Five famous moutains you must climb in China!!

1. Mount.Song
Located in Dengfeng County of Henan Province, Mount Song is called the Central Mountain of the Five Sacred Mountains. It has 36 peaks and stretches 60 kilometers, composed of Mount. Taishi and Mount. Shaoshi.The highest peak is 1494 meters above sea level. Mount Song has fine natural scenery. Its 72 mountains, grouped around the peaks of Mount Shaoshi and Mount Taishi, extend for about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from east to west. Besides these mountains, there are many valleys, caves, pools and waterfalls, each of which provides the visitor with a unique and wonderful experience. The landscape is so unique that it has been given the title of 'International Geological Park' by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (UNESCO).

The history of Mount Song is as rich and interesting as its landscape. Mount Song is on the south bank of the Yellow River in China. The nearby Shaolin Temple which is right for student tour to China is the birthplace of Zen Buddhism, and even today the temple's Forest of Pagodas named Ta Lin is the largest in China. The Zhongyue Temple is also located here, one of the earliest Taoist temples in the country. The Songyang Academy nearby was one of the four great academies of ancient China. The mountain and its vicinity are populated with Taoist and especially Buddhist monasteries. The 6th century Songyue Pagoda is also located here, as well as Tang Dynasty (618–907) pagodas within the Fawang Temple.
2. Mount.Wuyi
Mount Wuyi, lying in northern Fujian Province, covers an area of 60 square kilometers. Most of the hills here are made of red sandstone, very steep but flat on the top. The peaks and rocks of grotesque shapes are girded by clear streams and embraced by green trees and bamboo plants. The Nine-bend River, 60 kilometers long, meanders among the hills, presenting the most charming tourist route in this scenic zone.

Mount Wuyi has a long cultural history. The site of the Wuyi Palace built in the seventh century for emperors to conduct sacrificial activities remains today. It had been an important center of China's Taoism and was listed as one of the top nine Taoist Temples in the 10th century. The mountain also boasts many other cultural relics including stone inscriptions.
In 1999, Mount Wuyi entered the lists of world cultural and natural heritage.
3. Mount. Changbai

Mount Changbai is also called Buxian Mountain, meaning it divine. Mount Changbai is a dormant volcano and is the highest volcanic cone with the biggest spout in the Northeast of China. It was formed about 2 million years ago. According to the historical materials, it has broken forth three times since the sixteenth century. Mount Changbai has a unique and particular geographic conformation and intriguing sceneries. There are more than 30 wonderful scenes which are famous at home and abroad. Ascending on the top of the mountain ranges, you can realize by yourself what was described in a Chinese poem: “Looking on the top of Mount Changbai, you will feel all the other mountains are so small compared with it.” It widens your visual field, and you cannot help acclaiming it as the peak of perfection. Influenced by the vertical topography of the hilly areas, Mount Changbai forms four scenery belts from temperate zone to Frigid Zone from the foot of the mountain to the top. A colorful natural and vertical scenery belt like this is rare even in the world. There are four seasons in the mountain and the weather varies from one place to another.
4. Mount Hua
Mount Hua is located in the Shaanxi Province, about 100 kilometers east of the city of Xi'an, a destination of Silk Road tour, near the city Huayin. Mt. Hua is known as “The Number One Precipitous Mountain under Heaven”. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China.

It is famous for its natural vistas of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags, and a high mountain range. It is home to several influential Taoist temples where emperors of past dynasties made pilgrimages, making Mt. Huashan the holy land of Taoism.
5. Mount.Tai
As the leader of the 'Five Sacred Mountains', Mt.Tai is located in the east of North China Plain and the middle of Shandong province, and its main peak, Jade Emperor Summit, is about 1532.7 meters (5,029 feet) high.

In ancient times, the first thing for an emperor to do on ascending to the throne was to climb Mt. Tai and Heaven (on the summit) and Earth (at the foot of the mountain) or their ancestors. It was said that 72 emperors of different dynasties made pilgrimages to this mountain. These special ceremonies and sacrifices earned the mountain widespread fame. In addition, many poets and literary scholars also visited the mountain to gain inspiration. The grandiose temples, the numerous stone inscriptions and stone tablets are the best testaments to these visits. Mt. Tai also played an important role in the development of Buddhism and Taoism. So in Dec.1987, it was included as "World Cultural and Natural Heritage" by UNESCO.
Besides historic relics, Mount .Tai boasts unique natural scenery too. The lofty peaks, deep valleys, spectacular waterfalls, enchanting rocks and the centuries-old pines and cypresses will undoubtedly encourage you linger with no thought of leaving. The four wonders of the mountain are Sunrises from the East, the Sunset Glow, the Sea of Clouds and the Golden Belt along the Yellow River. It would be a great pity to miss the four wonders.
But the above-mentioned mountains are not suitable for your China business tours.

You can attend China group purchase tour for saving money

Knowledge about China Food Culture

As a country that pays great attention to courtesy, our cuisine culture is deep rooted in China's history. As a visitor of China tours or guest in either a Chinese home or restaurant you will find that table manners are essential and the distinctive courtesies displayed will invariably add to the enjoyment of your meals and keep you in high spirits!
Respect First
It is really an admirable custom to respect others at the table, including the aged, teachers and guests while taking good care of children.
Chinese people stress filial piety all the time. The practice of presenting the best or fine food first to the senior members of the family has been observed for countless generations. In ancient times the common people led a needy life but they still tried their best to support the elder mother or father who took it for granted.
Although the hosts in China are all friendly and hospitable, you should also show them respect. Before starting to eat dinner, the host may offer some words of greeting. Guests should not start to eat until the host says, 'Please enjoy yourself' or something like that, otherwise it suggests disrespect and causes displeasure.
When hosts place dishes on the table, they will arrange the main courses at the center with the supporting dishes evenly placed around them. When the main dishes are prepared in a decorative form either by cut or other means they will be placed facing the major guests and elder people at the table. This also embodies virtue.
At Important Moments
To celebrate the birthday is important moment in one's life. When one is young, usually he will eat noodles before his birthday, because the long noodles indicate the longevity in China, and birthday cake on the actual day. After middle age, his birthday will grander. In addition to the above, peaches in many forms will be added symbolizing the longevity and immortality, as well as delightful couplets and candles.
On the wedding day, it is also customary to serve Chinese dates, peanuts, longan and chestnuts together as wish that the couple will soon have a baby in accord with the Chinese proclamation.
To most Chinese people, returning home after long absence or departure from home are both significant and there are food customs associated with this. The return home is greeted with noodles and off home while a farewell is offered with dumplings. This is especially popular in northeast China.
During the Dragon Boat Festival, though many people cannot reach the river zone to watch the boat race, almost all of them eat the unique food -zongzi, a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. The festival on that day it is to venerate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan and the people fearing his lack of food, made the special meal for him. Now the food is made in various shapes and sorts.
On the eighth day of the last month in the Chinese lunar calendar, people will enjoy a nourishing porridge called 'La Ba Zhou'. In ancient times, monks would kindly share all sorts of food grains with people and made them flavorful porridge on this particular day. People still keep this convention.
In Central China, when a baby is born, the happy father will send red boiled eggs to announce the news. Eggs with a black pointed end and dots in an even number such as six or eight, indicates a boy's birth; those without a black point and in an odd number like a five or seven will say the baby is a girl.
In addition to these, fish has always been used to suggest the accumulation of prosperity and wealth with meals on New Year's Eve.
"Thank you" Gesture
Tea usually is served as soon as you have a seat in a restaurant. The servant serves you the tea cup and pour the tea for you when you read the menu and decide what to order. The tea pot is left with you on the table after the cup of every customer around the table is filled with tea, in order that you may serve yourself when you need more. When the servant pours the tea in one's cup, he or she often tips the table with his or her index and middle fingers for two or three times, showing the meaning of thanking the servant for his service and of being enough of the tea. The servant will stop pouring when seeing the gesture.
Drinkable Water
Water is easily available in China, but please don't drink water that comes out of the tap. Drinkable water is available at restaurants and hotels. Very few cities, like Hong Kong and Guilin, have public direct drinking water system available. Highly suggest you take, when traveling, with you bottled spring water which can be bought anywhere at the station stalls and supermarkets.
Eating Ambience
Being surrounded by much loud talking and laughing that is usually heard in the market is a typical ambience at a Chinese restaurant. People like jollification when having a gathering and having meals undoubtedly can not be of exception. People regard it as a rule to judge if the dishes of a restaurant are of good taste that whether the restaurant is noisy or not, because the crowds at the restaurant indicate the deliciousness of the dishes. If you want a quiet place to enjoy your meals, restaurants also provide individual small rooms which Chinese people call "Baoxiang".
If you want to knwo more information about China food culture, you can contact with China travel agents.
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The Mysterious Guge Kingdom in Tibet II

Religious strife leading to demise
Facing such a huge wealth of artistic relics, people never stopped wondering how such a powerful state came to its demise almost overnight. What happened to her? Was it a sudden accident, or an inevitable event? You can get a glimpse of Guge through your Tibet tour.
Some believe the Guge had something in common with the Maya in ancient Mexico and Guatemala and Pompeii in ancient Italy, all highly developed civilizations that inexplicably fell.

