China\'s capital city eagerly awaits your visit! Locations below are available in our different package tours but can also be included in a custom upon request.
Acrobatics is an interactive art form. Admirers from all walks of life can immediately appreciate and be dazzled by acrobats as it is a specialty no language barrier or cultural border.
The history of acrobatics in China can be traced back to Neolithic times. It is believed that acrobatics grew out of the labor and self-defense skills that the people practiced and demonstrated during their leisure time.
A professional acrobatic program requires significant preparation time before it is ready to be performed in public. Acrobatic art has its own genre. The performance itself is very depictive and requires very specific lighting and musical accompaniment.
A passer-by strolling east of Tiananmen Square in the middle of Beijing will be surprised to see an ancient observatory high up on the top of a fort-like building at Jianguo Gate.
On entering the unassuming entrance of the observatory compound (built in 1422), one can see various sea-faring instruments at the courtyard. One then enters a two story museum which is a collection of pictures, write-ups and busts to show the ancient Chinese scientists and their various astronomical achievements. An impressive replica of a Ming Dynasty gold foil map of the constellations can be seen in the museum.
The Beijing Country Golf Club is an beautiful sight with tall, green trees, lakes, jade stone bridges, and green hills scattered about. You will feel the naturally rural atmosphere from tee box to green.
Challenging greens and a truly unique design make the lighted fairways an adventure every time you tee off and cater to golfers of all skill levels. The site also hosts a driving range, swimming pool, tennis courts, bowling, sauna room and workout center.
Built next to the beautiful Ming Tombs Reservoir, the 18-hole, par 72 course at the Beijing International Golf Club covers 250 acres with a length of 6,986 yards.
The entire course is at the feet of the surrounding mountains, with the fairways winding throught them.
The course is among the most popular in China and hosted the Volvo China Open three years in a row. The long fairways are well over 500 yards. The most difficult is the par 4, 405 yard 7th hole with its tight, tree-lined fairway. While working toward par on this challenging hole, you\'ll be in awe of the astounding natural beauty.
Cloisonné is a unique combination of copper and porcelain working skills, traditional painting, sculpting, and etching skills. Originating in Beijing during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), cloisonné is an intricate process requiring many years of training for an artisan to master.
Over the centuries, a great variety of beautiful and creative cloisonne have been created. They are brilliant in color and splendid in design. Cloisonne is one of the defining arts and crafts of Beijing.
See for yourself the ancient art of cloisonne at one of the original creation sites.
Lying at the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City (Gu Gong in Mandarin Chinese) was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now known as the Palace Museum, it is to the north of Tiananmen Square.
Rectangular in shape, it is the world\'s largest palace complex. Surrounded by a seven foot deep moat and a 12 foot high wall are 9,999 buildings. The wall has a gate on each side. Opposite the Tiananmen Gate and to the north is the Gate of Devine Might (Shenwumen), which faces Jingshan Park. There are unique and delicately structured towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall that afford breathtaking views over both the palace and the city outside.
The Great Wall of China is acknowledged as one of the greatest wonders of the world. Like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles) from east to west of China.
With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.
People say the real culture of Beijing lies in the Hutong or, culture of the courtyard.
How true that is, for it is from within the Hutongs that every day Chinese culture originates. A Hutong is a typical lane or small street in Beijing dating back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). In many cases, Hutongs were formed when people left a passageway between two courtyards to make entering them more convenient.
Hutong is a Mongolian word that means water \'well\'. Historically, towns and cities grew around the area where water wells were dug, making the wells the center of the community. There are literally tens of thousands of hutongs throughout Beijing, especially around The Forbidden City.
Hutongs and similar courtyards reflect the ritualistic and traditional ideas of China, and contain rich cultural connotations. They are the archetypes of the royal architecture.
There\'s no better place for a clear aerial view of the Forbidden City than from Jingshan Park. The park\'s central hill was created using earth left over from the digging of the imperial moat and was the highest point in the city during the Ming dynasty.
It was designed to enhance the fengshui of the Forbidden City, by blocking the harsh northern wind and by burying a Mongol Yuan dynasty pavilion, the Yanchun Ge. A tree on the east side of the hill marks the spot where the last Ming emperor, Chongzhen, supposedly hanged himself in 1644, just before Manchu and rebel armies overran the city.
The Lao She Teahouse is a very exciting cultural experience not usually found on a tourist itinerary. It is named after the drama Teahouse by Chinese author, Lao She. Although an attempt to give a taste of a Beijing tea-house during Lao She\'s time, it has instead transformed into a wonderful entertainment house with short shows by comedians, singers, musicians, acrobats and opera performers. In short, a kaleidoscopic view of Beijing culture is to be had while sipping tea with light refreshment.
Dinner before the show is provided separately in another section of the building. An adjacent room display paintings, art objects like paper cuttings, figurines, antiques, kites and jade carvings.
Kung Fu is one of the most well known features of traditional Chinese culture. Kung Fu has been developed for self-protection and survival. Over its long history, it has become a unique combination of exercise, practical self-defense, self-discipline and art. The form was popularized in the West by the Chinese Kung Fu actors Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.
The skills of Chinese Kung Fu consist of various forms of fighting: fist fights (e.g. long fist, southern fist), weapon fights (e.g. lance, staff, rapier, the rope dart), and other fighting routines (including kicking, hitting, throwing, holding, chopping and thrusting) and unarmed combat. Chinese Kung Fu contains many different styles including the well-known Shaolin Temple System.
Our Kung Fu show will amaze you with feats physical and mental prowess. This is a performance you will remember for years to come.
The Temple of Heaven, at three times the area of the Forbidden City, is China\'s largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings. It was built in 1420 for emperors to worship Heaven. The principle buildings include the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar.
The Altar of Prayer for Good Harvest stands on a round foundation built with three levels of marble stones. This towering triple-eave hall is under a three-story, cone-shaped glaze-tile roof in blue color crowned with a gilded knob. A circular wall of polished bricks known as the Echo Wall encloses the Imperial Vault of Heaven.
Located at the center of Beijing City is Tiananmen Square, where you can visit Tiananmen Tower, Monument to the People\'s Heroes, Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall and see the national flag raising ceremony. Thousands of people come to the Square every day.
