The Forbidden City

Chinese people prefer to call it the Purple Forbidden City. This is because in Chinese legend the King of Heaven, the Jade Emperor (the Supreme Deity of Taoism), supposedly lived in a Purple palace. Each emperor believed that they were the “son of heaven” (i.e. the son of the King of Heaven) so therefore they felt that they should have the same kind of palace as their father.  The Forbidden City was the imperial palace during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Construction of the Forbidden City began during the early 15th century and was masterminded by Emperor Yongle. 100,000 artisans and one million labourers were involved in the construction of this huge monument. It took 14 years to build and was finished in 1420. 24 successive emperors from both the Ming and Qing dynasties lived there over a period of 491 years.

From the picture, you can see that there are many red walls and yellow glazed-tile roofs all over the Forbidden City. In China, the colour red has long been a symbol of honour, wealth, happiness and solemnity. For example, a bride and her bridegroom will wear red for their wedding ceremony; when a baby is born, its family dye eggs red and send them to relatives and neighbours; during the Chinese New Year, gifts of cash are placed in small red envelopes to give to children; and, in modern Chinese history, Chairman Mao established the Red Regime. Yellow was used extensively by emperors alone. Their special clothes, called Dragon Pao, were yellow and were so-named because emperors were regarded as the sons of heaven and were thus destined to rule the world.

There is only one building in the Forbidden City with a black roof – Wenyuange. Wenyuange is the royal library. According to the Chinese theory of the “five elements”, the colour black symbolises water so, symbolically speaking, Chinese people believe that a black roof should protect the library from fire.

Why are there 9,999.5 rooms in the Forbidden City and not 10,000?

It was believed that the Jade Emperor had 10,000 rooms in his Purple Palace. As his sons, the mortal emperors could not have more rooms in their palace than their immortal father. What is more, in China the number 9 symbolises a long life and thus a long reign for the emperor.

The “half room” was constructed on the ground floor of Wenyuange. It is just a staircase, and was built purely for aesthetic purposes.

Note: there are now only 8707 rooms remaining in the Forbidden City.

The Meridian Gate is the main gate into the Forbidden City. It is 37.95 metres tall. In the past it was nicknamed the “Five Phoenix Tower”. Drums were installed on the east side and bells were installed on the west. They would ring the bells whenever the emperor went to visit the Temple of Heaven.

The gate is made up of five openings. The emperor was the only one who had the right to use the central passage. The queen was given one opportunity to use this central passage, and that was on her wedding day. High-ranking officials went in through the east side-passage and the royal family members used the west side one.

During the Ming Dynasty, it was commonplace for emperors to punish high officials. The offending officials were usually taken outside of the gate and beaten with sticks. During the Qing Dynasty, the officials would wait on the inside of the Meridian Gate every morning to report and discuss state affairs with the emperor inside the palace. On these occasions, the drums and bells announced the emperor’s arrival.

The Gate of Supreme Harmony

During the Ming and early Qing Dynasties, a throne was placed near the Gate of Supreme Harmony for the emperor to sit on whilst he listened to reports from high officials which required his judgement. In the Qing Dynasty, during the Emperor Kangxi’s reign (1662-1722), this throne was moved to the Gate of Heavenly Purity.

Other important gates in the Forbidden City include:

The Gate of Divine Pride (Military Prowess)

 

Taihe Hall is known as the “Hall of the Golden Throne”. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was used for ceremonies that marked national events of the utmost importance, such as the enthronement of an emperor.

It is the largest surviving wooden palace in China. 72 wooden pillars support the entire building. Four of them are in the centre, with large dragons carved into each one in such a way that they appear to be curling around each pillar. These dragons symbolise imperial authority. The length to width ratio of the building is 9 to 5, which signifies imperial dignity. The hall’s double-layer arched roof slopes down slightly towards the four eaves. There are nine animals and one phoenix on each of these four ridges. It was believed that they would protect the building from evil spirits.

