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Experience the underground Journeys music scene, staggering scenery and explore beyond the Army. Adventure & Nature to Know Need

CHINA Safety Travel

Where Nomads Go in

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World Nomads’ purpose is to challenge Langmusi Contents you to harness your curiosity, be brave enough to find your own journey, and to WELCOME WELCOME 3 gain a richer understanding of yourself, Get off the beaten path and experience China, the World Nomads Essential China 4 others, and the world. way. Our travel writers take you to the depths of Panjiakou Reserve to HISTORY & CULTURE 6 see a submerged section of the Great Wall, experience surf culture 5 Ancient Chinese Villages 8 worldnomads.com in Houhai Bay, taste authentic Chinese food across the country, and Yin and Yang in Southern China 12 discover extraordinary landscapes you’d never think were in China. Welcome We can’t possibly cover all of China in a handful of pages, and we Ancient Crafts in 14 aren’t going to try. Instead, this guide offers a series of windows into China’s Underground Music Scene 18 China – with a focus on the undiscovered and less-visited areas of the Xi'an: Beyond the 24 country, we want to inspire you to explore parts of China you never & Culture EATING 26 knew existed. History China - Where Nomads Go also includes a useful Travel Safety 5 Chinese Food Experiences 28 Guide to help you navigate the world safely and bravely. Off you go. Tracing the Delectable Journey of Soup Dumplings 32

JOURNEYS 38 Eating Traveling the Ancient Tea Horse Route 40 Guizhou’s Alien-searching Radar Dish 46 Fuyun The Backroads of Journeys and 48 Exploring the and Hanging Monastery 52

ADVENTURE & NATURE 54 Adventure & Nature National Park 56 Scuba Diving the 60 TRAVEL SAFETY 78 An Undiscovered Alternative Visas & Registration 79 to Yangshuo 62 10 Travel Safety Tips 80 Langmusi Xi’an

A Secret Surf Mecca on 66 Tourist Cons to Avoid 83 Jiuzhaigou National Park to Know Need China’s Ode to Siberia 68 Health & Hygiene 84 Yarchen Gar Chengdu Litang Shangri-La NEED TO KNOW 72 Law & Crime 86 Shaxi Guiyang Handy Tips for First-timers 73 Banned Activities 87 Dongchuan Chengyang Travel Safety Travel Dali Wanfenglin Yangshuo Getting Around 74 Essential Insurance Tips 88 in China Learn Some of the Local Lingo 75 Our Other Guides 89 Jinghong Climate & Weather 76 Our Contributors 90 Yangmei Ancient Town

Getty Images / Guenterguni Houhai Bay Staying Connected 77 Get a Quote 91

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SEEK EXPERIENCES Getty Images / dowell

ESSENTIAL Welcome CHINA Don’t miss out on these unexpected Chinese

destinations, experiences, and adventures. & Culture History History

Try soup dumplings everywhere you go Discover the quiet Eating village of Xitang near Shanghai See tiny olive pits carved into intricate ornaments in Learn to surf at Journeys Suzhou Sharon McDonnell Houhai Bay

Cycle around the karst formations Enrique A Sanabria / Flickr

at Wanfenglin Foden Getty Images / Stephanie

Scenic Area Adventure & Nature Getty Images / Andre Vogelaere Scuba dive a Listen out for submerged section of extraterrestrial the Great Wall life in Guizhou Giulia Marchi Dyuvbanova Tatiana

Explore to Know

Jiuzhaigou Need National Park

Travel Safety Travel in China

Wonder at the rainbow Travel the Ancient landscapes of Tea Horse Route Tess Humphrys Tess Getty Images / Tuul & Bruno Morandi Getty Images / Tuul Danxia Geopark Getty Images / Visual Chona Group Getty Images / BIHAIBO Getty Images / Eastimages

4 5 worldnomads.com Getty Images / Martin Puddy Welcome & Culture History History Eating Journeys Adventure & Nature

China’s history and culture is as diverse and fascinating as its landscape, with millennia-old monuments and ancient villages to Know

existing alongside the glass Need HISTORY and metal of its megacities. But there is room for the old and new worlds in this cultural mash-up, with traditional crafts Safety Travel in China & CULTURE and festivals, historical villages preserving and practicing the old ways even as emerging artists in , Yangshou, the underground music scene.

6 7 worldnomads.com Chenyang SEEK EXPERIENCES Ronan OConnell Ronan

5 ANCIENT Welcome & Culture CHINESE History VILLAGES China is renowned for its cutting-edge megacities, yet it is also one

of the oldest civilizations on the planet, and in its ancient hamlets Eating Ronan O’Connell finds traditional life continues.

graceful pavilions, time-worn stone

Yangmei Journeys Needing respite from the noise of Nanning, bridges, charming merchant houses, and the biggest city in Guangxi Province, peaceful riverside setting, Yangmei village I hop on a local bus to Yangmei, 25mi is something of a time capsule. (40km) away. But, despite a modest travel More than 1,000 years old, Yangmei time of 90 minutes, on arrival it feels as was a key commercial port during China’s

if I have arrived in a different era. With its Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) Adventure & Nature cobblestone alleys, historical temples, Dynasties. Today, it’s a sleepy town of fewer than 5,000 people, many of whom

Yangmei are elderly. The 18th-century shophouses surrounding the village square sell spices, tea, herbal medicine, and comfort foods Chengyang Dong tribe, one of the 55 ethnic minority such as delicious Laoyou rice noodle soup, There are no cars in Chengyang, a village groups of China. Chengyang has been The to Know

a bargain at US $2 a bowl. It’s so good I find in a remote valley in the southern Chinese home to the Dong people for more than Need room for a second. province of Guangxi, which borders 1,000 years. Locals live in stilted wooden Chengyang

Yangmei bulges with history. What . That’s because the main entrance homes, and feed their families by growing Wind and fascinates me most are its winding lanes. to this Dong-minority village is accessed rice, sweet potatoes and wheat, and still Rain Bridge Along one, I find 200-year-old homes via a narrow, wooden bridge that spans the practice ancient Dong customs. was built in constructed from a quirky mix of powdered Linxi River. The Chengyang Wind and Rain Traditional dances dedicated to the Safety Travel 1912 with only in China limestone and sticky rice soup. Another Bridge is a 260-foot-long (79m) structure, Goddess Sama are performed in the lane boasts the modest brick and wood built in 1912 with only pedestrians in mind. village square most days at 10am. After pedestrians building that was once home to two of the Walking across this bridge today, I pass being lucky enough to catch one rousing in mind leaders in China’s pivotal 1911 Revolution, several middle-age women selling scarves performance, I am invited into a local’s Ronan OConnell Ronan which ended the . and handicrafts. They are members of the home to enjoy a classic Dong meal – sticky

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Anren I couldn’t find any direct buses to Anren from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, and my taxi driver hasn’t a clue OConnell Ronan Getty Images / plej92 Getty Images / gionnixxx how to get there. Luckily, my phone’s GPS knows the way and, a US $30 fare later,

we’ve traveled 40mi (64km) to Anren, an Welcome 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 & Culture intricate European-style stonework and History the decorative arches and courtyards associated with traditional . While perusing a museum set up inside one of his former homes, I read the story

of how Liu Wenhui had dozens of local Eating 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 Journeys are scattered along Yumin, Shuren and Hongxing streets. Locals live on the upper Anren Ciqikou floors and, from their ground-floor shops, they sell clothes, handicrafts, and Sichuan souvenirs including brocade silk. Others

rice with pickled vegetables, followed by a difficulty of reaching it via public transport run family restaurants serving some of undoubtedly visited more than the other Adventure & Nature spicy hot pot. from Shanghai, and that the 50mi (80km), the spiciest food in Asia – the Kung Pao villages on this list – most of its historical To get here, catch a 35-minute train from US $40 one-way taxi fare, is enough to chicken left my tongue numb for what felt shophouses now cater to the tourism Guilin (the tourist hub of Guangxi Province, discourage most travelers. like hours. industry – it is still very interesting. 60mi (96km) from Chengyang) to Sanjiang Xitang is picture perfect. Row boats Ciqikou’s architecture is authentic, More than South bullet train station. From Sanjiang, glide along its canals, passing beneath Ciqikou with many Qing Dynasty-era structures 1,400 years catch a taxi to Chengyang. majestic arched bridges flanked by stately Chongqing epitomizes the dizzying rise of remaining, notable for their multi-tiered

old, Anren to Know

stone buildings with high-pitched roofs and modern China. One of the world’s fastest- rooves. Its layout is labyrinthine, with its Need Xitang decorative eaves. growing cities, in the past 20 years it has alleys looping and winding, ascending and is renowned

They are large and beautiful numbers; It’s very hot when I visit in April, so I exploded from a modestly sized urban then descending. I got lost several times. for its 27 122 stone laneways, 104 ancient bridges, stroll under the town’s langpengs – long, center to a monstrous metropolis of more In contrast to the flat, grid-structured town mansions, nine canals, and 2,500 years of history. covered walkways that hug its canals. than 20 million people. Yet, somehow, planning we’re now used to in Western constructed This is Xitang, one of eight renowned When the sun’s fury wanes, I fork out US amid this frenzied growth, Ciqikou, a cities, this chaos is delightful. Safety Travel Find in the early in China water villages, 50mi (80km) southeast inspiration $15 for a 30-minute rowboat ride along 1,700-year-old neighborhood, just 7mi To get here, hail one of Chongqing’s of downtown Shanghai. I had previously for your next Xitang’s waterways. Then it’s time to savor (11km) from downtown Chongqing, has ubiquitous yellow taxis, and within 15 to 1900s, when adventure Anren was avoided Xitang assuming its proximity with Explore a personal favorite – pork dumpling soup – survived. 20 minutes, you’ll be in Ciqikou – the only to Shanghai would mean it would be enjoyed in an old restaurant looking out at Ciqikou made its name as a porcelain- part of Chongquing city that doesn’t look controlled by flooded with visitors. But then, I learn the one of the most charming places in China. producing village in the 1400s. While it is like the future. a local warlord

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SHARE STORIES Yin and Yang in Southern China Tai chi novice Sarah Duff discovers that these simple

poses are challenging to mind and body. Welcome

editating isn’t easy for me at the which flow seamlessly from one to the next, simple room just off the training courtyard. best of times, but throw in 93°F he’s mesmerizing to watch: graceful and Afternoon training is another three hours, M(33°C) heat, high humidity, holding fluid, with startlingly quick snatches followed by communal dinner, and then an

an exhausting standing pose for 20 of power. early night’s sleep. & Culture minutes, and clearing my mind becomes Then it’s my turn to try. Simple-looking As the days pass in this intensive routine, History impossible. Sweat drops roll down my back, postures – with names like 'White crane I make slow progress, getting the hang

my legs are shaking like elastic bands in a spreads its wings' – reveal themselves to be of each posture before moving on to the Sarah Duff breeze, and my arms – held up in a semi- extremely challenging. I thought my mind- next one. It takes all my concentration to circle as if I’m hugging an imaginary tree body coordination and flexibility weren’t remember the sequence and transition – feel like they’re about to fall off. too bad, considering all the years of yoga through the movements with the precise weekends, when we have time off training, Instead of energy flowing through my I've done, but in this taiji class I’m clumsy alignments that Master Ping demonstrates. I explore the surrounding landscape, Instead of Eating body and my mind emptying, I’m doing and unmalleable. Instead of the feeling I am In these moments, I don’t have the mental renowned in China for its jewel-green rice the feeling I 60-second countdowns in my head to help supposed to have of water coursing through space to think about anything else. My paddies and hundreds of karst mountains the time pass – and to keep from collapsing my body, I feel like my limbs are made of hamster-wheel brain goes from multi-track covered in thick foliage. I rent a bicycle to am supposed in a sweaty heap. dry, heavy clay. thoughts to directed attention in an intense ride through sleepy villages to the town of to have, It’s the first morning of a three-week After three hours of practice, our class kind of mindfulness. Yangshuo, where I hike to the top of Green of water Journeys immersion in the martial of taijiquan of eight breaks for lunch, sitting in a group I learn, as the course progresses, that taiji Lotus Mountain for a dramatic panorama (tai chi) at a school in a tiny village in the in the school’s kitchen around a wooden is a kind of meditation in motion. While the of the Li River winding its way through the coursing province of Guangxi, southern China, and table laden with steaming white rice, tofu martial art is only a few hundred years old, finger-like pinnacles. through my I’m not quite sure what I’ve signed up for. in chilli sauce, stir-fried egg and tomato, the Taoist philosophical principles it’s based It’s only in my last few days of classes that body, I feel I’ve never practised taiji (tai chi) before and steamed greens. We have time to rest on date back 6,000 years. In Taoist belief, I experience a kind of breakthrough. Under like my limbs After each coming to China, but my partner, Joe, after lunch, during which I often lie down on the universe and everything in it derives Master Ping’s gentle guidance in these Adventure & Nature morning’s has been a long-time practitioner of the my wooden plank bed in my monastically from the interplay of the opposing forces hours and hours of practice, I’ve developed are made of martial art. For years, he’s tried convincing of yin and yang. Taiji explores this dualism a muscle memory for the movements and gruelling, dry, heavy me to do what many consider one of in the body by trying to find a balance the form, which means I’m now able to clay 20-minute the best exercises for longevity and mind- between tensing and relaxing muscles, concentrate more on trying to cultivate a standing body health. in line with exact body mechanics. This is sense of relaxation in my limbs. My feelings China – the birthplace of taiji – seems like what’s thought to give taiji its numerous of frustration have passed, and, in their qigong to Know

the perfect place for me to start. mind and body benefits, which range from place, there’s quiet focus. Need meditation, The first thing I learn is that taiji is a lot improved strength and agility and reduced I’ve completed my goal of learning 18

we move on to harder than it looks. After each morning’s inflammation to decreased levels of anxiety of the 74 postures of the form, and while I learning the gruelling, 20-minute standing qigong and stress. still haven’t even begun to feel the yin and meditation, we move on to learning the As much as I enjoy the challenges of taiji, yang forces in my body, or the flow of qi (the Chen-style Chen-style taiji form, a sequence of 74 I also love my time in this beautiful rural Chinese concept of energy), I do feel more Safety Travel in China taiji form, a moving postures in the Chen family style. area. In between morning and afternoon connected to my body, more grounded, Feel more Our teacher and co-founder of the school, sessions, I wander around the tiny village and just that bit calmer in my mind – even when you sequence of travel, with the soft-spoken Master Ping, is in his early of Jima, comprising just a few houses and when I’m not practicing. I couldn’t ask for a 74 moving Stories 30s and has practiced for more than 20 Sarah Duff small shops, and practice my few words of better introduction to the deep and complex postures years. When he demonstrates the postures, Chinese with the friendly, elderly locals. On world of taiji.

12 13 worldnomads.com Calakmul LEARN SOMETHING NEW in Southern Campeche Getty Images / yangyang

ANCIENT Welcome & Culture CRAFTS IN History SUZHOU In Suzhou, near Shanghai, Sharon McDonnell learns about the

extraordinary detail that goes into the unique Chinese crafts of Eating olive pit carving, fan making and silk embroidery.

uzhou, a 2,500-year-old city, 70mi

Olive pit carving Journeys (112km) west of Shanghai, is famous This craft uses the olive pit (or stone) Sfor traditional crafts, from silk as a tiny canvas for highly intricate and embroidery to wood carving, , and detailed carvings to create a miniature olive pit carving – a local practice that has 3D work of art. The best-known olive pit been going on here for centuries (along carving was created in 1737 and depicts The Humble Administrator's with the carving of walnut shells, lotus a boat with eight people, furnishings and Adventure Garden in Suzhou & Nature seeds, and fruit pits). 300 characters from a Chinese poem. That masterpiece can be seen in ’s National Palace Museum. As I’m in Suzhou, I want to see this tiny precision craft for I ponder the finished pits, which show Administrator’s Garden, one of Suzhou’s myself, having thoughtlessly tossed out faces, deities and flowers, and recall an UNESCO-designated gardens. Here, I olive pits for years. award-winning masterwork, with a dragon see 'paintings' of flowers and landscapes, to Know

I head to , a village of olive and clouds on one side, and Buddha on the that upon closer inspection turn out to Need pit carvers near Taihu Lake in Suzhou’s other, which sold for US $16,000 in 2014. A be embroidery. The next time, it’s in

western suburbs. Here, 10,000 people saleswoman tells me the artisans use gan the gallery of Yao Jianping, a woman make a living from this craft, including This craft uses lan olives from southern China. embroidery master, where I see the 3,000 artisans in more than 100 workshops the olive pit astonishingly realistic portraits of animals, (the rest are in sales and packaging). Silk embroidery humans, landscapes and birds. Safety Travel (or stone) as a in China I watch in disbelief as an artisan, working Renowned for exquisite craftsmanship, At the Suzhou Embroidery Research with a tiny chisel and magnifying glass, tiny canvas for vivid glowing colors and delicate designs, Institute, I watch the women at work, often meticulously cuts, whittles and sculpts highly intricate silk embroidery is one of China’s four major copying a photograph. One silk thread can designs into a pit, like it’s jade or wood; I and detailed embroidery styles. I see this artwork for be split into 48 strands, barely visible to SSharon McvDonnell

Carved Olive Pits feel as though I’m observing eye surgery. carvings the first time in an exhibit at the Humble the naked eye, and 1,000 different types of

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LEARN SOMETHING NEW Getty Images / Diana Mayfield Welcome & Culture History History Eating

UNFORGETTABLE Qurban Festival,

Xinjiang Journeys Embroidery The musty smell of livestock fills the city Research Institute Fan making in Suzhou air long before I watch a large herd of Sharon McDonnell sheep cross the busy intersection like a traffic jam of cars. Every spare parking lot and city park is turned into an animal Adventure enclosure as the locals prepare for this & Nature threads, and more than 40 types of stitches Fan making TRIP NOTES bloody yet joyful 'festival of sacrifice' are used. Sandalwood folding fans, ornately carved known as Qurban. The craft’s highest form, double-sided from the fragrant wood and decorated GETTING THERE: embroidery, displays a different design with paintings and calligraphy, are another The bullet train takes 30 Along with much of the Arab world, minutes from Shanghai on each side. Suzhou was a silk capital of ancient Suzhou craft, produced in more Muslims throughout western China, such China for centuries, and its high-quality silk than 16,000 different styles. At the Fan as where I am in , look forward to

this day as their biggest holiday and holiest to Know

was used for royal clothing and bedding. Museum, China’s biggest fan is on display Need celebration. I wake early to watch the men At Suzhou Silk Museum, I get to see – it’s 32 inches wide (82cm) – and depicts a gather at the local mosque for prayers, and

masterpieces depicting dragons, flowers variety of Buddhist scenes on both sides. meander through neighborhoods enjoying and clouds on royal robes, and read about At the Sheng Feng factory, patterns the jovial atmosphere of a community united the history of the and how silk are drawn, burned into the wood with an in the remembrance of Abraham’s sacrifice is made. At Suzhou No. 1 Silk Factory, electric iron, and then the pre-punched of a lamb instead of his son. Josh Summers Safety Travel in China there’s a film about the short, but intensely holes are sewn into shapes depicting Dates: It’s surprisingly hard to determine the exact productive life of the silkworm, whose landscapes, gardens and people. Before, day of Qurban. Since the holiday is based not only cocoons are boiled, their silk filaments fans were familiar to me only in cheap on the Islamic calendar but also on the day a new moon is sighted the month prior, even my neighbors unspooled by machines, and then woven paper versions – I now see a traditional weren’t sure what day we were going to celebrate

Getty Images / Kevin Frayer / Stringer Getty Images / Kevin on looms. carved wood fan is a thing of beauty. until just a couple of weeks earlier.

