Embark on an immersive journey revealing China's enduring icons, including a remarkably preserved section of the Great Wall, the mysterious Terra Cotta Warriors and the furry pandas of Chengdu. Continue south to meet minority groups in Lijiang and then northeast to experience cosmopolitan Shanghai.
Zhongdian (Shangri-la)
Zhongdian (Shangri-la)
Known as Shangri-La for marketing purposes, Zhongdian lies on the border with Tibet. (Tibetans know the area as Gyelthang.) It is home to the Rhingha Temple and the Zong Gu monastery, site of the world's largest Buddhist prayer wheel. Nearby is Pudacuo National Park and Tiger Leaping Gorge. The town is an interesting ethnic mix of Tibetan and Han residents, with smaller populations of Naxi, Bai, Yi and Lisu, and surrounded by Tibetan villages. Unfortunately, the old town is being rapidly redeveloped as a major tourism center, replete with ubiquitous outlets selling fake tiger skins and North Face jackets, while "ethnic" dancers don their traditional get-ups to woo tourist dollars. Nightly dancing begins in the main square at 8 pm; anyone is welcome to participate in this popular tourist attraction. Remote Lands, a New York-based tour operator focused entirely on Asia, provides tours to Zhongdian and other less-familiar destinations in China. Phone 646-415-8092. http://www.remotelands.com.
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Destination Guide
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Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is a teeming metropolis of 11 million, bustling with energy, towering skyscrapers, art deco buildings, honking traffic, and shopping crowds. Once here, visitors will find Eastern ways abound: Tai Chi along the Bund, the serenity of exquisite ponds and gardens, and an endless flotilla of sampans edging along the Huangpu River. Explore Shanghai old and new: the busy bazaars and alleyways of the Old Town, Yu Garden, Wuxingting Tea House, Long Hua Temple and more.
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Destination Guide
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Lijiang
Lijiang
Lijiang is a popular tourist destination in Yunnan Province. The town is culturally rich with it's Old Town District, 800 year old bridges and waterways. The views atop Jade Dragon Snow Mountain are breathtaking, and the Dongba cultural center of Jade Water Village is worth visiting.
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Destination Guide
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Chengdu
Chengdu
The main inland access city to Tibet, Chengdu is the capital of the "Heavenly State". Most known for its natural habitat and research center for giant pandas, this sprawling city boasts a population of over 11 million.
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Destination Guide
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Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an - with five million inhabitants and capital of Shaanxi Province - is one of the more pleasant of Chinese cities, more prosperous than any other city in inland China except Chengdu, with streets full of Japanese cars, stores flooded with temptations, and stylish locals in new discos. It's far richer than the surrounding area, a fact which becomes clear after a bus ride into surrounding plains. The city is also a primer in Chinese history, as between 1000 BC and 1000 AD it served as imperial capital for eleven dynasties. Find a wealth of important sites and relics hereabouts: Neolithic Banpo, the Terracotta Army of the Qin emperor, the Han and Tang imperial tombs, and in the city itself, the Goose Pagodas of the Tang, the Bell and Drum towers and Ming city walls, as well as two museums holding a treasury of relics from the most glamorous parts of Chinese history. The city is very popular with foreign residents, and many come to study, as the colleges are regarded as some of the best places to learn Chinese.
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Destination Guide
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Beijing
Beijing
Beijing is the country's economic, cultural and transportation center as well as a famous historical capital of China. Located in northwest North China Plain, Beijing is the second largest city in China with a population of more than 11 million and is ideal to visit all year. There are numerous museums and libraries with the largest collection of books in the country. It also serves as a center for science and technology. It is a hub of communications, with good railroad and air links with all parts of China and with major cities of the world, thus facilitating the rapid development of tourism as an important industry in Beijing. Beijing is an ancient city with a long cultural history. The four feudal dynasties--Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing had all set up their capital here and it became a most concentrated place of the country's scenic spots and historical sites. The best known are the Palace Museum, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven. Beijing aims to develop into a modern international metropolis..
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Destination Guide
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