The granite Monument to the People\'s Heroes is just at the center of the Tiananmen Square. Built in 1952, it is the largest monument in China\'s history. "The People\'s Heroes are Immortal", written by Chairman Mao, is engraved on the monument. Eight unusually large relief sculptures show to the people the development of Chinese modern history. Two rows of white marble railings provide a simple, yet beautiful, enclosure to the monument.
The present Tiananmen Square has an area of roughly 110 acres and has become a relaxing place for locals to fly kites and walk. On holidays, the entire square is covered with fresh flowers.
Yeya Lake is the largest wetland bird habitat near Beijing. The lake, covering 800 acres of water area and over 1,300 acres of wetland and grassland, has recently been designated a protected zone for birds. In addition to over 400 swans, more than 150 species of birds including geese, cormorants, wild ducks, grey heron, great egret, Eurasian spoonbill and black cranes can been found at the lake.
As an outdoor leisure activity, birdwatching is not yet particularly popular among Beijing people, making Beijing\'s best spots all the more attractive and undisturbed.
Historically, the Yonghegong Lama Temple was a residence for Emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. It was built in the 33rd year of Kangxi\'s reign (1694) and was changed into a Emperor\'s palace in the 3rd year of Yongzheng\'s reign (1725). In the 9th year of Qianlong\'s reign (1744), it became a temple of the Lama Buddhist sect.
The Yonghegong Lama Temple was made up of three exquisite arches, the Yonghe Door, the Yonghegong Hall, Yongyou Hall, Falun Hall, Wanfu Hall, and the Neicheng Hall. It also has the East and West side halls, the \'Four Halls of Scholarship\' (Medicine Hall, Mathematics Hall, Mizong Buddhist Sect Hall, and Scripture Recital Hall) as well as two display rooms for relics.
Xian stands as a living history book of the great changes of the Chinese nation. Called Chang\'an in ancient times, Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the country. During Xian\'s 3,100 year development, 13 dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th century BC - 771 BC), Qin (221 BC - 206 BC), Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD) and Tang (618 - 907) placed their capitals here.
Tour stops available in Xian include:
Shaanxi Provincial Museum
Located to the northwest of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, in the south suburb of Xian city, the Shanxi Provincial Museum is a epitome of Shaanxi\'s glamorous imperial past. The museum building was designed in China\'s ancient Tang Dynasty style, grand and elegant.
Built at the site of a former Confucian temple in the southern part of Xian, this is the largest and most comprehensive museum in the province. It exhibits rare and beautiful historical relics of past dynasties and displays precious art treasures and stone carvings of the Han and Tang dynasties.
The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.
Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum. They are replicas of what the imperial guards looked like back in the days of pomp and vigor.
Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur.
The Xian City Wall is not only the most completely well preserved example of ancient Chinese architecture but also the largest and most integral ancient military fort in the world.
The wall was constructed in the early Ming Dynasty on the basis of the Imperial City of Chang An (Everlasting Peace) of the Tang Dynasty. It is also a symbol of great significance of the famous historic cultural city of Xian.
As old as it is, the Xian Wall has been preserved intact. The construction of the Xian City was formally started in the seventh year of Emperor Hongwu\'s reign (1374) and completed in the eleventh year of Hongwu\'s reign (1378).
Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement that creates harmony and prosperity in our lives. If you have walked into a home or a place of business and instantly felt at ease, chances are you have experienced good Feng Shui. If you couldn\'t get out of a store or office fast enough, you may have been in an establishment that didn\'t have good Feng Shui.
For over four thousand years, Feng Shui practitioners have balanced the relationship between the natural world and our dwelling spaces. While it began as a method for choosing auspicious land for optimum survival, Feng Shui is recognized today as an effective method for helping us function in our complex, modern societies.
The Chinese Feng Shui character literally means \'wind and water\'. This represents a natural balance of opposite forces such as the familiar yin yang.
Situated roughly 75 miles east of Xian, Mt. Huashan is known as \'The Number One Precipitous Mountain Under Heaven\'. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China which include Mt. Taishan in Shandong, Mt. Hengshan in Hunan, Mt. Hengshan in Shanxi, and Mt. Songshan in Henan.
In ancient times, Mt. Huashan was called Mt. Taihuashan. From a distance the five peaks seem to form the shape of a \'flower\' (hua in Chinese), hence the name \'Huashan\'. It is famous for its natural vistas of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags, and a high mountain range. It is home to several influential Taoist temples where emperors of past dynasties made pilgrimages, making Mt. Huashan the holy land of Taoism.
Paper-cut is a very distinctive visual art of Chinese handicrafts. It originated from the 6th century when women used to paste golden and silver foil cuttings onto their hair at the temples, and men used them in sacred rituals. Later, they were used during festivals to decorate gates and windows. After hundreds of years\' development, now they have become a very popular means of decoration among country folk, especially women.
Although other art forms, like painting, can also show similar scenes, paper cutting still stands out for its charm - exacting lines and ingenious patterns which are all hand-made.
The Chinese shadow play is a kind of puppet show as well as an ancient Chinese play. The "figures" on performance are made of donkey skin, oxhide and sheep skin. After tanning and flattening, the skins are carved, colored, ironed flat and bound into different shapes, which are controlled and played on the screen by artists through lights. Accompanied by music and singing, they become very interesting artistic images, which can \'tell stories of hundreds of dynasties\'.
The Chinese shadow play has close ties with other Chinese arts. It is a flat carving art, which is similar to the folk paper-cutting. From the modeling of figures, stage property, horses and carts and buildings of the shadow play, it is similar to the figures of local operas. The figure of a shadow play can be carved only from the front side. The modeling of the shadow play stresses on empty instead of solid, forming a contrast between the empty and solid and projecting the image.
Jiujiang is located in northern Jiangxi Province. It is a famous cultural and tourist city in south of the Yangtze River with about 2,200 years of history, famous scenic spots are all over the city including the famous Yangtze River and Poyang Lake.
Located in the Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, Poyang Lake is the largest fresh-water lake in China. Having experienced many geological changes, Poyang Lake is now wide in the south and narrow in the north, like a huge gourd tied on the waist of the Yangtze River.
Looking out over the vastness of Poyang Lake, with its blue waves that stretch to the horizon, is much like standing on the shore and looking out over an ocean. On days when the sun shines and the sky is a clear blue, the sky and the water of the lake seem to meet on the horizon.
