6. Guilin
Alive
hills
When coming to Guilin at night, limestone
hills stand out of dubious shadows looking like clumsy titans. Though, in the
daylight, they are revealed to be naturally remarkable structures.
Guilin and nearby areas have breath-taking
views; you will see more limestone hills when floating on Li river, where traditional
fishermen use cormorants to catch fish (birds are bound and trained to catch
fish, before they swallow fish, the men take it out). Near Longshen are
hillside terraced fields. There’s a mountain road leading to Jinken-Dazhai, home
of ethnic minorities. This place also has a great sightseeing of terraced
fields.
Website: www.visitguilin.org
Guilin
7. China express
Travel
on a high-speed train
In many aspects, China’s rail network is a
metaphor for this country: head towards and ignore occasional mistakes. China is
devoting all its efforts to build the world’s largest rail network, regardless
of the last year’s accident which slightly slowed down the progress yet travelling
by train has restored the joy of tourism. Especially contrast to India where railways
seem stuck in “Stone Age”, China express is tourist’s happiness. With an
average speed over 300km/h (the highest speed I have ever experienced is 350km/h),
these trains’ facilities can beat those of the airline (and there’s no waiting
time). The countryside’s spectacular views are passing by very fast. Moreover,
there is also free Wi-Fi connectivity. Ticket price is quite budget: a second-level
seat in Beijing – Shanghai express whose length is up to 1300km (equivalent to
the distance between Delhi and Mumbai) for 5 hours costs $88. Is there anything
to dislike?
Insider’s
advice
It is only inconvenient for you to book
ticket if you live outside China. Though, the hotel as well as reliable travel
agencies may help – we suggest chinatripadvisor.com/English. It would help to
get ticket (with high fee which, in some cases, can be $24) and deliver it to the
hotel for you.
China
express
8. Climb the Great Wall of China
And
become a real man
You should, of course, visit the Great Wall
of China in Beijing. A ridicule of Mao Zedong – whoever hasn’t climbed the
Great Wall yet can’t be a real man – is hovering over your head as if it is a
dead dictator’s ghost. The Great Wall is a wonder though it doesn’t serve the purpose
which it was expected to. So, you ought to climb it, right.
Insider’s
advice
You don’t need to be part of a crammed tourist
group in Badaling, especially during this summer. Get out of the crown by
walking away for 1 mile distant in order to get to Mutianyu of the wall. This
area is no less significant yet it has fewer visitors. And if you feel more
adventurous, you should consider Simatai, 110km distant from Beijing. Here
shows more places for climbing and exciting experience.
The
Great Wall of China
9. Szechuan’s taste
Hot,
hotter and stew meat with potato
There’s nothing similar to a Szechuan’s
bowl of stew meat and potato to make your spirit sing a Chinese melody or else
call a fire-brigade. There’s nothing as elegant as Szechuan’s spice-up dishes,
except those has misunderstood names. Shuizhuyu is beyond perfect (fish scalded
in boiled water) and a dish in which fishes are floating in a river of chilies
and green peppers. It will stimulate your stomach and makes even powerful men shout
in grief. Mapodoufu dish (tofu cooked with soya-chili soup and meat) can be
cooked in 7 different levels including “stunned” and “pungent”. You will regret
for your impatience later but it seems a crime in Szechuan when not enjoying
its cuisine.
Szechuan’s
taste
10. Jiuzhaigou
valley
This
is panda
This natural reserve in Northern Szechuan is
China’s top-ranking park and home for endangered species of plants and animals,
including lazy pandas. Listed in wonders of the world, this place also owns an
extremely beautiful view and features homeland of Tibetan community.
Website: www.jiuzhai.com/language/english/index.html
Insider’s
advice
Pandas like playing and if you have a
long-time observation, you will spot many different emotions from them when
they are scratching their body parts. However, they have been less seen
regular. If you desire a visit, you could make a compromise with Wolong
national park, 1 panda-caring center near Wenchuan. Here, you can buy products
made of bamboo.
Jiuzhaigou
valley
11. Kashgar
“Wildlife
western”
This oasis town situates in Taklamakan
desert, which lies in the western end of China. This place used to be an important
trading center on Silk Road. More known for a Chinese name Kashi, it becomes
alive in Sundays due to pet market, which is worth seeing though you don’t have
any intention of buying either a lamb or a horse. There is also another more
regular “Sunday market” but it is not as interesting (this seem odd in how they
name the market according to the fact that it is opened all the week). Here,
you can buy carpet from Mid-Asia or else you don’t mind being pickpocketed.
Insider’s
advice
Walking across Old Town (or anything left
from it), let’s see the architecture and lifestyle of Uighurs. Enjoy spiced-up Uighurs
dishes such as stew meat which comes both familiar and strange due to Indian
ingredients. From Kashgar, you can walk to Taklamakan unless you want a night
camping. We suggest Yarkand, 200km distant in South-East, should be a better
place.
Website: www.kashgarguide.com
Kashgar
12. Huangshan
Climb
up all mountains
According to director Cameron, the secular
beauty of Hallelujah Mountain in movie Avartar was inspired by Huangshan at
Anhui in Mid-Eastern China. The mountain is a world’s natural heritage as it has
inspired poets and painters for centuries, then become immortal in symbolic
pictures, images and poems in China,
Insider’s
advice
Huangshan mountaineering by Eastern stairs
takes around 3 hours yet it is recommended to have a night-camping – just to watch
the sun rising over clouds, which hide the valley away, and revealing emerging
peaks. The mountain awakens a lot of feeling though it has been torn apart by tourists;
it still provides good places for a lonely soul. This area also as many natural
springs.
Huangshan
