SWAT GUANGZHOU PHOTOESSAY II

Pictures from SWAT Regional Conference & Training WorkshopGuangzhou, Guangdong, China • July 24-30, 2011

Guangdong Grand CanyonGroup photo at Mt Danxia Geological ParkMale Stone

Composed by

Samran Sombatpanit & Li Dingqiangsamran_sombatpanit@yahoo.com & lidingqiang@yahoo.com

with assistance from Winai WangpimoolVenus Tuankrua and Jaruporn Tosang

Hong KongMacau

Guangzhou

Old Baiyun Airport

DOWNTOWN GUANGZHOU

- Suntrap Hotel

- GIEESS

- South China Botanical Garden

(See next page)

South

China S

ea

Maps showing locations of Guangzhou City, and the area of our activities

Zhujiang – Pearl River

Baiyun International Airport (40 km N of the city center) Baiyun

Mountain Recreation Area

Guangzhou Tower

Guangdong Province

Sun Yat-senUniversity

South China Botanical Garden

Glasshouse Area

South China Botanical Garden

Suntrap Hotel

GIEESS

Area of our activities in northern part of Guangzhou City

July 27, 2011 – Facilitators pay a visit to the Sun Yat-sen University after the end of the conference (16.00-20.00) by invitation of Prof Chen Yangbo.

Prof Chen Yangbo, Dept of Remote Sensing & GIS Engineering andNatural Disaster Research Center

NOTE: Since Prof Chen Yangbo had to go away, his students helped take care of us. We highly appreciate their great hospitality.

Applied Center for Remote Sensing & GIS Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University

SHORT HISTORY OF SUN YAT-SEN UNIVERSITY IN GUANGZHOUThe former Zhongshan University, originally known as Guangdong University, was founded in 1924 by Dr. Sun Yat-sen (also known as Sun Zhongshan), a great democratic revolutionist in Chinese history. It was renamed Zhongshan University in 1926 in commemoration of Dr. Sun after his death. The former Zhongshan University was one of the key universities in China.

The former Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences originated from Boji Medical Collegefounded in 1886, where Dr. Sun once studied and worked. The former Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences was one of the top four universities of its kind in China.

On October 26, 2001, Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen) University and Sun Yat-senUniversity of Medical Sciences merged into the present Sun Yat-senUniversity. The merger of the two strong institutions into the Sun Yat-senUniversity heralds the beginning of an exciting new era for the University. (Information from the website http://www.sysu.edu.cn/en/pictures.html)

Map of the South Campus of Sun Yat-sen University,

Guangzhou, China There are three other campuses.

The long walk way that our group take.

Map of Guangzhou City

Sun Yat-sen

Swasey Hall (1915)Xing Pavilion

(1928)

There are 18 statues on two sides of this lawn, 9 on each side.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

Statues of 18 Guangdong heroes & heroine

heroine

The Scholar Torii (Ming Dynasty, 1653) was moved from its original place in Guangzhou to Sun Yat-senUniversity in 1940s. After it collapsed, it was moved to this spot in 1999.

See details in the next photo.

Dinner provided by the host at the end of our visit Beijinglu, a popular shopping street at night of Guangzhou

A very old street of Guangzhou, now

preserved under glass

Many students walk in the campus. Young children exercise in the university compound.

Travel Route during Post-conference Tour, July 28-30, 2011

A. Guangzhou City

B. Guangdong Grand Canyon and Mining Site (July 28)

C. Mt Danxia Geological Park (July 29)

D. Guangdong Hydraulic Experiment Center / Guangdong Hydraulic Research Center (July 30)

Map of the northern part of Guangdong Province

Guidebook for the post-conference tour

Various forms of soil conservation measures on the roadcuts

July 28, 2011, On our way to the Grand Canyon of Guangdong

Extraction of sap from a pine tree, similar to rubber, but with strong smell

Our bus for 3 days

Guangdong Grand Canyon is a 300 m deep hole, is a popular tourist site where people like to go down and up to test their strength. There is one hydroelectric plant at the bottom.

