Around Maerkang
For intrepid travellers, the forested valley around Ma'erkang is sprinkled with Tibetan villages and is well worth exploring. Just get out on the main road and hail down anything buslike heading out of town. Zhuokeji - jSSS Choktse is a compact Tibetan village around 7km east of town. Just above the cluster of stone houses is a derelict watchtower fortress that once belonged to a local chieftain and in which Mao Zedong is said to have slept when the Long March passed by. There are several...
Activities 1
The areas around Songpan are dotted with idyllic mountain woods and emerald-green lakes. One of the most popular ways to experience the scenery is by horse trek. Guides can take you out through pristine valleys and peaceful forests, all aboard a not-so-big, very tame horse. Many travellers - from hardy backpackers to families with children - rate this experience as one of the highlights of their travels in Sichuan. Treks are organised by Shun Jiang Horse Treks Shunjiang L y uM dui 0 7231201...
Sights Activities Fco
At the north end of Huancheng Beilu is Jingf ng G ngyu n jftj - lzl Jingfeng Park , a meander-worthy park of skyscraperesque yet droopy pines, flower-lined paths and some fine historic structures right near the entrance, including a somnolendy proud pagoda, a Confucian temple, and a memorial hall to local Bai success stories. The real highlight in town is the extant Ming and Qing architecture. Nearly two dozen residential courtyards are quite well preserved. An architectural stroll is lovely...
GETTING THERE AWAY Out
To get to the places listed above, take a bus from Guiyang's Hebin bus depot to Mufeng from where you can walk the kilometre to nearby Matouzhai and then the 750m or so to Shuitouzhai. However, that's only one small corner of the valley and you may not see some of the waterfalls and more dramatic scenery. Alternatively, you could hire a car from Guiyang for half a day to explore the valley and then have the driver drop you off in Shuitouzhai where you could stay the night. From there, you could...
digging in the dirt
Budding palaeontologists and anthropologists will love the Ch xi ng region. Near L f ng, in the region's east, bone fragments of palaeo-anthropoids two to eight million years old have been unearthed. Over 120 dinosaurs dating back up to 200 million years have also been found here in what is though to be one of the world's largest dinosaur burial grounds, and a dinosaur museum has recently been established. The famed Yuanmou Man was unearthed near Shangnabang village in Yu nm u, bordering Ch xi...
The Yubeng Kawa Karpo Treks
A trek to the fabulous Yubeng Waterfall MtiTiilS Yubeng Shenpu is an adventurous trip and fast becoming one of the most popular 'other' treks for those dismayed by the numbers of trekkers along the Tiger Leaping Gorge. At the bridge over the Mekong River the road leads 6km to Xidang and another 3km or so to a hot spring. Then it's possible to arrange pony hire to take you 25km four to six hours to Yubeng village, where there are half a dozen basic guesthouses, including Mystic Waterfall Lodge...
Sleeping Ixz
W ish nBingu n jMf 0872-612 2655 52 Dongxin Jie J52 - dY40-160 E This gov-ernment-run place has the cheapest rooms. The lowest-priced ones are actually not that bad. It's a five-minute walk west of the bus station, close to the centre of town. Yunxi Hotel SM il3 Y nxiHuigu njjS 0872-612 5866 Dongxin Jie Iff d trY120 150 IE Not the cheapest in town but, as it had just opened two weeks prior to our visit, it has smashingly fresh rooms the bathrooms alone are larger than most hotel rooms and very...
Other Villages
Hotels can be found to the west of the Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge and there's a mushrooming brood in the villages ofYanzhai and Ma'an Zhai just east of the bridge. Countryside International Hotel j liHSi tS Xiangcun Guoji Luguan 0772-858 2813 fax 858 2813 tw with shower Y30, tr without shower Y30 After crossing the bridge, turn right and it's straight ahead on your left on the cusp of the small village of Yanzhai. Twin rooms are clean in this newly built place, staff speak English and...
