WildChina’s office hours for the upcoming Chinese New Year are as follows:

Beijing office will be closed from February 2-8.  We will reopen the office on Wednesday, February 9.

Washington, D.C. office will open all throughout the holiday.

Contact us anytime throughout this period by e-mailing us at info@wildchina.com or calling us at 1.888.902.8808.

As noted earlier, China is already the world’s number-three destination for international travel. Many travelers nowadays have already made one or two trips to China, but more often than not, they’re visiting the coast, possibly venturing inward to check out the Terracotta Army in Xi’an.

But China is more than just a handful of sites in the country’s east. In fact, China’s west has just as much – if not more – to offer travelers who are looking for unforgettable experiences.

If you’re planning a China trip this year, we encourage you to look beyond the traditional travel destinations to China’s wild west. Here are some of our picks for places to visit in China’s west in 2011:

Yunnan: Land of diversity

Few places in the world pack as much variety into one area as the province of Yunnan, which offers a mind-boggling variety of landscapes ranging from jungle lowlands in the south to Tibetan highlands in the northwest.

Yunnan’s ubiquitous mountains have historically isolated groups of people from one another, which is one of the main reasons that the province has China’s highest number of ethnic groups. With 26 ethnic groups including Han, Tibetan, Dai, Bai, Yi, Hani, Hui, Mongol, Naxi, Lisu, Yao, Lahu and countless subgroups, Yunnan is a rainbow of different ethnic traditions, clothing and cuisine.

The mountain towns of Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-la are home to unique cultures whose lives are still steeped in ancient traditions. Down south in Xishuangbanna, tropical weather, tea plantations, spicy food and the lazy Mekong River await.

Guizhou: Still undiscovered

Guizhou Province may not attract as many visitors as its neighbors Sichuan, Yunnan and Guangxi, but it certainly deserves consideration when making plans to travel to western China. Beautiful mountain scenery and a distinctive spicy and sour cuisine are some of the highlights of a trip to Guizhou. But as in many other parts of China, the big draw for us is the people.

The Miao, Gejia, Dong and Yao villages in Guizhou’s mountains are home to some of Asia’s most unique cultures and friendliest, most welcoming communities. Many of our clients rank our Guizhou village immersions among their top China travel experiences.

Sichuan: More than pandas

Sichuan is one of China’s most distinctive provinces, known for its spicy food, stunning mountain scenery, beautiful women and China’s ‘national treasure’ – the giant panda.

Sichuan’s capital Chengdu is a modern metropolis set on the west end of the fertile Sichuan Basin, a region that kingdoms battled for in ancient times. Chengdu is considered the capital of Sichuan cuisine, one of the most famous and flavorful of China’s culinary traditions.

The historical importance of Buddhism to Sichuan is evident in Chengdu at the Wenshu Monastery, located in the city’s center. Not far from Chengdu lie the Buddhist holy mountain of Emei Shan and the world’s largest seated Buddha at Leshan.

Sichuan has fantastic natural beauty as well, with the mountain forests and fantastic aquamarine lakes of Jiuzhaigou in the north and gorgeous mountain scenery at Minya Gongga in the province’s west.

Xinjiang: Silk Road echoes

Xinjiang is simply massive. It comprises roughly one-sixth of China’s total territory and boasts some of the country’s most stunning mountains and deserts.

At the crossroads of Asia, Xinjiang has been home to many different ethnic groups, from the caucasoid peoples whose mummies date back to more than 3,800 years ago to the Turkic Uighurs who moved into the region from present-day Mongolia 1,100 years ago to today’s growing Han population.

Islam is the dominant religion in Xinjiang, where extremism is rare and moderation is the norm. Due to its location on the old Silk Road, Xinjiang has also been influenced by Buddhism.

For visitors to Xinjiang, the local cuisine is often one of most pleasant surprises. Featuring rich stews, tasty breads, a large variety of noodles from flat and wide to easily spoonable diced noodles and even salads, Xinjiang cuisine is a delicious world away from typical Chinese fare.

