Diary of a Trip to Singapore and Malaysia in 2017

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This post was last edited by Mr. Luming on 2018-12-17 at 22:18. Day 1: At 5 p.m. on May 5th, I boarded a bus provided by Maoming Guoliu together with Fang Hong, in order to go to Guangzhou’s New Baiyun Airport and catch a flight for our trip to Singapore and Malaysia. After getting in the car, the women in the group started chatting and talking while eating; one said she had bought a new villa in Beijing, while another said she had purchased a new car worth 2 million yuan in Shenzhen. It turned out that they were all real estate entrepreneurs from Xinyi and were wealthy people. They were enthusiastic and friendly, passing snacks to each other; one of them even seemed to offer me a piece, but when she saw that I didn’t react, she pulled her hand back. These people are not of my kind, so naturally there’s nothing to say. But there’s one advantage to being in the same group as them: since they have money, they can spend more on shopping, which in turn makes the tour guide happier as well. We arrived at Baiyun International Airport after 9 p.m.; after going through the necessary procedures with the guide and checking in our luggage, we went into the waiting area to wait. The flight departs after 1 a.m., with about 3 hours of downtime. This is the second time I and Fang Hong have visited the new Baiyun Airport. The first time was in 2012, when I was on a business trip to Yuchai Petrochemical and took her along for a trip; we returned by plane from Nanjing to Guangzhou, which landed at this airport. The new airport was put into use about 10 years ago, and after that the old Baiyun Airport was abandoned. During my working years, I took flights at the old Baiyun Airport on a few occasions; it was a very small airport with outdated facilities, located almost right in the urban area of Guangzhou. It seemed that planes took off and landed right next to buildings on the ground, which wasn’t very pleasant. The new airport is large in size and equipped with advanced facilities; as soon as you enter, you are struck by its grandeur and it is very comfortable there. The speed of the free Wi-Fi is also very fast; everyone finds a place to sit down – some take a nap, while most use their phones to pass the time. It’s time to get on the plane finally. We poured out the water from our own water bottles and threw away the fruit that wasn’t eaten, keeping only the biscuits and peanuts. I still had 4 cooked eggs, two Northeastern pancakes, and a few dumplings in my backpack; after thinking about it, I decided to keep them. It turned out to be a very wise decision. It was a Malaysia Airlines flight, which inevitably reminds people of the mysterious MH370. Do not forget that there were 150 Buddhist monks on that plane; they were heading to Kuala Lumpur to attend a funeral and disappeared while returning home by flight. Regarding this matter, Buddhists might think that they have been taken to the Land of Pure Bliss by Buddha; so what would Muslims in Malaysia think? They might think that since you came here to perform rituals, it’s only natural for Allah to make you disappear I personally believe that there is only one Lord, and that Christianity’s heaven and Buddhism’s Western Paradise are actually the same place. God raises us up for a reason; since it is God who does so, there should be no pain. After thinking about it in this way, I became calm. I believe I’m not the only one who has this thought; it’s just that no one brings it up. The flight attendants in Malaysia are not as beautiful as those in our country, but they are still very cute. Most Malaysians have darker skin, but these young ladies are not at all dark-colored; their skin is fair. One of them can even speak Chinese, and their service attitude is excellent, which makes one feel pleased. We ate a box of Malaysian food on the plane, drank some drinks, some of us went to the bathroom, and then we rested quietly in our seats until we gradually fell asleep. Day 2: Upon waking up, it was already light; the plane was descending and the ground could be seen. Everyone sat up, fastened their seat belts as required, and began to enjoy the view of the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur. The plane landed smoothly, and we queued up to go through immigration procedures. This is Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where Kim Jong-nam was murdered two months ago. The airport looks very old; compared to Baiyun Airport, it’s not in the same league at all. There were many people entering the country, and it took a full one and a half hours to go through the process. I rushed to the baggage carousel to pick up my luggage, thinking I would be able to leave the airport soon. Unexpectedly, one of the group members’ luggage