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4Th International Show Caves Association (ISCA) Symposium

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4Th International Show Caves Association (ISCA) Symposium INTERNATIONAL SHOW CAVES ASSOCIATION SYMPOSIUM, YAOLIN, CHINA 20 –24 October 2000 - Arthur Clarke Australia (and ACKMA) was quite well represented tallest building with a view overlooking a at the recent 4th International Show Caves surprising number of rooftop solar panels and Association (ISCA) symposium in China in late satellite dish receptors. Rated as a 2-3 star hotel October this year – with Brian and Sue Clark with Business Centre and Bar on the First Floor (representing ACKMA & Naracoorte Caves), Arthur (our Ground Floor), swimming pool and Clarke (University of Tasmania, Hastings Caves & gymnasium, it had an 18-lane ten-pin bowling ASF/ ACKMA) and Nick White (ASF, ACKMA & alley, Cabaret and Karaoke Room plus the Buchan Caves/ Jenolan Caves). Incidentally, it Theatre Hall where ISCA delegates were treated to took two days before the symposium organisers as fashion parade, Chinese Folk songs, traditional realised there were three of us with the surname instrument band and an impromptu performance “Clark/e”. (The official attendance list excluded of the Beijing Opera. Brian Clark and only two of us were registered as “Dr. Arthur Clarke and Mrs. Sue Clarke”.) We four Although the local currency in China was in Yuan Aussies were also the only attendees from the (or RMB), the US dollar was generally the southern hemisphere and along with the two preferred monetary exchange for payment in most Americans: the ISCA Vice-President: Stephen of China; the “going” exchange rate being around Fairchild and his wife from California, there were 4 Yuan per AUS dollar and 8 Yuan per US dollar. the only six English-speaking delegates! Including The ISCA conference registration cost USD200, the six of us, approximately a third of the 82 bed and breakfast accommodation was USD35 symposium attendees (and six interpreters) were per night (half each if you were sharing a room) western “foreigners”. Apart from us six, the and two meals (lunch and dinner) another USD15 foreigners were all Europeans (accompanied by a per day. All ISCA delegates scored a very Slovenian tour guide); most were show cave impressive large heavy duty “Weibao” canvas people from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, satchel with the “Show Caves Protection and France, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain Restoration Symposium” label - complete with and Sweden. handle, carry strap and lockable twist fastener. It was almost worth going to the symposium for the Accommodation and ISCA symposia events took satchel alone! The considerable weight of satchel place in the “small” town of Tonglu, in Tonglu contents included a copy of the ISCA Agenda and County, northwest Zhejiang Province where we 12page glossy covered “Guide of Conference”; the were hosted by the nearby Yaolin Cave 168page ISCA symposium proceedings (with Administration and local government officials. papers variously in Chinese, English, French and Tonglu County is one of many counties (or Italian); a large A4 size hardback book about the municipalities) in Zhejiang Province; we were told history of calligraphy in China (written in that the 1820km² Tonglu County had a Chinese); a 238page booklet on “Research on population of 400,000, but were also told that the Origination and Environment of Yaolin Cave in township of Tonglu had a population of 400,000. China” - with name title, contents list and (This confusion may have something to do with abstract (at end of the book) being the only parts the relatively frequent information loss that often in English; local tourist information for Tonglu occurs during translation from Chinese to County and brochures about “Yaolin Wonderland” “Chinglish”.) The town of Tonglu lies about 90km Cave; two packets of pre-stamped postcards SW of Hangzhou (pronounced “Hung Joe”), the featuring scenery in Tonglu County and Yaolin capital of Zhejiang Province. Situated about Cave; and two cave tourism promotional CD’s 250km SW of Shanghai, Hangzhou is one of the (which don’t seem to work here on my home six ancient capital cities in China, a little over two computer in Oz). Probably quite good value if you hours away from Shanghai by the very reliable could read Chinese and had a Chinese computer. fast Express Train). Lying further southwest beside the Fuchunjiang River, Tonglu is itself an The organisational support for the symposium old town – established in 225AD - a picturesque was quite impressive. The list reads like a “Who’s spot with many modern buildings set amongst Who” of County, Provincial and national misty hills within the Fuchunjiang River- authorities in China, plus the international Xinanjiang River-Qiandaohu Lake National Park. bodies. Support organisations included the Tonglu has a sub-tropical monsoon climate with International Show Caves Association; UIS annual rainfall of 1450mm and average annual Commission on Cave Mineralogy; UIS temperature of 16-18°C. Commission on Protection of Karst and Caves; China National Park