Around China 2Link to: www.enjoyingenglish.infoGirl catching mages under Cherry Blossom Tree. Photo: ULTRA.F
i* Interactive Map of China from World Atlas.com * Lhasa & Tibet * Xian & The North West * Across The North * Yunnan Province * Guilin Travl Guide * Yunnan Travel Guide * Video: Explore the Yangze *
Interactive Map of China
Interactive Map of China
Lhasa and Tibet
To pay a visit to Tibet is to step through a portal from the materialism of the modern age, to a society which is still, to a large extent, ruled by deep medieval spiritual impulses. Tibet is transcendental - even the main route to Lhasa by air from Chengdu is a journey toward the heavens, soaring upward over the vast and awesome snow-tipped ranges of the Tibet -Qinghai Plateau to touch down in a dusty valley two miles above sea level.
'All roads lead to Lhasa. As you stand with this scene before you, there is no doubting the reason.' Anon.
Tibet is also vividly hued compared with the far more mundane revolutionary character of the Chinese lowlands – a sudden blaze of tribal costume, coral and turquoise beadwork, gilded temple roofs, garish gods and demons, fluttering prayer-flags, spinning prayer-drums, silver and brass, and rich golden yak butter. Priests in flowing crimson robes, lamas in deep maroon, saffron and yellow - and through the seemingly incessant whirl of color, the mournful squeal and rumbling bellow of temple pipes and horns.
For centuries, Tibet was isolated, almost inaccessible, a forbidden citadel hidden in the eaves of the very roof of the world. Today it is the most coveted of all the tourist destinations in China , the place where just about every China traveler wants to go.
The Land and the People
Nyingchi: Rivers & Mountains The Hymalayas
There is a striking contrast in Tibet - that it’s people are so warm and welcoming, and yet its geography so inhospitable. It covers an area of close to 750,000 sq km (290,000sq miles), bordered by China , India , Nepal , Burma , Sikkim and Bhutan , and it is mostly mountainous, very sparely inhabited, has few serviceable roads and had no railway until 2005,when the awe-inspiring Qinghai - Tibet railway opened.
It has a climate in which the temperature can fall to freezing point on mountainsides even at the height of summer and plunge to minus 40C in winter
, bringing heavy snowfalls that block the mountain passes and make many areas more isolated than ever.
Its main travel artery, before the arrival of the railroad, is the bumpy high-way that runs west from Lhasa to Shigatse and then cuts south to the border with Nepal . Another key mountain road carries on from Shigatse and skirts the Himalayas, following the western border, skirting the holy mountain of Kailash , before pausing in Ali and heading north to Yecheng and Kashgarin the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Lhasa is also linked with the lowland by a road that runs to Golmud in Qinghai province.
The Tibetan people are believed to be of mixed Mongoloid -Turkic lineage. Before the arrival of Buddhism, Tibetan armies rampaged through Turkestan , Pakistan , Nepal and even China , at one time over-running the Tang dynasty capital of Chang’an,(Xi'an) but when Buddhism arrived, the religion or way of life, took hold with a vengeance, so that by the tenth century the Tibetans had gone from being a warlike, much-feared race to being a nation of monasteries, a people ruled by monks.
The evolution of the various Buddhist sects that contend (mostly peacefully) in Tibet is very complex. It’s enough to say that by the Gelugpa order had become the most revered incarnate lamas in all Tibet . Today’s Dalai Lama is the fourteenth, and he is adored by his people as a God King. He fled Tibet in 1959, during an unsuccessful uprising by the Tibetan people in protest at the Chinese had occupation of their country. The Chinese had marched into Tibet and liberated it in October 1950, shortly after the Communist Party came to power.
, most of the country’s 4,000 monasteries were shut down and the monls disbanded. Today, monasteries are re-opening the length and breadth of the land. The Beijing government would even like to see the Dalai Lama return, and have in fact renovated his private apartments in the Palace in Lhasa , but there appears to be little chance of this former religious monarch regaining any real measure of power.
Night view of the 1,000 year old, 13 floor, Patola Palace, the world's highest. Buddhism and Bon
Tibetan Buddhism, or Lamaism, was bonded onto a form of animism called Bon, which ruled Tibetan spiritual life in ancient times. Some of its imagery and ritual have been absorbed quite comfortably into the Buddhist practices - spirit and demon worship, prayer-flags and offerings to the guardian spirits of mountain passes, for instance, adding colour, reverence and mystique that distinguish its ceremony and monastic life, as well as spiritual rites in death, from all other Buddhist schools of thought.
