Explore Eastern Asia

Explore Eastern Asiahttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asiaExplore Eastern AsiaDesert, Dunes & an Epic Festival: 10 Days in Mongoliahttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/discovery/10-days-in-mongoliaDesert, Dunes & an Epic Festival: 10 Days in MongoliaSat, 01 Oct 2022 00:38:08 GMThttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/discovery/10-days-in-mongoliaA Sandstorm in the Gobi Deserthttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/transformation/a-sandstorm-in-the-gobi-desertA Sandstorm in the Gobi DesertWed, 14 Sep 2022 20:55:28 GMThttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/transformation/a-sandstorm-in-the-gobi-deserthttps://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/japan/the-world-nomads-podcast-the-healing-mountains-of-japanIn this episode, Susan Spann confronted her deepest fears by climbing 100 of Japan's most famous peaks, gaining a new confidence and strength.2020-08-26T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/japan/the-world-nomads-podcast-the-healing-mountains-of-japanhttps://www.worldnomads.com<h2>The World Nomads Podcast: Traveling during COVID-19 </h2> The World Nomads Travel Podcast has suspended its regular destination episodes, and in their place, sharing the thoughts of travelers who are shaping the future of the industry. We tap into their vast bank of knowledge to discover what can be learned from the past as we plan a new way of traveling moving forward. <h2>What’s in the episode</h2> 00:52 Attractions reopen in Brazil 02:11 Introducing Susan Spann 03:30 Conquering the bouncy house 06:07 Seeking motivation 09:56 Finishing the climbs before COVID-19 13:22 A transformative experience 15:23 Next episode <h2>Quotes from the episode</h2> “It's a wonderful thing that the mountains did for me... it was really a transformative experience and absolutely changed me in just about every way that a person can be changed.” – Susan Spann <h2>Who is in the episode</h2> <a href="http://www.susanspann.com/books/">Susan Spann</a> is the award-winning author of the <a href="http://www.susanspann.com/books/">Hiro Hattori </a>mystery novels. Inspired by <a href="https://erikweihenmayer.com/about-erik/">Eric Weihenmayer</a>, author of Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man’s Journey to Climb Farther than the Eye Can See, Susan made the decision to face her fears and climb one hundred of Japan's most famous mountains, inspired by a classic list of hyakumeizan peaks. <figure><img src=" https://media.worldnomads.com/podcast/susan spann.jpg" alt="woman near a sign" /> <figcaption> Susan climbed 100 of Japan's most famous mountains, overcoming many fears and a major health battle along the way</figcaption></figure> <h2>Resources & links</h2> <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/explore/eastern-asia/japan">Explore Japan with World Nomads.</a> <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safety/travel-alerts">Keep up to date with World Nomads travel safety alerts and warnings</a>. Purchase <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Climb-Leaving-Finding-Strength-Summits/dp/1633885925">Climb: Leaving Safe and Finding Strength on 100 Summits in Japan</a> Subscribe to Susan’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWYBpecDWd1A-iw1t9-1Eg">YouTube channel</a>. Whether it’s a call from your mom or the call of the wild, we’ll help you prepare for your trip and <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/usa/travel-insurance/near-is-the-new-far">help you stay safe while traveling</a>. <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/2020/05/safety-tips-to-help-you-travel-again-during-covid-19-cvd/">Best practices for getting on the road without endangering your health</a>. <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safety/worldwide/worldwide-travel-alerts">Bookmark World Nomads COVID-19 travel restrictions and border closures which are updated regularly.</a> <a href="https://www.budgetair.com.au/travel-advice">Where can I travel to?</a> <a href="mailto:podcast@worldnomads.com">Get in touch by emailing podcast@worldnomads.com</a><a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safety/worldwide/worldwide-travel-alerts">.</a> <h2>Help us spread the word</h2> We’d love it if you could please share #TheWorldNomadsTravelPodcast with your twitter followers and join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/worldnomadspodcast">Facebook group</a>. If you liked this episode please head to <a href="itms://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/the-world-nomads-podcast/id1297825851?mt=2">Apple Podcasts </a>and kindly leave us a rating, review, and of course, subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. We use the <a href="https://www.rode.com/rodecasterpro">Rodecaster Pro</a> to record our episodes and interviews when in the studio, made possible with the kind support of Rode. <div class="AccordionSection nst-component nst-is-collapsed"><button class="AccordionSection-title nst-toggle">Full Transcript of the Episode</button> <div class="nst-content"> <div class="AccordionSection-inner"> Kim: Hi Kim and Phil with you revisiting an Amazing Nomad we featured in an episode last year. Susan Spann was attempting to confront her deepest fears climbing one hundred of Japan's most famous peaks, despite a breast cancer diagnosis. Did she do it? We’ll find out shortly but first Phil – do you have any travel news? Phil: Two of Brazil's best-known attractions -- Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain -- have reopened after being shut for five months due to coronavirus but visitor numbers have been limited. Meantime Brazil’s COVID cases continue to rise becoming the second-worst affected country in the world behind the USA, which by the way has rescinded warnings to Americans against all international travel because of the coronavirus pandemic, saying “conditions no longer warrant a blanket worldwide alert”. Of course, this was at the time of recording. And if you must travel, we’ll share an article in show notes on how to do it safely. Finally, globally, air travel is down more than 85% from a year ago, according to industry figures. And the implications for the airline industry are not good with several leading airlines filing for bankruptcy protection. But let’s get some positive news, Kim! Kim: It was last year, 2019, early on in the year, we spoke to an amazing nomad, Phil, Susan Spann. The episode was titled No Barriers. Now she was currently, or she was then, facing her fears and climbing 100 mountains in Japan. After making a pledge to create a life of purpose and impact she's written a book, she's contacted us to fill us in on what's she's up to now in 2020 and Susan, spill. What have you- Phil: Have you done it? Susan Spann: I have done it. Oh, that's a spoiler alert. Maybe we should delete that one. Anyway. So yes, I did ... First of all, thank you for having me back on the podcast. I really enjoyed talking with you last time so much. And I did in fact, complete a hundred mountains, actually in just a little over 11 months. It wasn't even a full year, finished almost a year to the day after my final cancer treatment, my final chemo treatment, which was a really nice way to put a cap on it. And as you mentioned, the book has just come out. It's titled Climb: Leaving Safe and Finding Strengths on 100 Summits in Japan. Kim: I liked the quote that you gave us from the last episode, and very early on in the book you touch on this, you said at six years of age you got out of line and walked away because you didn't know what the risk was and you were afraid to take it. And you were terrified that if you got in the bouncy house, this is as a six-year-old, somehow you were going to die, and straightaway in the book you get into that feeling that you have that you can't do anything, or you could never do anything. But now looking back, look what you've achieved. Susan Spann: You know, sometimes it's a little surprising to me too. I mean, a lot of the mountains that I've climbed, because I continue to travel in Japan and I'm continuing to climb mountains now. I mean, it was really transformative experience for me. And sometimes I look at the mountains that I have climbed, Mount Fuji in particular, because you see her quite often fortunately here, and I kind of shake my head and think, "Wow, that little girl who wouldn't go in a bounce house ..." and for the record, I've still to this day never been in one because by the time I realized that the fear was foolish I was too large for them. It's just amazing how the simple decision is what it takes to move forward. And that was not apparent to me somehow for 45ish years, that really, the journey of a thousand miles, the journey from fear to confidence and joy really does begin with that simple step. Phil: Can I just thank you. I know the book's out, but you were very kind to send us a PDF of an advance copy of that. Can I just thank you for allowing me to waste a couple of hours of my day when I should have been working reading your book? Susan Spann: Well, thank you. The honor's mine. Phil: Fascinating straight from the get-go which is brilliant. And there's so much in that. I mean, when you say that you took the easy path to get away from fear and followed your father into the legal profession. That doesn't ... I mean, it's still pretty tough doing a law degree though, isn't it? Kim: Yeah. Susan Spann: Well, I mean difficult, but difficult and familiar. And I think that's what a lot of us sort of fall into. Even hard work, if you know what the path looks like, right, it's sometimes easier to work hard on a difficult path than to step off the path and not know where it leads. But in my experience and having done both, the unknown path is often much more rewarding. Kim: I was sitting there reading your book and suddenly I saw myself in you and don't laugh, Phil, you just ... Phil just spoke before we recorded that he did a gym class last night and he went so hard he felt physically sick after it. It was only on the weekend after reading the book, I haven't read it all, but I was saying I walked up a hill and I was really, really puffed. And I just couldn't believe that when I'd first met my husband, I was doing these gym classes and running rings around a really fit football player. And you described yourself in the book as having a few rolls. Susan Spann: Indeed. I did. [crosstalk 00:04:27]. Kim: And then when you got to Japan and you were going up this mountain with your son, rather than coming ... You went up in a chairlift or whatever you call it, rather than coming back down in the chairlift, you decided to walk it. And I thought, "Why aren't I ... Okay, I'm unfit and I've got a few rolls, but why can't I take that step?" What's lacking in me, Susan? Susan Spann: Nothing. It just didn't occur to you. And that's kind of where it was with me. The mountain you're referring to is one that I actually climbed in advance. In fact, well, it gave me the inspiration to do this, which is really funny because it was an absolute disaster as the book describes. But I got up there and I rode the lift up and I stood on top of that mountain, which was Mount Misen in Hiroshima prefecture, and felt just a little hint of that runner's high, that experience that people talked about when they stood on top of real mountains, like Everest. And by the way, I mean, the mountain we're talking about is like 500 feet. It's really not a big mountain, but at the time I was very, very overweight. I didn't do anything physical and I wanted to earn that feeling. And so I decided I was going to hike back down it, and it probably just hasn't occurred to you that you could, and it hadn't occurred to me either. And for my own personal safety, that might've been a good thing, but fortunately, the story ends much differently now. Kim: We began with a spoiler so we don't want to give away too much. Susan Spann: Indeed. Phil: No. And tell us about your health now. Is it okay for you to talk about that, you fully recovered? Susan Spann: Absolutely. In fact, I have had my ... what is either your two and a half year or three-year checkup, depending on how you count it. My doctor in the US might've called it two and a half. My physician here in Japan actually referred to it as ... sorry ... yeah, as three, just because of the way they're ... whether you count from the day of diagnosis or the day of finishing treatment, right, because there was about a six month lag in between, but I am still cancer-free and I am over the hump, 95.5% of the recurrences of cancer within the first two years. And so the odds are very strong in the favor of me having absolutely beaten this thing and moved on with my life, which is really, really a wonderful place to be. Phil: Oh, that's great. More power to you for it as well and I'm sure there are very, very many very talented medical lab staff who helped you along that journey as well. Susan Spann: Oh, absolutely. In fact, I give them shout-outs in the book, but I had a wonderful team at Mercy Medical in Sacramento, California. They just not only took care of me, but they were very understanding from the very beginning that I had this hundred summits quest in my sights and they just moved mountains literally. You see what I did there? Kim: Yeah. Phil: Yeah. Susan Spann: [crosstalk 00:07:25] on the slopes. Kim: So we're talking to you in 2020. It's a very different world to when we spoke to you in early 2019, we are in the middle of a pandemic. [crosstalk 00:07:34]. Yeah. The world is at a standstill. Now you did have some coronavirus related delays. Can you sort of touch on those again without giving too much away? Susan Spann: Yeah. Fortunately I was finished with the climbs of course, before the coronavirus, but the book did get delayed. We were supposed to be released in .... was supposed to be released in January. And then that was pushed back for ... because we were going to bring it out near the Tokyo Olympics, and of course, really delaying it until the Tokyo Olympics would have been quite a bit of an endeavor at this point now, but we ended up having a couple of pushbacks, but the book is now available. It is now in release. If people go to order it, they may find a little bit of a delay in shipping, but like a day or two, not we're not talking weeks, but it is available and it is now released and I'm just thrilled that it's out in the world. Phil: And what's next for you? Can I suggest that you set up your own little rock at the top of a mountain and hand out the fantastic advice you've been sharing with us? Susan Spann: Well, thank you. Phil: A guru on the mountain. Susan Spann: Well, I've done a couple of things. I have actually started a YouTube channel. A lot of people have talked about wanting to see more of the mountains of Japan, maybe get some more narrated and curated videos. So I am actually planning to go and rewalk the Kumano Kodo, which is a 1,000-year-old pilgrimage trail through the mountains in Wakayama prefecture in October. I will be taking a video camera and gimbal and I will be recording that. So I'll be doing in October, November, releasing about seven videos, about 30 minutes in length, curated tours of the Kumano Kodo, for those who cannot get away from home this year. Kim: Being a Japaphile I love all things about Japan. I wanted ... My goal is to visit in every season. I've only managed summer so far, but- Susan Spann: You picked the worst one to start with. Why did you do that? Kim: Well, no, I went to Ishigaki, which is somewhere that a lot of people have never been, so- Susan Spann: It is. Kim: It was beautiful. It was a great experience. But when I do a renovation, I always try and incorporate some kind of Japanese design and I love Japanese food. And these things are touched on also in this book, it's not just about climbing the mountains. Susan Spann: Oh, indeed. Yeah. I wanted to share everything from show shojin ryori, which is the Buddhist temple cuisine, which happens to be my favorite food in Japan. I ended up accidentally walking into a major festival on a city when I wasn't even expecting ... I thought I was going to have a rest day. That didn't work out because I just wandered into the largest festival in Northern Japan, which ... These things happen when you go and travel for a year. And particularly when you really were first getting started and didn't really know what you were doing, but yes, it's everything from food to culture. There are festivals, there are horses, there are all different kinds of things. And so I hope that people will enjoy that part of country too. Kim: And photographs. Susan Spann: Yes, there are photographs. And what is more, I will also put in here, there are full-color photographs in the book, and I am also in the process of posting a photo companion on my website. So all of the things that are discussed in the book, photos of all of those things, because we could only get so many photos in the book, right. But there will be hundreds of photos on a chapter by chapter basis, basically photo narrating the entire book on my website, available to people as they read. Kim: Are you want a roll? Do you feel like there's nothing that you can't do? Susan Spann: Well, I probably still can't climb Mount Everest to be brutally honest with you. Phil: Would you want to, though? Even if you could? Anyway. Susan Spann: It's a wonderful thing that the mountains did for me. They really ... it was really a transformative experience and absolutely changed me in just about every way that a person can be changed. Kim: Well you mentioned that you're still there, what's it like traveling throughout Japan during COVID? Susan Spann: Well, I wasn't able to travel actually from about March until the end of June. We weren't locked down formally, but the government was asking everyone to stay home and avoid congestion. And so I did in fact stay home. I walked into the neighborhood. I did make one brief trip to Hiroshima prefecture. In fact, on the five-year anniversary of that first fateful climb, Mount Misen, or down Mount Misen I should say, I actually was back on Mount Misen and climbed it again. And it was not as difficult the second time as it was the first. I'll just put that out there. Kim: Well, how exciting. The book is Finding Strength on 100 summits in Japan. It's hard to chat about a book, Phil, and not give too much away, but- Phil: Give it all away. Kim: Yeah, the fact that you've completed the climbs, more than a 100, too, 112? Susan Spann: To date, 112, although 108 I think before the book was finished. That's a little bit of a spoiler. So I'll just tantalize with this. The climbs did include both the largest and the smallest official mountains in Japan. And the smallest mountain is a lot smaller than you might think. Kim: Beautiful. Well, as you like to end your emails with, dare to dream and you can change your world, and I totally believe in that and think you've done an amazing job, Susan. Susan Spann: Thank you so much. Kim: An incredible effort. The links to Susan and her book in show notes alongside a link to join our Facebook Group. If you liked this episode please head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your favorite pods and kindly leave us a rating, review, and of course, subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Phil: Next episode flying during COVID, what it looks like and how will prices be affected in the short and long term. </div> </div> </div>The summit of Tomuraushi with Susan's Hokkaido Nature Tours guide, Takuto (Tak) 0

