November 2009

You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November 2009.

Simatai Sunset: New Perspectives on the Great Wall

November 26, 2009 in On the Road by Alexander Maudhuit | 1 comment

My first experience on the Great Wall a few years back was much of a disappointment: it was marked by rivers of tourists, screeching loudspeakers and weather that would make anyone search for the nearest air-conditioned enclosure.

However, on a recent WildChina trip, I was fortunate enough to return to a different section of the Wall with a group of international students on a trip to Beijing. As part of their WildChina trip, the student group spent a night hiking and camping on the Great Wall at Simatai – a vastly different experience from my previous Great Wall fiasco.

Sitting on the wall, surrounded by the vast pristine landscape during sunset, seemed almost too good to be true. It was more than the combination of a lack of tourists and stunning yellow foliage; it was a moment of total freedom with the Wall stretching endlessly for me to explore.

Great Wall 长城
What made the camping that much more enjoyable, regardless of the rain and cold, (pack warm clothes!) was the kindness of the local people from neighboring villages who made sure that we felt welcome. The hike was not as hard as one might think. Of course, the zip-line ride down from the top of the Great Wall at Simatai was the perfect end to our hike.

With the setting sun on Simatai ended a new perspective on the must-do Great Wall experience. I’m glad I had a second chance to do it right. 

Interview with Andy and Evan of Portrait of an LBX

November 25, 2009 in In the News, On the Road by Alex G | No comments

What happens when two friends combine their love of biking with a desire to understand the existence of the common man in China? Portrait of an LBX, or laobaixing.

WildChina’s Alex G spoke with Andy and Evan, two-thirds of the three-man Portrait of an LBX team, to find out more about their project, goals, and how their perception of the laobaixing - or common Chinese person, abbreviated by the Portrait team as ‘LBX’ – has evolved over the past few months.

Follow the Portrait of an LBX team on their blog and Twitter account for updates, photos, and bike routes.

A broom maker in Zhejiang province. (Photo courtesy of www.portraitofanlbx.com)

A broom maker in Zhejiang province. (Photo courtesy of www.portraitofanlbx.com)

WildChina: Tell us a little about Portrait of an LBX.

Portrait of an LBX: Portrait of an LBX is a project to find humanity and beauty in the daily lives of common people living in both urban and rural areas of China. We – Andy, Evan, and Alexis – are three American and French professionals in China who wanted to see a side out China outside of our corporate existences in our sprawling urban homes. As such, we are biking through China’s urban and rural areas for the next year to document and reflect on the lives of ordinary people in ordinary communities across the Middle Kingdom.

WC: What inspired the project?

LBX: When we [Andy and Evan] first came to China to work, we brought with us a set of preconceived notions about what China would be like. After living here for some time, we realized that China’s value systems, culture, et cetera were drastically different from how we thought they would be. Furthermore, we were getting tired of the daily grind that comes with living in large Chinese cities, and needed something new. When we were biking in Yunnan province, we found what we had been looking for in China: Chinese people who are more representative of a simple lifestyle, doing the best that they can do for themselves despite their circumstances. We didn’t, and don’t, want to be critical of China – we want to find the beauty in everyday life here that we’ve dreamed about witnessing.

WC: What about laobaixing intrigued you, and made you want to find out more?

LBX: While we were in Yunnan, we witnessed very traditional communities because of their remote locations. There was no way to get to these areas to develop them, and so they were steeped in traditional Chinese ways of life. There was an elusive quality to the environment and people here. Unlike urban areas where the mad rush for development continues to increase at break-neck speed, these rural pockets seemed to quietly possess the secrets of the common man’s existence. We wanted to explore and understand that existence.

Read the rest of this entry »

Top 5 things to avoid when planning a China trip

November 25, 2009 in On the Road, Travel Tips by Mei | No comments

There are some activities that seem to enter all itineraries going to China, and they can sound so appealing, but they really shouldn’t be for you, if you are reading my blog posts.

1. Cloisonné Factory: The itinerary often says that one can observe the skilled artisan create intricate designs. It’s usually on the way to the Great Wall. It is true? Yes, for about 5% of the time there. More importantly, this is a tourist destination shop that pays the tour guide and driver commissions. Usually, the guide and driver can obtain from 30% to 50% of what you paid in the shop, and this is their salary. The guide and drivers don’t usually get paid a wage for their time, so you can understand the pressure they are under. If you don’t buy, they would have worked for free that day. Imagine the service you’ll get the next day.

