This has been a fun challenge Karin, but this might be my last set - we'll see how numbers and time go.

A few remarks on the first one. This is at a showpiece commune in Huaxi, near Shanghai, which came to be called the Richest Village in the World. It was already a remarkable place when my wife and I were lucky enough to visit in 1992. It is now a stunning city. We stayed with a guy named Wu Renbao, (though we never met him, being entertained by his father and his wife!). At that time, Wu was chairman of the Chinese Farmers' Union (or something like that). For a bit more, try http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat11/sub70/entry-4467.html

Here we see part of what I think was called the walk of life, or something like that. The walk consisted of a series of 10 pavilions connected by a series of bridges, each named for a significant element in life, and a zig-zag path connecting them. Each section represents a decade of life, and you are supposed to reflect on your life as you walk the path and negotiate life's twists and turns, its ups and downs. At each pavilion you can take a seat for contemplation. The middle pavilion was more extensive than the one shown - in fact a tea house equipped with rich rosewood furniture and carpets. Here you see the 9th pavillion, approached from the right over the Bridge of Health, and leading to the 10th pavilion over the Bridge of Long Life. The crane on the roof is for longevity, and other animals with similar associations were to be found in various spots, sometimes forming fountains.

May we all survive in good health to walk the next decade in our path of life!