Tibet, Everest and More...

Here are some pictures taken on my trip in Tibet from 5/27-6/4. The route is on this google map:

We started from Lhasa, rent an SUV and local driver, heading south west to Everest first, then north to a lake and back to Lhasa, and finally drive to the east and fly out of Tibet from there.

1. Scenic Tibet - Lhasa to West and North:
http://picasaweb.google.com/packerliu/ScenicTibet?authkey=Gv1sRgCMiYopr4suvAXw&feat=directlink

2. Scenic Tibet 2 -Eastern part:
http://picasaweb.google.com/packerliu/ScenicTibet02?authkey=Gv1sRgCKr3iuKJ3oubDA&feat=directlink

My complete China trip from 5/16-6/13 is on this map. Pictures are below.

3. Beijing Street Scenes:
http://picasaweb.google.com/packerliu/StreetSceneInBeijing?authkey=Gv1sRgCPv7goH9tIONuQE&feat=directlink

4. Climbing Mt. Tai
http://picasaweb.google.com/packerliu/MtTaiInMist?authkey=Gv1sRgCMTe_7n2utCAfQ&feat=directlink

5. ChengDu stop:

http://picasaweb.google.com/packerliu/ChengDu?authkey=Gv1sRgCI2834Xm-PWTGw&feat=directlink

6. Ningbo tour:
http://picasaweb.google.com/packerliu/NingBoTour?authkey=Gv1sRgCI6D9MCy3-qy0AE&feat=directlink

7. A night at Shanghai College Student TV Festival:
http://picasaweb.google.com/packerliu/ISYKeI?authkey=Gv1sRgCPHgvevDkp-TbQ&feat=directlink

It is great to meet classmates from college and high school in Beijing and Shanghai.
As Cui Zong pointed out, it has been 20 years since we knew each other.
For highschool classmates, that is about 20 years graduated from school as well.

上海大学生电视节之夜

This is an amazing show in the closing ceremony of this festival in Shanghai.
More pictures are at this album.

2009 Trip to China

Planning the trip to China again. This time, plan to take a tour to Tibet.
Current plan is to use this route: 中国的景观大道川藏南线9日精典线路

College reunion, 9/16/2005

9/16/2005, in the evening, had a college reunion dinner. The traffic was very bad because of the coming weekend is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.
晚，与大学同学聚会于清华东路农大旁的一个包间。因为这周末是中秋节，路上很堵。

Visit FIT at Tsinghua, 9/16/2005

9/16/2005, invited by Prof. NIU Zhisheng, Prof. LOU Wenjing and I were giving talks at FIT research building in Tsinghua University. I discussed my Ph.D. work. FIT stands for Future Internet Technology.
下午2-5时，应牛志升教授邀请，WPI的楼文菁教授在清华大学的FIT中心作学术报告，我一同前往，讲了我的博士论文工作。

Visit Microsoft Research Beijing, 9/16/2005

9/16/2005, visited Microsoft Research Beijing with Prof. LOU Wenjing of WPI. Discussed topics on MANET and WSN with researchers in the Wireless Networking Team. One of them in this group is a long time OPNET user, but currently is using NS-2 for research. MSFT hired about 180 staff members in Beijing. Most of them have Ph.D. degrees.

上午，应马文超邀请，访问了微软北京研究院。与无线网络组成员进行了有关MANET和WSN的学术交流。 下图中自左至右：我、熊勇强、邬海涛、扬凡、马文超、楼文菁。

Meet Zhang Jie and Guo WeiMing, 9/15/2005

9/15/05, in the evening, having dinner with ZHANG Jie and GUO Weiming. Guo works for Siemens, heading the sales of their telecomm equipment. Zhang is in charge of several important projects in one of the biggest automation companies in China. We had some nice dishes that I did not know what are made of so far... This restaurant is very clean and elegant, of course, very expensive as well.

周四晚，和张杰、郭伟明在北京中科院附近的俏江南吃饭。久别重逢，甚欢。 有一道菜--木瓜林蛙汤，至今没搞明白是什么做的...

Visit Prof Lu JianHua, 9/15/2005

9/15/2005, in the morning, I visited Professor LU Jianghua. He is my advisor in the graduate school of Tsinghua University from 1993 to 1996. Later on, called Professor ZHENG Junli for a short chat. After that, I walked to Bank of Commerce in the shopping area, Zhao Lan Yuan, to close my banking account and withdrawed all 36 Yuan in the past 9 years. The total interest accumulated is less than 2 yuan though. This time, my password is correct in the first input.