couldn’t be found; the tour guide tried to resolve the issue for ages without any success. Two hours passed in this way, and Fang Hong and I felt very hungry. We opened our backpacks to have breakfast; fortunately, we hadn’t thrown away the dumplings, pancakes, and eggs, otherwise we would have starved to death. We’re glad that we knew to keep some food aside before boarding the plane. It wasn’t until noon that it became clear that the luggage had been held at Baiyun Airport and hadn’t arrived, as machine scanning revealed a power bank inside! It’s both annoying and funny – the guide warned us several times in advance, and it was also mentioned in the itinerary guide that once you enter the waiting area, many screens display warnings stating that power banks are not allowed to be carried. What’s wrong with these people? Is it a lack of quality or recklessness? In any case, we all wasted several hours for nothing; before the trip even officially started, such a stupid mistake occurred. The tour guide was helpless, and everyone was angry as well, but there was nothing that could be done about it. After leaving the airport, I boarded a minibus provided by a tour company. There was a guide from a local tour agency on board; his name was Ji Mi, he was a Chinese man in his 40s who spoke Cantonese fluently, with a genuine Guangzhou accent. I can understand everything he says, but our local guide from Maoming speaks with not only a rural accent from Maoming but also in a way that is unclear, so I can only grasp part of what he says. Malaysia and Singapore are located near the equator, so there are no distinct seasons there – it’s always summer. However, the weather isn’t extremely hot, with temperatures generally not exceeding 30°, making it much more comfortable than the summers in Guangdong. By the time we left, Guangdong was under the influence of a subtropical high pressure system, resulting in hot and uncomfortable weather; here, on the other hand, it felt comfortable. According to Ji Mi, there are never typhoons here, which is puzzling because southern Philippines is not far away, and we know that the Philippines is often hit by typhoons. After our car set off, it did not head towards Kuala Lumpur; instead, it followed the route taken by the Japanese army during their attack on Singapore, heading straight for the Lion City. The scenery in Malaysia is a bit similar to that of Hainan; there are trees along the highways, and the greenery is well maintained. There is no rice seen in the fields, only tropical crops. We enjoyed the scenery along the way and had lunch on the road. Around 2 p.m., we stopped at a rest area on the highway to take a break. It was then that we first came into contact with ordinary Malay people. Fang Hong went to guide Chi Mi to exchange 300 RMB for Malaysian ringgit, which is about 150 ringgit. With this money, we bought some fruit; the sellers were both Malays and Chinese. The fruit wasn’t expensive, roughly at the same price as it is back home. Some of the tourists on the bus bought mangoes, while others bought watermelons. Fang Hong and I bought two pounds of a Malay fruit whose name I didn’t know; it resembled durian but wasn’t durian. Its shell was soft, and it could be easily peeled open to reveal the flesh inside, which had a great taste – combining elements of lychee and durian. It was both hydrating and helpful for digestion. We arrived in Singapore around 4 p.m. Singapore is a place that pays close attention to details: smoking is not allowed, drinking is not permitted, eating while in a vehicle is forbidden, chewing gum is not allowed, talking loudly while eating is prohibited, making loud noises while drinking soup is not acceptable, and it’s not allowed to urinate or defecate in public, among other things. In short, one can do nothing; if they don’t obey, they’re seized and have their buttocks whipped with rattan until the skin is torn apart – it’s utterly unreasonable! There are no toilets on the street; am I supposed to die of holding it in just because I need to pee? Back in the day, our great leader didn’t use a toilet either; he would have the guards dig a hole in the wild, and after using it, he would cover it with soil just like a cat does. How natural and environmentally friendly that was! We are an agricultural people who have always valued composting; even our great leader did so. So what’s wrong with us urinating in the street green spaces now? Isn’t it also to fertilize your trees? When everyone gets together to eat, why can’t they just chat? What does it mean to speak loudly? It’s so comfortable to drink soup with loud slurping sounds – that shows the soup is delicious. Why force oneself to suppress that? What do you mean we drink soup like animals? You’re not an animal; you’re a plant, right? Watermelon seeds! Alcohol and tobacco