For more than two decades after the Chinese takeover, the Tibetan religion was virtually driven underground. In the current liberalization it is beginning to flourish again, and starting from early 1986 the regular “summonses” of the various sects and temple festivals have been restored in Lhasa, and throughout the mountain domain.
A river's bend -- Trip to Yarlung Zangpo Canyon 2010-01-29
The Yarlung Zangpo's dramatic course creates the world's longest and deepest canyon in Tibet.
The snow-capped peak of Namjagbarwa
I had read a lot about the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon in Nyingchi prefecture - regarded as the world's longest and deepest, stretching 496 km and averaging more than 5,000 m in depth - and longed for a chance to see it. I got to fulfill my dream last September, while assigned to work in the Tibet autonomous region's tourism bureau.
Rapeseed flowers in Bayi, capital of Nyingcha prefecture
The Yarlung Zangbo River runs eastwards along the northern foothills of the Himalayas. The lower reaches of the river cut through the mountain range before making a sharp U-turn around Namjagbarwa Peak in Pai, Namling county, in eastern Tibet - the starting point of the Grand Canyon.
My friends and I head for Nyingchi, which lies 400 km to the east of Lhasa. From there, we climb Mt Serkyimla, at an altitude of 4,702 m and reach the town of Pailong.
The Tibetans with a population of 5,416,021 mostly live in the Tibet Autonomous Region. There are also Tibetan communities in Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.
Xian and the North West
Xi’an is one of China ’s oldest and most illustrious cities - the capital of Shanxi province, Xi'an, cultural hub of north-central China and the principal gateway to the remarkable oasis towns and cities, Islamic minorities and Buddhist treasures of the arid northwest.
The city has played a strategic role in Chinese history for more than 3,000 years. Known as Chang’an, it served as the capital of 11 dynasties covering a period of 1,100 years up to the reign of the Tang (618 - 907). It was also the eastern terminus of the Silk Road , lying in the path of the main Central Asian conduit into the heart of China , was a heavily fortified frontier post for several centuries.
In 1374, engineers of the Ming rule, already strengthening the Great Wall, bolstered Xi’an ’s defenses by tearing down and reconstructing the wall that hadencircled the city since ancient times. The massive structure, 12m ( 39ft ) high and 14 to 18m (46to 59ft ) thick, running for about 122km (7.4 miles) around the city, still stands today and is the firstvivid impression of Xi’an’s historic importance that visitors get as theyarrive.
Its historic prominence has endowed modern Xi’an with one of the greatest treasure troves of ancient culture to be found anywhere in China, and it’s given the city a new strategic role as the nation’s number one tourist mecca. In the high summer season it is packed with tour groups and, unfortunately, it is also a clamoring beehive of frantically persistent souvenir hawkers, especially at the most renowned and astonishing of all its cultural at tractions - the life-size 'terracotta army' of the iron man of Chinese history, Qin Shi Huangdi.
Across the North
If you are entering China along the friendship Highway, Urumqi is the railhead for the the north of the country, through the boundless grasslands of Inner Mongolia to Beijing .
There are, in fact, two rail routes to the north from Lanzhou. One direct service heads to Beijing via Baotou and Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, then to Datong , the third of the four greatest centers of Buddhist cave art in China . The other cuts back southest to Xi’an, then across the heartland of China through Luoyang, the site of the Longmen Grottoes, and Zhengzhou, the the access point for the Shaolin Monastery, about 70km tothe south-west, after which it heads north to Beijing throough Shijiazhuang in Hebei province.
Luoyang and Zhengzhou can be approached just as easily from the east; Shanghai and Guangzhou , leaving the trip across the northern plateau the most exciting route from Lanzhou .
The Grasslands
The grasslands route takes you through the panoramic flat green seas of Gobi scrubland and lush pasturelands that stretch from horizon to horizon across Nei Menggu (Inner Mongolia).It is broken only by occasional settlements of yurts, the animal skin tents of the nomadic sheep and cattle herders. Until the railway line was pushed across the plains, the Dahingan Range , a thickly wooded stretch of hills running northeast to southwest across the plateau, effectively isolated the Mongolian tribes, or 'banners,' from the rest of the world, and for the most part, kept the world out of Mongolia .
As for the Mongolians, themselves, they were a warring, fragmented and greatly feared barbarian race ruled by 'Khans', or tribal chiefs, until one man turned their solitary,
idyllic existence upside down for them - that man was Genghis Khan.
