WildChina is thrilled to be a 2012 Capital M and M on the Bund Literary Festival sponsor. The famed restaurant group is holding their annual festival in Beijing from February 25th until March 7th and in Shanghai from March 2 to 18th. The festival will host talks close to WildChina’s heart, including writing, food and traveling.

In particular, WildChina is looking forward to seeing Jeff Fuchs speak tomorrow evening, March 1, at 6 PM in Beijing.  Jeff has just returned from a trek around Kawa Karpo, which WildChina, along with Mountain Hardwear, Revo, Canadian adventure travel magazine Outpost and others helped to sponsor.  If you can’t catch him in Beijing, he will also be at the Shanghai Literary Festival, speaking at 2PM on Sunday, March 11.

Jeff will no doubt be speaking about his book, The Ancient Tea Horse Road: Travels with the Last of the Himalayan Muleteers. For all those interested in adventure travel + pioneering trips in China, this is definitely a talk that you should not miss!

Hoping to see you there!

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To find out about how to attend Fuchs’s March 1 talk, please click here to learn more. 

Interested in traveling on a WildChina expert-led journey? Take a look at Tea and Horse Caravan, a is a 10-day expedition led by Fuchs, who shares his unparalleled expertise on the diverse teas, cultures and landscapes along the historic trail. The most daunting trade route in the world, the trail remained a virtual mystery to the West for over a millennium and are now at long last revealed in all of its stunning diversity.

Shimen (石门) County of Changde (常德) prefecture in Hunan province — On a trip through Hunan to learn home-style recipes, the train from Changsha passes flooded rice fields gridding the landscape. A mixture of earthen homes and tile-faced two-story homes perch themselves in between.

It is the weekend and students have packed the train, having bought standing room only tickets. There are no seats available, and they stand for up to four hours, disembarking at their respective villages. The train is bustling with the energy that preludes a weekend of fun. The same energy finds me anticipating  new adventure in Shimen.

Unable to buy train tickets in advance for departure, the free time suggests a gander.

Stepping into town from the train station — arrival in Shimen

石门县博物馆 (Shímén xiàn bówùguǎn, Shimen County Museum)

While weeds grows wild in cracks, a garden is tended by groundskeepers.

The former temple built in 1052 AD houses old furniture, clothes and other historical relics.

Not really sure why this man was chosen to rest above ground. The intention to preserve him as a historical figure was surely out of the question. The scare of seeing his body certainly put the Shimen County museum on the map of China for me.

Any other museum might not have permitted this, but the drum and bell on the grounds were free for the pounding and chiming.

While traveling, markets are a must-see. In China, there tends to be an open market in most neighborhoods. If one doesn’t run into one, a wander or guidance in the right direction will lead to a colorful peek into the local diet, people, and culture.

A market nearby invited a wander.

Chinese herbal medicine

Chilies spice the market scene.

While I've seen là ròu (腊肉, cured pork) throughout Sichuan, Yunnan, and Hunan, but never had I seen such a wide assortment of dried meats!

Dried chicken and fish hang, looking like creatures that died from fright.

A fine line between taxidermy and food, all parts of a pig can not only be eaten, but dried to be eaten.

Tucked into another open-front shop a machine rests with broken noodles scattered about.

Freshly cut noodles hang from rafters to dry.

A birthday meal of longevity noodles made from these could ensure two lifetimes.

Nearby, fentiao (potato starch noodles) are sold in bundles.

Encased in this ceramic oven appears to be a matrix of smaller ceramic urns.

In each urn stews a soup.

After the market prelude, I went on to meet Zhou Yi and her husband in their newly-wed nest wherein the next day I would learn their favorite new-family recipes.

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Interested in learning more about China’s food history? Take a look at China for Foodies, a set departure excursion exploring Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Shanghai and Hangzhou.

Seeing a Giant Panda in the wild requires three parts luck, one part good planning, and one part perseverance. So, if tracking wild pandas is on your bucket list, how should you plan and maximize your chances?

The Destination

The heartland of the wild panda, the Qinling mountains run like a backbone through the center of China. They lie at the intersection of the Tibetan Plateau and the Han and Wei river valleys. Because of these different climates, the mountains hold an amazing diversity of large creatures. Besides the iconic panda, they are also home to the endangered Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey and Golden Takin–the beast which inspired Odysseus’ mythical golden fleece.

Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey in the reserve

When to Visit

The best time to visit is during the pandas’ mating season, March 20 to April 15. During this short period, the female panda climbs a tree while she is in heat. The male pandas congregate at the bottom and battle for the right to mate until only one remains. This impressive display also makes the pandas less sensitive to human visitors, and it’s possible to locate pandas by the mating calls they make.

