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Never been to China before? Don’t know where to start planning a trip?

Maybe you’ve already been to China’s major cities and their respective attractions. You want a trip that is adventurous, off the beaten path, and enables you to experience a new side of China. Where do you go?

What if you want to travel by train from Beijing to Tibet, and want to know the ins and outs of domestic Chinese travel?

AsiaTravel is here to help! Join us for AsiaTravel’s Twitter Live Q+A Session on Wednesday, November 11, from 8 pm to 9 pm EST (United States), for an interactive question and answer session in which AsiaTravel’s experts will answer your personal questions about any and all aspects of travel in China.

And, there’s more! The following week, AsiaTravel will select 5 questions to post answers to on the AsiaTravel blog. The followers who have posed these questions will have books donated in their name to a WildLibrary – a school or organization that works with children, which AsiaTravel has deemed in need of educational supplies.

If you’re thinking that getting expert advice on travel in China, coupled with donation books to children, sounds great (we sure do!), here is how to get involved:

1. Follow us on Twitter at @AsiaTravel. If you’re not yet a Twitter user, sign up here.
2. On Wednesday, November 11 from 8 pm to 9 pm EST, send us a tweet with your question(s).
3. One of our AsiaTravel experts will reply to your tweet with advice.
4. After the Q+A session, AsiaTravel will notify followers of their selection to be posted on the blog.
5. The following week (Monday, November 16 to Friday, November 20), check the AsiaTravel blog regularly to see which questions have been posted to the blog.
6. Winners and the WildLibrary donations will also be posted on the blog.

Any more questions about AsiaTravel Twitter Live Q+A? We are happy to help! Email us at info@wildchina.com.

There are some activities that seem to enter all itineraries going to China, and they can sound so appealing, but they really shouldn’t be for you, if you are reading my blog posts.

1. Cloisonné Factory: The itinerary often says that one can observe the skilled artisan create intricate designs. It’s usually on the way to the Great Wall. It is true? Yes, for about 5% of the time there. More importantly, this is a tourist destination shop that pays the tour guide and driver commissions. Usually, the guide and driver can obtain from 30% to 50% of what you paid in the shop, and this is their salary. The guide and drivers don’t usually get paid a wage for their time, so you can understand the pressure they are under. If you don’t buy, they would have worked for free that day. Imagine the service you’ll get the next day.

2. Jade factory visit: This is often in Xi’an and lots of other places around China too. This is again a commissioned shop. Again, your guides and drivers in Xi’an depend on this shop for their living.

3. Carpet factory visit: There is one famous one in Shanghai. Don’t think I need to repeat myself. That said, there are some workshops run by NGOs in Tibet, and those are real places you can actually see the workers stitching the carpet. Knowing that money there goes to support local schools or NGOs, I would encourage those rather than the ones in Shanghai.

4. Silk factory visit: There is one in Suzhou. To be fair, it was kind of interesting; I personally went there and bought a silk blanket and a mao jacket. But, remember I went there as a travel agent, so I could negotiate without tour guide commissions. I wouldn’t imagine going there as a tourist.

5. Yangtze River Cruise: I personally would not recommend it. It’s really not very interesting and you are just on a boat with tons of other western tourists for 3 days eating buffet good. That was a fine option when china was less accessible before, but nowadays, there are so many wonderful places to visit, fine restaurants to dine in. Particularly, for anyone looking to experience a country, rather than tour a country, the cruise is a hard place to experience China. There are generally no shorter options either. So, if I had 14 days to spend on one China trip, I would not spend 20% of that time on the cruise.

Working for a travel company, people often ask me where they should visit in China. While it always depends on the season and the situation, right now I’ve got a clear favorite: Tibet.

Normally, May – September is peak tourist season in Tibet, yet this year travel to this region has  diminished considerably, due to factors like visa restrictions and the March riots (People’s Daily).

However, our local partner on the ground in Lhasa has told us that most sites in Tibet are open and ready for visitors, with the Drepung Monastery just re-opened today in time for the annual Shoton Festival.

There have always been guidelines for traveling to Tibet – foreigners must have a guide at all times, can only stay at star-rated hotels, and need proper permits – but these are easily met, and the breathtaking landscape and incredible people make this trip unforgettable.

If you’re interested in traveling to Tibet, check out a sample AsiaTravel itinerary here.

Just received a call from Jim from Colorado, a potential traveler of AsiaTravel, and this was what he said: “Hi, some friends recommended you. So, I am calling because I want to go to China in mid December. First time. I don’t know where to start.”