In one of the most incredible, explosive events of history, these sheep and cattle herders, - brilliant horsemen and cavalry tacticians, – suddenly banded together under this savage warlord’s command and thundered out of the wilderness to conquer China and carve an empire that stretched beyond the western borders of Russia and Persia. Just as swiftly as they pillaged and subjugated much of the vast Eurasian landmass, so their terrible adventure ended: Within less than a century they had been crushed in China by the Mings, pushed back out of the territories to the west and were straggling and limping back into the grassy wilds far beyond the Great Wall. It was largely due the fact that the third Ming Emperor, Zhu Di, was immensely powerful during the early part of his reign, and that after several decades of peace, the Mongols had become become complacent, and had settled into a period of contentment.
From that time of retreat and withdrawal, during the late 13th and early 14th century, the Mongolian nation was divided between the tribes of the north and the remnants of the China expedition in the south – a division that the Manchu Qing dynasty was happy to maintain for its own sake when it brought the entire region under Chinese control in the sevent
Yunnan Province
Yunnan, which translates into 'South of the Clouds', is a mountainous sub-tropical province and a kind of Chinese Golden Triangle, bordering Myanmar ( Burma ), Laos and Vietnam . It shares four main rivers with these neighboring states, including the mighty Mekong , and has a certain cultural links through its minority hill tribes. The most prominent of these, the Dai, have their own tribal homeland, the Xishuang-banna autonomous district to the south of the province, which was opened up in 1986 to foreign travel without special permits.
There are also Lisu, Lahuand Yao clans whose tribal domains spread as far as the northern border region of Thailand .
Originally part of a southern Kingdom called Nanzhou , Yunnan was conquered by the Yuan Mongols in the thirteenth century and brought under imperial rule. It was the scene of a violent Moslem rebellion and an equally bloody government reprisal in the nineteenth century and then became a foot-hold for French incursions into China from their colonial bases in Laos and Vietnam . A legacy of the French presence is a narrow-gauge railway linking Kunming with Hanoi , which is now back in operation and is a popular overland route with tourists.
In World War II Kunming because one of the bases of Chiang Kaishek’s beleaguered nationalist government and swelled with refugees from the east, who were fleeing Japanese forces. The British and Americans kept the city alive with vast shipments of supplies from Burma , bringing them in along the famous Burma Road and by airlift from India . eenth century.
By the turn of the twentieth century the Russians were competing for control of the region, and in 1924 the Soviet Red Army moved in and promoted the establishment of the autonomous People’s Republic of (Outer) Mongolia in the north, leaving the southern Nei Mongol to Beijing . The region is now heavily settled with Han Chinese, who vastly outnumber the estimated two million Mongols, many of whom have returned to their greener but far less ambitious pastures, with little to show for their historic glory but two spiritual legacies – Tibetan - style Buddhism and Islam,and legends of Ghengis and Kublai Kahn.
Guilin Travel Guide
Just as Xian is a must when you travel to China, so is Guilin. The stunning landscape in which the city is situated has a kind of magic that is all its own. The strangely shaped hills, or karsts, with the verdant vegetation ranging from bamboo to conifers together with wonderful caves make Guilin such an attraction for tourists.
Located in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guilin is considered to be the pearl of China's thriving tourist industry on account of the natural beauty and historic treasures. Covering an area of about 27,800 square kilometers (10,734 square miles), the city is rather compact when compared with other leading cities in the country. However, situated within this area one may find green mountains, crystal clear waters, unique caves and beautiful stones. Major attractions include Elephant Trunk Hill, Li River, Reed Flute Cave and Seven-Star Park that boasts a Stone Museum where amazing geological finds are displayed. Believe that each of these places and many other attractions will leave you the lasting memories.
Guilin is also an important cultural city with a history encompassing more than 2000 years. The city has been the political, economic and cultural center of Guangxi since the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Solitary Beauty Peak is considered to be the oldest place of interest and has been so since the far off days of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). The prosperity enjoyed by the city during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) is epitomized by the Tomb of Prince Jingjiang.
The many ethnic minorities represented here that include the Zhuang, Yao, Hui, Miao, Mulao, Maonan and Dong enrich the cultural life of the city. Each minority has its own unique customs and festivals and this means that they are much more abundant here than in many other places elsewhere in China. Travelers can enjoy these pageants at the Li River Folk Customs Center.
Guilin is a well-developed tourist center with convenient transportation, communication and accommodation facilities. You can enter Guilin by air, by train or by bus and get around on free buses. From luxury hotels to hostels, from splendid restaurants to local snacks, you are sure to find that your needs will be met beyond your expectations.
Yunnan Travel Guide
Yunnan (Beautiful Clouds in the South) Province is the most southwest region of China bordering the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. Yunnan Province bordersGuizhou Province and Guangxi Zhang Autonomous Region to the east, Chongqing and Sichuan to the north, and Tibet Autonomous Region to the northwest. Yunnan encompasses 394,000 square kilometers (152,084 square miles) and has a population of more than 42 million people.