How to Visit

There are plans for a luxury lodge to be constructed in 2015. In 2015, a completed high speed rail project will also make it possible to travel from Xi’an airport to the edge of the reserve in 40 minutes. If you want to track wild giant pandas before Foping Nature Reserve becomes a tourism destination, you can submit an email to info@wildchina.com. Because of the sensitive nature of the panda’s environment, the reserve limits visitor numbers to less than 200 per year.

Final Thoughts and Advice

The wild Giant Panda is being pushed to the brink of extinction because of environmental encroachment. Even in the remaining pockets of wild panda territory, such as Foping Nature Reserve, there is an estimated density of one wild panda each six square kilometers according to the China Academy of Sciences Researchers at the reserve. If you have seen this video of our panda encounter, one can appreciate how quickly these magical beasts move in their native habitat and how difficult it is to follow them. Automobiles can’t get into the reserve, so it is recommended to bring a walking stick, good hiking boots and be prepared to trek in search of panda tracks.

Visiting the reserve is a chance to traverse the environment that created the panda, and it yields an understanding of the nature of this magnificent beast. The rare chance to track a panda in the wild is also accompanied by a new sense of responsibility. While there is a growing awareness of the effects breakneck growth is having on China’s biodiversity, it is upon us to be active proponents in the protection of China’s iconic beast.

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Interested in tracking wild pandas?  Take a look at Tracking Wild Panda Footprints for an adventurous journey in China.  Drop a line to info@wildchina.com for any questions.

Blog and photos provided by WildChina’s Alex Edmunds who recently traveled to Foping Nature Reserve to track Giant Pandas.

Recognized by National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveller and Travel + Leisure as the pioneering travel company in China, WildChina has accomplished a lot of “firsts” in our time. From the kora of Meili Snow Mountain in 1999, to launching the Tea and Horse Caravan in 2004, to pioneering ascents in the Abujee region of Tibetan Yunnan, WildChina has always embraced an untamed spirit for adventure and innovation.

Simply put, we believe in commitment to a curious life. With that in mind, this year WildChina is launching a new endeavor right in our backyard. Where the Wild Things Are: A WildChina Series will bring intimate bi-monthly dinners to the Beijing community to feature members of our esteemed expert network. We look forward to offering an unparallelled experience for Beijing residents and visitors alike — an intimate and informative evening spent with renowned entrepreneurs, journalists, photographers and environmentalists.

To kick off this series, Hollywood producer Janet Yang will be speaking on Thursday evening, March 15th at In & Out. Yang has distinguished herself by serving as a bridge between East and West, and the business and creative communities, for decades.

Initially representing Chinese films for North American distribution in the early 80’s, she was then hired by the major Hollywood studios to broker the first sale of American films back to China.  This was followed by her start in production working with Steven Spielberg on the historic production in Shanghai of EMPIRE OF THE SUN. After a stint as a production executive at Universal, Yang joined Oscar winner writer/director Oliver Stone, serving as President of their company, Ixtlan.  There she produced, among many others, THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT (Golden Globe Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay and Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Actor), and the THE JOY LUCK CLUB, based on the best-selling novel by Amy Tan.  Most recently, Yang wrapped production in Shanghai on the film, SHANGHAI CALLING.  Her previous productions were a Chinese version of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL for Disney, and the film DARK MATTER with Meryl Streep.

Event Details:

• In & Out Yunnan Restaurant 云南一坐一忘餐厅
• Sanlitun North Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing No. 1 北京朝阳区三里屯北小街1号RMB 250 to be paid at the door
• RSVP to WhereTheWildThingsAre@wildchina.com by March 9th. Dinner is capped at 35 people.
• RMB 250 at the door

Event Rundown:

• 6:30 p.m. Registration 登记
• 7:00 p.m. Opening remarks & speaker introduction 开场白并向大家介绍我们的特邀嘉宾
• 7:30 p.m. Dinner served 晚餐开始

Last month, WildChina received a request from one of Brazil’s top fashion designers whichdefinitely got a few ooohs and ahhs out of our office.

Expecting the request to be filled with high-end dining experiences at  M on the Bund in Shanghai (delicious) and behind the scenes art tours with WildChina art expert Kat Don in Beijing’s top galleries, WildChina was delighted to learn that this fashion designer had a taste for adventure and exploration. At present, a planned summer 2012 journey to explore Guizhou’s embroidery culture will aim to inspire this designer’s next line of clothing!

