Know China, Travel China

China is not a scary place. In rural areas foreigners may be greeted with curiosity and even caution, but in general the experience is of urban indifference, as elsewhere on the planet, or with open hospitality.

High  population, vast crowds

High  mountains, vast wildernesses

Know China ____________________

Few civilisations have lasted for thousands of years. China’s long continuity is unmatched.

Travel China ____________________

China has not been shy on spending on infrastructure. One result is the world’s largest network of bullet trains.

City roads are thronged with traffic, but a good system of highways reaches every region.

Travel Reports __________________

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Longji Rice Terraces, Guangxi Province

The terraces are beautiful and highly photo-friendly, especially in the late spring and early summer, before the rice rice grows so much. Then the contrast between the water and the country tour-hugging mud banks is at its best.

Nearest major transport hub: Guilin, Guangxi, in the far south of China.

It advertises itself as Asia’s ‘global city’. Certainly Hong Kong is more cosmopolitan than anywhere else in China. Urban areas are very densely populated but there are also country parks and islands to explore.

Major centres: On one side of the harbour is Tsim Sha Tsui, where the most demanding shoppers can keep on shopping … on the other is Hong Kong island itself, and the Central district where you can find, yes, more shopping, plus ferries to islands, and Lan Kwai Fong bar area. 

Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan Province

Lijiang is a tourist town. It is interesting and pretty certainly, with narrow lanes lined with tourist shops. 

Cable cars to high altitude are available at nearby Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Tiger Leaping Gorge, a deep rocky canyon, offers opportunity to escape into wilder country. Xianggelila (ShangriLa) is a few hours away.

Transport: Lijiang and Shanggelila both have their own small but modern airports. Dali (another tourist town) and Kunming (the provincial capital) are some distance and some time  away.

Harbin and Heilongjiang in winter

Harbin is the capital city of China’s northernmost province, Heilongjiang (Black Dragon River) , somewhat north of Vladivostock in eastern Siberia. The ice sculpture festival runs from late December to late February each year. Some of the provinces towns and villages, remote communities living from seasonal forestry, are famous for their snowfall and are beautiful in midwinter.

Travel: Harbin has an international airport. Tours are available to the ‘snow towns’ – ask at hotels in the city. 

Siguniangshan, Sichuan Province

The mountain landscapes match anything, anywhere in the world. The  ‘four sisters’ or ‘four girls’ mountains rise to 6000 metres. There are three valleys in a gate-controlled park, each at a modest 3500 metres and each with its own character. Ponies are available in two valleys. In the third, Shuangqiaogou, there is a road with bus service, and a long boarded walkway that makes walking easy.

Transport hub: Chengdu has an international airport. The drive to the mountains doesn’t look so far on the map, but takes four hours. Wolong panda reserve is on the route. The main local two is Rilongzhen.

Xinjiang

Xinjiang is vast. And mostly pretty empty. The Turpan basin is below sea level, two and half thousand kilometres from the sea. The cold and very dry Taklamakan desert is mostly shifting sand, with the Silk Road having routes north and south, never across. 

Urumqi, the main city, is a cultural melting pot at the heart of Asia. Tourism continues, and is growing, but in the past there has been unrest and police have a higher profile than elsewhere in China. 

Getting there: By plane, to Urumqi

Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong

Sichuan Province

A beautiful place, with lakes coloured by local minerals and cascade after cascade of white water. But … it’s usually very busy.

Access:  The region has its own airport (Jiuzhaigou, also known as JiuHuang, JZH, at an altitude of almost 3500 metres, 53km from Huanglong and 88km from Jiuzhaigou, with flights to many major cities.

Minibus and car services are available to the attractions. 

Beijing

Beijing: bei – north, or northern; jing – capital. 

In fact many different cities have been capitals of China, including Xi'an and Nanjing (nan – south, or southern).

Now it is very much established as the centre of Chinese government. 

It has traffic. It has very serious air quality problems but it also has charms, including the old low-rise residential areas or 'hutongs'. 

Main sites: The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, The Temple of Heaven, The Summer Palace, The Great Wall, plus hutongs, roast duck restaurants, teahouses in the parks,  789 Art Zone, Chinese cultural performances ...

Pingyao

Shangxi Province

Pingyao is a walled city with a network of lanes that are too narrow for serious traffic and are lined with shops selling antiques, antique replicas, and other goods for the large numbers of tourists. Dating back more than two and a half thousand years, having its heyday as a banking centre for several hundred years until the start of the twentieth century, it is, certainly one of the best places to get a sense of Old China.

Nearest major transport hub: Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, about 90 km away.

Xi’an

and the terracotta warriors

A three thousand year old city, matching Athens and Rome in importance … a base for visiting the ‘Terracotta Army’, which can be argued to be the GREATEST wonder of the ancient world … with 700 year old walls enclosing towers and temples, markets and museums, peaceful corners amid bustling streets …

Xi’an and the nearby centres have a population of more then 12 million. So there is an international airport, and many hotels.

Huangshan

Anhui Province

This is the ultimate rock garden. The crags, the vegetation, the mountain mists and cloudscapes, in winter the snow and in late spring the wild rhododendrons – the inspiration for much Chinese painting and poetry.

Nearest major transport hub: Huangshang city, also known as Tunxi, in Anhui Province, has a train station with high speed (gao tie) link to Shanghai and Hangzhou, and also an airport. 

Getting to the mountain: There are inexpensive buses from Tunxi / Huangshan town to Tangkou, taking a little more than an hour. Then, having paid for park entrance, official buses will take you to the Yuping and Xinyungou cable car base stations.

The general area is very beautiful in the springtime. Tea grows on the valley slopes and there are several old villages – see the full report.

Note: If you ask for a map in the shops you will receive an attractively decorated piece of paper that has little value for choosing pathways on the mountain.

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