WILDCHINA JOURNEYS Recommendations for Winter 2020 Here at WildChina, we’ve been pioneering sustainable travel in China for the last 20 years. Our mission remains the same as it di d when we first started: to connect people through travel and to change the Chinese travel industry for the better. This year, we remain more dedicated to that mission than ever. We're here to support our local communities and to get you off-the-beaten-path in a safe and responsible way. On every WildChina journey, you’ll be greeted by local guides, hosts, and experts who will help you see your destination more closely. We’ll never cocoon you in a tourist bubble and we'll never follow the crowds (unless they're heading to a local wedding party, of course). You’ll stay in homegrown boutique accommodations whenever possible, but they'll always meet our high standards for sustainable practices. And, you’ll always have the flexibility in an itinerary to enjoy the spontaneous moments that make travel in China so memorable. We’re WildChina and we’re here to show you the real China. A Little guide A land of epic plains and lonely mountains, here is where you’ll fnd the nomadic To Where We Travel roots of the infuential Mongol and Manchu peoples. Beyond the Great Wall Silk road Beijing yellow river Valley Tibetan Plateau Panda Country Shanghai Southern regions Mountain kingdoms Hong kong www.wildchina.com | [email protected] | +86 10 6465 6602 | wildchina_journeys Nov. 24th – 29th 2020 Travels Through Dali Thanksgiving Edition Dec. 12th – 15th 2020 Zhangjiajie: Avatar Mountains Dec. 16th – 21st 2020 Xishuangbanna: Winter in the Tropics Dec. 20th – 27th 2020 Yunnan: Christmas in Cizhong Dec. 26th – 29th 2020 Huangshan: The Yellow Mountain Jan. 1st –4th 2021 Harbin: Ice City CHINESE NEW YEAR 2021 COMING SOON Feb. 24th – Mar. 2nd 2021 Guizhou: Festival Season All our small group journeys can also be customized to create a private journey www.wildchina.com | [email protected] | +86 10 6465 6602 | wildchina_journeys Buy the book at travelsthroughdali.com | Photos by Elizabeth Phung Travels Through Dali: Thanksgiving Edition Dali – Yunlong – Shaxi - Dali Best for: Thanksgiving, Food Culture, Local life Trip length: Small group departure: Nov. 24th – Nov. 29th (max. 12 pax) Spring Summer Autumn Winter 6 days Price: Twin share from RMB8,230 per person This journey can also be customized as a private tour Inspired by WildChina Founder Mei Zhang’s travelogue and cookbook, Travels Through Dali: with a leg of ham, what better way to celebrate a rather unconventional Thanksgiving than with a journey into the heart of Yunnan on a quest to find the local specialties. This region is cherished for its unique food – famed cured ham, mushrooms varietals, cheese-making (a rarity in China), and rare herbs. We’ll hear stories from chefs, artisans, and farmers who have been living ‘farm-to-table’ for generations and have the honor of becoming immersed in their lives. Day 1-2: Dali | The Linden Centre Sunrise by Erhai Lake • Stroll though the early-morning ma r kets in Xizhou village • Become guest of honor at a Bai tea ceremony • Cangshan Mountain ★ Participating in a traditional Bai Tea Ceremony Day 3-4: Yunlong | Mr. Zhang’s Guesthouse ★ Learning traditional methods of sa l t packing in Yunlong Yunlong Village and salt wells • Sa l t packing with Mr. Yang • Village Ham curing with a different Mr. Yang • Thanksgiving festival dinner • Shundang ancient village • Shaxi market town ★ Dining on the region’s famous sa l t–cured ham at a Thanksgiving feast after watching fa r mer Yang’s curing Day 5-6: Shaxi | Sunyata, Shaxi process in action Shibaoshan Grottoes • Meet the musicians of Stone Dragon Village • Visit a local cheesemaker • Learn to stitch cloth shoes • Transfer back to Dali www.wildchina.com | [email protected] | +86 10 6465 6602 | wildchina_journeys Zhangjiajie: Avatar Mountains Zhangjiajie Best for: Hiking, Photography, Landscape Trip length: Small group departure: December 12th – 15th 2020 Spring Summer Autumn Winter 4 days Price: From RMB4,475 per person This journey can also be customized as a private tour Explore the celestial landscape of Wulingyuan Scenic Area, where a forest of natural stone skyscrapers forms an ancient cityscape. This UNESCO World Heritage Site’s biggest draw is Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, home to the towering sandstone pillars that inspired the mythical world of Pandora in James Cameron’s Avatar. On a cloudy winter’s day, these pillars appear to be floating in the sky and, when you visit in winter, you’ll be one of the only visitors in the park. We’ll have our finger’s crossed for snow, too! Day 1-2: Zhangjiajie A morning of photography tuition with a local photographer • Ride the Bailong Panoramic Elevator •The Pillar of the Southern Sky • The Platform of