What We’re Reading

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Sipping on Chengdu’s legendary teahouse culture

August 20, 2010 in Culture, On the Road, What We're Reading by WildChina | No comments

The buzzing metropolis of Chengdu may be most famous for being the capital of Sichuan cuisine, but its identity is not linked to food alone – is also arguably the Chinese city with the most pervasive teahouse culture.

Home to somewhere between four and five thousand teahouses, Chengdu is known throughout China for being a laid-back city where everywhere you go, you’ll find a busy teahouse full of people chatting, talking business or playing majiang (mahjong) – all while sipping on small cups of their favorite cha.

We recently stumbled upon an interview on Chengdu website GoChengdoo with Texas A&M associate professor of history Wang Di, who is researching the role of the teahouse in China during the 20th Century.

The Chengdu native authored the book The Teahouse: Small Business, Everyday Culture and Public Politics in Chengdu, 1900-1950, a look at Chengdu’s teahouse culture in old Chengdu, making several interesting arguments about what led to the popularity of teahouses in Chengdu and its reputation for leisurely locals.

In the early 20th Century, many Chengdu residents lacked access to running water, and water in many of the wells around the city had a bitter alkaline taste, so a stop by the teahouse was important for many people. So important, that being located near a teahouse could push an apartment’s rent up significantly.

In addition to generating plenty of local wealth, the agricultural abundance of Chengdu and the fertile Chengdu Plain also translated to people spending less time in the fields to ensure a good harvest than in other parts of China. No wonder why drinking tea and catching up on the latest news and gossip was the activity of choice for people of all backgrounds in Chengdu.

Whenever we’re passing through Chengdu we always try to squeeze in a visit to open-air teahouse at People’s Park. Undoubtedly the city’s most famous teahouse, it is the perfect place to experience teahouses as they used to be in Chengdu. After a few hot cups of green tea, the tea-fuelled chatter around us fades into the background and we think about how far those little leaves traveled to get there.

Our take on Wendy Perrin’s 6 Travel Agent Tips

August 19, 2010 in News You Can Use, Travel Tips, What We're Reading by Alex G | 1 comment

(Photo: Condé Nast Traveler)

 In addition to being honored to be one of Wendy Perrin’s 135 Top Travel Specialists for 2010, we’re a big fan of the related spread in Conde Nast Traveler‘s August 2010 print issue.

Perrin not only describes each selected travel agent, but also provides guidance on how to use the interactive listing on the CNT website, and features sport-and-adventure-themed agent recommendations.

Our favorite feature is her 6 Travel Agent Tips – found exclusively in print – which empower travelers to craft the perfect trip with their specialist. Smart and useful, these hints can be applied anywhere in the world. So, we’re showing you how to use them to create a memorable journey in China.

Perrin says: Define trip goals: “The better you are at articulating your needs, the better the travel specialist can meet them.”

We say: Perrin is right on the mark with this first tip. There are many angles from which to experience China, so it is important to know where your preferences and priorities lie. Ask yourself what kind of trip you want to create. To jumpstart your thinking process, here are a few key words to consider: luxury, adventure, local, modern, traditional, cuisine, monument, history, hands-on, expert.

Perrin says: Get personal: “The more information you share, the more potentially spectacular the results.”

We say: Information = customization, and customization = the trip of a lifetime tailored specifically to you. Do you love birds? Try our Winter Birding trip. Are you a self-professed gourmet? We’ll expose you to China’s many local cuisines and flavors. Can’t live without your morning cup of joe? Maybe a trip to get a taste of Yunnan‘s locally-produced coffee is in order. Travel specialists can use your personal interests and preferences to make the trip all the more special.

Perrin says: Be a collaborator: “The best trips spring from a team effort between you and the specialist.”

We say: The relationship between traveler and specialist is incredibly important, to develop mutual understanding and ultimately, an unforgettable journey. We like frequent email communication and phone conversations to build the rapport. These interactions not only give us facts for trip-planning, but help us to understand how the client thinks and interacts. We adapt to their style so that they can trust us – and from trust springs successful collaboration.