How Japan Healed My Heart | Travel Storyhttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/transformation/how-japan-healed-my-heartHow Japan Healed My Heart | Travel StoryTue, 03 Mar 2020 21:06:44 GMThttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/transformation/how-japan-healed-my-heartLove Blooms From Near-Death in Tibet | Travel Storyhttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/love/love-blooms-from-near-death-in-tibetLove Blooms From Near-Death in Tibet | Travel StoryTue, 28 Jan 2020 19:25:26 GMThttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/love/love-blooms-from-near-death-in-tibetBefriending the Past | Japan Travel Storyhttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/connection/befriending-the-pastBefriending the Past | Japan Travel StoryMon, 30 Dec 2019 19:07:54 GMThttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/connection/befriending-the-pastUnderstanding the Sky Burial | Photo Storyhttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/transformation/understanding-the-sky-burialUnderstanding the Sky Burial | Photo StoryFri, 25 Oct 2019 18:37:27 GMThttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/transformation/understanding-the-sky-burialhttps://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/the-world-nomads-podcast-chinaIn this episode we explore the undiscovered and less-visited areas of China, learn why we shouldn’t be afraid of chopsticks and hear about the convenient communication app for travelers.2019-10-08T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/the-world-nomads-podcast-chinahttps://www.worldnomads.com<h2>The World Nomads Podcast: China</h2> China is the world’s most populous country and is the third or fourth largest country by total area. All of China’s railway lines could loop around earth twice and more people speak Mandarin, a Chinese Dialect, as their first language than any other language in the world. <h2>What’s in the episode</h2> 2:20 How to make life easier in China 3:43 What not to do with chopsticks 6:50 The app that almost everyone uses 11:57 Being the only westerner 14:56 Travel News 18:36 Finding the less crowded spots in China 23:35 China’s rail network 28:05 The area of China where you need a specific visa 34:00 How to feel ‘a million miles away’ in China 35:12 The country we are exploring next <h2>Quotes from the episode</h2> “China has an unbelievable rail network. They've come so far in the past 10 years in terms of their high-speed rail. You can get from one city to another, on the opposite side of China, usually in a day and oftentimes about 12 hours or less.” – Josh Summers “Chopsticks are just there so you can deliver that dumpling into your mouth, and that's really it. There's no need to really stress about it, as long as you get it in your mouth and not on the table or the floor, then it's great.” - Janice Leung Hayes “I'd probably have about 40 or 50 people around me at one shop one time, and they all were pushing to see Westerner in bright clothes, walking down the street in Shanghai. It was very intriguing for them.” – Mike Emery “…the first is the Giant Panda, which is obviously the national icon of China. This part of a Sichuan Province is one of the very few places in all of China that still has wild pandas left.” – Ronan O’Connell Connect in China with these handy phrases  <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/explore/guides/mandarin-travel-phrasebook">The Mandarin Travel Phrasebook</a> <h2>Who is in the episode</h2> Ronan O’Connell is a journalist and photographer with 16 years' experience as a reporter. He has contributed to more than 70 magazines and newspapers around the world. Ronan’s travel writing and photography work has taken him to more than 60 countries. <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/explore/eastern-asia/china/jiuzhaigou-national-park-a-great-alternative-to-zhangjiajie">Read</a> his article on Jiuzhaigou National Park. Josh Summers has lived, worked, studied and written about China since 2006. Most people know him for his work focusing on the <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/">Xinjiang region</a> in northwest China. Josh also runs the website <a href="https://www.travelchinacheaper.com/about">Travel China Cheaper</a>. Janice Leung Hayes is a Hong Kong-based food and travel writer. When she's not writing, you'll find her running farmers' markets, or producing videos to tell forgotten Asian stories. <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/explore/eastern-asia/china/5-local-tips-for-travelers-to-china">Read</a> her article 5 Local Tips for Travelers to China. In 1980, photographer Mike Emery was one of the first tourists to document China. 39 years on, he has released a book immortalising the country as it was. Read more about the book in this article on <a href="https://www.thebigsmoke.com.au/2019/02/08/mike-emery-reflects-chinas-history-this-lunar-new-year/">The Big Smoke</a>, an opinion site publishing original articles on news, politics, the arts, lifestyle, law, social issues, satire and business. You can order Mike’s book China’s Children <a href="https://www.chinaschildren1980.com/">here</a> Check out our guide to China  <a href="Check out our guide to China&nbsp; China:WhereNomads Go em> ">China:Where Nomads Go </a> <h2>Resources & links</h2> Scholarships Newsletter: <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/create">Sign up for scholarships news and see what opportunities are live here</a>. <h2>Want to republish this episode</h2>  <iframe src="https://webplayer.whooshkaa.com/episode/426698?theme=light" height="190" width="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay"></iframe> Next Episode: Suriname About World Nomads & the Podcast Explore your boundaries and discover your next adventure with The World Nomads Podcast. Hosted by Podcast Producer Kim Napier and World Nomads Phil Sylvester, each episode will take you around the world with insights into destinations from travelers and experts. They’ll share the latest in travel news, answer your travel questions and fill you in on what World Nomads is up to, including the latest scholarships and guides. <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank">World Nomads</a> is a fast-growing online travel company that provides inspiration, advice, safety tips and specialized travel insurance for independent, volunteer and student travelers traveling and studying most anywhere in the world. Our online global travel insurance covers travelers from more than 135 countries and allows you to buy and claim online, 24/7, even while already traveling. The World Nomads Podcast is not your usual travel Podcast. It’s everything for the adventurous, independent traveler. Don’t miss out. Subscribe today. You can get in touch with us by emailing <a href="mailto:podcast@worldnomads.com">podcast@worldnomads.com</a>. We use the <a href="https://www.rode.com/rodecasterpro">Rodecaster Pro</a> to record our episodes and interviews when in the studio, made possible with the kind support of Rode. <iframe width="600" height="450" style="border: 0;" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d13481656.448669745!2d94.6062509179435!3d33.75584564623627!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x31508e64e5c642c1%3A0x951daa7c349f366f!2sChina!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1571010713230!5m2!1sen!2sus" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <div class="AccordionSection nst-component nst-is-collapsed"><button class="AccordionSection-title nst-toggle">Full Transcript of the Episode</button> <div class="nst-content"> <div class="AccordionSection-inner"> Speaker 1: Welcome to the World Nomads Podcast, delivered by World Nomads, the travel, lifestyle and insurance brand. It's not your usual travel podcast. It's everything for the adventurous, independent traveler. Kim: Thanks for choosing to tune into this episode of the World Nomads Podcast from wherever you get your favorite podcasts, with myself, Kim, and Phil, in which we will explore China, as we launch our latest Guide, China, Where Nomads Go. Phil: I just have to warn you, Kim has given me all the hard words to pronounce. Kim: I always do. Phil: In this episode we will only scratch the surface of China because it's such a huge country, which is why we'll have a link to the Guide in the show notes, where our travel writers will take you to the depths of ... Speaker 4: Panjiakou ... Phil: Reserve. Kim: Seriously. Phil: ... To see a submerged section of The Great Wall, and to the surf culture in ... Speaker 5: Houhai ... Phil: Bay. The Guide focuses on those ... I'm just, where was that again? Speaker 5: Houhai. Phil: Thank you. The Guide focuses on those undiscovered and less visited areas of the country, because we want to inspire you to explore parts of China you never knew even existed. Kim: You didn't feel inspired to learn how to pronounce those? Phil: They did a better job than me. Kim: Okay, well, as we will in this episode, take you off the beaten path, we'll explore Sichuan's Alpine Wonderland. Note, I said that myself. Phil: Yep. Kim: Chat to Josh, who moved away right to the very West, to an area of China that borders Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Notice I said those. And hear from a photographer who was one of the first Westerners to visit the country and take pics. Phil: Before we get into it, a few fun facts about China. Every year is represented by one of 12 animals. This year, 2019, is the Year of the Pig. Put together, all of China's railway lines could loop around the Earth twice. More people speak Mandarin, the Chinese dialect, as their first language, than any other language in the world. Kim: Okay. When you want to know something about a country, Phil, you have to go to an expert. Phil: Yes. Kim: Janice has lived in China for 20 years, so she's aware of how the etiquette and the customs differ from province-to-province, which is why she features in the Guide. It would be remiss of us not to grab hold of her now and find out a few of those things that she's picked up on how to make life easier in China. Hi, Janice. Janice: Hi, Kim. Hi, Phil. Kim: The first thing that you say in your article is to stop stressing about chopsticks. Why? Janice: Yeah. I mean, I see a lot of friends and visitors come from overseas, and we go to a restaurant, a Chinese restaurant or dim sum place, and they look at the chopsticks and they start looking really nervous. I mean, I think food is all about really just having fun, exploring the culture and chopsticks are a really small part of this, actually. Janice: Chopsticks are just there so you can deliver that dumpling into your mouth, and that's really it. There's no need to really stress about it, as long as you get it in your mouth and not on the table or the floor, then it's great. Phil: If you wanted Western utensils, are they available in most places? Janice: I would say it depends on what kind of place you're at. If you're at a pretty local kind of place, then they might not, but it's okay. They'll definitely have spoons, so that's always a good thing. Janice: What you can do is actually pick up your chopsticks and just sort of shovel things onto your spoon, and use the spoon to deliver the food to your mouth instead. Like I say in the article, it's just a means to an end. Phil: There are a couple of no-nos with chopsticks, right? Janice: Yeah. Like so if you're sort of talking to someone, for example, and you're gesturing with your hands, make sure you put your chopsticks down first because to point at someone with your chopsticks is considered quite rude. Janice: I guess the second thing is, it might be tempting if you're trying to hold something quite difficult, so say like a round dumpling. It's tempting to spear it with your chopstick. We teach children not to do it, but if you really have to, it's actually fine. We teach children not to, just because it usually destroys the food. If there's soup and the dumpling, the soup just comes running out and you create more of a mess than what you began with. Yeah. We, generally, tell people not to spear their food, if they can. Kim: Go with the shovel ideal. I find that- Phil: Yeah, shoveling. Kim: I can use chopsticks, but in the early days, I would get as close to the food as my nose possibly could. Yeah, I only had about an inch of space to be able to shovel it all in. Kim: Now Chinese food though, it differs, for me, from any other Asian food, and I'm not always convinced that I'm a fan, because they use very specific herbs and spices that you don't see, for instance, in Japanese cuisine, which is one of my favorites. Janice: Yeah. I mean, it does differ. Like China is a very, very big country. It's the size of the U.S., basically, so you go from east to west, north to south. The spices or condiments and flavors, flavor profiles are completely different, depending on where you go. If you're in South of China, for example, in Guangdong near like Hong Kong, then the flavors tend to be quite subtle, and very few herbs and spices are used, but if you go into the center, to [Sichuan 00:05:28], then you get a lot of the famous Mala, or the numbing spice. It's that pepper where it's usually quite hot as well. Then you get a sort of numbing sensation on your tongue. Janice: Then you go sort of North to sort of Beijing and further North, and there they use, actually, a lot of cumin and they eat like lamb. Whereas in the South, it's mostly white meat and fish. Yeah, it can really, depending on where you are. Phil: Numbing sensation. That's putting it mildly, right? I have seen people's hair sweat. Very, very spicy chili beet. Janice: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the numbing is actually just one of the spices. Usually, it's combined with a very hot chili or a series of very hot chilies, which probably causes the sweat. Kim: Okay. Imagine we've just finished dinner. Phil's speared his dumplings and we're all going, "Oh, Phil. Seriously?" We're going to pay for our meal. I didn't realize that almost everyone in China pays with online apps. This is a really important tip. Janice: Yeah. It's actually, it's just within the sort of last two or three years. China changes very, very quickly, despite being such a big country. There's an app that almost everyone uses called WeChat. It's actually sort of a combination of social media, and kind of all your lifestyle necessities. Like you can order take-away on it, you can can get a taxi, and you can pay on it. Janice: It's basically linked to your bank account, and you just, there's a QR code and you just scan it. You scan the code at the restaurant. You enter the amounts and then, literally, in a split second, it's paid. If you're a visitor and you don't have WeChat, and it's very difficult to get WeChat Pay, the payment sort of function, because you need a local bank account. Janice: If you don't have it, I mean, cash, you can still pay, a lot of times, you can still pay with cash or if they really don't take it, then you can just give cash to your friends that are paying. It's okay. I mean, it's not the preferred way to pay anymore, but it's, for visitors it's completely fine. Phil: Because the opposite is true of the PayWave and credit cards that you would take as a visitor there. Because most of them are linked to like American banks and what have you. You're not able to use them there. Is that right? Janice: It depends on the situation. In larger restaurants and chains, like coffee shops and things that are global then, yes, you can probably use your international credit card. Janice: If you're at a more local place, or if you're at a market, or if you're at, street-side store, very often they'll have their own little WeChat QR code, and all you'd need is a mobile phone. Most people, especially in cities, have mobile phones, so you just pay the vendor by scanning their mobile phone. Yeah, but if you're in a larger shop, or a mall, shopping mall, then you can almost definitely pay with your credit card from overseas. Kim: In your 20 years there, have you, and you mentioned earlier that it just changes so quickly, how quickly? What, in 20 years, what have you noticed? Janice: Well, WeChat is one of the biggest changes, actually, I'd say in the past few years. It just seems, I mean, these days, wherever you are in the world, people are holding their cellphones and they're always staring down at them. That's the same case in China. Janice: The difference is this one app, WeChat. You can do everything on it, from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed, including all of your activities in-between. That's one of the biggest changes in the past few years, I'd say. Kim: Social media, but is it regulated? Janice: Yeah. I mean, it's definitely regulated. Everything, definitely everything in China is regulated to an extent. I mean, we try to ... It's known that, well, it's kind of an accepted truth that the government surveils everything. It's common that on certain days that if you post something ... Janice: For example, on June 4th, which is the anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre. On June 4th, if you try and post anything to do with Tiananmen, or even if you post a candle emoji, your account might be blocked for a few hours, and you won't be able to use anything. That includes like China, pay for your lunch. It is, it's a fact of life, actually. Yeah. Kim: Fascinating article, as I said. We share it in show notes, and yeah, learned a lot from it. Janice, thank you so much. Janice: No worries. Thank you for having me. Kim: It was a pleasure, Janice. Now, when photographer Mike Emery went to China in 1980, there was no WeChat. In fact, there was no Internet or TVs, and according to Mike, people aspired to own three rounds and a sound, being a watch, bicycle, sewing machine and radio. Phil: Mike was one of the first Westerners to go behind the Bamboo Curtain and visit China and take photos. Mike, what did you expect? Mike Emery: I didn't know what to expect when I got there. You've seen pictures of China as a younger person, and really, there was not much information on China available in those days. You did see the odd picture of a commune, and an odd picture of people in the fields, but really nothing of everyday life. Mike Emery: Then as soon as I got there, I thought, "Ah, this is interesting." I'd always wanted to be a photojournalist, and I thought, "Oh, I might as well take some photos myself." Phil: Pretty amazing opportunity with the photographs there because, you're a bit of an oddity in yourself there, and of course, a country that's not used to Westerners poking cameras in their faces, so you had a great opportunity to take a particular type of photograph. Tell us about that. Mike Emery: Well, I am an oddity, I suppose. Walking down the main street in Beijing ... Sorry, in Shanghai, in Nanjing Road. It was a wide road with shops and stores, and I'd be the only Westerner. The people, they'd be looking at you because they, I'd say almost all of them, never seen a Westerner before, or even, never sort of tried