Compliments to WildChina guide Chris from Hilary, a Brand Manager at National Geographic in NYC:

“My boyfriend, Johnny, and I are just back from an incredible trip to China. We were able to visit the Great Wall with Chris from WildChina last week. It was most definitely our favorite day of the entire trip – thank you so much for connecting us with WildChina and providing the structure for such a great experience. We drove way far out and hiked for miles without seeing anyone. It was such a treat!”

“Having Chris as our guide was just as wonderful as actually experiencing the Great Wall. He was a delight to talk with. We had so many questions about China, what it’s like to live there, etc.. and he gave us patient and interesting answers to everything. Thanks again for everything!”

WildChina Guide Chris Che

Bravo, Chris! And loved having you as a guest, Hilary!

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Interested in more hiking trips to off the beaten sections of the Great Wall? Send us an email at info@wildchina.com

Photo by David Tan

A couple months ago, you heard from WildChina travelers Jan Heininger and Jamie Reuter saying that they were thrilled with [their] tour company, but not seduced by China.  Their journey in October of 2010 took them through Beijing, Tibet, Yunnan Province. Guangxi Province, and finally to Hong Kong. Here is the second part of a series of articles detailing their experience.  Stop 1 – Beijing…

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We flew to Beijing via Toronto on Air Canada.  Our plane was equipped with lie-flat, business class seats.  OK food.  Great lounge with free dinner in Toronto.  The tickets were half the price of other airlines.  Definitely recommend Air Canada for anyone travelling to China or other points in the Far East.  12 hour flight with 12 hour time change meant we didn’t have to reset our watches which was sort of weird.  It took both Jan and me several days to get past the time shift.  12 hours is tough (though Jan thinks it’s easier than 8 hours).

Oddly, we arrived a full day early.  We had figured: depart on Thursday (10/14), cross international dateline and arrive Saturday.  So our hotel and ground arrangements all were set up to begin on Saturday.  I’m still not quite sure how or why we went wrong, but we actually arrived on Friday.  So there we were in the Beijing airport: no Chinese money, no one to meet us, and few people with any English to help us sort out what to do.  After an hour-long comedy of errors (cell phone with locking key-pad and no instruction booklet, low volume on cell phone, receiving text message instructions in Chinese characters, etc.), we finally convinced our tour company that we were actually in town and received their instructions.  We were asked to take a mass-transit “airport express” train into town because it would take too long for our actual guide, Andy, to come pick us up.  We didn’t really understand this at the time but our subsequent experience with traffic jams demonstrated the wisdom of this suggestion.  Eventually, we managed to get our luggage, get money, find the train, buy tickets, get off at the right stop (the last one) and meet up with our guide who then took us to our hotel.  By this time, we had finally sorted out that the timing screw-up was actually our fault, and not an error by our tour company.

Our hotel in Beijing was the Opposite House (don’t ask about the meaning behind the name; I don’t know it), an ultramodern, minimalist-design hotel in the embassy district.  Very, very nice—the kind of lovely boutique we prefer.  In fact, tourists (both Chinese and western) routinely came in to photograph the interior spaces.  Good bed, wooden sinks and bath (a little odd), good shower, great service, and a very good breakfast.  The breakfasts were fairly uniform (and excellent) across all of our hotels.  By a large, they were based on large and diverse buffets with egg stations, bacon, cheeses, breads, rolls and muffins, cereal, yoghurt, etc.  In addition, they had a whole range of stuff for oriental breakfasts.  If you’ve never seen this, it includes broth, noodles, and a wide variety of meats, vegetables, fish, seaweed, sprouts, tofu, etc that are combined in a big bowl as a sort of breakfast soup to be eaten with chopsticks.  The broth itself is simply “slurped” down.  We looked at it.  We tried it and poked around a little.  But basically we stuck with the western fare for breakfast.  We excused ourselves by saying that two good Chinese meals a day was enough and who wants seaweed for breakfast?  There were no really good breads or hard rolls anywhere in China until we got to Hong Kong.  Maybe it has to do with the types of wheat they grow or something?

Once settled in Beijing, we did all the usual things.  We went to Tiananmen Square (covered with tourists).  We toured the Forbidden City.  We had Peking Duck (greasy).  In the rain (on our third day) we visited the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace.  We drove past a couple of Olympic sites (the Water Cube and the Bird’s Nest Stadium).  We took a pedi-cab tour of a hutong, a traditional Beijing neighborhood jammed in between all of the various high rise apartment buildings.  The hutongs are sort of like old, single story, traditional ghettos that are slowly being consumed by new high-rise construction.  But the Chinese who live in them love their traditional way of life, though they have no private baths or toilets.  The pre-Olympic destruction of several hutongs caused such a fury that it seems that the local “Central Committee” is trying them out as tourist attractions to see if showing them off can provide a positive financial return.