While religious enthusiasm prompted the birth and growth of Guge, religious strife brought it down. Conflict between the last Guge king and the upper-class monks, headed by the king's brother, arose and became hot when the latter grew powerful. It was said that Buddhist followers could be seen everywhere in Guge at that time. The last Guge king was worried that his kingship would be threatened if the monks grew more powerful. The idea came to him that Buddhism must be degraded.
So when, in 1624, P. Antonio de Andrade, a Portuguese missionary, reached Zhaburang, capital of the Guge, via northern India, the king took advantage of the opportunity and tried to establish Catholicism as a new religious weapon against the Buddhist monks. A church was built, and the king himself converted. He took the offensive, forcing lots of monks to be secularized and even exiled. There was a devastating insurgence from the monks. The neighboring rival state Ldakah saw an opportunity and collaborated with the monks to overthrow the rule of the Guge king. It turned out to be a long and bloody war.
The fortifications of Guge were carefully designed and distributed. Besides tactically located forts and walls, there was a network of secret underground tunnels that had been of great help in resisting previous invasions.
A story was passed down from generation to generation that tells how Guge was defeated by the allied forces of rebellious monks and Ldakah invaders. At the beginning of the war, the invaders captured some Guge citizens. But because the Guge castle was so heavily fortified and kept the attackers from moving up to the top where the royal family lived, the Ldakah invaders came up with an idea. They drove the captured Guge people to the front of the war, and had them build a huge, stone wall from the foot of the hill to the top. They could move upward under the protection of the wall, and those working on the wall would serve as a human shield. The Guge king was confronted with a dilemma: if he ordered an attack, his people would be killed. If not, the wall would reach the hilltop and the royal family would be captured, indicating the fall of the kingdom.
In the end, the king agreed to surrender on the condition that the enemy should spare his people. However when the Guge soldiers unarmed themselves the Ldakah army slaughtered them. Today, there's a cave crammed with skeletons near the Guge castle. It's believed to be a testament to the brutality of the war. It's strange that no skulls have been found there, but there was some braided hair. Some bodies were wrapped with robes. However, it is also thought to be a special funeral because some skeletons of young females were found in the cave. These skeletons make tourist think what happen to them if they join China vacation packages.
Where are the Guge descendants?
Was it possible that nobody from Guge survived the war? Where have the descendants of the Guge gone? There are only a few houses near the Guge ruins, and the people there are not descendants of the Guge.
It is rumored that over 200 Guge were lucky enough to successfully flee through a secret tunnel within the Guge castle to escape the war, settling in today's Qulong town, waiting for a time to get revenge. It was said that a ceremony was held on the road to Qulong. Each of the survivors threw a stone towards a set place, in memory of their lost home and wishing for good luck in the future.
Tips for Tourists
Location: The ruins of the Guge Kingdom are in Zanda County in southern Ngari Prefecture, which borders India to its south. Zanda is 1,500 kilometers from Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, 200 kilometers from Shiquanhe Town in the prefecture capital Gar County, and 1,200 kilometers from Yecheng in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Transportation: There are two routes to Guge city. One is from Yecheng in Xinjiang to Zanda via Shiquanhe Town. The other is from Lhasa to Xigaze, then to Zanda. Taxis from Lhasa to Ngari charge RMB 4/5 per kilometer, and hiring a vehicle and driver costs RMB 12,000 to 14,000 plus the driver's accommodation. A chartered vehicle is needed for the trip from the Zanda County seat to the Guge ruins 18 kilometers west.
Frontier Visitor's Permit: A visitor's permit is required for travel to Zanda. Prospective visitors fill in the appropriate forms at the local police station, and receive the permit, free of charge, the same day.
If you want to get more information about Guge and its ruins, you can contact with local China tour operator.

The Mysterious Guge Kingdom in Tibet

The ruins of Guge are in what is today Zhada County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet. Guge is said to be the highest of ancient kingdom located on the ridge of the Roof of the World, as Tibet is called. Marching westwards to Guge from Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, is a long and hard journey that crosses a vast uninhabited desert. The ruins should be considered for your Tibet tours.


Legend has it that in the first half of 20th century the Tibetan government sent a soldier to Guge to collect taxes. However, a couple of days later the soldier was back, frightened. All he could see there was a world of sand. The government dropped the taxation plan.
However barren, desolate and inaccessible the land might seem, the powerful Guge kingdom ruled over it for over 700 years from the 9th to 17th century. Altogether 16 kings ruled Guge. Yet, historical records reveal little about its rise and sudden demise. It was instead from some letters by western missionaries that people got to know more about the lost empire.
Ruins, the only visible legacy
Records show that Guge once made great religious and economic achievements. However, its glory was reduced to pieces when the mighty kingdom was involved in a fatal war in the 17th century. The invasion of the neighboring state Ldakah, coupled with the domestic rebellion of Guge monks, brought the kingdom to its knees.


The ruins are the only visible legacy Guge has left behind.The ruins extend from the mid-ridge of a hill 300 meters high at its peak and cover an area of 720,000 square meter. It is the second largest ruin in Tibet, after the Potala Palace in Lhasa which is always contained in AFFORDABLE China travel packages. Archaeologists have unearthed 445 earthen and wooden structures, 879 caves, 58 blockhouses (a kind of fortification building), four secret tunnels, 28 stupas (traditional pagoda-shaped Buddhist monuments), granaries and weaponry storehouses.
Within these surviving structures, murals have been well preserved and still exude a luster through ages of dust. Most of the murals are religious paintings, either portraits of various Buddhas, works depicting scenes believed to have happened in their lives, or pictures reflecting the religious life of the Guge people. Attention was paid to the details when these murals were painted, such as eyes, brows, gestures, and even clothes of a Buddha.
Guge was a rigidly hierarchical society. The residential area was compartmentalized depending on the social status of the people that lived there. Palaces and residences for the royal family sat on the hilltop, monasteries and houses for aristocrats sat in the middle of the hill and at the lowermost reaches of the hill were cave dwellings for ordinary people. The top position of the royal residence was to display imperial supremacy, and ensure military security.
A Buddhist kingdom
Guge was established by the descendents of the royal family of the Tubo Dynasty that ruled all Tibet from about 630 to 842 AD. Tibet was called Tubo by the Han at that time. The last Tubo king arbitrarily banned the practice of Buddhism by persecuting Buddhist followers and destroying monasteries, leading to the fall of the dynasty. Being far away from Lhasa (a hot tourist destination of China tours), in western Tibet, present day Ngari, proved to be a safe harbor for the persecuted Buddhists. Years later, Guge, a Buddhist kingdom, was established and was said to have a population of 100,000 at its peak.
Guge was economically advanced and famous for its industrial achievements, such as panning for gold, smelting, pottery-making, weaving, carpentry, carving, and printing.
Geographically connecting India and the hinterland of Tibet, Guge played a significant role in spreading Buddhist doctrines. The ruling class was fervently Buddhist and they did a lot to promote its expansion.
They invited Buddhist masters from India to spread Buddhism. A mural in one of the surviving structures vividly depicts a Guge king warmly welcoming a visiting Buddhist master from India. They also sent Buddhists to India to learn more about the religion, and had Buddhist scripture translated into the Tibetan language.
A secret cave filled with remains of Buddhist scripture was found in the ruins. Some were woodblock printed, and some were hand-written. Some were even written with liquid gold and silver, indicating the extravagance of the religious community of Guge.
Buddhist structures and murals
Guge was a Bhuddist state and this is reflected in its architecture and art. Stupas were built to show respect to the Buddhas and some caves at the base of the hill were reserved for meditation retreat. However, the best-preserved Buddhist structures are named after either the outward color of structures such as the White Palace or the Red Palace, or names of Buddhas such as the Yamantaka Chapel or the Tara Chapel, or Buddhist practices such as the Mandala Chapel. You can contact with local China travel agency to get more travel information about Guge.


Apart from murals, there are many metallic sculptures of Buddha in the Guge ruins. Guge Silver Eyes is one of the finest bronze sculptures of a Buddha ever unearthed. This Buddha has four arms and three eyes. Each arm holds a musical instrument used in a Buddhist mass. The three eyes are silver-gilt, hence its name.

More info about Visa-Free Transit in China

Most nationalities require a visa to enter China. A visa is not required however if you are in transit and meet the following conditions.
72-hour visa free transit in Beijing and Shanghai for a general China tour.

