Today at WildChina, we received one of the greatest gifts that one can in the travel industry: a beautifully-written, heart-felt, and interesting account by a client of their recent Chinese Treasures journey with WildChina to Beijing, Xi’an, Yunnan province, and Shanghai.

Below is Chuck and Kathie’s story.

“You have to understand, Chuck, economically we are capitalists.  Socially we remain communists.  And, that’s not easy to reconcile.”

We look at our guide as we approach the front gate of our Tibetan hosts for the evening.  It is not the first time we’ve heard sentiments such as this.  During our nearly 10 days in China, multiple WildChina guides have done their best to show us life through indigenous eyes and provide us context to Chinese thinking.  We learned of generational divides – where Mom cannot understand why a 30-something guide prefers to be an entrepreneur rather than wish for the days when Chairman Mao “provided for us and we did not have to worry about anything.”  We heard of collateral fallout from 4-2-1 (4 grandparents, 2 parents and only one child), a result of the one child policy.  We silently chuckled as we listened to concerns about the “younger generation”, this from a 35 year-old, no less.  Being 60+  years ourselves, we wisely kept our mouths shut.

Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an

As we arrive for tonight’s dinner, our focus shifts to the family who will open their home and their hearts to us.  We stand at nearly 11,000 feet in Zhongdian in the Yunnan Provence, surveying the courtyard where in the winter animals are brought from the hills.  There is a small tractor and a barn on the ground floor that in the coldest months helps heat the rooms above.  Our host for the evening, a 14 year-old girl with timid eyes, escorts us to the second floor, where we enter a large room with beautiful lacquered wood corbels and intricate painted details.  A wood-burning cooking area with smoke escaping through the ceiling captures our attention while two bare light bulbs bracket low couches and a table where we will eat.   Standing in the corner is 84 year-old great-grandma.  Her eyes are anything but timid.

After our young host finished showing us additional rooms and a storage area for mounds of yak butter, great-grandma catches Chuck’s eye and she pats a space beside her on a low bench by the fire.  When we sit down she motions with gnarled hands as she speaks to us.  Our guide is in another part of the room.  But it is okay as we smile and great-grandma goes right on talking.

Dinner is accompanied by yak-butter tea and Baijiu [a Chinese rice-based alcohol].  We refuse nothing and enjoy it all.  Chuck shows our young hostess his camera, which immediately breaks down what’s left of her reserve, and she laughs when seeing pictures of friends taken today in the city.   The room has filled with mom, dad, sister and cousins.  Our guide tells them Kathie dances ballet, so a trade is arranged.  They will dance for us if Kathie hoofs her way through a few steps.

And then they dress us.  With rough-skinned hands the women wrap and cinch us while everyone laughs at how we look.  Following more pictures, the women, generations four, three and one (two is not there), perform a line dance that shines with tradition.  Kathie joins them and, along with the youngest, soon matches the footsteps while soft Tibetan words are sung by the elders.  Dad stands to the side with a warm smile as he watches his family with seeming amusement.  Chuck catches the 8 year-old sister, with huge wide-open eyes and lips set in a firm line, as she stares hard at him through the barrel of his camera lens.

On the way back to the hotel, our guide is moved to comment that something unusual happened here tonight.  We are not the first to be brought to this home, but before, our hosts did not dress the guests and great-grandma remained strictly in the background.   There is a message here: what you give can determine what you will receive.

WildChina presents opportunities.  They put you in position to experience something special but if you want it, you have to put a bit of yourself out there; you must be the one to build a platform that supports everybody to open themselves.

Consider this from the host’s perspective.  By sharing a bit of yourself, you become something more than a tourist there to be fed and watch the Native Show.  You interact with them “as people” and that raises the level of how meaningful this is for everyone.

Whether it is a Tibetan night of extending hands of friendship – or listening to a proud father in a Beijing hutong home tell you about his successful martial arts instructor son living in Houston – or two weeks’ worth of cultural immersion with warm and eager guides – if you want to maximize the value of what you paid just to get here, you must go beyond simply seeing what is around you.  You must jump in.  And, as you say goodbye you too can hear, “I’m very western.  We can hug.”

Chuck & Kathie Neuenschwander

Photo: Michael Mudd

Shanghai seems to be the hub of travel news this week! Here’s what’s piqued our interest today:

• High-speed Shanghai to Hong Kong train: In addition to the newly-unveiled Shanghai to Hangzhou bullet train (watch video footage from WSJ), the Fragrant Harbor will now have high-speed access to (arguably) China’s most glamorous city with the Shanghai to Hong Kong bullet train in development. We’re keeping our eye on how these lines will affect travel during peak holiday seasons and the popularity of lesser-known river towns and tea plantations outside of Hangzhou.