Other important halls in the Forbidden City include:

The Hall of Military Prowess

Zhonghe Hall

Baohe Hall

The Hall of Mental Cultivation

The Hall of Union and Peace

The Hall of Imperial Zenith

The Palace of Heavenly Purity was commonly used by emperors as a place to rest and relax. The Qing emperors Shunzhi and Kangxi lived there and also handled state affairs from this palace. But the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Yongzheng, moved his base of operations to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Other important palaces in the Forbidden City include:

The Palace of Earthly Tranquillity

Peace and Longevity Palace

Jingyang Palace

Other important places in the Forbidden City include:

The Office of the Privy Council

The Nine-Dragon Screen

The Imperial Garden

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Explore the Forbidden City on the tour: Explore Chinese Culture through the Ages

Multiculturalism in Xinjiang

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The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is located in the northwest of China. There are a number of ethnic groups living there, including the Uyghur, Han, Kazakh, Tajik, Hui, Kyrgyz and Mongolian people. Most of these ethnic groups are Muslim.

This mixture of ethnicities has led to several of the cultures blending together or adopting features from one another. If you are not familiar with these ethnic groups, it is not easy to spot the differences between them, particularly in terms of their traditional dress and the architecture of their buildings. Yet each ethic group does have its own distinctive features and locals can distinguish members of their own ethnic group from others very easily.

Xinjiang is also one of the most beautiful places in China and boasts a variety of different terrains. There you can find barren tracts of land and parts of the Gobi desert but you will also come across stunning prairies and crystal clear lakes.

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To be completely frank, Xinjiang is not considered a very safe place, particularly for foreign tourists. There are many travel packages there that are provided by various travel agents but these are very sheltered tours and rarely bring up the issue of safety in Xinjiang. However, if you want to witness real multiculturalism in China first-hand, along with some beautiful natural scenery, then you will have to take a bit of a risk. We suggest that you employ a private guide when traveling in Xinjiang unless you can speak the Uyghur language fluently (most Uyghur people will not speak English and very few of them will speak fluent Mandarin).

Historical relics on the Ancient Silk Road

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The Ancient Silk Road is undoubtedly one of the most worthy places to visit in China. It was once a very busy thoroughfare for merchants, in spite of being an incredibly tough journey to make. Along the road, there were once many beautiful counties and towns. However, all of these glorious historical sites have been buried by the desert. Nowadays all we can find are some relics scattered along the sides of the disappearing road.

There are also several yardangs (ridges or crests of rock formed by severe wind) near the road. They are unbelievable looking, both fantastic and almost alien in appearance. If you come to this region then be sure not to miss them!

It is difficult to visit all of these relics since they are all in the desert. We strongly advise that you do not venture out into the desert to visit them alone, not only because of the language barrier but predominantly because the transportation in this area is unreliable and problematic. Some of these relics cannot be reached via public transportation. Hiring a professional guide with an in-depth knowledge of the history and geography of this area is crucial and a necessity if you wish to get the most out of your trip to the Silk Road.

 

 

Discover Huizhou Culture in perfectly preserved ancient villages

Experience a romantic journey in a beautiful mountainous region.

Customer’s expectations about the tour:

Say, for example, a young lady is very interested in ancient Huizhou culture. She wants to visit the beautiful villages in Huizhou that have maintained their old buildings very well, and she also wants to learn about Huizhou culture and history. Not to mention she also, understandably, wants to behold the most beautiful mountain in China – Mount Huangshan.

Highlights of the trip:

  • Visiting buildings and courtyards built in the Huizhou style;
  • Seeing first-hand the Huizhou style of woodcutting, brick cutting and stone cutting art in Huizhou architecture;
  • Discovering the history of the Huizhou merchants;
  • Witnessing the special layout of Hongcun village;
  • Taking in the most amazing scenery at Huangshan Mountain;
  • Sampling authentic Hui cuisine;
  • Experiencing first-hand the ink making technique indigenous to Huizhou.

