May 2009

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Tips for Avoiding Altitude Sickness

May 26, 2009 in Travel Tips by Emma | No comments

In Tibet, “the Roof of the World”, Lhasa is one of the most beautiful cities on earth. At an elevation of 3,650 meters above sea level (11,975 feet), it’s also one of the highest.

While most visitors to Tibet aren’t planning on climbing Mt. Everest, the altitude alone is enough to knock you on your feet, even minus the strenuous climb. Before my visit to Tibet in 2006 I was given plenty of warnings about taking it easy and drinking tons of water. Yet as an experienced skiier with numerous problem-free visits to the peaks of the Rockies and Pacific Northwest, I didn’t pay much attention.

That is, until I landed in Lhasa. I quickly felt dizzy and short of breath. That night, I wasn’t able to hold down much of my dinner (too much information?). I quickly heeded the altitude advice I’d been given, and a day later was back in tip-top shape.

Emma at Everest

Watching the sunrise over Everest after shaking the effects of high-altitude

If you’re planning a visit to Tibet or any other high-altitude region, here are a few tips to help make your trip a comfortable one. It’s no fun to be stuck in your hotel room when everyone else is visiting the Potala Palace!

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What We’re Reading: Countdown to the 2010 Shanghai Expo

May 21, 2009 in In the News by Emma | No comments

I read a great article in the Washington Post recently about the countdown to the 2010 Shanghai Expo. If you’ve never been to Shanghai, this piece will give you a great description of what the city feels like – old and new, modern and ancient, all at once. Here’s a sneak peek, a passage where the author Andrea Sachs describes the ubiquitous Expo clocks around Shanghai:

Throughout the city of 18.8 million people, oversize clocks loom on plaza squares and inside public buildings. Many visitors, especially Chinese, stand beneath them, straightening their spines and grinning for the camera as Shanghai gets a few ticks closer to opening day.

Expo clock-watching would be a sport here, if Shanghai knew how to kill time. But the city, an economic renegade in the communist country, is dialed to high speed, trying to be the first to reach some undefined finish line. Drivers disregard speed limits and red lights; pedestrians move with the force of an undertow; futuristic-looking buildings materialize nearly overnight. Even the steamed dumplings are ready before you’ve had a chance to unfold your napkin.

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Three Yunnan Spots Considered for World Heritage Designation

May 16, 2009 in In the News by Anita | No comments

As is obvious from our previous posts about Yunnan, we at WildChina can’t say enough about this beautifully diverse southwestern province. Not only do we regularly run tours to the area, but we also love reading about the eye-opening experiences of other travelers.

Latest case in point: Stan Sesser of the Wall Street Journal has just written a piece, “Treasures Without Tourists,” in which he describes “one of the most spectacular sights on earth:” the Yuanyang rice terraces. One of three spots in Yunnan being considered for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site designation (along with Maotian Mountain National Geopark and Dali Old Town), these rice paddies were cultivated along a mountain range by the ethnic Hani minority. A photographer’s dream, the terraces are a breathtaking sight, particularly when the sun reflects off the water-filled paddies.

But whether the area can stay a “treasure without tourists” remains to be seen. While World Heritage designation can be a bit of a curse, often leading to rapid over-development and commercialization, for Yuanyang it would also be a blessing: more funds to preserve Hani culture and provide educational opportunities for their youth.

2/3 of Kashgar’s Old Town Bulldozed

May 13, 2009 in In the News by Emma | 1 comment

WildChina’s local partners in Xinjiang have confirmed details in an article written by Paul Mooney in The National on the recent destruction of 2/3 of Kashgar’s Old Town. Over the past few weeks, bulldozers have moved into the area, tearing down large swaths of the Old Town, a place 40% of Kashgar’s residents had called home.