Poyang Lake is rich in aquatic plants, which create a hospitable environment for many rare species of freshwater fish. In addition, many kinds of rare birds are attracted to the lake, making it a popular destination for birdwatchers.
Huang Shan... Land of Yellow MountainsOf all the notable mountains in China, Mount Huang Shan, to be found in the south of Anhui province, is probably the most famous. Originally known as Mt. Yishan, it was renamed Mt. Huang Shan in 747 AD in recognition of the legendary Huang Di, who was the reputed ancestor of the Chinese people and who made magic pills for immortality here.
Mt. Huang Shan has a spectacular landscape with four unique types of scenery: stunning shaped rocks, picturesque waterfalls, shaped pine trees growing out of rocks, and a sea of clouds. On Huang Shan, you will find the sheer beauty, the grace, and the breathtaking elegance of nature at its most creative. Huang Shan\'s ever-changing scenes attract tourists in all seasons and has inspired countless Chinese painters and poets for thousands of years.
Mt. Huang Shan boasts 72 peaks more than 1,000 meters above sea level, with three main peaks rising majestically. They are both fascinating and dangerously steep. Cliffs, stone forests, stone pillars, stone blocks and egg-shaped stones form the unique granite geomorphological scenery awaiting your discovery.
Shanghai... Where Old World Meets NewToday\'s Shanghai is a multi-cultural metropolis with both modern and traditional Chinese features. Bubbling Shanghai shows off every aspect of her unique glamour.
Shanghai is a scintillating city swirling with rapid cultural change. Since market restrictions were lifted, it has embraced the forces of business and design and rewritten its rule book shaping a fresh, new city that is sophisticated, innovative and living a life it has never lived before.
A wide variety of cuisines can be found in the city and today Shanghai offers a plethora of culinary delights focusing on the traditions of Beijing, Yangzhou, Sichuan, Guangzhou as well as its own local dishes. Shanghai\'s restaurants are among the finest to be found in China and they welcome diners from anywhere at any time.
Yuyuan Garden is a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai. The garden was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for Pan\'s parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age.
In the 400 years of its existence, Yuyuan Garden has undergone many changes. During the late Ming Dynasty, it became very dilapidated with the decline of Pan\'s family. In 1760, some rich merchants bought Yuyuan Garden and spent more than 20 years reconstructing the buildings. The Yuyuan Garden you see today is the result of a five year restoration project which began in 1956. The garden was open to the public in September, 1961.
To the casual eye, Shanghai is a city obsessed modernity, from the stark space of People\'s Square to Huaihai Lu, where all the old buildings have been razed to make way for department stores or covered in green glass and converted into boutiques. The sense of timeless and tranquility that can be found in China\'s older and more \'Chinese\' cities seems to be lacking in the midst of Shanghai\'s fast-paced bustle. That is, unless you know where to look.
Beyond the tourist theme parks of Yuyuan and the \'Shanghai Old Street\' lies a little known treasure trove of living history. In Old Shanghai, as foreign ways and architecture dominated the rest of the city, its \'Chinatown\' was a crowded place of winding streets, vibrant markets, entrenched customs and a lifestyle that remained relatively unaltered despite the rapid pace of change around it. That description still holds true today, and the little back lanes of the Old City remain an intriguing anachronism of the way life was lived a century ago.
The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Road, is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It starts from the Baidu Bridge, which is at the connecting point of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek, to the East Jinling Road and winds less than one mile in length. Walking along the Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen on the opposite side and also the Jin Mao Tower. Being one of the Top Ten Shanghai attractions, the Bund is a really beautiful and special place which is worth visiting.
The most famous and attractive sites are the 52 various buildings of different architectural styles including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance. The Bund was the centre of Shanghai\'s politics, economy and culture hundreds of years ago, consulates of most countries and many banks, businesses and newspaper offices were settled there.
Being the third tallest building of the world and the tallest building in China, Jin Mao Tower is located in the center of Lujiazui Finance and Trade Districts in Pudong.
The 88-stories Jin Mao Tower was completed in 1999. It is almost 1,380 feet tall and covers an area of almost 6 acres.
Jin Mao includes modern offices, a deluxe 5-star hotel, exhibition halls, banquet halls, an observation deck, and entertainment facilities.
The tower has the best elevators available. Two direct elevators operate at the speed of nearly 30 feet per second that can send visitors from the ground floor to the 88th floor for only 45 seconds. There are also five to six elevators every 10 floors, which reduce waiting-time to 35 seconds even during busy times.
Approximately one million migratory birds now spend the winter on Chongming Island, Shanghai, according to a recent survey. These birds, of more than 100 species, include some 100 hooded cranes, one of the world\'s most endangered crane species.
Experts say Chongming Island, China\'s third largest at the mouth of the Yangtze River, is very important for the survival of birds migrating between Northeast Asia and Australia. Every year large numbers of migratory birds arrive on the island, residing mostly on its eastern end in a wetland area of some 220 square kilometers, about one-fifth of the island\'s land mass. In 1998, the municipal government set up a nature reserve on the island to better protect the habitat of rare birds.
The reserve, covering more than 326 square kilometers, has since become home to an increasing number of bird species during the winter, including cranes and storks from northeast China and Siberia.
Small nested rivers flow through the region south of the Yangtze river. The soil is fertile, and the weather is gentle. In ancient times, rivers were a primary means of transportation. Many canals were built to facilitate these water highways.
In recent history, wars, the cultural revolution, and the rapid economic development around Shanghai, Jiangsu, and the Zhejiang province has contributed to the \'destruction\' of countless numbers of these ancient towns and cultural relics. However, the Watertown culture is not completely destroyed.
Today, there are six famous and well preserved Watertowns remaining in Zhejiang and the Jiangsu Province. They are remarkably rich in culture and are being preserved at great expense by the local governments. In these Watertowns, one can see Chinese architecture over 1,000 years old including countless numbers of unique bridges and small Chinese boats. In a Watertown, you\'ll see an ancient culture and a way of living that is quickly fading from modern China.
In the western part of Shanghai sits the glorious Jade Buddha Temple. In 1882, an old temple was built to keep two jade Buddha statues which had been brought from Burma by a monk named Huigen. The temple was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Fortunately the jade Buddha statues were saved and a new temple was built on the present site in 1928 and named the Jade Buddha Temple.