上午，前往清华大学中央主楼拜访陆建华教授。陆老师是我在清华上研究生的授业恩师。我们九年未曾谋面，音容如昔。 中午打电话问候了郑君理教授。然后，到照澜院的工商银行，等了40分钟，取出了我存了9年的36元钱。这一次，我的密码第一次就输入正确！

Visit CCTV, 9/14/2005

9/14/05, invited by producer WANG Zheng, I got a chance to visit CCTV building and watched the shotting scene in one of the most popular shows in China -- Yi4 Shu4 Ren1 Sheng1 艺术人生(Artistic Life). Most of my time was in a control room where the directors were giving instructions through microphones in front of a set of big screens. Later, I was toured through the building to learn various rooms and their functions. Very cool night!

Dinner and Tea with highschool friends, 9/12/05

9/12/2005晚，送父母上了去北京的火车后，中学同学张倩请我吃饭。她先生急性肺炎稍好，未能出席。李晓强、朱立春和刘志勇后来也加入了饭局和茶话会。没有约到苏小龙和牟新阳。

Highschool

Here is a picture of the front gate (also the only one) of the No.85 Middle School. It was shot at a weekend, I was not allowed to enter the campus. There are more new buildings looks much better than many years ago... 

Dining with High School friends, 9/10/05

09/10/2005晚，与高中驻同学在西安南门外的上海人家一起吃饭。自左至右是：小刘（李晓强朋友）、朱立春、我、李晓强、马健、魏欣炎、崔磊、高洁、胡英。季麓后来加入喝茶的行列。

Meet Su XiaoLong, one of the Excellent Music Teachers, 9/9/05

9/9/05, Mr. SU Xiaolong is one of my high school friends. He is a music teacher in Xi'An Music University. Won an award for his excellence in teaching a couple of years ago. I shot a picture of his old pass for the highschool entrance exam in 1983.

9/9/05, 下午，骑车出去路过音乐学院，找到优秀青年教师苏小龙的家，还翻拍了他的一张老照片。晚上和大学同学康扶国吃葫芦头泡馍，谈兴太浓以至于忘记了留影。

Street view and No.85 High School in Xi An, 9/8/05

Pictures of the famous buildings in Xi'an, where I gr俄w up and finished my college.

The first is the Bell Tower in the center of the city. The second is the Main office building of the Shaanxi provincial government. My uncle was one of its architects designed this building two decades ago. I still remembered a front view of the grant building when I walked into his office before the build was built. The third picture has the Clock Building. I used to look at its time while rushing back to home for the broadcasting novels at lunch time, in my 4-th grade.

The fourth picture shows the Pagoda of Great Goose. It is the famous symbol of a buddhist temple. My high school is located nearby in the fifth picture. Across the street, I took the six picuture for one of the famous Chinese telecomm company, Da Tang Telecomm. Apparently, it has taken over the place of the previous N0.4 Institude of Minstry of Post and Telecommunications. It used to do research and prototype on satellite and microwave transmission equipment.

The seventh picture was the park outside the south gate of the city wall. When the former US President Clinton visited Xi An, his welcome ceremony was hold here. The eighth picture has a lot of college students sitting on stairs, waiting for high school tutoring jobs in the Xiao3 Zhai4 小寨 shopping district. They had their resumes and posters in hand, waiting for a job to earn extra money to catch up the increasing education cost. The ninth picture has a traffic sign of "No Honk within City Limit". This had reduced noise significantly. The traffic was very bad. Apparently, the two foreign visitors in the picture still had a hard time crossing the street, even on the pedestrian line. Because cars are not stopped for pedestians, be aware!
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

Visit Xi'An Comesun, 9/7/05

Xi'An Comesun (Ke Sen) is a company making products of automation and measurement devices. I was working as an Intern there many years ago.

Visit Meridian China, 9/6/05

9/6/05, I visited Meridian China near DongSiShiTiao 东四十条 subway station. Meridian is the company reselling OPNET software in China and Asia area. I spent a wonderful day in their office. The picture has Merina Chang 常涛 (left), me and Dr. Raymond Chng (right) from Singapore.

Shopping at Walmart, 9/5/05

After visited BUPT, I went back to hotel. Since my wallet run low in RMB cash, I walked out looking for an ATM machine or a bank at around 4:30pm. Unfortunately most banks were closed at 5pm. I tried my ATM card outside a bank branch, but it did not work. I only had 10 Yuan left in my pocket. I did not want to bother friends today. So I decided to walk.

I walked to a Train/Subway station at Zhi1 Chun1 Road 知春路. I will visit Meridian the next day from this train station. During my phone call with Meridian earlier, this is the fastest way at rush hour.

Near the train station, I spotted a Walmart. I had to be thrifty on my cash . First I need to budget 3 Yuan for a train ticket tomorrow. This left me 7 Yuan to spend, just enough for a take-out plus a pancake at Walmart. What a nice and cheap dinner ! Cost me less than $1 USD!

Later that night, I found an ATM machine near Tsinghua campus that gave me enough cash...