2. Jade factory visit: This is often in Xi’an and lots of other places around China too. This is again a commissioned shop. Again, your guides and drivers in Xi’an depend on this shop for their living.

3. Carpet factory visit: There is one famous one in Shanghai. Don’t think I need to repeat myself. That said, there are some workshops run by NGOs in Tibet, and those are real places you can actually see the workers stitching the carpet. Knowing that money there goes to support local schools or NGOs, I would encourage those rather than the ones in Shanghai.

4. Silk factory visit: There is one in Suzhou. To be fair, it was kind of interesting; I personally went there and bought a silk blanket and a mao jacket. But, remember I went there as a travel agent, so I could negotiate without tour guide commissions. I wouldn’t imagine going there as a tourist.

5. Yangtze River Cruise: I personally would not recommend it. It’s really not very interesting and you are just on a boat with tons of other western tourists for 3 days eating buffet good. That was a fine option when china was less accessible before, but nowadays, there are so many wonderful places to visit, fine restaurants to dine in. Particularly, for anyone looking to experience a country, rather than tour a country, the cruise is a hard place to experience China. There are generally no shorter options either. So, if I had 14 days to spend on one China trip, I would not spend 20% of that time on the cruise.

China Scholar Orville Schell: Why Choose WildChina?

November 24, 2009 in In the News, WildChina Experts by Anita | No comments

For those of us who’ve spent years studying China, Orville Schell is a very familiar name. His books, like The China Reader: The Reform Era, are widely read by students and policymakers alike, and his talks on behalf of the Asia Society’s China Green project are attended by many with an interest in China’s environmental issues.

So we were all thrilled when Orville, who has been to China countless times, not only chose to travel with WildChina to study the effect of climate change on glaciers, but also provided us with rave reviews about his trip to Lijiang and Shangri-La.

Here, in his own words, Orville explains what he sees as the WildChina difference:

“Why choose WildChina? Well, I think WildChina is quite skilled at sculpting trips for people who have specific interests. So, if in fact you’re a bird watcher, a glacier watcher, a river watcher, a minorities watcher – whatever your poison is, they seem to have the ability to highlight that.

I haven’t done many trips like this – but to go to a place like Yunnan and in a week to see a lot, you really do need someone to organize it. You need drivers who know what they’re doing, and cars and land rovers that can go on very rough roads and over landslides.

You want to be with people who you trust, not some crazy cab driver you’ve never met. So it was reassuring to have good drivers, good guides, and to be able to stop in at local people’s houses that these guides knew…and we had a Tibetan guide and a Chinese guide – both very familiar with the area and extremely fun to be around and very much a part of our group – not bored people who couldn’t wait to get off the bus and get everybody back on the plane…and that, I think, made the trip incomparably more meaningful and interesting for us.

I’m not a big tour joiner, frankly, and that would probably be a good reason to have WildChina organize your trips so that it wouldn’t be like a tour. It would be more things you wanted to do, not you fitting into their tour—but them making the tour fit your needs.”

Many thanks to Orville for these kind words! Be sure to view the video on our home page for stunning footage captured during Orville’s trip to Yunnan.

Mr. Tour Guide, would you leave me alone please?

November 22, 2009 in On the Road by Mei | No comments

My husband and I arrive at Setti Fatma, got out of the car, and were immediately approached by Mohamed, a 20ish year old young man hankering for a job as our tour guide. We planed to hike up the mountain to visit the famous 7 waterfalls in the High Atlas mountains, and thought it might be nice to have a guide along. So we asked him how much he would charge to guide us.

“As you like! No fixed price. If you like my service you pay me, if not, no obligation.” Said Mohamed, sounding like any of the other sneaky offers we got off street corner in Marrakech.

“又来了！ (Oh, please, not again!)” My husband and I both complained in Chinese. Yes, this line has been wearing us down throughout our journey in Morocco. We are not big tour joiners, so have decided to take it easy and navigate on our own. But, everywhere we went, be it looking for a restaurant, or a market, there always seemed to be some youth hanging around the street corner, ready to guide you astray and charge you a few dirams for his “service”. We were tired of these guides. It is at moments like this that I wonder, if individual travelers to China are subject to this experience. I don’t know since I am Chinese and speak the language.

“Tell us how much you’d like to charge, otherwise, we wouldn’t consider a guide.” We told Mohamed.