Notes:

  1. Please read more about the Huizhou region by following the link, there you will find lots of useful information about Huizhou culture, architecture, historical attractions and other interesting facts about the Huizhou region.
  2. The example we have posted above is just there to give you a rough idea of how we can help you customize your travel in China. We will customize each tour for every customer on request.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arriving in Shanghai

Your English-speaking guide will be waiting for you outside the “Arrival Gate” in Shanghai international airport. From there, you will be driven to the hotel. After you’ve checked in and had a short break, there will be a welcome dinner for you.

Day 2: From Shanghai to Shexian

We will take the fast train to Hefei City, the capital of Anhui province. It will take approximately three and a half hours to get there.. After a quick lunch, we will transfer to another train from Hefei to Shexian. Shexian was once the capital of Huizhou in ancient times. On arrival we will have authentic Hui cuisine for dinner and we will stay at a traditional Huizhou style hotel.

Day 3: Tour in Shexian

Your guide will treat you to several interesting stories about this ancient town and point out to you the various, distinctive features of Hui architecture. We will then take you to visit the famous Tangyue Memorial Archways and Xuguo’s Stone Archway. You may feel somewhat moved by the stories about the Tangyue Memorial Archways, which are predominantly about the miserable lives led by women in ancient times. You may also be interested in visiting the small ink workshops which sit along the Xin’an River.

If you prefer, we will leave you alone to wander the town for a while.

Day 4: From Shexian to Jixi, Tour in Jixi

We will leave Shexian in the morning, and arrive at Jixi after traveling for about 30 mins.

Authentic Hui cuisine originated from Jixi, so you know we will have a good dinner there. However, before this delicious dinner, we will have a whole day to visit the town. We will also go to visit Hushi’s1 former residence in a village nearby.

黄山Day 5: A Trip to Mount Huangshan

We will go to Mount Huangshan in the morning. It will be a tough day full of climbing, but we are sure you will see why Mount Huangshan is the most famous mountain in China.

There is an amazing old high street in Tunxi (now called Huangshan city). We will spend our evening there and also have dinner there.

Day 6: From Huangshan to Hongcun, Tour in Hongcun

Considering you will probably need more rest after all of the previous day’s climbing, we will depart a bit later the next morning. But don’t expect to leave too late, unless you have no desire to visit the most spectacular village in the Huizhou region – Hongcun.

It will take us less than two hours to travel to Hongcun. Please don’t forget to look out and enjoy the landscape outside your window as we travel to our destination. You may just regret you weren’t able to hike there instead.

We will introduce you to the specially designed water usage and water storage system unique to Hongcun. You will be amazed to find that in Hongcun flowing water is used like an air conditioner to cool down each house in the summer.

西递Day 7: Tour in Shexian and Xidi

The first half of the next day will be left for you to enjoy this fantastic village alone. You can go up a nearby hill to take a picture of the whole village, and you can also take a look at their tea fields on the way.

We will leave Shexian before lunchtime. Then we will have a simple lunch in Yixian, which is a bigger town and thus an easier place to find better food. After that we will go to Xidi. It will only take us about 20 minutes to travel from Yixian to Xidi.

Xidi is bigger than Hongcun and there you will be provided with a professional guide similar to the ones you have had at other points of the tour.

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Day 8: Tour in Xidi, Back to Huangshan city

Once again you will be allowed to enjoy the beautiful village of Xidi by yourself for roughly 2 to 3 hours (as per your request). Then we will leave Xidi and go back to Huangshan city.

In the afternoon, we will spend a few happy hours shopping on Tunxi’s old high street, which is the place where we had dinner two days ago.  If you want to buy some special souvenirs related to Hui culture, we can give you useful advice on what to buy and help you make your purchases.