are not allowed to be brought into Singapore. Chi Mi used a cloth bag to have everyone put their cigarettes inside it; it is said that if discovered, a fine of 50 Singapore dollars will be imposed on each cigarette, forcing those who smoke to abstain from smoking for a day. Ji Mi said that she would return the cigarettes to everyone once she went back to Malaysia the next day. I don’t smoke, so it’s none of my business. Entering the Malaysian exit hall, the procedures were completed in about half an hour. Everyone then took a bus to the Singaporean entry hall. As soon as they entered, they felt that the atmosphere there wasn’t very good – the hall was old-fashioned, and there were long queues. The Malaysian officials sitting at the counters moved slowly, appearing indifferent; from time to time they would take a sip of water or stretch. Many ropes were pulled in place, and the security staff would shout loudly and threaten those who crossed the boundary, behaving in a very aggressive manner. Everyone waited a full 100 minutes before all the immigration procedures were completed and they could return to the car. By this time, a Singaporean guide had taken over in the car; he was a middle-aged man in his 40s. Just like Ji Mi, he spoke Cantonese fluently, which surprised me greatly. Although Singapore’s leaders are Hakka, the vast majority of its population are Hoklo and Teochew people, and Cantonese is not widely spoken there – so how could there be such a fluent Cantonese speaker among middle-aged people? Due to the excessive time lost at the airport, it was already approaching evening by then, so our Singaporean guide had to take us quickly to the first attraction, which was the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Upon arriving there, we found a pleasant atmosphere filled with the sounds of birds and the scent of flowers; there were several small birds hopping around on the ground, and there was also a pond containing water lilies. It was a rare opportunity for Fang Hong and me to see real water lilies, so we took two videos and several photos. Leaving Binhai Park, I hurried back to the seaside to see the Merlion. This creature is often shown on TV; I’ve always found it to look odd. It is said to have a origin story, but most of it is just lies. I’m tired after a whole day; I just want to sit down and rest, and don’t feel like going, but Fang Hong insisted on going to take a look, so I had no choice but to go with her. Upon taking a closer look, it turned out that the beast was spraying water, and a section of pipe in its mouth could be faintly seen, which found me funny; it reminded me of those heroes in \"Water Margin\" who, when they had no wine or food to eat, would complain that their mouths were \"bland as hell\", haha! There was a large crowd of people from ** around, and in fact there were no foreigners at all; they were all our compatriots. Everyone was bustling about, trying to take photos with the monster, not because they liked it, but just to prove that they had been there. The sun was extremely strong; I managed to take a few photos before leaving. After dinner, we went to the beach to watch the \"Crane Ballet\" – it was just two large metal birds dancing; there was a screen on their bellies, and not far away a projection showed short movies. Those birds moved around like Transformers and sprayed water to startle people. The audience sat on the outdoor steps by the sea; after being exposed to the sun all day, their buttocks were almost cooked by the end of the show, so they went back to the hotel to rest. The hotel is located in Singapore’s Chinatown, in the area known as Chinatown. This is the ancestral home of the Chinese in Singapore. I wasn’t expecting it to be so small and old; the streets there are on par with those in rural towns in Guangdong. Although the hygiene conditions are fairly good, it still makes one wonder who exactly belongs to the third world Is it Singapore or China? The experience upon checking into the hotel was even more disappointing; the two-person suite was only about 10 square meters in size, with two beds placed side by side. There was hardly any space to move around once getting out of bed. Turning left led straight to the bathroom. There was no Wi-Fi in the room, so it was impossible to use WeChat or stay in touch with people back home. As a child, I thought Singapore was a paradise on earth. I had an aunt who lived in Singapore, and from time to time she would send some money or food back to Tangshan. In the early 1960s, we **faced natural disasters and man-made misfortunes, experiencing a severe famine; as our family was on the verge of starving to death, my father asked the merchant Xie Shansong to take a few antique items he cherished to Singapore and deliver them to my fifth aunt, Ms. Lin Sifang. Before long, Aunt