16 17 worldnomads.com The Metaphor LEARN SOMETHING NEW performing at the Mao Livehouse music venue in Beijing

THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ROCK:

CHINA’S Welcome & Culture

UNDERGROUND History MUSIC SCENE Marco Ferrarese discovers that from the 1970s onwards, Chinese youth have embraced musical influences from Eating overseas to create a unique sound all their own.

t’s 2008, just a few months shy of Beijing’s the country had never seen before. Journeys

first triumphant Olympics. Wang’s tiny From Jimi Hendrix to the Beatles, the Pet Getty Images / Ed Jones Iapartment is dimly lit, slightly bigger Shop Boys to punk rock: a tsunami of 50 than a car’s backseat, and tastes of spent years of foreign popular music history in cigarettes and dirty rock and roll. “Drink,” the form of pirated tapes – coupled with he says in Chinglish, passing a bottle of the first influx of language teachers, foreign song became the unofficial anthem of they sound angry and exotic, harsh and

Tsing Tao beer across the floor between us. students, and tourists – washed over the Tiananmen Square’s student protests incredibly attractive. My teenage students, Adventure & Nature Wang has improbable blond hair, dyed Chinese capital all at once, creating yao in 1989. of course, don't know anything about them. and spiked with hand soap, and sings in a gun, or 'Chinese rock'. Walking in many The second is He Yong, whose 1994 When I ask my block's caretaker if he has Beijing Oi! band, a sub-genre of punk born of Beijing's street markets, I can see pivotal album Garbage Dump, filled with ever heard of Tang Dynasty, he answers from working-class, anti-racist skinheads these rock tapes on sale next to smiling nihilistic social commentary, paved the way that they ruled over China for three in late 1970s England. I’m the 'foreign jade buddhas, Confucius statues and to the birth of Chinese punk. centuries until year 907 DC. expert', aka a teacher of languages, who tacky fake-brass dragons, looking like In the late 1980s, China also spawned to Know

landed in a second-tier Chinese university, improbable crumbs of globalization that its first heavy metal band with Socialist Beijing’s burning: the rise and fall Need 186mi (300km) east of Beijing – one of I can see spilled between the cracks of China's characteristics, Tang Dynasty, who of Chinese punk rock

the world’s busiest cities. With a poor these rock ancient civilization. released a debut album, A Dream Return From 1995, the seeds of yao gun common language, Wang and I connect by tapes on sale Two artists are considered the genre's to Tang Dynasty, in 1992. Combining blossomed into two very antithetic punk referencing the shared global codes of the next to smiling initiators: Cui , a trained classical progressive rock with heavy riffs, Chinese bands: Underbaby, which used punk’s punk rock music we both love. musician who fell for the smuggled sounds folk styles and Beijing opera techniques, it stereotypical three raw chords, safety pins, Safety Travel

jade buddhas, in China Confucius of the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and went on to sell more than two million copies and mohawks, and Catcher in the Rye with The birth of Chinese popular music Talking Heads. He shot to stardom in in Asia and abroad. I find all these tapes on its melodic pop-punk songs. In a couple As China opened up to the world in the late statues and 1986, with the song Nothing to My Name, Beijing's laneways, buy them for a few yuan of years, Beijing’s first punk underground 1970s, it also started forming an acquired tacky fake- which mixed elements of classical Chinese each, and bring them back to my room at makes a permanent base at the Scream taste for Western music and ideas people in brass dragons music with Western electric guitars. The the university. To my Western-trained ears, Club, where some of China’s pioneer punk

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and savvy Chinese bands that hint at ‘70s the genre also fused with rap and even New York’s No Wave art movement. This Mongolian folk — think of successful bands is when I arrived in China to teach Italian in like Hanggai, Nine Treasures and Tengger Chinese the coastal town of , not far Cavalry. metal music Getty Images / Stringer from Beijing. Even if it's busy and polluted, continued Getty Images / Langevin it becomes my weekend escape to sweat Chinese rock music today to evolve,

off my small-town work frustrations by The rebelliousness of Chinese yao gun and the first Welcome checking out the No Beijing music scene. punk tames with the rise of the Midi Music American The epicenter is the small D-22 bar in the Festival. Started in 1999 by the Beijing student district of Wudaokou, the main live Midi School of Music, the first jazz and rock and venue for groups like Joyside, Hedgehog, school in China, the Midi grows to become European Scream Club Beijing Carsick Cars, Snapline and the Gar. the biggest music festival in the Republic, metal bands

They mix post-punk, noise and indie changing the face of underground Chinese started & Culture influences, helping widen the appeal of rock forever. This success kickstarts Where to See Live History coming Rock Music Across China Chinese rock. many other events, including the popular to play in When I see Joyside for the first time, the Strawberry Music Festival, launched by Every major Chinese city has a bunch of music D-22 is packed to the gills with a swarm of label Modern Sky, one of China's biggest, China clubs you can visit to check the pulse of the local scene. Marco Ferrarese shares his tips on some Tang Dynasty band teenagers and students in tight jeans and and home to 100-odd bands. of the most established venues: striped t-shirts. As the band rocks into the When I stop again in Beijing in April BEIJING Eating first song, the crowd surges to the stage, 2016, I can't help but notice the big Yugong Yishan melting into a human monster of twirling changes in Chinese rock from that sweat- 3-2 Zhangzizhong Lu, Miyun County bands like Brain Failure, 69, Reflector, and limbs, becoming one with the musicians. thronged, first burning D-22 performance I Beijing’s fully-fledged rock club hosts many Anarchy Boys emerged. Their music is Sweat and beer condenses with breath, we experienced almost a decade before. The international acts and yet always keeps an eye on the best from the local underground. collected in a compilation album released We all become all feel the punk rocking us down through Strawberry Music Festival will take place School Live Bar on Jing Wen Records in 1997, the first as one with our solar plexuses, and soon enough a week later over the May Day weekend, 53 Wudaoying Hutong, Chaoyang Journeys official Chinese punk record. that throbbing, my glasses fog, my ribcage feels foreign with events in both Beijing and Shanghai. The capital’s spot for punk, metal and rock is this little By 1998, Beijing was considered the elbows and knees, and we all become Bands no longer play in a packed rickety scruffy bar packed to the gills with alternatives who liberating always want to have a good, loud time. center of cultural and musical freedom, soundwave as one with that throbbing, liberating student bar, but perform on the megastage attracting musicians, fans and students soundwave. of the Shanghai World Expo Park in front SHANGHAI Yuyintang from all over China. of thousands of people. These massive 851 Kaixuan Lu

But soon enough the bars overflowed Chinese heavy metal music and its commercial operations increasingly For the past decade, this club has brought the best of Adventure & Nature with too many competing bands, pushing international recognition switched focus from rock to other genres: rock, folk, metal and more to this vibrant metropolis. some of Beijing’s early punks to move to Meanwhile, even Chinese metal rose to in 2017 alone, China hosted a staggering MAO Livehouse 308 Chongqing Nan Lu the musically untouched southwestern fame: from Tang Dynasty’s early prog in 269 music festivals, 20% were dedicated to Good sized downtown venue catering to international province of , thus 'exporting' punk the 1990s, which I unfortunately never had electronic dance music. and local acts, from electronica to disco, metal and rock to the tourist towns of Dali and Lijiang. a chance to see live, the genre expanded Rock bands still take to the stages of rock. Something started changing by the early to thrash and death metal with bands like China’s major cities, but contrary to yao WUHAN Vox Livehouse to Know

2000s, when new foreign trends like nu- Tomahawk and Overload. By the end of the gun, modern rock in China has turned from Need 118 Lumo Road, Guang Gu Shang Quan, metal contributed to making Beijing's music decade, Yaksa, the first Chinese nu-metal flash-in-the-pan revolution to middle-class Hongshan Qu Wuhan Shi

scene more commercial. On top of that, band, and thrash death band, Suffocated, entertainment. Often times populated and The home to Wuhan’s alternative music and punk, its prime spot as China’s 'music city' was also started making noise. Their crowning maneuvered by expat foreigners, rock this landmark venue sees Chinese and international bands performing here almost every night. overshadowed by the rise of new talented achievement was participating in music still doesn’t bode well with an ever- musicians, clubs, and music styles in other ’s Wacken Open Air Festival in conservative Chinese societal mindset. DALI Safety Travel

Learn how Bad Monkey Bar in China cities including Shanghai, Wuhan, , 2012, bringing Chinese metal to one of the However, almost 40 years of Chinese yao to Travel 59 Renmin Lu, Dali Old Town and . world’s most important heavy metal stages. gun have certainly left a mark on China’s Responsibly Owned by two Englishmen, this Yunnanese live on your Back in the capital, the years in the Chinese metal music continued to evolve, popular culture, but that primeval Beijing music bar has been rocking hard since 2003. Also next trip check out its quirky sibling, Bad Monkey Steampunk run-up to the 2008 Olympics saw the birth the first American and European metal underground fire, I’m afraid, has already Bar, with music every night, paired with Napoli-style of No Beijing, a new wave of influential bands started coming to play in China, and turned to embers. pizzas and burgers.

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UNFORGETTABLE Litang’s Horse Festival, Sichuan We are on a grassy meadow somewhere outside Litang Town, at 13,170ft-high (4,014m), one of the world’s highest communities, lost in the far-flung Eastern Tibetan region of Kham. The precise location is kept secret to non-Tibetans, and passed Welcome around as a hushed insider secret only a couple of days before the event. It’s in this remote corner of China that, once a year, the nomadic Khampa herders regroup to race for honor and prestige, establish their nomadic socio-economic hierarchies and search for & Culture beautiful wives. History

I get closer to the people waiting on the side of an open patch of grassland. It serves as the main racing ground for the different types of challenges that Khampa horsemen will brave on horseback. Right now, each rider competes

to show his acrobatic skills. Eating

When I least expect it, the horse and rider forge ahead, gaining speed as chunks of black earth afly in their wake. And as the horse bites on its bridle, the rider lets himself fall to the side of his mount, I gulp in awe. With his legs clinging to the body of his running horse, the Journeys man floats and swings, hesitates, and then grabs a rock perched on the top of a mound that sits in the middle of the racetrack.

He then lifts himself back up amidst the screams and applause, for he’s a winner. Adventure Hundreds of round leather cowboy hats swing & Nature madly in the air as the next rider takes the position at the beginning of the racetrack, getting set up for another ride. The wild Khampas all around cheer again, thrilled to continue celebrating their sacred day of acrobatic races. to Know Need Dates: After the Tibetan riots in 2008, to avoid retaliation from the Chinese authorities, no

outsider knows the precise date and location of Litang’s Horse Festival, which falls in the first half of August. Be in Litang at the start of August to ask around Safety Travel town. in China

How to get there: Catch a bus from Chengdu to Litang, with an overnight stop in Kangding.

Or, fly directly to Kanding from Chengdu to Getty Images / alantobey

shorten the lengthy road trip. Marco Ferrarese

22 23 worldnomads.com Stone at SEEK EXPERIENCES the holy mountain Huashan Xi'an: Beyond the Terracotta Army

Stacey McKenna discovers Xi'an's city walls, a sacred Welcome mountain and the Heritage Park.

lmost 700mi (1,126km) southwest

of Beijing, Xi’an is one of the oldest & Culture

At the North History cities in China, but is perhaps best A Peak, we spend known for its proximity to the remarkable second-century BC archaeological wonder, a half hour the Terracotta Army, which depicts the taking in the armies of , the first Emperor panorama of China. But the ancient city is a gateway to

more than this UNESCO World Heritage site. before Eating descending by Cycle the city walls gondola My husband Mike and I arrive in Xi’an around 7am, well-rested thanks to a private sleeper car on the overnight train from Journeys Beijing. We drop our bags at our hotel in the old city and take a short walk to the South Gate of China’s most complete city walls. After paying the entry fee, we climb Getty Images / Yaorusheng a staircase to the top of the 40ft (12m) walls

and rent a tandem bike to cycle around the Adventure & Nature city walls. As we pedal the 8.6mi (14km) five sacred mountains in . We work spend a half hour taking in the panorama perimeter above the city, I marvel at the out there are three ways to reach North before descending by gondola.

Xi'an City Walls juxtaposition of old and new. Traditional Peak, the first summit which is a 3.75mi music blares from speakers mounted (6km) hike that climbs roughly 3,000ft Parks and gardens on top of the Ming-era walls. From a (914m) to an elevation of 5,298ft (1,615m). On our last evening in the city, we head single corner, both the flared gold roof The most popular route up Mount to Daming Palace Heritage Park, just to Know

of Guangren Temple — the province’s Huashan follows a network of paved paths north of the walls. We’re too late to visit Need sole Tibetan Buddhist temple — and a and steep stairs that weave among pines the museums and restored Tang Dynasty

slew of modern skyscrapers are visible, and switch back up sheer granite cliffs. palaces within the gated area, so rent a while teens pose for selfies in front of the After heading to the base of the mountain four-wheel, surrey-style 'Lover’s Bike.' TRIP NOTES towers. to purchase entry tickets, we begin our As we explore the free section of the WHEN TO GO: ascent. park — bouncing over cobbled paths that With mild days and Safety Travel

cool nights, shoulder in China A sacred peak We set a leisurely pace, and between dart through groves of trees and arc over season – September The next morning, we catch an 8am bus breaking for snacks, ogling the undulating ponds and streams — we pass families to October and March from the station outside the city’s North valleys, and chatting with a pair of Chinese who are also cycling, boating, strolling, and through May – offers the most pleasant Gate to Huà Shān, a village two hours university students, we reach the top in sharing our love for the outdoors in this weather for outdoor Getty Images / Mariusz Kluzniak away, to hike Mount Huashan, one of the five or six hours. At the North Peak, we extraordinary city. activities.

24 25 worldnomads.com Famous Chongqing hot pot Getty Images / pengpeng Welcome & Culture History History Eating Journeys Adventure & Nature

The Chinese food we to Know

experience in the West often Need bears no resemblance to the complex and fascinating flavors, tastes and sensations of authentic Chinese cooking. Safety Travel in China EATING With great menu variations from region to region, Chinese food is a series of unexpected and pleasing surprises.

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5 CHINESE Welcome & Culture

FOOD History EXPERIENCES To get a sense of China’s enormously varied menu,

Ronan O’Connell eats his way across the country. Eating

orget about the westernized versions the day before and he quickly heats up of Chinese food you might have eaten five lamb skewers and we do a deal. Unlike Chinese street food Journeys Fat home. Real Chinese cooking is as the beef, which has a chewier texture, this & Bruno Morandi Getty Images / Tuul diverse and surprising as the rest of China. lamb is beautifully tender. It has slightly gamey taste that is all but overpowered by All a skewer in Xi’An the mouth-burning chili and the nuttiness Eating hotpot is a very social activity, and double take when I see a street vendor The aroma seduces me every time I leave of the cumin. I’m here after being invited by two staff selling baked biscuits near the iconic Chen

my hotel in downtown Xi’An, the capital of Paired with an ice-cold beer – these members at my hostel. We sit around a Clan Ancestral Hall temple in Guangzhou Adventure & Nature Province in northcentral China. kebabs make you thirsty – it’s a recipe for large, simmering, communal pot of broth, (formerly known as Canton) northwest of The tantalizing scent is of lamb and beef deep satisfaction. into which we have dropped a huge variety in Province. The kebabs, laced with cumin powder and chili, of raw ingredients, including chicken, bok elderly vendor tries to sell me a bag of 10 being flame-grilled on the street. The spice of Sichuan choy, tofu, shrimp and cheese balls. biscuits, but first, I want to try one. Known as chuan (Chuar, yang rou chuan It’s a Friday night in a packed hotpot As is typical, this broth is heavy with I expect a sugary taste but instead get or chuan’r), these popular snacks are sold restaurant in downtown Chongqing, a cardamom, MSG, Sichuan chilies and a savory punch – this is a ji zai (chicken

As is typical, to Know

for as little as US 45c a piece throughout massive city in central China’s Sichuan peppercorns, making it eye-wateringly biscuit). They don’t contain any white meat, Need the city’s large Muslim Quarter. Alongside this broth is Province, and lots of my fellow diners are spicy. This heat soaks into every ingredient but are shaped like a chicken, with their heavy with Xi’an’s iconic Bell Tower, this neighborhood laughing at me. The only foreigner eating that is boiled in the broth, ensuring my fillings typically a mixture of garlic, salt, is home to more than 50,000 Hui Muslims. cardamom, here, I’ve just had a coughing fit after taking taste buds swiftly go numb. “That’s the sesame, bean curd, ground pepper, and The recipe and preparation of these MSG, Sichuan my first mouthful of Sichuan hotpot. best part,” my new friend tells me of this five-spice powder. The outside is crispy, basic snacks has barely changed since To say it’s spicy is to say China has a lot unfamiliar physical reaction. the inside is chewy, and the mixture of Safety Travel

chilies and in China they were introduced to Xi’An more than peppercorns, of people: redundant. savory and sweet flavors is addictive. 400 years ago by the Hui people, who Chinese hotpot is believed to be more Biscuits in Guangzhou These biscuits have been popular in came from the far northwest of China. making it eye- than 1,500 years old and Chongqing is the Dumplings, soup, duck, noodles – there are Guangzhou since the mid-1800s, and there The young street vendor smiles when he wateringly self-proclaimed hotpot capital of the world, many foods I associate with China. Biscuits are numerous styles, some of which feature sees me approach. I ate his kebabs twice spicy with more than 10,000 hotpot restaurants. are not one of them. That’s why I do a pork, cabbage, melon or egg.

