July 2008

You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July 2008.

WildChina on the Web – 7/31/08

July 31, 2008 in In the News by Emma | No comments

Sometimes WildChina ends up in interesting places on the information super highway, so I thought it would be nice to share some of these links. I realize that these have been out there for awhile – let’s just say they took the slow boat from the US to get to the Beijing office.

  • Here’s a blog post written by Tom Swick of the Florida Sun-Sentinel. He mentions a letter our founder Mei Zhang sent out in May after the Sichuan earthquake.  We’re still thankful that our guides in the area came away unharmed, and were glad to hear that the earthquake yesterday in California was relatively minor.
  • For those of you looking for a secret “in” to the Olympics, check out this recent Forbes article mentioning WildChina. While we can’t promise you tickets to the opening ceremony, we can help you beat the crowds on custom tours outside of Beijing.
  • Finally, while the BBC program “Wild China” is not affiliated with this WildChina, we’ve been getting a few inquiries about going on the same trips as that camera crew. While we can’t exactly duplicate their routes, we’re always excited to show people the largely unknown (until now??) beauty of China’s wilderness.

As I discover more places WildChina has traveled to on the web I’ll post a new list of links. Let me know in the comments if I miss something!

Xi’an: Exploring China’s Past & Present

July 31, 2008 in On the Road by Anita | No comments

The last three days in Xi’an have flown by! This historic city, which is southwest of Beijing in Shaanxi province, once served as imperial China’s capital as well as the eastern starting point for the Silk Road trading routes. There’s clearly a lot of history here, which I’ve tried to digest with as much gusto as I’ve been digesting the unique local cuisine.

What have I seen? Xi’an’s most famous sight, the Terracotta Warriors, did not disappoint. Discovered in 1974 by peasants digging a well, these life-size pottery figures of soldiers were created to guard the tomb of the emperor who unified China. I had the opportunity to meet with one of the museum’s experts, who had previously received dignitaries including former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and former Russian President Vladimir Putin. She was very gracious, despite the fact that I’ve never helped run an economy, much less a country.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Journey Begins…

July 29, 2008 in On the Road by Anita | 1 comment

What happens if you take a woman of Indian descent, who speaks American-accented English and Taiwanese-accented Mandarin, and ask her to travel, WildChina style, for one month?

You get a lot of confused looks—that’s for sure!

Who am I? My name is Anita, and I was born and raised in Taiwan. I am currently based in Washington, DC, where I will work with WildChina’s founder, Mei, to oversee the company’s marketing and sales efforts in the U.S.

Much of my previous work experience in the U.S. has focused around China in some way, whether it was interning for a former U.S. ambassador to China, writing articles for a business news web site about China or bringing U.S. university officials to China and other parts of Asia to recruit students. Most recently, I completed a Master’s degree in Asian Studies, focused on….you guessed it: China.

Read the rest of this entry »

First Group in Chengdu After the Earthquake

July 2, 2008 in In the News, Sichuan-Earthquake by Emma | 1 comment

00.10 AM June 23

We landed at Chengdu Shuangliu airport. 42 days after the earthquake, 38 days after escaping from Chengdu, I’m back again. I feel especially bonded with this city. I am excited.

On the plane, a lady sitting next to me asked: are you going there to help (抗震救灾)？With so many lao wai? Haha, I laughed. No, we are visiting there. Actually, we’re the first tourist group coming to Chengdu after earthquake.

When entering the city, we saw many big red boards by the road, with many encouraging words, such as: “众志成城”; “同心协力，共建美好家园”. The city is as peaceful, as beautiful as before.

Read the rest of this entry »