Perrin says: Establish a budget: “State up front how much you want to spend.”

We say: This is particularly important with customized travel. China can be explored at all levels, so it’s important to gauge how specialized and unique you want your trip to be. You might want to visit a remote village in Yunnan, but skip on the private visit with the local shaman. Alternately, maybe it’s important to you to try the very best roast duck in Beijing. Whatever your spending preferences, make them known early.

Perrin says: Expect to pay a fee: “A travel specialist’s fee is either a deposit applied to the cost of the trip… or a markup built into the total cost.”

We say: At WildChina, creating customized trips that are perfectly suited to our clients’ interests and needs is of utmost importance. As such, we do not require a fee for your initial consultation. When a client is ready to confirm the trip, we ask for a deposit.

Perrin says: Guide the guide: “It’s your job to communicate your interest directly to the guide.”

We say: We take guide training very seriously, making sure that our guides’ English level, local knowledge, problem-solving skills and flexibility are all up to snuff. They know to observe and adapt to clients’ needs and wants, but you should also never hesitate to let them know what you want. If you prefer your guide to discuss architecture instead of history, describe personal anecdotes on life in China, or just let you roam in peace, let them know.

Sign of the times: Lonely Planet goes Chinese

August 17, 2010 in What We're Reading by WildChina | No comments

Around a decade ago Yunnan was still a bit off most travelers’ radar, but today it is one of China’s top draws for both international and domestic travelers.

For international travelers, it wouldn’t be difficult to argue that the main factor that put Yunnan on the map toward the end of the 90s was the opening paragraph of the province’s chapter in Lonely Planet’s China guidebook:

“Yunnan is without doubt one of the most alluring travel destinations in China. It’s the most geographically varied of all of China’s provinces, with terrain as widely divergent as tropical rainforest and icy Tibetan highlands. It is also the sixth-largest province in China and the home of a third of all China’s ethnic minorities and half of all China’s plant and animal species. If you could only go to one province, this one might well be it. [emphasis added]”

It was one of the most succinct (and accurate) summaries of what is one of China, Asia and the world’s most topographically, biologically and ethnically diverse regions. It was only a matter of time before the world realized how unique Yunnan is. Domestically it is already well on its way to becoming a “brand” of sorts like California or Tuscany.

Which brings us back to domestic tourism – and again to the Lonely Planet, who recently published it first Chinese-language guidebook introducing a part of China to Chinese people. What was it? Not surprisingly, Yunnan.

Former Lonely Planet contributor Chris Taylor’s recent review of the LP’s Chinese-language guide to Yunnan captures the through-the-looking glass feeling we had when we got our hands on a copy of the book:

“There is perhaps no greater irony of modern travel than being photographed by the natives with digital SLRs. Times have changed and now foreigners are part of the colorful backdrop for Chinese on personal journeys of discovery in their homeland. Add another layer of irony: in Yunnan, some of those Chinese travelers are now armed with a Chinese-language Lonely Planet guidebook to the province.”

As recently discussed in this blog, the popular destination of Lijiang is now held up as a model of how to not use tourism to develop a city. But that’s not to say Lijiang isn’t worth visiting. It’s all about knowing where and when to go to avoid the crowds.

The LP Yunnan guide won’t affect Chinese travel habits the way it did with laowai (foreigners) but it is still noteworthy in that it shows how important Yunnan already is to China’s domestic travel market.

This no doubt means that there are plenty of destinations overrun by unsustainable commercial tourism, but these places are all connected to a tight network of agents, shops and “scenic areas” operating on a code based upon kickbacks. Unfortunately for the Chinese market, there are no domestic WildChinas offering real off-the-beaten path options.

Chopsticks out: Chengdu now a “City of Gastronomy”

August 9, 2010 in Culture, Food, In the News, What We're Reading by Alex G | No comments

We were interested to learn on CNNGo today that Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, has recently been named Asia’s first “City of Gastronomy” by UNESCO.

