain in Sichuan province some 1,200 years ago. Fun fact, the site attracts both religious tourists and architectural enthusiasts. The site is part of the scenic area of Mount Emei, one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China. The sculpture comes with its own drainage system, with hidden ducts, to protect the integrity of the masterpiece.
4. Gobi Desert
The vast Gobi Desert covers parts of China and Mongolia, and unlike what we normally imagine when we think of deserts, this one also boasts mountain peaks and frost. A popular destination for travellers to experience the desert is via Dunhuang, a major point in the ancient Silk Road routes on the edge of the Gobi Desert.
5. Wanfenglin or Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks
Although every person’s own hometown has a famous canola field to visit, the one featured in the film is the famous Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks, or less excitingly, Wanfenglin Scenic Area, in Guizhou province in southwest China. The karst formations are surrounded by quaint villages, winding rivers, and beautiful green fields that turn yellow when the canola flowers bloom in the spring. This site is idyllic and travellers go on quite the journey to see and experience the local culture. It’s still somewhat ‘undiscovered’ by foreigners as it’s located very inland and not on Wikipedia.
China is somewhere that I love travelling through and talking about. When I lived there for a short stint in university, a number of friends reached out and expressed how my photos and their presumptions were opposing.
“Wow, that’s not how I imagined China to be,” was a common feedback.
For those who find China strange and intimidating, the usual image conjured up is a large, populous and polluted city. Although that’s not wrong in some parts, it’s not an accurate description of the whole country, like any other country.
As China continues to ramp up its cultural exports, I hope people will shift their view towards a more well-rounded perspective.