to speak to a Westerner. Mike Emery: I'd probably have about 40 or 50 people around me at one shop one time, and they all were pushing to see Westerner in bright clothes, walking down the street in Shanghai. It was very intriguing for them. They would say to me, "Excuse me. May I practice my English?" These were some of the older people, so sort of the students. They did have a few words of English, which I conversed with. Mike Emery: Then suddenly, you would have, you'd have other people try to ask you questions about all different things. They all wanted to know about the Western world. They all wanted to know about America, because no information was available for them. The information was given to them, what the government gave to them. Kim: What did you learn about their lifestyle? Mike Emery: I learned a lot of things about their lifestyle. At the time, their lifestyle was simple, it was very pure, it was honest. Actually, it was quite unique. People were extremely friendly. They'd spend time with you, and they're inquisitive. Mike Emery: They'd been brought up in the commune situation, where they would go to work in the fields. Whatever job was given to them, they earned x amount of yuan, and to live with, and they got accommodation. Their life was simple. They had no worries. You see in the book, you look at their faces, and there's happiness there. There's no pressure of everyday life. There was no hustle and bustle of today's life. Phil: Do you think that was a type of pure travel? I mean, we all sort of look for off the beaten path things these days. Mike Emery: I think it really was, because there was no outside pressure. Kim: Well, you wouldn't get that experience now in China. Have you been back since? Are you surprised at how quickly it's progressed? Mike Emery: Yes, yes. I was lucky enough to be back in January this year. It had been 39 years since I'd left, and I thought it was about time to rediscover some of the places I went to, and see what the changes that had been in that period of time. Mike Emery: We managed to reconstruct several places where I originally took the photos, and compared with, compared them with today's standards. We took a picture of Pudong Bay, which you look across to Pudong, it was, in those days it was just fields and little shipyards, and boats going past. Now, it is a new city of Shanghai. You just compare with what the Chinese have managed to achieve in that period of time, it's just, it's incredible. Kim: It certainly is, Mike. A link to his book, China's Children: A Glimpse of Life in China During the Spring of 1980, in show notes. Phil, what's your travel news? Phil: Oh, there's nothing worse than getting delayed when you're trying to go off on a trip somewhere, you can't get to your destination. Right? Kim: Yep. Phil: The passengers on a recent EasyJet flight must have cheered ... Actually, they did cheer when an off-duty pilot going on holiday with his family, agreed to take control of their flight when the scheduled pilot didn't turn up. Phil: They'd been sitting on tarmac for two hours, but he said he had his license with him, and he got permission to fly the plane, and also apologized for not being in his proper uniform, but there you go. Kim: That's cool. Phil: That's very cool. Still on planes, did you hear about the photograph of this bloke? It's gone viral on social media. A bloke stood up for six hours, the entire six hours of a flight, so that his wife could lie down and sleep across three seats in the middle row. Phil: Now, some people are calling him terribly romantic, and some people are calling the wife selfish for not sharing it with him. She might have been sick, I don't know. Kim: Yeah, if she was sick, then that's a great thing do. Phil: Fair enough. Kim: Otherwise, he could have sat in the aisle seat, and she just put her feet up on his lap. Phil: All right. Which city do you think had the most visitors last year? Kim: Ah, Venice? Phil: No. It used to be Paris and London. It used to be over in Europe, but for the fourth year in a row, it's Bangkok. Kim: Ah, right. I was going to say Tokyo. Phil: No, it's Bangkok. Kim: Right. Phil: Bangkok, with 22.8 million visitors. Kim: Wow. Phil: Paris and London, about 19 million. In fourth place, Dubai, 15.9. Singapore, Kuala Lumpur were in fifth and sixth. New York, Istanbul, Tokyo and Antalya in Turkey made up the top 10. Kim: That wraps it up. Phil: Yeah. Kim: Well, it was in 2005 that Josh Summers got married, and a year later, he decided to move overseas and start a life in China. Phil: They didn't head to the populated cities. Josh and his wife went way out West, to the beautiful region of Xinjiang that borders Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other central Asian countries, so why? Josh Summers: Well, honestly, so the fun thing is, is my wife and I both studied Spanish in college. Phil: Really useful out there. Kim: Exactly. Josh Summers: Not really, right. We tried to get in part of the Peace Corps and getting a couple placed, apparently was going to take a year. We were like, "Screw that. We can't wait that long." It was like one of these ideas where it's a connection of a connection of a connection that knew somebody that had a job offering for an English teacher, and so that's how we started off. We packed our bags, just basically a newlywed couple, and decided, "Ah, let's have a little bit of an adventure." Kim: It was just the desire to live overseas that led you to China. I know that they do offer a lot of teaching positions, so it almost fell in your lap. Josh Summers: Exactly. It did. I'm glad it did, because I don't think I ever would have chosen that place, ever. Like it's not one of those places that people look at a map and go, "You know what? I'm going to go here." Because it's just, it's out of the way, it's inconvenient, but it's amazing and it's gorgeous. Phil: Okay, so what was your idea of what it might be like, and what was the reality? Josh Summers: Oh, yeah. I mean, I was told before we went out that it was going to be beautiful. I mean, I was told there was going to be mountains. It was a very less crowded part of China, which appealed to me. I didn't really want to go to Beijing where there's what? Like 12 million people, and there are 20, I think now. I don't know, but just like crowded-in with a whole bunch of people. Josh Summers: The idea of going to a place that was less crowded and in a little more of a nature setting really appealed to me. When I got there, I literally found out the city that we first went to used to be a desert, and the only reason the city exists is because they dug and found oil. They literally dug out canals to bring water to this place, and a city sprung up in the middle of a desert. Josh Summers: I remember driving from the airport of the capital city to this other city, which is about four hours away and just thinking to myself, "Where are these mountains that they told me about?" All I'm seeing is flat desert, and then with 20 minutes left to go on the drive, all of a sudden this city kind of pops up like a, almost like an oasis, and there it was. The city's name was Karamay, the region is Xinjiang, and that was the start of our time out in China. Kim: Stunning countryside. Josh Summers: Absolutely, yeah. I mean, the great thing is there were deserts, like I was saying, there are mountains. Like when you get an area that big, you really have all sorts of different kinds of natural terrain, and it was pretty cool. Josh Summers: I mean, if there's one thing that I learned being over there, and it's something that kind of caught me by surprise. It's that the world we live in is not completely discovered. As travelers, we kind of go about with the assumption that we're going to find everything in a tour guide book, or we can look it up on Wikipedia. Everything has been discovered. We kind of live under that assumption, and it took me years of living in this really remote place to realize, that's not true. Josh Summers: There are places I was finding that even the locals didn't know about. Things that I was getting to, I'm not going to say "discover," more like rediscover, especially for an English speaking audience, and go explore and realize, "Hey, I'm getting ..." I'm not even going to say I was an Indiana Jones or anything, but I'm getting to like play like I was for a little while, and it was fun. Kim: 2005, you went there with your ... You got married, then you went there with your wife. You've since had two sons. Were they born in Central Asia? Josh Summers: No. There were lines my wife wasn't willing to cross, and giving birth in the kind of rural hospitals was not one of them, so, no. We went back to the U.S. for that, but they returned and went through a little bit of schooling in China. Phil: I know you're in a city of three million people, so I imagine it's reasonably cosmopolitan, but there must be a dress style, and there must be a number of things which are unique to there. I'm kind of guessing you probably stuck out like sore thumbs when you first got there. Kim: Oh, yeah. Phil: How have you adapted to that? Josh Summers: Well, honestly, I didn't stick out as much as my two blonde kids. Phil: Okay. Josh Summers: Like those kids, I mean, they would get stopped in the street, and I mean, people would take them and take selfies with them. I literally had one woman grab my young son, who was I think one at the time, and bring him into a shop. I mean, it freaked my wife out. She was, "Where are you bringing our boy?" Josh Summers: She was just bringing him in to show her husband because, apparently, she thought that was, the coolest thing she'd ever seen was this little blonde boy, but yeah, we would, he would get that all the time. Josh Summers: I mean, I would, yeah, I mean as a white, tall, relatively tall, I'm 6'3", what? 1.8 meters, and so I would get some stares, but most of the time people could care less because I kind of looked Russian. People would think that I was Russian, and they'd kind of just brush me off, but my boys, they got brutal treatment. Phil: Loved to death. Yes. Josh Summers: Oh, yeah. Kim: Are you still teaching? Or are you making a living out of your website, Travel China Cheaper? Josh Summers: I am making a living out of the website, and that's something else that I've learned along the way. Because most of the travel blogs you see, and the ones that I follow myself, they're very general travel blogs. I travel anywhere I want to go, and I've got blog posts and articles written about places all over the world. Josh Summers: I did something that I feel like was just a little different, and that is I kind of plugged myself in one place and stayed there for a decade. Even after that, I still didn't feel like I was an expert at the place. Kim: They say it takes 10 years to be an expert in anything. Josh Summers: Really? I haven't heard that before. Kim: Yeah. Josh Summers: I mean, that makes sense. It really does. Kim: Yeah. Well, it does because I said it. Phil: Yeah. Kim: Got to trust the source though, so yeah. Josh Summers: I was able to take just a single focus website, so a website. There's actually, let's say there's two of them. I had one that was specifically on our region. Then you mentioned Travel China Cheaper, which is China, the whole of China, and really just used that laser focus to make a living. Phil: All right. Can we put you on the spot? Give us two or three tips on how you might travel China cheaper? Josh Summers: Yeah. Well, my number one tip, and I think this goes for all over the world, but it's especially in China, is that China has an unbelievable rail network. They've come so far in the past 10 years in terms of their high-speed rail. You can get from one city to another, on the opposite side of China, usually in a day and oftentimes about 12 hours or less. Josh Summers: What I always tell people is there are overnight trains, they may not be as fast, but if you can get on a train at 8:00 p.m. get at your destination at 9:00 a.m., you've just saved yourself an entire hotel stay. Plus, it's just, I mean, I love sleeping on a train. Personally, I mean, that's just me, but it's a great experience. Josh Summers: Not only do you get a cool cultural experience, but you save ... It's a whole lot cheaper than flying, but you save some money on a hotel. That's one of the first things that I tell people that are traveling out to China. Kim: Second? Josh Summers: Second is, if you are willing to get out of your comfort zone in terms of hotels, you can ... There's a rule in China and they do this, I think, more to save face. This idea of face is really huge in China, and they don't want you to stay in anything lower than a three-star hotel. Technically, legally you're only allowed to stay in hotels that are three-star or higher, which means obviously, more expensive. Josh Summers: Now, you can get into hostels that are meant for the locals at really cheap prices. You can get into hotels, but you have to be willing to just walk in and say, "Hey, I'm here. I want to get a hotel without a reservation." I've done that, and usually, 60 to 70% chance that they'll just say, "Okay, whatever," and they'll let you in because it's another paying customer for them. For you, you can save up to half on the hotel stay. Kim: The third tip. Josh Summers: I'd say that my third tip would be that there is a very little known rule or policy with China's visas that is starting to get a little more attention. I've written about it recently, but it's really confusing. That is that there is an actual visa-free entry into China. Most of the time, especially for Westerners, like a visa to China costs 180 bucks, 100 and, somewhere between 100 and 180 bucks, depending on what country you're coming from. Josh Summers: On top of, that's the Consular fees, on top of any other fees with services that you have to do or shipping, and so it can ... It's pricey, especially if you've got a family that's going. If you actually transit through China, so let's say you can go and plan a trip to Japan or Korea, and you stop in China, and let's say you stop in Beijing, you can stay there for up to 144 hours, which I think is six days. Josh Summers: I mean, you can go to The Great Wall, you can go to the Forbidden City, all of those places, without a visa, and then travel on to Japan. It saves you, gosh, that's I mean, depending on how big your family is, with my family, it would save us like, 700, 800 bucks. Kim: Finally, can you spell Kyrgyzstan, without looking, Josh? Josh Summers: K-Y-R-G-Z-Y-S-T-A-N, I believe. Kim: You've got your Z and your Y around the wrong way, but not bad, not bad. Phil: You were looking, Kim. Kim: I was looking, yeah. Well, thank you for that insight into that particular area of China. Phil: My pleasure. Yeah, of course, it was great. I really appreciate you guys allowing me to join you. Kim: Thank you, Josh. A link to Traveling Cheaper in China in show notes. Now, don't forget to join our Facebook group, by the way. Just search for the World Nomads Podcast. You can look behind the scenes, get news on upcoming episodes, and join the conversation about the show, your travels, and people you'd like us to interview. We love suggestions. Phil: Please, yes, do contact us. Ronan O'Connell has written an article for the Guide on a beautiful and very remote national park. Ronan O'Connell: It's called Jiuzhaigou National Park, and it's in Sichuan Province, which is the Southwest of China. It's a particularly remote section of China, where this is located just on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau. Ronan O'Connell: A lot of people, when they hear the word or the name Tibet used, they think that this refers to just one particular area, almost like a country. In fact, that's what most people think of as the Tibetan autonomous region, which is actually, essentially, a closed off area of China where you need a specific visa to go in. You can't travel freely. Ronan O'Connell: In fact, bordering that whole area are provinces of China, which are not controlled in the same way, but are Tibetan in culture and they all, at one time, played into each other. This is one of those areas which is very strongly Tibetan in character, and has had ... Was first discovered, as I understand, by Tibetan tribespeople more than 2,000 years ago. Ronan O'Connell: It's only really in the last 30 years that it's actually become in any way known to the outside world or to most of the people in China. Because previous to that, it was really just a completely cut-off area of China where there was Tibetan tribespeople living. Phil: How did you find yourself there? I mean, how difficult is it to get to, and how were you received? Ronan O'Connell: I've been there two times. The first time I was here was in 2012, and it actually was pretty quiet when I got there. I took a bus from a city called Chengdu, which is one of the biggest cities in Southwestern China. It's a massive city of more than 10 million people. Ronan O'Connell: From there, I caught a bus. Took me nearly 10 hours. It's roughly north of there, up towards the Tibetan plateau and to this Jiuzhaigou National Park. Those roads are very rough, particularly once you start getting up into the mountains. They're quite steep, and it's very slow progress, particularly in a bus. Ronan O'Connell: The trip itself is only about 450 to 500 kilometers, but because it's such slow progress, it takes nearly 10 hours by bus. You can actually fly there direct from Chengdu, so that's the other option. That's only about 45 minutes, and that lands at an airport that's on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau at about altitude of around 2,000 meters. From there, you can get a 90 minute bus to Jiuzhaigou National Park. Ronan O'Connell: I think, probably, it's interesting too, even the way that I did it was I took the bus up there, and then I flew back. That way, you get to see all the scenery on the way up there, but you also get the convenience of not having to do the return trip by bus, which is a little bit arduous. Phil: Yes, and downhill, which can be ... Ronan O'Connell: Yeah, with no brakes. Phil: Yeah. Ronan O'Connell: No, no. They've got brakes, they got brakes. Kim: Well, no wonder you say it's truly remote. You also say it's fiercely protected. Why is that? Ronan O'Connell: Well, it was basically just a very remote, untouched area, which was inhabited by Tibetan tribespeople up until the 1970s. Then in 1975, loggers came into the area and started, basically, just devastating it because this is an old growth forest area. Obviously, that's very appealing to loggers who are looking for that kind of prime timber. Ronan O'Connell: They did seven years of really serious damage to what is now Jiuzhaigou National Park. Then in 1982, the Chinese government finally stepped in and decided to declare it one of China's first protected national parks. They put in place pretty strict environmental conservation limits. No one was allowed to build any accommodation there. People couldn't start coming in and trying to build restaurants or anything like that inside the park. Ronan O'Connell: Very similar to what we have in Australia with the way the national parks are protected. They also built a limited number of roads so that tour buses could go through the Valley. Ronan O'Connell: I think the most impressive