It wasn’t that long ago that only the most intrepid travelers would come to China. But in recent years, especially since the Beijing Olympics, it’s seemed that people from all countries and walks of life are increasingly making visiting the Middle Kingdom a travel priority.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is predicting China to become the world’s most popular travel destination sometime between 2016 and 2018.

An increase in international visitors to China has potential upsides such as improving mutual understanding between China and the world. But there are also downsides, such as the potential environmental and social impact of an increase in numbers foreign travelers.

According to figures provided by the UNWTO, China had 53 million international visitors in 2010 and is already the number three international tourism destination in the world.

We believe this volume of inbound travelers visiting any country has the potential to either harm a country or improve it. This is why now, more than ever, we are dedicated to providing sustainable, socially responsible travel in China – with the eventual hope that even China’s domestic travel industry will see that sustainability and social responsibility need not get in the way of unforgettable travel experiences.

Watch this space throughout 2011 for more information about the little – and big – things we’ll be doing to promote sustainable, socially responsible travel in China.

Alexandra “Alex” Pearson knows a few things about China and a few things about books.

Fluent in Chinese, she first moved to Beijing in 1982, when her father was here on a diplomatic post. After spending her university years in her native England, she returned to China in the 90s to eventually became founder of a literary venture known as The Bookworm.

It’s not easy to pigeonhole The Bookworm, which Pearson started as a one-woman restaurant and small library of 2,000 titles tucked into a Beijing courtyard.

In its current incarnation, The Bookworm might be described as a café, restaurant, library, bookshop, literary festival and social club rolled into one. In addition to the original Beijing Bookworm, there are now also branches in Chengdu and Suzhou.

In each of these cities it’s a popular gathering place for anything from lectures by internationally renowned authors to afternoon coffee and snacks—as well as a go-to spot to buy the latest books. Last year, Lonely Planet named The Bookworm Beijing one of the top ten bookshops in the world.

Given her breadth of experience with both China and the literary world, we thought we would help people preparing for a trip to China by asking Pearson to make some recommendations of English-language books about the country. Here are some of her favorites, along with some of her thoughts about each:

Favorite novels about China:
Change, by Mo Yan
“This novella/autobiography details the social and political changes in China over the past few decades, all through a personal lens. Mo Yan depicts his own experiences and the tales of those around him in yet another great book by this master storyteller.”

Three Sisters, by Bi Feiyu
“Three Sisters is a family epic; a tragic comedy that follows the lives of three sisters in late 20th century China. Bi Feiyu’s keen and satirical observations of domestic and rural life is what makes this book brilliant.”

Favorite historical non-fiction book about China:
The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power by Jonathan Fenby
“A comprehensive coverage of 150 years of Chinese history,  Fenby has compiled a really good introduction to modern Chinese history. His content and style are thoroughly interesting and gripping all the way through.”

Favorite contemporary non-fiction books about China:
Factory Girls, by Leslie T Chang
“A truly compassionate portrayal of the lives of two young women who leave their rural home to become part of the migrant population of factory workers in southern China, Factory Girls is the story of a million such women of modern China. It’s an essential read.”

China: Museums, by Miriam Clifford, Cathy Giangrande and Antony White
“This volume also deserves a mention, as it is a fantastic guide on more than 200 museums, small to large, all across China.”

Favorite Chinese cookbook:
Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province , by Fuchsia Dunlop
“More than a cookbook, Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook brings the cuisine and legends of Mao’s homeland, Hunan province, to life. It’s full of great authentic recipes.”

Note: If you’re planning on being in Beijing, Suzhou or Chengdu during March 4 through March 18, don’t forget to check out  The Bookworm International Literary Festival 2011—of which WildChina Travel is a proud sponsor. There will also be a prologue to the festival in Beijing January 26 through 29 featuring Dave Eggers and David Sedaris.

Today marks the beginning of the busiest travel season in China: from January 21 to February 27, China’s skies, roads, and rails will be inundated as an expected 640 million people, from every corner of the country, go on the move. What destinations could possibly be so compelling as to temporarily shift more than 9% of the world’s entire population? Home, of course.

