To the Field Station.

Dalaoling is a National Park in China.  It used to be a National Forest but was recently turned into a National Park so that the natural biodiversity could be preserved.  As such, timber harvesting will no longer be allowed in Dalaoling.

One of the major funders of the Dalaoling National Forest Park is the Three Gorges Dam Project.  On our way from Yicahng City to Dalaoling, we stopped quickly at the Dam.  It is an impressive project.  The picture below cannot display the magnitude of either the river or the dam.  But it was here that we spotted our first living chestnut tree!

Before one gets to the dam from Yichang City, one passes some of the amazing karst features for which China is famous.  The one in the picture shown below is supposed to look like the face of Chairman Mao while he is laying down.  On the south side of the river, one will find the limestone formations.  Chestnut, of course, prefers acidic soils, so we stayed to the north where the more acidic soils can be found. 

The landscape of China this part of China is truly breathtaking.  People will build houses and farm the land wherever they can.  As long as a terrace system can be build, people will be there and farm the land.  People even grow their crops right up against the road.  There really isn't anything such as a "lawn" that I've seen.  Every square inch is used for something productive.  I'll post some pictures of this aspect a little later.

Also, you know that expression "for all the tea in China"?  There really is a lot of tea here!  And we've only been to one province!