There used to be a funicular to go down and up on the rail. Now it does not function any more, so people will go down and up by themselves and they can visit many spots on their way.

Guangdong Grand Canyon

The large and elegant entrance

Strolling on the rim of the canyon

Going down the Grand Canyon and traversing across the bottom to the other side

Number of steps to walk up …

Stairway to Heaven Approx 400+ m in one stretch and all of us go up with great

enthusiasm.Hydropower station

Funicular used since long ago

Ready …

Large water pipe to hydropower station

Funicular railway

Everybody is happy with this experience and is rewarded with a piece of water melon when emerging on the other side.

Soil Erosion in Mining SitesDabu Town has long history of mining activities beginning in 1950s

and 1960s. In the past few years, the mining activities without any conservation measures destroyed the native vegetation and induced serious soil turbulence and soil erosion. The most serious area of soil erosion is Xiejiashan, where more than one-third of 400 hmu land area was destroyed and many abandoned mine sites were left without restoration. Discarded soil / slag can be observed everywhere. The research team at GIEESS has studied the soil erosion in this area and proposed several effective measures. Now the local government is dedicated to doing ecological restoration of these abandoned mine sites and their surrounding. (hm = hmu= 666 m2; 15 hmu = 1 ha)

Next stop

End of tour program of July 28, 2011

Xiao Dao, our hotel in Shaoguan

July 29, 2011

Fresh market of Shaoguan

DanxiashanGlobal Geopark

July 29, 2011

Highlight of the Park -The Male StoneYangyuanshi, a natural male stone

Size of the stone:

Diameter: 7 m Height: 28 m

Yinyuandan Female Stone, an artificial one, to match

the Yangyuan Stone

Mount Danxia (丹霞山) is a famous scenic area nearShaoguan city in the northern part of Guangdong, China. TheDanxia mountain is formed from a reddish sandstone whichhas been eroded over time into a series of mountainssurrounded by curvaceous cliffs and many unusual rockformations (Danxia Landform). It is described in local signageas a "world famous UNESCO geopark of China". There are a number of temples located on the mountains and many scenicwalks can be undertaken. There is also a river windingthrough the mountains on which boat trips can be taken toenjoy the scenery.

Particularly noted are two formations: a stone pillarcalled the Yangyuan ("male/father stone") that bears a remarkable resemblance to a phallus and the Yinyuan hole(left photo), which (especially to people who had visited theYangyuan pillar before) somewhat resembles labia.

In 2010, Mount Danxia was inscribed as a World Heritage Site as part of the property China Danxia.[1] (From Wikipedia)

The whole mountain has 380 (big or small) rock peaks, rock forts, rock wallsand rock stacks. Its main peak is 618 m above the sea level, and most of the restsstand between 300-400 m.

Many people come to pray at this place, presumably to ask for a child. Left photo shows a picture of ‘yin and yang’, a Chinese symbol of togetherness of male and female.

Mount Danxia

Water for vitality

We are going up to Mt Danxia by cable car.

People can go there by car or boat.

A close-up view of Mount Danxia

By cable car we go up to Mt Danxia.

Trail on the mountaintop

There must be many big trees on this mountain in the past.

At the GEOPARK representatives from respectively Thailand, Texas Team, China, Vietnam and the Philippines made a promise

to cooperate fully in making SWAT grow and become useful widely.

There is also a pledge among young Chinese participants to cooperate to use SWAT successfully in China.

Photographer for hire

We make a brief stop at the Scale Cave where Buddhist monks stayed >100 yrs ago. It’s a hot afternoon, so all

of us enjoy having icecream at this place.

Pushing the cliff like those small branches – just by tradition!!!

Scale Cave

After having the icecream everybody wants to help push up the cliff by using any technique they can think of!

The cave in full view

We go further to the north side of the mountain where beautiful panorama is in front of us.

Script on the stone face

We observe this beautiful view from the mountaintop.

Leaving Mount Danxia and we end the tour program for July 29, 2011. We stay the night at DanxiaHoliday Hotel (below & right).

Bye-bye …

Red Bull, an energy drink from Thailand!