The impetus is the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival (chun jie). Far and away the most important festival on the Chinese calendar, the Spring Festival has always been a traditional time of homecoming and renewal. As such, this deluge occurs every winter, but the Ministry of Transport in China has predicted that this year’s will be the worst yet. One explanation is that many Chinese, in addition to returning home for the holidays, will also take advantage of the time off for domestic and international tourism.

With so many people competing for tickets, the rush has resulted in some amusing local news items. One story details the rising trade in fake student IDs as travelers get more innovative in their search for a cheap ticket home. A well-humored Beijing man named Chi Dongting, frustrated with long wait times at railway offices in freezing temperatures, successfully used a stylishly-dressed mannequin to hold his place in line – while he huddled in his car for warmth.

Far from being intimidated by the crowds, WildChina believes there are some not-so-packed spots in China that truly shine during the holiday period. Yunnan province is a popular destination with our clients this time of year for a variety of reasons; the subtropical climate of verdant Xishuangbanna is an obvious draw, while up north the old cities of Dali and Lijiang take on a more peaceful personality with high season still months away.

And if you own a good jacket, Tibet awaits. With many annual pilgrimages underway, February represents an ideal opportunity to see local Tibetans in their colorful traditional dress – and there’s plenty of yak butter tea to keep you warm!

We always promote going off-the-beaten-path for travel in China; but with the beaten path about to fill up with home-bound travelers and domestic vacationers, there’s perhaps no better time to do so than during the Spring Festival.

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Image: Birmingham Post

The following is an excerpt taken from The World of Chinese.  The author LeeAnn Deemer and her family traveled with WildChina in August of 2010. Here is their story:

When we get off the plane in Lhasa, we can’t quite believe we are really in Tibet. This may have been partly due to the unscheduled stop in Chengdu which meant that we arrived hours later than we’d planned, but that was only part of it. The approach to Lhasa is vertiginous, as the plane banks left and right, dipping down below the peaks of the maze of mountains we are navigating. The runway is tucked into a narrow valley with mountains on either side.  Yet in retrospect the sensation of unreality upon leaving the airport in Lhasa is probably mostly caused by the altitude. I feel odd and slightly light-headed, and the colors around me all seem much brighter than usual.  The sunlight is intense and our surroundings look as sharp as cut glass. Lhasa itself lies about a 90-minute drive from its airport, hidden behind a chain of mountains, but Lhasa will have to wait. Excited to salvage what we can of the day, we head west, away from the capital towards the first stop on our seven-day itinerary, Tsedang.

We have brought three generations of the family on this trip—my husband’s parents who are long-time expats in Beijing and our two older children who are nine and six. We’ve left the three-year old in Singapore, where we live, as the altitude change is not recommended for children under five. The six of us bounce along the road with driver and guide, unable to tear ourselves away from the sights out the window. The town around the airport is so small that we are almost immediately in the countryside, passing farmhouses and fields. We see children playing, old women threshing on the side of the road, goats, sheep, pigs, dogs.

Tsedang lies in the Yarlung Valley, considered to be the cradle of the first Tibetan kingdom in the seventh century. We head directly to Yumbulagang, a fortress cum chapel which is said to be the oldest building in Tibet, although much of what one sees today is recent reconstruction. We only arrive about an hour or two before sunset, the last visitors of the day. Yumbulagang perches on the tip of a ridge, overlooking the flat green valley below. We are intimidated by the steep path and even steeper steps, as we’ve been warned not to exert ourselves for the first few days at this altitude. Any other visitors seem to have left hours ago, and we have our pick of the ponies, yaks, and one lone camel loitering in the parking lot with their owners, waiting to carry visitors up to side of the cliff. The view over the valley is spectacular, revealing neat green fields in the golden light of the setting sun. We have the place entirely to ourselves, and the only sound apart from the children frolicking in the distance is the flapping of the enormous tangle of prayer flags in the wind above the Yumbulagang.  The setting and the solitude conspire to fulfill every fantasy that I had ever had about Tibet—here I am in one of the most spiritually profound places in the world and I drink in the moment.

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For the full article, click here. Photo by Pete Deemer.