Wu Lao sent over a few bags of flour and several bottles of peanut oil, and these things saved our family’s lives. But before the famine was over, a few more antiques and some ancient coins were smuggled in. It is said that the ancient coins were hidden in bottles containing salted plums, and they were discovered by the customs. Of course, the items were confiscated, and Xie Shansong returned with empty hands. His father was also called to the customs to explain the situation; he was very nervous and broke into sweat while giving his explanation, with several handkerchiefs used to wipe the sweat becoming completely wet. He was the dean of Fish Lake Middle School at that time; upon returning home, he kept muttering to himself that the worst that could happen would be his dismissal, and so on. But they didn’t do anything to him later on, nor did they remove him from his position; however, he stopped dealing in antiques after that and donated all the antiques he still had to the county cultural bureau. Not long after that incident, Xie Shansong sent over a payment note; 17 yuan was deducted from it. At the exchange rate at that time, that amount was equivalent to 50 Hong Kong dollars. Although it wasn’t a large sum back then, it wasn’t trivial either. My mother worked as a teacher in an elementary school and earned 38 yuan per month, so those 17 yuan were roughly half of her monthly salary. Grandma and mom asked me to take the approval letter to Yuhu Middle School to give it to dad. After looking at it for a long time, dad said, “This person is quite good.” Thinking about those past events is heart-wrenching; today, as I lie in the bed at my hotel in Singapore, I can’t help but think of them. Perhaps Aunt Five and Mr. Xie’s descendants are still here? We have never been in touch, and now I am an old man as well. Though I feel sentimental, I suppose it’s best to let bygones be bygones. Day 3: Upon waking up in the morning, the guide took everyone to a tea house to have breakfast. The tea house was simple and crowded, and the breakfast wasn’t good at all; it couldn’t be compared to what’s available back home. After leaving the tea house, I went for a walk on the street nearby and saw the sign of a restaurant; there were several photos of hot pots on it, along with the words “Dae Jang Geum – Old Beijing Copper Hot Pot”. What kind of quality is this? Does this represent the cultural heritage of Singaporeans? The activities that took place that morning were a visit to a jewelry store and a pharmacy; those items are available in China as well. Fang Hong and I are both retired, so we just went to take a look. However, those wealthy people from Xinyi listened carefully to the store staff’s explanations and spent a lot of money on purchases, so the tour guide was very happy as well, and everyone got along very well. In the afternoon, visit Mount Faber in southern Singapore. It is the highest peak in Singapore, with an elevation of nearly 100 meters, offering a panoramic view of the city of Singapore. Singapore is a city-state; its area is only one-fourth that of Guangzhou’s urban area, and its population and GDP are each around half of Guangzhou’s. After visiting there, we didn’t feel that it was particularly advanced. Although Ji Mi Lao said there are many high-rise buildings in Singapore, we didn’t really notice that – it seems there aren’t as many as in Maoming. In terms of urban landscaping and greening, it is only on par with Maoming. Of course, Singaporeans are more hygienic and rule-abiding; Maoming can’t compare to them – the people there have no sense of quality at all. In the afternoon, we crossed the border again to enter Malaysia. It took about 3 hours by car to reach Melaka. First, we visited the Sam Poh Temple, which was originally built to commemorate Zheng He. A statue of Zheng He used to be placed inside the main hall, but it has now been moved outside the hall and is displayed in a small corner at the entrance. Inside the main hall, there is a local deity worshipped there, called “Da Bo Gong”. I’m not sure if it’s the god of the land. We people from Chaozhou call the god of the land “Lao Bo Gong” – could it be that the god of the land for the Malays is called “Da Bo Gong”? As for why Zheng He’s statue was removed, Ji Mi said that back then, Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng visited this place and, seeing Zheng He enshrined in the main hall, he said that they couldn’t keep him there because he was Muslim. After Li Peng left, the Chinese descendants switched to worshipping their great-uncle and removed Zheng He from worship. But I always think that Ji Mi is talking nonsense – how could Li Peng, as Prime Minister, bother with such trivial matters? It’s one thing if you want to please the local deities, but is it right to shift the blame onto Li