thing that they did was that they built more than 50 kilometers of wooden walkways, which wind all the way through the park, from the very bottom of the valley, all the way to the top. Ronan O'Connell: Basically, the way they've built it is that these walkways skirt the edge of all of the most scenic parts of the valley, so that at any given time, you're basically in the best possible location to enjoy the view around you. Yeah, I think it's that they've done a very good job of protecting it. Kim: It is beautiful. What sort of wildlife exists within the park? Ronan O'Connell: There's more than 200 species of bird. There are two particularly significant animals that are there, because both of them are very much endangered creatures. The first is the Giant Panda, which is obviously the kind of, in animal form, the national icon of China. This part of a Sichuan Province is one of the very few places in all of China that still has Wild Pandas left. Ronan O'Connell: That's one reason that they've really tried very hard to make sure that there hasn't been any development happening in the park, apart from just a little bit of tourist infrastructure, is because they want to keep this Giant Panda population alive. Ronan O'Connell: The fact that they do still live there gives you a sense of how lush and pristine this area is, because these Giant Pandas, as I understand it, are pretty picky in terms of what they need from the environment around them. Kim: In closing, Ronan, would you say that despite its remoteness that this is worth putting on your list of places to visit in China? Ronan O'Connell: I also think that the advantage of the fact that it has an airport there, that you can go to Chengdu, which is a city that I would recommend extremely highly, because I just feel that it's very much an overlooked city. It's really only known because of the fact that it has a Giant Panda center there, but it's the most fascinating city in the Southwest of China. Ronan O'Connell: It's a huge city. It's got a lot of old neighbourhoods and a really fascinating culture there, and quite incredible food. Really, really spicy food. I would definitely recommend that people check out Chengdu. Then from there, it's only a 45-minute flight to Jiuzhaigou, and yet it feels once you get there as if you're really, I mean, a million miles away from civilization. Ronan O'Connell: Yeah, and the fact that it mixes then with the Tibetan culture, because there's actually nine Tibetan villages that are spread throughout the national park, and you can visit these villages and they're still living in very traditional ways. That adds just a whole different element to it. The fact that it's not just somewhere that's naturally incredible, but that it's also got very rare culture that's still surviving there in an authentic fashion. Kim: It does indeed sound very beautiful, Ronan. Now, to get in touch with us, you can email Podcast@WorldNomads.com. In the meantime, where are we exploring next, Phil? Phil: Well, it's somewhere that we found it hard to find people who have actually been there. If you'd like to get off the beaten path, this is the place for you. It's Suriname. Kim: See you then. Phil: Bye.   </div> </div> </div>Getty Images/ FangXiaNuo 11048014352 Chinese people practicing taiji in the park

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/day-trip-from-shanghai-to-moganshanCrystal Wilde takes a day trip from the bustling city of Shanghai to the mountains just a few hours away.2019-08-21T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/day-trip-from-shanghai-to-moganshanhttps://www.worldnomads.comShanghai’s sweaty summer season has begun and it’s time to take a break from the concrete. My husband and I are new to this city of 26 million on China’s central east coast, but we have it on good authority that Moganshan, 128mi (207km) southwest of the city, is the best bet for a rejuvenating day of nature. Although you can get there by subway and train in around three hours, we decide to drive, a journey of 2.5 hours. <ul> <li><a href="#moganshan"> Exploring Moganshan </a></li> <li><a href="#dinner"> A Memorable Meal </a></li> <li><a href="#other"> What Else is There to Do Near Shanghai? </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="moganshan">Exploring Moganshan</h2> On arrival, we head straight to the peak of the mountain known as Mogan (“shan” means mountain in Chinese). Amid the lush bamboo forests, which have been attracting Shanghai’s overheated elites since the 1880s, are several hiking trails, waterfalls, pools, teahouses, and restaurants. We explore the forest, ducking under and clambering over fallen bamboo trunks, and see a few cascading waterfalls on our steep 3mi (4.8 km) hike along the Temple Trail. We stop for lunch in the village half way up, in an eatery next door to a little stone post office. We eat hong shao rou, a Shanghai-style braised pork belly dish famous for being Mao Zedong’s favorite, and spicy stir-fried cauliflower. It’s nothing special, but it does the trick for two hungry hikers. <h2 id="dinner">Dinner at Yufulou Hostel</h2> After several hours exploring the forest, we head down to Moganshan for a memorable dinner at Yufulou Hostel. Here we are led to the kitchen to take our pick of the freshest dishes of the day. For us, it’s mushy broad beans heaped high with garlic, deep-fried chicken strips, and a spicy crayfish hotpot — this meal alone is worth making the trip from the city for. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/moganshan-teahouse-gettyimages-901358154.jpg" alt="View from a teahouse at the top of Moganshan mountain" /> <figcaption>The view from a teahouse on Moganshan Mountain. Photo credit: Getty Images/Adon Buckley Photography</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="other">Other Things to Do in and Around Shanghai</h2> <ul> <li>Art: A 30 minute bullet train from Shanghai will take you to the 2,500-year-old city of Suzhou, which is famous for traditional crafts. <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/ancient-crafts-in-suzhou" title="Learning the Art of Ancient Crafts in Suzhou">See people at work carving intricate shapes into tiny olive pits</a></li> <li>Food: Go <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/where-to-find-the-best-soup-dumplings-in-china#shanghai" title="Tracing the Delectable Journey of Soup Dumplings Across China">dumpling-tasting in Shanghai</a>, or <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/chinese-food-favorites" title="5 Food Experiences to Have in China">travel further afield to try incredibly authentic Chinese dishes in multiple provinces</a></li> <li>Culture: Travel to the <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/ancient-villages-with-loads-of-history-in-china#xitang" title="5 Chinese Villages With Loads of History to Discover">lesser-known water village of Xitang</a> for architecture or a rowboat ride along the waterways</li> <li>Where to next? <a href="https://www.skyscanner.com.au" title="Search for cheap flights on SkyScanner">Fly to Chengdu</a>, the capital of Sichuan Province, and explore <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/jiuzhaigou-national-park-a-great-alternative-to-zhangjiajie" title="Jiuzhaigou National Park: Sichuan's Alpine Wonderland">Jiuzhaigou National Park</a> or take a trip to see the <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/leshan-giant-buddha" title="Feeling Small in Leshan">Giant Buddha of Leshan</a>.</li> </ul>Getty Images/Adon Buckley Photography 1901358164 Getty Images A woman stands at a lookout on Moganshan mountain

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/rock-music-and-alternative-culture-in-chinaMarco Ferrarese traces the movement of yao gun (Chinese rock), from its birth to the state of the underground music scene on the streets of China today.2019-08-21T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/rock-music-and-alternative-culture-in-chinahttps://www.worldnomads.comIt’s 2008, just a few months shy of <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/scuba-diving-the-great-wall-of-china-at-panjiakou-reservoir-china" title="Scuba Diving the Great Wall of China">Beijing’s</a> first triumphal Olympics. Wang’s tiny apartment is dimly lit, slightly bigger than a car’s backseat, and tastes of spent cigarettes and dirty rock and roll. “Drink,” he says in <a href="/explore/guides/mandarin-travel-phrasebook" title="Learn how to speak Mandarin">Chinglish</a>, passing a bottle of Tsing Tao beer across the floor between us. Wang has improbable blond hair, dyed and spiked with hand soap, and sings in a Beijing Oi! band, a sub-genre of punk born from working-class, anti-racist skinheads in late 1970s England. I’m the “foreign expert”, aka a teacher of <a href="/explore/guides#phrasebooks" title="Travel phrasebook apps for your iPhone">languages</a>, who landed in a second-tier Chinese university 186mi (300km) east of Beijing, one of the world’s busiest cities. With a poor common language, Wang and I connect by referencing the shared global codes of the punk rock music we both love. <ul> <li><a href="#birth"> The Birth of Chinese Popular Music </a></li> <li><a href="#rise-and-fall"> The Rise and Fall of Chinese Punk Rock </a></li> <li><a href="#international"> International Recognition of Chinese Heavy Metal Music </a></li> <li><a href="#today"> Chinese Rock Music Today </a></li> <li><a href="#experience"> Where to Experience Live Rock Music Across China </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="birth">The Birth of Chinese Popular Music</h2> As China opened up to the world in the late 1970s, it also started forming an acquired taste for Western music and ideas the country had never seen before. From Jimi Hendrix to The Beatles, the Pet Shop Boys to punk rock: a tsunami of 50 years of foreign popular music history in the form of pirated tapes — coupled with the first influx of language teachers, foreign students, and tourists — washed over the Chinese capital all at once, creating yao gun, or “Chinese rock”. Walking in many of Beijing's street markets, I can see these rock tapes on sale next to smiling jade buddhas, Confucius statues and tacky fake-brass dragons, looking like improbable crumbs of globalization that spilled between the cracks of <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/ancient-villages-with-loads-of-history-in-china" title="5 Authentic Ancient Chinese Villages to Explore">China's ancient civilization</a>. Two <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/ancient-crafts-in-suzhou" title="Learning the Art of Ancient Crafts in Suzhou">artists</a> are considered the genre's initiators: Cui Jian, a trained classical musician who fell for the smuggled sounds of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Talking Heads. He shot to stardom in 1986, with the song Nothing to My Name, which mixed elements of classical Chinese music with Western electric guitars, which became the unofficial anthem of Tiananmen Square’s student protests in 1989. The second is He Yong, whose 1994 pivotal album Garbage Dump, filled with nihilistic social commentary, paved the way to the birth of Chinese punk. In the late 1980s, China also spawned its first heavy metal band with Socialist characteristics, Tang Dynasty, who released its debut album A Dream Return to Tang Dynasty in 1992. Combining progressive rock with heavy riffs, Chinese folk styles and Beijing opera techniques, it went on to sell more than two million copies in Asia and abroad. I find all these tapes on Beijing's laneways, buy them for a few yuan each, and bring them back to my room in the university. To my Western-trained ears, they sound angry and exotic, harsh and incredibly attractive. My teenage students, of course, don't know anything about them. When I ask my block's caretaker if he has ever heard of Tang Dynasty, he answers that they ruled over China for three centuries until year 907 DC. <h2 id="rise-and-fall">Beijing’s Burning: The Rise and Fall of Chinese Punk Rock</h2> From 1995, the seeds of yao gun blossomed into two very antithetic punk bands: Underbaby which used punk’s stereotypical three raw chords, safety pins, and mohawks, and Catcher in the Rye with its melodic pop-punk songs. In a couple of years, Beijing’s first punk underground makes a permanent base at the Scream Club, where some of China’s pioneer punk bands like Brain Failure, 69, Reflector, and Anarchy Boys emerged. Their music is collected in a compilation album released on Jing Wen Records in 1997, the first official Chinese punk record. By 1998, Beijing was considered the center of cultural and musical freedom, attracting musicians, fans and students from all over China. But soon enough the bars overflowed with too many competing bands, pushing some of Beijing’s early punks to move to the musically untouched southwestern province of Yunnan, thus “exporting” punk rock to the tourist towns of Dali and Lijiang. Something started changing by the early 2000s, when new foreign trends like nu-metal contributed to making Beijing's music scene more commercial. On top of that, its prime spot as China’s “music city” was overshadowed by the rise of new talented musicians, clubs, and music styles in other cities including Shanghai, Wuhan, Qingdao, Nanjing and Tianjin. Back in the capital, the years in the run-up to the 2008 Olympics saw the birth of ‘No Beijing’, a new wave of influential and savvy Chinese bands that hint at ‘70s New York’s No Wave art movement. This is when I arrived in China to teach Italian in the coastal town of Qinhuangdao, not far from Beijing. Even if it's busy and polluted, it becomes my weekend escape to sweat off my small-town work frustrations by checking out the 'No Beijing' music scene. The epicenter is the small D-22 bar in the student district of Wudaokou, the main live venue for groups like Joyside, Hedgehog, Carsick Cars, Snapline and the Gar. They mixed post-punk, noise and indie influences, helping widen the appeal of Chinese rock. When I see Joyside for the first time, the D-22 is packed to the gills with a swarm of teenagers and students in tight jeans and striped t-shirts. As the band rocks into the first song, the crowd surges to the stage, melting into a human monster of twirling limbs, becoming one with the musicians. Sweat and beer condenses with breath, we all feel the punk rocking us down through our solar plexuses, and soon enough my glasses fog, my ribcage feels foreign elbows and knees, and we all become as one with that throbbing, liberating soundwave. <h2 id="international">Chinese Heavy Metal Music and its International Recognition</h2> Meanwhile, even Chinese metal rose to fame: from Tang Dynasty’s early prog in the 1990s, which I unfortunately never had a chance to see live, the genre expanded to thrash and death metal with bands like Tomahawk and Overload. By the end of the decade, Yaksa, the first Chinese nu-metal band, and thrash death band, Suffocated, also started making noise. Their crowning achievement was participating in Germany’s Wacken Open Air Festival in 2012, bringing Chinese metal to one of the world’s most important heavy metal stages. Chinese metal music continued to evolve, the first American and European metal bands started coming to play in <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/5-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-going-to-china" title="5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going to China">China</a>, and the genre also fused with rap and even Mongolian folk — think of successful bands like Hanggai, Nine Treasures and Tengger Cavalry. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/live-music-in-beijing-china-gettyimages-606738611.jpg" alt="People at a concert in Beijing, China" /> <figcaption>Live music in Beijing, China. Photo credit: Getty Images/Lane Oatey / Blue Jean Images</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="today">Chinese Rock Music Today</h2> The rebelliousness of Chinese yao gun and punk tames with the rise of the Midi Music Festival. Started in 1999 by the Beijing Midi School of Music, the first jazz and rock school in China, the Midi grows to become the biggest music festival in the Republic, changing the face of underground Chinese rock forever. This success kickstarts many other events, including the popular Strawberry Music Festival launched by label Modern Sky, one of China's biggest, and home to 100-odd bands. When I stop again in Beijing in April 2016, I can't help but notice the big changes in Chinese rock from that sweat-thronged, first burning D-22 performance I experienced almost a decade before. The Strawberry Music Festival will take place a week later over the May Day weekend, with events in both Beijing and Shanghai. Bands no longer play in a packed rickety student bar, but instead perform on the megastage of the Shanghai World Expo Park in front of thousands of people. These massive commercial operations increasingly switched focus from rock to other genres: in 2017 alone, China hosted a staggering 269 music festivals, 20 per cent of which were dedicated to electronic dance music. Rock bands still take on the stages of China’s major cities, but on the contrary of yao gun, modern rock in China has turned from flash-in-the-pan revolution to middle-class entertainment. Often times populated and maneuvered by expat foreigners, rock music still doesn’t bode well with an ever-conservative Chinese societal mindset. However, almost 40 years of Chinese yao gun have certainly left a mark on China’s popular culture, but that primeval Beijing underground fire, I’m afraid, has already turned to embers. <h2 id="experience">Where to Experience Live Rock Music Across China</h2> Every major Chinese city has a bunch of music clubs you can visit to check the pulse of the local scene. Here are just a few of the most established: <h3>Beijing</h3> Yugong Yishan 3-2 Zhangzizhong Lu, Miyun County Beijing’s full-fledged rock club hosts many international acts and yet always keeps an eye on the best from the local underground. School Live Bar 53 Wudaoying Hutong, Chaoyang The capital’s current spot for punk, metal and rock is this little scruffy bar packed to the gills with alternatives who always want to have a good, loud time. <h3>Shanghai</h3> Yuyintang 851 Kaixuan Lu For the past decade, this club has brought the best of rock, folk, metal and more to this vibrant metropolis. MAO Livehouse 308 Chongqing Nan Lu Good sized downtown venue catering to international and local acts, from electronica to disco, metal and rock. <h3>Wuhan</h3> Vox Livehouse 118 Lumo Road, Guang Gu Shang Quan, Hongshan Qu Wuhan Shi The home to Wuhan’s alternative music and punk, this landmark venue sees Chinese and international bands performing here almost every night. <h3>Dali </h3> Bad Monkey Bar 59 Renmin Lu, Dali Old Town Owned by two Englishmen, this Yunnanese live music bar has been rocking hard since 2003. Also check out its quirky sibling Bad Monkey Steampunk Bar, with music every night, paired with Napoli-style pizzas and burgers.  Getty Images/bo1982 1136326895 Getty Images People at a music festival in China