If you meet the following criteria, you can stay up to 72 hours in Beijing or Shanghai without a Chinese visa. You can visit the city at your leisure and book a hotel, etc.
The conditions are the following:
- Your transit is no more than 72 hours;
- You have plane tickets to a third country;
- You enter through the Beijing Capital Airport, Shanghai Pudong Airport or Shanghai Hongqiao airport;
- You will depart from the same city that you arrived from (for Shanghai you can arrive at one airport and leave from the other);
- You cannot leave the city to go to another Chinese city during the 72 hours;
- You must hold a passport of one of the 45 approved countries:

Twenty four European Schengen countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland; Seven other European countries: Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine; Six American countries: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile; Two Oceania countries: Australia, and New Zealand; Six Asian countries: Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar
The authorities have stated that those who enter other cities will face punishement, those who brake the law during their stay will face a lifetime ban and that all visitors must carry identity paper with them at all times.
Procedure
Make sure that you have a printed copy of your flight tickets. Note that the 72 hours are calculated based on your flights scheduled arrival and departure and not when you show up at immigration. After getting off the plane you will head for immigration. Look for a counter that say "Transit visa exemption" or something like this. Show your ticket and passport. They will stamp your passport (different stamp than if you have a regular visa). You then pick up your luggage then head to the taxi line or subway.
What is not acceptable for 72-hour visa free stay in Beijing and Shanghai.
Going back to the same country is not a valid transit. For example you cannot fly Vancouver-Beijing-Vancouver. Nor can you fly Vancouver-Beijing-Toronto. You do not qualify for this exemption if you have a double transit in China such as Vancouver (Canada)-Beijing (China)-Kunming (China)-Hanoi (Vietnam). In this case you can only get the 24-hour transit visa exemption. Note that Hong Kong-Beijing-Macau is accepted.
What if you do not meet the criteria above?
If your stay exceeds 72 hours you need to apply for a visitor's visa. Google for the website of the Chinese embassy in your country to learn about the application process. If you arrive at a different port of entry than the 3 listed above, or have a passport from a country that is not on the approved list then you still qualify for the 24-hour exemption. There are very few entry points (such as Shenzhen and Sanya) where a limited visa-on-arrival can be granted under certain conditions and only for certain nationalities.
During the 72 hours, you can take part in tailor-made China tours to explore Beijing or Shanghai.

How to Go on China Train Trip II

While CRH “G” trains are technically capable of going 380 km/hr, they are currently limited to 250 km/hr and less for energy conservation and safety reasons. Sleeping car service is not provided. A normal “fast train” trip from Beijing to Shanghai (you can have 72-Hour visa free travel to Beijing and Shanghai) used to take 12 hours. The CRH can take less than 5 hours on this 1318 km route.
The following discussion relates to the normal China Railways trains
Train Tickets –There are various ways to buy train tickets in China although it is not easy for a tourist.

Tickets usually go on sale 20 days prior to departures via the official centralized website: 12306.cn This website is only in Chinese and requires a Chinese bank-issued card to pay. Tickets now have the name and id card number on the ticket (passport number for foreigners). This was put in place to eliminate scalpers. If you have someone buy tickets for you, you will need to provide them with your exact name and passport number (as with plane tickets). They will also need a copy of your passport if you wish to have the tickets delivered to you. When tickets are bought on-line, you are given a confirmation number which you need to bring along with your passport at the train station to pick up the paper ticket. You can do so just before your departure.

If you are worried about obtaining a ticket there are ticketing of China tour agents that can procure your tickets but you will be paying a premium price and it is more expensive than obtaining your own. Such premium can be quite high. Look at the various prices on seat61.com/China.htm As with the advice they give on other train travel around the world, the seat 61 website is not affiliated with commercial agencies and give excellent advice on how to buy tickets & what to expect with train travel in China . Another option is to have your hotel purchase the tickets for you in advance as soon as they go on sale. Some hotel concierges/travel desks are willing to do this, but others decline to, since you are not there in person with your credit card. Tickets are good only for the name and passport number printed on them.

Some agents will deliver the tickets to your hotel. Those cost more and require advance payments. Remember that no ticket agent can guarantee anyone a seat before tickets go on sale. Read all the fine print, every word of it. Many times these agents are selling their product on an "if available basis," speculation on busy routes that they can get to the ticket window before others.. Also, you may not get confirmation (or rejection) until other transportation alternatives are sold out or at a much higher last-minute price for your last minute China travel deals.
Scam/deception alert: Some on-line ticket agents show schedules of only the trains for which they choose to sell tickets and get their fees. For example, some may not even show the famous G "bullet trains" between Shanghai and Beijing as for sale, and then warn you in flashy red color that other ticket agents show trains for which there are no tickets! Do your own research.
If you do opt to buy your own tickets at the station, plan to be there early as you will have to wait in lines – and you may find your train sold out. Major stations in bigger cities will have an English-speaking ticket agent (with a sign designating such). Most stations will not. Don’t rely on your pronunciation of the destination city - you may want to go to Nanning and end up in Nanjing. Have your destination city written out in Chinese to be sure you get the correct tickets. Your hotel will do this for you, or you could print out this information prior to your China tours.

How to Go on China Train Trip I

Traveling and touring by train in China is probably easier than you think it is! Chinese trains are inexpensive, punctual and a great way to see the country. Let’s look at travel by train…. So if you want to have a economic China tour, the best transportation way is to take train.
The Trains – Domestic trains run by the China Railway are broken down into “classes” which vary by speed and service. A letter (C, D, G, Z, T & K) preceding the numbers indicate the type of train. The “G” trains are the fastest and normally only service two end-points with maybe a couple of intermediate stops. These are fast trains that run on the regular passenger tracks. "D" trains are next fastest while "T" trains are quite slow.

Unless you are into punishing yourself you will want to travel in a sleeping car, not by coach. Within the sleeping car category, there are three types of accommodations available: Hard Class, Soft Class and Deluxe Soft Class.
The Hard Class sleeper is where most Chinese travel. Each compartment has 6 bunks – three on each side. If you are unlucky enough to be assigned a top bunk let’s hope you aren’t claustrophobic as you will have only about 18 inches of vertical “space” to accommodate you (not to mention the effort and contortions required to get up there!). Something like what you would imagine a submarine crew would sleep in. The compartments are not enclosed, but are open to the aisle way, so are noisy. Across the aisle from the compartment is a single seat that folds down out of the wall. You can sit here (if it is available) but have to contend with a constant flow of passengers scraping by you. The dining car is not available to Hard Class passengers.

The Soft Class sleeper is where you will want to be. Each compartment has 4 beds – a lower and an upper on each side. There is an expansive window with a small table under it. Within the room and extending over the outer aisle way is an area to place your luggage. There is also space under the two lower bunks which everyone shares. Lower berth space is more expensive than upper berth space but it is worth the extra cost. Spending hours and hours in a windowless upper bed is not a great way to enjoy your affordable china tours.

You will have a variety of “roommates” and this can be fun and interesting. It is not uncommon to have English-speaking passengers (Chinese or foreigners) in these rooms. Or, you may sit in silence and just listen to their conversations in Chinese. Your compartment mates may be students, businessmen or a mother and child traveling of China. Since Soft Class is more expensive, the Chinese who travel this way tend to be better off than the average.
Soft-Class sleeping compartments may vary from the above. Some have no over-head storage at all and the under-bed storage is limited by a steel bed frame. In this case you get to sit on your bed with your luggage. Most do have storage, though.

Since it is uncomfortable spending hours sitting in the upper berth with no window to look out, it is customary for the upper-berth passengers to sit on the aisle-end of the lower berth during the day.
Deluxe Soft Sleepers are two-bed compartments. This is perfect for a traveling couple as you don’t have to share with others and you have a level of privacy you don’t get with the Soft Sleeper compartment. The Deluxe Soft Sleeper is usually more modern and may have an actual closet in which to hang things, a hotel-type safe and even in-room sink and toilet facilities – it all depends on the luck of the draw. Not all trains include Deluxe Soft Sleepers. Many “Z” trains do have these, but most “K” and “T” trains do not.
While China has an extensive rail system that interconnects all of the major cities, and while it is collectively known as “China Railway”, in reality each section between two connecting points (the origin and final destination cities) is operated by a different company. So the locomotives and passenger cars are of different colors based on the company. And the types and levels of service vary from company to company and train to train. The staffs of the train stations and of the trains themselves all wear a common China Railway uniform though. So while you might expect consistency from train to train, you will not get it.
The CRH system is independent from the normal trains. This is the new high-speed rail system being built in China. The railroad right-of-way is elevated whereas the regular trains are at ground level. The facilities for the CRH are first-rate – similar modern airports to shame. In some cases the CRH station is completely separate from the regular train stations (as in Guangzhou) and in other cases they are combining existing regular rail station with the CRH station. When this is done everything is modernized. With this, gone are the dark and dingy 1980’s stations. Everything is new and modern. You can have a comfortalbe private China tours by train.

Guide to Yuntai Mountain

Yuntai Mountain is situated in Xiuwu County, about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Jiaozuo City, Henan Province. This mountain is among the first group from all over the world that received the title of World Geologic Park from UNESCO in 2004. It is also the only famous scenic area in Henan Province having the titles of National 5A Grade Tourist Attraction, National Forest Park, National Geologic Park, National Water Conservancy Scenic Area and National Macaque Natural Reserve. If you plan to have China vacation deals in Henan, you should consider Yuntai Mountain and learn something about it.

Overview
Yuntai Mountain lies in the Xiuwu County and it features marvelous water landscape. The Yuntai Waterfall has a fall of 314 meters (1,030 feet) which is the greatest in China. July to September is the best time to visit the waterfall as it may be without water at other time. The Hongshi (Red Stone) Gorge is famous for its spectacular Danxia landscape and was praised to be the 'number one sight' of the province.
Covered with verdant virgin forest, Yuntai Mountain is famous for its imposing mountain and water sceneries. The picturesque peaks and high mountains extend as far as the eyes can see. The highest Cornel Peak has an elevation of 1,304 meters (4,278 feet). Myriad springs, waterfalls and pools abound. Yuntai Waterfall, 314 meters (1,030 feet) high, is the highest waterfall in China. Deep valleys and quiet gorges, unique stones and wild flowers form a beautiful landscape.