Although the history of the Jade Buddha Temple is not very long, the old-time and classical architectural style makes the temple unique in this modern city. Devajara Hall, Mahavira Hall and the Jade Buddha Tower make up the main structure of the temple. The Sitting Buddha is in the Jade Buddha Tower and the Recumbent Buddhas are in the Recumbent Buddha Hall. More than 7,000 Dazang sutras are kept in the Jade Buddha Tower.
This stop is also available on the Echo Buddha, and Silk Road Tours.
The French Concession was founded in 1862 in southwest Shanghai as a result of the Treaty of Nanking. The concession is a pleasant mix of wide tree lined streets and interesting European style architecture.
The foreign diplomatic quarter, top hotels, great shopping and international restaurants and bars are all found in this area\'s art deco buildings. In the 20s and 30s, the French Concession was famous for its lawlessness and decadence. This spirit of anarchy also attracted political activists and a house in the concession is the Site of the 1st National Congress of the Communist Party.
Huaihai Road, once known as Avenue Joffre, is one of Shanghai\'s favorite shopping roads. Chic shops housed in French style buildings sell Shanghai\'s finest goods, designer clothes and much more.
The historical city of Dunhuang is renowned for its Mogao Caves. It is situated on the boundary between the Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang Provinces.
Dunhuang, long ago referred to as \'Sha Zhou\' (beautiful desert oasis), was the hub of middle and eastern silk routes in ancient times. The city landmark is an attractive statue based on a mural in the Mogao Caves, a shrine to the culture and arts of Dunhuang.
Located on the eastern slope of Rattling Sand Mountain (Mingshashan) southeast of Dunhuang County in Gansu Province, the Mogao Grottoes (also known as Thousand Buddha Cave) is one of three noted grottoes in China and also the largest, best preserved and richest treasure house of Buddhist art in the world.
Today, 492 caves still stand, containing some 2,100 colored statues and 45,000 square meters of murals. These murals, if joined together, would cover a length of over 18 miles.
The caves vary in size with the smallest being a foot or so wide while the largest stretches from the base to the top of the mountain, with a height of over 40 meters. The colored statues also differ in size, ranging from a few centimeters to 33 meters high, embodying the remarkable imagination of their makers.
Have you ever heard of a mountain that echoes to the sound of sand as you slide down its slopes? Here in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, you will have the chance to enjoy the wonderful spectacle of the Echoing Sand Mountain.
The mountain is about three miles away from the city of Dunhuang. Seen from afar, the mountain looks like a golden dragon winding its way over the horizon. As you approach you realize the sand has many colors ranging from red to yellow, green, black and white. On windy days, the fast shifting sands roar but when the wind is gentle, the sand produces dulcet sounds akin to music.
The same sound can be heard a you slide down the mountain. At first, the sand under your feet just whispers. But as you slide further, the sound level rises until it reaches a thunder-like crescendo. Some say that the sand is singing, while to others it is like an echo, hence how the mountain gets its name.
This most unusual crescent-shaped spring lies in the green basin of Mingsha Mountain, hence comes the name Yueya Spring (Crescent Spring). The Crescent Spring is located at the north foot of Mingsha Mountain, about 50 meters from north to south and 5 meters deep on an average.
The Crescent Spring water is sweet and crystal clear, and never gets covered up by drift sand. It never overflows after long-lasting rain or dries up after a long drought. It has wonderful scenery, with flickering leaves of aspens and weeping willows, sweet flowers of narrow-leaved oleaster, swaying reeds and hovering wide birds.
Reputed as the first desert spring under heaven, the crystal clear Crescent Spring is one of the eight sights in Dunhuang. It is also a national key point of interest, ranking among one of the forty famous scenic spots in China.
Kashgar is a important hub on the Old Silk Road, a vibrant Islamic centre within Chinese territory. It is the largest oasis city in Chinese Central Asia and 90 percent of its population of over 3 million are Uygur. Kashgar\'s importance derives from its stratehic position at the foot of the Pamir Mountains, commanding access to the high glacial passes of the Silk Road routes into Central Asia, India and Persia.
Tour stops available in Kashgar include:
Visit the Mal Bazaar
In the old districts of Kashgar, many streets have \'bazaar\' as part of their names. Although most of the bazaars have ceased to exist except in name, there are still some in use. From the names of these streets people can imagine the past glory of this ancient trading city on the Old Silk Road.
Kashgar markets are open every day. The famous Sunday bazaar has been operating since ancient times, and the scale has grown, attracting merchants from all over Xinjiang and neighboring countries such as Pakistan and Kirghizstan.
On Sundays, the whole city becomes a big market. It is hard to tell the markets from the ordinary streets. Of the 20 markets, some are comprehensive while others are specialized, selling local produce, arts and crafts, garments, knives, timber, coal or animals. Among the largest are the animal markets. Each day, more than 1,000 head of cattle, horses, sheep and camels are traded here.
Kashgar\'s Old Town contains a large group of Uygur residential houses. The Old Town city is now home to 630 homes with more than 2,450 people, all of whom are Muslims.
The town, which is well over 2,000 years old, is located at a precipitous position with mud-thatched buildings densely built one atop another. Numerous small lanes crisscross the town and reach every corner of it. Houses are generally equipped with a staircase that leads to the top of the building but the condition of these can be treacherous at times.
Each house has a courtyard which vary is size based on the terrain. Similarly, all the yards grow the Muslim-favored trees and flowers, such as mulberry, figs, megranate, almond, grape, rose, China rose. The yards are heavily shaded, proving a tranquil environment for relaxing and refreshing. In bigger yards, some owners have even built a pergola for grape vines.
Jiuzhai... Snow Capped Peaks & Picturesque Valleys
For sheer scenic beauty and variety, Jiuzhai has it all: dense forest, green meadow, rivers, rapids, ribbon lakes in various shades of blue and green, chalky shoals, and waterfalls of every kind -- long and narrow, short and wide, terraced, rushing, and cascading.
Of cultural interest are the six remaining Tibetan villages of the original nine from which this valley gets its name. Some 1,000 Tibetans, of 130 families, live within the site. The area is supported by so-called "green buses" that run along special highways within the valley delivering passengers to various scenic spots. You\'ll also find a network of raised plank paths and wooden pavilions that afford visitors a proximity to natural wonders that would otherwise be unapproachable.
