Xiamen, also known as Amoy, is a beautiful seaside town, easily accessible by both air and rail. The climate is good, warm most of the year round, Autumn temperatures being around 30oC. The beaches are good, sandy and clean, but be careful of rocks and metal pipes in the sea if you go swimming. There are many modern shops and lots of restaurants selling food from around the world.

The Jia Hong Hotel, 433 Si Ming South Road, is a good 2 star hotel, not far from the city centre. Twin bed rooms with bathroom, 250 Y per night. Tel: 0592 205 7322/2

One good place to visit from Xiamen is The Xiamen Hulishan fortress and museum, 25 Y. It has nice gardens and a view over the sea along with many historical relics, due to its rather long and interesting history. Also Gulang Island is worth a visit, a short ferry ride away from Xiamen, and due to its past, foreign presence, has a bit of a Mediterranean feel to it. There are no budget or mid range priced hotels on the island, but it’s still worth a visit so a day trip is recommended unless you are prepared to pay. The Lu Hai Hotel does rooms from 720 Y per night.

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Gansu

Lanzhou is a city built between two mountain ranges, along the banks of the Yellow River. It is roughly 2km wide and 24km long. In the past it had the reputation for being the most polluted city in the world, but great efforts have been made in the past few years and it is now much cleaner.

It is said to be the place where the Chinese civilization began, over 3000 years ago, so has many historical places, including the White Pagoda Hill. It has a large Muslim community and is the home of the famous ‘Lanzhou beef noodles’ [Lanzhou nui rou mian].

To travel around Gansu, Lanzhou is the starting point from which most busses would begin. Foreigners need to buy travel insurance, which can be purchased at most bus stations in Gansu; 40 Y for 20 days cover is the only option. You need to write your own name and the name of the benefactor, plus their address, twice.

Xiahe is a small, Tibetan town in what was once Tibet, but in the 1950’s, became Gansu. It is a great place to see Tibetan life, whilst not actually having to go to modern day Tibet. It’s about 200km west of Lanzhou, with early, direct busses to it, 8:00 and 9:00, about 5 hours, 35 Y; or local, nightmare busses which are not much cheaper but take up to 10 hours. Direct buses leave Xiahe for Lanzhou at 6:00, 7:00, 8:00 and 14:30. Otherwise it’s the local, nightmare busses leaving every ? hour or when full.

Arriving in Xiahe, you can take a motor trike to the main hotel and guest house area, about a 10 minute ride away, bargain the price down, 10 – 15 Y is plenty. You arrive in the Han section of the town, where the hotels are more expensive, the area has less atmosphere and could be any town in China, but the western section is the Tibetan section, full of hussle and bussle, monks in purple robes and Tibetan pilgrims coming to pray in the many Tibetan, Buddhist monasteries and spin the hundreds of prayer wheels.

One friendly place to stay is the Tara Guest house [zhou ma lu she], 3, 4 and 6 bed dorms for 20 Y. There are clean toilets, and hot showers are available in the morning and evening. Many back packers use this guest house, and information of where to go and not go can easily be gathered from other travellers. The owner is Tibetan and speaks fluent English, but not good Mandarin. There are other good guest houses in the area, The Labrang Monastery Guest house [la bu leng si zhao dai suo] is a good option. There are also many excellent restaurants and eating houses, everything from local Tibetan dishes to Chinese dishes to Nepalese curries, most at a very reasonable price.

Around Xiahe there are two, large grasslands. Ganjia Grasslands is a hugh area of pasture land, 35km from Xiahe, wide open spaces, friendly locals and very clean surroundings. There is a small Tibetan monastery, with very friendly monks and beautiful views, and some caves which are deep, steep and very slippery, which you can spend an hour being taken around, but are not really worth the effort unless you love small and cramped caves. If you are in need of views and some space to breath, Ganjia is the place to go but you must make sure that your driver knows what you do and do not want to see, before you set off. Just walking in the hills and grasslands is a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. But be aware that you are at 3000 meters above sea level, so a sweater and sunscreen are both advised. You cannot stay at the Ganjia Grasslands overnight.