For many people in China, just as the concepts of conservation and environmental awareness are fairly new, so is the notion that animals deserve decent treatment. But that is changing.

Yesterday a nationwide ban on circus-style animal performances in the 300 state-owned zoos that are members of the China Zoo Association went into effect.

There is hope that the long-overdue ban will dramatically reduce the mistreatment of animals in Chinese zoos in the name of entertainment.

Animals were often beaten during training or in performances and often suffered injuries or even died in the ‘zoo circuses’. It is estimated that Chinese zoo circus performances draw a total audience of more than 150,000 zoogoers annually.

The new ban also covers other common practices at Chinese zoos. The Telegraph’s Shanghai correspondent Malcolm Moore reports:

“…zoos will no longer be able to pull the teeth of baby tigers so that tourists can hold them and will have to stop attractions where live chickens, goats, cows and even horses are sold to visitors who can then watch them be torn apart by big cats.”

Last week we visited the Kunming Zoo, which was built in 1953 and has been accused of treating its animals poorly. We were pleased to see its animal performance area had been dismantled.

We applaud China’s new zoo regulations, but conditions for animals in zoos in China can still be improved greatly. We are hopeful that as China’s government and its people continue to show a greater appreciation for nature and wildlife, such improvements will come soon.

Image: The Telegraph

In cities across China dilapidated old buildings are being leveled to make way for modern new residences. For many Chinese people, this has been part of an overall improvement in quality of life.

But what works for China’s people doesn’t necessarily work for its animals, especially the endangered and environmentally sensitive giant panda. A recent study by Chinese and Western researchers of the iconic panda has found that old-growth forests rival all-important bamboo as a factor in choosing a habitat.

Why is a forest’s age important to pandas? According to a Washington Post summary of the study:

“…one possibility is that the bamboo plants growing under old trees are more nutritious than those found under young trees. There is some evidence for this: Pandas like tall bamboo stems, and clear-cutting leads to shorter ones. The other possibility is that when caring for their young, female pandas hide away in dens, often inside hollow trees. Old-growth trees are larger, so they can contain larger cavities. It has been suggested that the number of suitable dens is a crucial limiting factor on panda breeding.”

The study’s timing couldn’t be better – the Chinese government’s logging ban recently expired and it has been suggested that some areas may remain protected, with other areas opened to logging. It appears that if China wants to protect its beloved guobao (‘national treasure’), it will also have to protect its oldest forests.

Image: Washington Post

WildChina’s DC office will be closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and will reopen on Tuesday, January 18.  The Beijing office will remain open.

For emergencies, please e-mail info@wildchina.com.

We would like to introduce Zhao Bei as WildChina’s new Assisting General Manager:

Zhao Bei joined WildChina in 2004 and has seen the company grow almost since its very beginnings. A Beijing native, he has been very passionate about travel. Having graduated from Beijing’s University of International Relations with a degree in International Politics and Law, Zhao Bei was set to enter the local government. He decided, however, to diverge quite literally to an off-the-beaten path instead.

During his time at WildChina, Zhao Bei has had the opportunity to travel to almost every corner of China, including overland journeys from Tibet into Sichuan and camping in the Taklamakan Desert. He helped develop innovative trips, including journeys examining China’s environment and its economic realities. Prior to his current position, he served as the Director of Travel Partners and most recently, Manager of WildChina’s IT initiatives.

As he translates this knowledge into his new role, he was asked, “What are you most excited about? What motivates you the most? What’s your biggest challenge?”

He answers, “As cliche as it may sound, we truly are trying to shape the way people travel.  People all over the world are interested in China now. They want to come to China, and WildChina strives to provide them with not only a unique experience but a unique insight. Stories exchanged between our guides and our clients discuss what this country was, what it is to them presently, and what it might be in the future. For me, the different perspectives about China create an interesting and multi-dimensional window through which I can process the world.  This is why WildChina motivates me. Of late, I’m reflecting a lot about what our business means to everyone else involved – our clients, our partners, our teams. I’m considering their goals and wrapping my head around our shared core values so that WildChina can help more people Experience China Differently.”

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