Top 8 February destinations in China I

If you plan to travel to China in Febbruary, you should read the following.
Top 1: Taipei, Taiwan
Located in the northern part of Taiwan Island in a basin between the Yangming Mountains and the Central Mountains, Taipei is the political, economic, and cultural center of Taiwan. Considered an international city, Taipei is connected with all parts of the island through regular and high speed railways, highways, airlines and convenient bus lines. Covering an area of 271.8 square kilometers, Taipei is a wonderful place for tourists. Travelers can enjoy beautiful natural scenery in Yangmingshan National Park and Taipei New Park; have fun in Taipei Zoo and Taipei World Financial Center; visit Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and Taipei Palace Museum, and go shopping at Xinyi Store, Taipei 101 Mall and the Ximending area.

Travel tips:
Admission:
Yangmingshan National Park: free
Taipei New Park (228 Peace Memorial Park): free
Taipei Zoo: 13 yuan
Taipei World Financial Center (Taipei 101): 85 yuan
Taipei Palace Museum: 34 yuan
Top 2: Jiuzhai Valley, Sichuan
Jiuzhai Valley, situated on the northwestern Sichuan Plateau, is in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Renowned as a nature's magical fairyland, the valley enchants tourists with mountains, forests, lakes, waterfalls and teeming wildlife and always contained in private China tours. Lakes around the valley vary in color according to their depths and angles, striking a lively contrast with the blue sky and snow-wrapped peaks. When winter comes, the mountains and trees are covered with snow. The colorful water contrasts against snow-white surroundings, making the area looks even more amazing.

Travel tips:
Admission: 220 yuan (April 1 to Nov. 15); 80 yuan (Nov. 16 to March 30)
Directions: Take travel bus from Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport or from Chengdu Xinnanmen Bus Station.
Top 3: Xitang Ancient Town, Zhejiang
Xitang Ancient Town, north of Zhejiang Province, is about 90 kilometers away from Shanghai and 110 kilometers from Hangzhou. Known as one of the six most popular ancient towns in Southeast China, the town features gentle weather, floating rills, ancient bridges and tranquil and slow-paced lifestyle. With a history of over 1,500 years, it currently has more than 10,000 local residents who go through their everyday routines just as their ancestors did thousands years ago. The town is at its best when nights fall and as mornings arrive. At those moments, strolling along the quiet ancient streets or rowing a boat down the waterway will make your heart calm down.

Travel tips:
Admission: 100 yuan
Opening hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Directions: Take travel bus from Jiashan.
Top 4: Shika Snow Mountain, Yunnan
Shika Snow Mountain Scenic Area, southwest of Jiantang Town, locates about 7 kilometers from Shangri-La County in northern Yunnan Province. Covering about 65 square kilometers, the area connects Napa Lake Nature Reserve in the north, Qianhu Mountain Scenic Area in the south, Songzanlin Temple in the east, and Jinsha River in the west. Riding in the cable car toward the peak altitude of 4,449 meters, travelers can have a birds-eye view of the whole Shangri-La and look over the Yulong and Meili snow mountains when stand on the top of the mountain. After the climb, visitors could take a bath at Tianshang Bridge Hotspring, which will surely provide you with a wonderful and relaxing experience. It should not be missed for your Shangri-la tours.

Travel tips:
Admission: 160 yuan for adults; 80 yuan for kids
Opening hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Directions: Take travel bus from Diqing or Shangri-La County.

A Cure Method - Acupuncture in China

Acupuncture become world famous since 1970s when Nixon visited China and acupuncture cure his sick. Now if tourists visit China, some of them choose to visit musuem or Chinese medicine hospitals in China.
Acupuncture is an important part of Chinese medicine. It was initially invented as a medical treatment technique and gradually became a science.
The treatment of acupuncture, actually made up of acupuncture and moxibustion, is a unique Chinese therapy. It is a kind of treatment that cures inner diseases from outside, and is used to treat various illnesses based on the theories of channels (of the body) and vital points with applications of specific techniques.