• From volunteer to visitor: As the 2010 Shanghai Expo comes to a close this month, those who kept the months-long event running finally got their chance to experience it as guests. Watch the video footage of volunteers switching roles.

• Expo breaks World Fair attendance record: In the last few days, the Expo broke the record for World Fair visitors. Congratulations, Shanghai!  (But given China’s population and the amount of marketing and advertising done for the event, we’re not too surprised.)

This past week, China Daily reported that Beijing’s rescue team, “Luye,” responded to four emergency calls during the week-long October Holiday alone – all from travelers who needed assistance in remote areas outside of the city proper.

As, according to the article, this and similar teams received only 9 similar calls for all of 2009, what is causing this rising trend in travel emergencies?

Luye head Lu Zhonghong attributed the increase to lesser-known spots preferred by travelers and lack of know-how, saying, ”Most people who get into trouble those days are travelers without professional knowledge and the equipment they need to hike.”

Though “people increasingly prefer to travel in undeveloped areas and in the mountains around the city,”  he said “it can be very dangerous to climb such peaks, especially when people are not familiar with the terrain.”

We’re strong proponents of off-the-beaten-path travel in China – but, safety is also our first priority. Here are our tips for experiencing China’s unique sites without ending up lost, injured, or worse:

1. Choose your destination wisely: Adventure is one thing; danger is another. Research destinations carefully, because someone’s definition of “difficult” might be your idea of certainly unsafe. Consult travel operators, travel review websites, and other travelers.
2. Explore with an expert: Just because you’re a good adventurer doesn’t necessarily mean you can navigate unknown terrain without a local guide. Do your research and make sure that you are traveling with a well-trained, experienced guide who can knows the area, terrain, and routes like the back of his or her hand. (We know plenty – just ask.)
3. Off-road during the off-peak: Holiday periods in China are notorious for logistical issues that may cause delays and cancellations. If you are traveling remotely during a Golden Week or other popular travel period, emergency services may not be able to act as swiftly on your behalf. Choose a time to adventure when rescue teams, hospitals, and police will be less busy.
4. Have connections handy: If you’ve traveled China extensively or live in the country, you might not want a guide to take you beyond the tourist hubs. In that case, make sure that you have plenty of local contacts whom you can call or find in the event of an emergency. Information for friends’ families, local hotel / lodge owners, and regional emergency hotlines should be on hand at all times.
5. And, of course, do not travel alone.

In Mark Graham’s late September South China Morning Post article, “On the inside track,” the author quotes a Chinese couple expressing their changing thoughts on tourism at home: ”We want to explore [China] more and more; it’s something my parents’ generation could not do.”

The couple’s comments are reflective of a generational shift in Chinese travel. As the mystery, grandeur and beauty of China’s many diverse areas becomes increasingly accessible to its own people, the Chinese are choosing domestic travel over international – and at a rapid rate.

Chinese tourists are looking more to inbound tourism, but away from the crowds of popular sights. (Photo from Shanghaiist.com)

However, these tourists aren’t choosing cookie-cutter tour buses and factory shops – wealthy Chinese now want to explore their roots in an authentic, eco-friendly way, with customized ‘green’ travel.

Read what WildChina’s Mei Zhang has to say about the direction of travel for domestic Chinese tourists and how it’s shaping the industry. Download the full article from the WildChina website (listed in ‘WildChina in the News’ under ‘September 2010′), or read it on the South China Morning Post website if you are a subscriber.

Although many Chinese travelers will be leaving the country next week for this year’s October Holiday, a national week of celebration for China’s National Day (October 1st), there will still be plenty of locals who prefer in-bound travel for the break.

Back to the Bund: consider in-city entertainment for this October Holiday.

For those tourists – or expat residents – not willing to brave the crowds during this Golden Week, it may be the best time to do in-city exploration.

If you live in Beijing or Shanghai, and haven’t had time to step out of your office or school to truly experience your home-away-from-home, take this week to explore. For October visitors to China, skip the stress of holiday travel and spend a few extra days in these diverse metropolitan areas before venturing to other areas of the country.