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LEARN SOMETHING NEW Unsplash Alana Harris Getty Images / Macduff Everton Welcome & Culture History History

Roasted duck for Delicious food in sale at a market Chengdu in Eating UNEXPECTED

Guangzhou is renowned for its spinach and a hearty dose of tsampa, a Dragon Well Tea snacks, including Portuguese- barley flour that gives the soup a porridge- Festival, Longjing style egg tarts, fried shrimp dumplings and like consistency. This thick, Journeys steamed porn buns. But I’ll be back for the It’s been a Tibetan staple for centuries, salty soup “This is my kind of festival,” I tell my tour chicken biscuits. and you can find it throughout the Tibetan is Tibetan guide as we recline in armchairs, sipping areas of China. comfort food, Longjing tea while looking out across Yakking it up in Tibet a terraced tea field. There are no loud with chunks performances or colorful parades at the “This does not taste like beef,” I tell the Green and natural in Hangzhou of both yak Dragon Well Tea Festival. It is decidedly

young waitress. “Not beef – yak,” she My labor in the fields has helped me work Adventure

understated, rather like the refined taste & Nature replies, contradicting what’s written on up a thirst. What better way to quench it meat and yak of the tea here. the English language menu in her small than with the tea I’ve just picked myself cheese restaurant in Songpan Ancient Town, here in Longjing Tea Village. This cute Longjing village, in the eastern province of , has long been one of China’s Sichuan Province, on the town, in the hills near Hangzhou in Zhejiang premier tea-growing locations. Most of to the north. I soon learn that up here, beef province, has been one of China’s most its plantations are closed to visitors, but normally means yak rather than cow. renowned tea plantations for more than during this festival, held over four days to Know

The love yaks because 1,000 years. It is here that the highly prized during April’s harvest season, many open Need of their ability to produce milk year-round Dragon Well tea originates. their doors and offer tea-tasting sessions.

in this rough, cold environment. While yaks For as little as US $10, during the harvest Tea lovers come to do a more sophisticated are similar in size to a cow, their meat is season between March and April, visitors version of a pub crawl, going from one much leaner and tougher than beef. Even can go into Longjing’s majestic, terraced plantation to the next. I lose count of the Travel Safety Travel when slow cooked, like in the tsam-thuk tea fields and copy the actions of the local number of different teas I taste at the three in China Tibetan soup I’m eating, yak is not exactly tea pickers. Then, once I fill my small bag plantations I visit. But, what I can remember tender. with tea leaves, I head to a neighboring tea is the calm and quiet, unlike any other This thick, salty soup is Tibetan comfort house to roast them in an iron pan, as is festival I’ve attended. Ronan O’Connell

food, with chunks of both yak meat and yak traditional, before sampling the famously Dates: Held over four days during tea harvest Ronan OConnell Ronan cheese complemented by radish, onion, delicate, green tea flavor of Dragon Well. season each April.

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Tracing the Getty Images / Andre Vogelaere Delectable Journey of Soup Dumplings Welcome

Ubiquitous in Chinese cooking, Christina Ng goes on the trail of these much-loved morsels in Shanghai, Wuxi, Changzhou and Hangzhou. & Culture History History

racking down the – little weave in and out of the flourishing balls of ground meat, exquisitely cityscape. Do not turn your nose up at wrapped up in semi-translucent these stalls, for some harbor the dainty

T Eating dough skin, bobbing in savory broth – is xiaolongbao that your heart will ache for a lip-smacking adventure. Known as soup as soon as you leave Shanghai. This city is, dumplings in English, you can find every after all, where many think the xiaolongbao version of these all over Asia – notably at was born. Taiwanese chain restaurant Din Tai Fung. It all began with Huang Mingxian, the However, their motherland is China. owner of Ri Hua Xuan restaurant in the Preparation of tang bao Journeys district of Shanghai. He was Shanghai said to have created these dumplings in My dumpling-tasting journey starts in the 1870s by adding aspic (double boiled coastal Shanghai, China’s biggest city, chicken soup cooked with pork skin and Customers flock to this restaurant, which a liking to them. The xiaolongbao of Wuxi where traditional lilong residences made into a jelly) to his pork mince. This also has branches at the Chenghuang became famous throughout China. Improve your writing,

(townhouses connected by a lane) and is why one bite into the dumpling fills your Temple and Guyi Garden. Tina Huang, a Changzhou native who Adventure

photography, & Nature modern skyscrapers compete for space. mouth with a rush of sweet-salty broth. “Shanghai’s xiaolongbao are all good,” now lives in Wuxi, disputes this story of the and videos Michelin-star restaurants and shabby “What’s so delicious about Nanxiang’s says Madam Fu, but admits, “I still prefer origins of xiaolongbao. She says that it is with Create stalls sit side by side in the alleyways that xiaolongbao is the clear broth and the Wuxi ones, which are sweeter and have Changzhou – the city adjacent to Wuxi – gossamer skin,” says Madam Fu, a a hint of soy sauce in the taste.” where xiaolongbao originated, specifically Shanghainese I spoke to. According in the Wanhua Teahouse, during the reign Tangbao or soup buns to her, even though Shanghai now has Wuxi and Changzhou of Emperor Daoguang (1821–1850) in to Know

plenty of great dumpling places, Nanxiang Less than an hour west from Shanghai by the Qing Dynasty. Huang says when the Need (the modern name for the Ri Hua Xuan bullet train, Wuxi is quieter than its bustling osmanthus flowers bloom and their scents

restaurant) still manages to fend off its neighbor; here, a turn into an alley might fill the air, she knows it’s the season for competitors. “Plus, the dumplings are so One bite into bring the surprising view of a canal, or the crabmeat xiaolongbao. dainty,” she adds. lush greenery of a garden. “Changzhou dumplings are less sweet It’s their petite size that seems to have the dumpling It’s no wonder that Emperor Qianlong than those from Wuxi. In fact, from Safety Travel in China won the hearts of many. The dumplings fills your (1711 -1799) fell in love with xiaolongbao Changzhou to Shanghai to Wuxi, the started out bigger, and were called the mouth with a here. Legend has it that the Chinese dumplings get sweeter and sweeter!” Nanxiang da rou baozi, meaning large Emperor was given the local specialty she laughs. meat-filled buns from Nanxiang. Huang rush of sweet- xiaolongbao to try when he was traveling “Wu Xi, formerly called Yi Qin Yuan, is Getty Images / xia yuan changed them into the size we know today. salty broth through the region, and immediately took my favorite haunt for xiaolongbao in Wuxi,”

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Tang bao or soup buns Getty Images / Yang Liu Getty Images / Yang Getty Images / tang90246

UNEXPECTED Welcome The Color Palette of the Gods Dongchuan is about 84mi (135km) north & Culture

of . For most of the four-hour bus History journey, the asphalt track runs through a rural landscape that is picturesque, but never exciting. When we passed the sleepy hamlet of Huashitou, the magic begins.

Red, green, yellow, and white ribbons form Hangzhou

an intricate rainbow that stretches to the Eating horizon on both sides. It takes me a while to understand that the stunning patchwork is actually strips of farmland where golden she adds. “It’s a hole in the wall but food is are delicious. I share a communal table with buckwheat, emerald barley, pink potato cheap and service is fast!” I make a mental an old couple, feeling a little inadequate flowers, and bright yellow canola delicately note of that for next time. as they pick up their dumplings expertly, interweaves with the rich red to form Journeys take a tiny bite and sip the broth. As for me, an incredible palette. According to Google Hangzhou I scorch my tongue as I take too big a bite, Translator, Dongchuan means exactly that – a palette. In fact, all cities in the region and the ball of meat plops defiantly into seem to have their own version of my bowl. I set myself up in the village of Huagou xiaolongbao. Just over 100mi (176km) Hangzhou natives even have a chant to explore the Dongchuan county that stretches over 30mi (50km) of gentle southwest of Shanghai and an hour on to go with eating xiaolongbao: “pick it Adventure & Nature the bullet train, my dumpling adventure up gently, move it slowly, first open the highlands. continues in Hangzhou, a city built around ‘window’, then drink the soup”. It loosely Over the next few days, I discover the inner the breathtaking , famed for the means that you should be careful with landscape of Dongchuan, where farming tragic legend of Chinese scholar Xu Xian these dumplings, as the skin is delicate and is still done the ancient way, with bullocks and Madam White Snake. breaks easily. It’s best to nibble off the top and horse-drawn carriages. We pass Hangzhou dumplings are heavily first – open the “window” – then sip the through areas like Jinxiu Yuan (roughly translated, means Embroidered Garden) to Know

influenced by people from in soup inside. Need which resembles a giant, hand-knotted province, 560mi (900km) northwest A tip from a I pick up my dumpling again with a few quilt. While navigating the narrow, muddy

cab driver of Shanghai. They are not as widely known shreds of ginger, dip it into the slightly sour tracts and maneuvering through the herds as those from Shanghai or Wuxi, yet, when brings me Chinkiang vinegar, put it on my spoon and of cattle often blocking our way, my guide savoring them in the poetic surrounds of to Xin Feng attempt a nibble. The rich flavor of the filling Zhao explains how Dongchuan shaped Hangzhou I feel like I am immersing myself – a medley of pork and prawn meat mixed itself into this stunning mix of designs and Safety Travel Snacks, which in China in a wuxia (Chinese martial heroes) movie. in with the creamy broth – bursts forth in colors. A tip from a cab driver brings me to Xin he says is the my mouth and lingers. The elderley couple best place While the iron oxide embedded in Feng Snacks, which he says is the best at the table gives me a nod of approval, Dongchuan’s soil imparts its fiery red color, place to try these dumplings. to try these and so does my tummy. it also makes it inhospitable for farming. Sugato Mukherjee Its house special – prawn dumplings – dumplings May my dumpling adventure never end. The stony, mountainous terrain prevents

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croplands from retaining water. For centuries, the local, agro-based community has planted drought-resistant crops. The plots allotted to each agricultural family are scattered across the land – while one plants potatoes, another cultivates wheat. This random allotment has created geometric patterns and brilliant hues in croplands that were once grazing pastures. The farmers sustain this fragile ecosystem through wind turbines that dot the undulating landscape. Welcome We pass a couple of giant windmills and arrive at Beihecun to witness the farming community in their struggle to turn this infertile soil into a polychromatic fairyland. The terraced fields around the small village are filled with water, and farmers wade knee-deep through the mud & Culture

to plant new crops. “In another three months, History this village will turn into a valley of colors, much like you have seen in Jinxiu Yuan,” Zhao tells me with a smile.

Later that afternoon, we veer off towards Louxiago, the fabled sunset point of Dongchuan. As the mellow rays bounce off Eating elegant contours of the Louxiago valley (which literally means a gully of fallen, rosy clouds), I understand why it’s considered the high point of the Dongchuan experience. I also remember what Zhao told me this morning. “God knocked over his palette and dropped his paint here – Dongchuan is God’s own canvas.” Journeys Sugato Mukherjee Adventure & Nature to Know Need

Travel Safety Travel in China All photos: Sugato Mukherjee

36 37 worldnomads.com Getty Images / Peerawat Kamklay Getty Images / Peerawat Welcome & Culture History History Eating Journeys Adventure China is a vast country, and & Nature while many might prefer to take to the skies to traverse it, it’s best explored by road. Join our Nomads as they explore to Know

very different regions of the Need country: the remarkable Tea Horse Route – an exciting alternative to the Silk Road, the journey to see Guizhou’s giant Safety Travel in China JOURNEYS radio telescope, the mountains and deserts of Gansu and Zhangye National Park Sichuan, and Yungang’s magical grottoes.

38 39 worldnomads.com Chengdu tea house SHARE STORIES Traveling the Ancient Tea Horse Route

Keith Lyons takes an alternative route Welcome through China, ditching the Silk Road for the Southern Silk Route. & Culture hen the abbot of a Tibetan Tea Horse Road History monastery in Sichuan showed You will have heard of the historic Silk Wme bricks of black tea stored Road, the camel-train route linking the in a kitchen pantry, it got me thinking East and the West, where goods and ideas about how the addictive substance, first were exchanged between the 2nd and introduced to Tibet in the 7th century, had 14th centuries. Though less well-known,

long been transported over high passes to the Tea Horse Road – or Cha Ma Gu Dao Eating harsh places too cold to grow tea. – was active from the 7th century until the The plan was to pick and process some mid-20th century. tea from the original tea-growing region in This Southern Silk Route was a network , and take the fermented of trails more than 1,850mi (3,000km) in and compressed tea along the ancient Tea length, from tropical Yunnan in the south, Journeys Horse Road – the Southern Silk Route – via through Tibet and on to and beyond. Getty Images / Tarzan9280 the eastern Tibetan Himalayas, to one of But the caravans of mules and yaks (and the oldest teahouses in China. hardy porters carrying up to their own weight in loads) didn’t just transport blocks more than its weight in silver. Cuttings I-made-earlier’ moment, I’m given a bag of tea, but also salt, silver and silk. One from trees in these Chinese borderlands of recently-dried loose tea which I’ll

of its greatest deliveries was spreading spread tea cultivation to more than 50 get made into ripe pu’er (pronounced Adventure & Nature Buddhism from India to the east. countries. ‘poo-erh’), as well as seven frisbee-rounds But I can’t pick tea from this protected of tea (known as raw pu’er) bound in rice Jinghong I’m still forest; instead we go to the driver’s paper and wrapped in . After an hour’s drive through foggy baffled when Hani-minority hamlet, where I sweatily gloom, past endless rubber and banana the driver collect basketfuls of shiny, tender leaves Dali plantations, from the Xishuangbanna from wild trees. It takes 15 hours to cover the 384mi

stops, points to Know

city of Jinghong towards the I spread out my tea on round trays to wilt (620km) distance by bus from muggy Need and borders, I still can’t make out me towards and dry, while I am plied by the driver’s Jinghong to the fresh air of Dali, a change

the telltale rows of contour-planted tea a path in the father with endless cups of bright orange of 4,500ft (1,250m) in elevation. But I’m not Getty Images / bddigitalimages bushes. mist, and tea, which is initially bitter, but has a honey exactly elated. I’m still baffled when the driver stops, aftertaste. When I arrive in the trade crossroads points me towards a path in the mist, and taps out on Later, the leaves are tossed into a giant of Dali city, I am as bruised and as Safety Travel in China taps out on his phone translator, ‘ancient his phone wok, and the villagers set about rolling dehydrated as my bulky bag of tea thanks tea gardens’. There, I am surprised to find translator, and shaping the leaves. The slightly to the bumpy night drive over roads under a gnarly tree with large leaves, believed to bruised pan-roasted strands are finally construction. Dali is famous for the 9th- be 800 years old: the king of the tea trees. ‘ancient tea left in the sun to dry. As I’m due to get century Three and the Cangshan

Getty Images / Tuul & Bruno Morandi Getty Images / Tuul Pu'er tea factory Tea from this area, Nannuo, is now worth gardens’ on a night bus to Dali, in a ‘here’s-one- Mountains sitting above vast .

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Not far from the backpacker haven of the caravan of mules, loaded with burlap Old Town, I hand my loose tea over to the The dark sacks strapped to wooden saddles, clip- boss of a tea factory, to be transformed material is clop by on the cobblestones of Shaxi’s into something more portable and less market square, and I think about what I bitter by the process of accelerated carefully might be able to trade my tea for. fermentation and aging developed in measured, Looking out through the coin-shaped,

the Dali area. My tea is added to a pile of then steamed, carved lattice screen windows – Welcome leaves, which will be kept moist and warm. symbolizing prosperity – I’m reminded When should I come back? I ask. A couple and finally how this restored staging post is too of months, he replies. pressed into a cold to grow tea, so my goods should be When I return, my precious tea has been small convex more valuable here. “How about some reduced to what looks like compost. The dome medicinal plants,” suggests my Bai-

dark material is carefully measured, then minority food guide Li Han Mei (Apple), & Culture steamed, and finally pressed into a small “Or matsutake mushrooms, if they are in History convex dome. In this post-fermentation season?” form, unlike green tea, this low-caffeine After being lulled by the hypnotic tea will get better – and more valuable – sounds of a village orchestra at the Old as it ages. Theater Inn, a converted theater and shrine, owner Chris suggests exchanging

Shaxi my tea for packhorse-couriered Eating I take my domes of compressed tea from Mapingguan honey, or a local delicacy the tea growing and processing areas ham. “If you have enough tea, you might to the next major trade hub on the Tea be able to get a small spotted heirloom

Getty Images / Tuul & Bruno Morandi Getty Images / Tuul Drying tea leaves of pu'er tea Getty Images / Blaine Harrington III Shangri-la Old Town Horse Road, hidden away a couple of pig.” hours north of Dali, via the main town Instead, the next day I decide to Journeys of Jianchuan. As the minivan navigates give away some of my tea fortune. At a the winding road, I catch glimpses of the ramshackle Ouyang merchant courtyard, finally find a locally made black clay teapot beyond the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain patchwork fields as we descend into the where some of the last muleteers once at the bustling Zhongyi Market. and , is my next Travel so-called ‘last unspoilt valley in China’. lived, I press a round of tea upon the I walk upstream from the town’s destination, Shangri-la, the first Tibetan smart with Later that balmy evening, I watch a historical building’s caretaker; and after landmark water wheels to the picture- town on the way to Lhasa. our Safety advice much insistence, he accepts, only to load perfect Black Dragon Pool, where a Adventure & Nature me up with pears for the trip onward to five-arch bridge, pavilion and the distant Shangri-la Lijiang, only a couple of hours away by bus 18,400ft (5,600m) high Jade Dragon Snow In centuries past it took longer than a due to the new tunnel and bridge highway Mountain are reflected in the pond. From week to get from from Lijiang to Shangri- from Jianchuan. an artesian aquifer, I fill two bottles with la, via the River crossing point the glacial meltwater, wondering if Kublai at Shigu, but the road reduces the 124mi Khan’s soldiers did the same in 1253, or if (200km) trip to fewer than four hours –

Getty Images / Tuul & Bruno Morandi Getty Images / Tuul Lijiang to Know

The alleyway and bridge maze of the horsemen stopped here on their supply and travel times will be halved when a new Need UNESCO World Heritage Old Town of missions to Tibet and India during the railway and highway is completed by 2021.