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/searching-for-extraterrestrial-life-in-guizhouWhile traveling through the Chinese province of Guizhou, Jamie Fullerton visits the biggest radio telescope in the world.2019-08-20T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/searching-for-extraterrestrial-life-in-guizhouhttps://www.worldnomads.comIs there life outside the confines of Earth’s atmosphere? Will little green men and women (or members of any other extra-terrestrial gender denomination) ever attempt to make contact with us? If the answer to both questions is yes, there’s a chance that any chatty aliens’ first contact with our species will be via an enormous wok-shaped metal structure that has been dominating the landscape in China’s rural Guizhou Province since being switched on in 2017. <ul> <li><a href="#fast"> The Biggest Radio Telescope in the World </a></li> <li><a href="#guiyang"> Driving from Guiyang to the Dish </a></li> <li><a href="#visitors"> Inside the Visitor’s Center </a></li> <li><a href="#trip-notes"> Trip Notes </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="fast">FAST: The Biggest Radio Telescope in the World</h2> The 500 Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) is the biggest radio telescope in the world, and making way for the huge pan which, as its name suggests, is half a mile wide, meant 9,000 <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/5-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-going-to-china" title="5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going to China">locals were relocated</a> from Guizhou’s green Pingtang County valleys.  Although its design might suggest that its mission is to cook the world’s biggest stir-fry, it is in fact part of China’s push to <a href="/explore/guides/usa-nomads-guide" title="Download our free guide to the USA">surpass the US</a> as a space exploring superpower. FAST is designed to map space and to listen for signals from aliens. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/aperture-spherical-telescope-china-rightsmanaged-gettyimages-607235112.jpg" alt="An aerial view of the FAST telescope in China" /> <figcaption>It took five years to construct the FAST telescope. Photo credit: Getty Images/VCG / Contributor</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="guiyang">Driving from Guiyang to the Dish</h2> The 110mi (180km) <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-get-around-china" title="How to Get Around China">drive to the dish from Guiyang</a>, Guizhou’s capital city, is not the most futuristic experience – but is rather lovely. The province is one of China’s poorest, and, although alien tourism is emerging here, farming is the dominant industry. After passing a petrol station quirkily designed to resemble a circular spacecraft, our driver slows to allow an elderly lady to cross the newly laid road cutting through the countryside. A large buffalo obediently follows the wicker basket bound to her back. <h2 id="visitors">Inside the Visitor’s Center</h2> Things get more surreal in the theme park-like visitors’ center. Models of humanoid aliens and whoosh-bang motion sensor-based light shows teach visitors about planets. The notion that the truth is very much out there is stoked with plenty of depictions of bulbous-headed Martians.  “Aliens have probably been messaging us for decades, but we missed them,” a sign confidently declares. Another reads: “Although the US has UFO monopoly, they don’t have any privilege.” It is the climb to the mouth of the dish, though, that really swizzes the imagination. With an electronic equipment exclusion zone around the structure strictly enforced, I <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-stay-connected-and-use-the-internet-in-china" title="A Guide to Using Your Phone in China">hand over my phone</a> and <a href="/explore/worldwide/tech-and-travel-the-gear-you-really-need-and-what-to-leave-at-home" title="Travel and Tech: What Gear Do You Really Need?">digital camera</a> before being bussed through roller-coaster valley roads to FAST. A lung-busting staircase climb, combined with the gasp-inducing first sight of the dish, exhausts me. Plonked in the base of a tranquil, tree-covered valley and shrouded in mist, FAST is a spectacularly eerie vision. China’s President Xi Jinping called the dish the country’s “eye in the sky”, and the sense of national pride in it is strong here. Mr Fu, a 60-year-old military supply worker standing next to me, is awestruck. “I’ve never seen such a big iron pan,” he says. “The US has a similar one, but this is way bigger.” Later, back in the visitors’ centre, the question of the existence of aliens is being discussed among the staff. Mrs Zhu used to be a farmer but now works here as a cleaner. For many farmers, FAST has meant stressful forced relocation, for others it has created steady new jobs. “There might be aliens out there,” Mrs Zhu says, not looking particularly bothered about whether there are or not. “But that’s the government’s business. Even if they found one, they wouldn’t tell us.” She swipes her hand over a sensor, bringing up an image of Jupiter on the wall projection in front of her. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/telescope-china-rightsmanaged-gettyimages-626582398.jpg" alt="A side view of the FAST telescope in China" /> <figcaption>The Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) in Pingtang, in southwestern China's Guizhou province. Photo credit: Getty Images/STR/Stringer</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="trip-notes">Trip Notes</h2> Various <a href="http://fast.bao.ac.cn/en/">group tours visit FAST</a> on day trips from Guiyang, with most costing 400-500 yuan per person, including tickets. You must buy tickets in person, if not as part of a tour. Hiring a car and driver for one day from Guiyang costs around 1,000 yuan. Contact the FAST ticket office (+86 0854 4831 788, <a href="/explore/guides/mandarin-travel-phrasebook" title="Download our free Mandarin travel phrasebook">Mandarin language</a> only) for the latest entry ticket prices. If you <a href="/explore/guides/mandarin-travel-phrasebook" title="Learn how to speak a few phrases in Mandarin">can’t speak Mandarin</a>, as your accommodation staff to help out.  Getty Images/guifang jian 11138407210 Getty Images The night sky over Guizhou Province, China

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/surfing-in-hainan-chinaDiscover a close-knit surfing community in Houhai Bay, a bohemian town in a corner of Sanya on the Chinese island province of Hainan.2019-08-20T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/surfing-in-hainan-chinahttps://www.worldnomads.comArriving at the beach shack bar of Jile Hotel on Sanya’s Houhai Bay, I initially feel a little out of place, as I don’t have a six-pack stomach. On any given afternoon here, <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/5-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-going-to-china" title="5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going to China">Chinese</a> surfer bros and babes spray each other with hoses after surfing in the ocean a few meters from the bar, then recline in hammocks with cold beers. Surfing is still an incredibly niche sport in China, but in this small corner of Sanya, Hainan Island’s south coast city, it’s a way of life. <ul> <li><a href="#community"> Sanya’s surfing community </a></li> <li><a href="#surf-lessons"> Local surf lessons in Houhai </a></li> <li><a href="#times-are-changing"> How surfing changed Hainan </a></li> <li><a href="#trip-notes"> Trip Notes </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="community">Sanya’s surfing community</h2> I meet two people at the center of Sanya’s surfing community: Monica Guo and Darci Liu, aka the queens of Houhai Bay. Guo is a pro surfer and is on the Chinese national surf team; Liu is a pro surfer turned environmentalist and documentary maker. Liu and Guo were part of the first wave of Chinese surfers, catching the bug after the sport was introduced to Hainan around 15 years ago, largely by US and Japanese surfers visiting the island. “There weren’t even any Chinese versions of many surfing terms, so my friend and I had to make our own Chinese surfing dictionary,” says Liu. Guo leans out of a hammock to pet her small, sandy-colored dog Honey, who likes to fearlessly hop on her human mum’s board in the water. “I used to be like, ‘Work, work, work’ in the city before I discovered surfing,” Guo says. “I loved buying high-heeled shoes, partying every night, shopping every day. Surfing changed me.” <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/nanshan-cultural-zone-sanya-china-unsplash-denny-ryanto.jpg" alt="A large statue in the water at Nanshan Cultural Zone in Sanya, Hainan Island" /> <figcaption>Nanshan Cultural Zone in Sanya, Hainan Island. Photo credit: Photo by Denny Ryanto on Unsplash</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="surf-lessons">Local surf lessons in Houhai</h2> When not training or competing in surf competitions, or giving public lectures about <a href="/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/participation/help-save-our-planets-coral-reefs">marine conservation</a>, Guo and Luo give surf lessons on Houhai – and today it’s my turn. As we enter the water, the pair teach me to paddle like heck with my hands just before incoming waves breaks, then attempt to leap onto the board. As my teachers effortlessly soar to the sand, I giddily topple under the surface. Still, even if you’re less naturally suited to water propulsion than a waste disposal truck, Houhai Bay has much to offer. Its bohemian vibe is bolstered by a small skate park built into the front of a bar neighboring Jile Beach’s terrace, and nearby artsy hangout spot Kaleidoscope hosts film screenings and DJs. It’s a little bit hipster, and a lot of fun. Indeed, with Sanya being little over 186mi (300km) from the <a href="/explore/guides/vietnam-cambodia-and-laos-insiders-guide" title="Download our free guide to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos">eastern Vietnamese coast</a>, the atmosphere at Houhai is more tropical southeast Asia than modern China. Attitudes towards surfing here were not always so laid back, though. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/sanya-at-sunset-gettyimages-1147941530.jpg" alt="Sunset from Sanya, Hainan Island" /> <figcaption>Sunset from Sanya, Hainan Island. Photo credit: Getty Images/Zhou Zhou / EyeEm</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="times-are-changing">How surfing changed Hainan</h2> When surfing was introduced to the region, local authorities took a dim view of young, tattooed, bikini and Speedos-wearing bohemians plonking big colorful boards in their pristine oceans. Police used to tell them that they weren’t allowed to surf near swimmers. In the summer of 2016 things changed on Hainan. The government built a surf academy at Riyue Bay, a large beach with great surf north of Houhai, and recruited legions of child surfers to train there. The aim was to train a new generation of surfers to win medals for China in international competitions. I take a taxi up to Riyue and meet Li Jing, another member of the first wave of Chinese surfers, who is based at a Riyue surf shop. She says that once local authorities realized that the central government ‘approved’ surfing, things became easier for her and her friends, including Liu and Guo. “If we carried boards on our cars police would stop us, saying it’s dangerous,” she says between slurps of coconut milk. “But now police are like, ‘Oh, they’re surfers!’. And on beaches, if surfers go, we’re welcomed… they now know we’re not just ‘homeless’ people who don’t work.” I also meet Michael Weaver, a Florida-born surf coach hired to train the government-approved surfers. He says the new ‘official’ surf center has created two surf factions on Hainan: “The ‘free surf spiritual’ thing, and the competitive side.” Houhai Bay is very much the home of the former group. As sun sets on the bay, a few miles west the tourist hoards exit coaches and cascade into the strip restaurants by the large, packed beaches. In contrast, on Houhai the dominant sounds are waves and lazily-plucked acoustic guitars. “This is my happy place… my happy temple,” says Liu, gently pushing her hand against a tree trunk to get her hammock swinging again. <h2 id="trip-notes">Trip Notes</h2> For surfing lesson enquiries, contact Darci Liu at darciliu[at]gmail[dot]com.Getty Images/zhengjie wu 11152791445 Getty Images Clear waters of Houhai Bay and surfers

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/travel-chinas-ancient-tea-horse-routeKeith Lyons takes an alternative route through China, ditching the Silk Road for the ancient Tea Horse Road.2019-08-19T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/travel-chinas-ancient-tea-horse-routehttps://www.worldnomads.comWhen the abbot of a Tibetan monastery in <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/jiuzhaigou-national-park-a-great-alternative-to-zhangjiajie" title="Sichuan’s Alpine Wonderland: Jiuzhaigou National Park">Sichuan</a> showed me bricks of black tea stored in a kitchen pantry, it got me thinking about how the addictive substance, first introduced to Tibet in the 7th century, had long been transported over high passes to harsh places too cold to grow tea. Taking inspiration from Super Size Me documentary-maker Morgan Spurlock, who had told me about hatching a ‘really great, bad idea’ as we snuck into a McDonald’s restaurant more than a dozen years ago, my ‘great, bad idea’ was to pick and process some tea from the original tea-growing region in southwest China, and take the fermented and compressed tea along the ancient Tea Horse Road – the Southern Silk Route – via the eastern Tibetan Himalayas, to one of the oldest teahouses in China. <ul> <li><a href="#teahorse"> Tea Horse Road </a></li> <li><a href="#jinghong"> Jinghong </a></li> <li><a href="#dali"> Dali </a></li> <li><a href="#shaxi"> Shaxi </a></li> <li><a href="#lijiang"> Lijiang </a></li> <li><a href="#shangrila"> Shangri-la </a></li> <li><a href="#chengdu"> Chengdu </a></li> <li><a href="#trip-notes"> Trip Notes </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="teahorse">Tea Horse Road</h2> You will have heard of the historic Silk Road, the camel-train route linking the East and the West, where goods and ideas where exchanged between the 2nd and 14th centuries. Though less well-known, the Tea Horse Road – or Cha Ma Gu Dao – was active from the 7th century until the mid-20th century. This Southern Silk Route was a network of trails more than 1,850mi (3,000km) in length, from <a href="l/explore/eastern-asia/china/the-joy-of-hiking-tiger-leaping-gorge-the-wrong-way" title="Hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge">tropical Yunnan</a> in the south, through Tibet and on to <a href="/explore/guides/india-insiders-guide" title="Download our free guide to India">India</a> and beyond. But the caravans of mules and yaks (and hardy porters carrying up to their own weight in loads) didn’t just transport blocks of tea, but also salt, silver and silk. One of its greatest deliveries was spreading Buddhism from India to the east.  <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/tea-making-in-longjing-village-gettyimages-149767678.jpg" alt="A person presses tea leaves in Longjing village, Hangzhou, Zhejiang" /> <figcaption>Tea making in Longjing village, Hangzhou, China. Photo credit: Getty Images/SiYi Qian</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="jinghong">Jinghong</h2> After <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-get-around-china" title="Transport Tips China">an hour’s drive</a> through foggy gloom, past endless rubber and banana plantations, from the Xishuangbanna city of Jinghong towards the <a href="/explore/guides/myanmar-insiders-guide" title="Download our free guide to Myanmar">Myanmar</a> and <a href="/explore/guides/vietnam-cambodia-and-laos-insiders-guide" title="Download our free guide to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia">Laos</a> borders, I still can’t make out the telltale rows of contour-planted tea bushes. I’m still baffled when the driver stops, points me towards a path in the mist, and taps out on his phone translator, ‘ancient tea gardens’. There, I am surprised to find a gnarly tree with large leaves, believed to be 800 years old: the king of the tea trees. Tea from this area, Nannuo, is now worth more than its weight in silver. Cuttings from trees in these Chinese borderlands spread tea cultivation to more than 50 countries. But I can’t pick tea from this protected forest; instead we go to the driver’s Hani-minority hamlet, where I sweatily collect basketfuls of shiny, tender leaves from wild trees. I spread out my tea on round trays to wilt and dry, while I am plied by the driver’s father with endless cups of bright orange tea, which is initially bitter, but has a honey aftertaste. Later, the leaves are tossed into a giant wok, and the <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/ancient-villages-with-loads-of-history-in-china" title="5 Ancient Chinese Villages to Discover">villagers</a> set about rolling and shaping the leaves. The slightly bruised pan-roasted strands are finally left in the sun to dry. As I’m due to get on a night bus to Dali, in a ‘here’s-one-I-made-earlier’ moment, I’m given a bag of recently-dried loose tea which I’ll get made into ripe pu’er (pronounced ‘poo-erh’), as well as seven frisbee-rounds of tea (known as raw pu’er) bound in rice paper and wrapped in bamboo. <h2 id="dali">Dali</h2> Putting the ‘travail’ in travel, it takes 15 hours to cover the 384mi (620km) distance by bus from muggy Jinghong to the fresh air of Dali, a change of 4,500ft (1,250m) in elevation. But I’m not exactly elated. When I arrive in the trade crossroads of Dali city, I am as bruised and as dehydrated as my bulky bag of tea thanks to the bumpy night drive over roads under construction. Dali is famous for the 9th-century Three Pagodas and the Cangshan Mountains sitting above vast Erhai Lake. Not far from the backpacker haven of the Old Town, I hand my loose tea over to the boss of a tea factory, to be transformed into something more portable and less bitter by the process of accelerated fermentation and aging developed in the Dali area. My tea is added to a pile of leaves, which will be kept moist and warm. When should I come back? I ask. A couple of months, he replies.  When I do return, my precious tea has been reduced to what looks like compost. The dark material is carefully measured, then steamed, and finally pressed into a small convex dome. In this post-fermentation form, unlike green tea, this low-caffeine tea will get better – and more valuable – as it ages. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/erhai-lake-gettyimages-489591389.jpg" alt="Erhai Lake near Dali, Yunnan province, China" /> <figcaption>Erhai Lake near Dali, Yunnan province. Photo credit: Getty Images/nainant</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="shaxi">Shaxi</h2> I take my domes of compressed tea from the tea growing and processing areas to the next major trade hub on the Tea Horse Road, hidden away a couple of hours north of Dali, via the main town of Jianchuan. As the <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-get-around-china" title="Getting Around China">minivan navigates the winding road</a>, I catch glimpses of the patchwork fields as we descend into the so-called ‘last unspoilt valley in China’. Later that balmy evening, I watch a caravan of mules, loaded with burlap sacks strapped to wooden saddles, clip-clop by on the cobblestones of Shaxi’s market square, and I think about what I might be able to trade my tea for. Looking out through the coin-shaped, carved lattice screen windows – symbolizing prosperity – I’m reminded how this restored staging post is too cold to grow tea, so my goods should be more valuable here. “How about some medicinal plants,” suggests my Bai-minority food guide Li Han Mei (Apple), “Or matsutake mushrooms, if they are in season?” After being lulled by the hypnotic sounds of a village orchestra at the Old Theater Inn, a converted theater and shrine, owner Chris suggests exchanging my tea for packhorse-couriered Mapingguan honey, or a local delicacy ham. “If you have enough tea, you might be able to get a small spotted heirloom pig.” Instead, the next day I decide to give away some of my tea fortune. At a ramshackle Ouyang merchant courtyard, where some of the last muleteers once lived, I press a round of tea upon the historic building’s caretaker; and after much insistence, he accepts, only to load me up with pears for the trip onward and upward to Lijiang, only a couple of hours away by bus due to the new tunnel and bridge highway from Jianchuan. <h2 id="lijiang">Lijiang</h2> The alleyway and bridge maze of the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town of Lijiang possibly has the highest density of tea merchants in China packed into its 3mi2 (8km2) unwalled ancient city. I search the stone and wood labyrinth for two things vital for making the perfect brew: one pricey, the other priceless. Passing oxblood wooden paneled shopfronts, the weathered Big Stone Bridge, and the former Mufu Palace, I finally find a locally-made black clay teapot at the bustling Zhongyi Market. I walk upstream from the town’s landmark water wheels to the picture-perfect Black Dragon Pool, where a five-arch bridge, pavilion and the distant 18,400 ft (5,600m) high Jade Dragon Snow Mountain are reflected in the pond. From an artesian aquifer, I fill two bottles with the glacial meltwater, wondering if Kublai Khan’s soldiers did the same in 1253, or if horsemen stopped here on their supply missions to Tibet and India during the Second Sino-Japanese War between 1937 to 1945. Carrying my water, I am stopped by an old man who speaks to me first in Russian, then Mandarin. Qu Mao Hong, who was born in the 1940s, takes me up Lion Hill to see the remnants of the Tea Horse Road; the conglomerate stone worn down by shoes and hooves. In the distance, beyond the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge, is my next destination, Shangri-la, the first Tibetan town on the way to Lhasa. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/lijiang-black-dragon-pool-keith-lyons.jpg" alt="Black Dragon Pool in Lijiang" /> <figcaption>Black Dragon Pool in Lijiang. Photo credit: Keith Lyons</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="shangrila">Shangri-la</h2> In centuries past it took more than a week to get from from Lijiang to Shangri-la, via the Yangtze River crossing point at Shigu, but the road reduces the 124mi (200km) trip to less than four hours – and travel times will be halved when a new railway and highway is completed by 2021. As we sit around the stove in the Tibetan Garden Inn, in Shangri-la’s old town – at 10,500 feet (3,200m) – my Tibetan host Bao, who got me hooked on the local way of drinking tea when I first stayed here more than a decade ago, asks the question he knows I can’t refuse. “Have some suyou cha (yak butter tea)?” Fragments of my ripe pu’er tea have been added to a simmering kettle, and then the smoky, bitter brew is poured into a wooden cylindrical tube, and churned with a dollop of yak butter (from summer grasslands near his father’s village) and more than a pinch of salt. “He likes Tibetan tea,” Bao proudly tells a couple visiting from Beijing. I slurp the salty, murky liquid from a wooden bowl, feeling the grease lining my gullet, as they look on in horror wondering how anyone could stomach tea that has been adulterated with fat and lactose. When my second bowl is partly finished, I do something else which confounds the tourists. Adding spoonfuls of roasted barley flour – called tsampa. I use my middle finger to combine it with the remaining yak butter tea, rotating the bowl as Bao has shown me, and squeezing the crumbly mix into a pale brown-flecked solid oval. I sample the hand-kneaded ball. The slightly rancid taste of yak butter has gone; instead, the tsampa is nutty and malty, similar to hot milk on breakfast cereal. “Hao chi ma? (tastes okay?),” the Beijing man, suddenly even more pale-looking, asks hesitantly. “Fei chang hao chi (unusually delicious),” I reply. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/shangrila-songzanlin-tibetan-buddhist-monastery-keithlyons.jpg" alt="Songzanlin, Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Shangri-la" /> <figcaption>Songzanlin, Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Shangri-la. Photo credit: Keith Lyons</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="chengdu">Chengdu</h2> From Shangri-la, the 745mi (1,200km) overland route through Sichuan Tibetan areas takes in Xiangcheng, Litang, and Kangding, a journey of three days to a week to Chengdu by public bus and shared jeeps, depending on stopovers at Yading Nature Reserve and Tagong grasslands.  “Chengdu has more tea houses than sunny days,” my friend Wei tells me when we meet by Mao’s statue in Sichuan’s capital, known for its cloudy days, lazy pandas and tingly mouth-numbing peppercorn. The Chengdu native had previously introduced me to the popular People’s Park Heming teahouse, where an acrobatic tea master deftly poured kung-fu tea from a long spout, while shoe-shiners and ear-cleaners roamed among card-playing patrons. Wei had taken me to Yuelai chaguan for afternoon masked Sichuan opera, and the incense-shrouded Wenshu temple teahouse, where we nibbled bear’s paws (thankfully vegetarian) in the shade of giant bamboo. With the promise of a new place to try my tea, he shows me to one of the oldest surviving teahouses in China, in the town of Pengzhen just outside Chengdu. Amidst shafts of light, illuminating faded Communist propaganda and the pipe smoke of mahjong players, Guanyinge teahouse probably has the oldest surviving men in China (some sporting blue Mao suits, sipping jasmine tea in lidded cups).   Wei breaks off a layer of my raw pu’er and pours hot water from a wicker Thermos flask, watched by a couple of octogenarians sitting beside us. I am curious to know the veteran verdict on my grassy green, slightly bitter tea, so Wei pours them steaming tumblers. A wizened 81-year-old perks up, breaks into a grin and gives the thumbs up. “Bu cuo (not bad)!” <h2 id="trip-notes">Trip Notes</h2> <h3>Other Places to Check Out on the Southern Silk Route</h3> The hot springs of Tengchong, Weishan (famous for its snacks), Nuodeng, and the merchant town of Xizhou near Dali. Also, Shibaoshan grotto female organ shrine above Shaxi town, Shuhe’s Ancient Tea Horse Road Museum outside Lijiang, and one of the best hikes in China, Tiger Leaping Gorge.  <h3>Methods of Transport</h3> While you can fly from Jinghong to Dali, Lijiang or Chengdu, the best way to experience the Tea Horse Road is overland, using <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-get-around-china" title="How to Get Around China">day and overnight public buses</a>. You can also catch a train between Dali and Lijiang, or hire a car and self-drive, take a private car, see it on foot by hiking, and even exploring on horseback.Getty Images/Buena Vista Images 11166042445 Getty Images Traditional Chinese wooden building in the Old Town of Lijiang, Yunnan province

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/an-alertnative-to-yangshuo-visit-wanfenglin-insteadTess Humphrys discovers the Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks, an alternative to the popular karst formations in Yangshuo.2019-08-19T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/an-alertnative-to-yangshuo-visit-wanfenglin-insteadhttps://www.worldnomads.comIt’s a warm dusky evening in China’s Guanxi Province, and the sky is slowly turning from brilliant blue to a delicate pale pink. I’m walking along a small river fringed with banana and pomegranate trees. Cicadas hum loudly, the only soundtrack to my evening stroll. On either side of the valley, the setting sun illuminates the karst hills that rise from the horizon like humps on a sleeping dragon’s back. I’m in the heart of Wanfenglin, the undiscovered alternative to <a href="/stories/transformation/yin-and-yang-in-guangxi" title="Learning Tai Chi in Yangshuo">Yangshuo</a> – <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-get-around-china" title="How to Get Around China">which is 500mi (800km) away</a> – for lovers of beautiful karst landscapes. <ul> <li><a href="#peaks"> The Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks </a></li> <li><a href="#independent"> Perfect for Independent Travel </a></li> <li><a href="#bike"> Exploring by Bike </a></li> <li><a href="#food"> Local Food in the Area </a></li> <li><a href="#trip-notes"> Trip Notes </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="peaks">The Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks</h2> I awake early the next day, ready to explore. It’s a <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/weather-and-when-to-travel-china" title="When to Go to China: Climate and Weather">glorious morning</a> – where the peaks were a moody dark green the night before, today they are emerald. Literally translating as Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks, Wanfenglin is one of China’s largest areas of karst landscape, famed, in China at least, for its tower-like fenglin formations. Together with the peaks in Yangshuo, Wanfenglin is part of a huge area of karst scenery that stretches from the western Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to the eastern Guangxi Basin. These iconic landscapes are so unique that they have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. While the karst formations in Wanfenglin might not quite match those of <a href="/stories/transformation/yin-and-yang-in-guangxi" title="Yin and Yang in Guangxi">Yangshuo for height and sheer spectacle</a>, this area does have what that more popular area lost long ago – a palpable sense of being well <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/jiuzhaigou-national-park-a-great-alternative-to-zhangjiajie" title="Sichuan’s Alpine Wonderland: Jiuzhaigou National Park">off the international tourist trail</a>. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/wanfenglin-tesshumphrys.jpg" alt="Houses beneath the green hills in Wanfenglin" /> <figcaption>Homes sit beneath the beautiful hills in Wanfenglin. Photo credit: Tess Humphrys</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="independent">A Dream for Independent Travelers</h2> I’m staying in a beautiful guesthouse in Upper Nahui Village, nestled amidst the hills and one of a number of small settlements dotted around Wanfenglin. The villages have been home to China’s Bouyei people for 300 years. Nowadays, while people still make a living from traditional farming, many families have opened hotels and restaurants to serve visitors who come from around China.   After a breakfast of noodle soup, complete with a fried egg and spicy chili pepper on top, I walk along the river to General Bridge, a <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/chinese-food-favorites" title="5 Food Experiences to Have in China">hub of restaurants and shops</a>. I pass local people selling produce – huge bags of dried mushrooms, peanuts and other unidentifiable products line the path, their sellers eating breakfast or playing cards between customers. A pair of elderly ladies selling steamed buns smile shyly at me, giggling as I grin back. They don’t see many foreigners here and my presence causes excitement and confusion in equal measure. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/wanfenglin-stalls-tesshumphrys.jpg" alt="Bags of produce on the roadside of Wanfenglin town" /> <figcaption>People sell produce beside the footpath in Wanfenglin. Photo credit: Tess Humphrys</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="bike">Exploring by Bike</h2> I’d been told by the guesthouse owner that it’s easy to rent a bicycle or electric motorbike and in General Bridge I find plenty of rental options. I resist the temptation to rent a golf buggy and instead go for a sporty-looking pink e-bike (as the electric motorbikes are called in China). It costs me just US $7.20 for the day, complete with the assurance that it is fully charged and can travel up to 37mi (60km).  I set out for a day of exploration, the wind cooling me as I ride. The freedom is wonderful – it’s a rarity in China to be able to travel under one’s steam. Many of the country’s scenic areas have entrance fees, and visitors are obliged to ride on shuttle buses that plough pre-defined routes. Wanfenglin is a blessed anomaly. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/wanfenglin-scenery-tesshumphrys.jpg" alt="Murky water with beautiful karst landscapes in the backdrop" /> <figcaption>The Nahui River flows through the hills in Wanfenglin. Photo credit: Tess Humphrys</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="food">Local Food in the Area</h2> I have no set agenda for the day, I’ll go where the road and my pink ride take me. Under the baking sun, I whizz through a landscape reminiscent of ancient Chinese scroll paintings, the green-grey peaks punctuated with bright purple azalea flowers. I make abrupt turnoffs down side roads and <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/ancient-villages-with-loads-of-history-in-china" title="5 Chinese Villages With Loads of History to Discover">through sleepy villages</a>. I wave at local people surprised to see a foreigner at all, much less one on an e-bike. I follow the Nahui River that meanders through the hills, nourishing a patchwork tapestry of rice paddies in various stages of planting. I stop at the roadside to watch a group of women, shin-deep in water, planting new rice shoots. They are bent-double, plopping the shoots into the muddy water in a perfectly straight line. It’s all back-breaking but important work – like many parts of China, rice is an extremely important part of both the diet and the economy. As the sun sinks lower in the sky, it’s time to return my e-bike and find dinner. Near my guesthouse, I choose a restaurant with an outdoor terrace full of families on vacation. With my basic Chinese, I spot <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/chinese-food-favorites" title="5 Food Experiences to Have in China">something interesting on the menu</a> – deep-fried grasshoppers from the surrounding fields. And so, amid the nightly cacophony of the local insect population, I enjoy a plate of ‘hoppers served with Sichuan peppercorns and spring onions. A crunchy, nutty and oh-so-local meal amongst the wonderful 10,000 karst peaks of Wanfenglin.  <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/wanfenglin-land-formations-tesshumphrys.jpg" alt="Karst formations in the Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks" /> <figcaption>Karst formations in the Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks. Photo credit: Tess Humphrys</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="trip-notes">Trip Notes</h2> <h3>How to Get to Wanfenglin</h3> Xingyi, the nearest city, is 6mi (10km) north of the karst hill area. Xingyi is most easily accessed via a 140mi (230km), four-hour bus ride from the tourist hub of Anshun. Xingyi is also on the Kunming to Nanning train line. <h3>Other Places to Go Nearby</h3> Wanfenglin is 12mi (20km) from the Maling River Gorge, famous for its 300ft (91m) high waterfalls and ancient canyon geology.Tess Humphrys 0 Tess Humphrys Beautiful karst formations in Wanfenglin Scenic Area

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/road-tripping-from-beijing-to-datong-to-see-hanging-monastery-and-yungang-grottoesEsme Fox takes a road trip from Beijing to Datong to see Hanging Monastery and the Yungang Grottoes.2019-08-19T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/road-tripping-from-beijing-to-datong-to-see-hanging-monastery-and-yungang-grottoeshttps://www.worldnomads.comI am on holiday in Beijing, but surprisingly it’s not the Great Wall of China or the Temple of Heaven that I’m excited to see, it is the gravity-defying Hanging Monastery, which lies around 217mi (350km) to the west, close to the border with Inner Mongolia. <ul> <li><a href="#road-trip"> Road Tripping from Beijing to Datong </a></li> <li><a href="#yungang-grottoes"> Yungang Grottoes </a></li> <li><a href="#hanging-monastery"> Hanging Monastery </a></li> <li><a href="#trip-notes"> Trip Notes </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="road-trip">Road Tripping from Beijing to Datong</h2> I’ve decided to <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-get-around-china" title="Getting Around: How to Use Public Transport in China">make a road trip of it</a>, along with my husband and a couple of friends who are living and teaching in Beijing. The journey to the Hanging Monastery is supposed to take four hours, but after a couple of hours on the highway, we aren’t making much progress because of the traffic and the <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-stay-connected-and-use-the-internet-in-china" title="How to Use a Phone in China">GPS</a>, which keeps sending us the wrong way. The GPS directs us to turn off onto a windy mountain pass, where the Hanging Monastery supposedly sits just beyond. We hit a road block when we get stuck between two trucks hauling gravel back and forth for road works. When we finally get free, I study the map closer and realize that we aren’t far from the Yungang Grottoes, so we take a brief detour to get there. The four-hour trip ended up taking us eight hours. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/road-tripping-to-hanging-monastery-dan-convey.jpg" alt="A car pulled over on a dirt road on the way to Datong City in China" /> <figcaption>Pulled over on the side of the road on our way from Beijing to Datong. Photo credit: Dan Convey</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="yungang-grottoes">Marvelling at the Yungang Grottoes</h2> The Yungang Grottoes are a complex of caves, housing some of the best Buddhist cave art from the 5th and 6th centuries and are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The 252 caves are filled with 51,000 statues chiseled from the rock and towering far above our heads. Some reach up to 55.7ft (17m) in height. We spend several hours exploring the caves, being dwarfed by the statues. We head to the nearby city of Datong for the night, <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/chinese-food-favorites" title="5 Food Experiences to Have in China">to enjoy traditional Chinese hotpot</a>, cooking our meat and vegetables ourselves at the table in a bubbling wok. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/yungang-grottoes-dan-convey.jpg" alt="A woman burning incense sticks at Yungang Grottoes" /> <figcaption>A woman burns incense sticks at Yungang Grottoes. Photo credit: Dan Convey</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="hanging-monastery">Hiking up to the Hanging Monastery</h2> The next morning, armed with directions and maps from our hotel staff, we travel one hour and 20 minutes from Datong, 52mi (85km), to the Hanging Monastery. Looking up at the rock face of Hengshan Mountain, the ancient Hanging Monastery appears to cling precariously to the sheer precipice. More than 246ft (75m) up, it is shaped like a sleeping dragon and is held up by nothing more than spindly wooden poles. Throngs of visitors make their way up the mountain by a steep path and flights of stairs, forming a long thin ribbon of color all the way to the top. As I walk, I notice that most of the <a href="/explore/guides/mandarin-travel-phrasebook" title="Learn Mandarin with our free phrasebook">faces around me are Chinese</a> – very few foreign travelers seem to have made the trip. The construction of the temple was believed to have been started by a single monk named Liao Ran and built from 368 to 534 AD. It was added to over the next 1,400 years and restored in the 1900s. It comprises 40 halls and long narrow corridors, built on cliffs more than 98ft (30m) high. This almost impossible architectural feat is the only temple dedicated to three religions – Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism.  With each step, the antique wooden stairs creak beneath the hundreds of pounding feet and it feels as if the dragon stirs. At the entrance to the temple, I become aware of the sheer drop to my right – just a solitary bamboo handrail is between me and the rock face. Now closer, I can clearly make out the monastery’s ornate pagoda-style yellow and green roof tiles – and to my horror, feel the gentle sway of the entire structure beneath my feet, and hear the soft crunch of the wooden poles – the only things holding us up – moving against the rock. Standing at over 164ft (50m) tall, the temple is built over three levels, joined by old rickety wooden staircases. Slowly, I am carried along with the tide of people from room to room, along passages chiseled directly into the cliff face, peering into musty spaces filled with intricate religious statues and icons. Finally, I reach the other side of the gravity-defying constructiona nd make my way back down the mountain.  Safely back on the ground, I look up again and can just about make out the temple gently swaying from side to side. With the weight of so many people inside, it’s hard to believe this 1,500-year-old temple is still standing. I feel lucky to have walked inside this ancient treasure and wonder how long it will continue to stand. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/hanging-monastery-from-afar-dan-convey.jpg" alt="The incredible dragon-shaped Hanging Monastery sitting on the side of a cliff" /> <figcaption>The dragon-shaped Hanging Monastery sits precariously on the side of the cliff. Photo credit: Dan Convey</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="trip-notes">Trip Notes</h2> <h3>How to Hire a Car in China</h3> There are a couple of ways you can do a Chinese road trip, if you don’t have friends who own a car. The first is to hire a car with a driver – there are various local travel companies in Beijing that offer this service. The second way is pre-book a car through an international company such as Avis or Hertz, then obtain a provisional Chinese driver’s license once you’re there. You can apply for this directly at the airport when you arrive in Beijing and it will just take a few hours. <h3>Where to Stay in Datong</h3> There are a number of accommodation options <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/weather-and-when-to-travel-china" title="Climate and Weather in China">available</a> in Datong, but not too many around the Hanging Monastery or the Grottoes. They range from budget inns to four-star hotels.Dan Convey 1 Dan Convey Hanging Monastery

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/the-joy-of-hiking-tiger-leaping-gorge-the-wrong-wayOn a trip to the mountainous region of Yunnan, Ann Lee discovers the challenge of hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge against the crowds.2019-08-19T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/the-joy-of-hiking-tiger-leaping-gorge-the-wrong-wayhttps://www.worldnomads.com"It's that way." The man gestures upwards as he looks at me with what feels like pity. I’m standing on the side of a mountain after scrambling up a steep vertical incline. I think the worst is over. But then I see where he is pointing to – the top of the mountain, to be reached via an indiscernible path. Trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge on Jinsha River, flanked by Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain, is a popular activity for travelers in Yunnan Province. But, there’s been a mix up and I have ended up hiking this breathtaking canyon back to front; heading out from the end instead of the starting point. <ul> <li><a href="#start"> Tina’s Guesthouse </a></li> <li><a href="#middle"> Vertigo </a></li> <li><a href="#end"> Finding My Way Back </a></li> <li><a href="#trip-notes"> Trip Notes </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="start">Starting at Tina’s Guesthouse</h2> The shuttle van from Lijiang dropped a group of us at the start of the 16mi (26km) long upper trail. But, as I’m a lazy hiker, I only wanted to do a part of the two-day trip. So, I board another bus, filled with excitable hikers, heading to the midway section of the walk. Perfect. The owner of the guesthouse I was staying in <a href="http://tiger-leaping-gorge.com/map/map_tlg_tina_eng_150dpi.jpg">had given me a hand-drawn map</a> and pointed out a spot on the main road where I could get off the bus to find the midway section of the trek. It was all a bit vague, but I was confident <a href="/travel-safety/worldwide/essential-hiking-safety-tips" title="Solo Hiking Safety Tips">I would find my way once I got there</a>. From that point to the trail end, would be a few hours’ walk. Just leisurely enough for me. Except, instead of stopping at the midway point as expected, the bus kept going to Tina's Guesthouse – the well-known final stop of the hike, and everyone is getting off. They are heading to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, a site nearby where visitors can hike down to see the spot where (legend has it) a tiger leapt across the river at the narrowest point to escape a hunter. I'd read the descent was relatively easy, but getting back up via rocks and boulders with no proper railings sounded terrifying, so I passed. Determined to make the most of it, <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/chinese-food-favorites" title="Food Favorites in China">I fill up on a big lunch</a> at Tina’s, and set off back towards the start of the hike, heading for Halfway Guesthouse in Bendi Wan village. According to my hand-drawn map, it wil be a two-hour hike from Tina’s – and at the top I’m hoping to see waterfalls. The afternoon sun beats down on me as I study the map, which indicates an easy incline that levels off to a straight path. Soon, I realize the small incline is actually a dizzyingly steep ascent on an incredibly narrow path of rocks – exactly what I was trying to avoid – that is one of the problems with a hand-drawn map. I keep following the trail along the lowest slopes of Haba Snow Mountain. On the other side of the gorge I see spectacular Jade Dragon Snow Mountain – an 18,360ft (5,596m) peak that soars high into the sky. Its jagged limestone ridges getting lost in a haze of clouds. I hear the thundering river below – which is a bright turquoise during the dry winter months. My only company on the trail are goats, bleating to each other while precariously balancing on rocky slopes, and the odd lizard darting around. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/Hiking-Tiger-Leaping-Gorge-Ann-Lee.jpg" alt="A narrow path can be seen winding around a mountain" /> <figcaption>The path winds around the side of the mountains in Tiger Leaping Gorge. Photo credit: Ann Lee</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="middle">Vertigo on the Trail</h2> Other hikers pass me on their way down to the finish at Tina’s Guesthouse, many are equipped with walking poles, looking tired and relieved as they near the end of their journey. Each time I ask them, "How much further up?" The answers vary from "Not far!" to "Far, but you can do it!” I am relieved to see two Chinese girls hiking behind me in the same direction. When they catch up, one of them asks me in English, "Are you alone? Come with us!" I’m glad I’m not the only person hiking in the opposite direction to everyone else. My new friends are students from Beijing who are hoping to do the whole hike in two days (most people do the hike in two to three days). We keep walking, clambering over rocks until we reach what seems like the end of the ascent. From here, I see a small slope that levels off to a flat path. The bumpy track is treacherously narrow at the very edge of the mountain and with no barrier. <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/weather-and-when-to-travel-china" title="Weather in China: Planning Your Trip">I’m glad to be here in May</a>, right before the rainy season (June to September), as rain can make the path slippery and even more dangerous. I’m spoilt with dry and sunny weather, around 86°F (30°C). I look away from the edge and instead focus on what surrounds me. I see small villages, terraced farmland, and trees far below. The dusty green and brown palette of the valley contrasts with the steel-grey mountain range that stretches ahead of me. My nerves ease off, and I feel at peace. Every now and again we pass strings of colorful Tibetan prayer flags, worn ragged by the wind. Many people in this region, one of the most ethnically diverse in China, are devout Buddhists. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/Tiger-Leaping-Gorge-Ann-Leeee.jpg" alt="A river flows at the bottom of Tiger Leaping Gorge" /> <figcaption>The river flowing between the mountains in Tiger Leaping Gorge. Photo credit: Ann Lee</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="end">Getting Back to Tina's Guesthouse</h2> Then, we come across a the top of a waterfall slap bang in our path – to continue hiking we will have to cross it, and have two choices – wade through water or carefully step on rocks at the edge of the waterfall. I choose dry feet, and manage to safely balance my way to the other side.  After three and a half hours of hiking, we finally reach Halfway Guesthouse. As the name suggests, this is the midway point on the trail – but for me, this is where I finish and catch a taxi back to Tina’s Guesthouse where I am staying the night. Yes, hiking in the wrong direction meant that what should have taken two hours instead became three and a half and included an uphill slog. But, taking the hard route was a challenge I’ll never forget. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/Mountains-Tiger-Leaping-Ann-Lee.jpg" alt="Sharp mountain peaks in Tiger Leaping Gorge" /> <figcaption>The mountain range in Tiger Leaping Gorge is made up of sharp peaks. Photo credit: Ann Lee</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="trip-notes">Trip Notes</h2> <h3>How to get there from Lijiang</h3> You can catch a bus to Qiaotou village in Tiger Leaping Gorge from Lijiang’s Transport Service Center Bus Station, which is a journey of 50mi (80km). But, the easiest way to get to Qiaotou from Lijiang is via a private shuttle. Daily shuttles leave from Mama Naxi Guesthouse and will drop you off at certain points along the hike if you book in advance. Most people are dropped off at Qiaotou where the trail begins, and have their bags taken to Tina’s (or keep them at Mama Naxi if they’re returning to Lijiang). <h3>How to Do the Full Trek</h3> If you start hiking at Qiaotou you can do the hike in two days, although it can be spread over three days or done in one if you’re a fast walker. At the beginning, you’ll have to tackle the steepest – and hardest – section, named the 28 Bends, a series of tight switchbacks that lead to the upper trail's highest point. If it gets too much, you can opt to take a donkey up – the donkey’s owner will be there to help, too. <a href="/travel-safety/worldwide/how-to-deal-with-altitude-sickness" title="Altitude Sickness: What Every Traveler Needs to Know">Keep in mind the high altitude of the trek</a>, which varies from 6,233ft to 8,694ft (1,900m to 2,650m), and affects people differently, so take it slow. From there keep on going until you reach Tea Horse Guesthouse. You can stay there or carry on until you reach Halfway Guesthouse, which is where most people choose to sleep. The next day, it’s a two-hour hike to Tina’s, where you can take the afternoon bus back to Lijiang or head to Shangri-la. <h3>Hiking if You’re Short on Time</h3> If you don’t want to do any hiking, find a taxi at Qiaotou to take you to the viewing platform at Tiger Leaping Gorge. Walk down the steps to see the thundering water up close. If you want to do a light trek, ask your driver to take you to Halfway Guesthouse where you can start walking to Tina’s. Or you can drive to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge and do the trek downhill there.Ann Lee 1 Ann Lee Tina's Guesthouse on the opposite side of a bridge in Tiger Leaping Gorge

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/ancient-villages-with-loads-of-history-in-chinaRonan O’Connell finds traditional life continues in Chengyang, Yangmei, Xitang, Anren and Ciqikou.2019-08-19T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/ancient-villages-with-loads-of-history-in-chinahttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#chengyang"> Chengyang </a></li> <li><a href="#yangmei"> Yangmei </a></li> <li><a href="#xitang"> Xitang </a></li> <li><a href="#anren"> Anren </a></li> <li><a href="#ciqikou"> Ciqikou </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="chengyang">Chengyang</h2> There are no cars in Chengyang, a village in a remote valley in the southern Chinese province of Guangxi, which borders <a href="/explore/guides/vietnam-cambodia-and-laos-insiders-guide">Vietnam</a>. That’s because the main entrance to this Dong-minority village is accessed via a narrow, wooden bridge that spans the Linxi River. The Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge is a 260-foot-long (79m) structure, built in 1912 with only pedestrians in mind. Walking across this bridge today, I pass several middle-aged women selling scarves and handicrafts. They are members of the Dong tribe, one of the 55 ethnic minority groups of China. Chengyang has been home to the Dong people for more than 1,000 years. Locals live in stilted wooden homes, feed their families by growing rice, sweet potatoes, and wheat, and still practice ancient Dong customs. Traditional dances dedicated to the Goddess Sama are performed in the village square most days at 10am. After being lucky enough to catch one rousing performance, I am invited into a local’s home to enjoy a classic Dong meal – sticky rice with pickled vegetables, followed by a spicy hot pot. To get to Chengyang, catch a <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/6-things-to-know-before-going-to-china">35-minute train</a> from Guilin city (the tourist hub of Guangxi Province, 60mi (96km) from Chengyang) to Sanjiang South bullet train station. From Sanjiang, catch a taxi to Chengyang. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/chengyang-ronan-oconnell.jpg" alt="The Yongji Bridge of Chengyang" /> <figcaption>The Yongji Bridge of Chengyang. Photo credit: Ronan O'Connell</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="yangmei">Yangmei</h2> Needing respite from the noise of Nanning, the biggest city in Guangxi Province, I hop on a local bus to Yangmei, 25mi (40km) away. But despite a modest travel time of 90 minutes, on arrival it feels as if I have arrived in a different era. With its cobblestone alleys, historic temples, graceful pavilions, time-worn stone bridges, charming merchant houses, and peaceful riverside setting, Yangmei village is something of a time capsule. More than 1,000 years old, Yangmei was a key commercial port during China’s Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. Today, it’s a sleepy town of less than 5,000 people, many of whom are elderly. The 18th-century shophouses surrounding the village square sell spices, tea, herbal medicine, and comfort foods like delicious Laoyou rice noodle soup, a bargain at US $2 a bowl. It’s so good I find room for a second. Yangmei bulges with unique history. What fascinates me most are its winding lanes. Along one, I find 200-year-old homes constructed from a quirky mix of powdered limestone and sticky rice soup. Another lane boasts the modest brick and wood building which was once home to two of the leaders in China’s pivotal 1911 Revolution, which ended the Qing Dynasty. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/yangmei-ronan-oconnell.jpg" alt="Inside a building in Yangmei District" /> <figcaption>Yangmei District. Photo credit: Ronan O'Connell</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="xitang">Xitang</h2> They are large and beautiful numbers; 122 stone laneways, 104 ancient bridges, nine canals, and 2,500 years of history. This is Xitang, one of eight renowned water villages, 50mi (80km) southeast of downtown Shanghai. I had previously avoided Xitang assuming its proximity to Shanghai would mean it would be flooded with visitors. But then, I learn the difficulty of reaching it via public transport from Shanghai, and that the 50mi (80km), US $40 one-way taxi fare, is enough to discourage most visitors. Xitang is picture perfect. Rowing boats glide along its canals, passing beneath majestic arched bridges flanked by stately stone buildings up to 1,000 years old with high-pitched roofs and decorative eaves. I can’t take enough photos. It is very hot when I visit in April so I stroll under the town’s langpengs, the long, covered walkways which hug its canals. When the sun’s fury wanes, I fork out US $15 for a 30-minute rowboat ride along Xitang’s waterways. Then it’s time to savor a personal favorite – pork dumpling soup – enjoyed in an old restaurant looking out at one of the most charming places in China. <h2 id="anren">Anren</h2> I couldn’t find any direct buses to Anren from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, and my taxi driver hasn’t a clue how to get there. Luckily, <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-stay-connected-and-use-the-internet-in-china">my phone’s GPS</a> knows the way and, a US $30 fare later, we’ve traveled 40mi (64km) to Anren, an hour from downtown Chengdu. More than 1,400 years old, Anren is renowned for its 27 mansions, constructed in the early 1900s, when Anren was controlled by Liu Wenhui, a local warlord. The mansions are a unique blend of intricate European-style stonework and the decorative arches and courtyards associated with traditional Chinese architecture. While perusing a museum, set up inside one of his former homes, I read the story of how Liu Wenhui had dozens of local farmers killed so he could build the mansions on their land. It’s a grim tale, but the mansions are spectacular. So, too, are the three old streets alongside them. About 100 ancient wooden buildings are scattered along Yumin, Shuren, and Hongxing streets. Locals live on the upper floors and, from their ground-floor shops, they sell clothes, handicrafts, and Sichuan souvenirs including brocade silk. Others run family restaurants serving some of the spiciest food in Asia – the Kung Pao chicken left my tongue numb for what felt like hours. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/anren-ronan-oconnell.jpg" alt="People walking on the streets of Anren" /> <figcaption>People walking on the streets of Anren. Photo credit: Ronan O'Connell</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="ciqikou">Ciqikou</h2> Chongqing epitomizes the dizzying rise of modern China. One of the world’s fastest-growing cities, in the past 20 years it has exploded from a modestly-sized urban center to a monstrous metropolis of more than 20 million people. Yet, somehow, amid this frenzied growth, Ciqikou, a 1,700-year-old neighborhood, just 7mi (11km) from downtown Chongqing, has survived. Ciqikou made its name as a porcelain-producing village in the 1400s. While it is undoubtedly visited more than the other villages on this list – most of its historic shophouses now cater to the tourism industry – it is still very interesting. Ciqikou’s architecture is authentic, with many Qing Dynasty era structures remaining, notable for their multi-tiered roofs. Its layout is fascinatingly labyrinthine, with its alleys looping and winding, ascending and then descending. I got lost several times. In contrast to the flat, grid-structured town planning we’re now used to in Western cities, this chaos is delightful. To get here, hail one of Chongqing’s ubiquitous yellow taxis, hand over US $5 and, in 15 to 20 minutes, you’ll be in the one part of the city that doesn’t look like the future. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/ciqikou-ronan-oconnell.jpg" alt="Colorful markets in Ciqikou" /> <figcaption>Markets in Ciqikou. Photo credit: Ronan O'Connell</figcaption></figure>Ronan O'Connell 1Xitang Village in China Ronan O'Connell