Visit Beijing Univ of Post and Telecommunications, 9/5/05

9/5/2005 morning, I visited Professor WANG Wenbo (middle in the picture) whose is the dean of the school of telecomm engineering at BUPT. In the afternoon, Professor WANG Wendong (right in the picture) give me a tour in the National Key Lab of Switching and Routing in the computer science school at BUPT. This lab is located in a very elegant building. The internal looks like a shopping mall according to Prof. Wang. Before I left BUPT, I had a short meeting with Prof. CHENG Shiduan.
上午访问电信工程学院院长王文博教授（下图中），下午由宽带网络研究中心主任王文东教授（下图右）介绍参观了北京邮电大学的网络与交换国家重点实验室。临行前，拜访了程时端教授。

Drinks at HouHai Beijing, 9/4/05

09/04/2005, I attended the panel sessions of Tsinghua Ph.D. student forum in the afternoon. The topics are on the selection of Ph.D. research topics and on how to write/submit good papers. Several ethical issues were also discussed. Dinner were served at Jia3 Suo3 甲所, the best on campus.

In the evening, a few of energetic guys went to Hou4 Hai3 后海 in downtown Beijing for a couple bottles of beer. Hou4 Hai3 means the backyard lake. It was surrounded by bars and restaurants. It is famous for its night life.

Streets view in Beijing, 9/4/05

On my way to book shopping and then back to Tsinghua campus, I took some pictures. First is the entrance to the Hai Dian Book Shopping center图书城. The building to the right is a photographer shop, same as it was 9 years ago, but might not shooting pictures anymore. Second picture is the south gate of Beijing University. Third picture is the Fang Zheng Building方正大厦. The fourth building has a large classroom right behind FangZheng Building. We used to take a lot of classes there.

Three books on OPNET,9/4/05

9/4/05 morning, visited the biggest bookstore shopping center图书城 near Zhong1 Guan1 Cun1中关村. After about 30 minutes search and inquery, in one of the stores, I found three OPNET related books.

I already knew that there were two OPNET books published. The third one is new to me. I took some pictures here. They are not very expensive, about $4 each copy. I do not think any of these books was published with authorizations from OPNET. Do they need one?

Meantime, there are Cisco training books from Ciscopress. Some of them are in English, some of them are translated in Chinese. Their prices are much lower than US but can be only sold in China.

DVD price in Beijing, 9/4/05

I went to CarreFour, a European warehouse shop in Beijing. I found that the DVD price is about 1/8 of that in the States. For example in the picture, Matrix DVD cost about 22 RMB Yuan, divided by 8 Yuan per Dollar exchange rate, each copy is approximately equal to $2.5. same DVD might cost $20. Similar low prices are on Coke, seafood, etc..

Dining with Prof. Hong Yiguang, 9/3/05

Professor HONG Yiguang and I went to dinner together. Chatted about everything after he left Duke in 2003.

Discussion during lunch break, 9/3/05

09/03/2005, Saturday, I participated in the Tsinghua Ph.D. forum on wireless communications in FIT building. After lunch at the student dinning hall, we had a brief discussion in the VIP room. This picture was shot in Prof. Ko's camera. The one in mine has more closed eyes.

From left to right: Prof Zhisheng Niu, Prof. King-Tim Ko高敬添, Dr. Kai Xiong, Prof. Rose Qingyang Hu, Prof. Carmelita Go:rg, Ms. Ph.D. student at Tsinghua, Prof. Dongfeng Yuan, Prof. Hideaki Takagi, Dr. Yu Liu.

Lunch at Tsinghua Ph.D. Forum, 9/3/05

Here is a set of pictures taken in a student dining hall in Tsinghua University. Everyone of us get a punch card of 10 Yuan. Then we use it to buy our dishes... Nice treat!
Basic steps are (1) order a dish from the menu, (2) the server behide the bar will provide that dish to you and input the price on the punch card reader, (3) you scan your card to clear that price and pick your dish. This system was installed right before I left Tsinghua. Never used it before. Now I got myself educated.
I took a spicy beef soup 水煮牛肉 for 6 Yuan and some vegetables for 2 Yuan, rice for about 1+ Yuan. My budget was running low. It is nice that I can share watermellon with Rose Hu. The lunch was delicious and a bargain!

Tsinghua Ph.D. Forum, 9/3/05

Invited by Prof. NIU Zhisheng 牛志升, I went to Tsingua for this forum. The first picture has Prof. GONG Ke 龚克 giving his keynote speech. He taught a couple of lectures in the advanced communications technology seminar when I was in the graduate school here.

In the second picture, I especially like the tea cups which was shot by Nicolas Bonneau of INRIA, France. The poem in the right side of the cup means:

Coming back to my hometown that I left as a youngster,
with the same accent, but white and torn sideburns.
Meeting kids who I have never seen.
They smilingly ask where I am coming from.