Sangke grasslands has Tibetan tents in which you can stay, but all at ridiculous prices, unless you go to the Labrang Hotel [la bu leng bin guan] first, to make a reservation. The area is nice, rolling hills and grazing herds, but large campsites and litter cover the place, taking away some of its beauty. The locals are not too friendly, demanding money and using intimidating behaviour is none is given. A place to miss unless you really want to go horse riding, 25 Y per hour.

Lanzhou is an 11 hour train journey North West of Xi'an, much colder, much drier, yet in many ways, much nicer. Temperatures ranged from about -20oC up to freezing point, and was so dry that my throat became quite rough at times. It has a large, minority population of both the Muslim and Tibetian groups which makes it more cosmopolitan then Xi'an and many other cities.

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Guizhou

Guiyang is the capital city of Guizhou Province, a pleasant city built among steep hills and on several rivers. There are several places of interest in the city, including the Jiaxiu Pavillion on the banks of the Nanming River and the Qianling park, a beautiful park built on steep hills and lakes and full of monkeys roaming free, and has several temples. Avoid the park’s zoo. Just to the East of Guiyang is the town of Huaxi, which also has a beautiful park.

Guizhou has many minority peoples living in it, over 30% being non-Han. Many villages and small towns can easily be reached where you can meet locals in their traditional costumes, try traditional foods and watch traditional folk dancing. The main minority peoples are the Miao, the Dong, the Bouyei, the Yi, the Shui, the Hui, etc.

Guizhou is one of China’s poorest provinces, yet also, a very beautiful one, known as the ‘Garden Province’, with a semi-tropical climate, thick, lush forests and deep lakes and rivers, especially in July – September. It also has large, cylindrical, limestone mountains around the center of the province, which are quite novel.

Its greatest tourist attraction is the famous Huang Guo Shu waterfull, the highest in Asia. It is very touristy, but worth a visit; as is the nearby Tian Xing Qiao park. In the Summer months both are full of wildly flowing waterways and rivers; in the Winter, the water is down to less than half, but still worth a visit. Mosquito repellant and an umbrella are advised.

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Hainan

Hainan Island is a tropical island, warm in Winter [about 20oC], hot and very humid in Summer. It has golden beaches, palm trees, expensive shopping malls and hundreds of hotels. Haikou is the capital, and worth a visit to see all of these sites, along with being able to stroll in several large parks and boulevards.

Sanya, on the south side of the island is also called China’s Hawaii, and has the most golden of Hainan’s beaches, cleanest of sea’s and most expensive hotels. There are a few cheaper ones, but not at bargain prices. Sanya is a 3 hour bus ride from Haikou, busses running from the long distance bus station on Daying Hou Lu.

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Henan

Henan has two major cities, Zhengzhou and Luoyang. Zhengzhou is not worth visiting, but Luoyang is famous for its long history and temples and its peony festival around May. It also has a nice park, Wangcheng Park, but avoid the park’s zoo.

From the Long Distance bus station on Daonan Lu, opposite the train station, you can catch a bus to Shaolin Monastery [shao lin si], which is a famous martial arts centre and school. It has been attacked by armies on many occasions, the latest being the Red Army in the early 1970’s, and restoration is continuing at a slow pace. It’s very commercial and only worth a visit if you are interested in Chinese monastries or Kungfu.

Kaifeng, to the east of Zhengzhou, is said to be inhabited by one of the lost tribes of Israel and the remains of an ancient synagogue, destroyed by floods in the 1850’s can just about be seen. It is also the home of a small Christian community and a larger Muslim one. The town is still fairly old in style, but modernization is coming. Worth a visit though.

