Beijing

Days 25-28 Beijing

There is simply so much to see and do in Beijing, the capital of all capitals. We arrive in the late afternoon and visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City on the morning of Day 25, followed by a rickshaw tour of the hutongs and a performance by Huiling - an Intrepid-supported local charity for Chinese with learning disabilities. On Day 26 we have free time for shopping, relaxing, or visiting sights such as the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and the Lamaist Monastery, to name just a few.

No journey to China is complete without walking on the Great Wall, an incredible feat of engineering ranging over 6000km along the mountain ridges north of Beijing and stretching west. The wall was originally constructed to protect the Chinese empires from the Mongolian 'barbarians' of the north. On Day 27 we visit a lesser-known section of this wonder of the world, before heading back to Beijing (approximately 3 hours each way). In the evening we have a final night's dinner at one of the capital's many fine restaurants.

Xi'an and the Terracotta Warriors

Xi'an is our base for visiting the famous Terracotta Warriors, built over 2000 years ago to protect the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Over 6000 life-size warriors have been discovered. We have a half-day trip to explore this archaeological wonder, approximately 45 minutes from Xi'an. There are many other attractions on offer in the city of Xi'an, including the Great Mosque, a wonderfully serene place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, and fantastic evening food markets. The centre of Xi'an is enclosed by an enormous city wall which can be climbed for a small fee. The top of the wall is a great place to view the setting sun. In the late afternoon of day 20, we leave Xi'an on a comfortable overnight train, bound for Pingyao (approx 11 hrs).

Huangshan Mountains and Xidi

Huangshan

Our next stop was the spectacular Huangshan Mountains (“Yellow Mountains”), which have inspired painters and poets for countless centuries. We spent the day hiking and exploring the amazing jagged peaks and temples of the Huangshan, although I must admit that we took the tram to the top rather than making the arduous hike. We did hike down though. :)

Xidi

With our hike down the Huangshan Mountains complete, Dany and I were on to the next adventure. We had read about a well-preserved ancient village nearby and were very interested in squeezing a visit in. After some hassle, we found a local taxi to drive us there, wait, and then drive us back. What a fantastic side trip! The village—Xidi—is over 500 years old, built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and preserved perfectly! Reputed as “A Living Ancient Residential Museum,” Xidi was added as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 2000. The village consists of 122 residential areas, all preserved in the Ming/Qing style. As we wandered through the narrow alleys of this little village (with our obligatory guide, who was really more of a ‘minder’), I felt as if I had truly stepped back in time. The structures are full of exquisite wood carvings, stone engravings, and tile carvings, but my favorite aspect was the ever present circle door—a very ‘harmonious’ element in Taoist philosophy.

Hong Kong and Hangzhou: first time around

Hong Kong

We passed our free time in Hong Kong window shopping along Kowloon’s Nathan Road, taking in the stunning views from Victoria Peak, and cruising across the harbor on the famous Star Ferry. I also visited the Hong Kong Historical Museum which provided a fascinating and very information background on the development of this unique and thriving city. One morning, an Aussie friend and I got up early to do some Tai Chi in the park with the locals. Fun, fun! 

Hangzhou

Next stop was Hangzhou, a moderately attractive city centered on the lily-choked West Lake and surrounded by gardens and temples and pavilions. Dany and I spent the day walking all over town, exploring the fantastic temples, and visiting a local tea-production area (Hangzhou is also the centre of one of China's best-known tea-growing areas and home to numerous traditional teahouses.) And, not to let a spare moment pass unfilled...we also hopped on the train and took a short ride over to the nearby town of Shaoxing, just to check out life in a more sleepy village in this part of China.

 

Shanghai and Suzhou

Suzhou
Our next stop was Suzhou, a city famous for its gardens and canals. In fact, this city is often referred to as “The Venice of the East”, although I am not so sure about that one It poured rain for a good part of the day, so our explorations were a bit limited. When we did get out, we checked out the famous gardens, and at night we attended a cultural show in the Master Of The Nets Garden. We made one out-of-town excursion (hoping to hit on a success like the Xidi and Shaoxing excursions) but this one was a big dud. Oh well.