How did it beat out the competition (which is fierce, considering the many delicious Asian cuisines that exist)? Besides its delectable history of fiery cuisine, the city fit UNESCO’s extensive criteria for the distinction described by CNNGo:

“A city must have a well-developed cuisine that is characteristic of the region; nurture a vibrant community of chefs and traditional restaurants; show local know-how of traditional culinary practices and methods of cooking that have survived industrial and technological advancements; maintain traditional wet markets; have a history of hosting gastronomic events; prove active in the promotion of sustainable local products; and be committed to nutritional education and the inclusion of bio-diversity conservation programs in cooking schools.”

As author Annabel Jackson mentions, this is a great opportunity to showcase some of China’s lesser-known cuisine to the world. As big fans of Sichuan, we’re thrilled that the area is receiving more publicity for its culinary heritage.

Read more about Chengdu’s appetizing award and its culinary delights on CNNGo.

Opposing viewpoint: No to Lijiang?

August 5, 2010 in Culture, On the Road, What We're Reading, environment by Alex G | No comments

This week on Twitter, we engaged in a short but telling debate with @chinaandbeyond, or blogger Jessica Marsden, on Lijiang, Yunnan province.

(credit: Michael Mudd)

After reading our tweets on our Chinese Treasures journey – our ’China 101′ itinerary with an-off-the-beaten-path twist – she challenged our choice of Lijiang among cultural and historical mainstays Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an in a blog post, citing its devolvement into a tourist trap.

As we have discussed in previous posts on the WildChina blog, we don’t dispute this fact. Much of Lijiang’s cultural value has been replaced by cafes, bars and other entertainment venues targeted at foreigners. It’s a tough call, and one that we have to make each time we take our clients to lesser-known villages and sites in the area.

Explore the many facets of this ongoing debate: read Jessica’s full post on her blog and Lonely Planet, get our thoughts on the subject, and join the conversation on tourism in China with us on Twitter.

The Hypocrisy of Tourism?

July 13, 2010 in In the News, What We're Reading, environment by Alex G | No comments

Clean technology, sustainable tourism. They go hand-in-hand in China, right?

Not so, says Hunan province’s Zhang Yue, or “Chairman Zhang” – the founder and chairman of innovative, clean-tech Broad Air Conditioning and accompanying utopian Broad Town in Changsha, the province’s capital.

Zhang Yue ("Chairman Zhang") of Broad Air Conditioning and Broad Town in Changsha, Hunan province. (Photo credit: Forbes.com)

The Chairman, according to a recent New York Times article, “achieved the new Chinese dream of making millions, but then dropped the jet-setting life for a green philosophy that determines company policy” for his air conditioning empire.

While Chairman Zhang is unwaveringly pro-green technology and sustainable living, he does not have the same praise for tourism in China. The author of the article, Manuela Zoninsein, writes,

Despite Broad [Air Conditioning]‘s affiliation with the Expo, [Chairman] Zhang remains vociferous and critical, pointing out the innate hypocrisy of focusing on sustainable urban development while also “inducing people to tour, to attract more people for tourism. … All of the above is quite dangerous,” Zhang warns, before pulling another drag on his cigarette.

Though the thought of hordes of visitors to the Expo may not conjure up images of sustainability etc., Zhang seems to overlook the value of the event as an educational tool. The Expo isn’t “inducing people to tour” so much as to experience the future of our world.

What are they experiencing? Models for better living and technology for a more environmentally-friendly future. The Expo’s primary mission has never been to simply entertain or amass crowds (though these are certainly side-effects). Rather, the event displays a re-conceptualization of life as we know it. It is important for China’s citizens – and people all over the world – to be exposed to this, especially in the context of living ‘green’ and sustainably in highly-populated areas.

There is certainly a cost to this education in the form of human traffic and waste generated during the Expo. But is any education free? The danger here, which Zhang suggests there is, is being unaware of how crucial this is to our survival (urban, suburban, or rural).