Beyond the historic sites (see them if you haven’t), we’ve compiled a short list of suggestions from the web for the holiday:

Beijing

• For all its new glitzy nightlife, Beijing doesn’t get enough credit for good, old-fashioned fun. Jessica Marsden suggests you try retro roller-skating in Xizhimen – for only 5 RMB. (from To China… And Beyond!)
• If you want to relive the days of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, head to the Olympic Green, where monitors will keep crowds in check as you explore the Green’s cutting-edge architecture. (from Global Times)

Shanghai

• Split Works Marketing Director and Shanghai resident Abby Lavin has co-compiled a comprehensive Shanghai to-do list for the holiday, complete with a cornucopia of sights, sounds, and activities. (from CNNGo)
• Not previously enticed by the Expo? Reconsider, since new ticket deals are now being offered, boasting more visit time and cheaper prices. (from Shanghaiist)

Still want to be outside of a metropolitan marvel during your October break? Sara Naumann, author of About.com’s China Travel Guide, tells you when to travel and how to book to avoid the worst of October Holiday season.

In eastern China, it’s easy to think that the country’s provinces to the West – namely Tibet, Xinjiang, and Qinghai – are a world away.

But, recent developments at the Shanghai Expo are bringing these two regions of China closer than ever. During Tibet Week at the Expo, a new tourism agreement signed between Shanghai and Lhasa, Tibet’s capital city, confirmed that visitors will soon be able to enjoy “luxury train travel and short-stay trips” between the two cities.

To accommodate increasing visits to the plateau province, government officials, local tourism bureaux and travel agencies will collaborate on increased Tibet-bound tourism. Officials are discussing more efficient train stops and connections, airlines are developing more routes from Shanghai, Xi’an and Xining, and travel agencies are in talks to promote more 3-5 day trips to the area.

Shanghai, a perennial tourist favorite, will also share its tourism knowledge and expertise. As Tibet is one of our favorite fall destinations, we are excited to see what this agreement will mean for western-bound tourism here.

China travelers, stay tuned for developments pending the outcome of this cross-country travel agreement.

If you have been receiving box upon box of mooncakes, or yuebing, these past few weeks like us at WildChina, you are surely thrilled that Mid-Autumn Festival – the  raison d’être for these egg-and-bean-filled confections – is right around the corner.

Zhongqiujie, as it is known in Chinese, is a celebration of the end of the summer harvesting season and the round, full moon of the autumnal equinox. During this holiday period (Wednesday, September 22 to Friday, September 24), family and friends gather to hang festive lanterns, admire the moon, and of course, dine on mooncakes.

How will you celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival? San Francisco’s Chinatown, the largest in the United States, puts on an annual Autumn Moon Festival Street Fair, which features food stalls, performances, and other events to commemorate the occasion. There are also other events and gatherings in local Chinatowns across the country – check your regional event listings in magazines and online for details.

For those in Asia, evening jubilation is a must. CNNGo has a comprehensive list of where to moon gaze in Hong Kong during the festival, whether it be a population metropolitan hangout or quiet nature spot. Our top choice for Beijing? Houhai Lake in Dongcheng district, where the water displays a dynamic, shimmering image of the moon’s reflection. That being said, any cafes or bars with rooftops will provide the right ambiance, and necessary view, for the Festival. People all over China will be spending outdoor time at parks, beaches, lakes, and other areas to celebrate, so find one nearest to you and come prepared with a few lanterns and yuebing.

Revelry aside, travelers to Beijing, and other crowded metropolitan areas, this holiday should be prepared for increased traffic this week before the 3-day break. In light of recent traffic issues plaguing the area, we suggest that you use public transportation and commute at off-peak hours.

WildChina’s Beijing office will be closed on Wednesday, September 22 for Mid-Autumn Festival. Please call 1-888-902-8808 or email info@wildchina.com for assistance at this time. The US office will be open as usual.

(Photo: Jimmyspa.com)

To all of our friends and fellow travelers in China: have a great holiday!

On the ‘Roof of the World,’ the sky is the limit when it comes to exploration. Given Tibet’s diverse cultural, historical and religious marvels, it is no wonder that travelers from all over the world flock to this intriguing plateau.

High-altitude autumn landscapes in Lhasa, the region’s capital, provide the perfect backdrop for all-age discovery. After a decade of visiting the area, we have a few favorite sites in the area.

Of particular note are Ganden Monastery and Sera Monastery, two of Tibet’s ‘great three’ university monasteries. After touring the different academic centers within these ancient centers of study, don’t forget to visit Sera’s printing center to create your own prayer flag.

If you’re looking to get out of Lhasa to witness religious life, head to Pabonka Hermitage – now part of Sera Monastery and located northwest of the city.

Feeling a bit lightheaded from the altitude, or simply curious about local remedies? We suggest that you visit a Tibetan Traditional Medicine hospital to hear healing secrets directly from a local Tibetan doctor.

Finally, on your way out of town en route to Shigatse, carve out time to learn how to make incense with a local family.