Walk to Tsinghua, 9/3/05

In the morning, I left my luggage at Prof. HONG Yiguang's office in the Institute of System and Mathematics of the Chinese Science Academy, then headed to Tsinghua Campus. It is my first time back to the campus since 1996. In this picture, the Central Main Building 中央主楼 in the far end seem not changed much. All other buildings are new for me. What a nice day!

FIT Building is in the left of the SouthEast Gate in the second picture below. FIT stands for Future Internet Technology. I walked into this build for the Ph.D. forum Dr. Niu asked me to attend.

Topics for ITC 20, 9/2/05

Jim is giving invitations for ITC 20 to be held in Canada. I like this slide especially. It almost covers most areas I am working on...

ITC 19 Closing Ceremony, 9/2/05

Last day has some sessions in the morning and a closing ceremony in the afternoon. I left my camera in YANG Jiyuan's car in my first day. This helps me from the distraction of taking too many pictures in the conference. Here is a picture of the closing ceremony taken by Nicolas Bonneau of INRIA, France. In the picture, I was speaking for Prof. Deep Medhi who left Beijing that morning.

ITC19 Excursion to Great Wall, 9/1/05

On 9/1/2005 Thursday, We went to the Great Wall, the Ding Tomb, and some shops on the way. On our bus, I became a volunteer tour guide, reading a couple of articles without a seat. Because the bus driver told me that a formal tour guide should not sit, and I should pretend to be the one to avoid any trouble from the inspection. Whatever, I enjoyed reading. Contact me for more details on next opportunity like this.
Following pictures are from Dr. ZANG Hui of SprintLabs, Prof. Ralf Lehnert of Tech Univ of Dresden of Germany, and Nicolas Bonneau of INRIA, France. BTW, if you need a tour guide next time, they might provide me nice references :)
Traffic is not very smooth. After we arrived at Ba Da Ling 八达岭, we got very short time - one hour to climb up and back. I have to run to the nearest peak to the south side. It was good to realize that my ankles got recovered.

ITC third day, TianAnMen & WangFuJing, 8/31/05

Third day at ITC 19. I went to a few interesting sessions in the morning. Including NetFlow probe placement by ZANG Hui of SprintLabs, LSP Sizing by Siemens. In the afternoon, I skipped classes and toured a couple of places with folks from Kansas City. We went to TianAnMen square, Forbidden City, and did window shopping in the commericial street of Wang Fu Jing. Our dinner is at Quan Ju De, a specialized restaurant for Beijing Ducks. Of course, we order the best duck there. Back to hotel at dawn, we've missed the social performance organized by the conference. As an old Chinese saying -- when you have only one choice between fish and bear's paw served as a delicacy, what can you do?

ITC second day, 8/30/05

Second day at ITC19. I waked up earlier around 6am. Have nothing else planned, I walked into the nearby Yu Yuan Tan 玉渊潭 Park. The park has a lake surrounded by walkways and gardens. There are many people exercising before sunrise. Part of the lake was open for swimmers too. With the injuried knee and foot, it took me 90 minutes to walk a full circle around the lake, then back to the hotel -- refreshing.

The parallel sessions started today. I picked a few of them and jumped into classrooms.

Dinner had been scheduled with my college classmates. This is for CHEN Feng 陈峰 couple and their kid. They are leaving Beijing back to Canada after their month-long vacation. It is hard to pick up a taxi at rush hour. So I took subway to Fu Xing Men station, then walked for about 30 minutes to the place. It is also nice to walk along the newly built road, with thousands bikes passing me.

ITC19 first day, 8/29/05

First day at ITC 19, there are panel sessions all day. I asked a bunch of questions when nobody else do. That helps on keeping me alert out of the jet lag.

At the dinner, I was called out of the dinning hall twice. First time, my college classmate WANG Xinshuang 王新双 brought me a cellphone. He works at China Mobile nearby, having a nice touchpad SonyErricson (索爱） to spare. This makes my following days well-connected with friends. Second time, my colleague's father visited me. We had a short conversation. The sleeping at night is sound with the help of Ambian my doctor gave me. My foot and knees still hurts from the two hourly "fun run" sessions during OPNETWORK a week ago, which have some nice pictures here. I have to recover quickly since there are three weeks "walking" ahead.

Arriving Beijing after 9 years

Arriving Beijing after nine years. WANG Zhen 王峥 and YANG Jiyuan 杨军(纪元） picked me up in the airport. The traffic was bad before leaving the airport, but getting smoother after that. On our way to the city, many new high rise buildings and nice highways. Among them, some have not changed much, such as the one below.
I checked into the hotel that hosts ITC19. LI Xiaoqiang (李晓强） joined us at the hotel. Then we all went for a dinner. At night, I checked email after getting a nice internet.