In a broader context, we at WildChina must constantly ask the following questions: Are we turning “off-the-beaten-path” destinations into purchasable commodities for people to exploit? Are we, in fact, playing into the hypocrisy that Chairman Zhang so vehemently opposes?

While Chairman Zhang may say yes, we beg to differ. Why? In contrast to the mass tourism agencies that are rampant all over China at present, WildChina cares deeply about cultural and environmental sustainability, and we strive to achieve these in each trip that we operate. The venues, activities, and guides that we choose for our journeys are intended to teach and engage our travelers, to push them beyond their previous notions of what ‘China’ and ‘Chinese’ mean. Accessing the farthest reaches of this country, whether that translates to cities or villages, means that our visitors aren’t numbers in overrun tourist traps, but examiners and thinkers in communities and spaces beyond the public eye.

So, Chairman, I challenge you: how can educating China’s people about the perils of lifestyles unchanged, and travelers of cultures oft-misunderstood be ‘dangerous’? In order to move forward with global ‘green’ goals, we must show people what life could be like with such practices and technology in place. We, as a tour operator, also commit to supporting traditional local communities while promoting cultural understanding by taking travelers all over China. In these ways, people avoid the dangers of being ignorant and unaware about our environment and our world, wherever they may be.

Let’s call this Lesson #1.

What do you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Post a comment, or talk to us on Twitter @WildChina.

[Photo credit: Forbes.com]

Travel Tip: Planning Luxury Family Travel in China

June 17, 2010 in Travel Tips, What We're Reading by Alex G | 1 comment

As China’s best luxury tour operator with a focus on customized, off-the-beaten-path tours to China, WildChina specializes in making family trips to China exciting, memorable, and hassle-free for both children and parents.

This morning at the WildChina Beijing office, we read Eva Vasquez’s excellent CNN article on luxury family travel with great interest, as this type of travel to China is increasingly common. Vasquez’s practical advice – from determining appropriate activities for your family and choosing how much to plan, to involving children in decision-making and more – helps traveling families decide how to make the most of our their experience.

Make a visit to Shaolin, Henan fun for the whole family: enjoy an afternoon kungfu demonstration together.

WildChina similarly subscribes to many of the ideas Vasquez writes of in her article. For example, for our Classic China Family Vacation: Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin & Shanghai, we make sure to choose hotels in these metropolitan cities with kid-friendly pools. Pint-sized travelers on our Cultural Family Vacation: Beijing, Henan, Xi’an, Yunnan & Shanghai can delight in hands-on activities to help them learn about traditional Chinese culture.

What are other important points to keep in mind for a luxury family trip specifically to China? Barbara Henderson, WildChina’s Director of Private Journeys, has a few key tips for successful luxury family travel in China:

1. Inquire about “wow” moments just for the kids. Rather than simply including your children on your family trip, ask for child-friendly activities to keep them entertained and engaged. Activities like kite-making, kungfu lessons and calligraphy will make China more accessible and interesting for them.

2. With young children, bring your own carseat and stroller. You can buy these in China, but they might not be up to the safety standards that you are used to. Keep your trip worry-free by bringing the products you trust.

3. Let guides know if your child is a picky eater. Some children are incredibly adventurous when it comes to Chinese (or other) food, whereas some prefer to eat macaroni and cheese exclusively. No one wants a hungry child and upset child if they refuse food at every meal, so be clear to arrange options and alternatives accordingly.

4. Educate your children on China’s culture and history. They’ll get the most out of their China trip if they have some concept of China beforehand. Read up on specific historic sites, monuments, and/or destinations you will visit, so that children can connect stories with the real thing once you arrive.

5. Want a special evening out? Arrange babysitters with your tour operator. See what your guides have to say about hired help for an evening where you are staying. Rather than just hiring someone to watch television, your tour operator might be able to find fun ways to engage your child while you enjoy a special performance or nice dinner out.

Want more tips for travel in China? Email us at info@wildchina.com, or send us a tweet @WildChina.