Peng? Malaysia is divided into East Malaysia and West Malaysia; East Malaysia is located on the island of Borneo and is an underdeveloped region, yet it accounts for about 60% of the country’s territory. However, the main part of Malaysia is West Malaysia; its area is roughly similar to that of Guangdong Province, its population is only one-fifth of Guangdong’s, and its GDP is only one-third of Guangdong’s. If we come from the Third World, then the New Malaysia region is the Fourth World. After leaving Sam Pao Temple, we went to the center of Malacca. The area is beautiful and clean, with a lovely church called St. Paul’s Church, which is likely Catholic. The water in the river here is very clear, and yachts pass by from time to time. While we were taking photos under the fort, a beautiful woman on one of the yachts waved at me and said “Hi!”, so I waved back at her as well. We climbed up to the battery and saw many promotional materials for Wheel Qigong placed there; there was no one guarding them, but none of the visitors looked at them or took any. In the evening, we drove to Podshen and stayed at a hotel by the sea. The rooms there were large, the environment was good, and there was Wi-Fi; it was far better than that shabby hotel in Singapore. After dinner, we lay in bed and used WeChat to send photos and videos back to home. Day 4: After getting up in the morning, everyone had a buffet breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant, and then went by car to the seaside to play in the water. Malaysia is always in summer, and there are no typhoons, so one can swim in the sea all year round. The sand on the beach was clean and beautiful, and the seawater was warm and clear. The young women in our group were very excited; they chased each other around, played around, and even picked up sand to stuff into each other’s chests. Seeing this beautiful beach, I can’t help but think of the First Beach in Shuidong, Maoming. The environment there is good as well, but there is a lot of trash; when swimming in the sea, one often comes across discarded plastic bags, which is quite unpleasant. Now we’re at Podshen Beach, and I’m very worried that these locals from western Guangdong might litter here. But they didn’t; it seems that when people are outside their homes, they tend to be more self-disciplined. Those wealthy people from Xinyi might have seen an improvement in their level of maturity after becoming rich. Those who went abroad with their mobile phones bought a waterproof bag for each phone; they cost 10 Malaysian ringgit each. Fang Hong also took out a 50-ringgit note to buy one, and the Malay woman who sold the bags gave her two notes in change, after which we left. The guide gathered everyone together, and the Chinese person in charge of safety gave a long speech in Cantonese outlining the precautions before allowing us to set sail. Our entire group of over a dozen people set off on a speedboat; the boat moved at high speed, generating a strong impact force, which was very exciting. I was very worried that it might capsize, but fortunately nothing happened. Along the way, we visited an ancient lighthouse built by Zheng He, known as San Bao Gonggong, and another larger, more modern lighthouse built by the British later on; since it was just a brief glimpse, we were unable to see them clearly. The speedboat returned and anchored a few dozen meters off the shore, allowing everyone to get into the water to swim. Fang Hong and I are both in our 60s; we agreed not to get into the water, so we just sat there watching the younger people play in the water. To my surprise, Ji Mi was encouraging her from the side, saying that coming to Bodeshen without getting into the water meant the trip was in vain, and so on. Fang Hong found this reasonable, so she jumped into the water with a splash. Even though she was wearing a life jacket, I was still worried, so I jumped in as well. I swam around a little in the water and found that I could still swim. I’m 65 years old. I was a good swimmer when I was younger, but I haven’t swum in decades. Now that I’m back in the water, I feel that if I swim slowly, I can cover three to five hundred meters without any problem. Back on shore, we stopped where the water reached our knees; each of us rode a motorboat in a lap. It was called riding a motorboat, but in reality it was the Malay sailors who drove them, while we just sat in the front to experience it. Jimi stood on the shore and used his phone to take photos of everyone, one photo per person; my photo turned out quite good. After playing in the water and returning to the hotel to change clothes, Fang Hong noticed that the two banknotes recovered by the Malay woman who sold phone waterproof cases on the beach were both worth 10 Malaysian ringgit each; she lost 20 Malaysian ringgit, which is roughly equivalent to 40 yuan. She felt a bit upset, but at lunch they enjoyed delicious seafood from Pudong, including lobsters and crab, so everyone had a great time and forgot about their displeasure. We arrived in Kuala Lumpur by car in the afternoon. First, we visited Malaysia’s **Heroes’ Monument**, and then went to Independence Square, where the founding ceremony of Malaysia took place on August 31, 1957. Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman shouted something from the stage; to people from Guangdong, it sounded like “Rice prices are falling! Rice prices are falling!” ”Everyone started laughing, because at that time the standard of living was low and people often went hungry; so a drop in the price of rice was certainly good news. While for the Malays, it sounds like “Independent, independent!” ”From now on, everyone will no longer be oppressed by the Brits, and of course they are overjoyed. Driving to the hotel at night, I looked up and saw a full moon in the sky, which was very beautiful. I checked, and it’s the 13th day of the lunar calendar. I’m not sure whether the phases of the moon in Malaysia are the same as those in our country The car entered the city area, which happened to be rush hour; the roads were crowded and traffic moved very slowly. A close look at the buildings in the old district of the capital reveals that they are dilapidated and outdated; compared to the large cities in Guangdong, it’s like two completely different worlds. We had dinner at a restaurant run by Chinese people, and then checked into a Kip-hotel. The conditions there were good – the rooms were large, the view was nice, and there was Wi-Fi. We watched TV in our rooms while using WeChat. Day 5: In the morning, we went to the National Culture Palace to see the stilt houses; this is the typical style of tropical dwellings. According to Ji Mi, giant pythons are very dangerous, so people live in stilt houses to avoid being eaten by them. It was funny to hear. There’s a story about a dog chasing a man, trying to bite him; the man ran, but ended up in a dead end. With the dog about to bite him, he suddenly turned around and shouted, “I’m from Guangdong!” ”The dog was terrified at the sound and, unable to think about biting, ran away in a flash and disappeared without a trace. Do you know why dogs are afraid of people from Guangdong? Because in Guangdong, people consider anything with four legs to be delicious, except for stools – dogs are delicious, and giant pythons are also delicious. So, should we live in stilted houses? The Chicken Rice is a Guangdong variety; he actually said that giant pythons are dangerous and that one needs to live in stilted houses, haha! Next was a visit to the palace. Malaysia originally had no king; only a prime minister existed. To give this position a semblance of legitimacy, the country’s founding prime minister arranged for the chiefs of the nine tribes in the country to take turns serving as king. As a result, the king of Malaysia is purely ceremonial – he has no real power, nor is he a spiritual symbol for the people like Japan’s emperor. Since there is a king, a palace must be built for him to live in. The palace we visited was one such place; actually, it’s not possible to enter it or see the king. However, the guards at the entrance are very handsome, so people took photos with them. Fang Hong also took a photo, which I captured with my phone. After leaving the palace, we took a ride to the Indian quarter and had lunch at a restaurant run by Indians. The places where Indians live are nothing but slums; their clothes are torn and old. According to Jimi, Indians are content to go with the flow and settle for what they have, without striving much for success in their careers. They clearly had the means to open a proper store, but they didn’t; instead, they preferred to set up stalls on the streets. It is this characteristic of their ethnic group that leads to their poverty. When I entered their restaurant, I felt that the hygiene conditions were very poor; the tableware was sticky and not properly cleaned. I managed to have a meal there, but I felt extremely uncomfortable. After eating, we went to Kheibong Cave, a sacred site for Malaysians of Indian descent. The entrance to the cave is about 100 meters high, with over 200 steps. Due to the major renovation of the staircase, one could only stand at the foot of the mountain and look up. At the entrance of the cave, there was a giant statue of a deity; it wasn’t clear which god it was. After looking it up online, I found out that there are three major deities in India: Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. Brahma is the deity who created the world; he made great contributions and should have been highly respected. However, after creating the world, he indulged himself in lustful