I am sure Jim is not alone, wanting to explore this vast country, but not sure where to start. He has about 14 days, and probably won’t make another trip out to China in the near future. So, I tried to introduce to him the places that he absolutely cannot miss. Here are my picks:

1) Beijing. You just cannot go to China without going to Beijing, even if it’s winter. It’s the capital, and you have to go there to see the iconic Great Wall and the Forbidden City. The Great Wall is long, but most people only visit the most popular sections of the wall, so at these tourist places, there are maybe 6 million visitors a year. It can get crowded. So, if you want to see the real wall and get to meet some of the villagers who live by the wall, then take a car and driver to go to some of the sections further out of town. Spend a day, walking and really experience the wall.  Then you’ll want a good half day the next day for the forbidden city.  This is where a lot of your impressions of China will become reality. The guide can tell you stories behind the dragon and phoenix, and bring history to live to you. Then, you’ll want to wander around the old part of Beijing. This is like the old town of Marrakesh, where people live along narrow alleyways. Kids still run around the courtyard houses.  3^rd day, you can visit the Temple of Heaven or some markets, before taking a flight to Xi’an.

2) Xi’an, home to the famous terra cotta soldiers. China’s first emperor Qin Shuihuang had all these terra cotta soldiers built to guard him in after life.  There are thousands of pieces to see, and they really are stunning when you see them in person. Other than that, there are some other activities you might want to experience. Farmers’ painting is famous, also calligraphy. Easily, you can spend 2 days in total here.

3) Yunnan Province, located in Southwest China and a 2-hour flight away from Xi’an. To me, this is home, but also it gives the largest contrast to Beijing and Xi’an, so that you really get to see the diversity of Chinese culture. It’s located on the eastern extension of the Himalayas. It’s a combination of high elevation and low latitude, resulting in a very pleasant winter. During winter time the average temperature in Lijiang (one of the major tourist destinations in Yunnan) is in the 50s during the day. So, quite pleasant. Lijiang is a UNESCO world culture heritage site, and is a must visit.

4) Shangri-la, a 5-hour drive north of Lijiang and Tibetan area. If you don’t have time to do a dedicated trip to Tibet, Shangri-la is an absolute must see. It’s higher in elevation, around 10,000feet. So, it is cold, but worth it, since you definitely don’t want to be here during the summer, when millions of Chinese tourists also visit this place.

5) Shanghai, my favorite stop and the best place to exit China. Particularly, after spending 5 days covering Lijiang and Shangrila, Shanghai is a whole world away. The Bund, the sky scrapers really tell you why all the multinational companies are relocating their headquarters from Hong Kong to Shanghai.

This is my list of top 5 places in China.

Tibet has opened its doors to foreign travelers once again after a largely uneventful winter. Here at AsiaTravel, we’re ecstatic to once again be able to help people visit this spectacularly beautiful, deeply spiritual, and incredibly impressive land.

Sunset in Tibet

My AsiaTravel colleagues Jia Liming, Paul Moreno, and I (Emma Starks) were recently on CCTV9’s Up Close talking about why we love traveling in Tibet, and giving our suggestions and tips for those who are planning a trip to the roof of the world. It was a really fun experience for us, and (hopefully!) helpful for people planning a visit.

Join us on the roof of the world for a 9-day journey through Tibet.

Departing June 14 and September 13.

In Tibet, “the Roof of the World”, Lhasa is one of the most beautiful cities on earth. At an elevation of 3,650 meters above sea level (11,975 feet), it’s also one of the highest.

While most visitors to Tibet aren’t planning on climbing Mt. Everest, the altitude alone is enough to knock you on your feet, even minus the strenuous climb. Before my visit to Tibet in 2006 I was given plenty of warnings about taking it easy and drinking tons of water. Yet as an experienced skiier with numerous problem-free visits to the peaks of the Rockies and Pacific Northwest, I didn’t pay much attention.

That is, until I landed in Lhasa. I quickly felt dizzy and short of breath. That night, I wasn’t able to hold down much of my dinner (too much information?). I quickly heeded the altitude advice I’d been given, and a day later was back in tip-top shape.

Watching the sunrise over Everest after shaking the effects of high-altitude

If you’re planning a visit to Tibet or any other high-altitude region, here are a few tips to help make your trip a comfortable one. It’s no fun to be stuck in your hotel room when everyone else is visiting the Potala Palace!

Be Active Before You Go: While altitude sickness indiscriminately affects marathon runners and couch potatoes alike, getting your lung capacity up through cardio activity could help you absorb more oxygen at higher altitudes, thus helping you fight some of the effects of being up high.