Our favorite things were the Ceramics Museum within the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall.  The museum was a quiet, deserted haven away from all the crowds with very good signage in both Chinese and English.  The Great Wall looked exactly like all the pictures you’ve seen of it.  But actually experiencing it was special.  We visited the Mutianyu section, which is a partially restored but far less touristy section of the Wall.  Jan and I took a long (2.5 hour) hike along its top.  The Wall actually just follows the crest of a mountain ridge.  The path along the top of the Wall can be extremely steep in places.  We both ended up with sore thighs and calves from climbing up and down some really steep and long stretches of steps, but loved the experience.

The food in Beijing was very so-so.  They seem to use a lot of oil so the food was very greasy and not all that flavorful.  Even when we went to a restaurant that specialized in Peking Duck, we were pretty underwhelmed.  We were not terribly adventuresome in our choices, so we probably missed a lot of what a real “foodie” would find interesting and good about Beijing food.
One of the oddities of being in China was the Chinese tourists’ fascination with us.  It started in the Tiananmen Square where this nice couple asked if they could have their picture taken with us with the Forbidden City in the background.  According to our guide, this was due to the inherent weirdness of westerners in general, and a tall, bearded westerner like Jamie in particular.  While this first incident was unique in that it included Jan, 10 or 12 times during the trip some couple or group of giggling girls or whomever wanted Jamie to pose with them for a photo – more or less to prove to their friends back home that they had seen, and even touched, a foreigner—but mostly because Jamie was so tall and looked even taller with his Australian Tilley hat.  Another tall American that we met on the trip had similar experiences.  After a while, the whole thing became a bother and bit irritating.  It was, in some small way, like having paparazzi chase after you.  It eventually made me feel like a creature in a zoo that people gawked at.  Weird.  And yet, despite such experiences and our reaction to the hordes and hordes of Chinese tourists, we found the Chinese, as individuals, to be friendly and welcoming.

We spent hours in traffic going to and from the Great Wall, and trying to get around inside the city.  Drivers are crazy there.  They push and shove in traffic using cars, trucks and buses pretty much the same way they push and shove in queues.  As one guide told us, there is no concept of personal distance in China (unlike in Japan where they create their own).  It’s not rudeness; it’s simply cultural norms. However, they always beep their horn when passing (they are taught to do this).  And when passing, they pull back into the right lane when the front seats have barely passed the front of the car being overtaken.  Several times, I was sure that we would clip the front of a car being passed but we never did.  Crossing a street on foot was also a challenge.  Initially I thought that cars were aiming at us on purpose.  Later, I realized that there just wasn’t any concept of pedestrians having the right of way.  A car making right hand turns just keeps going.  It was up to the pedestrians to get out of their way.  Given that the city was laid out in huge squares, Beijing was not a walkable city anyway.

Beijing was clearly an example of the “new China.”  Designer stores were everywhere.  Many young people clearly had lots of money and were stylishly dressed.  There was a long line outside an Apple Store near our hotel, as people waited to buy iPhones at five times the US price.  High rise condominiums and office buildings were everywhere.  Some brand new, some older and clearly showing their age.  Construction cranes were everywhere.  Our guides quipped that China’s national bird was the crane (i.e., steel crane, not feathered; get it??).  But the old neighborhood (hutong) near our hotel didn’t have a sewer or clean, public water.  Beijing was clearly a city of contrasts, with rapid change being driven by the “new” China economy.

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Stay tuned for more tales from Ms. Heininger & Mr. Reuter’s journey.  For more information about adventures in Beijing, see a sample itinerary here or contact us at info@wildchina.com.

All photos by Ms. Heninger & Mr. Reuter. To see all of their photos, visit WildChina’s flickr page here.

WildChina is pleased to announce that guests visiting the Great Wall will soon have one more incredible way to view the ancient fortification.

Soon visitors will have a chance to take aerial shots like this

Starting after July 1, visitors to the Badaling wall will have the opportunity to view the wall from the air, taking flight in as350b3 model helicopters based out of Beijing Badaling airport. Generally used for search and rescue, medical aid, and police air support, these helicopters can fit up to four passengers. The initial pricing, for a time of 15 minutes in the air, is CNY 1,500 per person. If the initial offerings are successful, Those willing to throw down more cash will soon be able to pay CNY 30,000-CNY 50,000 for an hour of charter time.

WildChina Expert Spotlight is a new program for the Year of the Rabbit. WildChina will invite one of our experts to join us for dumpling lunch in the office every other Wednesday and give a short talk. The visit provides our entire staff with an inside scoop on the latest trends in local architecture, journalism, history, art, and countless other fields of interest. And not only do we get to hear some great stories and find out what our experts have been up to with their work, we also get to pass the information on to you.

This time, we welcomed David Spindler, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the history of the Great Wall. After relaying a gory story to the staff about greedy and overzealous soldiers hunting for Mongol heads, David sat down with me to talk Wall.

WildChina Travel: David, despite all your expertise, you still operate outside of academia. Why is that?

David Spindler: It’s never been a conscious choice; I just did it.

It has its advantages; I don’t think academia really lets you go out to the field for 50-80 days a year and spend a similar time in libraries every year, whether you’re a grad student or a professor.

WCT: What does a day in the field look like?

DS: I’m looking for sections of wall or signal towers, then – if and when I find them – recording them with field notes and photography. Another thing I do is locate place names in Ming dynasty texts in the field. That’s really the only time in my research when local knowledge is very, very helpful, because often the name for a place in the Ming dynasty is still the name they use now; or it’s so similar that you can be sure it’s the same.

WCT: I read in Peter Hessler’s Country Driving that you don’t like to see the Great Wall used as a national symbol, and prefer to see it portrayed as what it is: a defensive structure. Can you elaborate?

DS: It’s used as a symbol by Chinese governments. Starting with the Nationalist government and then the current Communist government who use it as a symbol of the Chinese nation; or more specifically, the Chinese people.

Basically, when China went from being an empire to trying to be a nation state, they needed all the things that nation-states need: symbols, things to rally around, and the Great Wall was chosen as one of them.

From my own personal perspective – as someone who focuses on the subject – it just adds a lot of noise if it’s politicized in that way. I wouldn’t say it causes a lot of problems for me, it just adds a little bit of potential political and cultural sensitivity.

WCT: And when it comes to tourism? Do you agree with the Wall’s “top dog” status?

DS: For sure. I think it deserves the place it has.

WCT: In 2011, what is the dream itinerary for a first-time Wall visitor?

DS: The dream itinerary is to go to Jinshanling, and for three reasons. Number one, it’s historic; a lot of important battles happened there. Number two, it’s scenic; it has a great long vista of the Wall. Number three, there aren’t many tourists.

WCT: What have you been up to lately?

DS: Since 2007, I’ve been working with the Oakland-based photographer Jonathan Ball, photographing significant battle sites along the Great Wall.

There’s a lot of pretty Great Wall photography out there. But that’s all it is, just pretty. You don’t learn anything, and it’s not historically relevant. What you’re looking at might not be a historically significant site. What we’ve tried to do is put people in the place of a participant in the battle, whether as a raider or as a defender.

We started the actual shooting in 2007, finished up in late 2008, and started showing it during the fall of 2009 in San Francisco and New York exhibitions. The New York show was actually at a WildChina client, Rockefeller Brothers Fund; they hosted a year-long show in their office. Most recently, we showed in Palo Alto, at the gallery of the Global Heritage Fund. We’re looking to show it in more places, including China, and anywhere.

WCT: We often hear about developers buying land and initiating projects that threaten historical relics; this has happened just recently at Simatai, a popular section of the Wall that closed last year. Do you see this as a broad threat?

DS: The thing that’s too bad about [the Simatai project] is that they’ve moved out all the local people. If the local people are gone, their geographic memory goes with them. If you have someone like me, who goes out into the field, and is trying to learn local place names…that knowledge is just gone, unfortunately. Unless someone has preserved it.

It’s definitely a broad threat. It’s happening all over; developers come in and lease large plots of land, residents are moved out, and with them goes that local knowledge.

It’s not just development that does that. There’s also a lot of natural migration that is taking people out of really remote villages with the same effect.

WCT: Let’s talk about personal milestones; you’ve got a couple coming up. How goes the quest to see every section of Ming Dynasty Wall?

DS: Well, it’s not actually all the Ming Wall; I don’t think anyone could ever get there. It’s actually a quest to see all of the Wall in the greater Beijing area. I thought I’d finished that early last year…but I still have probably 8 to 10 days go.

WCT: And you just told us that your 1000^th day on the Great Wall is fast approaching.

DS: It’s going to happen after 2-3 days on the Wall…we’re between 995 and 1000. That’ll happen within a month.

WCT: Sounds good. Keep us updated, we’ll get the word out!

DS: [Laughs] Sure.

You can read more about David in our Experts section.

Image by Caroline Zhong

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.

Living in Beijing, I often feel that I am in a land of extremes. The sky above the city is Armageddon-gray one afternoon and shock blue the next.  A delicious meal can cost ten yuan or several hundred. And let’s not forget the traffic – what is normally a 15-minute taxi ride can become an hour-long crawl without warning.

Extremes also characterize tourism in China. There are spectacular sites all over this massive country, but you have to pick your spots if you want to catch each one just right – or you may end up feeling let down. I try to avoid those common symptoms of the recent tourism boom: overcrowding and overdevelopment.

These thoughts were on my mind after I recently went hiking at two unrestored sections of the Great Wall. The first, in the popular Jiankou section north of Beijing, juts out of the mountains proudly, its famous white stones gleaming as they twist around the rugged landscape. The second section, further east in Douyu Valley, has a more humble character, and in certain parts it almost disappears into the foliage.

Beyond the Great Wall are the hikes of a lifetime

Both sites were stunning and made for a day well spent outside the city. On the Jiankou path, however, it was hard not to notice the garbage littering the trail, the music blaring out of the cell phones of other hikers, and the man selling fake bottled water as he attempted to charge hikers for the use of his ladder.

By contrast, the section of the Wall in Douyu Valley was absolutely pristine. No litter and no noise. In fact, my group did not encounter another soul once we left the road. As our minibus made its way back to the city after a long hike, with a purple and orange sunset unfolding outside the window, I knew which of the two sections I’d be coming back to.

Douyu Valley is located in Miyun County, 115 kilometers northeast of Beijing. Contact WildChina to plan your own customized hike away from the crowds – at the Great Wall and beyond.

Much time has passed since China first joined UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1987, when The Great Wall, Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (aka the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an), Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, Mogao Caves, Mount Taishan and the Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang were inscribed alongside many of the world’s greatest cultural and natural treasures.

Twenty-three years and 33 inscriptions later, the landscapes of China Danxia are China’s 40^th site on the prestigious list – a list whose allure is proving increasingly irresistible to some career-minded local officials.

But today some Chinese are beginning to wonder if massive amounts of public funds spent by local governments on packaging sites for UNESCO’s consideration could be better spent elsewhere. Furthermore, many are becoming convinced that inscription on the World Heritage list is unnecessary altogether.

A recent survey conducted by China Youth Daily and two popular Chinese websites minyi.net.cn and sina.com.cn found that half of its 1,784 respondents felt that it was “not worthwhile” for local governments to spend large sums of money on applying for World Heritage status. More than half of those surveyed said they have no plans to go to recent Chinese nominations for the list.

The Hunan provincial government reportedly spent a total of 400 million yuan (US$58.8 million) on “preparation and organization procedures” and the county of Libo in Guizhou province ran up debt of 200 million yuan in its failed bid to join the list, according to a Global Times report.

But it is the case of Xi’an’s Daming Palace that has spurred the current online debate about the value of World Heritage status. Recently constructed portions of the palace compound that were modeled after ancient buildings were demolished during a whopping US$5.89 billion renovation of the site scheduled to be completed in time for the October 1 National Day holiday. In the face of public anger at the wasting of funds, an official related to the project said the demolition was necessary in order to meet World Heritage standards.

If the China Youth Daily survey is remotely consistent with general sentiment around the country, then local governments may have to work harder sell their case for using public funds to attempt to woo UNESCO. More than 68 percent of respondents said they didn’t believe that World Heritage status was necessary for protecting important sites, and only 9.1 percent supported applying for the list at all.

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.

The movie critics don’t seem to think that highly of the new Karate Kid film, but I had a great time watching it with my 7-year-old son. It’s one of the few kid movies that I sat through without falling asleep in the middle, which unfortunately was the case with the fantastic Toy Story 3!

Here are my reasons for liking it:

Most importantly, I just LOVED the scenery shots. The kid practices his kicks at the Great Wall, visits the Forbidden City, and travels by train to Guilin to climb to the top of Wudang Mountain. All of these shots are simply beautiful!

Wudangshan is the Daoist Mountain where Mr. Han (the Kungfu Shifu) takes him to reach the sacred water source. The scenes of Daoists practicing meditation or Kungfu are Hollywood stage setups, but they are beautiful and at times, when traveling in China, you can find truly spiritual moments as such when visiting these sacred mountains.