Association; Planning In most towns or cities in China, very few Division of National Tourist Bureau of China; individual “houses” are seen; most people live in China Tourist-Geoscience Association; National tall rise buildings with small balconies (to hang Natural Science Foundation of China; China out their washing) – similar to our multi-storey Geographic Society; Institute of Geography, apartment blocks. Live-in delegates at the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Cave Study symposium were accommodated in twin-bed Commission of China Geology Society; Scenery rooms on the 15th, 16th and 17th floors of the Department of Construction Ministry; modern Tonglu Jinxin Hotel. One of three hotels Commission of Science and Technology in known as the Tonglu Hotel, the Jinxin was the Zhejiang Province; Construction Bureau of Zhejiang Province; Tourism Bureau of Zhejiang outskirts of town and travelled through rural Province; Commission of Science and Technology parts, passing recently harvested rice paddies in Hangzhou City; Tourism office of Hangzhou with bundles of drying rice stalks and numerous City; Construction Committee of Hangzhou City; large ponds with freshwater pearl-oyster beds. We Tonglu County people’s Government, Zhejiang arrived at Yaolin Cave to be greeted by an Province; and the Administration of Yaolin Cave, entourage of cave administration, town, County Zhejiang, China. and Provincial officials waiting to unveil the ceremonial opening of a marble plaque dedicated Needless to say, we foreigners were treated like to the ISCA Symposium and visiting international dignitaries. There were metre high welcome guests, including Nick White and the Clarks who banners (in Chinese) strung across the streets on had just arrived by taxi from the Holiday Inn at the outskirts of the town, through main streets Hangzhou. and any of the arterial roads we used. In the case of field trips, the foreigners were all placed in a Yaolin Cave is quite famous in eastern China. bus of their own, seated with the various six Promoted as the “Yaolin Wonderland”, the cave is young lady interpreters: all 3rd and 4th year located in a picturesque forest setting with ornate Tertiary language students from Zhejiang buildings and their red lantern lights, goldfish University in Hangzhou, who had all been given ponds, decorative wall murals, various sculptures “English” names. We Aussies had two interpreters and positioned karst solution features. Old and to ourselves: Yu Xuyan (Jane) and Chen Xueling worn, hand-carved paving stones, slabs and steps (Linda). Linda had originally been seconded to the with grooved “grip” treads lead into/ or out of the ISCA symposium as the Japanese interpreter, but cave. Yaolin Cave is basically one large chamber when no Japanese delegates arrived, she joined with four (out of six linking) halls developed for the friendly Aussies, along with Jane. tourism, covering a total area of 28,000 square metres. Our ISCA bus (and the following bus, vans and cars with the Chinese attendees) was constantly Typical of most show caves in China, Yaolin Cave escorted by at least one or two police cars or features some quite magnificently large motorbikes with their lights ablaze and sirens stalagmites, stalactites, columns, flowstone and blaring. Normally, anywhere you go in China, the rimstone pool sections all lit with a myriad of streets of Chinese cities (and countryside) are coloured lights. Numerous tour parties of 15-20 constantly crowded with hundreds or thousands visitors with a guide travel through the cave of pedestrians, cyclists, motor scooters, three- simultaneously in different directions. (Chinese wheeler taxis, sedan cars, vans, buses and trucks cave guides typically describe cave formations in – often travelling with little regard to traffic lights, terms of their shape and likeness to animal forms, let alone pedestrian crossings, and often driving the figure shapes of Chinese minority peoples and on the wrong side of the road. We could not figure various fictitious or cultural identities including out why our convoy of ISCA buses and vehicles Buddha head statues.) Tourist visitor numbers were having such a dream run through the busy and income figures are quite impressive, along streets of Tonglu and suburbs. However, we soon with their promotional advertising. Development discovered that in addition to our police vehicle as a tourist cave commenced in 1979 and Yaolin escort, authorities were in radio communication Cave was opened to the public in July 1980. with street police on motor bikes who stood at all Since that time, “…more than 22.19million Yuan side streets and major intersections to stop any RMB has been invested in the exploitation and pedestrian or vehicle traffic and give our ISCA development of Yaolin Wonderland…” and it now convoy a relatively fast and unimpeded journey. has a asset value “…reaching 120million Yuan” ($30millionAUS). In 1982, about 1.3million There are an estimated 1500 show caves in the visitors went through the cave and although world and 260 of these (around 17%) are in visitor numbers have declined since, the cave still China.
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