Aman at Summer Palace, located by Beijing’s historic garden estate, is an exclusive, hidden gem. Whether you are visiting the Northern Capital on a ‘once-in a lifetime’ trip or are a Beijing resident wishing to escape the city’s hustle and bustle, at Aman you will find luxury, elegance and tradition in a spectacular location.

Nestled on the east corner of the Summer Palace, Aman shares the same architecture and style as the imperial estate. On the shores of the Kunming lake, the Summer Palace was the favourite residence of Cixi, the Empress Orchid, in the late XIX Century. Empress Cixi used to spend the summer months here, to escape the Forbidden City’s oppressive heat.

But Aman is equipped to cater guests all year round. I visited the exclusive boutique hotel in winter and the welcoming, friendly staff and cosy atmosphere all over were very inviting. Aman is built with traditional materials and decorated with Ming dynasty style furniture and accessories, adding a regional touch and a feel of the imperial period. The suites and rooms, which surround internal courtyards, are crisscrossed by pathways separating beautiful gardens in the shade of ancient trees.

Because of this privileged location, you can visit the Palace before the crowds arrive, and after they have left, giving you the chance to enjoy its quintessential peace and beauty. After exploring every secret corner of the Palace, you can return to the hotel to relax in the finest spa facilities, dip in the clear waters of the indoor swimming pool, enjoy a massage and treatment or cleanse your mind and spirit in this sanctuary of peace.

For families with children, Aman offers a crib service, so you can enjoy your activities knowing that your family are being looked after. Older children will also find themselves entertained with a variety of activities, like traditional Chinese kite making or watching movies at the wonderfully equipped theatre.

If learning about traditional Chinese culture is on your wish list, the Cultural Pavilion offers a wide range of classes and demonstrations on arts such as calligraphy, Chinese painting and tea ceremony.

If, like me, you live in Beijing and would like to celebrate a special occasion or anniversary, you can dine at one of Aman’s exclusive restaurants. ‘Naoki’ serves French food with Japanese culinary artistry; The Grill features Western cuisine; and the Chinese restaurant serves Peking duck, imperial dishes and Cantonese cuisine. Afterwards, you can retire to the Cigar room, in the bar, where you can enjoy a pure Cuban and fine whisky, while admiring the beautiful collection of antique pipes and the serene pond in the centre of the courtyard.

At Aman you will experience paradisiacal calm and elegance within close proximity of all the wonders that Beijing has to offer all-year-round.

Chelin Miller, WildChina’s Yummy Mummy who reveals China’s finer side

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To learn more about the Aman Resort, please see here.  WildChina has planned several special events using the Aman as a home base, including WildChina art expert Kat Don’s fantastic wedding. To learn more, please reach out at info@wildchina.com.

Photos: Chelin Miller (2nd and 4th), Aman Resort (1 and 3rd)

Late last month, WildChina sat down with nature photographer Mr. Xiang Dingqian, a native of Qinling, who recently exhibited his work at The National Art Museum in Beijing.  His powerful images of wildlife– both vivid and lively–showcase rare animals in their natural habitat.  At WildChina, we sat down with Dingqian to get to know the man behind the photographs.
 

 
Dingqian began his career in Changqing Nature Reserve in 1989, and with a small group of panda specialists,  built the Qinling Panda Reserve.  During this time, Dingqiang developed a passion for photographer and began shooting pandas.  This passion soon developed into a career and Mr. Xiang has risen to become one of China’s most famous nature photographers.
 

 
Since he began his career in the Changqing Nature Reserve 22 years ago, Dingqian has lived a significant portion of his life in the mountains.  Dingqian says, “I have chosen a path destined to be far away from money and material, but with so much natural beauty surrounding me, and with camera in hand, I feel that my life should be in Qinling.”  From everyone at WildChina, we also hope that he continues his work so we can further enjoy his photography.

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To learn Xiang Dingqian’s work, please see here to view a video.  For journeys to see pandas in Sichuan, check our sample itinerary, Tracking Wild Panda Footprints, or contact us at info@wildchina.com.

Photos by Xiang Dingqian

WildChina recently spoke to Veronique Terrier, a Switzerland-based teacher who has made the most of her China passion by dreaming up and coordinating trips once-in-a-lifetime trips to China. She most recently collaborated with Veronique d’Antras, WildChina’s Europe Director, to create her dream trip to Jiangxi province.

Veronique discussed her love for the Middle Kingdom, collaboration with WildChina, and the key to a unique China experience.

WildChina Travel: Tell us a little about yourself. What inspired you to become involved in travel? What brought you to creating this journey with WildChina?

Veronique Terrier: In the 1980s, I spent some time in China, where I studied Chinese qigong and taiji [martial arts]. I immediately loved this country, its people, its rhythm. Despite some trying moments, I love it still. China feeds my soul. As I aspire to share my love of China, I regularly organize trips for those who want to follow me, each time imagining a different route.

For months, I try a theme and carve a new path, just as an artisan would carve his work, until the trip takes body and life and reflects a unique relationship between nature and culture. To achieve a new project, I look to partner with the best specialist. In this case, WildChina superbly organized the logistics of this trip in Jiangxi province, a region that has not yet hosted many Western tourists.

WCT: Why Jiangxi province? What drew you to this area of China?

VT: For this trip, I wanted to return to a region with mountains and water, two basic elements of the Chinese imagination. Jiangxi proved an ideal setting: large lakes and rivers, land branched rivers, mountains with mysteries and stories. Adorable country towns preserve gems embedded in cultivated terraces. No wonder it is such a source of inspiration: Jiangxi was the birthplace of the works of painters, poets, philosophers, and mystics who have deeply influenced China throughout its history. Though somewhat forgotten today, it’s a truly beautiful and significant place.

WCT: You partnered with WildChina for this trip. Our mantra is ‘Experience China Differently’ – how do you think this trip enables travelers to see a different part of China?

VT: WildChina was the perfect partner in organizing this off the beaten path trip – I am always happy to use their services and resources for these projects. WildChina offers spirited and motivated guides, as well as unique activities related to tea or calligraphy; artisans, school or clinic visits; meetings with artists in a local operas, for example; and other small touches that make all the difference. WildChina made valuable suggestions that have really enhanced the route and the atmosphere of this project that I have  in which I had invested much time and effort. I am infinitely grateful their for their flexibility, understanding of a trip’s finesse, the quality of their thoughtful proposals, and professionalism.

WCT: What was your favorite part of the trip? Why?

VT: We were very impressed with our stay in Sanqing Mountains for a few days, during which we were in a continuous state of wonder.  We bathed in the pure magic of living the scene of a Chinese painting – think mist, the veiling and unveiling of pine trees twisted and clinging to cliffs, and rock formations – and thought of all those people who had also wandered happily in the middle of this fantasy. A great atmosphere.

We loved the delightful atmosphere of a quiet stay in a Hui village, still well preserved despite the appetites of developers. Walks in the countryside afforded us precious peace.

WCT: Do you have future plans to organize more trips in China? If so, what do you think your next destination will be? Why?

VT: I intend to continue to travel to China often, as she has many beautiful places to be rediscovered, that have been forgotten for some time. For example, I like to travel by waterways and canals, beyond the Yangtze cruises that so many travelers do.

WCT: What advice can you offer to travelers seeking a unique experience in China?

VT: If I have one suggestion, it is this: whatever route you choose, be sure to visit one of many sacred mountains of China. It is a truly unique experience. Just be aware that the paths can be quite steep with many steps. Still, it is very much worth it.

I didn’t know what to expect at Mr. Liang Congjie’s memorial service, or specifically, how to dress for it. In any event, I put on a full black outfit, a bit on the formal side and found my way through the neighborhood in northern Beijing. There were no Porche or BMWs lining the narrow alleyway, the building was simple – Beijing Science Activity Center.  Once inside, a few young volunteers greeted me. They are the typical volunteers of Friends of Nature, college graduates, and passionate environmentalists. The whole low-key nature was just perfectly fitting to see off Mr. Liang Congjie.

The surprise came inside the memorial hall.

First of all, there were many more older people than I ever expected.  Secondly, people were wearing their daily outfits – quite a few women were in their brightly colored cotton coats (–棉袄),  a typical winter outfit for northerners from the country side. Somehow, that surprised me because environmentalists in China are such a niche group of people that people usually associate them with the active college grads whose lives are not inundated with the needs of a car, house, kids, etc., and sometimes, idealistic intellectuals who still continue to dream into their old ages. I had no idea that Liang’s grassroots movement was truly grassroots based. These are common Chinese you see everywhere – no formalities of dressing for the occasion.

Then one of these old ladies spoke up. “I am from Xinxiang, Henan.” From the moment she spoke, she started to cry. She recounted how Liang helped her to start grassroot organization to protect the environment in her village, and how Liang coached her on how to speak with government officials, how to motivate her followers. (Now, her organization had more than 10,000 members.) As she talked, she became more emotional, by the end, she was practically wailing, with many in the audience were crying silently as well. I used to see this kind of wailing at funerals for relatives in the countryside, but wasn’t a bit surprised here.  It simply seemed the right way to say goodbye to such a leader.

More than 300 people were there, who had come on their own – many by buses, by taxies – but the goal was the same. They were here to celebrate Liang’s life and find a sense of camaraderie among us all. Liang is the last of three famous Liang men important to modern Chinese history. Liang’s Grandfather was Liang Qichao – the one who attempted to assist the emperor in setting up a modern democracy in the 19^th century, and Liang’s father was Liang Sicheng – the founding father of Chinese architecture and also the one who fought against the demolition of Beijing’s old city wall in the 1950s. Liang himself was the one who fought to protect Yunnan Snub-nosed monkeys, Tibetan antelopes, and the environment. All three of them fought in losing battles, but all three believed that the losing battles were worth fighting as they woke up the nation, woke up the people.

There were many people wanting to speak at his memorial, so I didn’t want to fight for stage time, as my personal interaction with Liang was fairly limited. But, I think it’s important to share what kind of a person he was.

I first met him in late in 1999. A few of my conservation friends wanted to take me to meet him, so I did. His office was humble and simple, and so was him home, but somehow, seeing him in his home was simply inspiring – reminding people once again that you really don’t need all the fancy stuff in life, but focusing on doing something meaningful is more important.

Soon I married an American journalist, and I wanted him to meet Liang and his wife. So, we invited them to my house for dinner. My husband was cooking and he was fretting over the fact the cucumber that day wasn’t that good. Liang arrived, my husband and I were both a bit formal as he was a very well respected and well known scholar so we didn’t know how to treat him appropriately. Casually, Liang strolled into our kitchen, picked up a piece of cucumber and took a bite.  My husband looked at him sort of nervously and asked, “how is it?”.  Liang simply said, “不好吃” (“not good”). Then we all laughed. That broke the ice. He was straightforward, and immediately, we were talking like old friends.

Then, my dear husband’s roasted whole chicken was ready. He cut off two drumsticks, and two pieces of breast meat, put them on separate plates to serve. To my horror, he served the guests the breast meat and reserved the drumsticks for himself and me! In China, drumsticks were the best part and always served to the guests! Liang looked at the plate and simply said, “美国女婿还没训练好.” (“American son-in-law still needs more training!”)  That became the legend joke in my marriage. We went on to discuss many issues related to the environment and US/Chinese relations.

I guess the point of me sharing this is to say, Liang is such a personable man that he didn’t become a crusader environmentalist that turned people off, but instead, he brought these serious issues to our daily lives, made the issues accessible to everyone.

I took a cold shower Monday morning, because it takes about 10 minutes flushing out the cold water before the hot shower comes on. I wasn’t brave. I simply did one little thing to pay my respect to Mr. Liang Congjie.

Huanghuacheng, or the “Yellow Flower” Great Wall, has long been a lesser-known section to visitors.  Often been referred to as the “Wild Wall,” Huanghuacheng‘s remote location and disrepair made it  mysterious to those looking to visit China’s architectural wonder.

This will all change when local government approves access to the Wild Wall that, the Global Times reports, recently underwent a (now complete) five-month repair project.

Huanghuacheng‘s appeal lies in its unique “lake and mountain scenery,” and of course, scores of yellow flora. However, the section has historically been plagued with issues ranging from “landslide-induced collapses, earthquakes and cracks,” which prompted its closure to the public from 2004 onward.

The impending re-opening of the section makes us contemplate the fate of the Wall’s wilder side. With increasing damage and commercialization of the other sections, it would be in the best interest of cultural preservation to limit the traffic and development in the area. (After all, the government allegedly took drastic measures to ensure historical authenticity.)

But, with the prevalence of mass / “fast” tourism in the area, and across China in general, this may not be an immediate concern. We hope that for the sake of the wall’s cultural integrity, and the preservation of Huanghuacheng‘s “wild” nature, local officials carefully and thoughtfully plan the re-introduction of the Wild Wall to the public.

Hi all! My name is Wayne, and I’m an Australian currently working for Shaanxi Changqing National Nature Reserve in Huayang Village, about 5 hours south-west of Xi’an.  My series of posts, as well as my work assisting Changqing staff manage the impacts of tourism on the reserve, follows on from Heather Graham, who was here in 2009.

Changqing was established as a nature reserve in 1995, with an upgrade to ‘national’ status in 1997 for the purposes of conserving the habitat of the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), of which there are 100 or so that call Changqing home.  Not surprisingly then, the panda is what the reserve is best known for, with many tourists heading to these parts for the opportunity to catch a glimpse of these special animals in the wild.  The best chances of this, I have been informed, is in the winter months when pandas descend to the valleys to escape the cold.  Tracking and spotting pandas is also easier with the abundance of snow and lack of foliage.