Sanjiang
Xinglianxin Hotel Sf tlS Xingliangxin Binguan 862 6988 11 Furong Lu IMl1- - s d tr q Y50 78 98 128 E Cheap and clean rooms with air-con, shower squat loo , TV and heating in this new outfit just up from the Sanjiang Hotel. Look for the sign that simply says 'hotel', next to a Lianhua supermarket branch. Modest discounts available. Chengyang Qiao Hotel fSPBfS5 iii Chengyang-qiao Binguan 861 7431 s Y108-118, d Y138-158 IE Next to the Agricultural Bank of China, scuffed rooms are OK here with...
getting there away Tpx
Shilin it village and the Stone Forest can be reached via Xingwen. To reach Xingwen also known as Gusong , take a bus from Yibin Y19.50, three hours, every 90 minutes from 7am to 6pm . You can also reach Xingwen from Xunchang Y13, two hours . From Xingwen, buses run hourly from the west bus station to Shilin village Y8, 30 to 40 minutes , 21km away. Be sure to ask for the village itself or you'll be dropped at the entrance to the cave. From Shilin, buses run hourly ish back to Xingwen. Catch...
sights activities Pwo
Changqingchun Ke'erSi S irregular is a Tibetan monastery built in honour of the third Dalai Lama. The town and mountain views from the lamasery are spectacular. The statue of Sakyamuni inside is believed to have been carried from Lhasa by foot. To get here, follow Chengxihe Lu Bei Er Duan north. It's a lovely walk with heaps of traditional stone homes on both sides of the street affording wonderful glimpses of day-to-day Tibetan life. The temple is at the very end of the road. Baita Gongyuan...
mosques
The oldest mosque in Kunming or at least on the site where a mosque has sat the longest , the 400-year-old Nancheng Mosque N nch ng Qingzh n G si 51 Zhengyl lu can be recognised by its telltale greenish onion domes, though the lower floors essentially look like the white-tiled offices that they are Even worse, in 2005 the once-lively strip of Muslim restaurants and shops selling skullcaps, Arabic calligraphy and pictures of Mecca nearby got its marching orders from the city government and has...
Info Wtm
are subject to change - check ahead.
Sleeping Jhv
No shortage of charming Naxi-style lodgings here. It seems that every day a new place opens up but not that many close . Note that prices can spike in July and August and especially during holidays. Mama Haxi's Guesthouse l ii tS-fiJlftfe GuchengXianggeyun Kezhan 0 510 0700 78 Wenhua Lane, WuyiJie 3x Si fcS78- - dmY15,s amp dfromY50 IH This place's enormous popularity derives mainly from Mama's dynamic personality you'll be glad to have her looking out for you but go easy on her - she's...
Nanjiang Xiagu riJ rJiJ
This valley located about 90 minutes outside of Guiyang is beautiful. Waterfalls plunge over its edges and clusters of Bouyi villages nestle among the lush greenery and rice terraces. One long, winding road goes through it all and the scenery seems to go on forever. This area hasn't been developed for tourism at all and no English is spoken anywhere. However, there are some subtle signs that may slowly change. A couple of viewing pavilions have been built near some of the more attractive and...
Sleeping Ycu
You'll have no problem whatsoever finding budget places to stay in Baoshan. Along Baoxiu Donglu are a few Chinese-style hotels, all of which really seem ready to roll out the red carpet for a foreign guest. Huali Binguan 0 216 1696 Baoxiu Donglu SM Sft s amp d Yl00-360, without bathroom from Y30 E A bit nicer than most cheaper options, this place is set back off the busy main street. Staff are amazed appalled that foreigners would ever wish to stay in a common room, but with some nudging...
Shangqingsi Roundabout To Liberation Monument By Bus
have also inspired masterworks of Chinese literature and art. Major historical sites have disappeared and a few have been transplanted since the Three Gorges Dam opened in 2006. But the mountains remain the stuff of paintings, despite losing 145m and counting to rising waters. For details on Yangzi River trips see p461. Cruise tickets can be purchased through your hotel or from the agencies around Chaotianmen, although shop carefully as amenities vary greatly while prices may not. The main...