Forgetfulness • The No.1Bridge under ★ A morning of photography tuition with a local photographer Heaven • The Son of Heaven Mou ntain (Tianzishan)•Ascend the mountain by cable-car • Golden Whip Stream ★ Walking over the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge (if you dare!) Day 3-4: Zhangjiajie ★ Feeling like you have the mountains all to yourself Zhangjiajie Grand Ca nyon • Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge • Yellowstone Village • The Five Fingers Peak • Heavenly Door Mountain • Ghost Valley •Glass bottomed walkway • Tianmen Cave and Tianmenshan Temple www.wildchina.com | [email protected] | +86 10 6465 6602 | wildchina_journeys Photos by Jeff Fuchs Xishuangbanna: Winter in the Tropics Jinghong - Mengla County - Jinghong Best for: Winter warmth, Tea culture, Ethnic minority culture Trip length: Small group departure: Dec. 16th – 21st 2020 (max 12 pax) Spring Summer Autumn Winter 6 days Price: Twin share from RMB7,465 per person This journey can also be customized as a private tour Xishuangbanna is just one of three names for Yunnan's southernmost prefecture – peopled and named by theDai. Over the borders in Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand, travelers ma y hear Sipsongpanna or even Sibsongbanna. Whichever you hear, it will lead you to the same pref ecture, to the jungles south of the southern clouds that hug the Mekong as it makes its way out of the mountains. Banna remains, as it always has been, a hidden enclave, tucked awayin the greenery of southern China. Day 1-2: Jinghong and the surrounding area Menghai Market, where you’ll find everything from high-quality Pu’er tea to lively eels • Meet the descendants of the first tea cultivators • Drive past sugarcane fields and verdant tea plantations to reach the ancient tea tree forest of Nannuo ★ Meeting the descendants of the first tea cultivators Mountain • Take a load off and enjoy a warming cup of tea made with leaves from the age-old trees • Gaozhuang night market ★ Looking out for the 100 wild elephants that call Wild El epha nt Valley home Day 3-6: Mengla County Dadugang Tea Plantation, the largest in the world • Sa ncha he ★ Drinking Pu’er tea at it’s source Forest Park, also known as Wild Elephant Valley • Mengla County • Sky Tree scenic area, China’s only tropical rainforest • Trek to a Dai Village and spend time with the local residents • Xishuangbanna Botanical Garden www.wildchina.com | [email protected] | +86 10 6465 6602 | wildchina_journeys Yunnan: Christmas in Cizhong Shangri-La – Deqin – Cizhong – Tacheng – Lijiang Best for: Christmas, Cultural Immersion, Nature Trip length: Small group departure: Dec. 20th – 27th 2020 (max. 12 pax) Spring Summer Autumn Winter 8 days Price: From RMB10,280 per person This journey can also be customized as a private tour Hidden away among the misty, terraced hills above the Mekong valley, the picturesque village of Cizhong was settled by French Catholic mi ssiona r i es 150 years ago. Today, the town is home to Lisu, Yi, and Tibetan people, who still tend the vineyards the French grew and attend the church built in a captivating blend of Chinese and European architectural styles. Get ready for a Christmas like no other as you join the town in their annual festivities. Day 1-4: Shangri-La - Deqin Arrive in Zhongdian • Songzanlin Monastery • Thangka pa i nti ng class • Shangri-La Old Town • Baijisi Temple • Nixi artisan village • Sample “tsampa” with a Tibetan family • Dhondrupling Gompa ★ Dining in the shadow of the Meili Snow Mountains • Meili Snow Mountains • Mingyong Glacier ★ Celebrating Christmas Day with Tibetan Catholics in Cizhong Day 5-7: Cizhong - Tacheng Meet a family of Tibetan Catholics • Participate in the Christmas ★ Learning about Snub-nosed Monkey conser vation in the service in Cizhong • Join the Christmas dancing celebrations of Tacheng National Park Cizhong • Learn about Snub-nos ed Monkey cons ervation in Tacheng • Transfer to Lijiang www.wildchina.com | [email protected] | +86 10 6465 6602 | wildchina_journeys Huangshan: The Yellow Mountain Huangshan and Nearby Villages Best for: Hiking, Hui architecture, Artisanal craftsmanship Trip length: Small group departure: Dec. 26th – 29th 2020 (max 12 pax) Spring Summer Autumn Winter 4 days Price: Twin share from RMB5,540 per person This journey can also be customized as a private tour Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) is eastern China's most sublime mountain landscape, where delicate songshu pines cling to the vertiginous sides of soaring granite peaks. Its mist-swathed vistas are a recurring motif in Chinese art and literature, and, tamed by thousands of stone steps (and a few cable cars), are accessible to anyone with a head for heights. Scattered throughout the bamboo- forested lowlands are UNESCO-listed villages once home