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.

We at WildChina are thrilled to announce that founder Mei Zhang has been named by Condé Nast Traveler‘s Wendy Perrin as a Top Travel Specialist for 2010.

For the past 11 years, Perrin has hand-selected a group of elite travel specialists around the globe for her famous list. According to the Perrin’s introduction to the awards, specialists are chosen for offering “the best blend of expertise, access, and good value” all over the world.

Perrin praises Mei’s expertise in creating unique niche journeys in China, saying,

Zhang wants to show you the “authentic China,” beyond anything you’ll find in guidebooks, and—as a Yunnan Province native, Harvard MBA, and former consultant for the Nature Conservancy—she has a vast network of in-country experts in nearly every field that can make this happen… and get you farther off the beaten path than anyone else.

Mei is proud to be a featured travel specialist for the elite international list this year. She says of the distinction,

It’s such a tremendous honor. It was 10 years ago, almost exactly to the day, that I started WildChina. I still go back to Yunnan constantly, searching for those villages, the hidden Daoist temple, the corner noodle shop that smells like my childhood. One would have thought these would be hard to find, given the fast speed of change in China. But, truth be told, it’s not difficult. The idyllic culture of rural China is still there: the villagers still invite me to their homes for tea, the Nature Reserve chief still rolls up his pant legs to accompany me on hikes through the old forest.  It’s those moments that I cherish and long to share with my guests, and I can, thanks to tremendous support from the WildChina team in Beijing.

Mei is incredibly happy to share such passion with this year’s other distinguished leaders in tourism. Learn more about Mei’s fellow Travel Specialists across the globe and see why they are experts in their region of travel.

It is one thing to visit a remote Chinese village – but have you ever wondered what it would be like to live and participate in one?

I often think back to my study abroad experiences in China. While studying at Hangzhou’s Zhejiang University of Technology (through the C.V. Starr – Middlebury program), I loved taking trips with my Chinese roommate, both with school and on our own, meeting local people in various provinces and sampling all things cultural that my semester in China could offer me. (After such a great experience, it’s no surprise that I moved back.)

So, when my colleague Summer, who works in WildChina’s Educational Travel department, recently shared with me a few stories of student homestays in Miao minority villages in Guizhou province, my interest was immediately piqued. The trips’ unique combination of cultural interaction, adventure and service made me wish I were still that student on her abroad program trips.

The coolest part about these trips is that they were both centered rural village homestays – an integral part, in my opinion, of academic travel in China for both high school and college students alike. Doing so offers students a chance to personally encounter and understand daily life for rural minority peoples in China.

The beginning of the students’ homestay was one I didn’t expect: to arrive at these communities, Summer told me, students hiked 1-2 hours from Kaili, a larger town in Guizhou.  With a larger group of students, it’s not always easy to motivate everyone to trek on foot to a new destination. But, the old adage “when in Rome” applies here – it’s all part of the rural experience. I think it is a special, and important, part of the program.

Other highlights I found from my conversation with Summer were Miao fish hotpot, service activities at local schools, and learning to play the lusheng.

But, what really impressed me was the inclusion of household chores in these homestays. This may seem incredibly mundane, but to explain myself, a quick anecdote about my horse-crazed sister. Growing up, she rode at a barn that required riders to do everything from tacking up, feeding the horses, and cleaning stalls to tidying up the barn, fundraising at events, and running a rider-created committee to work on barn improvement. She has always had a closer relationship to and greater understanding of horses and riding than anyone I have ever known.

It’s the same with chores in these Miao villages: there is so much value to being a part of a daily system that sustains a traditional Chinese community. It makes a student’s experience in the community that much more integrated and personal. In the spirit of my own positive personal experience with Chinese community members during study abroad, I think Summer was right to make this a core part of the academic homestay experience.

Make your school trip experience in China memorable, too – take a look at our customizable educational travel programs.