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Hubei

Wuhan is the capital of Hubei, being a large, uninteresting city, actually made up of 3 cities, Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang. It is being modernized at a fast rate, and may soon look more like Shanghai or Nanjing. Its main claims to tourist fame are that it sits on the enormous Yangzi River [Chang Jiang], and is the terminus of the Chongqing to Wuhan, Three Gorges ferry trip.

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Sichuan

Chengdu is Sichuan’s capital, a large city of modern skyscrapers and department stores. But it is also a pleasant city, full of tea houses and river walks. Chengdu has a warm, humid climate in Summer, full of flowers and green areas and has an air of sleepiness along with all the hussle and bussle of any modern city. Old areas of the city can still be found, lots of flee markets, pedlar markets, small back alleys and tiny, Sichuan restaurants; lots of Chilli pepper and Chinese tea.

A good place to stay is the Traffic Hotel [jiaotong fandian], [028 555 1017] beds range from economy dorms at 30 Y per person, to standard rooms at 200 Y. There is also a free breakfast [both Chinese and Western; ask for the Chinese as the Western was not too good], and very good travel information. Most staff spoke good English and were very friendly and helpful. From the airport, it should cost less than 80Y, if bargained. It is situated just off Renmin Nan Lu, on Lingjiang Lu, nearby the bridge across the Jin River.

There is a good cafe / bar across the river, Paul’s Oasis Cafe, on Binjiang Zhong Lu, [028 866 73074] which provides delicious foreign food at good prices, along with real coffee and beers at very good prices. It’s been decorated in a slum / ghetto type fashion, and has great blues, reggae and folk music. Great for the back packers brigade.

Leshan is about 150km from Chengdu, and busses can be caught from the Xin nan men bus station, next to the Traffic Hotel. Leshan is the home to the world’s largest Buddha, Da Fu, 70 meters high, carved out of the cliff where the huge Dadu and Min Rivers meet. It’s worth going to see, and the entrance ticket to the whole park is 40Y. Leshan has little else of interest, but it’s Ok for a stroll along the river and a visit to one of the many riverside tea gardens. There is little in the way of cheap hotels, but there are several mid range.

To get to Emeishan, you can either get busses from Chengdu or Leshan, which will take you to Emei town. Here you can get a bus for Baoguo, a few miles further on. Both have modern bus stations, very easy to use and fairly comfortable. You will be able to buy maps at either stations, which will prove invaluable. Bags and backpacks can be stored at the Teddy Bear Cafe in Baoguo, next to the bus station, for free.

From Baoguo, you catch a bus to Emeishan base, where you buy the entrance ticket, 82Y including insurance. You need to go to a side room and have a computerized photo taken, which will be printed onto the ticket. There are several drop off points along the route up the mountain, Wannian si being the last before the big haul up the last, several kilometers, to Jieyin Hall. From Jieyin Hall, you can either continue climbing by foot, past several temples [about 2 hours up 1000’s of steps] or take a cable car.

At the top you will find the Jinding temple, an old building held together with rusty, corrugated iron, 100’s of young Chinese who have used the bus and cable car, a few elderly, rickety pilgrims who have climbed the whole way, and several hotels; everything from cheap, 20Y a bed [if bargained] to expensive hotels with posh restaurants. You will also find, if the weather is kind, amazing views of the smaller mountains that you are towering over. If you decide to then descend via foot, be aware that for every 100 steps that go down, there are 50 that go up, and the descent takes about 10 hours, plus rest stops. But the semi-tropical forest, the overhanging cliffs and the various peaks and troughs make it an interesting if painful descent. Watch out for the monkeys though, which will steal bags and food if you are not holding on tight. A good walking stick or umbrella is usually enough to keep them away.

If you are wishing to visit Jui Zhai Gou, in North Sichuan, it’s a long bus journey from Chengdu, and entrance tickets are 200Y. There are hotels in the park, but none are cheap, and you may not get a room due to the tour groups using them all up. You can arrange a tour from the travel agencies in the Traffic Hotel, along with many other places.

