I'd like to see you try and stop me

I have just spent the past four days in Guizhou, a south-western inland district of China. The physical geography is nothing short of stunning, with most of the area covered in lush woodlands over karst hills and mountains, which, even in spring, are often shrouded with cool mists underneath grey skies. It is among some of the most beautiful landscapes I have seen, and I have been fortunate enough in life to see a great deal. One such area includes the Huangguoshu Scenic Area with its numerous waterfalls; the main one (at 100m wide and 78m high) includes a cave system behind the waterfall. This is also the location where, according to legend, the classic story "Journey to the West" begins, and the site has many monuments to this tale. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching our local guide the opening verse and chorus to the BBC series "Monkey Magic". What little flat land exists in valleys is home to packed population centres and intensive farming. As always, the physical geography has a profound influence on social geography, with Guizhou being home to numerous ethnic minority groups, such as the Buyi, Miao, Dong and Yao, whose language and culture are not just recognised but celebrated and are prevalent in locations such as the Qingyan Ancient Town.

In more recent years, Guizhou has become home to some truly remarkable projects, which I also had the opportunity to visit. This includes the world's longest and highest bridge at Huajiang Canyon, which was completed last year. Over 2km in length and a deck height of 625m, the bridge has a walkway underneath with a magnificent view, including a bungy jump, albeit at the eye-watering price of 3000RMB. Another project of note is FAST, the Five-Hundred-Metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest and most sensitive single-aperture spherical radio telescope and includes a well-designed Astronomical Experience Museum, which includes a theatre, planetarium, and a special exhibit on black holes. It also includes a bungy jump, which at 80RMB was incredibly affordable, but alas was closed because it wasn't holiday season - stymied again! FAST is in a radio-quiet zone, which means no digital cameras, mobile phones, or even gate buzzers. The surrounding Tianyan Scenic Area more than makes up for this minor inconvenience, and one could easily spend at least a week here. Finally, Guizhou is also home to the first National Big Data Pilot Zone, which makes a great deal of sense given some of the scientific projects that are occurring nearby.

Although often overlooked by foreign tourists, in many ways, Guizhou represents a remarkable combination and harmonious balance between ancient and modern China. This is a place which, whilst clearly self-sufficient due to soil and rainfall, was less developed than the populous big trading regions of the east and southern coast. It is certainly a place that could cultivate a slower-paced and peaceful life, and unsurprisingly features heavily in classical Chinese artwork as well as being a home for the contemplative and ecologically-minded. New constructions, such as the projects just mentioned, and the extensive fast train networks with their tunnels and bridges abound, have all been introduced gently and alongside the natural environment. Although my stay was fairly short and I did not nearly visit all the remarkable sites, I feel quite confident in recommending Guizhou as a place that is well worth a visit, and I hope to do so again one day soon.

Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to touch base with music, fine art, and film. In terms of music, I have been in excellent company with successive evening concerts and picnics at the Botanical Gardens, including Basement Jaxx, Leftfield, and Cut Copy, all of whom are significant international acts in the electronic dance genre. This said, all three bands played a number of their most well-known pieces (e.g., "Red Alert", "Romeo" from Basement Jaxx, "Open Up", "Release the Pressure" from Leftfield, "Time Stands Still" from Cut Copy") with great acumen and with surprisingly clarity, which is not always easy at an outdoor venue. It will make for multiple reviews on Rocknerd, even though I have reviewed a Leftfield concert in the distant past. Plus, in a completely different genre, I must also mention attending an EP launch for folkish performers Crittenden Tyndall with Jack Marshall.

Recently, I also have the National Gallery of Victoria for two special exhibitions. The first is the Westwood and Kawakubo fashion exhibit, with Westwood offering reinterpretations of British styles, especially in punkish tartan and flowing gothic gowns, whilst Kawakubo often presents extreme creations that remind me of the Bauhaus style. The latter is the 75 Years of Women Photographers, a magnificent 20th-century international and Australian collection that included the sort of flair that I normally associate with surrealist and abstract painting; Dora Maar, Lola Bravo, Annemarie Heinrich all caught my attention in particular. As an example of interactive art, I was also invited to a "Rats and Barbells" craft event, where I made Gandalf the Rat.

Moving on to film, Nitul (who was also with me at several of the aforementioned events) and I saw "I Swear" (hat-tip to Rade), a new film on the life of John Davidson. Funny, sad, and sometimes frightening, it was an honest and sympathetic view of people with the condition, with more than an inkling of hope. On a entirely different trajectory, I also attended of the opening of a science fiction film festival with the independent film, The Man Who Saw Them Arrive", mainly about Colin Cameron a UFO spotter who was based in Kew. The enthusiasm of other UFO spotters in the room required me to remind myself that this was a science fiction film festival.

Finally, and also on a related note, I attended some valedictory drinks for one John Atkinson, who recently died well before his time (thank you, Helen D, for organising the events). In his professional work, he was on popular Australian TV shows including "Chances", "Out of the Blue", "Home and Away", "McLeod's Daughters", etc., most of which I have little interest in, although the last episodes of "Chances" were hilarious . Personally, however, we got along quite well. He was one of my first flatmates in Melbourne, and we shared a mutual interest in French aesthetics, which definitely included red wine, cuisine, new wave movies, and fencing. Over the years, we managed to stay in touch after he moved interstate, and he could always entertain with stories of misadventures. Ever living the bon vivant lifestyle with passion, he was well-suited to his profession and would have done well in future years. Again, we are reminded of the shortness of life.