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.

On my way to the office this morning, an article in The Atlantic caught my eye. Written by China expert James Fallows, the piece is about one of WildChina’s favorite places, The Linden Centre.  Tucked away in a small town in Yunnan called Xizhou, the Linden Centre is a model for sustainable tourism that protects the cultural heritage of a place.

With more plans for Xizhou’s development underway, it’s unclear whether the Linden’s gold standard will win out over the mass-tourism model. I certainly hope it does, as it would truly be a model tourism town for China.

The slideshow below illustrates much of the article. Note how Fallows talks about the tour bus vs. off-the-beaten-path traveler – something we’re always talking about at WildChina.

One of my new favorite reads is ExpatPackage.com. A weekly newsletter with info on lesser-known Beijing sites and activities, it’s a fun and humorous take on life in China’s capital.

Their latest issue is on traveling with WildChina, and it makes a great case for sending visiting friends and family out for a day (or 10) with a guide. Enjoy!

“At a moment when your time and money matter more than ever, a trusted expert can take all the hassle out of travel planning.”

With that in mind, Travel + Leisure magazine evaluated thousands of agents to make its selections for the eighth annual A-List: The 129 Top Travel Agents. WildChina is proud to announce that our founder, Mei Zhang, is named in this highly selective list!

Mei, the entrepreneur and China travel industry expert behind WildChina, sat down to talk about her inclusion in the A-List, why her home province of Yunnan is so special and the future of sustainable travel in China.

WildChina (WC): What does your inclusion in Travel + Leisure’s A-List mean to you?

Mei Zhang (MZ): “I’m really honored to be included in this year’s A-List, as it gives me the chance to showcase China’s great diversity and beauty. When I started WildChina in 2000, the goal was to help people discover the unique and hidden sides of China — the sides you rarely heard about in the news. Almost 10 years later, that continues to be the driving force. It’s a true joy to take our guests into local villagers’ homes to share a meal or on hikes through pristine nature reserves, as I know we’re providing them with a personal connection to China.”

Read the rest of this entry »

This video of the October 1st National Day Parade is absolutely stunning. The precision, execution, and sheer number of participants is astounding!

China’s 60th Anniversary national day – timelapse and slow motion – 7D and 5DmkII from Dan Chung on Vimeo.

On a hiking trip through mountainous Guizhou province, WildChina’s local partner Shiau Xiao stopped at a remote village to shoot some hoops with the children of Leishan village. They laughed and played basketball, until suddenly, Xiao twisted his ankle and fell to the ground. With a 2-hour hike from Leishan to the nearest road, how was Xiao going to get home?

Knowing there was no way Xiao could hike out as he had planned, the villagers of Leishan opened their homes and hearts to Xiao. Even though his ankle was badly hurt, Xiao was able to hike out the next day due to the Miao people’s knowledge of local herbs and traditional remedies.

As Xiao returned to his hometown, he remembered the kindness of the Miao people of Leishan. Thinking back to the fun he had playing basketball with the village children, he decided to do something for them in return. At the school where he had played, the basketball court had only one hoop and was made of dirt. Xiao decided to help Leishan build a real basketball court, a place for all of the villagers to play.

Xiao came to WildChina this summer to ask for help collecting donations. Many members of the staff were moved by Xiao’s story of Leishan village, and decided to help. Due to Xiao’s hard work and funding from WildChina, Leishan got their basketball court just in time for school to start.

Leishan Village Children Enjoy Their New Court

In Guizhou, imposing mountains dot the horizon, creating a stunning landscape of breathtaking views. However, these mountains make transportation and building roads here difficult. Life in Guizhou, China’s poorest province, is not easy.

In Southeastern Guizhou, Leishan, is truly remote. With a 2-hour hike separating Leishan from the nearest road, this village of 130 residents carries all of the supplies they need in and out on foot. Home to a group of ethnic Miao people, Leishan is a place where Miao culture and traditions remain strongly embedded in everyday life.

The villagers celebrated the new basketball court with a huge banquet, Miao songs and traditional dances. Out of a sprained ankle and the kindness of a village, came a chance for children to play.

Discovery of a mini T-Rex called the Raptorex was recently announced, after being discovered in a lake bed in Inner Mongolia years ago. Perhaps this mini dinosaur, 1/100th of the size of the T-Rex, should be nick-named the Wee-Rex?

Archaeologists and paleontologists have long been researching dinosaurs in China’s northern Gansu province, but this new discovery makes it seem likely that hoards of scientists will be flocking to Inner Mongolia to look for relatives of the Raptorex.

If you’re interested in learning more about searching for dinosaur fossils in China, send us an email at info@wildchina.com WildChina won’t guarantee that you’ll make  the next great paleontological discovery, but it will definitely be a ton of fun and an amazing experience.

WildChina just found out that our founder Mei Zhang is  included on Travel+Leisure’s list of the 129 Top Travel Agents in the world – congratulations Mei!

While we’re anxiously holding our breath to see what it looks like in print, you can read Mei’s mention on the Travel + Leisure website now.

Want to see the rest of the list? Check it out online, or wait for the October issue to hit newsstands soon.

Related to our recent post on Beijing road closings, there are quite a few changes with Beijing’s roads and sites leading up to the 60th Anniversary Parade for the People’s Republic of China. The full text of specific road closures can be found on the Beijing government site, but the most important thing for travelers is that the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square will be closed all day on Friday, September 18th.

Need suggestions for something else to do that day? Email us at info@wildchina.com