The sceneries of Yuntai Mountain change with the seasons. In spring, the mountain is decorated by wild flowers and green grasses. In summer, the luxuriant virgin forests and beautiful waterfalls make it an excellent resort. In autumn, leaves turn fiery red and the mountain looks like a colorful coat. Seen from a distance, Yuntai Waterfall is like a pillar connecting the sky and earth. In winter, snow turns the mountain into a white world of ice waterfall, ice pillar and evergreen plants covered with snow. This is a typical winter sight in northern China.
Yuntai Mountain has long been recognized as a popular tourist resort throughout history. The Han emperor Xiandi (the last emperor of the Han Dynasty) had left his summer resort and mausoleum based here. It was once the secluded place of 'the Bamboo Forest Seven Sages' during the Wei Dynasty (AD 220-265) and the Jin Dynasty (AD 265-420). In the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), Sun Simiao, the medicine king, often collected herbs and made traditional Chinese medicines here. The great poet of the Tang Dynasty, Wang Wei, wrote an immortal verse on Cornel Peak, 'one misses relatives the most during the holidays'. Many famous visitors in history left their stone inscriptions and steles here, enriching its cultural value which is a good choice for student tour to China.

Eleven Scenic Areas in Yuntai Mountain
Occupying an area of 190 square kilometers (46,950 acres), Yuntai Mountain has eleven scenic areas: Red Stone Gorge, Tanpu Gorge, Quanpu Gorge, Cornel Peak, Wanshan Temple, Baijia Cliff, Zifang Lake, Macaque Valley, Qinglong Gorge, Fenglin Gorge and Diecai Cave. Each has its own unique features and beauty.
Red Stone Gorge (Hongshi Gorge)
Red Stone Gorgeis a valley with steep cliffs of red rocks standing straight up on both sides. It is the geologic relic of a crustal movement that took place 1.4 billion years ago, and rare Danxia landform in northern China. This gorge gathers many springs, waterfalls, streams, pools and gullies, so it is named 'the corridor of superfine landscape' by garden experts. The south side of the gorge is so narrow that it is only one thread wide. Towering cliffs stand facing each other as a gate and torrents scour a gully down the cliffs. Here the White Dragon Waterfall is divided into three sections and drops in level of about 50 meters (164 feet). Myriad springs and waterfalls dash against cliffs, making numerous colorful beads in sunlight like a natural fresco. White stalactites that grow in the quartz sandstones become simple and elegant under the red cliffs. Two emersed red stones look as if two lovers are locked together in a long kiss. Nine dragon pools make a stream whose water is so limpid that many beautiful stones can be seen clearly.

Cornel Peak
Cornel Peak is the highest peak of Yuntai Mountain, which is about 1,308 meters (4,291 feet) above sea level. The great poet of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), Wang Wei, wrote a famous verse 'One misses the relatives the most in holidays' on Cornel Peak. Following ascent of thousands of steps of scaling ladder and plank road built along a cliff to this peak, visitors can see the Taihang Mountain in the north. Lofty mountains extends as far as eyes can see. Also the vast plain in the south, the crisscross fields which appear like a chessboard and the ribbon-like Yellow River can be seen. In a word, the scenery is magnificent from this peak, making people deeply feel the poetic imagery of this line 'seen from the skyscraping peak, other mountains appear to be dwarfed', a line written by Du Fu, the 'Poet Saint' of the Tang Dynasty.
Tanpu Gorge (Xiaozhai Valley)
Among the landscape gallery of Yuntai Mountain, Tanpu Gorge is nature's masterpiece. It is famous for 'a spring in three steps, a waterfall in five steps and a pool in ten steps'. The water scenery in this valley is imposing with mountains and unique rocks. Located in the north of Yuntai Mountain, the 1,270 meters (1,389 yards) long gorge travels from south to north. Sheer cliffs and steep mountains at both sides rise skyward in an elegant shape. The still waters in the pond run deep and the water there is as green as an emerald. It is said that people can become immortal by drinking its water. The lover waterfall falls at three different levels and in each level, two waterfalls blend into a pond as if two sweethearts whisper. A Y-shaped waterfall hangs between two mountains with a drop of more than 10 meters (32.8 feet). Here many deep pools are formed by the cascading waters. Moreover, there is a natural water-curtain cave with crystal beads hanging before the cave. In summer and autumn, bamboo rafting is held here. In the Xiaozhai Valley Square, tourists can see shadowboxing show for free.
Other Scenic Areas in Yuntai Mountain for your private China tour.
The Macaque ValleyQuanpu Gorge contains the largest cataract in the entire country, Yuntai Waterfall which has a drop of about 314 meters (1,030 feet). Seen from afar, the waterfall kisses the blue sky like a skyscraping pillar, producing deafening roars. The Wanshan Temple is situated at the foot of the Hades Nose Peak, which was originally built in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644). Baijia Cliff Scenic Area is an excellent place for climbing cliffs, where many historical relics are left. The Tianmen Waterfall and a temple pagoda rising on a cliff are two must-sees. The Macaque Valley is a natural reserve for wild macaques who have been trained to put on performances, such as dancing, pulling a cart and military practice. The Blue Dragon Gorge, named as 'the First Gorge in Central Plain', is a good ecological resort because of its thick forest, abundant water and pleasant climate. A vast expanse of misty, rolling waters spread all over the Fenglin Gorge. Diecai CaveElegant islands are scatted in the lake like stars in the sky. Diecai Cave) is a highway tunnel linking Henan and Shanxi Provinces. It runs through the Yuntai Mountain, 4,000 meters (2.5 miles) long. Zifang Lake appears like a large mirror reflecting the green mountains around, blue sky and white clouds.
Best time to visit
Yuntai Mountain possesses distinctive season as well as various scenic spots. In spring, when snow melt and all creatures revive, the stream flow gently and the place is decorated by wild blossoms make it an ideal place for both spring sightseeing and entertainment. In summer, the green and luxuriant original forest together with unique waterfall forms a perfect Yuntai. The grotesque and splendid mountain and picturesque scenery make it an ideal resort. You can also enjoy Yuntai waterfall, whose drop in level is 314m, here. Viewing from the distant, the waterfall is really splendid. It seems connecting sky with earth, like a skyscraping pillar, deafening and splendid. In autumn, all plants are dyed, the leaves are fiery red. You can enjoy the autumn scenery on the mountain top. In winter, the Yuntain Mountain decked with snow and ice looks charming and grandeur. You can experience the northern phenomena here needless to journey to the China Northeast.
The Scenery of Four Seasons
Spring:
Average temperature: 16℃
Accessible scenery: wild flowers
Summer:
Average temperature: 24℃
Accessible scenery: original forest
Notice: weather is changeable, be sure to take umbrella
Autumn:
Average temperature: 18℃
Accessible scenery: red leaves, the first waterfall of china--Yuntai Waterfall.
Winter:
Average temperature: 2℃
Accessible scenery: ice waterfall, ice pillar, ever-green plants decked with snow
Notice: watch the slippery area
The temperature of May and October is moderate good for visiting, but in this season the spots is crowed with visitors.
Location: Xiuwu County, 30 kilometres northeast of Jiaozuo City
Tel: 0391-7709001/7709062
Transportation: Take a tour bus at Jiaozuo tourist bus station or at the Xiuwu County bus station to Yuntai Mountain; Take bus No.3 at Jiaozuo to Fangzhuang, and then take a taxi to Yuntai Mountain. (Inside tour bus price: CNY60)
Opening Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Admission Fee: March - November CNY120; December - February CNY60
Tips:
1. Only one ticket is needed for all scenic areas in Yuntai Mountains. The ticket is valid for two days and has to be presented in each scenic area. Tourists can visit each area only once. The Inside Transportation Ticket is also valid for two days.
2. Situated in the scenic spots with an area of 5500 square metres, Yuntai Hotel (Tel: 0391-7709085) has 300 beds of different class and its service is really advanced. The room is equipped with TV, telephone, air conditioner, and there are car reparation terrace, parking lot, meeting room of different sizes, restaurant of high and middle class, dancing hall, hair dressing center, business center, bank etc. It is an ideal place for both business and entertainment purpose.
But it is not suitable for China business tours.

Guide to Yuntai Mountain

Yuntai Mountain is situated in Xiuwu County, about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Jiaozuo City, Henan Province. This mountain is among the first group from all over the world that received the title of World Geologic Park from UNESCO in 2004. It is also the only famous scenic area in Henan Province having the titles of National 5A Grade Tourist Attraction, National Forest Park, National Geologic Park, National Water Conservancy Scenic Area and National Macaque Natural Reserve. If you plan to have China vacation deals in Henan, you should consider Yuntai Mountain and learn something about it.