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Shaanxi

Xi’an, one of China’s oldest cities, is full of dirty but quite interesting areas and places. The Big and the Small Goose Pagodas [dayanta & xiaoyanta] are it’s main attractions inside of the city, along with the city wall, the Drum and Bell towers [zhonglou & goulou], Xingqing and Weiyanghu parks and the Muslim Quarter where you can buy everything from Chinese paintings to silk dresses, to Mao’s little Red Book in several languages. You can also try many local dishes, but watch out for the chilli pepper.

But it’s most famous tourist attractions are the Terra Cotta Warriors and horses, and tomb of the emperor Qin Shihuang [bingmayong], which can be got to via buses at the train station in the north of Xi’an, return ticket is no more than 10Y on the number 306 bus. Entrance is 65Y [but often the price is said to be more for foreigners, so be ready to argue]. En route you can also visit the Huaqing Pool, where you can visit a very mediocre temple and bathing pool of past emperors; entrance ticket 35Y.

Other places around Xi’an are the Qian tombs [ancient tombs of past emperors and China’s only emperess], the Banpo Neolithic village [from about the year 4500BC], Famen Temple [an ancient Buddhist temple]and Huashan, one of China’s 5 sacred mountains.

Huashan is 2160m high and towers above the surrounding mountains. It has 5 peaks, North, South, East, West and Central, and a cable car [80Y return] to the North Peak. It takes about 4 hours to reach the North Peak on foot, another hour to reach the others from there. Entrance fee is 70Y, but foreigners are usually charged more, with the claim that we need to pay tax. This is not true, but if you refuse to pay the extra, you simply don’t get a ticket, and after a 3 hour bus or train journey they know that you will pay. If you are willing to pay the extra, the views from Huashan are fantastic if the weather is clear.

Other mountains are Cuihuashan, a volcanic mountain, now dead with a blown off top and a lake nestling in the crater, 100’s of Chinese tourists in suits, mini skirts and stilettos, and covered in litter, entrance price 35Y; Taibaishan, near Baoji city, a beautiful, snow capped mountain, 3767m high; and Louguantai, a small mountain of historical importance rather than known for its views.

Xi’an has few cheap places to stay, but the Xi’an foreign Languages University Hotel will provide doubles for about 120Y for a basic room and bathroom, and the Xi’an Shuyuan Youth Hostel, near the South Gate has doubles for 80Y per bed or four bed rooms for 50Y per bed [029 7287720].

Hanzhong and Ankang cities are in the South of Shaanxi, south of the Qinling Mountain range. They are both much smaller than Xi’an and worth a visit [the train journey through the mountains is worth the trip alone]. The pace of life is a much slower pace than in Xi’an and they are both situated near to some forested hills and have the swimable Han River flowing through them.

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Shandong

Qingdao is on the Eastern coast of China, facing the Yellow Sea. It was a small, fishing village, until 1898, when Germany took control and gave it its many Bavarian styled buildings, most of which remain today. It then was taken over by the Japanese and then the Chinese, then the Japanese again and in 1945, it returned to China. It is a relaxed city, with many modern buildings along with the older, Bavarian styled ones, built on rolling hills, surrounded by sea on 2 of its 3 sides, and with 6 beaches, all swimable.

There are many hotels, not too many cheap ones though, and 1000’s of Chinese tourists, 100’s of delicious seafood restaurants and a few parks and temples scattered here and there. The area is great for seaside town walks and has a bit of a European feel, probably due to the German influence. But beware not to stroll to close to the far end of the city, around Tuandao Bay, as it’s out of bounds to foreigners, being a military base.

It’s suggested that only good restaurants be used, as not all the restaurants cook all the seafood hygienically, and stomach bugs can be a problem if the less reputable places are used. But do try some of the good one’s as the seafood is fresh and delicious, along with the Qingdao beer, famous across all of China, and even across the World.
It’s based on the German brews and arrived in China, not surprisingly, from the
Germans, during their occupation. All in all, Qingdao is worth a visit if you love tourist beaches, seafood or beer. But be aware that when it rains, it’s not the nicest place to be, and roads quickly flood.