behavior, constantly raping women, which caused widespread resentment among the people. There are frequent reports in the media about Indian men raping women; it seems they learned this from Lord Brahma. Another great deity is Shiva. I knew as a child that Shiva was an Indian god; back then, as the name suggested, I thought he was some wet old woman. I never imagined that he was actually a young man with a sense of justice. I wonder why his name was translated as “Shiva”? Shiva could no longer tolerate Brahma’s wicked deeds; he drew his sword and severed Brahma’s head in one swing! Mmm, so has Brahma died? Brahma did not die, because he had 5 heads; even if one was cut off, he still had 4 left, allowing him to continue seducing wives and daughters. The statue at the entrance is majestic and dignified; it must be Vishnu. Vishnu is a god of virtue, without any bad habits, which is why he is widely loved by Indians. Brahma, on the other hand, is different – almost no Indians worship him. This shows that no matter how great one’s merits may be, one still should not indulge in bad behaviors. There is a group of monkeys at the entrance of Heifeng Cave; they are quite mischievous. When tourists feed them food, they are not satisfied and jump onto people in order to steal food for themselves. According to Ji Mi, when these monkeys see young and beautiful female tourists, they will jump into their arms and pinch their nipples – just like Brahma. After leaving Black Wind Cave, it was time to go shopping. Ji Mi was very persuasive and managed to convince those wealthy people from Xinyi to believe her, so they bought many things. Anyway, they have plenty of money, so Ji Mi is very happy. In the evening, upon returning to the Kip Hotel in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, Fang Hong and I went downstairs for a walk. A gentle breeze blew, making us feel refreshed; the surroundings were filled with Malay-style buildings, giving off a distinct exotic atmosphere. I doubt I will have another chance in my life to walk along the streets on the outskirts of Malaysia’s capital; we walked about two kilometers before coming back, and it was very pleasant. Day 6: After getting up in the morning and having breakfast, everyone took a bus to the Yuntian Entertainment Center for fun. It is located about 50 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, to the northeast of the city, at an altitude of 1772 meters. China’s Mount Tai has an altitude of 1545 meters, so this mountain is higher than Mount Tai. Of course, compared to Yulong Snow Mountain in Yunnan, it’s not much – Yulong Snow Mountain is over 4500 meters high. Our car drove up to the middle of the hill, and everyone got out to take the cable car. Here, the mountains overlap one another, forests stretch as far as the eye can see, the air is fresh, and the climate is pleasant. Once on the cable car, one is surrounded by mist and clouds, as if in a fairyland – truly a place where the beauty of nature is unparalleled. \"Rain rolls over the Western Hills, clouds fly over the Southern Shore,\" I filmed 3 videos and took several photos in succession. As the cable car rose, pressure was gradually felt in the eardrums, indicating that it had reached a certain height. In a short while, we reached the entrance to the entertainment complex; it felt like arriving at the gates of heaven. Going inside was like stepping through the South Heavenly Gate – truly a place of towering heights and great depth. Painted clouds gather, and the moon hangs on the wall at night. Afang was magnificent, and Changle was luxurious. ”The elevator descended floor by floor; it was hard to tell how many floors it went down, but eventually it arrived at the entrance to the casino. The entire hall there had LCD screens on all four walls, showing videos of landscapes and Chinese kung fu – a truly spectacular sight. We entered the casino; there were many people gambling there, all of them Chinese. Not a single foreigner could be seen, and the staff were mostly Malays, as Malaysia is a Muslim country where gambling is prohibited for its citizens. The casino seems to be of average size; it’s not very busy and is relatively quiet. I visited Atlantic City in the United States 20 years ago, and it was larger than this place with a more lively atmosphere. There are many slot machines over there, and from time to time they make a clattering sound as money is dispensed, which is quite tempting. Fang Hong and I walked around the casino a couple of times, had two free drinks, but eventually found it boring, so we left. Walking along the commercial corridor for hundreds of meters, we still hadn’t reached the end; it was clear that this entertainment complex was truly massive, with over a dozen floors and a magnificent appearance. There were many shops, as well as