Overview
Yuntai Mountain lies in the Xiuwu County and it features marvelous water landscape. The Yuntai Waterfall has a fall of 314 meters (1,030 feet) which is the greatest in China. July to September is the best time to visit the waterfall as it may be without water at other time. The Hongshi (Red Stone) Gorge is famous for its spectacular Danxia landscape and was praised to be the 'number one sight' of the province.
Covered with verdant virgin forest, Yuntai Mountain is famous for its imposing mountain and water sceneries. The picturesque peaks and high mountains extend as far as the eyes can see. The highest Cornel Peak has an elevation of 1,304 meters (4,278 feet). Myriad springs, waterfalls and pools abound. Yuntai Waterfall, 314 meters (1,030 feet) high, is the highest waterfall in China. Deep valleys and quiet gorges, unique stones and wild flowers form a beautiful landscape.

The sceneries of Yuntai Mountain change with the seasons. In spring, the mountain is decorated by wild flowers and green grasses. In summer, the luxuriant virgin forests and beautiful waterfalls make it an excellent resort. In autumn, leaves turn fiery red and the mountain looks like a colorful coat. Seen from a distance, Yuntai Waterfall is like a pillar connecting the sky and earth. In winter, snow turns the mountain into a white world of ice waterfall, ice pillar and evergreen plants covered with snow. This is a typical winter sight in northern China.
Yuntai Mountain has long been recognized as a popular tourist resort throughout history. The Han emperor Xiandi (the last emperor of the Han Dynasty) had left his summer resort and mausoleum based here. It was once the secluded place of 'the Bamboo Forest Seven Sages' during the Wei Dynasty (AD 220-265) and the Jin Dynasty (AD 265-420). In the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), Sun Simiao, the medicine king, often collected herbs and made traditional Chinese medicines here. The great poet of the Tang Dynasty, Wang Wei, wrote an immortal verse on Cornel Peak, 'one misses relatives the most during the holidays'. Many famous visitors in history left their stone inscriptions and steles here, enriching its cultural value which is a good choice for student tour to China.

Eleven Scenic Areas in Yuntai Mountain
Occupying an area of 190 square kilometers (46,950 acres), Yuntai Mountain has eleven scenic areas: Red Stone Gorge, Tanpu Gorge, Quanpu Gorge, Cornel Peak, Wanshan Temple, Baijia Cliff, Zifang Lake, Macaque Valley, Qinglong Gorge, Fenglin Gorge and Diecai Cave. Each has its own unique features and beauty.
Red Stone Gorge (Hongshi Gorge)
Red Stone Gorgeis a valley with steep cliffs of red rocks standing straight up on both sides. It is the geologic relic of a crustal movement that took place 1.4 billion years ago, and rare Danxia landform in northern China. This gorge gathers many springs, waterfalls, streams, pools and gullies, so it is named 'the corridor of superfine landscape' by garden experts. The south side of the gorge is so narrow that it is only one thread wide. Towering cliffs stand facing each other as a gate and torrents scour a gully down the cliffs. Here the White Dragon Waterfall is divided into three sections and drops in level of about 50 meters (164 feet). Myriad springs and waterfalls dash against cliffs, making numerous colorful beads in sunlight like a natural fresco. White stalactites that grow in the quartz sandstones become simple and elegant under the red cliffs. Two emersed red stones look as if two lovers are locked together in a long kiss. Nine dragon pools make a stream whose water is so limpid that many beautiful stones can be seen clearly.

Cornel Peak
Cornel Peak is the highest peak of Yuntai Mountain, which is about 1,308 meters (4,291 feet) above sea level. The great poet of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), Wang Wei, wrote a famous verse 'One misses the relatives the most in holidays' on Cornel Peak. Following ascent of thousands of steps of scaling ladder and plank road built along a cliff to this peak, visitors can see the Taihang Mountain in the north. Lofty mountains extends as far as eyes can see. Also the vast plain in the south, the crisscross fields which appear like a chessboard and the ribbon-like Yellow River can be seen. In a word, the scenery is magnificent from this peak, making people deeply feel the poetic imagery of this line 'seen from the skyscraping peak, other mountains appear to be dwarfed', a line written by Du Fu, the 'Poet Saint' of the Tang Dynasty.
Tanpu Gorge (Xiaozhai Valley)
Among the landscape gallery of Yuntai Mountain, Tanpu Gorge is nature's masterpiece. It is famous for 'a spring in three steps, a waterfall in five steps and a pool in ten steps'. The water scenery in this valley is imposing with mountains and unique rocks. Located in the north of Yuntai Mountain, the 1,270 meters (1,389 yards) long gorge travels from south to north. Sheer cliffs and steep mountains at both sides rise skyward in an elegant shape. The still waters in the pond run deep and the water there is as green as an emerald. It is said that people can become immortal by drinking its water. The lover waterfall falls at three different levels and in each level, two waterfalls blend into a pond as if two sweethearts whisper. A Y-shaped waterfall hangs between two mountains with a drop of more than 10 meters (32.8 feet). Here many deep pools are formed by the cascading waters. Moreover, there is a natural water-curtain cave with crystal beads hanging before the cave. In summer and autumn, bamboo rafting is held here. In the Xiaozhai Valley Square, tourists can see shadowboxing show for free.
Other Scenic Areas in Yuntai Mountain for your private China tour.
The Macaque ValleyQuanpu Gorge contains the largest cataract in the entire country, Yuntai Waterfall which has a drop of about 314 meters (1,030 feet). Seen from afar, the waterfall kisses the blue sky like a skyscraping pillar, producing deafening roars. The Wanshan Temple is situated at the foot of the Hades Nose Peak, which was originally built in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644). Baijia Cliff Scenic Area is an excellent place for climbing cliffs, where many historical relics are left. The Tianmen Waterfall and a temple pagoda rising on a cliff are two must-sees. The Macaque Valley is a natural reserve for wild macaques who have been trained to put on performances, such as dancing, pulling a cart and military practice. The Blue Dragon Gorge, named as 'the First Gorge in Central Plain', is a good ecological resort because of its thick forest, abundant water and pleasant climate. A vast expanse of misty, rolling waters spread all over the Fenglin Gorge. Diecai CaveElegant islands are scatted in the lake like stars in the sky. Diecai Cave) is a highway tunnel linking Henan and Shanxi Provinces. It runs through the Yuntai Mountain, 4,000 meters (2.5 miles) long. Zifang Lake appears like a large mirror reflecting the green mountains around, blue sky and white clouds.
Best time to visit
Yuntai Mountain possesses distinctive season as well as various scenic spots. In spring, when snow melt and all creatures revive, the stream flow gently and the place is decorated by wild blossoms make it an ideal place for both spring sightseeing and entertainment. In summer, the green and luxuriant original forest together with unique waterfall forms a perfect Yuntai. The grotesque and splendid mountain and picturesque scenery make it an ideal resort. You can also enjoy Yuntai waterfall, whose drop in level is 314m, here. Viewing from the distant, the waterfall is really splendid. It seems connecting sky with earth, like a skyscraping pillar, deafening and splendid. In autumn, all plants are dyed, the leaves are fiery red. You can enjoy the autumn scenery on the mountain top. In winter, the Yuntain Mountain decked with snow and ice looks charming and grandeur. You can experience the northern phenomena here needless to journey to the China Northeast.
The Scenery of Four Seasons
Spring:
Average temperature: 16℃
Accessible scenery: wild flowers
Summer:
Average temperature: 24℃
Accessible scenery: original forest
Notice: weather is changeable, be sure to take umbrella
Autumn:
Average temperature: 18℃
Accessible scenery: red leaves, the first waterfall of china--Yuntai Waterfall.
Winter:
Average temperature: 2℃
Accessible scenery: ice waterfall, ice pillar, ever-green plants decked with snow
Notice: watch the slippery area
The temperature of May and October is moderate good for visiting, but in this season the spots is crowed with visitors.
Location: Xiuwu County, 30 kilometres northeast of Jiaozuo City
Tel: 0391-7709001/7709062
Transportation: Take a tour bus at Jiaozuo tourist bus station or at the Xiuwu County bus station to Yuntai Mountain; Take bus No.3 at Jiaozuo to Fangzhuang, and then take a taxi to Yuntai Mountain. (Inside tour bus price: CNY60)
Opening Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Admission Fee: March - November CNY120; December - February CNY60
Tips:
1. Only one ticket is needed for all scenic areas in Yuntai Mountains. The ticket is valid for two days and has to be presented in each scenic area. Tourists can visit each area only once. The Inside Transportation Ticket is also valid for two days.
2. Situated in the scenic spots with an area of 5500 square metres, Yuntai Hotel (Tel: 0391-7709085) has 300 beds of different class and its service is really advanced. The room is equipped with TV, telephone, air conditioner, and there are car reparation terrace, parking lot, meeting room of different sizes, restaurant of high and middle class, dancing hall, hair dressing center, business center, bank etc. It is an ideal place for both business and entertainment purpose.
But it is not suitable for China business tours.

Bama - 'Long Life Village' in Guangxi

Embraced by the continuous karst limestone mountains, Bama is located in Hechi prefecture in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Bama is said to have the secret to long life, a place where residents work the fields until the age of 100. So many tourists are attracted to have China tours.
Walking along the bank of the Panyang River which flows through the Bama County, at the entrance of Pingan village, groups of tourists can be found at the 109-year-old Huangma Songmou's home.