Elaborate Guizhou embroidery - evolving into high-end fashion?

For those in the know, Guizhou is an absolute must for collectors of  China’s fabric handicrafts.  Brightly colored, hand-made and varied depending on the region, WildChina feel this is one of the great places in China to pick up high-end goods that are distinctive and cannot be found anywhere else.  No matter where you travel in Guizhou– from the smaller villages in Leishan County or the capital of Guiyang, the quality and fabrics are extraordinary.

Earlier this year, Patti Waldmeir of The Financial Times traveled with WildChina.  Before her trip,  Waldmeir also noted that “All the guidebooks drone on about the intricate embroidery and elaborate hairstyles of Guizhou’s many ethnic minorities…. But that was before I met Xiao Zesheng, our WildChina guide – a Guizhou native with no more tolerance for counterfeit culture than I have. He marched us off through the rice fields – balancing precariously on narrow dikes separating paddies of mud and dung and water – right into the farmyards and courtyards of villages apparently untouched by much technical innovation since the water buffalo. In the process, he showed us plenty of traditional embroidery and elaborate hairstyles but they were all worn by women chopping wood and planting rice fields.”

Gejia Village welcome in Guizhou

WildChina recently launched our cross-border Cityscapes & Countrysides: An Intimate Look at China and Vietnam, which starts in Beijing, travels down to Southwest China in Guizhou and then into Vietnam.  While the purpose of the trip is not solely devoted to learning about China & Vietnam’s embroidery traditions, there will be plenty of opportunities to see the traditional methods of creating these local textiles and crafts.

We have our eyes peeled on the Brazilian fashion scene for influences in Guizhou’s local embroidery.

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Have Guizhou on your travel radar in the near future? Good! The Sister’s Meal Festival is taking place this year from April 5-7. Now is the time to arrange all bookings before it is too late…

Looking for a longer format cross border trip? Cityscapes & Countrysides: An Intimate Look at China and Vietnam is a fantastic new product WildChina launched in collaboration with fellow Condé Nast Top Travel Specialist Journeys Within. Beginning in Beijing and traveling south to Guizhou, this journey takes you across the border into Vietnam where you will continue exploring ethnic minority communities– and take in some incredible sights in Hanoi.

On a cold winter morning, I arose as dawn broke over the Qinling mountains. I put on my waterproof pants and down jacket, strapped on my camera, and grabbed my walking stick. As I embarked from the lodge in the heart of reserve, the winter sun reflected off the fresh layer of snow that coated the ground, stretched along the ravine and continued up the steep mountains on both sides. I passed the the small row of village homes and agricultural plots in the reserve and came to a creek bed.

My guide, Little He (pronouned Huh), indicated that we should head up the creek. Fifty meters up the creek bed, the terrain shifted to dense bamboo grove. The tall bamboo shoots were difficult to traverse, not to mention doing so quietly. Using my walking stick to set the direction, I waded through the bamboo shoots and continued along the dried creek bed with painstaking care to avoid stepping on twigs and jumbling rocks.

Smack…smack…smack….

I froze.

Panda Sighting in the Reserve

I heard the chomping of fangs on a bamboo shoot 50 yards away, but couldn’t see who was chewing. Hearing foreign sounds, the chewer froze. Not able to see him, I climbed up the riverbed a bit higher. Peering across the grove, I got my first glimpse of a wild Giant Panda climbing the adjacent hillside. I locked eyes on the wide frame, four black stumps, white head, and two black eyes of this iconic animal.

Wild Giant Panda in Foping Nature Reserve

Tracking wild pandas in the heart of the Qinling mountains is a journey back in time. Away from the conveniences of modern society, time spent in the reserve is a harken back to the quiet solitude of a time before cell phones, email, and the busy lives we all lead–a time when pandas roamed freely from the foot of the Tibetan steppe to the river deltas in southern China. As I climbed along high mountain ridges, through bamboo grove, and along dried creek beds, occasionally a whisper of a breeze would somber in, and then subside again to the quiet of the reserve.

I came to a new understanding of the Giant Panda as I hiked and slept in the reserve. It’s easy to overlook the solitary, wandering nature of these magical animals when we go to zoos to see cuddly, playful pandas that are raised in captivity from birth. Spending time in the natural habitat of the panda is an opportunity to understand the environment that created this iconic beast, as well as the environment from which China emerged.

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Interested in doing a bit of panda trekking yourself? Take a look at WildChina’s journey Tracking Wild Panda Footprints, an adventurous program where you too will get to see a wild panda!