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Shanghai

Shanghai has 2 of China’s international airports, Pudong and Hongqiao. They are connected by a shuttle bus which runs regularly, 25Y, for about a 50 minute journey. There is also a shuttle bus from the train station area, to Pudong airport, [come out of the train station, turn left and follow the road round to the right. Keep walking straight on, cross over the crossroads and a few meters on you will see the bus, opposite the Tai Ping Yang Insurance Company [太平洋保险 保太平].
For a fairly cheap hotel near to Pudong airport, the Pudong Airport hotel is not only fairly cheap [180Y for a 2-3 bed room, plus bathroom] but also is only a 5 minute free, shuttle bus ride from the airport. To get to it, you need to go to Pudong Airport and see the staff at the Pudong Airport Hotel reception desk.

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Xinjiang

Urumqi is in the center of Xinjiang, and a good place to start. Temperatures are extreme in Xinjiang, Winter’s can drop to -40oC in some places but most areas are about -20; Summer’s can reach high 40’s, but again, most places reach about 35oC. It’s very dry, much of the province being desert or semi desert. Han and minority Chinese do not mix too well, there being quite high levels of racial prejudice on both sides throughout all of Xinjiang. But foreigners are treated well on the whole and often can get things at a cheaper rate than Han tourists. The main groups are Han, Uighur, Kyrgyz and Kazakh.

Urumqi is a pleasant city, modern and clean, although very dry and can be very dusty. It has many hotels, but not too many cheap ones now. The Bogda Hotel, on Guangming Lu, [0991 282 3910] does a 6 bed dorm, 20Y per bed, but only has one dorm, the rest of the hotel being pretty expensive. Other hotels are the expensive but luxurious Wenzhou Hotel, Helongjiang Lu [0991 583 6666]; the Airport Hotel [pretty basic but convenient for the airport] and the Yili Hotel on Changjiang Lu, [0991 585 6888] with beds in a triple dorm with bathroom for 100Y per bed, but barganable if you have the courage. It also does a great Chinese breakfast.

Just outside of the city center, you can find local Muslim restaurants selling huge chunks of lamb on kabab sticks, for 1.5Y each, along with many other kababable meats and vegetables, all absolutely delicious. The Uighur ‘stretched and thrown about everywhere’ noodles [Banmian] are also available and a plate of them will satisfy any hunger for the rest of the day.

From Hongshan Park, North gate [hongshan gongyuan, bei men], you can get buses to many places, and also from the Long Distance Bus Station [changtu qiche zhan] on Helongjiang Lu.

Tian Chi, is a large, mountainous park, with a deep blue lake, snow covered peaks, waterfalls, forest and hill hiking, horse riding and amazing sunsets. There are a few hotels although they are quite expensive, all around the bus terminus. Yurts [Kazakh tents] can be hired for around 100Y a day, more if you wish to stay the night, near to the bus terminus, or the top of the cable car. It’s pretty touristy though and definitely worth getting further out to the far side of the lake where it’s much more beautiful, quiet and cheaper.

If you do venture to the other side of the lake, you can find a site where you can stay among the Kazakh locals for 40Y a bed [actually a raised floor with a couple of thick douvets] plus 3 simple but good meals a day and a very friendly atmosphere. It is run by a man called Rashit, who will meet you as you get off the bus, and present you with his official card. He speaks very good English. You can then either take the cable car or climb the 1000’s of steps, past amazing waterfalls and views, until you reach the lake, then either walk along the lake’s edge for 40 minutes, or take a boat trip which will drop you off at the site. His site is in one of the most beautiful areas of the park and many people stay longer than their intended stay. There are no toilet nor

washing facilities on site, but there is a large lake and forest, with lots of huge rocks and boulders to hide behind. Remember to take plenty of toilet paper!