"I'm 109 years old. When I was young, I usually did a lot of works in the fields. But now I just do some easy housework everyday because too much work will make me feel a little bit dizzy. If the house is dirty I sweep it. But I have to do the cleaning secretly; otherwise, my son will get angry."
One of the reasons for her longevity may be the fact that she spends most of her day sitting in a chair or sleeping. But her vitality is clearly visible.
Her life has been so full that she can't even remember how many family members she has.
"I have many, but I can't remember how many because even my grandsons have many sons."
Living with Huangma Songmou, her 74 year-old son, Huang Songmou, runs a restaurant for tourists, where he often regales them with stories of his mother's earlier life.
"In my mother's nineties, she could still work in the fields and do housework like feeding the pigs, cooking rice and picking crops. But now we can not allow her to do these things any longer, she needs rest."

Huang says that experts came to Pingan village decades ago to praise their longevity, claiming that this is because of high-intensity magnetic fields, fresh air and the good water.
In Bama, villagers prepare coffins when their seniors reach 60. Huang cleared his storage room to find the one he prepared for his mother.
"This is the third one because the other two coffins rotted. And in Pingan, some villagers wait to perform this tradition until their elders are 70 or 80."
As Bama's longevity has been popularized through the internet and TV, it has become a hot new spot for China's senior citizens in search of a quiet place to retire.
After 3 months in Bama last year, the 66 years-old visitor Zhu Baodi from Baoji, Shannxi province, claims that Bama's cured her chronic disease.
"With 3 months of relaxation in Bama last year, I felt good and came here again. There is fresh air and good water, and the villagers are also very nice. Migrant old people like to gather in front of Baimo Cave to breathe in the fresh air. I eat special vegetables produced only here in Bama, like steamed pumpkin seeds and huoma soup."
What is the key to Bama's longevity? Huang Fuji, a 73-year-old former local primary school head has his own opinion.
"In the year 2000, the fifth national census gave statistics that we had 515 villagers in 90 households here, and 7 villagers were over 100. These villagers all worked in the fields with the adults since they were children. They had bare feet when they climbed mountains and went through caves and forests, which helped them keep better contact with the earth. After a day's work in the fields, they usually jumped into the river to swim and catch fish. When not busy, they would gather in the trees to tell stories and sing songs. They were really happy."
Besides the element of the hard work, Huang adds that an optimistic attitude and a diet with no sugar, cigarettes or wine is necessary for longevity.
Huang mentions that over 1,000 visitors come there every day, and he was worries that so many visitors will interrupt their rest.
The villagers of Pingan share this sentiment, but being a tourist trap has increased their income. If they want to have better development, some bad effects like slight pollution and interruption of their peaceful life is still acceptable.
If you want to know more about this county, you can take part in AFFORDABLE China travel packages to learn more.

The Mountain Resort - Chengde

The Mountain Resort, located in the city of Chengde in northeastern Hebei province, is China’s largest imperial garden. Twice the size of Beijing’s Summer Palace, construction spanned nearly ninety years, beginning under Emperor Kangxi in 1703 and lasting through the greater part of Emperor Qianlong’s reign. The Mountain Resort often saw use as a de facto second capital as Kangxi set a precedent followed by Qianlong and a succession of other Qing emperors of spending much of the year at the garden. It used to be a summer resort and hunting ground for emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). They also used the palace to organize martial art competitions and receive the elite of ethnic minority groups from around China. In 1994, the Mountain Resort became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After that, it attracts more tourists for China tours.

History
In early September 1703 when Emperor Kangxi finished his tour in North China and his hunting in the imperial preserves, he passed by Wulie River on his way home. Seeing the towering Qingchui Peak in a delightful contrast with its surroundings, the emperor ordered to dig lakes, build dikes and gardens in this auspicious spot, where the summer was cool and winter was warm and there was a hot spring for bath. Thus appeared the Hot River Palaces and imperial gardens that condensed all beautiful scenic spots in north and south of China. This place is called the Mountain Resort.
Scenic Spots
The Mountain Resort, situates at present Chengde, Hebei Province, covers an area of 564 square meters, almost half of Chengde's urban area. It is enclosed by a wall 10,400 meters long. There are more than 100 buildings within the resort, which is divided into two sections: palace zone and garden zone. The Rehe, the shortest river in the world, only 14.7 kilometers long, runs through the resort. The gardens are superbly designed to take in the very best of various styled gardens. The Mountain Resort has the palaces in its south and the gardens in the north. The palaces were for emperors to handle political affairs and to dwell; the gardens had lakes, hills and grassland. The buildings in the Resort with little ornaments were constructed in grey bricks and tiles and unpainted wood. The simple style emitted the charm of wild nature.

The main palaces in Mountain Resort had nine courtyards of different sizes, with the offices in the front and dwelling quarters at the back, which had been an established institution for imperial constructions. The main hall, the Hall of Simplicity and Piety, was later refurbished with unpainted nanmu, hence the by-name Nanmu Hall. In wet days the hall gives out a faint smell of the wood nanmu.
The Mountain Resort has eight large and small artificial lakes. Emperor Kangxi commented the Resort as "having the mountains as the bone and water as the heart". Emperor Qianlong's remark "Though it is named Mountain Resort, its beauty is in water" highlighted the feature of the resort. Because Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong many times toured in South China and they appreciated the beautiful gardens there, many scenic spots after famous gardens throughout the country were built around the lakes in the Resort. The Gold Hill Temple in Zhenjiang, the Tower of Mist and Rain at the South Lake in Jiaxing and likes were "moved" by the emperors into the resort. Those interesting buildings, however, were not exact copies. The above-mentioned attractions are always for popular China tours.

North to the lakes in the Resort was a stretch of forest and grassland. It is said many elks, cranes and tribute horses from different places were kept there. Emperor Qianlong named this place "Garden of Ten Thousand Trees". In the north of this place there were once 28 yurts, in which important political activities took place. When Emperor Qianlong was in reign, he received chieftains of the Dorbot and Torgut Mongolian tribes and treated them with banquets there. It was also in one of these yurts that the British envoy George Macartney submitted a credential.
Outside the palace walls, to the north and west, a total of 11 temples were built. Many of them were built in Tibetan style. Divided into eight groups, they became known as the Eight Outer Temples. The main gates of these buildings pointed towards the palace, symbolizing the unity of China's various ethnic groups under the central rule of the Qing emperors. The tiered temples are built on the hill slopes facing south, and their main halls, standing in great prominence, are magnificent and spectacular. The Puning Temple was patterned after the Samye Monastery in Tibet, which was designed in accordance with the Buddhist view of the world. In the center of the Puning Temple is the Dacheng Pavilion, symbolizing Mount Sumeru, the center of the world. The halls on the four sides of the Dacheng Pavilion symbolize the Four Great Continents. The Anyuan Temple was patterned after the Ili Temple in Xinjiang; the Putuo Zongcheng Temple, after the Potala Palace (Tibet travel); and the Xumi Fushou Temple, after the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet. These buildings testify to the cultural exchanges between various ethnic groups in China.
Snacks
After Qing Dynasty government establishment summer vacation mountain village in Chende, each place and the palace imperial meals cooking technique flows in Chende one after another, promoted the Chende diet culture prosperity and development. Adds Chende to be rich in the mountain treasure game, thus causes Chende place food to be characteristic. The Chengde characteristic flavor snack includes: shao mai, crisp cakes biscuits, eight-treasure rice pudding, nansha cake, fried cake box, Youmian, etc.
Transportation:
Take NO.5, NO.7, NO.11 or NO.15 bus at Chengde Railway Station / Take NO.5 or NO.8 bus at Chengde Bus Station, you can reach The Mountain Resort.
Tel: 0314-2029771
Ticket:
RMB 90 in high season / RMB 60 in low season (* Time of high season: April 15 ~ October 15)
Opening hours: 8:00-17:30
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But the resort are not right for a China business travel.

The Specific Well in Xinjiang - Karez Well

Karez Well is an unique underground water system invented and built by the ancient farmers of various ethnic minorities of Turpan, which aiming to adapt to the basin natural environment, solar radiation and the atmosphere in the dry region. This irrigation system of wells connected by underground channels is considered to be one of the three great ancient projects in China. It is a must-see for Silk Road adventure.
Brief Introduction

Karez Well is a kind of underground water works invented and built by laboring people of various ethnic groups in our country to adapt to the natural environment in dry region. In Xinjiang, Karez Wells are mainly in Hami, Turpan and Mori, but they are most in Turpan Basin, where there are altogether 1100-odd Karez wells and have the total length of over 5000 km. Some people hold the view that Karez Wells of Xinjiang, the Great Wall and Canal constitute three Ancient Chinese Works.
Natural Geographical Conditions
Why Karez Wells were built in great number in Turpan Basin can be attributed to the local natural geographical conditions. To the north of Turpan Basin is Bogda Mountai. In summer, large amounts of snow-broth and rainwater flow into Turpan Basin and infiltrate into the ground, and constitute underground current, thus making an adequate water source under ground for Karez Wells. Earth in Turpan Basin is solid and good for building well and underground channel. In Turpan it is very dry and hot in summer, and land here has a high evaporation rate. In wind season, the strong wind here can blow sands into every corner here. After wind, a lot of farmland and water channels are buried by sands. But Karez Wells can supply waters through underground channels and is independent of the effect of season and wind and sand. In addition, Karez Wells have a very low evaporation rate and a stable supply of water, and can irrigate farmland all the year round.

Structure
The word “Karez” means well. Karez Well is composed of four parts: vertical hole, underground channel, aboveground channel and water storage dam. It is built this way: first, to find water source in a place where there is underground water current, second, dig out vertical wells with certain distance in between, then, to build underground channel connecting these wells and thus water will flow through the underground channel. The outlet of underground channel is connected to the aboveground channel and thus underground water can flow out and irrigate farmland through the aboveground channel. Karez Well is also right for educational China tours.
History
Historical documents show that the sinking method of the Karez wells inside Xinjiang including the Western Region was introduced by the Han people. The majority of the ethnic minorities of the northwest borderland hadn't mastered the sinking technology by that time. It was Lin Zexu that stood out among all the people who advocated and promoted the Karez wells as the most powerful and influential one in modern times. Ever since then the Karez wells have been part of the irrigation works.

Value
As an ancient irrigation system, the Karez well system has ever played a very important role in the daily life and in the production of the people in Turfan area. Though there is highly advanced electromechanical irrigation system, the function and position of the Karez system can not be superseded completely. On May 25, 1993, the 3rd Session of the 4th Standing Committee of Turfan Municipal People's Congress proved Provisions on the Administration of Turfan Karez Wells. It can be seen that its authenticity and integrity can be well preserved in the future.
Admission Fee: CNY210
Opening Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm
Karez Well is also one must to see for China travel deals.

How to Book a Good Hotel Room?

When you plan to have a China travel, you may choose China tour packages or travel independently. If travel alone, what you should do first is to book hotel.
What’s important to you in a hotel room? What’s the one thing you can’t do without? For some it might be a bar fridge, for others a good smooshie pillow and comfy bed. And definitely not being able to hear guests in the next room.
Given you’re probably not going to spend your entire holiday in your room you may not want 5-star luxe but as a temporary “home-away-from-home” , it should be a comfortable and relaxing space where you can rest and recharge.

for my money I want a fair price, good security and cleanliness, comfortable beds and pillows, working plumbing (as well as good water pressure) and somewhere to store clothes.
Beyond that, there are some extras that I also try to scout out when booking a room for my China travel. Chances are they won’t all be on offer (especially in budget digs), so getting a number of the below can be a great bonus:
*Free Wi-Fi with broadband speed to check emails, Skype home and do trip planning from the comfort of your room.
*Included breakfasts are a great way to fuel your body for the morning and will generally take you through to lunch.
*Free toiletries – there’s nothing worse than needing to cart around bottles of shampoo and conditioner in your bag. This is also especially the case with all the rules around what you can and can’t carry through airport security checks.
*A small bar fridge in your room that you can store snacks or non-perishables in.
*A good hairdryer saves you needing to lug around one from home.
*Complimentary water – this is important if you’re staying in countries that don’t have drinkable tap water.
*Plenty of electrical outlets so you can recharge more than one device at a time.
*Friendly staff – having a bad experience at the front desk can really put a downer on your stay at a hotel. A smile and positive can-do attitude go a long way towards making you feel welcome.
I recommend writing out a list of your “must-haves” when you’re scoping out hotel rooms for your trip. That way it’ll be easier to find something that suits your personal preferences and travelling style. It’s also good to check out TripAdvisor to see what kind of feedback is being left by previous guests.
If you want to know more information about hotels in China, you can contact with China tour operator.

What is Togae in China

Togae is the garment worn by officials on official occasions in ancient China. They have strict specifications and can be distinguished from designs, colors and patterns. You can see them in many museums if you have a China tour.
Togae was a crucial part of ritual system in ancient China. Grande toilette appeared in the Shang-Zhou Period in China, and adornments and special patterns on emperor's grande toilette were prescribed in patriarchal clan and ritual system in the Western Zhou Dynasty. It was also prescribed in this system that officials of different ranks shall wear costumes of different types at various rites. Since the Ming Dynasty, dragon patterns were exclusively used in emperor's costume.

Pattern signs of an animal named "Buzi" were designed in costumes for officials of various ranks in the Ming Dynasty. Such signs were broidered on pieces of square satin which were used to decorate the front and rear part of official's attires. Patterns of red-crowned crane, golden pheasant, peacock and birds were applied to civil official's attires, while those of savage beasts including kylin, lion and leopard were adopted in military official's attires. In the Qing Dynasty, officials began to wear a kind of cap which was decorated with a cap button on the top and hung with a tail feather. Being made of gem, coral, gold, silver and other materials, cap button and tail feather served as an important sign of different ranks and titles of officials. In the late Qing Dynasty, more stringent rank classification was reflected in togaes. It was prescribed that all togaes shall be elaborately made by organs authorized by the imperial family, allowing no alterations in designs. Moreover, togaes shall be worn in strict conformity with ranks of officials, and unauthorized alteration of togaes was regarded as a felony.
Togaes are scarcely seen in modern times except in costume pieces and dramas where their gaudiness is fully presented. Presently, they are more commonly regarded as fine works of ancient raiment and important cultural relics which help to research the history of raiment.
If you witness the togae in China's museums, your tour guide will tell you something for your educational China tour.

Delicious Local Cuisines and Snacks in Xiamen

If you travel to China, tasting the local snacks and cuisine should be indispensable. The following show you the local cuisines and snacks in Xiamen.
Tusundong

Tusundong is a jelly made of marine products. Tu Sun can be made into jelly because they have gelatins. It is annelid with a scientific name of Sipuncula. With a length of two or three inches, it has bowels and a heart organ. After being boiled, the gelatins it contains will dissolve into water. Then it will become gelatinous after being cooled. Now it has been one of the key cold dishes in large and small banquets.
Oily Scallion Cakes
On middle autumn's day, local people has the old custom of sacrificing salty cakes to ancestors. It is said that when a family steamed this sacrifice, the child lifted the cover of bamboo steamer and saw a half-ripe salty cake. Thinking it tasteless, he poured a bowl of meat into the cake conveniently. When the parents discovered, the cake had ripened but tasted good. Therefore, people rushed to copy it and salty scallion cake became oily scallion cake through the development.
Fried Oysters

Prepare some fresh crabmeat, cut Chinese chives into half an inch long, add some sweet potato powder, and mix them properly. Fry it with a frying pan. When the food is almost done, add some eggs. This snack is fragrant soft and very delicious.
Mianxian Hu

Prepare soup with shrimps, oysters, razor clams and other seafood, add thread-like noodles to the soup, and boil the mixture until it becomes gruel.
Spicy Fried Rolls
Wrap dried tofu sheet around a mixture of cubed pork, fish meat, onions, water chestnuts, soy sauce, five spices, and sweet potato starch. Deep fry, cut in slices, serve.
Spring Rolls

Much like a "Minnan burrito", they use spring roll wrappers instead of tortillas, and a filling of: shredded carrots and bamboo shoots, green peas, shredded meats and shrimp, tofu, and anything else that strikes your fancy or wanders in off the street. Cook filling well, add salt and soy sauce, wrap in the spring roll wrappers, serve with mustard, chili sauce, plum sauce, scrambled eggs, leeks, and Chinese parsley.
Stir- Fried Rice Noodles

Deep fry rice noodles until golden, then rinse in boiled water to remove grease. Stir-fry shredded pork, fish, mushrooms and bamboo shoots in peanut oil and add chicken bouillon, Shaoxing wine, and salt. Add the noodles and serve hot.
Zongzi
Pyramid-shaped dumplings of glutinous rice and other stuff wrapped in bamboo leaves. Originally served on the Dragon Boat Festival, but now year round. Make your own by stir frying glutinous rice, pork, chestnuts, mushrooms and shrimp (or some use red beans), and wrap them with bamboo leaves into a pyramid shape, and tie them, then braise them in a soup until well done. It can also be eaten some other places in China, especially during Dragon Festival. But if you have a Shangri-La tour in Zhongdian, you may not have chance to eat it.
Fish Ball

Shenhu fish balls are a famous traditional snack in south Fujian, in the shape of a ball or fish. Bright and snow white, such balls are soft, refined and delicious.
Peanut Soup
Unsurprisingly, the main ingredient for this snack is peanuts - which have to be peeled, soaked, and stewed. This has to occur before any sugar is added. The peanuts in the sweetened broth then have to be simmered until they are completely soft. Seasoned peanut soup drinkers never drink their soup without adding one or all of the following as a side dish: deep fried dough sticks, fried doughnuts, vegetable pastries, meat buns, sweet buns, or fried glutinous rice.
Peanut Crisp

Peanut CrispAs a well-known Chinese style cookie of Xiamen, it uses peanut kernels and granulated sugar as major raw materials. To make it, firstly stir-fry and de-coat the peanut kernels, mix with sugar and boil them, then ground them into crisp, roll and pull them in shape, and slice them to small pieces. To serve it, carefully open the wrapping paper, and slightly put the crisp in the mouth; it melts quickly with agreeable sweetness and the aroma lingering in the mouth.
Stuffed Biscuits

There are two kinds of Xiamen pies. Sweet pies take pea gravel as the filling. They are added with pork oil and white sugar and then dried by the fire. Salty pies have meat cubes as the filling and are also made with pork oil and white sugar. They are characterized by crisp husk and fine fillings. There is a vegetarian pie in Nanputuo Temple (nán pǔ tuó sì 南普陀寺), whose fillings are not only pea and white sugar, but also xanthic flowers and agaric.
If you want to know more about snacks and cuisines in Xiamen, you can contact with China tour operator.