Based on the diagnosis and therapy of traditional Chinese medicine, the doctor can find out the pathogeny of illnesses, distinguish the features of diseases, determine which channel and viscera the pathological change belongs to, and identify which type the illness belongs to (inner or outer; cold or heat; insufficiency or excessiveness), and finally make the diagnosis. Then, the doctor can prescribe the corresponding acupuncture to prevent and cure the diseases by dredging channels, regulating vigor and sap, balancing Yin and Yang, and harmonizing the functions of the viscera.
The acupuncture pathology was first described in the Yellow Emperor's Internal Canon of Medicine 2,000 years ago. It has prevailed in China and spread to other countries all over the world since then.
Ⅰ. History
Acupuncture treatment can be traced back to the Stone Age, when stone knives and other sharp-edged tools were invented to meet the needs of production. These instruments were also used to relieve pain and diseases, and were known as "bian" stone. Such tools appeared between 4,000 to 8,000 years ago, during the later part of the clan society, according to archeological excavation.
With the continuous development of production, the "bian" stones were replaced by bone or bamboo needles. In the Shang Dynasty (c.16th-11th century BC) bronze casting was developed and it became possible to make bronze needles.

In the Spring and Autumn Period (770-446BC), medicine shifted away from sorcery and some doctors appeared. It is recorded that a doctor used acupuncture to treat a member of the aristocracy of a disease.
From the Warring States Period to the Western Han Dynasty (475BC-24AD), there were more and more needles made of metal with the development of iron-smelting techniques.
The use of metal for needles is highly significant in the development of acupuncture treatment by acupuncture. The conduction produced while needling led in time to the discovery of the "jing luo" (channels of the body) system. Needles made of metal could reach the parts of the body which the needles made of stone could not, thus further improving acupuncture. Through long-term practice, acupuncture eventually became an important means for treating diseases.
In the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) and the Three Kingdoms Period (25-280), many doctors well versed in acupuncture appeared. 'Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing' was the first book to discuss acupuncture systematically.
More and more books on acupuncture were written in the Jin and the Northern and Southern dynasties (265-589), when acupuncture was introduced to Korea and Japan.
Ⅱ. The First Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion -- Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing
The science of acupuncture aims to record its technique, clinic regulation, and basic theory. Written by Huang Fumi (215-282), The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion consists of 12 volumes and 128 chapters and is the earliest classic on acupuncture and moxibustion (a form of heat therapy) in China. It summarizes information on the channels and collaterals (the channels' branches), acupuncture points, needle manipulation, and contraindication (effect). It lists the total number of the acupuncture points as 349, and discusses the therapeutic properties of each point.
This book has exerted great influence on acupuncture and moxibustion treatments all over the world. In the 5th century it spread to Japan and South Korea.
The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion promoted the development of acupuncture and moxibustion, and became a model for later acupuncture and moxibustion works.
If you decide to visit China and cure your sick through acupuncture, you can contact with China travel agents.

The last stop on the fabled Grand Canal - Hangzhou

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the jewel on the crown of the vast Grand Canal of China, and the well-preserved Hangzhou segment still operates today. Hangzhou is the southern terminus and now the hot tourist destination for China tourism.
The street is called Xiao He Zhi Jie, literally the Small River Straight Street, because the Small River runs through and divides it. In the northern part of Hangzhou City, the 1-kilometer-long street and the small two-story houses on either side create a nostalgic scene of water towns in Zhejiang Province.
The street is right at the junction where the Grand Canal of China, the Small River and the Yuhangtang River meet.
In old times, many ships were unloaded here.

Hangzhou is the last stop on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the best known and most significant component of the Grand Canal of China's bidding for UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site status.
The canal in Hangzhou was first built more than 2,200 years ago to connect Hangzhou and Jiangxi which is famous for porcelain in Jingdezhan, a famous tourists site of private tour of China. And it was expanded in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) to be further connected with Suzhou in Jiangsu Province.
In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), when the emperor and his court retreated and moved the capital to Hangzhou, the canal in this area suddenly got much busier and this part of the city also became a major traffic hub and distribution center.