“ok, if you like my service, 100 to 150 DM (roughly US$15-20) per hour from each of you. If you don’t like my service, nothing.”

We took off, he followed us. My husband and I were tired of this type of haggling. We sort of agreed to the deal without talking about it further.

The trail started across the little river and wound upward quickly. There were quaint little restaurants and shops along the way. The shop owners approached us, but Mohamed quickly signaled to them that we were just at the beginning of the hike. So, the shop owners left us alone.

“hmm, there is benefit to having a guide. At least that fends off more business propositions.” We actually started to enjoy a hassle-free walk.

Quickly, we came to a slight traffic jam on the trail. The couple ahead of us were having a hard time climbing one rock face, as there were few places one could rest the foot on or hold onto. Their guide was at the top of the rock face, stretching his arms down as far as he could, trying to help the travelers to climb. But, they couldn’t even reach his hand.

All of a sudden, to my surprise, Mohamed leapt ahead, put one of his knees against the rock face, stretched his arm out to the hikers ahead of us. He explained carefully, that the hiker was to step his left foot on part of the rock, and right foot on his knee, make a move to step on another part of the rock, so on and so on. Magically, the couple got up the rock face after a few attempts. We followed suit quickly, with the help of Mohamed and the other guide on top of the rock working as a team.

All of a sudden, I felt truly grateful for having hired Mohamed as our guide. The wariness of being haggled at the beginning of the hike disappeared completely. We continued on to talk about his family. We learned that he grew up in this village of 40 families, and that he has 3 sisters, 2 of whom are his age and married, and the littlest is school in school. So so and so on. We truly felt like we got to know him, this wonderful person as he was!

He continued to perform as one of the top outdoor guides I’ve worked with. Telling us what the next section of the trail maybe like. Stopping to give me a hand when the slope became too steep or the rock in the creek unsteady. At a later point, he took our backpack, and carried it from there on!

I couldn’t stop wondering if we just got lucky, or there could be a system for wonderful local guides like him to make a decent living without having to go through the initial haggling that completely didn’t show how wonderful a guide he was. In countries like Morocco, travelers are so frequently approached and offered all kinds of services, and at a lot of times, these offers were truly vile. How to sift through all the sand for the gold to shine?

I do not know the answer. We all seem to resort back to the old word of mouth network, or the new like twitter and blog. But, when will those network influence a little village like his or mine back in China? For one thing, I wish I got his cell phone.

Short of that, I do want to recommend the lovely B&B we stayed at: Maison Mnabha www.maisonmnabha.com. It’s owned and run by Peter and Lawrence, two English gentlemen. Extremely friendly and helpful. Great food too. I couldn’t have had such a wonderful time in Morocco if I didn’t find a home at Maison Mnabha.

What’s so “wild” about WildChina?

November 22, 2009 in Uncategorized by Mei | No comments

At Pure Life Experience luxury travel tradeshow in Marrakech, Morocco, I met about 60 travel agents and tour operators from around the world. The most asked question was “So, tell me what’s so wild about WildChina?”

Here’s my answer for the record: By naming it “wild”, I want to push the boundary of people’s imagination of China, both in the sense of nature and culture.

China has so much to beyond Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai, and even in those familiar sites, there is so much more to explore in depth, that I don’t think current travel industry’s done a fair job at promoting the country’s deeper beauty. I want WildChina to make some contribution in bringing China’s inner beauty to the world.

Typically in the past, when travelers go to China, and there were variations of the standard route: Beijing-Xi’an-Yantze River cruise-Guilin-Shanghai. That’s about it. In these sites, guests get to bused out with crowds of other travelers to visit Badaling Great Wall, stop at commission driven shops, forced to buy those kitsch trinkets, and to eat those bland buffet food. I just don’t want WildChina guests to be subject to that at all!

For me, who has grown up in Yunnan Province in Southwest China, there are lots to be explored in places that are not on the tourist map. In the villages like Shaxi near Dali and Lijiang in Yunnan, you visit the local family, join them for a lovely Bai meal in the courtyard, then watch a casual village concert performed by village elders. That’s the way I used to know Yunnan, and that’s the way I want my guests to experience China. I cannot quite pin point these tiny little villages on the map, and I can’t really tell you which tourists sites featured in the guide books you might visit. All I can say is I can take you to experience the China I grew up knowing. Regardless of where you go, the most important aspect about traveling is getting to know the people there. One of the best compliments I got from some clients was that they really felt like they got to know some Chinese people as everyday individuals with their joys and personalities, not as a collective “Chinese”.