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/where-to-find-the-best-soup-dumplings-in-chinaChristina Ng goes on the trail of xiaolongbao (Chinese soup dumplings) in Shanghai, Wuxi, Changzhou and Hangzhou.2019-08-08T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/where-to-find-the-best-soup-dumplings-in-chinahttps://www.worldnomads.comTracking down the xiaolongbao – little balls of ground meat, exquisitely wrapped up in semi-translucent dough skin, bobbing in savory broth – is a <a href="/travel-safety/worldwide/food-safety-on-the-road-or-how-to-avoid-gastro" title="5 Tips to Avoid Food Poisoning">lip-smacking</a> adventure. Known as soup dumplings in English, you can find every version of these all over Asia – notably at Taiwanese chain restaurant Din Tai Fung. However, their motherland is China. <ul> <li><a href="#shanghai"> Dumpling-tasting in Shanghai </a></li> <li><a href="#wuzi-and-changzhou"> Xiaolongbao in Wuxi and Changzhou </a></li> <li><a href="#hangzhou"> Hangzhou's Delicious Dumplings </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="shanghai">Dumpling-tasting in Shanghai</h2> My dumpling-tasting journey starts in coastal Shanghai, <a href="/explore/guides/mandarin-travel-phrasebook" title="Mandarin Travel Phrasebook">China’s biggest city</a>, where traditional lilong residences (townhouses connected by a lane) and modern skyscrapers compete for space. Michelin-star restaurants and shabby stalls sit side by side in the alleyways which weave in and out of the flourishing cityscape. Do not <a href="/travel-safety/eastern-asia/china/chinese-flu-and-other-diseases" title="5 Tips for Travel Health and Hygiene in China">turn your nose up</a> at these stalls, for some harbor the dainty xiaolongbao that your heart will ache for as soon as you leave Shanghai. This city is, after all, where many think the xiaolongbao was born. It all began with Huang Mingxian, the owner of Ri Hua Xuan restaurant in the Nanxiang district of Shanghai. He was said to have created these dumplings in the 1870s by adding aspic (double boiled chicken soup cooked with pork skin and made into a jelly) to his pork mince. This is why one bite into the dumpling fills your mouth with a rush of sweet-salty broth. “What’s so delicious about Nanxiang’s xiaolongbao is the clear broth and gossamer skin,” says Madam Fu, a Shanghainese I spoke to. According to her, even though Shanghai now has plenty of great dumpling places, Nanxiang (the modern name for the Ri Hua Xuan restaurant) still manages to fend off its competitors. “Plus, the dumplings are so dainty,” she adds. It’s their petite size that seems to have won the hearts of many. The dumplings started out bigger, and were called the Nanxiang da rou baozi, meaning large meat-filled buns from Nanxiang. Huang changed them into the size we know today. Customers flock to this restaurant which also has branches at the Chenghuang Temple and Guyi Garden. “Shanghai’s xiaolongbao are all good,” says Madam Fu, but admits, “I still prefer the Wuxi ones, which are sweeter and have a hint of soy sauce in the taste.” <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/soup-filled-dumplings-shanghai-gettyimages-andre-vogelaere-163325926.jpg" alt="A chef holds a bamboo container filled with Chinese soup buns" /> <figcaption>Soup filled buns in Shanghai, China. Photo credit: Getty Images/Andre Vogelaere</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="wuzi-and-changzhou">Xiaolongbao in Wuxi and Changzhou</h2> Less than an hour west from Shanghai <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-get-around-china">by bullet train</a>, Wuxi is quieter than its bustling neighbor; here, a turn into an alley might bring the surprising view of a canal, or the lush greenery of a garden. It’s no wonder that Emperor Qianlong (1711 -1799) fell in love with xiaolongbao here. Legend has it that the Chinese Emperor was given the local specialty xiaolongbao to try when he was traveling through the region, and immediately took a liking to them. The xiaolongbao of Wuxi became famous throughout China. Tina Huang, a Changzhou native who now lives in Wuxi, disputes this story of the origins of xiaolongbao. She says that it is Changzhou – the adjacent city to Wuxi – where xiaolongbao originated, specifically in the Wanhua Teahouse, during the reign of Emperor Daoguang (1821–1850) in the Qing Dynasty. Huang says when the osmanthus flowers bloom and their scents fill the air, she knows it’s the season for crabmeat xiaolongbao. “Changzhou dumplings are less sweet than those from Wuxi. In fact, from Changzhou to Shanghai to Wuxi, the dumplings get sweeter and sweeter!” she laughs. “Wu Xi, formerly called Yi Qin Yuan, is my favorite haunt for xiaolongbao in Wuxi,” she adds. “It’s a hole in the wall but food is cheap and service is fast!” I make a mental note of that for next time. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/using-chopsticks-in-china-unsplash-frank-zhang.jpg" alt="Multiple bowls on a table containing elements that make soup dumplings" /> <figcaption>Learning to make traditional Chinese soup dumplings. Photo credit: Unsplash/Frank Zhang</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="hangzhou">Hangzhou's Delicious Dumplings</h2> In fact, all cities in the Jiangnan region seem to have <a href="/explore/guides/world-cookbook" title="24 Recipes From Around the World">their own version</a> of xiaolongbao. Just over 100mi (176km) southwest of Shanghai and an hour on the bullet train, my dumpling adventure continues in Hangzhou, a city built around the breathtaking West Lake, famed for the tragic legend of Chinese scholar Xu Xian and Madam White Snake.  Hangzhou dumplings are heavily influenced by people from Kaifeng in Henan province, 560mi (900km) northwest of Shanghai. They are not as widely known as those from Shanghai or Wuxi, yet, when savoring them in the poetic surrounds of Hangzhou I feel like I am immersing myself in a wuxia (Chinese martial heroes) movie.  A tip from a cab driver brings me to Xin Feng Snacks, which he says is the best place to try these dumplings. Its house special – prawn dumplings – are delicious. I share a communal table with an old couple, feeling a little inadequate as they pick up their dumplings expertly, take a tiny bite and sip the broth. As for me, I scorch my tongue as I take too big a bite, and the ball of meat plops defiantly into my bowl. Hangzhou natives even have a chant to go with eating xiaolongbao: “pick it up gently, move it slowly, first open the ‘window’, then drink the soup”. It loosely means that you should be careful with these dumplings, as the skin is delicate and breaks easily. It’s best to nibble off the top first – open the “window” – then sip the soup inside. I pick up my dumpling again with a few shreds of ginger, dip it into the slightly sour Chinkiang vinegar, put it on my spoon and attempt a nibble. The rich flavor of the filling – a medley of pork and prawn meat mixed in with the creamy broth – bursts forth in my mouth and lingers. The old couple at the table gives me a nod of approval, and so does my tummy. May my dumpling adventure never end.Getty Images/outcast85 1487167994 Getty Images Xiaolongbao being made by a local cook

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/5-local-tips-for-travelers-to-chinaFrom how to use chopsticks to learning the language, Janice Leung Hayes shares her tips picked up from 20 years living in China. 2019-08-08T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/5-local-tips-for-travelers-to-chinahttps://www.worldnomads.comWith the first Chinese dynasty <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/scuba-diving-the-great-wall-of-china-at-panjiakou-reservoir-china">dating back 4,000 years</a>, it’s easy to feel a little intimidated by the depth of Chinese culture and tradition. Living in <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/5-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-going-to-china" title="5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going to China">China</a> is an experience, and customs and etiquette differ from province to province, but in my 20 years living here, there are a few things I’ve picked up on how to make life a little easier in China.  <ul> <li><a href="#chopsticks"> Stop Stressing About Chopsticks </a></li> <li><a href="#money"> Your Money is no Good Here </a></li> <li><a href="#festivals"> Christmas vs Spring Festival </a></li> <li><a href="#numbers"> Number Punning </a></li> <li><a href="#languages"> Different Languages in China </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="chopsticks">1. Stop Stressing About Chopsticks</h2> When it comes to the ubiquitous utensils, there are a few rules: don’t stand them upright in food, don’t spear food with them, don’t use them to eat directly from serving dishes, and don’t play with or point with chopsticks. One thing you don’t need to worry about is how you hold your chopsticks – no one will care. These two little sticks are just a means to an end; to get the food from the serving dish to your bowl (always use serving chopsticks for this) and then to your mouth with your personal chopsticks. If you’re worried you might drop the food, shovel it onto a spoon with your chopsticks, and eat from the spoon instead.  <h2 id="money">2. Your Money is no Good Here</h2> Almost everyone in China pays with the online apps WeChat or <a href="https://intl.alipay.com/" title="Alipay">Alipay</a>, whether it’s for dinner, a taxi, or a few apples from a street vendor. <a href="https://www.omipay.com.au/AU/paymentMethods/weixin.html" title="Wechat Pay">WeChat Pay</a> is the preferred, and sometimes only, way you can pay. These apps are linked to local bank accounts, so it’s hard for non-residents to get them. You can still pay with cash, although it is accepted somewhat reluctantly. If a vendor won’t take cash, ask a local to pay for you on their app, and pay them back in cash.  <h2 id="festivals">3. Christmas vs Spring Festival</h2> Christmas is enthusiastically <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/unexpected-festivals-across-china" title="6 Unexpected Chinese Festivals">celebrated</a> in larger cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, where festive lights line the main streets all December. However, in China, Christmas isn’t about going home and seeing your family, it’s about partying with your friends. The Spring Festival, at the start of the lunar year (which usually falls around late January or early February, depending on the moon cycle each year), is all about spending time with family. Businesses are closed for up to two weeks, and most social gatherings don’t happen until a month after. <h2 id="numbers">4. The Meaning Behind Numbers in China</h2> Chinese people have a number of customs around numbers. For example, they favor the number 8 (as it sounds similar to the word for prosperity) and shun the number 4 (as it sounds like the word for death). The number 1111, or November 11, is known as ‘singles day’ as the numbers look like a line of single people. The number 520, which is a near-homophone for wo ai ni, or “I love you”, is celebrated as a pseudo-Valentine’s Day on May 20.   The number 2 is considered a positive number, related to the saying “Good things come in pairs”. The number 3 is considered lucky because it sounds similar to the Chinese word for “life”.  <h2 id="languages">5. Understanding Different Languages in China</h2> China’s official <a href="/explore/guides#phrasebooks" title="World Nomads Language Guides">language</a> is Putonghua, also known as standardized Chinese or <a href="/explore/guides/mandarin-travel-phrasebook">Mandarin</a>. Although it’s the language that most Chinese people speak and learn in school, it’s a relatively young language (codified in the 1930s), and little more than a lingua franca (a language adopted as a common language between speakers of different native languages). Each village and city has its own dialect, some more similar to Mandarin (such as Pekingese or Wuhanese) than others (such as Shanghainese or Cantonese). To really be considered a “local”, try to learn at least a few words in the dialect of the city you’re in. Unsplash photo by Frank Zhang 0zTTrtbAN_n4 Unsplash We learnt how to make traditional Chinese dumplings from scratch

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-stay-connected-and-use-the-internet-in-chinaJosh Summers shares his tips on using a VPN, accessing social media and how to use your smartphone while traveling around China. 2019-08-08T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-asia/china/how-to-stay-connected-and-use-the-internet-in-chinahttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#connected"> Staying Connected in China </a></li> <li><a href="#get-connected"> How to Get Connected </a></li> <li><a href="#social-media"> Using Social Media </a></li> <li><a href="#censorship"> Censorship in China </a></li> <li><a href="#vpn"> Are VPNs Legal to Use in China? </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="connected">Staying Connected in China</h2> For many of us, our smartphones have become the most important <a href="/explore/worldwide/tech-and-travel-the-gear-you-really-need-and-what-to-leave-at-home" title="Travel and Tech: What Gear do You Really Need">travel tool</a> we carry with us. Aside from the normal functions of making calls, texting and emailing, our phones are also <a href="/explore/guides" title="World Nomads Travel Guides">guide books</a>, <a href="/explore/guides#phrasebooks" title="World Nomads Language Guides">translators</a>, boarding passes, entertainment hubs and means of keeping up with our social networks while traveling. Of course, all of this is only possible with access to the internet. Thankfully, China is covered by many Wi-Fi hotspots, and is also one of the best cellular networks in the world. However, to access this network, you need a Chinese phone number to receive a log-in code via a text message. So, the key to getting a good connection in China is to plan ahead. <h2 id="get-connected">How to Get Connected</h2> There are two options for staying connected in China. Option one: use international roaming on your existing plan. However, this won’t get you a Chinese phone number, and is an expensive way to travel. International roaming fees include a daily connection fee and a set cost per minute, text or data package. Option two: buy a local pre-paid Chinese SIM card. The only catch is that they require an unlocked mobile phone to use. Chinese SIM cards can be found at some major international airports and they can also be purchased online and activated prior to departure. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/man-using-phone-great-wall-china-unsplash-raj-eiamworakul.jpg" alt="A man using a phone on the Great Wall of China" /> <figcaption>Caption. Photo credit: Unsplash photo by Raj Eiamworakul</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="social-media">Using Social Media</h2> Throughout China, the WeChat app has become the primary way to connect with friends and family. You can create your own account to interact with new friends you make on the road, but you won’t be able to use the convenient mobile payment functionality without also having a Chinese bank account. You won’t find too many Chinese people using Facebook, Instagram, or other familiar social media platforms because of, well… censorship. <h2 id="censorship">Censorship in China</h2> China is known for the way it <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/china/5-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-going-to-china">heavily censors</a> what its people can view online, earning its internet the tongue-in-cheek nickname “The Great Firewall of China.” Almost every major social media platform is off limits to the Chinese public as well as video streaming services, including YouTube, Vimeo, etc, international news media (BBC, The New York Times, etc.) and messaging apps (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Skype, etc.). The solution, as most long-term expats in China know well, is a software known as a Virtual Private Network (VPN). By securely connecting to a computer server outside of China, a VPN allows anyone access to the internet free from China’s censorship. There are numerous free and premium VPN solutions available for travelers, but you must set this up before arriving in China. VPN websites are blocked in China, making it hard to configure from inside the country. <h2 id="vpn">Are VPNs Legal to Use in China?</h2> The answer is a bit tricky. China’s censorship is aimed at local citizens, not travelers, so historically the government has completely ignored the use of VPN software among travelers and expats. However, past trends don’t guarantee future behavior, so you must weigh the risk of being caught against your need to stay connected. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/china/people-using-phones-forbidden-city-unsplash-gigi.jpg" alt="Two people using their phones in the Forbidden City, Beijing" /> <figcaption>Two people using their phones in the Forbidden City, Beijing. Photo credit: Unsplash photo by Gigi</figcaption></figure>Unsplash photo by 偉宗勞 0hYyBM1YLRuc Unsplash People using their phones in ChongQing, China