Drinking
When it comes to Chongqing nightlife, a couple of ground rules apply hotspots all turn over fast and frequently, so you should ask around for the latest obsession and, in these parts a good time starts with green tea-whiskey cocktails and invariably ends at a KTV karaoke bar. So you can consider yourself warned. Deyi Shijie Minquan Lu amp Xinhua Lu KfeSft W T Start the night at this massive KTV bar and club complex with a constantly changing line-up of tenants including some of the following...
sleeping Cih
Nomad's Hostel SfefflW Sfetf Lup ng Qingni n L gu n This backpacker-friendly place is on the main street and is closed in winter. Yu lai B ngu n tft tf 667 1509 dm r Y15 50 Down the sidestieet from the intersection where buses stop, this hotel run by a friendly Hui family has simple but tidy rooms year-round bathrooms are pretty grubby. Langmusi Hotel S TK ffiiS langmusi Dajiudian 667 1588 rY300 At the opposite end of town from the bus stop, this is a lovely new hotel with spodess rooms,...
Stone Forest
About 4.5km from town, Ch ngzu 's diminutive Stone Forest Sh l n admission Y10 is a rather contrived geological attraction of jagged limestone formations, but the maze of rocks can be surprisingly tranquil, especially if you visit late in the afternoon. It's more than an hour's walk from town. A motorcycle taxi is about Y5. A few decent hotels can be found near the long-distance bus and train stations. Jinyuan Luguan ifeHtfeif 0 783 0894 Jiang-nan Lu illSSI s Y20-50, tw Y30 IE Very simple...
Baishuitai fijCn
Breathtaking scenery, possible pony rides, and a splendid chain of Tibetan villages leads to Baishuitai admission Y30 , a limestone deposit plateau 108km southeast of Shangri-la. For good reason has this become probably the most popular slow route between Lijiang and Shangri-la. The terraces, reminiscent of those found in Pamukkale in Turkey or Huanglong in Sichuan, are resplendent in sunlight, but can be tough to get to if rainfall has made trails slick. The terraces are around the small Naxi...
Drung Valley Dulong Jiang
Separated from the Nujiang Valley by the high Gaoligong Shan range and only reached by road in 1999, this is one of the remotest valleys in China. The valley is home to the Drung ethnic group see the boxed text, p300 . The Drung River actually flows out of China into Myanmar, where it eventually joins the Irrawaddy. At present there are no buses into the valley. You'd have to hire a minivan from Gongshan for the rough 96km trip to the county capital Dulongjiang. Beyond that, most travel is on...
The Bangbang Army
Ever since the first resident could not carry his groceries up the stairs of this mountain city, these porters for hire have been an essential element of Chongqing. The Bangbang are named for the characteristic bamboo pole or 'bang' they carry on their shoulders. They hustle for work around the docks, bus stations and department stores, offering to climb where no cart or mule could go, carrying loads few could bear and only earning an average Y100 a week. Their numbers exploded in the 1990s...
trekking the nujiang valley region
Looking at maps, hiking over the mountains into the Mekong Valley, particularly from G ngsh n to YezhT or Y nm n in D qTn prefecture seems a snap, but once there it's clear that you need a trustworthy guide and camping equipment. One route from F g ng to Y n W V L is covered in the F g ng section see p299 . Pilgrimage trekking routes lead from the north of the valley into Tibet to join a pilgrimage circuit of Kawa Karpo see p296 but again you'd need to arrange this with an expert travel agency....
Sleeping Ivb
The strip of road leading to and from the reserve is packed with behemoth-sized upper-midrange and top-end hotels. There's only a tiny handful of budget ones. Expect a huge hike in prices during the high season July and August and on all national holidays. Note that though the park remains open, accommodation, stores and restaurants outside the Jiuzhaigou Reserve start closing up in November and the area becomes a complete ghost town. Things slowly come back to life as March approaches. If you...