Situated in the northwest of Sichuan Province, the Huanglong valley is made up of snow-capped peaks and the easternmost of all the Chinese glaciers. In addition to its mountain landscape, diverse forest ecosystems can be found, as well as spectacular limestone formations, waterfalls and hot springs. The area also has a population of endangered animals, including the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey.
Huanglong (\'Yellow Dragon\') is famous for its colored ponds, snow mountains, and fascinating canyons and forests. The Yellow Dragon Valley is in a glaciated alpine valley at an elevation of above 3,000 meters (about 10,000 feet), which is the heart of the scenic area, best known for its limestone formation landscape.
Water is the soul of Huanglong. The melting snow water from the mountain enriched with the limestone water from underground flows down the valley. The over 3,000 colored ponds in the valley are not only formed by deposition of the calcium carbonate of the limestone water on the rocks and branches, but also brought into life by the live sparkling streams.
Jiuzhaigou (Nine-Village Gully) National Park is a scenic spot tucked away in the depth of mountains at Nanping county in the northern part of Sichuan Province. Stretching over 27,000 square miles in the northern part of Sichuan Province, the jagged Jiuzhaigou valley reaches a height of more than 15,600 feet, thus comprising a series of diverse forest ecosystems. The scenic spot actually consists of three major gullies which formerly were the site of nine stockaded villages of Tibetans
Jiuzhaigou is well-known for its network of alpine lakes, spectacular waterfalls and wonderful vegetation. There are, for instance, 108 terraced lakes in the midst of great mountains where the valleys echo with the roar of cataracts and Cliffside springs. The place, therefore, has always enjoyed the reputation of being a \'Wonderland on Earth\'. It abounds in virgin forests and rare flowers and grasses. The vast primeval forests also hosts all kinds of rare birds and animals. Some 140 bird species also inhabit the valley, as well as a number of endangered plant and animal species, including the panda (a tare animal not to be found elsewhere in the world) and the Sichuan takin.
Chengdu is the capital of \'Heavenly State\' (Tian Fu Zhi Guo), habitat of giant pandas and city of cotton-rose hibiscus.
Located in the west of Sichuan Basin and in the center of Chengdu Plain, Chengdu covers a total area of 12.3 thousand square kilometres (4,749 square miles) with a population of over 11 million.
China\'s giant pandas are not only a national treasure but are also beloved by people the world over. They are found only in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. In total there are fewer than 1000, of which 80% are distributed within the territory of Sichuan province. When visitors from home and abroad come to Chengdu, Sichuan Province one of their main objectives will be to see the giant pandas for themselves.
Located just 6 miles away from downtown Chengdu, the Chengdu Panda Research Center has been created and imitates the pandas\' natural habitat to provide the best possible environment for rearing and breeding.
The Center also cares for other rare and endangered wild animals and covers an area of 92 acres. Giant pandas, lesser pandas, black-necked cranes, white storks as well as over 20 species of other rare animals are fed and bred at the Center throughout the year. Verdant bamboo, bright flowers, fresh air, a natural hill scene and a beautiful artificial view are merged ingeniously at the base.
This stop is also available on the Echo Buddha and Craft Tours.
There is an old saying, \'China has the best tea houses in the world and Chengdu has the best tea houses in China.\' It is a well-deserved reputation, not only because of the numerous tea houses, but because of the special way of serving and drinking tea.
As soon as you enter the tea house, you are greeted by servers with a smile and with teapots and cups in their hands. After you\'re seated, the cups are set on the table and water is poured from behind the guests or from above their heads. When the cups are almost full, the servers suddenly raise their hands into the air, yet not a drop of water is spilled.
A trip to a Chengdu tea house is not only a truly relaxing experience but provides a taste of the real China.
The Leshan Giant Buddha is a statue of Maitreya (a Bodhisattva usually represented as a very stout monk with a broad smile on his face and with his naked breast and paunch exposed to view) in sitting posture. The Buddha is located to the east of Leshan City, Sichuan Province, at the confluence of three rivers (the Min, Qingyi, and Dadu Rivers).
The statue makes itself the most renowned scenic spot in Leshan City. Begun in the year 713 in the Tang Dynasty, and finished in the year 803, the statue took people more than 90 years to carve. During these years, thousands of workers had expended their efforts and wisdom on the project. As the biggest carved stone Buddha in the world, Leshan Giant Buddha is featured in poetry, song and story.
Embroidery is a brilliant pearl in Chinese art. Embroidery is a traditional Chinese craft which consists of pulling colored threads through a background material with embroidery needles to stitch colored patterns that have been previously designed on the ground.
Chinese embroidery had already reached a high level early in the Qin and Han dynasties, and silk and embroidery were the main products transported along the ancient Chinese Silk Road.
The adoption of different needling methods resulted in different embroidery styles and technique schools. The four famous Chinese embroidery styles are the Su embroidery of Jiangsu Province, the Xiang embroidery of Hunan Province, the Yue embroidery of Guangdong Province and the Shu embroidery of Sichuan Province.
Chongqing is a port city with the largest municipal area and population in China. It is situated in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers in southwest China. With an area of 31,800 square miles, Chongqing shares borders with the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Shaanxi.
Besides the Han who form the majority of its total population of 30.9 million, numerous ethnic groups reside in Chongqing, including Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Qiang, You and Tujia.
Ciqikou is an old town preserved in sprawling modern Chongqing, about an hour\'s drive from the city center. It\'s an old sleepy town built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
The town\'s name means \'porcelain harbor\', and the community prospered from the porcelain trade. Today, it offers a glimpse of the peaceful laid-back life in the Sichuan countryside and is somewhere to take a break from the busy commercial world.
With a history of more than 1,800 years, it has some typical traditional and cultural characteristics featured in an area where mountains and rivers cross and the buildings are in a picturesque disorder.
Ciqikou is a charming quiet place with transitional Chinese folk culture and construction. You will completely enjoy the quiet relaxation and release from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
This stop is also available on the Echo Buddha and Health Tours.
The Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia and third longest in the world. The headwaters of the Yangtze are situated at an elevation of about 16,000 feet in the Kunlun Mountains in the southwestern section of Qinghai. It flows generally south through Sichuan into Yuanan then northeast and east across central China through Sichuan, Hubei, Auhui, and Juangsu provinces to its mouth, 3,720 miles, in the East China Sea north of Shanghai. The river has over 700 tributaries but the principal tributaries are the Hun, Yalong, Jialing, Min, Tuo Jiang, and Wu Jiang. The climate ranges from 96 degrees in the summer to cold, brisk temperatures in the winter.