Beijing’s whirlwind of development, like the rest of China’s, is having serious consequences for the city’s traditional neighborhoods. In wake of such destruction and construction, who is behind the movement to protect the structures of  Beijing’s past?

We spoke to Matthew Hu, Beijing-based cultural heritage preservationist and WildChina expert, about Chinese cultural tourism versus cultural preservation, the impending Gulou-area demolition, and what you don’t know about the Great Wall.

WildChina Travel (WCT): How did you first become interested in Chinese heritage preservation?

Matthew Hu (MH): As a Chinese citizen, I’m naturally very interested in Chinese history. I think it’s interesting: it tells me who I am and where I’m from. My generation has been taught history is a very censored, standard way that has been tightly controlled and approved by the government – it’s not very in-depth. In my various jobs relating to Chinese culture and cultural heritage preservation, I’ve always been asked by foreigners to explain my own culture. This prompted me to read more about Chinese history, to really understand it. In order to do so, you really have to understand Chinese heritage. It’s everywhere you go – historical sites, the buildings across from your home, etc. So, this is where my jobs took me. I learned about residential, storage, administrative, ceremonial, and other types of buildings present in Chinese history and culture. They tell you so much about what traditional Chinese culture is all about.

WCT: How have your professional and personal interests related to heritage preservation evolved over the years?

MH: At first, when I was in the travel industry, I went from place to place exploring different traditional Chinese structures. In heritage preservation, you do the same thing, but have more time to understand the rationale, historical background, hidden reasons, and socio-economic circumstances that contribute to the creation of a building or structure. So, my main focus in work has not changed, but rather become more focused. In any culture in China, whether it be Han Chinese or that of a minority group, I find that the most impressive aspect of it is usually the architecture that supports, literally and figuratively, their customs, beliefs, and other aspects of culture. Heritage preservation gives me the opportunity to understand how such structures accomplish this.

WCT: What have your latest projects/initiatives been relating to heritage preservation in China?

MH: Right now I am working on a hutong renovation and preservation project that integrates renovation training into the process. While it is certainly important for preservationists to renovate hutongs, local construction teams, as well as owners and tenants, need to know how to properly restore these homes for longer-lasting cultural impact and better structures. We are collaborating with the local government on training sessions on how to properly and sensitively renovate these courtyard homes, in order to maintain an air of tradition and authenticity. Correct practices are crucial to these homes’ upkeep; otherwise, they quickly deteriorate. For example, if one layer of plaster is put onto a hutong home being renovated, it is proper to wait 7 days until the next coating, so that the first layer is stable. Construction teams, in the interest of time and money, often keep putting on layers without waiting for that first coat to dry. You can see the difference – half a year later, these homes’ walls are already peeling. It’s important to get the details right in this process to properly and effectively preserve these structures.

WCT: Which type of Chinese structure, in your opinion, is most culturally important in China’s history? Why?

MH: It’s hard to say, but if I have to choose, I think the Great Wall and the hutongs. Both are much more diversified than many people think. Take the hutongs, for instance. Each one is different from the other. The culture in each area of hutongs is different as well. As for the Great Wall, each section is unique – different materials are used, aesthetics are different, and more. The Wall has been glorified because it is a symbol of Chinese civilization, but so much of it is neglected because some sections are in remote areas and don’t look as impressive as other parts. Both the hutongs and the Great Wall are largely misinterpreted and neglected.

WCT: In light of the Gulou demolition, how do you think the area will change? At this point, is there anything preservationists, activists, and citizens can do to protect the traditional hutongs?

MH: As of now, the government has already begun the project. It’s hard to say what we can do at this point. There is no public petition process, so the public cannot be part of the game. Anyone who cares about the hutongs can still go and document these areas, and preserve them in that way. While many see the demolition as a development that will be unsatisfactory to many parties, which I do not dispute, I am more inclined to look at it as a case study in understanding preservation versus economic impact. In the government’s eyes, not including the public opinion might save them money avoiding grassroots campaigns and petitioners to stop the development, which would mean jailings and other methods of control. In that way, they can coordinate a systematic method of renovation within the government. This system of disregarding public opinion, however, is not right, and so the outcome will not be satisfactory. We need to keep a close eye on this project and follow its development.