Lijiang possibly has the highest density Second Sino-Japanese War, between 1937 As we sit around the stove in the Tibetan of tea merchants in China packed into its to 1945. Garden Inn, in Shangri-la’s old town – at 3mi² (8km²) unwalled ancient city. I search Carrying my water, I am stopped by an 10,500 feet (3,200m) – my Tibetan host the stone and wood labyrinth for two old man who speaks to me first in Russian, Bao, who got me hooked on the local Safety Travel in China things vital for making the perfect brew: then Mandarin. Qu Mao Hong, who was way of drinking tea when I first stayed one pricey, the other priceless. born in the 1940s, takes me up Lion Hill here more than a decade ago, asks the Passing oxblood wooden-paneled to see the remnants of the Tea Horse question he knows I can’t refuse. “Have shopfronts, the weathered Big Stone Road; the conglomerate stone worn down some suyou cha (yak-butter tea)?”

Shaxi Market Square Bridge, and the former Mufu Palace, I by shoes and hooves. In the distance, Fragments of my ripe pu’er tea have

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man, suddenly even more pale-looking, asks hesitantly. “Fei chang hao chi (Unusually delicious),” I reply.

Chengdu From Shangri-la, the 745mi (1,200km) Getty Images / Tuul & Bruno Morandi Getty Images / Tuul

overland route through Sichuan Tibetan Welcome areas takes in Xiangcheng, Litang, and Kangding, a journey of three days to a week to Chengdu by public bus and shared 4WDs, depending on stopovers at Yading Nature Reserve and Tagong grasslands.

“Chengdu has more tea houses than & Culture sunny days,” my friend Wei tells me when History we meet by Mao’s statue in Sichuan’s capital, known for its cloudy days, lazy UNFORGETTABLE pandas and mouth-numbing peppercorn. The Chengdu native had previously introduced me to the popular People’s Qingdao

Park Heming teahouse, where an acrobatic Eating Chengdu tea house International tea master deftly poured kung-fu tea from a long spout, while shoe-shiners and Beer Festival ear-cleaners roamed among card-playing When a well-groomed woman in a red been added to a simmering kettle, and patrons. Wei had taken me to Yuelai form-fitting dress, sidles up to me at then the smoky, bitter brew is poured into chaguan for an afternoon masked Sichuan the Qingdao railway station and offers Journeys a wooden cylindrical tube, and churned opera, and the incense-shrouded Wenshu me a free drink, my ‘stranger-danger’ with a dollop of yak butter (from summer temple teahouse, where we nibbled bears' alarm goes off. According to the clock grasslands near his father’s village) and paws (thankfully vegetarian) in the shade of tower, the sun isn’t yet over the yardarm. more than a pinch of salt. giant bamboo. I succumb to the charms of my mid- “He likes Tibetan tea,” Bao proudly tells a With the promise of a new place to try morning solicitor, and am offered a plastic glass filled with chilled pale lager. “Gan

couple visiting from Beijing. I slurp the salty, my tea, he shows me to one of the oldest Adventure Bei,” says the woman, who I discover & Nature murky liquid from a wooden bowl, feeling surviving teahouses in China, in the town of is called Joy. “It means bottoms up.” I the grease lining my gullet, as they look Pengzhen just outside Chengdu. oblige. on in horror, wondering how anyone could Amidst shafts of light, illuminating faded stomach tea that has been adulterated with Communist propaganda, and the pipe Freshly poured beers are thrust into my hands, as I am peppered with new titbits fat and lactose. When my second bowl is smoke of mahjong players, Guanyinge about this seaside beer festival, which partly finished, I do something else which teahouse probably has the oldest surviving TRIP NOTES started in 1991. Dubbed Asia’s Oktoberfest, to Know confounds the tourists. Adding spoonfuls men in China (some sporting blue Mao visitors flock to enjoy gala parades and Need of roasted barley flour – called tsampa. I While you can fly from suits, sipping jasmine tea in lidded cups). performances, drink in the tents of local Jinghong to Dali, Lijiang

use my middle finger to combine it with the Wei breaks off a layer of my raw pu’er and global breweries late into the night or Chengdu, the best way remaining yak butter tea, rotating the bowl to experience the Tea and pours hot water from a wicker while snacking on seafood and bratwurst. If as Bao has shown me, and squeezing the Horse Road is overland, Thermos flask, watched by a couple of you want to see China at its messiest, visit crumbly mix into a pale brown-flecked solid using day and overnight octogenarians sitting beside us. I am Qingdao Beer Festival to ‘Gan Bei’ with the Safety Travel public buses. You can world. Keith Lyons in China oval. I sample the hand-kneaded ball. The also catch a train between curious to know the veterans verdict on slightly rancid taste of yak butter has gone; Dali and Lijiang, or hire my grassy green, slightly bitter tea, so Wei Dates: The Qingdao International Beer Festival instead, the tsampa is nutty and malty, a car and self-drive, take pours them steaming tumblers. A wizened takes place throughout August. a private car, see it on Getting there: It is a short taxi ride from Hongdao similar to hot milk on breakfast cereal. foot by hiking, and even 81-year-old perks up, breaks into a grin and Station to the main festival venues; Golden Sands Getty Images / Frederic J. Brown Getty Images / Frederic J.

“Hao chi ma? (Tastes okay?),” the Beijing exploring on horseback. gives the thumbs up. “Bu cuo (Not bad)!” Beach, Laoshan Beer City, and Century Square.

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ET Phone China: Getty Images / STR_Stringer Guizhou’s

Alien-searching Welcome Radar Dish

While traveling through the Chinese & Culture History History province of Guizhou, Jamie Fullerton visits the world's biggest radio telescope.

s there life outside the confines of Earth’s

atmosphere? Will aliens ever attempt to Eating Imake contact with us? If the answer to both questions is yes, there’s a chance that FAST, Pingtang any first contact with our species will be via an enormous wok-shaped metal structure that has been dominating the landscape in Journeys China’s rural Guizhou Province, which was were relocated from Guizhou’s green park-like visitors’ center. Models of China’s President Xi Jinping called the switched on in 2017. Pingtang County valleys. humanoid aliens and whoosh-bang motion dish the country’s “Eye in the sky”, and The 500 Meter Aperture Spherical Although its design might suggest that sensor-based light shows teach visitors the sense of national pride in it is strong Telescope (FAST) is the biggest radio the mission is to cook the world’s biggest about planets. The notion that the truth is here. Mr Fu, a 60-year-old military-supply telescope in the world, and making way for stir-fry, it is in fact part of China’s push to very much out there is stoked with plenty of worker standing next to me, is awestruck.

the huge pan (which, as its name suggests, become a space-exploring superpower. depictions of bulbous-headed Martians. “I’ve never seen such a big iron pan,” he Adventure & Nature is half a mile wide), meant 9,000 locals Although its FAST is designed to map space and to “Aliens have probably been messaging says. “The US has a similar one, but this is listen for signals from aliens. us for decades, but we missed them,” a way bigger.” design might The 110mi (180km) drive to the dish from sign confidently declares. Another reads: Later, back in the visitors’ center, the suggest that Guiyang, Guizhou’s capital city, is not the "Although the US has UFO monopoly, they question of the existence of aliens is being the mission most futuristic experience – but is rather don’t have any privilege”. discussed among the staff. Mrs Zhu used TRIP NOTES lovely. The province is one of China’s It is the climb to the mouth of the dish, to be a farmer but now works here as a Various group tours is to cook the to Know

poorest, and, although alien tourism is though, that really ignites the imagination. cleaner. For many farmers, FAST has meant visit FAST on day trips Need world’s biggest emerging here, farming is the dominant With an electronic equipment exclusion stressful forced relocation, for others it has from Guiyang. You must buy tickets in

industry. zone around the structure strictly enforced, created steady new jobs. stir-fry, it is person, if not as part in fact part of After passing a petrol station quirkily I hand over my phone and digital camera “There might be aliens out there,” Mrs of a tour. Contact the designed to resemble a circular spacecraft, before being bussed through roller-coaster Zhu says, not looking particularly bothered FAST ticket office China’s push our driver slows to allow an elderly lady to valley roads to FAST. about whether there are or not. “But that’s (+86 0854 4831 788, Safety Travel

Mandarin language in China to become cross the newly laid road cutting through A lung-busting staircase climb, combined the government’s business. Even if they only) for the latest a space- the countryside. A large buffalo obediently with the gasp-inducing first sight of the found one, they wouldn’t tell us.” entry ticket prices. follows the wicker basket bound to her dish, exhausts me. Plonked in the base of a She swipes her hand over a sensor, If you can’t speak exploring Mandarin, ask your back. tranquil, tree-covered valley and shrouded bringing up an image of Jupiter on the wall accommodation staff Getty Images / STR_Stringer

superpower Things get more surreal in the theme in mist, FAST is a spectacularly eerie vision. projection in front of her. to help out.

46 47 worldnomads.com Tagong Temple, CONNECT LOCALLY Sichuan Province The Backroads of Gansu and Sichuan

Dave Stamboulis finds phenomenal mountain and desert Welcome landscapes, and a motley collection of other unexpected experiences in China’s so-called 'Wild West.'

e stand awestruck, gazing out at Trekking in Tagong & Culture 19,100ft (5,820m) Zhara Lhatse Despite feeling a million miles from History W– also known as Yala Snow anywhere, it’s pretty simple to get to Mountain – a towering and snowcapped China’s mountain paradise in Tagong. triangular peak considered holy by local A comfortable bus ride of four to five Tibetans. In the west of Sichuan Province, hours from Chengdu brings us to Danba, some 250mi (400km) from Chengdu and an ancient Tibetan stone tower village

about eight to nine hours by road, the peak where we spend the night in an ethnic Eating protrudes high above the dry grasslands homestay. Then it’s a four-hour minivan below, and we feel like we’re in an ride to Tagong, a small dusty town on the extraordinary, living landscape painting. edge of the grasslands, busy with Tibetan Escaping China’s crowded eastern pilgrims spinning prayer wheels and regions, my wife Raquel and I have headed counting prayer beads as they make kora, Journeys to its 'Wild West,' the provinces of Sichuan a clockwise spiritual pilgrimage around the and Gansu, in search of open spaces for golden Lhagang Monastery. trekking, and Tibetan culture without the We do our own kora around the permits, hassle or expense of traveling to grasslands, where an array of hiking Tibet proper. trails all head out to the same direction, Getty Images / Thanan

taking us to Ser Gergyo nunnery, several Adventure

Lhagang Monastery and Zhara Lhatse & Nature monasteries, and to the base of the peaks. From here, you can also climb up to high town in the region. Here, we make the best seem to mind, as it’s one of the last places alpine lakes and do a three-day trek back TRIP NOTES decision of our trip – to take a three-hour left in China where is out towards the road to Chengdu. *WHAT TO DO IF detour in a shared minivan, to Yarchen Gar, allowed to flourish. We’re completely alone here, save for the YOU’RE TOLD YARCHEN a nunnery on an island at 13,100ft (4,000m), They pack the main monastery complex GAR IS CLOSED: occasional long-haired Khampa Tibetan Tour agencies in Chengdu home to the world’s largest gathering of each morning to listen to the teachings of a to Know

cowboy or nun in a traditional monastic or online may say the practicing Tibetan Buddhists. revered tulku (reincarnated lama). We sit in Need robe passing by, heading for Ser Gergyo nunnery is a no-go for We arrive in this magical place during a silence as the lama chants, mesmerized by travelers, but the Chinese

Ani Gompa, a nunnery at the base of a spring snowstorm, and are the only foreign the sea of robes around us. authorities are actually mountain, covered in Tibetan scripture building up the complex visitors, drawing curious stares and polite stones and with colorful prayer flags for tourism, as opposed smiles from hundreds of maroon-robed Langmusi fluttering in the wind. to tearing it down (such nuns, who walk through the snowflakes Further north, some 400mi (650km) and 15 Safety Travel

as the case with Larung in China Gar), so you just need impervious to the freezing temperatures. hours by bus, with a necessary overnight Yarchen Gar* to get yourself to Garze Some 10,000 nuns live here without stop in the town of Aba (known in Chinese Leaving Tagong, we head north towards (also known as Ganzi), electricity or running water in cramped as Maerkang), and straddling the Sichuan- where public minibuses Langmusi. After five hours and 170mi leave from when full each quarters, but they, and the thousands of Gansu border, we reach Langmusi. We do

Horse trekking Getty Images / bluesky85 (275km), we pass through Garze, the largest morning. monks who reside just off the island, don’t massive double takes at the scenery here,

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CONNECT LOCALLY Getty Images/Michael Snell KC Cratt KC Welcome & Culture

UNMISSABLE History Feeling Small Yarchen Gar Zhangye from the air Getty Images / Peerawat Kamklay Getty Images / Peerawat Lin Getty Images / Weiquan in Leshan I’m on a road trip with my husband Charlie

and feel like we’re in the European Alps or the regional specialty ba bao cha (eight and our goofy Chinese rescue dog Hei- Eating Tyrolean Dolomites, but while it might look treasure tea) – a sweet and flavor-packed Hei. Over the course of a week, we drive from China’s bustling northern capital like a slice of Bavaria, with its verdant hills Muslim fruit tea that comes with dried of Beijing to the sun-soaked southern framed by jagged peaks, Langmusi is very longan, Chinese dates, rock sugar, goji paradise of Lijiang, Yunnan Province. much China. berries and spices. Hui Chinese Muslims sell freshly baked We take a day trip via a 1.5-hour bus ride About halfway through our adventure Journeys flat bread and hand-pulled long noodles to the temples of Mati, to see ancient caves we enter Sichuan province, and head to Leshan, a city of 3.2 million (small by in the town square, and local horsemen carved high up into rock faces, requiring a Chinese standards). sidle up to us to ask if we want to go horse bit of renouncing vertigo to climb. With the trekking. Giddy from either the altitude Qianlan Mountains in the background, it’s a A figurative (and literally huge) selling point or the views of mighty 13,800ft (4,200m) marvelous spot, but a few signs warning us for us is the Giant Buddha of Leshan, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This 233ft- Mount Huagai (Mount Huagaishan) rising of bears in the area keeps us from exploring Adventure & Nature above town, we make plans to head to further. tall (71m) image of Buddha was carved into the Cretaceous red sandstones cliff at the its summit the following day, but rising at We’re keen to do more hiking here, but confluence of the Min and Dadu Rivers dawn, our plans are thwarted by a heavy Danxia’s Rainbow Mountains, formally known between 713 and 803 AD. Visitors can blizzard. Our spirits aren’t dampened We’re as Zhangye National Geopark, are calling. climb to the Buddha’s head and ogle his though, as it’s like having a white Christmas completely earlobes, which are taller than most adults, in April, with the entire town and vertical Danxia’s rainbow mountains before descending to his gigantic toes, or alone here, see Buddha on a float-by river cruise. to Know landscape bathed in a coat of fresh snow. An hour on a local bus takes us 20mi (32km) Need save for the from Zhangye to the geopark from where Inside Scenic Area

Zhangye and Mati Temples occasional we jump on a 10-minute eco-shuttle which we marvel at landscaped gardens, trickling From Langmusi we take a five-hour bus long-haired brings us into this desertscape, with wind- fountains, and ancient stone carvings trip 240mi (390km) to Langzhou, then hop eroded layered sandstone formations of as we make our way up the steps to the aboard a train to Zhangye (four hours via Khampa vivid contrasting colors as far as the eye Buddha’s head. Visitors can surround the Safety Travel in China high-speed train). Tibetan can see. head from three sides. Zhangye is a modern city that is laid out We are dazzled by the kaleidoscopic cowboy or nun We take a hair-raising Tuk-Tuk ride back on a grid, and wandering the backstreets, canyons surrounding us, and we smile at in a traditional down and board the ferry from the bottom, we are invited by several toothless old men each other, knowing that our wild west Leshan Giant Buddha where we see the Buddha in all his glory into small teahouses, where we are served monastic robe sojourn has been completely fulfilled. from this unique vantage point. Crystal Wilde

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SEEK EXPERIENCES Dan Convey Exploring the Getty Images / Chu Yong Yungang Grottoes

and Hanging Welcome Monastery

Esme Fox takes a road trip from Beijing & Culture History History to Datong and discovers ancient and thrilling architecture.