Post & photos provided by Alex Edmunds, a member of the WildChina team who recently traveled to Shaan’xi to track wild pandas.

It’s no secret that environmental encroachment is the single biggest challenge facing the survival of the wild Giant Panda. Because bamboo is nutritionally poor, pandas consume an average 9 to 14 kilograms of bamboo daily. They roam vast swathes of mountainous terrain constantly in search of fresh bamboo shoots, and don’t hibernate because they can’t build up the fat reserves to go to sleep for months at a time. Wild Pandas live solitary, nomadic lives. They seldom see other pandas, except during their short mating season in late March and early April. In the wild, they communicate with other pandas by scent.

A common controversy across the world in sustainable tourism is that tourism to a protected area invariably degrades the environment–through new footprints in virgin forest, noise, and the bit of trash that escapes being packed out by guides or locals. At the same time, tourism leads to an appreciation of the beautiful variety of lifestyles and natural wonders in different parts of the world. This appreciation creates an awareness that humanity must protect the wonderful diversity of the world.

The wild panda is a case in point of this push and pull. In a far-sighted nod to conservation, the Chinese government began establishing wild panda reserves in the early 1960s. By 2005, the government has established 50 panda reserves, protecting 2.5 million acres and 60% of the remaining population of wild panda.

It is possible to track wild pandas in certain reserves, but the opening of the reserves to tourism come with the imperative to maintain the reserve’s pristine state and to encourage preservation of the wild panda. The solution is to limit tourism numbers to avoid environmental degradation of the reserves and to attract travelers who have the commitment and means to be avid proponents in favor of the preservation of China’s iconic animal, the wild panda.

Wild Giant Panda in Foping Nature Reserve

Shanghai, China– Prior to living and traveling China, I’d never cooked a whole fish. My mother always bought whole fish then fried, baked, broiled, or boiled it for our family, but much to her dismay, I’ve been the sort who buys the fillet of salmon or halibut to grill on a pan. I’ve just always found the idea quite overwhelming – I could never get past the idea of scaling and gutting the fish. Thanks to fishmongers in the market, cleaning the fish leaves me no excuse to not try cooking a whole fish.

I took a train to Shanghai where I met Han Fifi’s family for a day of home-style cooking lessons. I’d lived and traveled in Shanghai but had only eaten in restaurants. To visit Han Fifi’s family was a treat for me as I’d never eaten a Shanghainese meal in a Shanghainese-family home.

The flavors her mother cooked are considered ‘light’, characteristic of Shanghai cuisine — little to no use of garlic and a frequent presence of sugar.  Han Fifi’s mother taught me a fish recipe that alleviated my silly fear of cooking an entire fish: Braised carp with spring onion (葱烤鲫鱼, cōng kǎo jìyú) uses carp (a fresh water fish), but I use sea fish and it is just as delicious!

Ingredients

• 20 stalks spring onion (小葱, xiǎocōng), cut into 3-inch pieces
• 500 grams carp (鲫鱼, jìyú), cleaned
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 pieces ginger (姜, jiāng)
• ¼ teaspoon salt (盐, yán)
• 2 tablespoons rice wine or Shaoxing cooking wine (黄酒, huángjiǔ)
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (老抽, lǎo chōu)
• ½ teaspoon salt (盐, yán)
• 1 teaspoon white sugar (白糖, báitáng)
• 1 cup water

Method

• Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a wok. Stir fry spring onions for 2 minutes over high heat then transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in the wok. Add ginger. Carefully slip the fish into the wok and fry both sides until golden. Add cooking wine, dark soy sauce, water, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil then lower flame and simmer for 5 minutes. Return the spring onions to the wok during the last minute of simmering.

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Interested in learning more about food in China? WildChina has launched China for Foodies, a food exploration journey throughout Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Shanghai and Hangzhou.  Join us to learn about the varied cuisines that exist throughout China and return home with recipes to share with friends and family.

Photos and post by Shanti Christenson

Tang’ Roulou was founded in Beijing in 2007 as a brand of clothes and accessories for children. French designers Amélie Peraud and Pierre-Yves Babin, have a passion for all things Chinese and this is reflected in their authentic, hand-crafted, unique creations. Together, Amélie and Pierre-Yves form a perfect creative symbiosis, they understand and complement each other and work harmoniously seeking perfection. Their products are a true reflection of their passion and love for beauty and craftsmanship. As I looked around their boutique shop in Sanlitun, Amélie told me the inspiration behind some of the items. Each design is created with patience and tender love and care, in an attempt to revive the timeless traditions that our grandmothers used to live by.