We traveled past lakes and a network of waterways as we head to Suzhou (approximately 1.5 hours), a city famous for its gardens. This is a great place to take to the streets on a bicycle, dropping in on the beautiful gardens as you go. Cycling down the lanes next to the canals is a delight and a great way to see the real China. In the evening we attended a cultural show in the Master Of The Nets Garden (seasonal), an ideal opportunity to learn about the cultural side of China. In the evening of Day 17, we board our overnight train bound for Xi'an (approximately 16 hours).

Shanghai
Shanghai was great!! We had three days here, and had a fantastic hotel location, right on the main street, Nanjing Donglu. (Of course, our rooms were infested with cockroaches, but we lived through it). Some of my favorite activities in Shanghai included:
• strolling along the Bund with its art deco architecture
• exploring the busy bazaars and neighborhood backstreets,
• catching a performance of the famous Shanghai Acrobats
• visiting the Shanghai Museum, renowned as one of the best in China

China's Gansu Province

Xiahe and the Labrang Monastery:
Next we flew to Lanzhou, then took a long bus journey to the remote town of Xiahe, located on the Tibetan grasslands in a beautiful mountain valley. Xiahe is home to the Labrang Monastery, one of the largest Tibetan working monasteries outside of Lhasa and a major pilgrimage site. It's a stunning place to just sit and watch Tibetan nomads come into town on horse and cart, devoted Buddhists on pilgrimage dressed in their finest traditional attire, and monks of all ages dressed in saffron robes.

The prayer circuit forms a complete circle around the entire Labrang Monastery and it was exhilarating to be able to accompany the monks and pilgrims on the circuit as they turned the prayer wheels in each circuit room, sending their prayers up to heaven.

I thoroughly enjoyed our days in Xiahe. It’s a magical place that provided an unforgettable glimpse into the Tibetan way of life.

Gansu Nomads:

Rural Walled City:

And...we met this couple. This woman has bound feet.  What?

China's Yunnan Province--Part 2

After Kunming and Dali, we continued west in Yunnan Province, on to Lijiang and the Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Lijiang:
Lijiang---Beautiful buildings in old town Lijiang

winding pathway in old town Lijiang

Women of Lijiang in their traditional dress. Lijiang is a MATRIARCHAL society, with women in charge of business and politics, and men in charge of family and domestic affairs.

Old men of Lijiang, out for a chat. Notice the pet bird in the cage....this is a very common site in China

Birds for sale

shoppers at the main market in Lijiang

hmmm....what's this stuff?

Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge---Views of the gorge on our hike in. We hiked about 15 miles into the gorge, had a rest day at a small primitive lodge in the gorge, then hiked out on the third day. Right: The mighty Yangtzi looks pretty calm in this photograph, but up close it's very violent.

View of our path through the gorge (middle of image on left side)

my reward for the hike......HORRENDOUS blisters on both heels

Scariest Day of my Life: After a tremendous downpour the night before, our hike out of the gorge was a dangerous 10 hours of running the gauntlet of landslide after landslide. This one happened just after several members of our path had passed just below. (For perspective---that rockpile is easily 20 feet high)

More images of the landslides. Both had just happened that morning. At left: note man for perspective. This is the slide that happened just as our group was passing below. At right: Mudslides were also present at many spots on the path. Crossing over them took stamina, as we often sunk down to our knees.

And, in addition to rockslide and mudslides, we had to deal with newly washed out sections of the path. What a horrible, horrible day.

China's Yunnan Province--Part 1

While in China, I visited the spectacular Yunnan Province, but....I don't remember any specifics now. :(  I didn't keep a travel journal so all I have are the photos. They bring back great memories, but not enough to tell you anything about these pictures. :)

Kunming:

Dali:

Shaping Market:

 

Haidong and Wase Villages: