Over the past few days, there has been quite a bit of buzz surrounding The Forbidden City in Beijing.

Home to emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasty for over 500 years, the over 800 buildings and 9,000 chambers of the Forbidden City sits in the center of the city in iconic, imperial grandeur.

On Sunday, May 8, 2011, gold purses were stolen from an exhibition in the Palace Museum.  Since then, the Chinese officials have caught the thief, but typos in banners displayed by the security department have caused an upheaval of ridicule online.

Additionally, there have been rumors and controversy surrounding the opening of a “lucrative private club” in the Jianfu Palace of the Forbidden City.

Visitors may still visit the grounds, but as these issues are sorted, private access locations inside the Forbidden City will be closed to visitors.

WildChina will continue to provide updates as this develops.

Image: Sina Weibo via The New York Times

Lantern Festival, which falls on the fifteenth day of the new lunar year, marks the end of Chinese New Year and the last day to shoot fireworks.

Walking home from work, it seems as if everyone were saving it until the last minute:

When I asked a man on the street, “Why?? Why are there so many?” He grinned from ear to ear and said, “We start the year out with good luck and good fortune by celebrating our happiness!”

Another lady looked at me and said, “I was mad at my husband for spending so much money on these, but <sigh> I guess it only happens once a year, right?”

Given that THIS is what typically happens after the fireworks go off:

It doesn’t seem that that lady or light sleepers will be too sad to see the fireworks go.

Best wishes to all in the Year of the Rabbit!

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Videos courtesy of Devin, an associate of WildChina. Watch other WildChina videos here <http://www.youtube.com/wildchinatravel>.

The following piece is an excerpt from Templar Teas‘ reports around the world.  The author Jeff Fuchs is a writer, photographer, and expert of the Ancient Tea & Horse Caravan Road.

Beijing and its heaving dense world of sprawling space is losing much of what the previous generation calls the ‘culture of vital fluid’ – the culture of ‘tea’. Fewer and fewer tea shops – once abundant in the alleys and upon the great roads – are to be found which makes uncovering them something for me like discovering a gift. By a sad extension of this, the uncovering of good tea itself also becomes fleeting.

In the smallest recesses one can find the odd ‘cha dien’, tea stores that still cater to locals – less glitz but more substance, as the old saying goes. Barely lit at times, one enters an informal sanctum of tea in all of its desiccated forms. Apart from the huge tea market of Ma Lian Dao in the southwest of the city which is an entire urban landscape dedicated to selling tea, it is the small traditional tea houses that truly represent a passing moment in time.

One such shop in the massive Chaoyang district near the ever-expanding Liang Ma Qiao road in northeastern Beijing, needs luck or a friendly finger pointing the way to find it. Barely three meters wide and perhaps five deep the walls are lined with canisters, cakes, urns, bricks and errant tealeaves – a comfortable anarchy of tea resides here that warms the being with sips to come. There are no hints or aromas here – it is nothing less than being consumed with tea’s wafting fragrances. It is in these tiny temples of tea that one feels close to tea in its primal and very Asian form: it is something that occupies, fascinates and feeds. In its silence it reminds that tea is also treated as an almost honored friend. Unfortunately for most travelers in the unrelenting need for convenience, it is the tourist shops that trumpet teas that are little more than cosmetic masterpieces, with little substance that will get the attention.

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Photo by Tea Templar.  To read the full post, click here.

“There are a lot of things in China that are hard to relate to,” Jen Lin-Liu says. “I don’t understand Chinese opera,” She jokes; but food is easy for Liu to understand.

The young founder of Beijing’s Black Sesame Kitchen, and author of Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China, Jen Lin-Liu believes food can help her relate to Chinese culture, as well as better understand her Chinese roots. Though her family is originally Cantonese, Liu grew up in America with a mother who wasn’t a big fan of cooking.  “It’s a generational thing,” Liu says. Though previous generations of women felt pressure to cook for their families, most women today can choose. “I like to cook because I’m not forced to cook,” Liu says.

Liu’s Chinese-American colleague, Candice Lee, has similar memories. “When I asked my mom how to cook Ma po dou fu, (Mapo tofu),” Candice recalls, “she said to go to the store and buy a box!” Both Liu and Candice agree that Chinese don’t consider cooking an art form; for many Chinese, food is merely sustenance.

At her previous job, as a journalist for Newsweek in Shanghai, Liu was required to report on a wide range of stories. “Reporters in China have to cover everything” Liu wanted a focus. In 2005, Liu started taking cooking lessons; soon after she started rethinking her career. It turns out Chinese food was just the focus Liu was looking for.

But going into the food business has been surprising for both women. “I’ve always been interested in food,” Candice says. “But I didn’t know it would become a career!”

Liu thinks Chinese food is improving. Beijing is an international hub, and according to her good ingredients are easier to find than they used to be. “I used to be really picky,” Liu says. She remembers being intolerant of certain Chinese foods like la jiao (peppers). But that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Though remote regions have a more difficult time getting access to quality ingredients, that hasn’t stopped Liu from doing extensive foodie research. She recently got back from three months on the road. Starting in China, moving through central Asia and ending in Iran, Liu learned a lot about various regional cuisine, as well as culture. She plans to pick up her tour again in the spring, sampling even more regional foods.

Mm, I can’t wait to taste that next dish…

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Taylor is a member of WildChina’s operations team.  She works in our Beijing office and can be contacted at taylor.smith@wildchina.com. Photo from China Daily.