It all began when Amélie started making very personal gifts for her friends in France: She designed blankets for their babies, which she had sewn here in China by a local seamstress. Her designs were very well received and Amélie felt very encouraged, so Tang’ Roulou was born. The same attention to detail from the starting days is carried on to the present.

“Dragons, phoenix and goldfish from Asian imaginary dance joyfully in a setting of dots, stripes and flowers, enhanced with a retro touch – sometimes daring but always elegant”.

Inspired by their travels and observations – from Beijing’s traditional hutongs to remote rural villages – Tang’ Roulou translates their designs into the most adorable children’s clothes and accessories: Shanghai traditional Qipao dresses, crochet handmade jewelry, cuddly blankets, Lama-monk-style reversible bags and my personal favourite: embroidered notebook covers. These products are special: They are not mass produced items that you will find in a supermarket or department store. Each garment and accessory is made individually, making sure that even the last polka dot in the seam matches perfectly. They are made mostly of cotton prints, personally chosen by Amélie and Pierre-Yves, not only in Beijing, but also on their travels around China.

Tang’ Roulou has two workshops in Beijing where their products are hand-made by local seamstresses The embroidery details come from Baihua (Hundred Flowers), a women’s cooperative in North West China. Excellence and elegance are the key elements in Tang’ Roulou’s precious treasures.

Now Tang’ Roulou’s retro-chic products can be bought online on www.tangroulou.com. There is an ordering hotline if you don’t speak Chinese.

And you can also find them at the following outlets:

BEIJING:
Tang’ Roulou – Sanlitun North Road No. 30 – Phone: 010-6416-9761
Brand New China – Sanlitun North Road – NLG-09a –
The Orchard – Cuigezhuang – Hegezhuang village –
Wuhao curated shop – Maoer hutong n˚35
SHANGHAI:
L’Atelier Mandarine – Tai Kang Lu 210 / n˚3 Room 318 – Phone: 021-6473-5381

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Are you a keen shoper? There is definitely more to shopping in Beijing than the Pearl Market and Silk Street.  Antiques, gorgeous Tibetan rugs, funky up-and-coming Chinese designers and gorgeous cashmere scarves abound. Want some more tips? Get in touch at info@wildchina.com.

Photos by Chelin Miller (1&3) and Tang’ Roulou (2)

WildChina is excited to announce the product launch of Cityscapes & Countrysides: An Intimate Look at China and Vietnam.

Northern Vietnam

This pioneering cross-border journey will transport guests through two ancient capitals and into contact with rural ethnic minorities. The trip begins in Beijing where you will be part of modern China at its best, as business executives brush shoulders with pedi-cab drivers against a backdrop of towering skyscrapers and family-owned hutongs.  In contrast, China’s southern province of Guizhou, invites travelers to step back in time to a world of rice paddies and karst hills, inhabited by water buffalo and the Miao ethnic minorities.

On the Vietnam side of the border, Hanoi and the Vietnamese countryside represent two vastly different corners of the country, both in landscape and in culture. In Hanoi you will glimpse the history and culture behind this 1000-year-old Vietnamese capital, while the villages of Sapa, Seo Trung Ho, and Ban Ho expose the traveler to the bucolic, traditional side of life, providing interesting comparisons with China’s Guizhou to the north.

Among the rice paddies in Guizhou, China

WildChina is collaborating with Journey Within, a South East Asia based travel company and a member of the Condé Nast Destination Expert Alliance. Over the years, Journey Within CEO Andrea Ross and WildChina Founder Zhang Mei have forged a strong relationship while attending annual Condé Nast Top Travel Specialist conferences, an gathering of the crème de la crème of the travel industry (picked by the one and only Wendy Perrin, Condé Nast’s famed travel guru).  Several years ago, Andrea and Mei began speaking about how they should create an cross border adventure journey so their clients could learn about Vietnam and China’s complex shared history, ethnic minorities and gorgeous handicrafts.

Zip through Hanoi, Vietnam with Journeys Within

With WildChina and Journey Within’s access to local families in these remote villages, there’s no better way to Experience China–and now Vietnam–Differently. To take a look at more trip details, click here on Cityscapes & Countrysides: An Intimate Look at China and Vietnam.

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Ready for cross-border travel? Get in touch at info@wildchina.com and a WildChina travel consultant would love to answer any questions you might have regarding this journey.

Photos by WildChina + Journeys Within