Emei Shan 1
Declare Nation Temple to Long Life Monastery Long Life Monastery to Elephant Bathing Pool Elephant Bathing Pool to Jieyin Hall Jieyin Hall to Golden Summit Temple Golden Summit Temple to Elephant Bathing Pool Elephant Bathing Pool to Immortal Peak Monastery Immortal Peak Monastery to Venerable Trees Terrace 6km Venerable Trees Terrace to Pure Sound Pavilion 6km Pure Sound Pavilion to Leiyin Temple 9 5km Leiyin Temple to Crouching Tiger Monastery 1 5km Crouching Tiger Monastery to Declare Nation...
Taxi 1
Taxi flagfall is Y7, plus a Y1 petrol charge. If you like the look of a taxi driver, book him or her for the day to whisk you around Guilin's sights. A car will cost around Y100 for a daylong tour if you don't have the time or the inclination to take to public transport, but remember that few taxi drivers speak any English. AROUND GUILIN Jiangtouzhou i I -Jf With its gorgeous narrow cobblestone alleyways, bucolic rhythms and pastoral aspect, this peaceful village - located in a region where...
Yading Nature Reserve ET Mffi
Stunning alpine scenery, snow-capped peaks and endless opportunities for horse treks draw more and more people to this nature reserve Yading Ziran Baohugu admission Y150 S ticket office 8am-6.30pm each year. The terrain is also dotted with lakes and monasteries and is the reason Daocheng is increasingly showing up on travellers' itineraries. The ticket office is open year-round, except when snow occasionally closes the road in winter. The best time to visit is autumn when the colours are...
Sleeping Bdg
During peak summer months you should brace yourself for a long slog about town in search of a bed, and burnt-out guesthouse staff. Friends Guesthouse Dali Gucheng Sanyou Kezhan 0 2662888 friendslnn hotmail.com 1 Wenxian Lu jtiK Sftl dm Y10, s amp d Y50-80 Counting your yuan Then head to this cheery longtime stand-by. For the price, have an open mind regarding upkeep. No 3 Guesthouse Disan Zhaodaisuo 0 266 4941 Huguo Lu HSft dm Y20 0 A fab staff buzzes about, new wooden furniture fills the rooms...
S
Sanyuangong Monastery 307-8 satellite launching centre 434-5 scams 468 schistosomiasis 497 sculpture 47-8 S rxu 401-2 Seven Stars Park 158 sexually transmitted diseases 498 Sh ngch ng Longmi n Si 339 Shanghai 86-91,87 accommodation 89 attractions 88-9 food 89-90 internet access 86 medical services 86 shopping 88 tourist offices 87-8 tours 91 travel to from 90 travel within 90-1 visas 88 Shanghai Art Museum 88 Shanghai Municipal Historical Museum 88 Shanghai Museum 88 Shanghai World Financial...
Sleeping Ufa
Budget accommodation is - and has always been - a problem in Gejiu. Jinhu Nanlu and Xin Jie have a handful of cheap guesthouses, but none accept foreigners. Forget the upper-low end or midrange places you come across along Jinhu Nanlu - they're not worth the money. Grand Hotel Honghe EM ASfe Honghe Dajiudian 0 215 5598 Renmin Lu A rY60-280, without bathroom Y30-50 El Has always been and still is the best budget option. There is a bewildering array of room choices and prices here - the rate sign...
Sleeping Eating Vcd
Unless you arrive in Qiubei late in the afternoon or early evening, there's no need to stay there, as the park does have accommodation -dirt-cheap through to apathetically maintained midrange. You can pretty much double any price listed here May through July. Minsu Nongjia KfSifei 0 461 8358 Puzhehei village per bed Y15 From the final stop of the bus from Qiubei, walk over the bridge into Puzhehei village. Look for some characters painted on a cinder-block wall. Here's your cheapest option in...
SIGHTS Rjv
From Central ifi your first port of call should be the Victoria Peak til II at 552m it's the highest point on Hong Kong Island. The best way to get there is via the thrilling Peak Tram tijTiSt 2522 0922 www.thepeak.com .hk one-way return adult HKS22 33, child amp senlor HKS8 15 S 7am-mldnight , a funicular running every 10 to 15 minutes from the lower terminus behind St John's Building at 33 Garden Rd, Central, to the recently renovated Peak Tower SeW fill at the top. The views in clear weather...