A Yangtze River tour through Chongqing will prove to be a breathtaking and relaxing experience.
This stop is also available on the Echo Buddha and Health Tours.
The Dazu Stone Sculptures, located in the western part of Chongqing, are known worldwide for the sixty thousand grand stone sculptures from the Tang and Song dynasties. They are recognize for their beauty and are excellent works of stone carving produced during the later period of grotto arts in China.
Experts and tourists are intrigued by many of these masterpieces such as Venus of the Eastcharming Guanying and the statue of Avalokitesvara. In 1961, Dazu Sculpture appeared on the list of the first group of important cultural relics under state protection as promulgated by the China State Council.
The stone carvings of Dazu, chiefly of Buddhist images, are religious artworks praised as the "Oriental Carved Bible". There are also, however, separate areas of Confucian and Taoist images, and caves in which the founders of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism are placed together.
The city of Luoyang enjoys a pre-eminent reputation as a cradle of Chinese civilization. For over 4,000 years, it served as the capital city of thirteen different Chinese kingdoms including the first, the Xia Dynasty (21st-16th century B.C.). Luoyang is endowed with countless historical sites and cultural treasures.
Shaolin Temple, on the slopes of Mt. Songshan between Luoyang and Zhengzhou, is renowned for its Shaolin martial arts that are so popular in China and the rest of the world. Built in the year 495, the temple preserves its original palaces, mural paintings and stone inscriptions.
The Shaolin temple has many legends and mysteries surrounding it. The origin of martial arts, the origin of Kung Fu surround the vague mysteries of the Shaolin Temple and the shaolin monks.
Shaolin Temple is probably the most famous temple in China, not only because of its long history and its role in Chinese Buddhism, Shaolin Temple Pagoda but also because of its martial arts.
Shaolin Temple is situated in the beautiful Songshan Mountains, which is only eight miles of Dengfeng and about 50 miles southwest of Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province.
There are many noted relics at Shaolin. There are over 300 ancient stone inscriptions, some of them by famous calligraphers. The large mural of 500 arhats in the Qianfo Hall was from the Ming Dynasty. There are 232 pagodas from different dynasties, known as the forest of pagodas. The oldest one was from the Tang Dynasty. The pagodas are the tombs of the celebrated Shaolin monks. The Shaolin martial arts are an important part of the relics.
Yangshuo lies in the northeast of Guangxi Province and to the southeast of Guilin City. The special geography gives it breath-taking beauty while over 1,400 years of history bless it with a deep traditional culture. The diverse ethnic minority groups including Hui, Zhuang, Yao and others, enrich it with special folk cultures represented by their various festivals while many foreign residents add exotic flavors to its fascination.
Streets in Yangshuo are well kept in the original style, presenting the simple and primitive atmosphere of the ancient town. West Street is the most exciting one that locals call the \'Global Village\'. There are quite a number of foreign residents managing cafés and restaurants. The exotic flavor, combined with the traditional culture, make the West Street world famous.
Tour stops available in Yangshuo include:
Bike Along the Yulong River
A major tributary of the Li River, the Yulong River flows through some of the most beautiful Karst (limestone) scenery near Yangshuo. Local people use rafts as daily transportation up and down the river between houses, markets, and rice paddies. Some villagers made bigger rafts and started to woo travelers and soon it became a highlight of the tour around Yangshuo.
Several bike rides and hikes also follow the Yulong river taking in local villages and rice paddies. These can be some of the most memorable days on your China experience.
This stop is also available on the Echo Health and Kung Fu Tours.
Crisscrossed with rivers and streams, the Yangshuo area is embraced by the Li and Yulong Rivers on the outskirts while the city is within the arms of the Dragon-head Hill, Duli and other peaks and hills. Yangshou is famous for its many mountains that are an intergral part of the cityscape. They form designs that have been inspirations of writers and artists for centuries. Xu Xiake, a famous traveler of the Ming Dynasty praised Yangshuo as \'A world of green lotuses and jade bamboo-shoots\'.
The town\'s well-preserved dwellings, winding cobblestone alleys and narrow streams have made her a Mecca for backpackers in China. Indeed, Yangshuo has a vibe that makes you want to sip tea by a small stream and soak in the sun as you ponder the patina of a stately weathered old house, and catch a fleeting insight into what life must have been like generations ago.
This stop is also available on the Echo Health and Kung Fu Tours.
Yangshuo Open Market
The craftspeople of Yangshuo are very skilled with their hands. Their exact and exquisite handicrafts are popular among all tourists. The painted fans, the embroidered balls, and the bamboo walking sticks, are much favored by visitors.
You can get these souvenirs near all the tourist spots and at the street stalls. Your tour will include a stop by West Street, where most people speak English fluently and the goods are named in both English and Chinese. Along West Street there are over one hundred stalls selling various tourist souvenirs, including not only the items mentioned above, but also antiques, ornaments, as well as Chinese calligraphy and Chinese paintings.
Always remember to drive a hard bargain at the Open Market and never pay more than 50% of asking price!
Chinese cuisine is one of the world\'s most famous with a history of thousands of years and with distinctive regional differences. The cuisine of the Guanxi Province is simple but extremely tasty using the amazing variety of food that is produced in this fertile area.
Yangshuo Cooking School offers the opportunity to learn how to cook real local food with skilled and friendly teachers who love to impart the stories and secrets of Chinese cuisine in a friendly fun atmosphere.
The teaching emphasis is based on actually doing rather than watching. You first go shopping in the local markets to learn about the ingredients that used in the dishes. After cooking five dishes, we will eat the meal together and informally explore Chinese culture and customs.
The Yulong River is the biggest branch of the Li River in YangShuo County. The clear water runs smoothly past fields, farmhouses, trees and mountains. Traveling by bamboo raft you will be surrounded by crystal-clear water and feel relaxed in the arms of the green mountains.
Passengers are entranced with the harmonious picture of women washing clothes beside the river, ducks swimming on the river, bamboo rafts moving under the old bridge, and farmers working in the fields.
Yulong has a different kind of beauty. Along the Yulong River you can find Fuli Bridge, Guiyi Original Site, Ancient Village, Xiangui Bridge, the Zhus\' Camp, Chuan Cave, Rhinoceros Deep Pool, Zhaoyang Camp, Seven Stars and other truly scenic spots.