numerous restaurants serving special dishes. If you get lost, just ask for directions in Mandarin – everyone there is Chinese. The entire palace-like structure was sealed off; as we walked around, we filmed several videos, going all the way to the top floor. When we opened the doors and stepped outside, we found ourselves in a completely different world – long corridors and the buildings on either side were covered in mist. There weren’t many people around, and the air was fresh, creating an atmosphere akin to a fairyland. It was so cold at those heights that we all took out our thick clothes and put them on. After leaving the cloud-covered area to explore the city, it started to rain. The raindrops here are similar to those on the mainland – they fall gently on the skin, unlike the raindrops in Hainan Island, which are fierce and intense, hitting the skin like whips. We arrived in the city center, took a few photos next to the Twin Towers, and then it was time for lunch. In the afternoon, we drove to Putrajaya for a visit. Located just 25 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, it is a newly built city filled with brand-new, well-kept buildings; it serves as Malaysia’s administrative center. The city is located in a valley, which contains an artificial lake. The water in the lake is clear and beautiful, with no ripples, creating a serene and peaceful environment. It was raining, and the temperature was pleasant. In the rain, some Malay girls walked with their skirts trailing behind them, looking graceful and adding a unique charm to the scene. We sat in the corridor of the lakeside shopping center, enjoying the view of the lake while waiting for the rain to stop. The rain finally eased, and everyone set off for the **Great Mosque**. This mosque is magnificent; it’s also known as the Mosque on Water, and it is a sacred place. Before entering, it is strictly forbidden to wear shoes, and all women must also wear Muslim robes with hoods. Our women looked very beautiful in their red robes, and everyone took pictures as souvenirs. Upon entering the mosque, since it was not prayer time, only a few Muslims were praying in the central area. We can’t get in; we can only stand inside a small square enclosed by ropes to watch. A man from Shanghai asked me to take two photos for him. I was happy to help, and I spoke a little louder while directing him on where to stand, which immediately drew the criticism of a beautiful female manager. She seemed to be Chinese, wearing Malay clothing, but she spoke fluent Mandarin. I apologized to her, and the person from Shanghai apologized to me. Next, we went to the Mitsui Discount Center, a shopping mall run by Japanese people that sells cheap goods. We took a look inside – a pair of suit shorts cost 60 Malaysian ringgit, which is equivalent to 120 yuan. For the same kind of items, I can buy them at the Maoming Fangxing Market for just 15 yuan, and the quality is even better there. What discount center! Fang Hong and I didn’t buy anything, but we thought the food in the fast-food hall was good – it had dishes from various countries and the prices were reasonable; fried noodles cost 16 Malaysian ringgit, while noodle soup cost 10 Malaysian ringgit. Fang Hong only has 30 Malaysian ringgit left – what should she do? I’m about to board the plane to go back home. After having two bowls of noodle soup, I’ll have 10 Malaysian ringgit left, which is not useful to take with me. But the money isn’t enough for two bowls of fried noodles either. After thinking for a while, it was decided that she would have one bowl of noodle soup while I would have one plate of fried noodles. Day 7: After leaving the Mitsui Outlets, I headed to Kuala Lumpur Airport to go through the check-in procedures and check in my luggage, then sat in the waiting area dozing off while waiting for the flight. We boarded the plane in the middle of the night; everyone relaxed. After eating the food and drinking the beverages available on the plane, some people went to the restroom and then rested. With so many empty seats, many people lay down to sleep; Fang Hong and I slept sitting up. When we woke up, we were already over Guangzhou. Upon leaving the airport, a heat wave hit me; it turned out that Guangdong is under the influence of a subtropical high pressure belt, resulting in extremely oppressive and uncomfortable weather. I’m puzzled. It is said that this tropical high pressure is caused by the movement of hot air near the equator. We have just returned from that area near the equator – so why isn’t it as sweltering there as it is back home? The maximum temperature in Singapore generally does not exceed 30°C, while in Guangdong it has already reached 35°C. Now that I’m back in the country, the journey is over. I hope there will be another chance next year; thank God! 2017/5/12