However, if you happen to time your visit to China and/or Shaanxi Province during autumn, I have discovered that it’s still a fantastic time to visit Changqing, offering the opportunity to hike among the beautiful fall colours of the Qinling region.  Having only arrived in early November, I have just managed to catch the tail end of autumn.  While the majority of my time so far has been spent settling into life in Huayang, I was fortunate enough to tag along on a couple of guided tours of Changqing conducted by our reserve staff as part of my orientation.

The main road into Changqing follows the river valley and so we make stops along the way to view a few waterfalls.  For me, it’s an opportunity to test out the settings of my new camera, something I made sure I had before I arrived.

At the lower elevations, the mountains are awash with the yellows, oranges and reds of China’s own species of oaks, maples and aspens.  There are also larch trees displaying a vibrant yellow, but after being informed that it is an introduced species (a remnant of Changqing’s past as a forestry reserve) I don’t allow myself to be impressed by their show.

One of the days we spend hiking high up in the mountains in the core summer habitat of the panda, where short thickets of bamboo grow underneath towering pines.  There are no pandas to see on this day, but I’m amazed by the number of scats (animal poo) along the track, indicating healthy populations of golden takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) and himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral caudatus) are present in the area.  We even see a few scats of a carnivore, possibly from a leopard (Panthera pardus fusca)!!

While we left the fall colours a few hundred metres below, there are plenty of leafless birch trees which I find beautiful, particularly when the peeling bark is backlit by the sun, giving it striking red glow.

There are also some breathtaking views during the hike, in more ways than one.  At over 2700m, it is not high by Chinese standards, but coming from Australia where I live by the ocean, I struggle a little bit for breath.  I’ll use it as an excuse, anyway, as it’s better than giving off the impression that I’m simply unfit (I do notice, though, that my water bottle compresses on the descent down).

For one of the groups, wildlife is more their passion, and so we spend the majority of our time on the lookout for anything that moves.  These guys really know their stuff, and they certainly looked the part as well, with large DSLR cameras and telescopes being carried from place to place.  The group isn’t disappointed as we spot golden takin, Himalayan goral and wild boar (Sus scrofa moupinensis).  I learn a little trick in wildlife photography along the way, placing the lens of my compact digital up to the telescope to capture this close-up of our takin.

So, that’s about it for my first post.  From what I’ve already seen, Changqing has lots to offer, not just pandas.  If you’ve got time, I think it’s well worth making the effort to call in for a few days on your way between Xi’an and Chengdu, if only for some fresh mountain air and as respite from the hustle and bustle of China’s cities.

Over the following 11 months, I hope to provide a few more of the happenings here in Huayang and Changqing and also include some stories of my travels around this vast country of China.  Please feel free to leave comments or suggestions on what you may want me to cover.

Hiking in tea tree forests, watching rare local festivals, and meeting locals of the fabled Ancient Tea Horse Road: our press trip participants have been on the road in Guizhou and Yunnan for 9 days in a whirlwind of adventure.

Wish you were here? The next best thing is following our journey. Here’s how:

– Read the WildChina blog for first-hand accounts of the trip

– Follow us on Twitter @WildChina to read to-the-minute tales from our adventure

– Check out our Guizhou and Yunnan Flickr albums with photos from the road

If you are interested in a future press trip, please send us an email to info [at] wildchina [dot] com with the subject line “Press Trips.”

“There are so many natural and beautiful, but backward villages here. It is my dream to help my people.”

There is something really touching about the simplicity with which our WildChina guide, Jacky Xu, explains to me his reason for working on rural education projects in Guizhou.

Since 2008, Jacky has worked on various community service projects in his native Guizhou, where he grew up in a rural village. Fully aware of the challenges that children in these communities face, Jacky has focused on education projects to create a brighter future for them, both by leading student groups to work on rural infrastructure projects, and by being a community volunteer.

While he’s collaborated with students and villagers alike to improve countryside roads (giving children access to schools), and volunteers as an English teacher during the low season months of November and December, his biggest current project is to rebuild the elementary school in Nandao Village.

In Nandao, which is separated into Upper and Lower sections, a good education is challenging to obtain. Each day, children as young as 5 years old must all make the long walk to a decrepit school – essentially just an old house – that lacks heating and proper school equipment.

“I see so many children in school shivering all day,” Jacky says, “and I want to help them.”

This coming spring, the children of Nanduo will get a better schoolhouse – and hopefully, a better future with it. With the aid of Hong Kong charities, Jacky will coordinate the school’s reconstruction with generous donations of  materials and helping hands.

“This is my biggest wish,” Jacky says. He hopes that Nandao, and other rural villages in Guizhou, can become nurturing learning communities for the young children who inhabit them.

We can’t wait to see how Nandao transforms.

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.