At a dry food store near the hotel where we stay

July 30, 2011, we leave for the Hydraulic Research Center & Guangzhou City.

Arriving at Feilai Gorge, Qingyuan, to visit Guangdong Hydraulic Research Center

Full name of the center:Guangdong Hydraulic Experiment Center & Guangdong Hydraulic Research Center

We are welcomed at the Experimental Hall of the Guangdong Hydraulic Research Center, with an area of 26,000 m2 under one roof (200 x 130 m)!

We are being briefed by an executive of the center.

The research center plays an important role in the science and technology innovation and promotes the long-term development of soil and water conservation in Guangdong. The center has beenequipped with the hydraulic physical model monitoring and controlling system, which is based on the technique of industrial Ethernet. The advanced scientific instruments and equipment –including the 3-D wave making machine, the mobile 2-D wave making machine and the wind-wave-current flume – make the center meet the needs for high level scientific experiments and studies.

The experimental hall can meet the requirements of Guangdong east, west, north regions, Pearl River Delta and the Han River for flood prevention, disaster reduction, and water resources optimization. The experimental field has been used to complete several important hydraulic engineering constructions and scientific research projects, including the Chaozhou water supply key project and the Gaobei hydro-junction. The Research Center has provided robust supports for water safety and security in Guangdong.

Guangdong Hydraulic Research Center

Impressive 2.6 ha building

Part of the Experimental Hall

Part of the Experimental Hall

The dam model at work

Experimental areas in the Hall

At the dam site

General plan of the dam site

Photographic session at the dam site

Our lunch boat mooring on the lake side

Lunch meeting on the boat to finalize the SWAT Network of China; Dr Feng Huang volunteers to be its Secretary, with a website to operate from China Agricultural University.

On our way back to Guangzhou, on behalf of all participants Nathaniel Alibuyogthanks the organizers for their invitation to participate in this important

conference and their great hospitality during the whole week in Guangdong Prov.

We appreciate the competence and friendliness of the driver who made our 3-day journey to the northern part of Guangdong Province a relaxing, pleasant and safe trip.

Part I, 55 slides, finished Nov 20, 2011

Part II, 65 slides, finished Nov 29, 2011

From Li Dingqiang & Samran Sombatpanit

We appreciate the attentiveness of all lecturers, presenters, facilitators, participants and trainees for transferring-receiving technology about SWAT models to use broadly in this country and elsewhere.

With the setting up of SWAT Network ofChina, we hope there will be active communications among SWATters in China and with those from other networks/ countries. We sincerely thank Dr FengHuang for taking the responsibility in setting up the secretariat/ website and coordinating with many people that involve SWAT.

We say a big ‘thank you’ to all agencies and institutions, both inside and outside China, for supporting this SWAT regional conference and training workshop.

We wish all participants good luck. We welcome all of you whenever you have a chance to come back to Guangzhou.

We’ll stay in touch to make SWAT grow to become more useful. We thank you all!

Finished Nov 29, 2011 The End

FOR MORE INFORMATION please go to the following SWAT websites:

• MAIN SWAT WEBSITE: http://swatmodel.tamu.edu/. This website has announcement of all upcoming conferences and workshops and all other items needed for running SWAT models.• SWAT USER WEBSITE: http://groups.google.com/group/swatuser?pli=1• SwatLectures YouTube WEBSITE: http://www.youtube.com/SwatLectures• SWAT (Soil & Water Assessment Tool) Network Facebook WEBSITE: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/SWAT-Soil-Water-Assessment-Tool-Network/137912712939500• SWAT Network of Thailand Facebook WEBSITEhttp://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/SWAT-Network-of-Thailand-%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%A0%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A2%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%94%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%9A/122568534483823

• SWAT Network of the Philippines Facebook WEBSITEhttp://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/223639811016379/• SWAT Network of Vietnam Facebook WEBSITEhttp://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/SWAT-Network-of-Vietnam/271395266221802• WASWAC Facebook WEBSITE: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/World-Association-of-Soil-and-Water-Conservation/187062347982860• WASWAC MAIN WEBSITE: http://waswac.soil.gd.cn/