Kashgar Xinjiang, China
Kashgar was once an important haven on the Silk Road between the snowcapped mountains to the south and west and the scorching desert to the north and east. Today the city still plays an important role as the overland junction between China, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Travelers and tradesmen crossing the 4800-meter high Pakistani-Chinese Khunjerab Pass [...]
Turpan Xinjiang, China
Turpan In the middle of a vast desert sits an oasis called Tulufan (spelled Turpan in English). Famous for its vineyards, Turpan draws some independent foreign travelers and busloads of Chinese tour groups. Scenic spots listed in guidebooks are overrun with trinket vendors and touts. To see the real Turpan, dismiss the touts and start [...]
Mogao Caves, Dunhuang
In the vast desert of Gansu Province, near the borders of Xinjiang and Qinghai Provinces, is a pleasant but overpriced tourist town called Dunhuang. Dunhuang draws crowds from around the world to see the Mogao Caves, the oldest known Buddhist caves in China. These caves were once nearly inaccessible due to the harsh desert climate, [...]
Labrang Monastery, Xiahe
260 km south of the Gansu capital of Lanzhou is the peaceful Yellow-hat sect Buddhist monastery town of Xiahe. Situated at an altitude of 2905 meters (9530 feet) and surrounded by walking trails up beautiful hilly grasslands, many tourists arriving from low altitude with the intension of immediately exploring the area find themselves winded and [...]
Beijing, China
Collect millions of countryside hillbillies, stick lavish government offices in the center, and voila, you have Beijing. Certainly, after seeing Hong Kong and Shanghai, Beijing seems like an overgrown Chinese country town. Traffic is a mess, clothing is drab, and bare bellied overweight men saunter about in short stockings and cheap black shoes. On top [...]
Guizhou, China
South of Kaili, in the southeastern most corner of Guizhou Province is a 400 sq. km area of Miao and Dong minority villages. Remembering our superb experiences in the minority areas of southern Yunnan Province, we were enthusiastic to see more minorities in colorful traditional costume. Travel throughout Southeastern Guizhou is by bus along winding [...]
Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong
The natural parks of Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong in northern Sichuan Province have high admission prices and lots of tourists, but the natural beauty is unsurpassed anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, many foreign tourists bypass these parks because they can’t imagine they could be more beautiful than those in their home country. They are. JIUZHAIGOU 12 [...]
Lijiang, Yunnan
Lijiang has an old town that’s touristy but retains an authentic feel. After having destroyed the traditional spirit in Dali, the Chinese authorities seem to have learned a lesson. When a strong earthquake toppled a large portion of Lijiang in 1997, the government rebuilt Old Lijiang in traditional fashion with stone walkways, wooden buildings and [...]
Just got back from China
It was my first time and I went with wife who is Chinese. Landed in Shanghai and stayed in a French neighborhood. Wow, so nice. Clean, cute, tree lined streets. It was warm then, so with jet lag I was up at 2am and went out walking to the store for water. There would be [...]