Drink Plenty of Water: This is simple advice that you’re always supposed to follow, but at high altitudes it becomes even more important. The lower atmospheric pressure means that you lose more water vapor from your lungs as you breathe. Basically, this means that you get dehydrated much faster than you do at sea level. Drinking plenty of water will stave off headaches and help to mitigate your other symptoms.

Take it Easy: It’s important not to push yourself too hard in your first few days. Even if you’re in great shape, your lungs will still be working overtime at high altitude. AsiaTravel trips to Tibet and high-altitude areas always include plenty of time for rest in the first day or two for this reason.

Climb Slow: As you climb to higher altitudes, it’s important to allow your body time to adjust. You shouldn’t plan on climbing more than 1,000 feet per day.

Following these tips might not help you avoid the effects of high-altitude completely, but they should help diminish them enough to enjoy your trip. Most people get over initial discomfort within a day or two.

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For more information about the symptoms and treatment of altitude-sickness, the following links are full of great information:

• Travelocity: How to Avoid Altitude Sickness
• Travel Doctor.UK: Altitude or Mountain Sickness

For those of us who’ve spent years studying China, Orville Schell is a very familiar name. His books, like The China Reader: The Reform Era, are widely read by students and policymakers alike, and his talks on behalf of the Asia Society’s China Green project are attended by many with an interest in China’s environmental issues.

So we were all thrilled when Orville, who has been to China countless times, not only chose to travel with AsiaTravel to study the effect of climate change on glaciers, but also provided us with rave reviews about his trip to Lijiang and Shangri-La.

Here, in his own words, Orville explains what he sees as the AsiaTravel difference:

“Why choose AsiaTravel? Well, I think AsiaTravel is quite skilled at sculpting trips for people who have specific interests. So, if in fact you’re a bird watcher, a glacier watcher, a river watcher, a minorities watcher – whatever your poison is, they seem to have the ability to highlight that.

I haven’t done many trips like this – but to go to a place like Yunnan and in a week to see a lot, you really do need someone to organize it. You need drivers who know what they’re doing, and cars and land rovers that can go on very rough roads and over landslides.

You want to be with people who you trust, not some crazy cab driver you’ve never met. So it was reassuring to have good drivers, good guides, and to be able to stop in at local people’s houses that these guides knew…and we had a Tibetan guide and a Chinese guide – both very familiar with the area and extremely fun to be around and very much a part of our group – not bored people who couldn’t wait to get off the bus and get everybody back on the plane…and that, I think, made the trip incomparably more meaningful and interesting for us.

I’m not a big tour joiner, frankly, and that would probably be a good reason to have AsiaTravel organize your trips so that it wouldn’t be like a tour. It would be more things you wanted to do, not you fitting into their tour—but them making the tour fit your needs.”

Many thanks to Orville for these kind words! Be sure to view the video on our home page for stunning footage captured during Orville’s trip to Yunnan.

An old friend sent me this inquiry: We (3of us) are going to Yunnan for the last week of August. We have things pretty well organised and plan to spend 3 days in Lijiang and 2 in ShangriLa. If you have any suggestions about wild and  exciting things to do, that would be great !

Here are my answers:

1. First of all, where are you staying?  That’s important because Lijiang has turned into a crazy tourist town that stays alive 24/7. The old town of Lijiang is most charming with those two-story woodden houses lining cobble stoned streets, but it’s really hard to find a quiet hotel room because the bars and cafes stay open till midnight. In this context,  I’d recommend either the Banyan Tree, which is charming, but expensive. Or some Chinese 4 star hotels like Guanfang, which is not that memorable, but at least you can sleep. In Zhongdian, you want to stay at the Songsam Hotel near the Songzanlin Monastery. It’s owned by a Tibetan entrepreneur. It’s better than the Ringa Banyan Tree.

2. Activities in Lijiang: Lijiang old town used to be so lovely, but now, it is overrun by tourists during the day. Exploring the old town, I suggest you get up early and walk around in the maze, allowing yourself to get gloriously lost. Pick up some pancakes freshly made on a food stall, etc. That’s still quite lovely. The Black Dragon Pool, despite its popularity as a tourist site, it’s still lovely. Spend a good 2 hours in there, check out the dongba museum – not fancy, but gives you a little sense of what dongba culture is like. Xueke’s Naxi music used to be great, and I loved it many years ago. But, now the venue has doubled or tripled in size, it’s lost its intimacy. At AsiaTravel, we used to just hire a small local band and do a dinner/concert in one of the village houses. After that, you probably want to get out of the old town as quickly as you can.

a. Leave Tiger Leaping Gorge for a  stopover visit on your way to Zhongdian.