Within these borders, Yunnan has a diverse topography that ranges from alpine mountain ranges to tropical rainforests and the greatest number of plant species in China (more than 18,000) as well as an incredible array of animals, including the Asian elephant and the protected Yunnan golden monkey. There is even a rainforest in the area known as Xishuangbanna where you will find many rare and endangered species of plants and animals.
Ethnic Minority Groups
Yunnan Province is endlessly fascinating. There are 25 different ethnic minorities in Yunnan, making it the most culturally diverse province in China. This multiplicity of cultures has endowed the province with a rich heritage that it shares with all who come to visit. There is always something wonderful to see and do here. Whether you are visiting a Dongba village, the Dai Water Splashing Festival, the Third Month Fair of the Bai Nationality, or the Torch Festival of the Yi people, you will find that Yunnan is a place that celebrates life.
Stone Forest (Shi Lin), located outside of the capital city of Kunming, is one of the world's natural wonders. Here, massive pillars of gray rock have formed a gigantic forest of stone. Some of these natural stone formations have the appearance of animals such as snakes, elephants, birds, and dragons. Kunming has many interesting temples and parks such as Daguan Park, Black Dragon Pool, Zheng He Park, Bamboo Temple, Golden Temple, and theWestern Hills, to name only a few. Each of these places has unique features that capture the imagination. For example, the Bamboo Temple has 500 life-size luohans that were sculpted in the 1800's. The Western Hills contains three temples: Huating Temple (from the 11th century), Taihua Temple, and the Sanqing Temple. At the top of the path, which takes about two hours to reach, is Longmen (Dragon Gate). Dragon Gate is comprised of sculptures, grottos, and pathways that were built by a Taoist monk in the late 1700's. The view from Dragon Gate overlooking DianChi Lake and the city of Kunming is spectacular. Moreover, you can always be certain of fabulous spring weather in Kunming regardless of the time of year!
At the southern end of Yunnan Province bordering on Laos and Myanmar is Xishuangbanna, a tropical rainforest that is the home of the Dai people. The Dai have many festivals that span across the year. The Water Splashing Festival occurs officially in mid-April but has become such a famous event that it is enacted regularly. In the northwest section of Yunnan, on a plateau amidst theJade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Mountain), is its most beautiful pearl, the city of Lijiang. Lijiang Old Town, rebuilt because of a devastating earthquake in 1996, is a traveler's oasis. Three small rivers course through Old Town's cobbles-stoned streets that are lined with trees, wonderful restaurants and cafes, shops, residences and a theatre where you can attend a performance of music played on original period instruments that date back to the Han dynasty. Lijiang has been designated by UNESCO as one of the world's major cultural heritages, and is the center of the Lijiang Naxi Ethnic Minority Autonomous County. The Naxi (one of 25 ethnic minorities of Yunnan Province) are the predominate population of Lijiang and its surrounding area. There are also a variety of beautiful parks and temples around Lijiang.
The natural beauty of Yunnan Province defies description. It has mountain ranges and glaciers that are snow-capped all year round, deep virgin forests, lakes and hot springs, alpine landscapes, precipitous valleys, beautiful farmlands, mountain rivers and valley streams, floral splendor that blooms throughout the year, and vast skies with amazing clouds.
Until recent times most of Yunnan was not easily reachable as it was cut off from communication with the outside world by precipitous mountains. Many believe that the Shangri-La referred to in James Milton's Lost Horizons, was here in Yunnan. It now may be the last virgin land where one can observe cultures whose layers go back for thousands of years into the past. Visit Yunnan and be prepared to be enchanted. She welcomes you!
The Land and the People 
Night view of the 1,000 year old, 13 floor, Patola Palace, the world's highest.
Yunnan
Just as Xian is a must when you travel to China, so is Guilin. The stunning landscape in which the city is situated has a kind of magic that is all its own. The strangely shaped hills, or karsts, with the verdant vegetation ranging from bamboo to conifers together with wonderful caves make Guilin such an attraction for tourists.
Major attractions include Elephant Trunk Hill, Li River, Reed Flute Cave and Seven-Star Park that boasts a Stone Museum where amazing geological finds are displayed. Believe that each of these places and many other attractions will leave you the lasting memories.
The many ethnic minorities represented here that include the Zhuang, Yao, Hui, 
top of the path, which takes about two hours to reach, is Longmen (
The natural beauty of Yunnan Province defies description. It has mountain ranges and glaciers that are snow-capped all year round, deep virgin forests, lakes and hot springs, alpine landscapes, precipitous valleys, beautiful farmlands, mountain rivers and valley streams, floral splendor that blooms throughout the year, and vast skies with amazing clouds.