The famous Li (also called Lijiang) River traverses the landscape surrounding Yangshuo and brings it the most beautiful scenery. Along the extremely pure river, thousands of hills stand in different poses and with different expressions, such as Moon Hill, Mural Hill and Schoolboy Hill which is the natural stage of the world famous opera \'Impression on Sanjie Liu\'.
The Li is cosidered one of Earth\'s most stunningly beautiful journeys. The river has very smooth water which mirrors and creates a fairytale landscape of mountain and hill peaks reaching for the sky.
The Li River cruise is the centerpiece of any trip to northeastern Guangxi Province. Gorgeous Karst peaks give you surprises at each bend of the limpid river under the blue sky. You will also see water buffalo patrol the fields, peasants reap rice paddies, school kids and fisherman float by on bamboo rafts.
This stop is also available on the Echo Health and Kung Fu Tours.
Why just watch when you can learn from the masters?
Located within easy walking distance of lively Yangshuo, the Yangshao Tai Chi and Kung Fu School is situated in the picturesque tiny and peaceful village of Shi Ban Qiao, one of the many farming villages that surround Yangshuo, a small town by the Li River.
The school welcomes all levels of student, from beginners who would like to experience authentic Tai Chi Chuan, to advanced and professional practitioners. Many students have won national and international competitions in Tai Chi Chuan and Push Hands. These classes combine high standards and discipline with a friendly and supportive atmosphere, making sure all students receive individual attention. Instruction is given in both Chinese and English.
This stop is also available on the Echo Health and Kung Fu Tours.
As the world-famed ceramic capitol, Jing De Zhen has a long history of making ceramics and a rich cultural heritage.
Pottery was first made in Jing De Zhen in Han Dynasty. In the first year in Jingde Reign of Song Dynasty (1004), the royal court decreed the city made porcelain wares for imperial use with the wording \'Made during the Jingde Reign\' printed on the bottom of every piece. Hence the city got its name \'Jingdezhen\'.
Jing De Zhen is also blessed with many landscapes and sites, such as perfectly preserved clusters of Ming and Qing dynasty buildings, an ancient play stage, the old Sanlu Temple, the Red Tower where the first emperor in Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzha\'ng, hid during a battle, and Jade Green Lake.
Jing De Zhen Old Street is located on the west bank of the Chang River, in the center of Jing De Zhen. It is a famous street in China, renowned for its long history and beautiful traditions that come from its ancient culture. This street is composed of three parts each of which fully reflects its prosperous past and its important position as a transportation center: Ming Street, Qing Street and the Old Pier.
Not to be missed are several well-maintained residences, most of which were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. These exquisitely designed and decorated residences were clearly the elite residences of their time and demonstrate the highest skills and architectural knowledge of Chinese artisans of their eras. Visiting these residences offers a unique view into the philosophical and artistic sensibilities of Chinese culture during their time.
A visit to Jingdezhen Old Street is one that will be filled with interesting sights and deep insights into ancient Chinese life and culture.
Located in the Panlongshan in the western suburb of Jing De Zhen City, the Ceramic History Museum is a professional ceramic museum covering an area of about 205 acres, and was built in 1980. The museum has a rich collection of over 5,000 articles. Items on display include ceramics from past dynasties, historical information about ceramics, precious collections of paintings and calligraphies, among which many are of excellent quality.
In addition to the wide variety of articles in the exhibition, the beautiful antique architecture of the museum itself is quite an attratction.
Nearby are a group of kiln-workshops in which the ceramics are manufactured. Tourists can not only watch the manufacturing process and appreciate the elaborate techniques, but also experience the process themselves and buy beautiful ceramic works.
As the saying goes - \'Gardens to the south of Yangtze River are the best in the world, and Suzhou gardens are the best among them\'.
These gardens attain their grand reputation not only for their vast numbers, but also for their charming natural beauty and harmonious construction. At present more than 60 gardens are kept intact in Suzhou, and a series of them have been listed in the World Heritage List, including the Humble Administrator\'s Garden, the Lingering Garden, the Garden of Master of Nets and the Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty.
The beautiful waterside City of Suzhou in South China is most famous for its elegant classical gardens. Among these, the Humble Administrator\'s Garden, covering almost 13 acres, is the largest and most renowned. Due to its unique designs and ethereal beauty, the garden has garnered many special honors. Along with the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Mountain Resort of Chengde in Hebei Province and the Lingering Garden in Suzhou, it is considered as one of China\'s four most famous gardens. No other classic garden in the country has been honored more than this one.
The Humble Administrator\'s Garden was originally built in 1509 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was initially a private garden of a former government servant named Wang Xianchen. It was said he intended to build a garden after retired and just do some gardening work like planting trees and vegetables there, which was said to be the life of a humble man by him, hence is the name of the garden. The garden was created upon the old relics of a resident and a temple. Water is the main background and its natural landscape includes small forests, hills and rock formations.
Since the end of the Ming dynasty and into the Qing dynasty, Suzhou Tao-hua-wu wood-cutting has been recoqnized as one of China\'s finest styles of art. It later had such a great influence upon Japanese engravings that it was named \'the Suzhou Engraving\' by Japanese engraving historians and won international recognition.
After the Cultural Revolution in China, Suzhou engraving maintained the excellent work of traditional woodblock prints and introduced contemporary styles depicting the landscapes of the South Yangtze River to the world. This style of print has gained recognition both at home and abroad and has been exhibited extensively in England, Canada, Japan, U.S. and other countries.
A famous Song Dynasty poet, Su Shi said, \'It is a lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill.\' This epitomizes the general opinion of those who have seen this local point of interest with its many attractions.
Tiger Hill, known also as Surging Sea Hill, covers over three acres and is 118 feet in high. Climbing the hill, numerous historical sites are seen, some of which can be traced back over 2,500 years to the founding of Suzhou.
Tiger Hill is a wonderful sight with its leaning pagoda, waterfalls and landscaped paths. It is hard to believe the hill was man made to be the burial place of a king but this is yet another part of the wonder that is China, a land that will never cease to amaze and enthral the visitor with its heritage.
This stop is also available on the Echo Buddha and Silk Road Tours.
Visit a Watertown
Small nested rivers flow through the region south of the Yangtze river. The soil is fertile, and the weather is gentle. In ancient times, rivers were a primary means of transportation. Many canals were built to facilitate these water highways.