The last dinner we will have together in Huizhou will be very special and unforgettable. Initially we didn’t order the most delicious signature dishes available in Hui cuisine on our first visit to the old high street because you would have needed normal food to recover your energy after climbing Mount Huangshan. But today, on our last night in Huizhou, we will help you discover the essence of Hui cuisine.

 Day 9: From Huangshan to Shanghai

We will take the train and transfer again at Hefei city. Then, on arrival in Shanghai, we will have a farewell dinner.

For more information about Huizhou culture, please read the article entitled “Culture of Huizhou“.

Tibetan Culture in Qinghai (Tsinghai)

Many Tibetans live in Qinghai Province (roughly 20% of their whole population) because Qinghai Province directly borders Tibet. Most of them are in the five Tibetan autonomous prefectures and the rest are in one shared Mongolian and Tibetan autonomous prefecture. If you look at the map of Qinghai, you will find that these six autonomous prefectures pretty much occupy the whole of this province.

If you visit Qinghai, although you are not in Tibet, you will get a very strong sense of what real Tibetan culture is like. In these prefectures, Lama Temples are the most important and holy places for local residents. You will find Marnyi stones and praying flags throughout the Tibetan prefectures. Tibetans who live here have still maintained their original life style and traditional dress.

The scenery in this province is unbelievably magnificent. This province is made up of prairie lands, parts of the Gobi desert and the beautiful Qinghai Lake. The snowy Kunlun Mountains cut through the centre of the province, while the Qilian Mountains form a natural protective barrier in the north. In this province you will also find the Kekexili state nature reserve, which is the home of the precious Tibetan antelope. The River Huanghe begins in this province. Qinghai is one of the largest provinces in China, which means there are hundreds of scenic spots there that are worth a visit. This means you really need to think carefully about exactly what you want to see and where you want to visit on your journey. It is paramount that you have a solid travel plan when you visit Qinghai. It is important to note that the accommodation in this region is very basic, and the transportation is sometimes quite inconvenient or difficult to navigate. If you need any information about visiting this mysterious land from people who have first-hand experience, please contact us at info@asiaculturaltravel.co.uk.

Amazing towns on the Ancient Tea – Horse Road (the second Silk Road)

There is a mysterious, ancient road hiding in the mountains of southwest China. Hoof prints are imbedded into the narrow trails along the high cliff edges and turbulent rivers flow under precariously suspended chain bridges. This is the road that was once treaded by merchant caravans.

The Tea – Horse Road was developed because of the ancient Tea – Horse Mutual Trade, which was established 1300 years ago in China’s southwest region. However, the Ancient Tea – Horse Road was not only a passage for trade, but also a thoroughfare for cultural exchange.

Along the Ancient Tea – Horse Road there are many plateaus. Trading posts were established on these plateaus and were used by merchant caravans to do business and trade with one another. These trade points were developed gradually thanks to the prosperity and increasing length of the Ancient Tea – Horse Road. Eventually some of them grew into flourishing towns.

Most of these towns are in Yunnan Province, Sichuan Province and Tibet. They are beautiful and worth a visit not only because of their fantastic scenery and architecture, but also because they are home to many unique cultures. Most of the towns have been developed to accommodate tourists so it’s relatively easy for travellers to visit these towns alone. However, it is still vital that you have a well-prepared travel plan. After all, it is a region dominated by ethnic minorities who won’t speak English and who probably won’t even speak much Mandarin. If you want to gain an in-depth knowledge of their culture, we advise that you do some research and learn about some of the history behind the towns and the ethnic minorities before you travel there.  If you need any help planning your fantastic tour of these mysterious towns, please do not hesitate to contact us at: info@asiaculturaltravel.co.uk.

Explore the culture of the Dong ethnic group

This is not just your average tour. This is an adventure. The transportation and the accommodation available to you in this region may be basic but the distinctive culture, special architecture and stunning scenery is so awe-inspiring, so unforgettably beautiful, that it will more than make up for any inconvenience you face there.