In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) traveled six times along the canal to inspect the rich Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, and he also stayed in Hangzhou, a regional business and cultural center at the time.
Ships from all over the country came down the Grand Canal and business boomed along the street. All kinds of shops opened, selling food and snacks, tea, rice, alcohol, shipping supplies and other commodities.
Visitors can still get a suggestion of the bustle and prosperity of the old days; the street is still filled with many shops, quite a few in the old style of architecture.
Some houses on the river are around 100 years old and have been renovated.
Typical are the two-story wooden structures that were both for commercial and residential use; shops were on the first floor, bedrooms on the second floor. Many of the facades appear old. The interiors have been renovated with modern facilities and plumbing.
Behind these old houses stand new and larger structures that were built in the old style.
Today, ships are not allowed in the narrow Small River, but ships carrying coal, sand and construction materials constantly are moving south along the wider grand canal, just five minutes from the street.
The grayish wooden houses closest to the river are all similar, except for the Yao family house, which stands out because of the size and architecture. It's the largest house on the street and stands near where the canal and Small River meet.
If you want to know more info about Grand canal, you can get some information from China tour operator.

A world heritage site - Mount Huangshan

After your Yangtze River Cruise and disemark in Wuhan, Mount Huangshan should be not missed.
Located in southern Anhui Province, Mount Huangshan covers an area of 250 kilometers, of which 154 square kilometers are scenic attractions. Its landscape features “four wonders” of imposing peaks, spectacular rocks, odd-shaped pines, and a sea of clouds.

Huangshan is a granite massif consisting of 36 separate peaks, rising above 1,800 m. Famous throughout Chinese artistic history, Huangshan represents the typical mountain in Chinese paintings. Frequently shrouded in mist, the many peaks appear to float on clouds and have very fanciful names such as 18 Arhats Worshipping the South Sea, Lotus Flower Peak, Celestial Capital, Paint Brush, etc.
Mount Huangshan boasts 72 peaks, more than 1,000 meters above sea level, with three main peaks rising majestically. They are both fascinating and dangerously steep. Cliffs, stone forests, stone pillars, stone blocks and egg-shaped stones form the unique granite geomorphological scenery which become attractive for popular China tours.

The pines on the mountain are tall and have fascinating shapes. The famous Welcoming Guests (Yingke) Pine (1,500 years old) and See-Guest-Off Pine have become a symbol of being faithful, unyielding and hospitable. More than 200 days each year on Mount Huangshan are misty and cloudy. The vapors coagulate to form a sea of clouds. As the clouds cloak the mountain, they give a feeling of being in fairyland.
Mount Huangshan has more than 400 famous scenic attractions of which 140 have been developed and opened to tourists. As a hot destination, it should be included in your customized China tours.
In 1990, Mount Huangshan went on both the world cultural and natural heritage lists.

Facts of Wushu

After Bruce Li become a world famous film star, Chinese Wushu become very hot in the world. Many tourists come to have private China tours to witness the Kongfu.
Wushu, with its mysterious Oriental flavor, is regarded as the quintessence of physical culture. Often referred to as "arts of fighting with eighteen kinds of weapons," it is distinguished by three salient features: usefulness for combat, benefits to health, and fascinating movements.

Wushu dates back to primitive society where people used clubs and other primitive tools to fight wild animals. In the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods (770- 221 BC), wushu became more combative in nature as more weapons came into use. It also attracted more attention with its beneficial effects on health.
Wushu contests and performances were popular in the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC-AD 220). The sword dances performed by Xiang Bo and Xiang Zhuang at "A Banquet at Hongmen Gate" as described by Sima Oian in his Historical Records were actually a show of attack and defence in swordplay.
The imperial examination system of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) for identifying martial arts talent stimulated the growth of wushu activities in society. By the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), many schools of wushu, each with its own distinctive features, had developed across the country. One of these was the Shaolin School, which owes its name to the world-famous Shaolin Temple which is hometown of Kungfu and hot destination included in AFFORDABLE China travel packages in Henan Province.

Roughly speaking, wushu may also be divided into barehanded exercises and exercises with weapons. There are a few dozen kinds of weapons employed in wushu exercises, mostly modeled on ancient types. Although the significance of their role in modern warfare has diminished since the invention of firearms, their value in wushu training remains to this day.
The reason why the time-honored art of wushu has taken deep root among the broad masses lies in its proven value in health-building. According to the philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine, wushu exercises consist of both "external" and "internal" work, the former meaning movements of the body, the hands and the feet and expressions of the eyes, and the latter being related to "the spirit, willpower, vital energy and strength." The two aspects are combined as movements are guided by consciousness so as to achieve "a unity of body and mind." Thus, constant practice of wushu helps not only to strengthen muscles and bones, but also to regulate the central nervous system and improve the cardiovascular, digestive and respiratory functions.
As wushu exercises are highly varied in intensity as well as in form, they offer an abundant choice to people differing in age, interest and health condition. Besides, one needs only a small space and very simple equipment for their performance. So wushu can be easily promoted as a participation sport. In recent years, coaching centers have mushroomed in cities and towns all over the country. Numerous people in poor health are reported to have benefited from constant practice.
Going far beyond China's boundaries, wushu has become increasingly popular in many parts of the world. As the birthplace of wushu, China has in recent years sent her best masters on performance tours abroad and received group after group of foreign wushu enthusiasts coming on study missions. If you are a Wushu-lover, you should visit China, birthplace of Wushu.

Top China Travel Activity in 2013 (II)

Do you have new travel plan for your 2013? Have you ever been to the places you want to go? China, as a hot tourist destination, should be listed in your travel plan. The following recommended some China travel activities for your 2013.
1. Learn History and Culture through travel
If you are very interested in the ancient history and tradtional culture of China, you can visit some historical and cutlural cities and towns with long history, such as Beijing, Xian, Luoyang, Hangzhou. Through the travelling in these cities, you will get a general concept about China history and culture and learn why Chinese think in different way by comparison with western people.
2. Shangri-la Adventure
The town is split between Tibetan and ethnic Han residents, as well as a fair smattering of Naxi, Bai, Yi and Lisu, with the surrounding countryside entirely Tibetan. While the crass name change in 2001 was a sign of the desire for increasing mass tourism a la Lijiang, the town has got nowhere near Lijiang's crowds, and it's still possible to experience the area's Tibetan heritage and see gorgeous countryside in near isolation.

Zhongdian was renamed Shangrila for marketing reasons. Signs in bus stations still use Zhongdian. There is also a third name in Tibetan, Gyelthang. The original Shangrila, from James Hilton's novel The Lost Horizon, was a (fictional) hidden paradise whose inhabitants lived for centuries. Hilton (who never went to China) located his Shangri-La in the Kunlun mountains. However, elements of his story were apparently inspired by National Geographic articles about various places in eastern Tibet (including Zhongdian); hence China's rationale for claiming the name.
Local Khampa Tibetans claim that the name Shangri-la was most likely derived from their word for paradise "Shambala," by Hilton through exposure to Rock's writings on the region. Shangri-la tours will give you a different travel experience.
3. Mysterious Tibet

Tibet: the Land of Snows, the roof of the world. For centuries this mysterious Buddhist kingdom, locked away in its mountain fastness of the Himalaya, has exercised a unique hold on the imagination of the West. For explorers, imperialists and traders it was a forbidden land of treasure and riches. Dreamers on a spiritual quest have long whispered of a lost Shangri-la, steeped in magic and mystery. When the doors were finally flung open in the mid-1980s, Tibet lay in ruins. Between 1950 and 1970, the Chinese wrested control of the plateau, drove the Tibetans’ spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and some 100, 000 of Tibet’s finest into exile and systematically dismantled most of the Tibetan cultural and historical heritage, all in the name of revolution. For a while images of the Buddha were replaced by icons of Chairman Mao. Today, Tibetan pilgrims across the country are once again mumbling mantras and swinging their prayer wheels in temples that are heavy with the thick intoxicating aroma of juniper incense and yak butter. Monasteries have been restored across the country, along with limited religious freedoms. A walk around Lhasa’s lively Barkhor pilgrimage circuit is proof enough that the efforts of the communist Chinese to build a brave new (roof of the) world have foundered on the remarkable and inspiring faith of the Tibetan people. Tibet tour becomes a dream for many travel-lovers because of its high altitude. Many tourists have to give up the journey to Tibet for their poor healthy.

Top China Travel Activity in 2013 (I)

If you plan to have a China tour in 2013, you should consider the following.
1. Explore the Golden Triangle, Beijing, Xian, Shanghai.
Stop–start capital since the Mongol Yuan dynasty, Běijīng is one of China’s true ancient citadels. It is also an aspiring, confident and modern city that seems assured of its destiny to rule over China ad infinitum.