Now back in familiar sites like Beijing and Shanghai. Same thing, I want my guests to experience life the way it is. One of my personal favorite thing to do when living in Beijing is getting up early to go for a jog in Ritan Park, where tons of Beijing ren’r do their morning Taichi, or sing at the top of their voice to exercise their lungs. So, I want my guests to have the same – a morning of Taichi with a master in the park. Obviously, there are a lot one can do, but getting to know the Chinese way of life is a big part of our experience.

Then, there are the nature reserves that people don’t even know about. Why did I take my 8 month old baby to travel to Changqing Nature Reserve last august? I admire the conservation work the Chinese rangers are doing on a daily basis. The director of the nature reserve has a sincere desire to see what is possible to build a sustainable ecotourism practice so that they can spread the word about their conservation work. So, I spend time to get to know them, and spend time to work with the nature reserve staff. In due time, we’ll be able to launch a sustainable eco-walk into the nature reserve, as what we’ve achieved with Wanglang Nature Reserve in Sichuan.

So that’s what I am talking about. WildChina is all about helping our guests to experience China differently.

WildChina Twitter Live Q+A, Question 5: Traveling by Train through China

November 20, 2009 in Travel Tips by Alex G | No comments

There are some who say that one cannot truly experience China travel without traveling by train through this vast country. Indeed, it is a sometimes harrowing, but often entertaining, experience that provides a unique and intimate perspective on the Middle Kingdom.

While there are plenty of cheap and convenient domestic train routes that can take you from one destination to the next, there are a few noteworthy routes to consider for your next land-based travel excursion in China:

1. Chengdu to Kunming: This route, which stretches from the capitals of Sichuan and Yunnan, respectively, is marked by impressive terrain and architecture. As you pass over mountains, you can admire the astounding engineering that makes this route possible. The impressive views made the trip all the more enjoyable.

2. Guilin to Guiyang: Hailed as one of the most scenic train routes, the train from Guilin province to Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province, is marked by quaint minority villages that line the route.

3. Beijing to Lhasa: A classic route and perennial favorite, the train route from Beijing to Tibet’s capital Lhasa was not built without sacrifice – many died in the process of constructing the route. However, their work was not in vain. This route soars at 5,200 meters above sea level, and is an amazing experience in itself for sightseeing.

Regardless of which route and destination you choose, a trip by train will almost certainly lead to interesting interactions, new friendships and a perspective on China’s landscapes and people that you can’t get from other domestic travel experiences.

Want to learn more about train travel in China? Send WildChina a tweet or email us at info@wildchina.com.

The WildChina Twitter Live Q+A question series is a collection of five questions either posed or inspired by WildChina’s Twitter Live Q+A session on Wednesday, November 11. If you have questions about China Travel, follow @WildChina on Twitter and tweet us your query. We are always happy to help!

This question was inspired by a series of posts by @yunnangirl and @AlexGrieves regarding train travel in China.

WildChina Twitter Live Q+A, Question 4: Sichuan’s Spicy Sauces

November 19, 2009 in Travel Tips by Alex G | No comments

One of the joys of traveling to China certainly lies in the variety of food that travelers can consume here. From noodles to dumplings, soups to sautees, meat skewers to elaborate fish platters, sweet to sour flavors, regional cuisines provide something for every taste.

In particular, a well-known characteristic of Chinese cuisine is its la, or spicy, flavors. Chili and other types of peppers abound in a multitude of vegetable and meat dishes; spices are often mixed in with soup and noodle broths; and if there isn’t enough kick to your food in the first place, restaurants always put a little extra pot of lajiao (hot pepper) sauce on your table.

If you crave truly tear-inducing spicy food, take a trip to China’s Sichuan province. Famous for its various peppercorns and chilies, Sichuan food is certainly some of the spiciest that the country has to offer.