Simple introduction to the Dong ethnic group:

As one of the minority groups in China, the Dong People have their own language, but no word. There are more than 3 million Dong people living throughout Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi province. Dong people have a particular talent for music. They are famous throughout China for their singing.  Culturally they have developed the habit of singing songs while they are working and farming. They also have many interesting traditional folk tales and dramas that were originally based on their daily life, mostly about how to find love.

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The Dong people have their own style of architecture. The central symbol of any Dong village is its Drum Tower. Normally each Dong village has one to three big-name families living in it and each of these big families will have their own Drum Tower. The Wind-Rain Bridge is another common construction attributed to the Dong ethnic minority. A large Wind-Rain Bridge can look like a palace that has been built on a bridge.

Nowadays most Dong people still follow a traditional way of life in their hometowns. To this day you can still see their special houses, their traditional dress and their unique way of celebrating festivals. But unfortunately no one knows how long this exceptional culture will survive. More and more young people from the Dong community want to live like people from the “outside world” as they see it. The art of batik, embroidery, silverwork, and even singing is gradually being lost. Nowadays, in some Dong villages, you can still enjoy some authentic “performances” that are not staged for tourists. But who knows how long this opportunity will last?

About this trip:

It’s time to explore a culture that is indescribably different from your own.

Highlights of the trip:

  1. Studying the architecture of a traditional Dong village;
  2. Witnessing first-hand the delicate traditional dress and adornments of the Dong people;
  3. Listening to the beautiful songs and watching the graceful performances that are associated with traditional Dong culture and customs;
  4. Sampling the delicious local Dong cuisine.

Summary of the travel plan:

By now, if you’ve read this article carefully, you will already have some general knowledge about this ethnic group. Throughout this tour, you will delve into the daily life of the Dong people, witness first-hand how they live, and develop an in-depth knowledge of their culture.  You will get a rare glimpse of their daily life. You will be given the opportunity to do some light research into their architecture. You will be privy to demonstrations of their songs and folk performances, which is why we have chosen the middle of August (according to the Chinese lunar calendar) to hold our tour as this is when their biggest festival takes place. And, finally, you will get to sample their local food. We are sure you will love their rice wine!

On the tour you will be staying in the traditional wooden houses found in all Dong villages. You must be very curious about how modern their houses are. There’s no need to worry! We will set you up in a local hotel that has some basic, modern facilities. However, we recommend that you bring your own sleeping bag with you, as the beds in the hotels will also be quite basic.

We are certain that you will be deeply impressed and moved by their beautiful songs even though you won’t be able understand their language or their meaning. By listening to their music, you may feel that, in some incommunicable way, you have entered their world. After that, you may even want to plan your next journey there and try to live like a true Dong local.

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What information will we provide you with in advance?

  • Useful information about the Dong ethnic group, including their history, their way of life, their festivals and customs, their architecture, their traditional dress and adornments, the geography of their hometowns and their current situation;
  • Specific information about each village on your trip;
  • Information about the transportation and accommodation you will use;
  • Some useful Chinese phrases that you can use to communicate with locals on a very basic level while you are there, such as how to ask locals for directions, how to purchase the tickets you will need and so on. We will also provide you with the names (in Chinese) of the local dishes and the souvenirs you may be interested in purchasing.

Travel itinerary

Day 1: Arrive at Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou province.

Activities:

  • Go to the supermarket and buy all necessary items for daily use, e.g. tissues, shampoo etc.;
  • Have a good rest after your international flight. Don’t get restless; you will start your adventure soon!
  • Enjoy a leisurely tour of Guiyang.

Tourists Attractions in Guiyang: Jiaxiu Tower.