A road trip from Beijing to Datong

Along with my husband and a couple of Eating Yungang Grottoes Hanging Monastery friends who are living and teaching in Beijing, we take a road trip from Beijing to the gravity-defying Hanging Monastery, which lies around 217mi (350km) to the are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. the mountain by a steep path and flights of monastery’s ornate pagoda-style yellow west, close to the border with Inner The 252 caves are filled with 51,000 stairs, forming a long thin ribbon of color and green roof tiles – and to my horror, Journeys Mongolia. statues chiseled from the rock, and tower all the way to the top. As I walk, I notice feel the gentle sway of the entire structure The journey to the Hanging Monastery far above our heads. Some reach up to that most of the faces around me are beneath my feet, and hear the soft crunch is supposed to take four hours, but after a 55.7ft (17m) in height. We spend several Chinese – very few foreign travelers seem of the wooden poles – the only things couple of hours on the highway, we aren’t hours exploring the caves, being dwarfed to have made the trip. holding us up – moving against the rock. making much progress because of the TRIP NOTES by the statues. The construction of the temple was Standing at over 98ft (30m) tall, the

traffic and the GPS, which keeps sending We head to the nearby city of Datong believed to have been started by a temple is built over three levels, joined by Adventure

HOW TO HIRE & Nature us the wrong way. A CAR IN CHINA: for the night, to enjoy traditional Chinese monk named Liao Ran and built from old rickety wooden staircases. Slowly, I The GPS directs us to turn off onto a There are a couple hotpot, cooking our meat and vegetables 368 to 534 AD. It was added to over the am carried along with the tide of people of ways you can do a windy mountain pass, where the Hanging Chinese road trip, if ourselves at the table in a bubbling wok. next 1,400 years and restored in the from room to room, along passages Monastery supposedly sits just beyond. you don’t have friends 1900s. It comprises 40 halls and long chiseled directly into the cliff face, peering We hit a road block when we get stuck who own a car. The first Hiking up to Hanging Monastery narrow corridors, built on cliffs that are into musty spaces filled with intricate is to hire a car with a between two trucks hauling gravel back driver – there are various The next morning, armed with directions more than 246ft (75m) high. This almost religious statues and icons. Finally, I reach to Know

and forth for road works. When we finally local travel companies and maps from our hotel staff, we travel impossible architectural feat is the only the other side of the gravity-defying Need get free, I study the map closer and in Beijing that offer this one hour and 20 minutes from Datong, temple dedicated to three religions – construction and make my way back down service. The second TRIP NOTES

realize that we aren’t far from the Yungang 52mi (85km), to the Hanging Monastery. Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. the mountain. option is to pre-book a car WHERE TO STAY Grottoes, so we take a brief detour to get through an international Looking up at the rock face of Hengshan With each step, the antique wooden Safely back on the ground, I look up IN DATONG: there. The four-hour trip ends up taking us company such as Avis Mountain, the ancient Hanging Monastery stairs creak beneath the hundreds of again and can just about see the temple There are a number eight hours. or Hertz, then obtain appears to cling precariously to the sheer pounding feet and it feels as if the dragon gently swaying from side to side. With the of accommodation Safety Travel

a provisional Chinese options available in in China driver’s license once precipice. stirs. At the entrance to the temple, I weight of so many people inside, it’s hard Datong, but not too Marveling at Yungang Grottoes you’re there. You can The temple, which is shaped like a become aware of the sheer drop to my to believe this 1,500-year-old temple is many around the The Yungang Grottoes are a complex of apply for this directly sleeping dragon, is held up by nothing right – just a solitary bamboo handrail is still standing. I feel lucky to have walked Hanging Monastery at the airport when you or the Grottoes. They caves, housing some of the best Buddhist arrive in Beijing and it will more than spindly wooden poles. between me and the cliff edge. inside this ancient treasure and wonder range from budget

cave art from the 5th and 6th centuries and just take a few hours. Throngs of visitors make their way up Now closer, I can clearly make out the how long it will stay upright. inns to four-star hotels.

52 53 worldnomads.com Getyy Images / Simonlong Welcome & Culture History History Eating Journeys Adventure & Nature

In Sichuan Province, a Nomad discovers what he describes as heaven on earth. We explore the Great Wall of China to Know

from under the water, and see Need ADVENTURE incredible karst formations without the crowds at the Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks. And, who knew you could Safety Travel in China & NATURE surf in China, or experience Yosemite-like scenery in

Wanfenglin China's far western province of Xinjiang?

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JIUZHAIGOU NATIONAL PARK: ALPINE Welcome & Culture WONDER History Ronan O’Connell visits an alternative to 's popular Zhangjiajie, a mountain wonderland in Sichuan Province famed for its natural beauty. Eating Tibetan prayer wheel spins slowly in a breeze that’s drifted across a Acrystalline lake, down from a snowy mountain and through an alpine forest that’s home to giant pandas. Is this the Journeys famed Tian? For more than 2,000 years, the Chinese have puzzled over Tian (which translates to Heaven), one of the central concepts of Confucianism, and believed to be the place from where the world is

controlled. Adventure Getty Images / Dulyanut Swdp

Jiuzhaigou Valley & Nature Examine dating back millennia and you’ll see one thread running through it – the glorification of the country’s natural gifts; mountains, lakes, forests and and the roads are bumpy. The scenery, dozen trips to China. It is one of the most They created an idyllic lifestyle, prospering rivers. Yet, for most travelers, expectations however, grows increasingly spectacular visited national parks among Chinese off this fertile land. of China are dominated by thoughts of the closer we come to Jiuzhaigou. When we visitors but is largely overlooked by foreign Then, in 1975, modernity encroached. to Know

colossal cities, nests of skyscrapers, vast finally arrive, the length and arduous nature travelers who instead visit Zhangjiajie This paradise was devastated by seven Need highways and crowds. of the trip heightens the sense that I am National Park, 466mi (750km) southeast in years of heavy logging. In 1982, Jiuzhaigou

Many people are shocked when, after somewhere truly remote and untouched. Hunan Province. was saved from destruction when it asking for advice on visiting China, I tell Jiuzhaigou is a paradise that has been became one of China’s first protected them to head to its national parks. None Jiuzhaigou A fiercely protected national park lost and found more than once. More national parks. Strict environmental of these protected natural areas is more Spread across 72,000ha, on the eastern than 2,000 years ago, Tibetan and Qiang conservation was introduced, roads were Safety Travel

is a paradise in China beautiful than Jiuzhaigou. This is my idea that has been edge of the Tibetan Plateau in Sichuan tribespeople discovered this breathtaking built to accommodate a limited number of Tian. Province, Jiuzhaigou National Park boasts valley with its pristine lakes, dramatic of tour buses, and more than 31mi (50km) The 280mi (450km) bus trip here from lost and found more than 100 lakes and waterfalls across waterfalls, dense coniferous forests, of wooden walkways were constructed Chengdu, the nearest major city, takes more than three connected valleys. It is the most limestone terraces, soaring mountains and to let visitors stroll the most scenic routes nearly 10 hours. The seats are cramped once beautiful place I’ve seen in more than a a huge diversity of rare flora and fauna. through the park.

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a cold but sunny day in April. Spring is bringing Jiuzhaigou back to life after the KC Cratt KC

harsh winter associated with an altitude O'Connell Ronan that ranges between 6,500ft (2,000m) and 14,700ft (4,500m) across the park. The scenery I pass is majestic. The walkway

weaving through lush, green forests and Welcome skirting a series of small lakes, with water so translucent it almost seems unreal. Yet, I still haven’t seen the park’s most famed sites. Less than a mile after leaving the village

on foot I arrive at Reed Lake. This winding, & Culture aqua-blue body of water pierces a field of History tall, brown reeds, creating an enchanting contrast of color, shape and texture. I hike Colorful prayer flags at a temple on and on and on. The walkway takes Waterfall at Jiuzhaigou me along the edge of Sparkling Lake, Lying Dragon Lake and then to one of the

largest lakes in the park, Shuzheng. I’m Eating gobsmacked by the magnificence of Tiger, Rhinoceros and Mirror lakes, and Nuorilang waterfall.

Getty Images / thipjang Five Flower Lake

Nuorilang waterfall Journeys The latter halts me in my stride. Reputedly the world’s widest limestone waterfall, it is cloaked in vegetation. Water cascades A unique culture I play basketball. I say that I do. She follows from beneath the plants and over its Jiuzhaigou’s cultural heritage has been up with: “You know Yao Ming?” When I precipice, creating a uniquely dramatic

safeguarded, too. About 1,000 Tibetan nod, she runs off, yelling excitedly, clearly spectacle. I sit on a bench next to this Adventure & Nature and Qiang people still live in nine villages having misunderstood my reply, perhaps natural wonder for half an hour and simply

across the park. These settlements are assuming the Chinese basketball star and stare. Meanwhile, birds are swooping over Getty Images / BIHAIBO wonderfully authentic, decorated by I are close friends when I simply know of the waterfall – Jiuzhaigou is home to more rainbow-like clusters of Tibetan prayer him. than 200 bird species – and somewhere in flags, centered around small groups of Whether this miscommunication has the old-growth forests behind it, hide two walks involved. But it took me a long time wooden buildings, almost every inch of offered me celebrity-by-association status, endangered animals, the giant panda and to get to Jiuzhaigou, so I’m in no rush. to Know

which are covered by complex, hand- or the villagers are just really amiable, I’m the Sichuan takin, which looks like a cross Three days later, with aching legs, I treat Need painted Tibetan motifs. ushered into a Tibetan home and gifted between a goat and a moose. myself by ditching the 10-hour bus trip and

I learn just how friendly the locals are a VIP feast of barley wine and yak stew. instead take a 45-minute flight back to when I leave the walkway for Shuzheng After the meal, my host family asks their A remote destination Chengdu. I check out of my hotel – there Village. I’ve hiked about 4mi (6.5km) along I sit on a two daughters to perform for me. Wearing During my two days following the scenic are more than a dozen ranging from cheap the scenic path entering the park’s main bright, intricately embroidered dresses, walkways, I hike more than 40mi (65km), to fancy in a small town next to the park’s Safety Travel

bench next in China gate, and am intrigued to explore the to this natural they do a short dance which, I understand, while tour buses frequently whiz past entrance – and catch a 90-minute bus ride closest settlement to the entrance. is customary to welcome guests to a me on the adjacent road. For a small fee, to Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport. As my plane I encounter a group of children bouncing wonder for Tibetan home. travelers can hop on and off these shuttles. ascends into the sky, I peer out the window a ball. Fascinated by my relatively tall half an hour With a full belly, I wave the family Many Chinese visitors prefer being driven to get a final glimpse of Jiuzhaigou. I’m in height, one girl asks me in broken English if and just stare goodbye and rejoin the walkway. It is between each beauty spot to the lengthy the heavens looking down at Heaven.

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LEARN SOMETHING NEW Giulia Marchi Into the Deep: Scuba Diving the Great Wall of China

Jamie Fullerton leaves the well-worn path to Welcome explore the popular landmark from under water.

ach year in , more than dives here rarely going deeper than 55ft

10 million visitors – many cascading (17m) underwater, dive trips are suitable for & Culture Efrom coaches before following flag- those with PADI Open Water certificates. History wielding tour leaders – arrive to explore “The Great Wall of China is the only various sections of the Great Wall of China. Wonder of the World that you can actually Sections of the Great Wall visible above and below the surface at Unfortunately, it is now possible to scoff a dive,” says Steven Schwankert, the New the Panjiakou Reservoir Burger King Whopper or slurp a Starbucks Jersey-born founder of SinoScuba, a dive cappuccino before climbing the most company that takes around 50 divers a year

popular sections of the ancient, 13,000mi- to the site. Eating long (21,000km) structure, the origins of After a drive of about three hours from that much of the wall here was damaged in getting this 360-degree view, really makes which date back to the 7th century BC. Beijing, in a van heaving under the weight the 1930s during the Second Sino-Japanese the structure feel more human,” Schwankert Adapted by various dynasties over the of air tanks, Schwankert and I arrive at War. “The wall section occupied the high says before we descend. “You get a sense centuries, largely to keep marauding forces Panjiakou. It’s an eerily impressive place, the ground then, it was useful even in the age of that people built it, that people were attacking from north of China at bay, the wall vast reservoir flanked by hills dotted with mechanical warfare,” he says. “Any ground stationed on it.” Journeys is one of the most impressive architectural TRIP NOTES ancient Great Wall watch towers. Historians army would have had to pass through the We hold onto the wall as we go under the feats ever achieved. believe that this section of the wall was mountain via those passes. They were surface, looking down through our masks To book a Great Wall It's very easy to travel to the Great Wall in dive trip contact Steven built during the and was strongly fortified and in good repair since at the utter blackness beneath us. The a minivan from Beijing before walking along Schwankert at SinoScuba adapted in the 1570s by Qi Jiguang, an army the Ming dynasty – the towers had ready- bricks are slimy, and occasionally I see small it for a few hours taking photos. However, via email: steven@ commander. made garrison posts for machine gunners shrimp ambling on them. sinoscuba.com. Trips cost

few are aware that they are also allowed from 1,999 yuan; contact Historian William Lindesay, who has and the like.” Having walked on the Great Wall many Adventure & Nature to scuba dive through some of its turrets SinoScuba for options. walked the Great Wall in its entirety, explains Now, all is peaceful here. Fishermen stroll times, it is surreal to now be floating next underwater. by, carrying plastic bags stuffed with flipping to it. In 1976, the Panjiakou Reservoir, about fish. We take a small, smoke-burping fishing We reach an archway and I follow 100mi (160km) northeast of Beijing, was built boat to the submerged wall section and Schwankert as he propels himself through

to provide a new water source for the capital Giulia Marchi tool up on the wooden planks of a rustic the shadowy gap between the bricks. following an earthquake that caused water restaurant, raised above the drink by stilt- Archways such as these are rare on the wall TRIP NOTES to Know

supply infrastructure damage. Forming like wooden poles. – they were considered points of weakness TRAVEL INSURANCE Need the new body of water meant submerging There are few signs of marine life beyond when defending against marauders so were FOR SCUBA DIVING: It’s important to check

a section of the Great Wall. The result is the occasional dead fish head floating by. rarely built. The luck of them being here you’ve purchased the the bizarre sight of a craggy wall section, Schwankert says that there are a few fish creates a doubly unique experience, among right level of travel created during China’s Ming dynasty (1368 around here, lucky escapees from nearby the fridge-cold chill of the reservoir water. insurance cover and to 1644), plunging into the murky grey-green keep nets. “You can be diving next to the I surface feeling exhilarated, unsure if I’ll have the appropriate Safety Travel

qualifications for in China reservoir, then rising from the water 330ft wall and suddenly see a flash of scales,” be able to enjoy a conventional day trip to scuba diving before (100m) away. he says. the Great Wall again. I ask if we can return to you leave home. Still The site is now a mecca for scuba divers, We walk into the cold water, slowly repeat the dive soon. Schwankert explains not sure if you’re covered? Check Jamie Fullerton and dive surely representing one of the most unique following the uneven rubbly wall as it that even further down there is a submerged your policy details or

master Steven Schwankert travel experiences in Asia. However, with disappears into the murk. “Diving the wall, village and train bridge that he is yet to visit. contact us.

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SHARE STORIES An Undiscovered Alternative to Yangshuo Welcome

Tess Humphrys discovers the Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks in Wanfenglin, an alternative to the popular karst formations in Yangshuo. & Culture History History

t’s a warm evening in China’s Guanxi Province, and the sky is slowly turning TRIP NOTES from brilliant blue to a delicate pale pink. GETTING THERE: I Xingyi, the nearest city, I’m walking along a small river fringed with is 6mi (10km) north of the Eating banana and pomegranate trees. Cicadas karst hill area. Xingyi is hum loudly, the only soundtrack to my most easily accessed via a evening stroll. 140mi (230km), four-hour On either side of the valley, the bus ride from the tourist hub of Anshun. Xingyi is setting sun illuminates the karst hills that also on the Kunming to rise from the horizon like humps on a Nanning train line. Journeys sleeping dragon’s back. I’m in the heart of OTHER PLACES Wanfenglin, the undiscovered alternative TO GO NEARBY: to Yangshuo for lovers of beautiful karst Wanfenglin is 12mi (20km) landscapes. from the Maling River Gorge, famous for its 300ft I awake early the next day, ready to (91m) high waterfalls and

Wanfenglin Humphrys Tess

explore. It’s a glorious morning – where the ancient canyon geology. Adventure & Nature peaks were a moody dark green the night before, today they are emerald. Literally translating to Forest of Ten Thousand areas of karst landscape, famed (in China at I’m staying in a beautiful guesthouse – huge bags of dried mushrooms, peanuts Peaks, Wanfenglin is one of China’s largest least), for its tower-like fenglin formations. in Upper Nahui Village, nestled amidst and other unidentifiable products line Together with the peaks in Yangshuo, the hills and one of a number of small the path, their sellers eating breakfast or Wanfenglin is part of a huge area of karst settlements dotted around Wanfenglin. The playing cards between customers. to Know

scenery that stretches from the western villages have been home to China’s Bouyei A pair of elderly ladies selling steamed Need Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to the eastern people for 300 years. Nowadays, while buns smiles shyly at me, giggling as I grin Tess Humphrys Tess

Guangxi Basin. These iconic landscapes people still make a living from traditional back. They don’t see many foreigners here are so unique that they have been included farming, many families have opened hotels and my presence causes excitement and on the UNESCO World Heritage List. and restaurants to serve visitors who come confusion in equal measure. While the karst formations in Wanfenglin from around China. I’d been told by the guesthouse owner Safety Travel in China might not quite match those of Yangshuo After a breakfast of noodle soup, that it’s easy to rent a bicycle or electric for height and sheer spectacle, this area complete with a fried egg and spicy chili motorbike, and in General Bridge I find does have what Yangshuo lost long pepper on top, I walk along the river to plenty of rental options. I resist the ago – the feeling of being well off the General Bridge, a hub of restaurants and temptation to rent a golf buggy and instead Wanfenglin international tourist trail. shops. I pass local people selling produce go for a sporty-looking pink e-bike (as the

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TRIP NOTES Creative Commons / Sergio Tittarini TRAVEL INSURANCE Tess Humphrys Tess FOR E-BIKES AND HIRE SCOOTERS: If you’re not properly licensed and didn’t purchase the right level UNMISSABLE

of travel insurance Welcome cover before you leave home, your travel Day Trip from insurance may not cover you if something Shanghai to goes wrong while riding an e-bike or scooter. Moganshan & Culture

Check your policy, Shanghai’s sweaty summer season has History level of cover and any begun and it’s time to take a break from the conditions that apply concrete. My husband and I are new to this before you hire. We suggest you check: city of 26 million on China’s central east coast, but we have it on good authority that 1. You’ve purchased Moganshan, 128mi (207km) southwest of the right level of cover – this may include the city, is the best bet for a rejuvenating selecting the right plan day of nature. Although you can get there Eating Standard or Explorer, by subway and train in around three hours, or adding the activity, we decide to drive, a journey of 2.5 hours. Wanfenglin stalls depending on your country of residence. On arrival, we head straight to the peak 2. Are properly of the mountain known as Mogan (“shan” licensed for that class means mountain in Chinese). Amid the lush Journeys electric motorbikes are called in China). of planting. I stop at the roadside to and type of bike/ bamboo forests, which have been attracting scooter in your country It costs me less than US $10 for the day, watch a group of women, shin-deep in Shanghai’s overheated elites since the of residence. 1880s, are several hiking trails, waterfalls, complete with the assurance that it is fully water, planting new rice shoots. They are 3. Comply with the pools, teahouses, and restaurants. charged and can travel up to 37mi (60km). bent-double, plopping the shoots into the licencing requirements I set out for a day of exploration, the muddy water in a perfectly straight line. It’s in the country you’re We explore the forest, ducking under and hiring the e-bike or clambering over fallen bamboo trunks, and wind cooling me as I ride. The freedom all back-breaking but important work – like Adventure scooter in. & Nature is wonderful – it’s a rarity in China to be many parts of China, rice is an extremely see a few cascading waterfalls on our steep If you have any 3mi (4.8 km) hike along the Temple Trail. able to travel alone. Many of the country’s important part of both the diet and the questions, contact us. scenic areas have entrance fees, and economy. We stop for lunch in the village half-way up, visitors are obliged to ride on shuttle buses As the sun sinks lower in the sky, it’s in an eatery next door to a little stone post that plough pre-defined routes. Wanfenglin time to return my e-bike and find dinner. office. We eat hong shao rou, a Shanghai- is a blessed anomaly. Near my guesthouse, I choose a restaurant style braised pork belly dish famous for being Mao Zedong’s favorite, and spicy to Know

I have no set agenda for the day, I’ll go with an outdoor terrace full of families Need stir-fried cauliflower. It’s nothing special, but where the road and my pink ride take me. on vacation. With my basic Chinese, I it does the trick for two hungry hikers.