Want that dish a bit spicier? Add some Sichuan chili sauce for an explosive of hot flavor (Photo courtesy of eatingasia.typepad.com)

Want that dish a bit spicier? Add some Sichuan chili sauce for an explosion of hot flavor (Photo courtesy of eatingasia.typepad.com)

While in Sichuan, try some of these sauces, spices and condiments to make your mouth tingle, eyes water, and senses explode:

  1. Doubanjiang / Chili Bean Sauce: Chilies – lots of them – and soy beans make up this paste-like sauce.
  2. Lajiaoyou / Chili Oil: Used in both hot and cold noodle and soup dishes, chili oil is made by putting chilies in hot oil. The oil absorbs the chili flavor, and thus becomes a spicy condiment.
  3. Mala / “Spicy and Numbing”: This combination of Sichuan pepper and chili pepper gives its consumers a tingling sensation, in addition to the spiciness.
  4. Sichuan Peppercorns: Find peppercorns native to the region in Sichuan Hot Pot broths and soups to add extra bursts of flavor.

The WildChina Twitter Live Q+A question series is a collection of five questions either posed or inspired by WildChina’s Twitter Live Q+A session on Wednesday, November 11. If you have questions about China Travel, follow @WildChina on Twitter and tweet us your query. We are always happy to help!

This question was inspired by a question by @anitanarayan regarding spicy regional cuisines and their sauces.

WildChina Twitter Live Q+A, Question 3: Exploring Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province

November 19, 2009 in Travel Tips by Alex G | No comments

Xishuangbanna Dai Automonous Prefecture, a region in the southern part of China’s Yunnan province, is known for its intriguing combination of Dai and other minority culture, incredible biodiversity, delicious cuisine that combines Chinese and Thai traditions, and some of the best Pu’Er tea in China.

Manpo Village in Xishuangbanna (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Manpo Village in Xishuangbanna (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Xishuangbanna is easily accessible and provides a haven for the outdoors- and nature-lover. Interested? Here’s how to explore one of Yunnan’s greatest treasures:

  1. Access Xishuangbanna via Bus or Plane. Thanks to Yunnan’s great bus network, accessing Xishuangbanna from other parts of Yunnan is fairly convenient and inexpensive. To answer @ClimateStories’s question, there is a direct bus route from Dali to Xishuangbanna. There are two buses that depart daily from the Dali Long-Distance Bus Station – one at 7:30 pm, and one at 8:30 pm – that arrive in Jinghong, the capital of the Xishuangbanna area. If you prefer to fly, there are plenty of domestic flights that arrive at Xishuanbanna’s Gasa airport daily.
  2. Hike through Dai minority villages. What better way to witness the cultural diversity of Xishuangbanna than to hike through local communities? Trekking through Xishuangbanna allows you to experience the area’s mountainous regions, sections of rainforest and minority communities. Incredible views and an intimate look at southern Chinese life, coupled with a great hiking experience, make hiking in the area a must-do activity.
  3. Take a tour of the Menglun Tropical Botanical Garden. As the home to many rare flora and endangered fauna, Xishuangbanna is an excellent place to take in the unique beauty of sub-tropical nature and biodiversity in China. Take a visit to the Menglun Tropical Botanical Garden and observe beautiful flowers, shrubbery, and trees in the spacious garden. If you go early enough in the morning, you can see the sunrise cast a dreamy golden glow over the garden.
  4. Eat Thai-influenced local cuisine. If you fancy coconut curry and banana leaf rice alongside more traditional homestyle Chinese dishes, Xishuangbanna is your culinary paradise. The infusion of lemongrass and lime into Xishuangbanna cuisine hints at the dining traditions of China’s southeastern neighbors.

More questions for us? Want more information about travel in Yunnan? Just ask! Send us a tweet or email us at info@wildchina.com.

The WildChina Twitter Live Q+A question series is a collection of five questions either posed or inspired by WildChina’s Twitter Live Q+A session on Wednesday, November 11. If you have questions about China Travel, follow @WildChina on Twitter and tweet us your query. We are always happy to help!

This question was inspired by a series of posts by @jtkwilliams, @RichardSPearson and @ClimateStories regarding access to and places to visit in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province.

Asia Society Video: On Thinner Ice

November 18, 2009 in On the Road, What We're Reading, WildChina Experts by Emma | No comments

melting glaciers

There’s a breathtaking video on the Asia Society’s website right now that documents the effects that the melting of Himalayan glaciers will have on the 2 billion people who live in Asia. The video talks about glaciers as “the canary in the coal mine” for climate change, and urges China and the US (the two biggest contributors to global warming) to take decisive action.

One of the directors of the Asia Society, Orville Schell (featured in the video) traveled with WildChina this past spring to research glaciers in Yunnan. It was an amazing trip, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the participants to learn about climate change in Yunnan first-hand. There’s also a video of this trip featuring Orville Schell on our homepage now, which you can see here.

« Older entries