Kashgar\'s Old Town

Kashgar’s Old Town Read the rest of this entry »

Author Michael Meyer Talks About Beijing’s Disappearing Hutong Neighborhoods

May 12, 2009 in In the News, WildChina Experts by Emma | No comments

Michael Meyer is the author of a soon-to-be-published book called The Last Days of Old Beijing, which describes the disappearing hutong neighborhoods of Beijing, as well as the people who’ve lived there for decades. The book is on my to-read list, but I just watched a talk  Meyer gave at the Asia Society in New York.

Meyer lived in the old hutong neighborhood of Dazhalan, an area the size of Vatican City yet with over 57,000 residents squeezed into the narrow lane houses that have defined Beijing life for 600 years. Living without heat, air-conditioning, plumbing, or hot water, Meyer describes both the sense of community he felt around him, as well as the real physical discomfort that the residents of these neighborhoods feel – just imagine living in a brick house, with no insulation, in the middle of a Beijing winter!

While I often hear about the destruction of the old hutong neighborhoods, Meyer’s talk illustrated a few points I hadn’t seen before.

  • The hutongs are vital centers of community and commerce, yet lacking in creature comforts we take for granted: in-house toilets, heating, and hot water. This poses a huge dilemma for preservationists as modern standards make these living conditions unacceptable.
  • While a vital part of Beijing’s history, the hutongs are often not built (or more likely, repaired) with the highest construction standards. Furthermore, they were originally designed for a single-family, but almost all have been split and cordoned off into cramped living quarters with as many as 8 families in a single courtyard.
  • Many hutong residents will happily accept government buy-outs on their land in order to move to modern apartments in the suburbs of Beijing.

I completely understand the two opposing forces at play here. From weekends spent wandering the back lanes of Beijing, I ‘ve fallen in love with the charm and history of the hutongs. However, I’ve also known friends who’ve moved into hutong apartments in the summer, only to leave immediately after they spend their first night shivering in the fall frost. Neither demolition nor the “Disney-fication” of the remaining alleyways are the answer; but I think there’s got to be a way to bring these communities up to par with modern life.

A Year After Sichuan, Reflections

May 11, 2009 in In the News, On the Road, Sichuan-Earthquake by Fan Na | No comments

May is a special month for me.

May 10th is Mother’s Day. I appreciate my Mom, who is the greatest person in the world, gives me life and helps me to know the beautiful world.

May 11th is my birthday. I appreciate the life I’m living and the people around me.

May 12th is a day of memory in China and the world, as we mourn for and remember the people who lost their lives in the earthquake.

My memories go back to Sichuan. How did it become connected to me? I was there. This time last year, I was traveling with a group of experts in Sichuan, researching nature reserve ecotourism development. At that time, no one knew what would happen.

May 11th, 2008: We arrived Jiuzhai Town.

May 12th, 2008, Morning: We visited Baihe Golden Monkey Nature Reserve;

May 12th, 2008, Afternoon: We were visiting the Jiuzhaigou valley when suddenly, the earthquake happened. We were trapped in Jiuzhaigou for 2 days.

May 14th, 2008: We decided to drive back to Chengdu. It was a long, escaping journey that took nearly 3 days. We traveled through Ruo Er Gai, Hongyuan, Kangding… some of the most remote places in Northwest Sichuan. It was an adventure, one of the most adventurous journeys in my life. I grew and learned through it.

Though it was a devastating time for Sichuan, our people were not beaten. Love and support was gathered from every corner of China and the world.

At WildChina, we contribute our effort to help Sichuan post-earthquake development in the ways we know best. We worked with Sichuan local NGOs to help tourism development; we trained local staff, developed ecotourism products and brought guests there. We feel a strong connection to Sichuan.

In 2008, the Wenchuan people suffered and lost their home in this natural disaster. In 2009, they use their tremendous courage and strength to stand up and rebuild their homes. I believe Sichuan will be more beautiful than ever before.

A year after the 5.12 earthquake, let’s remember the past and look forward to the future.