Explore these traditional neighborhoods while you still can – take a customized tour of Beijing with WildChina. Questions? Email us at info@wildchina.com or ask us on Twitter: @WildChina.

I was munching on my chicken salad sandwich when my colleague popped into my office, “ Oh, sorry. Here you go. Conde Nast Traveler Magazine issue you’ve been waiting for!”.

I probably didn’t look my best in my small office in an old house on East West Highway.  At least, the munching image didn’t quite live up to the dream brought alive on the cover of the magazine:

“135 Travel Experts who can change your life (Trust Us!)”

“FANTASTIC GETAWAYS! Living the Dream in Italy, India, Kenya, Eypt….”

I wiped away the crumbs, and turned the magazine to page 120.  Yes, there I was, for the first time, chosen by Conde Nast’s Wendy Perrin as one of the travel experts for China.

“Zhang wants to show you the “authentic China” beyond anything you’ll read about in guidebooks, and—as a Yunnan Province native, Harvard MBA, and former consultant for The Nature Conservancy—her vast Rolodex of in-country experts in nearly every field can make this happen…and get you farther off the beaten path than any other company can. Her cultural connections run deepest in Southwest China—Yunnan, Szechuan, and Guizhou provinces—where you might find yourself having tea with a practicing shaman, catching a private Naxi music concert at the home of the village head, or camping in luxury mobile tents on the Tibetan Plateau ”

This news reached me last week by email. So, the initial excitement has since settled, but never the less, the pride brought by this listing is still ringing.

It was exactly, almost to the date, 10 years ago that I started WildChina. At that time, I was a couple years out of business school, still owning a couple of black suits that I wore to glassy office buildings in Hong Kong, New York and Beijing. Still was quite used to flying business class.

Somehow, Travel changed my life. I took some time off McKinsey to travel around the world. Puff, 4 months was gone without a blink. I was sitting in the cabin of an oil tanker truck (only choice for a hitchhiker), rocking my way up to the Tibetan Plateau from Kashgar. We rocked and rocked, I fell asleep and woke up. Wow, a whole night was gone. The snow-covered landscape replaced the desert where we started. But the milestones said, 125 km!! A whole night, we covered 80 miles in distanced, but close to 15,000 feet in elevation.

My heart started to beat faster, breathing became more labored, the landscape increasingly looking austere and moonish. The Tibetan antelopes galloped in the distance. I started to cry, for no reason. One was just touched by being so close to pristine nature. I knew there were risks, for me, being the solo woman traveler on that route. But I knew I was one of the lucky few, who had the money, the time, and the right passport (Chinese) to travel to these remote corners of Tibet.

Sometimes, I, woke from sleep in that rocking truck, stared out the window, and asked myself, “What if the truck tumbled over the edge? Is there one thing I would regret for not doing?”

The answer came back loud and clear, “Building my own business”.  That was the beginning of WildChina.

Travel, somehow, has had magic powers over me. I met my husband hiking the sacred pilgrimage trail around Mt. Kawagebo in Yunnan, I took my wedding party to hike from Salween River to the Mekong.

Then travel helped to change other people’s lives.  Recently, two clients got married on a WildChina trip. Two clients got engaged on a WildChina trip. We’ve helped families retrace the Burma Road commemorating their father’s journey in WWII.

After all the years of traveling, I think I am starting to understand the magic of travels. Somehow, when one’s on the road, one’s attention is so outwardly focused, that all you notice are people and things around you. After the outward focus, the inward reflection of oneself is much gentler, and not so judgmental of whether my office is in an old house or a shishi building downtown, or whether my munching is embarrassing.