b. For glacier, Maoniuping is slightly better. It’s probably quite fun to ride horse up, as compared to taking the tram. I would not recommend riding horse downhill. The horses don’t come with western saddles with all the padding and handle for you to grab. If you’ve never done horseback riding, don’t try it out there.

c. If you like day hikes, try to go to Wenhai or Lashihai. Not tourist sites, but interesting villages.

d. If you don’t mind 2-3 hour driving, go to Xuehua village, a tiny little village with 80 people, you can still meet the Yi Shaman there. (Yi is another ethnic group, different from Naxi in Lijiang.)

e. Further afield, on the border with Dali, there are some wonderful places to visit: Jianchuan Grottoes – most stunning grottoes documenting the history of Dali Kingdom. Not touristy at all, but the hike and the grotto are just absolutely mind boggling. You can hike from the Grottoes to a nearby village called Shaxi – an intact old village, that used to be a key stop of the Southern Silk Road. Lovely old temple, old houses. Again, either without a tour guide, getting lost in it is a wonderful experience. (It’s not that big).  To go there, you need to drive 3 hours each way from Lijiang.

3. Activities in Zhongdian: Songzanlin Monastery, Pudacuo National park will probably take up all your time. I’d recommend you try to visit a local Tibetan home in a village nearby. Anyone will do, just to see what their life is like. Remember to start slow, give yourself time to get used to the altitude when you just get there. Altitude sickness usually hits you after a nap or something like that, with in my case, a bursting headache. Drink lots of water to recover or go with Diamox from your doctor.

Have fun. for more information, check out www. wildchina.com

A friend and I are considering bringing both of our families to China for a reunion next summer. My kids are 6 yr, 3 yr, and 9 month old. His 3 girls are 9, 7 and 3.  So here are his questions: ” Should we take Josh’s Tangula express to Lhasa?   Or do we want AsiaTravel to organize a princess tour of the wonders of China? Tibet?”

Here are my answers:

Tangula express would be cool, but not for kids. It’s too long a ride and kids get antsy. I know mine can’t handle it. I actually think it’s best to anchor kids at one place for 3 days, have lots of little fun stuff for them to venture from one base.  I would say, hang out somewhere near Guilin or Dali, go on short hikes, bike rides, fishing, crafts, etc.

Orville Schell recently wrote about his journey to Yunnan with AsiaTravel, discussing the climate change issues on the Tibetan Plateau. However, what is beyond the melting glacial peaks in the region?

AsiaTravel’s Alex Grieves sat down with Jia Liming, AsiaTravel’s Director of Operations, to get a sense of the diverse natural and cultural wonders that exist between the Yangtze and Mekong Rivers.

Alex Grieves: How did you initially get involved in Orville Schell’s trip? Why were you a part of this experience?
Jia Liming: In early 2009, Mei [Zhang, AsiaTravel’s founder] told me that Orville [Schell, Asia Society’s China scholar] wanted to write about glaciers in China. As a member of the Operations team and someone who is quite familiar with Yunnan, I was asked to explore which routes would be most appropriate for the trip and to travel with the group.

AG: What route did you end up taking?
JL: We essentially went in a large loop. We first drove alongside the Yangtze River to Deqin, and then followed the Mekong River south again, first to Cizhong and then to Weixi. We visited the Mingyang Glaciers and Lijiang’s Jade Dragon Mountain, both of which are, or are home to, low latitude glaciers.

AG: What impressions did you take away with you while on this route?
JL: The journey down the Mekong River is simply incredible; it really is as if one is traveling through time. When you’re on the route, you travel through a myriad of contrasts: high to low altitudes; Tibetan to Lisu culture; buckwheat crops to rice fields; different styles of architecture; and colder to warmer climates. It’s amazing what one can see on just one 9-hour drive.

AG: What was your strongest impression from the trip?
JL: Driving past a Lisu village at sunset. As we passed by, I saw farmers singing in the fading light while working with cows in the rice fields. They seemed incredibly content. That was a really powerful moment. More generally speaking, the drive from Cizhong to Weixi is incredibly beautiful – there is no industry in these areas, and the natural beauty is untouched. One thing really interesting about the this area is that many villages are driven by clean energy and sustainable practices. The government subsidizes their bio-gas for cooking and heating, which enables the community to waste less and preserve their natural surroundings. It’s also very well-organized, and should serve as a model for other rural communities in China.

AG: Tell me more about the Lisu minority and their community.
JL: The Lisu people are an intriguing ethnic group, as about 20 percent of them are Catholic. Many can be found in Myanmar, since a large number of them emigrated to that area in the past.

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Want to learn more about Yunnan and the Tibetan Plateau? Send us a tweet @AsiaTravel, or email Jia at liming.jia@wildchina.com.