Under the baking sun, I whiz through a spot something interesting on the menu landscape reminiscent of ancient Chinese – deep-fried grasshoppers from the After several hours exploring the forest, we scroll paintings, the green-grey peaks surrounding fields. And so, amid the nightly head down to Moganshan for a memorable punctuated with bright purple azalea cacophony of the local insect population, dinner at Yufulou Hostel. Here we are led to Safety Travel in China flowers. I make abrupt turn offs down side I enjoy a plate of hoppers served with the kitchen to take our pick of the freshest dishes of the day. For us, it’s mushy broad roads and through sleepy villages. Sichuan peppercorns and spring onions. beans heaped high with garlic, deep-fried I follow the Nahui River that meanders A crunchy, nutty and oh-so-local meal chicken strips, and a spicy crayfish hotpot — through the hills, nourishing a patchwork among the wonderful 10,000 karst peaks Waterfall in Moganshan this meal alone is worth making the trip from

tapestry of rice paddies in various stages of Wanfenglin. the city for. Crystal Wilde

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LEARN SOMETHING NEW Paradise in Houhai Bay: A Secret Surf

Mecca on Hainan Welcome

Jamie Fullerton discovers China has a thriving surf culture and community. & Culture History History

rriving at the beach shack bar of shoes, partying every night, shopping every Jile Hotel on ’s Houhai Bay, I day. Surfing changed me.” Ainitially feel a little out of place, as I don’t have six-pack ribs. Surf lessons in Houhai On any given afternoon here, Chinese When not training, competing in surf

surfer bros and babes spray each other with competitions, or giving public lectures about Eating hoses after surfing in the sea a few meters marine conservation, Guo and Luo give from the bar, then recline in hammocks with surf lessons on Houhai – and today it’s my cold beers. Surfing is still an incredibly niche turn. As we enter the water, the pair teaches Getty Images / Zhou Sunset in Sanya, Hainan sport in China, but in this small corner of me to paddle like heck with my hands just Hainan Island’s south coast city, it’s a way before incoming waves break, then attempt Journeys of life. to leap onto the board. As my teachers effortlessly soar to the sand, I giddily topple bohemians plonking big colorful boards now police are like, ‘Oh, they’re surfers!’. Sanya’s surfing community under the surface. in their pristine oceans. Police used to tell And on beaches, if surfers go, we’re TRIP NOTES I meet two people at the center of Sanya’s Still, even if you’re less naturally suited them that they weren’t allowed to surf near welcomed… they now know we’re not just For surfing lesson surfing community: Monica Guo and to water propulsion than a waste disposal swimmers. ‘homeless’ people who don’t work.” enquiries contact Darci Liu at darciliu@

Darci Liu, aka the queens of Houhai Bay. truck, Houhai Bay has much to offer. Its In the summer of 2016 things changed I also meet Michael Weaver, a Florida- Adventure

gmail.com or via & Nature Guo is a pro surfer and is on the Chinese bohemian vibe is bolstered by a small skate on Hainan. The government built a surf born surf coach hired to train the Weibo account Darci national surf team; Liu is a pro surfer turned park built into the front of a bar neighboring academy at Riyue Bay, a large beach with government-approved surfers. He says the SurferGirl, or Monica environmentalist and documentary maker. Jile Beach’s terrace, and nearby artsy great surf north of Houhai, and recruited new ‘official’ surf center has created two surf Guo at 346968562@ qq.com. Liu and Guo were part of the first wave hangout spot Kaleidoscope hosts film legions of child surfers to train there. The factions on Hainan: “The ‘free surf spiritual’ of Chinese surfers, catching the bug after screenings and DJs. It’s a little bit hipster, aim was to train a new generation of surfers thing, and the competitive side.” the sport was introduced to Hainan around and a lot of fun. to win medals for China in international Houhai Bay is very much the home of the to Know

15 years ago, largely by US and Japanese Indeed, with Sanya being little over 186mi competitions. former group. As the sun sets on the bay, Need surfers visiting the island. “There weren’t (300km) from the eastern Vietnamese I take a taxi up to Riyue and meet Li Jing, a few miles west the tourist hordes exit

even any Chinese versions of many surfing coast, the atmosphere at Houhai is more On Houhai another member of the first wave of Chinese coaches and cascade into the main strip of terms, so my friend and I had to make our tropical southeast Asia than modern China. the dominant surfers, who is based at a Riyue surf shop. restaurants by the large, packed beaches. own Chinese surfing dictionary,” says Liu. Attitudes towards surfing here were not She says that once local authorities realized In contrast, on Houhai the dominant sounds Guo leans out of a hammock to pet her always so laid back, though. sounds are that the central government ‘approved’ are waves and lazily plucked acoustic Safety Travel in China small, sandy-colored dog Honey, who likes waves and surfing, things became easier for her and guitars. to fearlessly hop on her human mum’s board How surfing changed Hainan lazily plucked her friends, including Liu and Guo. “This is my happy place… my happy in the water. “I used to be like, ‘Work, work, When surfing was introduced to the region, “If we carried boards on our cars police temple,” says Liu, gently pushing her hand work’ in the city before I discovered surfing,” local authorities took a dim view of young, acoustic would stop us, saying it’s dangerous,” she against a tree trunk to get her hammock Guo says. “I loved buying high-heeled tattooed, bikini and Speedos-wearing guitars says between slurps of coconut milk. “But swinging again.

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NORTHERN XINJIANG:

CHINA’S Welcome & Culture ODE TO History SIBERIA

In China’s far northwest, Dave Stamboulis navigates Eating difficult obstacles to meet the people and see the places that make this such a fascinating destination.

ollowing the ancient Silk Route end of each day, we’ve learnt to vent our Journeys through orange desert oases like frustrations over a cold beer or hot tea, and Keketuohai National Park Getty Images / www.tonnaja.com FTurpan was exactly what my wife realize that the incredible views and being Raquel and I imagined when we plotted our the only foreign visitors around make it all course through Xinjiang Province, but being worthwhile. surrounded by verdant and dense Siberian flows out of Mongolia just a few miles up 'Chinese Nessie,' similar to the infamous

forests, taiga, and Kazakh horsemen was Keketuohai: China’s little Yosemite the valley. beast of Scotland’s Loch Ness, is said Adventure Even from & Nature far from what we imagined. Having grown up in California, I get pretty Even from ground level, it’s pretty special, to have been spotted beneath the lake Yet here we are, sitting in front of our defensive when people try to make ground level, surrounded by northern white birch trees, surface. Scientists are skeptical, saying that traditional yurt homestay, drinking butter comparisons to Yosemite National Park. But it’s pretty pristine whitewater, and monstrous slabs the large shadows seen in the water are tea, and realizing that the umpteen police listening to the ravings of a rock climber special, of granite, all set under blue skies. Not most likely Siberian giant trout, which can checkpoints we had to pass through to get we met in Chengdu, Raquel and I make a surrounded to mention that, while there are plenty of grow up to 6ft (1.8m). Either way, we’re not here are all part of the experience in this beeline for Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi, from Chinese visitors, we are the only foreigners here for Nessie, but to witness what might

by northern to Know

controversial region. where we board an overnight bus to Fuyun here. be China’s most beautiful spot. Need From picture-postcard alpine lakes to another 310mi (500km) away. Fuyun is the white birch Serpentine cuts through the trees, pristine lush grasslands and ethnic Kazakh, Mongol, nearest town to Keketuohai village and its Kanas Lake mountains, flanked by dense birch and and Tuvan villages, the culture and scenery namesake national park, which the Chinese whitewater, After a day’s bus ride from Keketuohai, we pine forests, and we spend our days here here is much closer to that of the Russian- have dubbed 'Little Yosemite.' and are soon settling in to a homestay at Kanas hiking up to breathtaking viewpoints or Siberian north than any preconceptions you A day later, standing on the park’s valley Lake, in a valley in the Altai Mountains. Our wandering silent paths along the outlet's Safety Travel

monstrous in China might have of China. floor, we can’t believe our eyes, as it really slabs of weather-beaten old Tuvan host speaks riverbanks, coming across both Kazakh yurt But, you will have to work to earn is as if we are standing on familiar ground. enough Mandarin to explain to our Chinese settlements and smoky log cabin villages it. Passport checks, luggage scans, Surrounding us are immense bell towers of granite, all set friend Chen that most visitors come here that are home to Tuvans, the predominant even being fingerprinted is the norm in granite, rising smooth and vertical straight under blue for a glimpse of the Kanas Monster. This ethnic group here. security-over-conscious Xinjiang. By the up from the mighty Irtysh River, which skies supposed giant creature, dubbed the Our homestay offers horseback riding,

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serves up delicious smoked fish, and is an easy walk to the lake, where we just sit and stare at the vivid turquoise water. It feels like a slice of Norway or Alaska in

China. Even though there are hordes of Getty Images / Nutexzles Getty Images / Cavan domestic visitors that descend here, the

authorities have done a good job with Welcome park management, not allowing private cars in (you have to take shuttle buses) and making all the facilities inside the park resemble the simple timber homes of the Tuvan.

Chen says he always thought that the & Culture Great Wall was China’s best attraction, History but he completely changed his mind after coming here. I agree, and think it can’t get UNFORGETTABLE any more idyllic than this. I guess we are bus four hours to Karamay to spend the going to have to come back; we’re only night. The next morning, a bus takes us seeing Kanas in summer, but in autumn 310mi (500km) and six hours to Sayram How to Hike Tiger there is a leaf-changing extravaganza that Lake. Leaping Gorge Eating is supposed to be second to none. The entry gate before reaching the lake is fronted by gaudy Chinese hotels, all This hike is becoming a popular activity for travelers in Yunnan Province. Sayram Lake neon monstrosities. We bypass them and From Kanas Lake we take a three-hour bus mime to a road worker that we are looking Getting there from Lijiang: Catch a bus back to Buerjin city, where we take another for a yurt stay. A phone call later, he’s to Qiaotou village in Tiger Leaping Gorge Journeys hooked us up with a Kazakh friend who from Lijiang’s Transport Service Center Bus picks us up and drives us to his yurt near Station, which is a journey of 50mi (80km). the lake. Or, take a private shuttle. Daily shuttles leave TRIP NOTES An ethnic Kazakh man tells me that from Mama Naxi Guesthouse and will drop DEALING WITH SECURITY IN XINJIANG: Due to several random and isolated acts sayram means 'blessing' in Kazakh, and you off at certain points along the trail. If you of violence that have occurred here and elsewhere in China, blamed on Uyghur

right now I feel particularly fortunate. The start at Qiaotou, your bags can be taken to Adventure separatists, the Chinese government has taken a hardline approach in putting & Nature Xinjiang under police control. emerald lake just over the hill is one of the Tina’s Guesthouse. most gorgeous bodies of water I’ve ever Visitors will experience ramped-up security everywhere in the province, and as a How to do the full trek: If you start hiking at traveler you will be scanned and searched in all public places, ranging from markets seen, framed by the mighty Qiaotou you can do the hike in two or three to shopping centers, as well as hotels. Mountains in the background. days. The beginning is the steepest and All public transport stations are under the heaviest scrutiny. Allow an extra 30 But even better, my wife and I feel like hardest section, named the 28 Bends – a minutes or more in train and bus stations to go through multiple security checks, we are in a Genghis Khan epic, as we’ll series of tight switchbacks that lead to the

where your passport will be detailed and luggage will be searched. In smaller to Know upper trail's highest point. towns where local officials may not speak English or know what to do with foreign be sleeping in a traditional yurt, padded Need passports, expect delays while superiors are called to assist. with colorful rugs and quilts, and are Keep in mind the high altitude of the trek,

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Completely avoid talking politics while in Xinjiang. being served delicious skewers of freshly which varies from 6,233ft to 8,694ft (1,900m Inter-ethnic tension between Han Chinese and the Uyghurs has been high for the barbecued mutton by our Kazakh hosts. to 2,650m). past decade, and you’d be wise to read up on the situation before setting out on your trip. Whatever your opinion, once in Xinjiang they’re best kept to yourself, as I never expected to sleep in a yurt Keep hiking until you reach Tea Horse Safety Travel China currently does not tolerate any discussion about Uyghur separatism and any in China, nor that they could be so Guesthouse, where you can stay or keep in China evidence that you might be involved in it. comfortable (even outfitted with a wood- walking to Halfway Guesthouse – where If you have books on your Kindle or have recently visited websites that might portray burning stove for warmth), and we’ve got it most people sleep. The next day, it’s a two- you as sympathetic to the cause, you could get in trouble with the authorities. While all out here, from mountains and grasslands the heaviest police/security presence is found in southern Xinjiang (Hotan, , hour hike to Tina’s Guesthouse, where you Hami), with the north more home to Kazakh and Mongol minorities, you should still to the immense lake and galaxy full of stars can take the afternoon bus back to Lijiang or Ann Leee avoid any discussion with people about the current Uyghur/Xinjiang situation. above. head to Shangri-la. Ann Lee

70 71 worldnomads.com Handy Tips for First-timers in China Getty Images / Stefan Auth Getty Images / Stefan Getty Images / Paul Souders Getty Images / Paul The first Chinese dynasty dates back 4,000 years, so it's easy to feel a little intimidated by the depth of Chinese culture and tradition. These tips should help. Welcome

Stop stressing about chopsticks 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 & Culture serving dishes, and don’t play with or History point with chopsticks. One thing you don’t need to worry about is how you hold your chopsticks while eating – no one will care. Getty Images / loonger These two little sticks are just a means

to an end; to get the food from the serving The number 1111, or November 11, is Eating dish to your bowl (always use serving known as ‘singles day’ as the numbers chopsticks for this) and then to your look like a line of single people. The mouth with your personal chopsticks. number 520, which is a near-homophone TRAVEL SMARTER If you’re worried you might drop the for wo ai ni, or 'I love you', is celebrated as food, shovel it onto a spoon with your a pseudo-Valentine’s Day on May 20. Journeys Handy Tips for First-timers 73 chopsticks and eat from the spoon The number 2 is considered a positive Getting Around 74 instead. Different number, related to the saying 'Good things come in pairs.' The number 3 is Learn Some of the Local Lingo 75 Dialects NEED Number punning in China in China considered lucky because it sounds Chinese people have interesting customs similar to the Chinese word for 'life.' Climate & Weather 76 China’s official language

related to numbers. For example, they Adventure

is Putonghua, also known & Nature Staying Connected 77 favor the number 8 (as it sounds similar as standardized Chinese Christmas vs Spring Festival TO KNOW to the word for prosperity) and shun the or Mandarin. Although it’s Christmas is enthusiastically celebrated number 4 (as it sounds too much like the the language that most in larger cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Ready to explore your boundaries and plan Chinese people speak your own adventure in China? First, check out word for death). and learn in school, it’s a Hong Kong, where festive lights line the our expert tips to help you travel smarter and relatively young language main streets all December. However, in (codified in the 1930s), China, Christmas isn’t about going home protect yourself against weather, crime, and and little more than a to Know lingua franca. and seeing your family, it’s about partying Need other dangers. What’s the best way to get Each village and city has with your friends.

around? How can you ensure you’re traveling its own dialect, some The Spring Festival, at the start of the responsibly? Learn all that and more. more similar to Mandarin lunar year (which usually falls around late (such as Pekingese or January or early February, depending on Wuhanese) than others Travel Safety Travel (such as Shanghainese or the moon cycle each year), is all about in China Cantonese). To really be spending time with family. Businesses considered a 'local', try to are closed for up to two weeks, and most learn at least a few words in the dialect of the city social gatherings don’t happen until a Getty Images / silkwayrain you’re in. month after. Janice Leung-Hayes

72 73 worldnomads.com Getting Learn Some Around of the Local Lingo

Getty Images / typhoonski Many Chinese people speak English, Getty Images / Xuanyu Han With a population of around 1.42 but if you're traveling outside major billion, when you travel around China, cities you will need to learn a few handy phrases. Plus, learning a few basic you’ll need to get used to crowds and words will help you read menus and

queues. Luckily, there are plenty of signs, which are often not in English, and Welcome options to get you from A to B. communicate with local people. Ask your hotel staff to write down the name of your accommodation in Chinese Flying Road tripping in China A taxi in China characters. Keep this note with you so you If you need to cover huge distances in can hand it over to a taxi driver and avoid