In recent history, wars, the cultural revolution, and the rapid economic development around Shanghai, Jiangsu, and the Zhejiang province has contributed to the \'destruction\' of countless numbers of these ancient towns and cultural relics. However, the Watertown culture is not completely destroyed.
Today, there are six famous and well preserved Watertowns remaining in Zhejiang and the Jiangsu Province. They are remarkably rich in culture and are being preserved at great expense by the local governments. In these Watertowns, one can see Chinese architecture over 1,000 years old including countless numbers of unique bridges and small Chinese boats. In a Watertown, you\'ll see an ancient culture and a way of living that is quickly fading from modern China.
Suzhou embroidery is one of the oldest embroidery techniques in the world, with origins stretching back more than 2,000 years. Suzhou embroidery was one of the first embroidery styles to be developed in China, but its detailed needlework and intricate images are still produced today. It is a style characterized by brightly colored silk embroidered with well-proportioned and uncluttered representations of almost any pastoral scene, person, animal, or object.
Examples of Suzhou embroidery were so detailed and intricate that many people used the pieces as artwork, and some of the oldest pieces still in existence date back hundreds of years.
Suzhou embroidery as a technique has continued to grow and develop. In the years since its first appearance, many crafting schools have taught the technique, and an entire industry has developed to produce Suzhou embroidery pieces for sale both in China and on world markets. However, Suzhou embroidery is not just a commercial enterprise; master Suzhou embroiderers have practiced their craft for hundreds of years, creating some of the most detailed and beautiful pieces.
The natural beauty of Yunnan Province defies description. It has mountain ranges and glaciers that are snow-capped all year round, deep virgin forests, lakes and hot springs, alpine landscapes, precipitous valleys, beautiful farmlands, mountain rivers and valley streams, floral splendor that blooms throughout the year, and vast skies with amazing clouds.
Until recently, most of Yunnan was not easily accessible as it was cut off from communication with the outside world by precipitous mountains. It is commonly believed that the Shangri-la referred to in James Milton\'s Lost Horizons, was here in Yunnan. It now may be the last virgin land where one can observe cultures whose layers go back thousands of years.Kunming Flowers and Birds Market
Famous for its year-round mild climate, Kunming is often called Spring City. The famous Flowers and Birds Market on Jingxing Street is the city\'s biggest, most attractive shopping market where spring reigns all year.
Since 1983, the Flowers and Birds Market has gradually been built into a comprehensive public spot for leisure, shopping, and trading. Strolling on the market street, you see shops and stalls of all sorts, especially those featuring flowers, birds, and fish.
Beautiful blossoms and delicate plant crafts lure the visitor. Hundreds of flowers, including orchids, camellias, lilies, roses, and tulips bloom in profusion. You can buy loose flowers, made-up boutiques, or potted flowers as well as various styles of vases there. You\'ll hear continuous bird song from parrots, mynahs, thrushes, and cuckoos, most of which are for sale. The fish are mainly tropical -- small and brightly colored... perfect for home aquariums.
Beautiful well-preserved old buildings within the market are now home to many Western restaurants and shops.
Stone Forest
Walking through the Stone Forest, visitors marvel at the natural stone masterpieces and are bewitched by the intricate formations.
The Stone Forest is in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County, which is about 75 (three hour drive) from Kunming. It covers an area of 96,000 acres and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots. An old local saying says that \'If you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time.\'
Truly, the Stone Forest is one of the most important attractions of Yunnan.
Lijiang is an attractive tourist destination in Yunnan Province. Lijiang is the main region inhabited by Naxi Group, one of China\'s 55 minority ethnic groups. In its long history, the local residents have established their splendid Dongba Culture which has absorbed aspects of the culture of Tibet and the Central Plains along the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. The various souvenirs marked with these Dongba hieroglyphs are very popular with visitors from home and abroad.
Lijiang has the best preserved ancient town in China - the Old Town - which was once the center of Lijiang and continues to maintain the original flavor of the local lifestyle, the typical groups of buildings and the profound cultural heritage of the region.
Lashihai
A trip to Lashihai is a great way to experience traditional, rural Naxi lifestyle in a beautiful and peaceful setting.
Lashihai is a lake and nature reserve just over 12 miles west of Lijiang toward Tibet. Lashihai is a fertile agricultural area, closely connected to the general cultural sphere of Lijiang. Although Lijiang is a dense urban area closely connected with urban China through its airport, Lashihai is part of China\'s countryside, a very different world from the city.
Baisha Village
Baisha Village is a living showcase of ancient Dongba culture. Dongba is the name of Naxi\'s indigenous religion. In Naxi dialect, Dongba means \'a wise person\'. These people are often knowledgeable about astronomy, geography, agriculture, medicine and etiquette and are also very good at singing folk songs and dancing.
Naxi classical music is one of the symbols of Dongba culture. With a history that runs 500 years, Naxi classical music is performed by elderly men (most of the players are more than 70) playing old musical instruments and old songs. In Baisha Village, you can often see many elderly men gathering in front of a temple to perform some of the old tunes.
Baisha frescos are another Naxi cultural legacy and cover a wide range of religious subjects and myths. The Dabaoji Palace in Baisha Village has a well-preserved collection of frescos.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Mountain) is the southernmost glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. Consisting of 13 peaks, among which Shanzidou is the highest at 18,360 feet, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches 22 miles long and 13 miles wide. Looking from Lijiang Old Town nine miles away, the snow-covered and fog-enshrouded mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a sanctuary for rare animals and wild plants. One fourth of all plant species in China can be found here and 20 ancient forest communities shelter a big family of 400 types of trees and 30 kinds of animals which are protected by the state. These species live in different temperature levels and create different kinds of views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The 13 peaks are covered by snow all year round; the mountain is called the \'Natural Glacier Museum\' for it has all glacier types. Descending from the mountaintop you can see rivers and pools, which are formed by the thawed snow water running along the valley and through the forests. The plants and the animals are different according to the altitude, so are the views. Every sight brings a surprise and every step takes you to a new scene.'+customtourinquiry+''+viewpackagetour+''+citiestour, STICKY, RIGHT, FIXX, 377, FIXY, 825, WIDTH, 220, CELLPAD, 0, BORDER, 0, FOLLOWMOUSE, FGCOLOR, '#FFFFFF');
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