A vast and symmetrical metropolis, Běijīng is the orderly seat of the communist political power in China, so its architecture traces each and every mood swing from 1949 to the present, from felled hútòng (narrow alleys) to huge underground bomb shelters scooped out during the paranoid 1970s. One moment you are sizing up a blank Soviet-style monument, the next you spot a vast, shimmering tower rising up from the footprint of a vanished temple.
History may have been trampled in Běijīng over the past half century, but there’s still much more substance here than in China’s other dynastic capitals, bar Nánjīng or Kāifēng. You just need to do a bit of hunting and patient exploration to find the historical narrative. It’s also essential to sift the genuine from the fake: some of Běijīng’s once-illustrious past has been fitfully resurrected in the trompe-l’oeil of rebuilt monuments. Colossal flyovers and multilane boulevards heave with more than three million cars but ample pockets of historical charm survive. It’s the city’s epic imperial grandeur, however, that is truly awe-inspiring.
Frank and uncomplicated, Běijīng’s denizens chat in Běijīnghuà – the gold standard of Mandarin – and marvel at their good fortune for occupying the centre of the known world. And for all its diligence and gusto, Běijīng dispenses with the persistent pace of Shànghǎi or Hong Kong, and locals instead find time to sit out front, play chess and watch the world go by.
Xī’ān today sits in the fertile Wei River valley, one of the epicentres of early Chinese civilisation. The area was home to the capitals of several major dynasties (historians can count 11), stretching all the way back to the Zhou in the 11th century BC. The remnants of this ancient world are everywhere – from the First Emperor’s Terracotta Army to the Muslim influence that still characterises the city.

Understandably, Xī’ān is one of China’s major attractions, but the modern city is also one of the country’s great polarisers – you either love it or hate it. Most people only spend two or three days here, but history buffs could easily stay busy for a week. Topping the list of sights in and around the city are the Terracotta Warriors, the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi, the Muslim Quarter and the City Walls. With a little more time, throw in the pagodas, museums or any number of sites outside the city. Better still, arrange an overnight trip to nearby Huá Shān or Hánchéng.
Shanghai
Shanghai is much more Hong Kong than Běijīng; there are no dusty imperial palaces here. Instead, European-style cityscapes and tempting, tree-lined neighbourhoods rub shoulders with the sci-fi skyline of Pǔdōng. Shanghai was where China first met the West and it’s still a frontier town, obsessed with the latest fads, fashions and technology.

But tucked between the shopping malls and the eye-popping modern architecture is the old Shanghai, where temples nestle down alleys, along with street markets and classical Chinese gardens. Shanghai is a city of stunning contrasts, where visitors can go from sipping a cocktail in a designer bar overlooking the Bund, to eating dumplings at a street stall, or gazing at a 10th-century Buddhist monastery, in the space of a few hours. Summer is hot and humid, winter can get cold, but Shanghai never stops.
2. Yangtze River Cruise
The Yangzi is the historical divider between northern and southern China, providing a natural barrier against invaders and waterway for transport and commerce. During the Three Kingdoms Period (260-280 AD), the gorges played an important role in the course of China's history. During World War II, the gorges provide protection against the onslaught of the Japanese invasion. And in recent years, the Three Gorges have drawn international attention for both their majestic scenic beauty and for the controversial construction of the Three Gorges Dam - the largest dam project ever attempted. Begun in 1992 and completed in 2009, China's coming of age as a world power is heralded by this colossal feat of engineering, a Great Wall for the future.
3. Silk Road Adventure

The natural landscape along the road is peculiar and magnificent. Qinghai Lake, Bayanbulak Grassland – a paradise for swan, Heaven Lake on Heaven Mountain, Yadan landform in Lop Nur, the Mountain of Flames in Turpan and Ghost City in Karamay add infinite fascination to the Silk Road. The numerous minorities live along the Silk Road. They are friendly and skilled in dancing and singing. With different history of development, ethnic groups here have retained their own traditional culture, religious beliefs and characters. Silk Road travel will be enjoyed by the tourists who are interested in history.