One of my favorite Daoist Mountains to visit is called Weishan in Dali, Yunnan. It’s much smaller in scale, and is very little visited as Daoism isn’t gaining many followers these days. But, the Daoist temples scattered on the mountain offer a peaceful respite from the noise of Chinese towns. One of my favorite things to do is to hike to the highest temple and drink tea with the only resident Daoist, who grows all his own fresh produce at the temple. The tea costs RMB 1 (equivalent of 15 cents), and tastes pure and sweet after hiking there.

Now when it comes to logistics, however, I would NEVER recommend anyone to travel from Beijing by train to Guilin, to climb Wudang Mountain. So, please don’t follow Mr. Han on this route. Wudang Mountain is 800 miles south of Beijing, and Guilin (where the lovely Karst hills rise out of Li River) is another 800 miles further to the south. It would be a ridiculous detour – but it works in a movie.

So, walk in knowing it’s Hollywood, and enjoy the stunning scenery.

Another reason for liking it is the reality of China that’s portrayed in the film. Mei Ying (the Karate Kid’s love interest) and her family provide a small window into the life of an upper middle class family in China. Usually, it’s a small family of 3 people, mom, dad and the only child. The well-off Chinese families are buying up luxury cars like Audi or BMW, the successful mom and dad are very well dressed. The pressure on the only child is intense, with piano lessons and violin practice sessions everyday. The movie hasn’t quite shown the intense pressure for testing into colleges, but that would have distracted from the spotlight on the Karate Kid.

All in all, I find it entertaining, and absolutely worth watching for those considering visiting China. WildChina offers a classic family trip to China that incorporates Kungfu and some of the classic sites that viewers will find in the Karate Kid, like the Great Wall and Forbidden City.

I was very impressed by the beginning of the Lonely Planet China Guide book. “The Best of China” page offered a quick summary of the classic highlights of the country that one should never miss – The Forbidden City and the Great Wall of Beijing, the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an, etc. The photos are beautiful. I also liked the section that introduced the writers, bringing a human face to advice they are dispensing. Then the Rural China, Eat China, Hike China and Red China pages all offered some interesting sites, and are very helpful for those who want to venture off the Yangtze Cruise to experience the real China.

But, to me, it also demonstrated the lack of access due to language constraint. For example, the Hike China section is a bit limited. Having hiked most of the trails listed in that section, I beg to differ. For example, the Yubeng hike, or Pilgrimage Trail to Mt. Kawagebo, is among the most breathtaking and spiritual hike. WildChina team members first hiked in this area in the late ’90s, and only now that trail is gaining some awareness among Chinese speakers. Not sure if the guide book is outdated or the writer didn’t know about it. Either way, I think there could be a better guide on hiking opportunities in China.

Then I went straight for the section on lodging (called “Sleeping” in the guidebook) in Beijing. It is unfortunately written by a backpacker who is too well-versed in adjectives such as “top notch”, “elegant,” “gorgeous,” “stunning,” “impressive,” “outstanding,” “splendid,” “enticing,” etc. I’ll save you the rest, but seriously, these words all appeared in 3 paragraph describing the St. Regis, Grand Hyatt, and China World Hotel. You can basically randomly re-allocate these words, and the information you are getting won’t change a bit.

Obviously, the writer hasn’t stayed in any of these places. I wish there were a few more details, such as the Made In China restaurant in the Grand Hyatt serves the best “Begger’s Chicken” and is one of the most interesting Chinese restaurants to dine in because of the open kitchen layout. You get to see the chefs tossing the greens in a wok alight with fire! Also, for families traveling with children, the China World Hotel Service Apartments offer the best option- with large rooms, ensuite kitchen, etc. (By the way, I think the Frommers Guide does a much better job with restaurant recommendations.)

Also, among the top notch is The Opposite House for its zen-like design and personal service – not to mention the beautiful Aman at the Summer Palace. These are the more boutique hotels that really make Beijng an interesting place in which to stay.

What got me most is the section on “Beijing for Children.” I have a feeling that the authors didn’t really travel to Beijing with kids. The hardest thing I found upon arriving in Beijing is how to kill the early morning hours due to jet lag.

Two very important things for me: breakfast at 金湖茶餐厅 / GL Cafe Restaurant，and morning walks in Ritan Park. The Café is a 24-hour Hong Kong style restaurant – very helpful at 4am when there is no other place to eat and the kids are crying! They have branch locations next to the St. Regis and the China World Hotel, and they have high chairs. Ritan Park is a major source of entertainment, as it opens at 6 am for the morning exercises. It’s an entertaining place for the kids to watch others play badminton, or do taiqi. Maybe it’s me, but I need to have the jetlag bunch taken care off before I can think of ice skating in Beijing.

For a good source of ideas and tips on what to do with kids in China’s capital, follow @BeijingWithKids on Twitter.