We recommend you visit Jiaxiu Tower in the late afternoon, around about 3pm. You can have dinner nearby and after dinner you can enjoy the view of the Tower at night. You may get to see some local people setting off Sky Lanterns in the square. There’s also the opportunity to walk around and get a feel for the local life in a Chinese city. There is a night market nearby where you may find some interesting things to buy.

Accommodation: Four-star hotel near the city centre and Jiaxiu Tower (about £40 per night)

Transportation: We recommend that you take a taxi from the airport to the hotel, which should cost no more than £20. We also recommend that you take a taxi to the coach station the next day, which should cost no more than £5.

Note: We recommend that you go to sleep early and try to enjoy the luxurious hotel bed while you can. This is the most comfortable hotel you will stay in on your trip. You should also try to conserve your energy so you can start your adventure the next day.

Day 2: Go to Rongjiang from Guiyang; visit Sanbao village

pic5Activities:

  • Leave for Rongjiang by coach at 9:40 am from the stadium coach station in Guiyang. It will take you roughly 3 hours to get to Rongjiang.
  • Arrive at Rongjiang just after midday. From here you have two choices: you can find a small restaurant and have a simple lunch near the coach station, or you can go straight to Sanbao village and find a special, local restaurant there. If you are really starving after the long coach journey, we suggest that you eat something near the station.
  • Visit Sanbao Village. Take a taxi from the coach station to the village, which should hopefully only cost about £1. When you arrive, there will be some performances taking place inside the village. Normally if a big group of people arrive together, then a performance will start immediately. If all else fails, you can just walk around and explore the village until you hear the music or the songs, and then you can head back for the performance. Sanbao sits on the banks of the Duliujiang River. The beautiful view there of the moon when sitting on the river banks at night is desperately romantic.
  • Although the atmosphere at night is incredibly peaceful and the view is very beautiful, we suggest that you head back to Rongjiang to stay overnight. The living conditions in Sanbao have not yet improved to the level that we feel would be acceptable for most tourists. You may also find that the whole village has quite a strong smell to it. The smell is not strong enough to ruin your tour but it can be quite off-putting.
  • During the day, you can choose a nice local restaurant in the town centre to enjoy some authentic Dong-style cuisine. In our experience, the small restaurants on the high street are very good. You’ll have to sit down on the small low-stools that are common in local Chinese restaurants. We recommend you tell the waiter that you cannot eat food that is too spicy, although this is completely up to your discretion.

Accommodation: we recommend you stay at a hotel in Rongjiang called Binuan. It is just a simple hotel but it is peaceful and clean. It costs between £20 and £30 per night depending on what type of room you want.

Day 3: Go to Congjiang by coach, stay in a special Miao Village called Basha, and visit a Dong Village called Yintan

Activities:

  • Take a coach from Rongjiang coach station. We recommend that you take the coach early in the morning as there are several morning performances in Congjiang that you can enjoy if you get there early. It will take about 2 hours to get to Congjiang from Rongjiang;
  • Take a Taxi from Congjiang station to Biasha, which should only cost £4 or £5 if you bargain with the taxi driver. You must also ask the driver for his telephone number and let him know that you would like him to make a round trip to Yintan later, which should cost from £25 to £30 if you bargain with the driver.
  • Find a small B&B in Biasha. If you want to, you can stay in local’s house instead, so long as you can accept the potentially less hygienic or unhygienic conditions there.
  • Once you are in Biasha, you will hopefully have the chance to enjoy a traditional performance by people from the Miao ethnic minority. From experience, it is a fantastic and culturally enlightening display.
  • After you are done in Biasha and you have chosen a place to stay there, it will be time to head to Yintan. Yintan is a beautiful Dong village that rests inside the mountains. There are almost no tourists there and, likewise, there are very few residents. It is rare to see any young people there. Most of the young people from the village have left to find work so their families can survive. The village population is mainly made up of elderly people and children.
  • After you have finished exploring Yintan, you should head back Biasha.
  • About Biasha: Since Biasha is a Miao village, it may seem weird that it has been included in this travel plan. We recommend you visit Biasha because it is a very special place, even among the Miao villages, and it is very close to Congjiang. It’s an opportunity you can’t afford to miss! Biasha is the only place in China where residents are allowed to own guns, since it is part of their tradition and culture. Every man in this village will have a gun, and they are all very good at shooting. Men in Biasha have a special kind of hairstyle. For their entire life, they shave most of their head and leave only some hair directly in the centre of their head, which to them symbolises the one life they have been given. Biasha people worship the God of the Maple Tree. Every man in the village will be given a maple tree when he is born. When he dies, the maple tree will be cut down and used to make his coffin.

pic6 Accommodation:

At the moment we still cannot book a room in Biasha via the Internet, although it has been a famous tourist destination for years. People there still follow their original way of life so they don’t use the Internet. The good news is more and more B&Bs are cropping up in the village. We will try to book a room for you at one of these B&Bs over the phone. If they are not too busy, they will save your room for you. Unfortunately, if they do not save you a room then you will have to find another hotel while you are there.

Please Note: Some elderly women in Biasha and Yintan may beg or ask you for money. We are sorry if that happens to you and of course you have every right to refuse. But if you don’t give them any money, please think carefully when you decide to take a photo of some of the elderly residents there. Sometimes this is all they can do to make a living. If you would like to help them, giving them just 10-yuan RMB (about £1) will be enough, and we suggest that you don’t give them too much unless you feel particularly sympathetic towards them. However, we must strongly advise that you do not give money to children. If you really want to help them, please give them some cheap gifts instead of money. .

Day 4: Visit Xiaohuang Village

pic7Activities:

  • Go to the coach station. We will provide you with a printout that has the following sentence written on it in Chinese: “I want a taxi to Xiaohuang” or “I want to share a taxi with someone to Xiaohuang”.  Normally the total round trip will cost about £20 (for a single person traveling alone, so halve that if you choose to share a taxi). Another option is to ask the taxi driver who drove you to Biasha the previous day, but for this kind of professional Taxi the price may be higher, so you’ll probably have to give the taxi driver about £25 pounds.
  • About Xiaohuang: It is predominantly famous for its folk songs.
  • If you like this village a lot then you can bargain with your driver and give him some more money so that you can stay there longer.
  • After you’re finished in Xiaohuang, you will return to Biasha and enjoy some leisure time wandering the village. You may meet some other tourists there who are English or who can speak English. It is a shame you won’t be able to chat with the local people. They can barely speak Mandarin, let alone English.

Day 5: Go to Zhaoxing

pic8Activities:

    • Catch a coach at 7.50am from Congjiang coach station to Zhaoxing. Please don’t miss it! There is only one coach in the morning. However if, for whatever reason, you do miss it, then it is not the end of the world. We have a back-up plan: you can go to Luoxiang by coach, and then take a Taxi to Zhaoxing. The taxi should only cost about £2.
  • Find your hotel and check in. While you’re there, you should ask the hotel owner for information about the local evening performance. You can buy a ticket for the performance in the hotel. The performance will not be like the other performances you will have seen on the previous three days. The performance will take place on a stage and the actors in it are professionals. This performance may have more star quality and look more professional, but you may still prefer the authentic, village performances you have seen previously.

Accommodation: 

Zhaoxing is one of the biggest Dong villages. We can book a hotel for you online and the hotels in Zhaoxing tend to be better than in the other Dong villages.

Day 6 Go to see the Wind-Rain Bridge in Chengyang

Activities:

  • Catch the coach from Zhaoxing to Sanjiang at 7:00 am. Please Note: we must apologise in advance, as this coach journey is not ideal. It can be dirty and very noisy. It is a tough trip to make. The road is a little dangerous because there are many sharp bends in the road. So if it is raining, you may want to go the next day instead. Ask the receptionist in the hotel where the bus stop is and try to get there as early as possible so you can get a seat on the coach.
  • Take a taxi from Sanjiang to Chengyang. It should cost no more than £5.
  • Check in at the hotel in Chenyang and enjoy your day exploring the village. Don’t forget to go to the bridge and have a look. After all, that’s what you will have come to see!