Travel elevates one above the daily routine, and allows one to see the beauty of other people’s daily routine. One of my favorite moment recently was jogging in front of Shangrila’s Songtsam Lodge, while watching the Tibetan farmers shepherding their cattle to the fields. I am sure they didn’t think of their life was poetic and charming, as it was just hard work. But as a traveler watching them, I was loving that moment. That’s the illusion of distance- distance of reality, distance of geography, and distance of time. That’s probably the art of travel.

Anyway, back to my sandwich. I didn’t think my munching a sandwich at desk was any bit poetic, but more embarrassing. But, I know, give it another 10 years, I will reflect back on this moment, as one of the defining moment of launching WildChina in America.

Nang got you down? Eat nuts and dried fruit.

I recently returned to WildChina’s Beijing office after spending 11 days in Gansu province, and a friend similarly returned via train to the capital city yesterday after a month in Xinjiang. Back in the comforts of Beijing, we compared notes about how to successfully, comfortably, and cleanly traverse China’s Western provinces. Here are our best tips, combined:

1. Bring dried fruit and nuts for fulfilling and nutritious snacks/meal supplements: My friend loved Xinjiang’s famous nang bread and pulled noodles, but after five days of eating them for almost every meal, she felt neither inspired nor healthy from the carb-heavy Uyghur cuisine. To vary her diet for taste and health, she brought bags of dried fruit and nuts from Beijing, where she found cheap and delicious varieties at Sanyuanli Market (right by the WildChina office!). This way, she was able to get enough protein and fiber on the road when she didn’t have many dining options.
2. Don a sturdy pair of jeans: This may seem obvious, but I could not have a) horse trekked, b) camped warmly, c) visited historic sites in the rain, or d) gone to dinner when the weather was cooler without my sole pair of blues. I wore them almost every day, and they served me very well. As the summer in the West is generally a bit cooler than in the East, jeans are a necessity for both outdoor and indoor activities.
3. Be flexible with your time: Life in China’s West is much more laidback than that in the East – it’s less-developed, and so people feel less of a rush at work and at play. Make your schedule so that it accommodates the easygoing attitude. Your body will thank you, too – in places of higher elevation (such as Gansu’s grasslands), you’ll naturally feel more tired and less inclined to have a super-packed day.
4. Learn to wash your hair in the sink: Less infrastructure and a lower standard of living in the West means fewer washing facilities. Work with what you have to get clean (i.e. sinks, streams, bottled water, hoses, etc.). The cooler, drier climate means that you’ll probably sweat less, so showering should hopefully not be as crucial. In any case, bring a bandana and moisture-wicking clothing.
5. Bring toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and a stain remover stick: You’ll be set for any surprising situation (basic bathrooms [or none at all], dirty busses, oil from dinner on your only shirt) with these.

Have more questions? Send us a tweet.

Inspired by Guizhou‘s Miao minority villages in which we recently organized homestays – more on that later – we’re pleased to introduce two of our top guides in Guizhou on WildChina’s new Vimeo channel.

See for yourself why Billy and Xiao are fantastic guides, and what they love most about their home province.

Billy:

Meet the WildChina Guides: Billy in Guizhou from WildChina Travel on Vimeo.

Xiao:

Meet the WildChina Guides: Xiao in Guizhou from WildChina Travel on Vimeo.

What do you think? Tell us on Twitter.

At WildChina’s Beijing office, we loved the playful and poetic piece by CNNGo‘s Dan Ouyang, “72 Hours in Yangshuo: Tourist town by trade, simple village at heart,” on one of Guangxi’s most charming areas.

Our personal highlight from the article was Ouyang’s description of the bike ride to Fuli Town. She sums it up perfectly: “Bicycling on nearly deserted roads, we passed by solitary farmers in rice paddies, water buffalo lowing in ponds, sandal-clad provincial bee farmers and tourist couples on tandem bikes, all against a postcard-perfect backdrop.” 