The Guide of Splendid Yongding Tulou

If you have a China travel in Fujian, Yongding Tulou should not be missed.
Tulou (Tǔlóu 土楼) is a type of Chinese rural dwellings of the Hakka (Kèjiā 客家) and Minnan(Mǐnnán 闽南)people in the mountainous areas in southeastern Fujian, China. They were mostly built between the 12th and the 20th centuries. The buildings were divided vertically between families with each disposing of two or three rooms on each floor. In contrast with their plain exterior, the inside of the Tulou were built for comfort and were often highly decorated.Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guangdong provinces border are the main distribution areas of Tulou.

Yongding (Yǒngdìng 永定) is a rural area of rolling farmlands and hills in southwestern Fujian. Heartland of the Hakka people, it’s renowned for its remarkable Tulou , large, circular edifices resembling fortresses that are scattered throughout the surrounding countryside. Today there are 20, 000 of these buildings still in existence, many still inhabited and open to visitors.
Tulou configuration
Smaller interior buildings are often enclosed by these huge peripheral walls which can contain halls, storehouses, wells and living areas, the whole structure resembling a small fortified city. The fortified outer structures are formed by compacting earth, mixed with stone, bamboo, wood and other readily available materials, to form walls up to 6 feet (1.8 m) thick. Branches, strips of wood and bamboo chips are often laid in the wall as additional reinforcement. The result is a well-lit, well-ventilated, windproof and earthquake-proof building that is warm in winter and cool in summer. Tulou usually have only one main gate, guarded by 4–5-inch-thick (100–130 mm) wooden doors reinforced with an outer shell of iron plate. The top level of these earth buildings has gun holes for defensive purposes.A total of 46 Fujian Tulou sites, including Chuxi tulou cluster, Tianluokeng tulou cluster, Hekeng tulou cluster, Gaobei tulou cluster, Dadi tulou cluster, Hongkeng tulou cluster, Yangxian lou, Huiyuan lou, Zhengfu lou and Hegui lou, have been inscribed in 2008 by UNESCO as World Heritage Site, as "exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization harmonious relationship with their environment". These tulou clusters are very magnificent and must-sees for your educational China tours in Fujian.

Tulou History
Archaeological research has revealed that there have been communal houses built of rammed earth in China, Central Asia, and East Asia since the Neolithic period (6,000 years ago). Tulou is a property of 46 buildings constructed between the 15th and 20th centuries over 120 km in south-west of Fujian province, inland from the Taiwan Strait. Set amongst rice, tea and tobacco fields the Tulou are earthen houses. The Fujian tulou seem first to have appeared in the Song and Yuan Dynasties (11th-13th centuries) and developed from the 14th and 16th centuries (Early and Middle Ming Dynasty), reaching their peak between the 17th century and the first half of the 20th century (the Late Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Republic of China period). The building which is full of historic charm certainly be called this earth's treasures.

Tulou is usually looks a very large, enclosed and fortified earth building, most always rectangular or circular in configuration, with very thick load-bearing rammed earth walls between three and five stories high and housing up to more than 100 families. Including Zhangzhou City, Southern Min, Minnan and Hakka, half of Longyan City have the typical Tulou. Fujian earth is unique in the world large-scale residential form, known as the gem of Chinese traditional houses.
Tulou Functions
Several storeys high, they are built along an inward-looking, circular or square floor plan as housing for up to 900 people each. They were built for defence purposes around a central open courtyard with only one entrance and windows to the outside only above the first floor. Housing a whole clan, the houses functioned as village units and were known as “a little kingdom for the family” or “bustling small city.”They feature tall fortified mud walls capped by tiled roofs with wide over-hanging eaves. The most elaborate structures date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. They are inscribed as exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization, and, in terms of their harmonious relationship with their environment, an outstanding example of human settlement.

Travel Tips
Location:Yongding Country,Fujian Province,China.
Bus Fee:CNY50.
Adimission Fee:CNY100-200.
Tulou will help you learn more about local ancient history and customs. But it is not a place for China business tours.

Hong Village - A Village like a Chinese Painting

Hong Village (hóng cūn 宏村) is located on the southwest of the foot of Huangshan Mountain which is one of destination of Yangtze River tour, 11 miles from Yi County in Anhui Province. The name of the village which is a bull-shaped antique one belonging to the Land of Peach Blossom of old Yi County symbolizes expansion and prosperity. It has a long history of more than 900 years featuring green hills and limpid river. Therefore, people always call it “A Village In Chinese Painting.
Overview

With the boundless mountain and crystal like water harmoniously matching each other, the ancestors of the village made the greatest bull-shaped artificial water system in China. The crescent-moon-shaped pool beside the mouth of a spring is cattle’s stomach. Chinese people are used to thinking that flowers are doomed to wither and full moon is doomed to wane which is not a favorable scene, hence the shape of the pool. The South Lake is its tripe. The winding river is cattle’s intestine. The residences on the two sides of the river are the body. The Thunder Mound is cattle’s head and the two antique trees are its horns. Last, the four bridges over the river represent the four legs of a cattle. As is unique, it is one of the World Historic and Cultural Heritage. Since the village is located on the hills where the cloud is sometimes splashing while sometimes transparent, the village is just looks like a Chinese painting characterized by rich culture and beautiful scenery. The main buildings in the village are residences and private gardens while the remains are private schools, ancestral halls and public facilities. Nearly all of the architectures are decorated by various delicate carvings. What’s more, it has always been appealing to the visitors all over the world including many film directors. Many well known swordsmen films such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ” and “Beggar, Su Qier” and TV plays are just shot there. In Anhui Province, Hong Village is a must-see for your private China tour.

Transportation: take shuttle at the south gate of Huangshan Mountain at 9:40 or 3:40 to Yi County and then take a bus which will cost CNY 2/person and 15 minutes to the village.
Admission Fee: CNY 104; CNY 52 for students
Attractions Inside:
Zilu Temple
Zilu TempleZilu Temple is located in a corner of Zi Ridge , 3 miles from the southwest of Hong Village. Built in AD 843, it has been always attracting by a great number of visitors and pilgrims. It is said that, it is also the sample of another more famous temple in China named Lingyin Temple where Ji Gong, the mad monk, used to live. The left mountain of the temple is like a dragon while the right one is like a white tiger. In front of the temple there are 6 hills all together, 2 of which are just like two lying Buddas. Characterized by spacious area and magnificent scenery, this temple is really an ideal place for those pilgrims.
South Lake
South LakeSouth Lake is located at the southern end of the village. It was a bow-shaped lake dug on the basis of West Lake in Hangzhou which make great contribution to China tourism . On the secondary lake bank, an antique tree is sticking highly in the sky with its deep green leaves keeping out the sun. The willows are dropping their oisers down on the lake like a beautiful girl brushing her hair. All in all, the water is a white stretch, joining the sky at the horizon.
Jingde Hall
Jingde HallJingde Hall is a quite simple native house in the village which is still in good condition. It is located at the lower reaches of the river. It is a H-type residence. In China, especially in Anhui Province, the gate of a house is the most important thing in the house. It is said that people would spend a lot of money on decorating the gate while a little on building a house. The gate of Jingde Hall is so exquisite and meaningful, for example, the carvings of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemum symbolize indomitable will and sacred quality.

Shuren Hall
Shuren Hall used to be a private residence of an officer in Qing Dynasty. Today, it is a private Folk Art Collection. In order to carry forward the fine tradition of Huizhou Culture, the owner has collected many old machines from antique mills, stone utensils, Huizhou Wood Blocks, traditional Chinese stationeries and pedigrees of clans in Hong County. The hexagon architecture is for the purpose of a promising future. In the attic on the hall, there is an out of date line map of businessmen of the village.
Peach Residence
Peach Residence, built in 1860, is celebrated for the rare kind of peach trees in the garden. Although the residence is not a large one, the tile carvings and wood carvings are so fine. The carvings on the arc over the gateway and in the room is so delicate and complex each with its own symbolic meaning. The four decorative patterns are “Tattoos on the Back of Yue Fei”, “Wang Xiang Requiring Carp”, “Ji Zi Hanging A Sword” and “Kong Rong Giving The Biggest Pear to Others” which mean honest, piety, faithfulness and righteousness respectively.
Antique Trees
Antique Trees at The Gate of Hong VillageAt the gate of the village there are two antique trees of more than 500 years. One is pterocarya tree which is called red maple tree locally, the other is maidenhair tree called white fruit tree. Pterocarya tree is 19 meters high. Its diameter is about 2 meters. The top of the tree is like an enormous umbrella covering most of the village. On its north lies the maidenhair tree which is 20 meters high, like a sword sticking highly into the sky. As an antique and rare species, the maidenhair tree is regarded as the gem of the village. This village has a very strange custom that the bridal sedan chair circles around the pterocarya tree for greet fortune and the coffin with an old died senior in circles around the white fruit tree for his healthy children and grandchildren.
If you want to know more info about Hong Village, you can contact with China travel agency.