I’ve been to China a couple times for extended periods, and have recently settled myself down in DC (well, Silver Spring, MD) in an apartment by myself (miss you mom and dad!). Having lived in metropolises in both countries – DC and Philly in the US and Beijing and Shanghai in China – there is definitely one thing I notice above all that the US is lacking: street food.

Admittedly, DC does have many restaurants where you can go in the evening for a quick and relatively cheap bite to eat, and the diversity of these establishments seems unlikely to be matched (do I want falafel, a burrito, a burger and fries?), but the US can’t match China for the abundance and low cost of street food.

When in the big cities of Beijing and Shanghai – and even in “smaller” cities such as Qingdao and Guiyang – it feels like every street you turn down has a chuar stand (various meat and veggie kebabs grilled to order) ready to serve you cheap, deliciously seasoned food. When in China, my philosophy is to try as much as possible (and to tell my friends about it when I get back to the States) to see what’s good and what to avoid next time. I’ve sampled a variety of things that Westerners are not accustomed to – frog, turtle, chicken hearts, the stomachs and intestines of various animals, etc. – and have been able to expand my palate and experience things I never would have thought about eating when I was a kid.

The charm of these stands comes from men (typically) tending their grills, as well as the diverse clientele of the chuar stands. It seems like every kind of person visits these stands – Westerners, students, posh 20-somethings, the middle-aged and elderly, men and women; no one is immune to the allure of a good stick of lamb or potato. I have always had positive experiences getting street food, and I feel it’s an important thing to experience when venturing out into Chinese streets in the evening.

Again, I don’t want to get down on the DC food scene – there are many awesome restaurants around (and even a man that sells fruit on the street near my apartment). It might be nice, however, to see people on the sidewalks in the evening selling a cheap, delicious dinner or midnight snack, enriching DC’s nightlife with the delicious aroma of their peppery, smoky, irresistible offerings.

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Pat Ouellette is a member of WildChina’s marketing and client services teams. Pat works in our U.S. office and can be contacted at pat.ouellette@wildchina.com. Photo Source: Flickr.

It appears that one of our favorite historical spots in Beijing, the area including the Drum and Bell Towers and surrounding hutongs – often referred to as the Gulou area – will be spared from demolition.

A multibillion yuan property development called “Time Cultural City” was going to be built on a 12.5-acre plot at Gulou, threatening the Yuan-era hutongs in the area, which date back more than 600 years. After government intervention following public outcry, a vastly downsized “time museum” requiring no demolition will be built 20 meters southeast of the Drum Tower.

As was noted in a recent interview on this blog, much of Beijing’s ancient charm disappeared with the destruction of the old city wall, which now exists only in the names of subway stations.

But there are still plenty of historical sites in Beijing worth preserving. One of the people working to make sure that shortsighted development doesn’t trump cultural heritage is He Shuzhong, founder of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center.

“I see the changing of policy as a sign of government progress,” He told Global Times. “It shows that the government has a better understanding of the value of old community culture and it accepts the voices from the public and non-government organizations.”

We applaud He’s efforts to protect Beijing’s historical treasures and the Beijing government’s wise decision to spare the Gulou area from the wrecking ball.

Drum Tower image: kafka4prez’s flickr page

Thanksgiving is one of the few times in the year when Americans can celebrate family and tradition over a hearty, home-cooked meal. So what happens when you’re traveling in China, far away from home, during the holiday?

(Source: www.bargainblessings.com)

Even in Beijing, visitors can come quite close to the real Thanksgiving experience. After polling a few colleagues and reflecting on personal holiday experiences in China, I’ve come up with a list of a few options for visitors looking for an (almost) authentic Thanksgiving experience in China.

If you are looking for a large Thanksgiving spread… colleague Taylor recommends buffet-style feasts such as The Raffles Hotel Beijing. With a fine array of turkey, stuffing, and other holiday favorites, and the distinct setting of a top luxury hotel, the scene is set for a classic Thanksgiving meal.

She says, “Though stepping into the marble floored lobby at Raffles Beijing Hotel for Thanksgiving Dinner was far from the packed house of family and friends I’m used to, the excitement of Thanksgiving crushed the formalities and shyness that come with meeting new people. Surrounded by a group of Americans starved for family and tradition as much as we were starved for Turkey, I had a great time making new friends over delicious food.”

If you are traveling with a family and children… colleague Nellie suggests the Westin, either in Liangmaqiao or on Financial Street. With a delectable spread for the parents, and a spacious play area for the children, the Westin does family dinner right with options for all ages.

If you would like a meal specially prepared for you… I cast my vote for Culinary Capers, a Beijing-based catering company located in the capital’s 798 art district. I can attest from my own Thanksgiving dinner at Switch!, their new restaurant in the UCCA gallery, that the food is incredibly fresh, delicious, and provides the classics with a unique twist. If you stay somewhere such as the China World serviced apartments, Culinary Capers can deliver your ideal Thanksgiving meal right to your door.

Have you had a memorable Thanksgiving experience in Beijing, or in other Chinese cities? Let us know at info[at]wildchina[dot]com.



Yes, you read that headline correctly.

The China Post today reports, “Chinese tourists may be allowed free travel in Taiwan as early as next July, with residents of Beijing and Shanghai possibly first in line for the opportunity.”

Why the tag-free travel? According to reports, the system would act as a trial run for visitors traveling between Taiwan and Mainland China.

Perk up, Beijing and Shanghai: you’re on the priority list!

Read more about the Taiwan-Mainland travel trial system.

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

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.