The lake is 1980 meters above sea level, so sweaters and long trousers are needed in the evenings, and hay fever tablets are advised even in July. The area is extremely beautiful and worth at least one full day to simply walk around or horse trek around the hills and mountains. The highest peak is the 5445 meter Bogda Feng, permanently covered in snow, and often visible from near to the camp site. Many back packers use this site, and from here, you can collect lots of information about other places to go or even avoid.

Bai Yang Gou is also a large hilly area, not a nice as Tian Chi, but pleasant enough. It’s about a 2 hour bus ride south of Urumqi, but much more touristy than Tian Chi and more expensive, especially the food. Bargain for the yurts but not the food. Here you can go for long walks in hilly meddows and pine forests, and see herdsmen with their cows, sheep, goats and horses, plus look out for ground hogs which appear from time to time.

The Turpan Basin [Tulufan] is the second lowet place on Earth, 154 meters below sea level, and is a very dry desert area, yet has a maze of underground irrigation channels [3000km in total, all built by hand]. Turpan city has little of interest, and has been known to reach the soaring temperature 49.6oC, so hats, sunscreen and drinking water are essential.

Around Turpan city, you will find the 2 ruined cities of Gaochang and Jiaohe, both interesting sites, pretty exposed to the searing heat of the day and worth a visit. If you can get to the Flaming mountains [huo yan shan] at midday, you can see mountains that look like they are on fire [hence the name], and the Karez Underground Irrigation Channels are also worth seeing. Grape Valley is an interesting place, simply because of the amount of grapes grown there, but you have to squeeze past the hords of raisin and other dried fruit sellers to get to the grapes, and that takes longer than seeing the actual grapes, which are very over priced and found much cheaper in most cities in Xinjiang. Give Grape Valley a miss if you are short of time. Tours are available from Urumqi, which also visit the Bezelik Buddhist caves, and on request, and at extra cost you can see the Aydingkoi lake and a sand therapy clinic.

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Yunnan

Yunnan is a very mountainous province, with many minority groups and interesting cultures. The Yangxi [changjiang] and Mekong Rivers flow through it along with many other smaller rivers, and roads can be very twisty and liable to landslides.
Kunming is the capital city of Yunan, a pleasant city, lots of warm days, wet days and humid days, but also very clean and modern.

Near to Kunming is Stone Forest Park [shi lin], a huge park with towering limestone pillars, looking more like a prehistoric landscape than China. It is about a 3 hour bus ride away from Kunming, buses running regularly every morning.

From Kunming, you can catch 8 hour, day buses or 12 hour, night busses to Lijiang, passing through Dali en route. These can be caught from the Main, Long Distance Bus Station or the North Bus Station. There is also a 45 minute flight from Kunming to Lijiang.

Dali is an ancient city, full of interesting places to see, especially if you like Chinese history, but Lijiang is the better option if you are pushed for time and can only go to one. The new part of the city is of little interest and is even quite ugly, but the old part is fascinating, the old buildings having been tastefully restored and turned into cafes, bars, small, touristy type shops and mini museums, plus the famous Naxi orchestra, the oldest in China and reputed to be the oldest in the World. There are small, clean rivers which flow everywhere, quaint bridges, local dance performances in the old city square and local Naxi and Bai minority peoples, along with a few other minorities, in their traditional costumes everywhere, simply getting on with their lives. It’s recommended that you ask before photographing them.

From Lijiang, the majestic and usually snow capped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain [yu long xue shan], 5500meters high, and the Tiger leaping Gorge [hu tiao xia], with 3900 meter cliffs leading down to the raging Yangxi River at its most torrent, are worth seeing. You can do each place in a day, but if you want a more leisurely time, or a bit of a hard trek, there are hotels and guest houses to stay at and hiking paths which you need to stick to. Hikers have been killed due to not sticking to the trails set out and have either fallen or simply got lost and died of exposure.

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