China, flying could save you time. Or not. miscommunication. & Culture Domestic flights in China are notorious maximum speed of 217mi/h (350km/h), are or Maps.Me, which both have an offline History for delays and last-minute cancellations, a great choice for long journeys. function so you can track your location Before you begin trying to learn Chinese, and the country’s airports are ranked as There are different classes ranging from while on the road. Download the maps Just make here are three things to know: the worst in the world when it comes to standing (the cheapest) to business class prior to setting out where there is no sure you Tones can change meaning dramatically: punctuality. and even special VIP seats on certain reception or Wi-Fi available. carry enough Using the wrong tone in speech can turn While it may seem more convenient trains. Second class is usually the most change for a nice statement into a seriously awkward on paper, flying may end up taking much reasonable ticket price to go for, offering Metro in major cities the ticket conversation. Eating longer than you expect, although that has comfy seats and plenty of room. There Most of China’s major cities have a metro machines, Learn how to speak pīn yīn (拼音):​ not been my experience. are also overnight sleepers where you get system which is cheap, quick and easy to is phonetic writing, it uses English letters To increase your chances of arriving your own berth. navigate. Everything is clearly signposted which have to create new sounds, and makes learning on time, take a morning flight, so if it’s in English as well as Chinese. an English Chinese a lot easier. cancelled you can be rebooked on a It’s often hard to get a seat even at times Buses language Journeys There are many Chinese sounds that later one that day. Research the available Buses are cheaper than trains but slower. you might consider off-peak. Just make option are difficult for English speakers to airlines to travel with, as some are more However, they're a good option if you’re sure you carry enough change for the pronounce: Pronunciation is made reliable than others. on a budget. Buses aren’t advised for ticket machines, which have an English up of three factors: mouth shape, journeys longer than eight hours as they language option. tongue placement and air flow. Nailing Train travel can be cramped by passengers packing pronunciation is hard, but important to

The most reliable (and comfortable) way the aisle with their possessions. There are Taxis and ride share convey proper meaning in your speech. Adventure & Nature to travel in China is by train. Modern overnight sleeper buses, which feature To get behind Taxis are cheap and plentiful in China, high-speed bullet trains, which reach a rows of bunk beds. the wheel, and are usually brightly colored cars you need to with a LED light in the front window and Road tripping get a Chinese a meter. You will have to pay by cash, as

China isn’t the easiest country to drive driving online payment options are not available Getty Images / DKart around; traffic can be extremely chaotic to visitors. license first. to Know

and drivers often ignore traffic signs Taxis are notoriously hard to catch Need and signals. If you have a during rush hour. So-called ‘black taxis’

To get behind the wheel, you need 90-day visa, are illegal and are essentially locals with a to get a Chinese driving license first. you can get car. Negotiate your fare before getting in If you have a 90-day visa, you can get a provisional and take care. a provisional license at Beijing Capital DiDi, the Chinese version of Uber, is Safety Travel license in China Airport. You will need your driver's license extremely handy and slightly cheaper than and will need to have a medical exam. at Beijing normal cabs. There is an English language For navigation, download Maps Capital version of the app and you can pay online. Getty Images / Steven Han Getty Images / Steven (the Chinese version of Google Maps) Airport Set it up before arriving in China. Ann Lee

74 75 worldnomads.com Climate Staying Connected & Weather Aside from the normal functions of making calls, Getty Images / Stefan Auth Getty Images / Stefan texting and emailing, our phones are also guide If you're still deciding when to visit books, translators, boarding passes, entertainment China, consider where you’re going, hubs and a means of keeping up with our social and always, always avoid major networks while traveling. public holidays. Even the most Welcome beautiful weather can be ruined by Of course, all of this is only possible with having to share a scenic spot with access to the internet. Thankfully, China Unsplash / 偉宗 勞 hundreds, perhaps thousands, of is covered by many Wi-Fi hotspots, and is other people. The great thing about also one of the best cellular networks in the social media platforms because of, well…

world. However, to access this network, you censorship. & Culture

visiting a country as large as China, History need a Chinese phone number to receive a is that you’re sure to find the perfect log-in code via a text message. So, the key Censorship place to go whatever the season. to getting a good connection in China is to China is known for the way it heavily plan ahead. censors what its people can view online, earning its internet the tongue-in-cheek Winter How to get connected nickname 'The Great Firewall of China.'

Cold-weather lovers should head to the There are two options for staying Almost every major social media platform Eating Dongbei in the northeast to check out the connected in China. is off limits to the Chinese public as well Himalaya Range, central Tibet massive ice sculptures at the Ice Option one: Use international roaming as video streaming services, including Festival. You can ski here, too. For winter on your existing plan. However, this won’t YouTube and Vimeo, international news sun, head to the island province of Hainan irrigated and filled with water, providing get you a Chinese phone number, and is media and messaging apps. in January and February. Just be sure to great photo opportunities. an expensive way to travel. International The solution, as most long-term expats in Journeys avoid China’s Spring Festival (New Year) Summer roaming fees include a daily connection China know well, is a software known as a holiday period. Summer across fee and a set cost per minute, text or data Virtual Private Network (VPN). By securely While the Spring Festival celebrates Summer across China is hot with most China is hot package. connecting to a computer server outside of the arrival of spring, and technically is major tourist cities either crazy hot, with most Option two: Buy a local pre-paid Chinese China, a VPN allows anyone access to the in spring according to the lunar farming unbelievably humid or both. Summer major tourist SIM card. The only catch is that they require internet free from China’s censorship.

calendar, it’s actually held in January or is a good time to head west, with the an unlocked mobile phone to use. Chinese There are numerous free and premium Adventure cities either & Nature February – so is classified as a winter higher altitudes of Yunnan and Tibet an SIM cards can be found at some major VPN solutions available for travelers, but festival. antidote to the heat. The dry summer heat crazy hot, international airports and they can also be you must set this up before arriving in in Xinjiang is easier to deal with than the unbelievably purchased online and activated prior to China. VPN websites are blocked in China, Spring humidity of the eastern provinces. humid or both departure. There are which can make it hard to configure from Spring (March to May) is a beautiful time numerous inside the country. to visit Beijing when roses bloom in the Fall Using social media free and to Know city and the weather is pleasantly mild. September and October are excellent Throughout China, the WeChat app has Are VPNs legal to use in China? Need It’s also a good time to head to Shanghai months to visit China, although be aware become the primary way to connect with premium VPN The answer is a bit tricky. China’s

before the humidity of summer kicks in, that there is a week-long public holiday in friends and family. You can create your solutions censorship is aimed at local citizens, not although it can be rainy here at times. early October, celebrating the founding own account to interact with new friends available for travelers, so historically the government During spring, the snow starts to melt of the People’s Republic of China. Places you make on the road, but you won’t be has completely ignored the use of VPN

travelers, but Safety Travel on the grasslands in central Tibet, while like Xinjiang, which are sweltering in able to use the convenient mobile payment software among travelers and expats. you must set in China it’s also peak season for tea harvesting in the summer, are perfect at this time. By functionality without also having a Chinese However, past trends don’t guarantee eastern China. October, the typhoons have stopped bank account. this up before future behavior, so you must weigh the risk In the southern Chinese provinces of battering Hong Kong where it’s officially You won’t find too many Chinese people arriving in of being caught against your need to stay Guangxi and Guizhou, rice terraces are dry season. Tess Humphrys using Facebook, Instagram, or other familiar China connected. Josh Summers

76 77 worldnomads.com Visas & Registration Getty Images / Stefan Auth Getty Images / Stefan Getty Images / Didier Marti So you've planned your trip, but have you got your visa? Arguably the most important thing to do before you go, knowing when and Welcome how to apply is important. Here are a few tips to make the visa application process easy. Getty Images / fanjianhua & Culture Before you leave – visas History Planning ahead is wise when it comes to up to ¥500 a day and a potential ban from travel, but there is such a thing as planning returning for up to 10 years. If you happen too far ahead if you’re going to China; to be arrested and detained while you’re China takes apply too early for your visa and it will run there, visa overstay fines will still apply. security out before you have a chance to use it. threats Apply for your visa about a month prior When you get there – registration seriously, and Eating to departure and keep in mind that the China takes security threats seriously, Shichahai Hutong old town area, Beijing officials like ‘valid until’ date indicates the date by and officials like to keep an eye on where to keep an which you must enter the country for your travelers go and what they’re doing while TRAVEL SMARTER visa to remain valid. they’re there. Fingerprinting visitors on eye on where A tourist visa generally allows you to arrival has been standard procedure travelers go Journeys Visas & Registration 79 spend up to 30 days in mainland China, since 2017, and every visitor to China must and what 10 Travel Safety Tips 80 but if you’re planning on coming and going register their place of residence with they’re doing from Hong Kong, or elsewhere, the local Public Security Bureau within 24 while they’re TRAVEL Tourist Cons to Avoid 83 you’ll need a double – or multiple – entry hours. there Health & Hygiene 84 visa. A detailed itinerary and hotel booking This is a simple process if you’re staying

confirmation, or a letter of invitation from at a hotel – it’s part of check-in – but if Adventure & Nature Law & Crime 86 a family member or friend living in China you’re staying at an Airbnb and your host SAFETY (along with a copy of the information page doesn’t take care of this for you, you’ll Banned Activities 87 in their passport) will be required as part of need to pay a visit to your nearest police Essential Insurance Tips 88 your application. station to do so yourself. Plans can change once there, of course, Make sure you download the Google Our Other Guides 89 IN CHINA but it isn’t difficult to organize a short visa Translate app before you go (you won’t be to Know

China is a vast country with diverse landscapes, Our Contributors 90 extension on a single-entry tourist visa. able to download it once you're in China) Need customs, culture and people – lots of people. The Foreign Affairs Branch of the local in case there isn’t an English speaker at Get a Quote 91 Joanna Tovia shares her tips to keep you safe and Public Security Bureau is your friend on the police station. informed while traveling around the country. Our this one. Just make sure you apply at If it seems a little extreme to have to least a week before your visa is due to register every time you travel on to a common-sense guide to travel safety is a reliable, expire, and make sure you have at least six new town or city within China, avoid Safety Travel in China trustworthy source of up-to-date advice so you months remaining on the validity of your the temptation to skip this necessary can bravely explore the world. passport from the date you intend to leave. procedure. Failing to register could mean Whatever you do, don’t overstay your you end up with a fine or an unpleasant visa. If you can’t avoid it, expect fines of stay in detention.

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not. Rely on your eyes more than your and Alipay apps are now used by most 10 Travel ears to check the coast is clear. Electric Chinese people to make payments, but The World cars can be almost silent when they these require you to have a Chinese bank approach. account. Health Safety Tips Calling ahead to check if a restaurant Organization From managing the sheer numbers Passport protection accepts credit cards or cash will save you estimates of people in China and road rules to Leave a photocopy of your passport and time and disappointment – an increasing there are at mobile phone payments and LGBTQ visa with a trusted friend or family member number accept neither form of payment. least 600 travel, here are the main concerns before you depart, and take an extra copy If you’re keen to live like a local and go Welcome to carry around with you. If you’re staying cashless, it is possible to use an overseas traffic deaths travelers should be aware of. at a hotel, ask staff to also photocopy credit card to make payments via WeChat, per day in the page showing your entry stamp. The but you can’t top up your account or China Dealing with crowds easier you can make it to replace your visa retrieve unspent money without a Chinese Almost 1.4 billion people call China home, and passport, should it be lost or stolen, bank account or phone number. Getty Images / long8614

so get ready to rethink your boundaries the more grateful you’ll be that you took Watch this space, though, as this may & Culture around personal space. Elbowing, pushing these precautionary steps. change. China may be the e-commerce History and cutting in line can be confronting to Foreign Affairs Branch of the Public Passports are valuable everywhere, but capital of the world, but it remains to visitors, but try to accept it as part of the Security Bureau to make a claim on your in China they are especially sought after be seen whether foreign visitors will be Chinese experience. travel insurance. The biggest by shady individuals looking to commit allowed to join their digital revolution. Rest assured that ‘actively encouraging’ danger crimes using your identity. If it does go you to step aside isn’t intended to do you Road risks visitors are AWOL, alert your embassy and contact Beggars harm. Stand your ground if someone’s Although you are unlikely to drive yourself likely to face local police to obtain a loss report. This is Be alert to beggars who ask you for Eating trying to cut in front of you in line, and around in China (international drivers’ in China is essential when checking in to a new hotel money then pursue you or become have fun being a little pushy in return if licenses aren’t recognized), traveling by in crossing or applying for a replacement passport. aggressive if you ignore them. They you’re trying to navigate a crowd. road does not come without risk. The Carry your passport with you rather are common throughout China, but are World Health Organization estimates the street. than locking it in the hotel safe. Police especially concentrated in Beijing’s Silk there are at least 600 traffic deaths Road rules are known to carry out random checks Alley, the , and other areas

Petty crime Journeys There’s a reason organized tours are the per day in China. The sheer number of are often and you’ll need it to enter many tourist that attract crowds of visitors. preferred way of seeing the highlights of vehicles is one contributing factor, but ignored, and attractions and museums. Child beggars can pull at your this fascinating country – getting around so is driver inexperience and a flagrant pedestrians heartstrings and be as pushy as adults, as a group delivers safety in numbers. disregard of traffic laws. are expected Mobile payment apps but resist the urge to open your wallet or Travelers are easy targets for Making matters worse, there aren’t likely Traveling as part of a tour group has you’ll soon find yourself surrounded by to get out of pickpockets, bag snatchers and thieves to be seatbelts on long-distance buses, its benefits, and the limited payment others hopeful for a hand-out. Also, giving Adventure & Nature looking to steal passports, phones, and don’t expect to find them in the rear the way methods available in many bars, shops to beggars encourages the practice, so cameras and laptops. Avoid carrying seats of taxis either. and restaurants can make it challenging don’t do it. anything in your back pockets, carry to venture off on your own. WeChat In restaurants, staff will usually assist in handbags across your body, and wear Pedestrian smarts encouraging beggars to leave you alone, backpacks on your front. The biggest danger visitors are likely to as will police in crowded spots such as Train and bus stations, busy shopping face in China is in crossing the street. public parks. Otherwise, it will be up to to Know

hubs, public toilets, and popular eating Road rules are often ignored, and you to dissuade them. Need and drinking precincts in major cities are pedestrians are expected to get out of the

especially prone to petty crime. Trying to way – even if they’re crossing the street Travel for people of color thwart a robbery has been known to lead on a green walk sign. Despite a growing number of people to violence and injury, so it’s best to do Beware too the cyclist in a hurry. A visiting from across the world, anyone what a thief asks if you find yourself an bicycle may round the corner at speed who looks a little different to the Chinese Safety Travel in China unlucky victim. Carrying valuables such when you least expect it, piled high with norm tends to stand out like a beacon. as passports inside your clothing is a precariously balanced goods. Shouted But that needn’t be a bad thing. If you find smart move. orders to get out of the way may give you yourself attracting attention (some people Report stolen items at the nearest the warning you need to step back – or Getty Images / Creative #/ may even form a circle around you to gaze

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at your intriguing features), why not city hotel won’t raise an eyebrow, and use it as an opportunity to interact with the polite and reserved nature of the Travel Cons to Avoid the locals? Same-sex Chinese people generally means surprise Chances are high that their interest in marriage is unlikely to be expressed at the smaller Criminals with faulty moral compasses are adept at you isn’t coming from a place of malice or remains hotels, hostels, or guesthouses either. coming up with novel ways to fleece the unsuspecting prejudice. They may simply never have illegal and If you’re looking for a more sociable visitor. Here are 10 common scams to watch out for: come across someone quite like you there aren’t holiday, connecting with open-minded before. This applies as much to people any anti- travelers is possible but make sure you’ve

of ethnically African origin as it does set up a high-quality VPN on your phone Taxi scams: Your driver insists you pay a Welcome someone with pale blonde hair and skin. discrimination before you leave home. This will protect higher fee than the price you agreed on Just don’t be surprised if you get asked to laws in place your privacy and ensure you can still before you left. To reduce the likelihood of pose for photos. Lots of photos. access apps and websites that allow you this happening to you, stick with licensed, to connect with others. metered taxis arranged through your hotel. LGBTQ travel Avoid riding in pedicabs and motorized

Although homosexuality has been legal Natural disasters three-wheelers. They are far more likely to & Culture in China since 1997, same-sex marriage Just what you don’t need on your travels. overcharge you for their services. If you’re History remains illegal and there aren’t any Fortunately, the chances of your plans traveling for longer than an hour in a taxi, anti-discrimination laws in place. Strident being disrupted due to major weather- it’s not uncommon for a driver to arrange to censorship laws include LGBTQ-related related incidents are slim in China. The meet another driver half way. If the drivers content, which means tour companies and following natural disasters are the only attempt to split up your party into two taxis Getty Images / baona other organizations can’t openly promote ones that could disrupt your plans, (thus doubling the total cost), refuse.

themselves as being LGBTQ-friendly. however unlikely. Shopping scams: Even in large shopping Switched goods: Beware the last-minute Eating Although there are a range of views on Typhoons: Between May and November, malls selling high-end goods, ignore offers switcheroo if you’ve made a purchase homosexuality within the country – how typhoons (mature tropical cyclones) occur of special deals to be had on ‘designer’ at a market or store. Keep watch as your could there not be, with a population so along China’s south and east coasts. items held in a back room. If you do go, goodies are bagged lest what you end up large – travelers are unlikely to encounter Keep an eye on weather reports (and your don’t be surprised when the door is locked with is different to what you paid for. hostility. It’s customary for friends of the weather app) for typhoons in the region; behind you and you are prevented from Counterfeit currency: Pay the exact cost Journeys same sex to walk along hand-in-hand, so they can change in direction and strength leaving until you’ve made a purchase. of an item or bill whenever you can to displays of affection such as this won’t without much warning. Left with the check: Disheartening it may avoid ending up with counterfeit notes attract any attention. Earthquakes: China is in an active seismic be, but invitations to take part in a tea as change. Most shopkeepers use cash There’s no need for concern when it zone but earthquakes typically occur in ceremony or to join someone for a meal detectors or hold money up to the light to comes to accommodation either. Same- the remote and mountainous non-tourist so they can practice their English are often check yuan is real before accepting them

sex couples booking a room in a high-end areas of western China. A magnitude-5.9 ploys for con-artists to get fed for free. At for payment. To conduct your own check, Adventure & Nature earthquake struck Sichuan province in the end of the meal, they up and leave you hold a note up to the light and look for a 2019, and this occurred in an area visited with the hefty bill. metal ribbon that runs from top to bottom. by tourists, so don’t completely disregard Special massages: Foreigners are lured Stranger danger: Refuse offers of food, it as a possibility. into a building with the promise of a cut- drink or transportation from anyone you Flooding: There are distinct rainy seasons price massage (an enticing offer if you’ve don’t know. Reports of visitors being in China that can lead to flooding. been on your feet seeing the sights all drugged and robbed are more common Ignore offers to Know Between May and September, rural areas day), only to be assaulted by a group of than you might think. Need along the Yangtze River are particularly thugs and robbed. of special Art exhibitions: Students are known to

prone to flooding. Fake products: Poor-quality designer deals to coerce visitors into viewing a free art Landslides: The mountainous areas of knock-offs are pedaled to foreigners at be had on exhibition at their school, only to find southwest China can be affected by inflated prices, complete with assurances they’ve done you a drawing while you’re

‘designer’ Safety Travel landslides in the rainy season. Between they are the real deal. Have your wits there and push you into paying for it. items held in a in China May and September, Sichuan province about you and inspect goods closely Fake ATMs: Try to only use ATMs at your (home of the giant panda), Yunnan before haggling for a better price. Nanjing back room hotel, a bank or shopping center. Otherwise province and Tibet are more likely to face Road in Shanghai and Beijing's Silk Alley you risk using an ATM that takes your card Getty Images / South China Morning Post heavy rain and landslides. are notorious for knock-offs. or issues counterfeit notes.