On bike, visitors to Guangxi can marvel at natural landscapes and local communities, like Langzi Village.

While the town is nothing special in comparison to Guangxi’s many delights (as she mentions), we agree that the trip through the province’s rustic landscapes she describes is simply fantastic. 

Ouyang’s 72-hour trip around Yangshuo is perfect for the area, but if you’d like to venture out and see a bit more of the province, we recommend 5 days in total. Our Rustic Guilin itinerary, which includes Longsheng and the Li River as well as Yangshuo, gets to the heart of Guangxi’s rural charm. Or, if you’re looking for an in-depth adventure that combines culture with natural splendor, tack on a few extra days with our Stepping into the Scroll journey.

Incredible scenery, history, and culture. Overrun destinations, touristy shops, and luxury chain hotels. In Lijiang, Yunnan province, there is a constant push and pull of cultural value versus cultural commodity, authentic experiences versus commercialized sites.

After what many consider Lijiang’s tragic transformation from quaint town to loud, touristy hub, is there any beauty left in Lijiang?

We consulted Huang, one of WildChina’s top guides in Lijiang and a true expert on local culture and history, on his views regarding tourism in the area and beyond.

WildChina Travel: What, in your mind are the best aspects of tourism in Yunnan?
Huang Huaihai: Yunnan’s rich variety is certainly its best trait. From the southeast to the northwest, Yunnan boasts an incredibly diverse array of climates, minority cultures, topographies, cuisines, historical sites, and more. In one province there is so much to experience.

WCT: What about the worst?
HH: The downside of such an attractive area is that Lijiang and Zhongdian [Shangri-La] have become commercialized and, to some degree, artificial. UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] World Heritage Sites are often overcrowded with tourists, and many shops and restaurants now cater exclusively to travelers. At the same time, these and other travel-friendly towns boast the best infrastructure in the province. Tourists can easily access these areas, whereas other parts of Yunnan, or China, may be incredibly difficult to reach.

WCT: To combat over-commercialized sites, where do you think you should take clients instead?
HH: Dali, in northwestern Yunnan, is less touristy and still has a lot of cultural and historical value. In addition, I suggest the outskirts of Lijiang. Rather than simply visiting the Old Town, traveling to meet a Bimo (a very special and exclusive experience) and explore local villages makes for a great 1-2 day trip. Lijiang acts as a good access point from which to travel to these lesser-known communities.

WCT: So, why don’t more people do this already? What are potential setbacks of going to off-the-beaten-path destinations in Yunnan?
HH: Transportation is certainly the biggest issue here. Flights and other modes of transportation can become quite costly when there aren’t direct connections to more remote areas. In some cases, it is not practical at all, because road infrastructure is poor and distance between locations is too great. Comfort also becomes an issue, when long drives on bad roads create discomfort for clients. A bad lengthy travel experience poses the risk of canceling out the enjoyment of the cultural experience.

WCT: What, if anything, can travel operators like WildChina do to fight mass tourism in Yunnan, and China as a whole?
HH: This is a difficult question, because the local government is always in favor of development. Development means money for their province, which means infrastructure, prosperity, and a higher quality of life. They will stop at nothing to develop. Thus, off-the-beaten-path becomes a sort of sacrifice – you must be passionate enough to always be in search of unique and different ways to experience life, culture, and history here. This means engaging in sustainable adventure travel in China: trekking to explore remote communities, doing exhaustive research to gain more local knowledge, and re-thinking ways to travel sustainably.

WCT: If you could give advice to those visiting Lijiang today, what would it be?
HH: The crowds at historic sites speak to their cultural and historical value. Visit them early for a quieter look at Lijiang’s marvels. And, focus your attention on personal interactions when you travel – that’s when you’ll truly learn about what life is like for local people. Experiences like this can surpass any tourist trap.

What do you think? Post a comment, and follow @WildChina on Twitter.