What We’re Reading: “In Shanghai, Preservation Takes Work”

May 9, 2010 in What We're Reading, WildChina Experts by Alex G | No comments

It seems that Beijing is not the only Chinese city whose rapidly-changing aesthetic and identity have visitors and residents alike thinking about its past and present.

Recently, a New York Times article, titled “In Shanghai, Preservation Takes Work,” explored Shanghai’s development in light of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, whose pavilions opened their doors to the public on May 1st.

A modern, European-style building on Shanghai's Wujiang Road (source: New York Times)

The article quotes both Anne Warr and Peter Hibbard, two WildChina experts on architecture and history (respectively). On Shanghai’s disappearing past, Warr notes that there is still an impressive amount of history to be seen, saying, “For a city which has developed as rapidly as Shanghai, the number of historic properties that have managed to survive is a miracle.” Hibbard comments on the remarkable restoration of the city’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, a famous 1800s-era monument built by the Bund.

We were also particularly interested in the section regarding Shanghai’s Jewish neighborhoods, as WildChina is offering a one-day Shanghai Expo Tour, titled “Shanghai’s Jewish History.” For more information, a complete listing of this and other one-day tours can be found on the WildChina website.

What We’re Reading: Peter Greenberg’s ways to assist in Haiti, Chile and China

April 29, 2010 in On the Road, What We're Reading, qinghai earthquake by Alex G | No comments

In our ongoing efforts to assist those in Qinghai who suffered greatly from the Yushu earthquake, WildChina follows our peers in the travel world and their suggestions for providing aid to the area, in addition to providing our own insights.

One news item that particularly caught our eye was travel guru Peter Greenberg‘s article, Volunteer Vacations: Disaster Assistance in Haiti, Chile & China, on how to get involved in aid efforts to these three disaster-stricken areas. Combining service and travel, Greenberg’s article provides concrete ways to contribute to these regions’ health, community, and rebuilding efforts.

One of our highlights from the article is UNICEF’s efforts for women and children in Yushu. Greenberg writes,

The agency is [...] joining hands with China’s National Working Committee on Children and Women to establish ‘child-friendly spaces’ where young survivors of the earthquake can receive psycho-social support in a protective environment.

In addition to providing relief materials, UNICEF will be providing very important and valuable services to preserve the psyche of those surviving in Yushu. For more information, visit UNICEF’s homepage.

A complete list of Greenberg’s ways to provide disaster assistance can be found on Peter Greenberg’s blog.

Explore the ways that WildChina is helping in Yushu on the WildChina blog.

What We’re Reading: National Geographic ADVENTURE’s “First Ski Descent in China’s Minya Konka: Against the Clouds”

March 9, 2010 in On the Road, What We're Reading by Alex G | No comments

This past Monday, National Geographic ADVENTURE posted an article discussing the excitement – and danger – of skiing the increasingly-popular Mt. Minya Gongga (or ‘Konka’) region in China’s western Sichuan province.

Cliff Ransom writes,

In recent years the [Minya Konka] region has seen a marked increase in climbing expeditions, driven in part by a looser permitting process within China and a growing trend among elite climbers to favor smaller, more technical and unclimbed peaks over 8,000 meter behemoths. It has also seen a concurrent rise in morbid headlines—the rough terrain and unpredictable weather conspire to make the mountains of western China particularly avalanche prone.

While the risk is high, it is certainly rewarding if one can successfully ski this incredible area of China. However, it is equally incredible to trek through this area – as Rigby, Backstrom, Monega, and Chin did in the article – sans skis. WildChina offers an adventurous expedition to Minya Gongga , summiting three high-altitude passes, trekking through alpine forests and grasslands, and hiking the pilgrimage trail to Gongga Temple. Accompanied by expert local guides, travelers experience trekking that challenges even the most avid of climbers.

The reward? An extraordinary adventure in one of the most remote and untouched corners of China. With or without skiing as a part of your trip in this area of Sichuan, Mt. Minya Gongga’s awe-inspiring peaks will provide an unforgettable experience for the adventurous traveler.

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