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If you do want to venture out on high- Air pollution at sunset, Shanghai Health & pollution days, do what the locals do and wear a mask. Be aware that flights in Authorities and out of cities can be cancelled when issue red Hygiene pollution affects visibility. alerts if While traveling in China, you need pollution Water quality levels are to be aware of potential health risks Always boil water before drinking or from illness, drinking water, pollution especially

brushing your teeth – tap water is not safe Welcome and public toilets. to drink in China. Instead of purchasing bad plastic water bottles, pack a water bottle with a filter. Avoid ice at restaurants, and Be sure to allow yourself plenty of ask for a sealed bottle of juice rather than time to complete all the recommended a glass of juice – it may have been diluted

vaccinations before leaving for China. with tap water. & Culture Rabies is a growing problem in China, History and more than 2,000 people die from Toilet matters it here each year. If an animal (typically You’ll need to keep your sense of humor a dog) with rabies licks or bites you, when you visit some of the toilets in China, treatment is much more of a hassle if you Getty Images / fototrav Getty Images / redtea whether they’re western-style toilets haven’t been vaccinated. Either way, seek or not. Outside of your city hotel, squat

medical treatment as soon as possible use of new syringes (even if you have to restaurants over quiet ones. toilets are standard across the country, Eating after contact with an animal you suspect pay for them). Hepatitis A: This virus infects the liver and and they are usually neither clean nor tidy. is infected. Hygiene Japanese Encephalitis (Encephalitis B): can’t be treated. Pre-travel vaccination will Carry your own toilet paper or tissues Medical facilities of an international practices This mosquito-borne illness is endemic give you effective protection. around with you, tossing the used ones in standard are expensive (be sure to take can be in rural areas of southern China between Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia): Avoid the bucket next to the toilet when you’re out travel insurance) but available in major June and August. Make sure this is one of swimming in fresh water around the done. If you forget or run out, you can questionable, Journeys cities. In other areas, it can be a bit of as can the the vaccines you get before you travel. central Yangzi River (Cháng Jiāng) basin. buy toilet paper from shops, restaurants a lottery and you may have to pay cash Malaria and dengue fever: The risk of If infected, symptoms may not show up for and bars. before any treatment is carried out. level of contracting malaria is highest if you’re months or years, by which time internal Soap may not be provided either, so Hygiene practices can be questionable, medical traveling to rural areas during the warmer organ damage is irreversible. carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer with as can the level of medical training staff training staff months. Consider taking preventative you. Public toilets are free or attract a

members have received. On a recent trip medicine before and during your trip. Pollution small fee. Joanna Tovia Adventure members & Nature to China, one visitor on an organized tour have received Wearing long sleeves and using repellent Efforts are being made to create vast reported having to get stitches at a local and mosquito nets will reduce your risk of green corridors in many cities, and (and not terribly clean) medical center dengue fever. China is leading the way in a quest to after having a fall. The doctor stitching him Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease: HFMD become the world’s renewable energy up was eating his lunch at the same time! outbreaks occur most commonly between superpower. In the meantime, high levels Here are some of the other health risks March and October, and usually affect of pollution affect cities such as Beijing, to Know

to watch out for: children younger than 10 years old. Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu Need Getty Images / Richard Sharrocks Bird flu: Strains of the avian influenza virus Careful and frequent hand washing is the because of the sheer number of cars, and

continue to circulate in chickens. The only best method of prevention. the incredible amount of manufacturing way to minimize your risk of exposure is to Typhoid: This serious bacterial infection and construction activity going on. avoid live poultry markets in rural areas. spreads via contaminated food and water. Authorities issue red alerts if pollution HIV/AIDS: Apart from taking obvious Be sure you’ve been vaccinated against levels are especially bad, and you can Safety Travel in China precautions during any sexual typhoid and take extra care with food and check Air Quality Index (http://aqicn. encounters, be sure to request the use of drink to be on the safe side. Don't drink org/city/beijing/) or Air Matters (https:// sterilized equipment if you need medical tap water, eat only freshly cooked food air-matters.com/) for real-time pollution care outside major cities and insist on the (avoid buffets), and always choose busy readings.

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trafficking. Even small quantities of ‘soft’ Law & Crime drugs such as marijuana don’t escape Drug offenses police attention, and laws are strictly China is known for its strict laws with enforced. and crimes harsh penalities, police corruption Children over the age of 14 are tried such as and a high degree of surveillance. as adults in China and are subject to the murder can same conditions in detention. lead to the Here's everything you need to know Consular assistance will be of limited to stay out of harm's way. death penalty,

use if a crime has been committed in Welcome China, and you won’t be allowed to leave no matter the country until any legal matters are where in the Big brother is watching resolved. Less than 1 per cent of cases world you’re Surveillance is not new in China – it tried in Chinese courts result in a not- from began as a method of social control under guilty verdict. Getty Images / Probuz

Chairman Mao’s communist party in the & Culture 1920s – but, visitor or not, technology now Women's safety History enables your every move to be tracked Getty Images / caoyu36 Women traveling alone in China don't Banned Activities and recorded. have any reason to worry about catcalling Activities you might take for granted might be viewed as national security Surveillance smarts and artificial passcode) before you’re allowed in. An or harrassment, however you should threats in China. Taking part in any of the intelligence are becoming so app may then be installed that collects exercise usual safety precautions: avoid following will land you in serious trouble: sophisticated that, as well as dramatically data such as contacts and text messages, Bribery of walking alone down unlit alleyways

improving the odds that you’ll be caught and checks whether the content on your police is at night, never accept a drink from a • Gambling. You won’t find any poker Eating if you step out of line, your next move phone triggers any of the 73,000 red common, stranger, keep your wits about you at machines or casinos in China, but illegal gambling does go on. If you find may be anticipated before you’ve even flags that indicate you’re a security risk. all times. and foreign yourself invited to play cards or Mahjong decided what that next move is. Geotracking is also likely to have been Culturally, Chinese people are very visitors can – and money is involved – it’s wise to With the government reportedly enabled by the app when it’s returned accepting of women traveling by walk away. Even online gambling is spending more on surveillance than to you. be targeted in themselves. You may be asked questions

considered a breach of the law Journeys national defense, and pilot programs in elaborate set- such as why you are alone, or where is place to rate each citizen on a social credit Police corruption ups designed your partner, but solo travel is not frowned • Taking photos of military or government buildings. Many tour operators also warn system, China is on its way to becoming a Where there’s money to be made, upon or discouraged. to extract visitors against asking political questions digital dictatorship. corruption follows and that’s certainly true money from Remember: intrusive questions are when visiting sites such as Tiananmen High-definition cameras (at least 200 in China. Bribery of police is common, their families not meant to offend, the Chinese are just Square. The site’s 1989 student protests

million of them) with facial recognition, and foreign visitors can be targeted in curious people. and subsequent massacre is still one of Adventure & Nature directional microphones, night vision and elaborate set-ups designed to extract overseas the most censored topics on the Chinese motion tracking are installed not just on money from their families overseas. internet The Forbidden City, Beijing lamp posts and buildings, but also cars, One such incident involved an attack on • Prostitution buses, drones, markets, schools and the a young male visitor outside a nightclub jackets of police officer uniforms. in Beijing. Police detained the foreigner, • Organizing a demonstration without The degree to which visitor movements rather than his attackers, and forced his Getty Images / Starcevic getting government approval to Know

are being tracked is anyone’s guess, but family to pay large sums of money before Need • Taking part in preaching, distributing don’t rule it out. Mandatory registration allowing him to leave the country. literature or associating with

every time you check in to a new hotel unapproved religious groups is one way to monitor your movements, Death penalty and laws in China of course, but it pays to expect the Drug offences and crimes such as murder • Participating in Falun Gong activities.

Although devotees consider Falun Safety Travel unexpected when it comes to Chinese can lead to the death penalty, no matter Gong a spiritual practice involving in China security measures. where in the world you’re from, and even meditation and compassion, the Chinese Entering Xinjiang by land from Central minor drug-related offences are taken government sees the movement as an Asia, for example, may mean you have very seriously. Penalties are severe for evil cult and has actively been working to to hand over your smartphone (and drug use, possession, distribution, or stamp it out since 1999.

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Essential Travel Insurance Tips such as electronic devices, jewelry, cash, Browse our guides, travel documents and credit cards and phrasebooks and 1.4 billion people, countless adventures; make never leaving them unsupervised. You sure you're covered before you head off on your must also report any theft to the local storytelling masterclasses Chinese adventure. We share our tips to help authorities as soon as possible and retain keep you and your belongings safe. documentation to support your claim.

Civil unrest Welcome Whether you’re braving the crowds of restrictions. You may need to compare If a crowd suddenly becomes a riot, it Beijing or retracing the footsteps of activities coverage in World Nomads’ Get our may impact your cover. Contact our 24/7 smart, flexible nomads before you on the Silk Road, Standard and Explorer Plans before you Travel Emergency Assistance team if you’re China is as diverse as you’d expect a buy, or add activities to your policy when Insurance affected by civil unrest so they can country of 1.4 billion people to be. you buy, depending on your country of here establish your safety and advise on

Such uniqueness brings surprises – residence. what to do. & Culture some amazing, others not so. This is Coverage for an activity may have Follow the advice of local authorities, History where travel insurance comes in. World special requirements too and if you don’t warnings and directions, and listen to Nomads policies may help in the face of comply with them, your travel insurance local news and media for alerts. the unexpected, allowing you to explore may be void. For example, if you plan to China with a support team behind you. drive you must be licensed for that type of Traffic accidents vehicle both at home and in China… that Traffic accidents are unfortunately too

Conquering the language means getting a Chinese driver’s license common in China, whether you’re driving, Eating barrier in a crisis (International Driving Permits aren’t on a bicycle or on foot. If you’re involved Emergencies abroad are stressful recognized). in an accident, you’ll need written enough, but try navigating the Chinese You may also need cover upgrades, confirmation from the local authority to system when you don’t speak Mandarin, licenses and safety gear for activities support any claim. Please also contact Cantonese or the local dialect… lucky you such as riding e-bikes, scuba and hiking 24/7 Emergency Assistance if you’re Journeys have travel insurance! – check out your policy wording and injured. In a medical emergency, contact World contact customer service if you’re unsure Nomads 24/7 Emergency Assistance what your cover includes. Find out more at www.worldnomads. team who can direct you to nearby It’s important to choose your level of com/travel-insurance appropriate care, talk to doctors, help out coverage carefully when you buy as you This is only a summary of cover and does not include the with admin and pay for expenses upfront can’t upgrade after purchasing. Please Your journey starts here. Get off the beaten Adventure & Nature if necessary. They can also help in other also check your policy for activities we full terms and conditions of the policy. You should read track and experience destinations like a local your policy wording in full so you understand what is and sticky situations, such as if your passport don’t cover and other exclusions, such as isn’t covered. That way there won’t be any surprises if you with our free travel guides. is lost or your checked-in bag ends up in search and rescue. need to use it. If you have any questions, customer service www.worldnomads.com/explore/guides Hunan instead of Hainan. is here to help. It’s worth knowing that while we can Common sense in large crowds help with communication on the ground, While diving into the crowd is part of the WorldNomads.com Pty Limited (ABN 62 127 485 198 AR 343027) at Governor Macquarie Tower, Level 18, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney, NSW, 2000, is an Authorised to Know you’ll need to translate paperwork into experience of traveling China, it’s worth Need Representative of nib Travel Services (Australia) Pty Ltd (ABN 81 115 932 173 AFSL 308461) (formerly known as Cerberus Special Risks), and is underwritten in Australia English when you lodge your claim. brushing up on ways to protect yourself, by XL Insurance Company SE, Australia branch (ABN 36 083 570 441) and in by certain underwriters at Lloyd's. World Nomads Travel Lifestyle (Europe) Limited (CN 601852) markets and promotes travel insurance products of nib Travel Services Europe Limited trading as nib Travel Services (CN 601851), First Floor, City

your stuff and your insurance. Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork, Ireland, and underwritten by XL Insurance Company SE and XL Catlin Insurance Company UK Limited. nib Travel Services Europe Limited Getting the right cover trading as nib Travel Services is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. WorldNomads.com Pty Limited markets and promotes travel insurance products of nib Travel Theft Services Limited (License No.1446874) (formerly known as Nomadic Insurance Limited), at PO Box 1051, Grand Cayman KY1-1102, Cayman Islands. World Nomads Inc. for your adventure (1585422), at 520 3rd Street, Suite 201, Oakland, CA 94607, plans are administered by Trip Mate Inc. (in CA & UT, dba, Trip Mate Insurance Agency) at 9225 Ward Parkway, Travel Safety Travel If you’re the kind of nomad that likes to Where there are crowds there are often Suite 200, Kansas City, MO, 64114, USA, with 24-hour and Assistance Services provided by One Call Worldwide Travel Services Network, Inc. and plans underwritten by in China see a country from all angles, including pickpockets. You must take reasonable Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies, Columbus, OH. World Nomads () Ltd (BC: 0700178; Business No: 001 85379 7942 RC0001) is a licensed agent sponsored by AIG Insurance Company of Canada at 120 Bremner Boulevard, Suite 2200, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 0A8, Canada. World Experiences Seguros upside-down, underneath and above, care to protect your belongings or De Viagem Brasil Ltda (CNPJ: 21.346.969/0001-99) at Rua Padre João Manuel, 755, 16º andar, São Paulo – SP, is an Authorized Partner (Representante) of Zurich Minas Brasil Seguros S.A. (CNPJ: 17.197.385/0001-21) at Av. Getúlio Vargas, 1420, 5th floor, Funcionários, Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais through the SUSEP Process keep in mind that many adventure they may not be covered if stolen. This 15414.901107/2015-77. All World Nomads entities listed above, including nib Travel Services Europe, nib Travel Services Limited and nib Travel Services (Australia) Pty Ltd, activities have travel insurance includes carrying with you valuable items are subsidiaries of nib holdings limited (ABN 51 125 633 856).

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Meet Our Contributors 1. 4 billion people, Our writers are world travelers bound by the desire Sarah Duff Marco Ferrarese Sarah is a freelance Marco has lived in to truly understand the countries they visit. travel writer, Penang since 2009, countless adventures; photographer and from where he covers documentary filmmaker , India and the make sure you’re covered.

If you’d like to contribute, keep an eye on our Assignments page, Welcome where you can apply for upcoming opportunties. who has been larger Southeast Asian adventuring around the region for a number globe on assignments for of international guide a decade. books and publications. Get a Quote & Culture History History

Esme Fox Jamie Fullerton Tess Humphrys Ann Lee Janice Leung-Hayes Esme Fox is a Jamie is an Asia- Tess lived in China for Ann is a freelance Janice is a Hong Kong- professional travel based freelance writer six years, working in journalist who has based food and travel journalist who grew up who contributes to marketing in the cities contributed to Metro, writer. When she's in the UK, the outlets including The of , Suzhou and Evening Standard, not writing, you'll find

and Uganda. She Times, The Guardian, Shanghai. the BBC, Time Out her running farmers' Eating is now based in , The Telegraph, Vice and various other markets, or producing and has traveled to and various travel publications. videos to tell forgotten China several times. publications. Asian stories. Journeys

Keith Lyons Sharon McDonnell Stacey McKenna Sugato Mukherjee Christina Ng Keith is an award- Sharon is a travel and Stacey is a Colorado- Sugato is a photographer Christina Ng is a winning writer, culture writer in San based freelance writer and writer based in freelance writer and specializing in soft Francisco who’s taken covering travel, nature, Calcutta. He enjoys translator originally from

adventure, off-the- cooking classes around adventure, and science. writing about offbeat , but now Adventure beaten-track travel the world, from destinations and based in . She & Nature and eco-tourism, with to Norway and whale- exotic food as much writes for publications a predilection for dark watched in the Azores. as photographing his in the US, UK, Germany chocolate, tea and documentary projects. and Singapore. craft beer. to Know Need

Ronan O'Connell Dave Stamboulis Josh Summers Joanna Tovia Crystal Wilde Ronan is a journalist Dave is an American Josh is an entrepreneur Joanna is a freelance Crystal is a British and photographer with travel writer and and writer who has travel writer and journalist who has been 16 years' experience photographer based lived throughout Asia, photographer based in living in and writing as a reporter. His travel in Bangkok. He is the including China and Australia’s beautiful Blue about Asia for more Safety Travel writing and photography author of an award- , for more than Mountains. When she’s than 10 years. She's Trusted by: in China work has taken him to winning travel memoir, 10 years. not exploring far-flung mainly obsessed with more than 60 countries. and specializes in lands, Joanna is writing food, culture, the great off-the-beaten-path for print and web. outdoors, and animals. adventure travel. Unsplash / Steven Wei Unsplash / Steven

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