Accommodation:

Chengyang is well-equipped for tourism. You will find many tourists from all over the world there. This means we can easily book a hotel for you online. If you talk with some of the other tourists there and mention some of the other villages you have visited, you’ll find that most of the other tourists won’t have visited any of them. Most of these tourists will have come directly from Guilin as it is much easier to get to Chengyang from there. This is why you will have seen almost no other foreign tourists on your journey.

Day 7 Go to Guilin and start your next trip or go back home.

You may decide to stay in Chengyang for another day. It is a good idea as you’ll need a rest day after such a tough journey. Just keep in mind that, when you do want to leave, you’ll need to go back to Sanjiang to catch a coach to Guilin. Remember to ask your hotel reception for the latest coach schedule. The last coach to Guilin should leave at 14:30. Fortunately it is a modern coach and it is very comfortable.

Whose hometown is in the dream?

世外桃源I told my friend, I might go to Guizhou to run a small café in a lovely Dong village. They treated it as a ‘day dream’. Who will be your consumers? Are there enough tourits? Well, their points may be correct. I don’t think Dong people will enjoy coffee. Any way, if I have enough money to run my café, it will not be for earning money. It is just a way of enjoying life, in a peace.

 It is not just who dream to live there. It is also a dream for natives, since most of them have left there to find jobs outside far away.

 

 

Beautiful places always hide in mountains. Guizhou is described as ‘no more than three days for sunshine, no more than three miles for flat’. Mountains and hills occupy 92.5% of fields in this province. Not enough filed is for farming. Traffic system is not good enough to connect every village, especially the minority ethnic groups. All these features constrict the development of local economics. But people need to improve their life conditions. They want their next generation to have better life. So they go out to earn money.

路边5Every Dong village is beautiful and peaceful; some are too quite to let me believe that no people are living there. It is a little bit scary. You might think you are really in a dream. Young people are not easy to see. The most common picture of there is that some children are playing around some old ladies.

For some popular villages for tour, there are some young girls and boys offering performance to tourists when off their class, such as Sanbao and Zhaoxing. Sanbao is near the town so it is easy to be reached; well Zhaoxing is famous because it is the biggest Dong village.

15th August, according to the Chinese Luna calendar, the moon shows its most beautiful face during the whole year. Outside the village of Sanbao, Duliujiang River is flowing quietly. We were sitting on the riverside – a Dong young man, two other visitors and me. The Dong was singing with guitar, under the beautiful moon……I never regretted to travel alone. But if there is one who can share this nice feeling with me, it is also fine…

 

小黄2

Yintan, a village inside the mountains, but gets a road, although it is a narrow and tough way. Several trucks were parking on the road, so the space left seemed just could be for two wheels in one side of the car. The driver had a look at the road then to speed up. I stopped him and got off. I must admit that I was scared. I walked along and got on again when he passed all trucks.

When I entered in the village, the feeling was like coming into a dream. It was not real. There were wooden houses, streets, Towers, just as a normal Dong village…but there was no person. Finally some children appeared. They were playing and laughing, which made the place even more looked like an illusion. Turning to another lane, old men appeared. They were sitting together inside the tower, smoking. All of them, young and old stopped their business and began staring at me. But they were friendly. They showed nice smile to me.

Going inside, the whole village was having the nap in this warm afternoon. Dogs were sleeping on the road everywhere. Cats were resting in the corners. An old woman was dyeing her new cloths besides two big jars of Landian Cao (Baphicacanthus cusia), which were her magical blue dye.

 

路边15Then my feeling of illusion came back again. The world was so quite…