Category: Uncategorized

Last of the 2012 AsiaTravel Explorer Grant Finalists, we have Mr. Zhang Shanghua, a scientist at Chengdu ChemPartner Co., Ltd.  Mr. Zhang wants to travel to experience this “primitive natural beauty and the most authentic religious atmosphere” and share his findings with the outside world. Here are a few spots he plans to explore…

———-

With a population density of less than 4.4 people per square kilometer, the natural beauty and the local cultures of Baiyu County in the Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Sichuan province are extremely well-preserved. My journey to explore these areas can be divided into three phases: east, north and south.

The eastern region of Baiyu County is home to the Yaqing Monastery and the Chaqingsongduo Nature Reserve.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that AsiaTravel Explorer Grant finalist Ms. Yasmin Cho is also looking to explore this area.  Without her expertise in the religion of this area, my perspective at the Yaqing Monastery, in contrast, will simply be that of an observer.

Surrounding this area is also stunning biology —  The Chaqingsongduo Nature Reserve houses two-thirds of the world’s population of white-lipped deer or Thorold’s deer, the second largest glacier in the prefecture (the largest is Hailuoguo glacier in Luding County), and the sources of numerous streams and rivers, and the peak of the mighty Mount Gongga. Due to the limited transportation infrastructure in this region, the cliffs and peaks of this range have been traversed by very few.

On the second portion of the journey, the northern region, I plan to visit the Baiyu and Kathok Monasteries, some of the oldest sites of Tibetan Buddhism. The sacred allure of these holy places is something I can’t resist – the classic debates of ancient texts, the huge scale of the property, the rich history of Tibetan handicrafts in the area are all waiting to be discovered.

 

On the last section of my planned exploration of Sichuan, I’ll begin by leaving Mount Menggu 4,900 meters high down into the Fire Dragon abyss and the villages along Jinsha River. Because this area is so inaccessible, it was not until the late Qing Dynasty that it was officially placed under Chinese government jurisdiction. In present day, the influence of the old, local tribes is still dominant.

In all of these places, I hope to talk to local people, access the un-explored naturaly beauty and document my experience so that more people from around the world can have a better understanding of this hidden part of China.

———-

Photos and post by 2012 AsiaTravel Explorer Grant finalist Mr. Zhang Shanghua, translated by AsiaTravel

 

 

The following post was written by a student from Concordia International School Shanghai who traveled with AsiaTravel to Abujee in September 2011.

———-

Trekking amidst the tranquility and nature that is Abujee, a sacred region in Shangri-la, Yunnan, was a rewarding experience that garnered many new friends and beautiful memories. On this trip, our group studied aspects of Buddhism through a visit to a monastery and a private meeting with a lama, a spiritual leader. Interaction with the local horsemen also allowed us insight into Tibetan culture and lifestyle. On a particular night, we were warmly welcomed into the home of a Tibetan friend of our guides’ for dinner, where we sampled the delightfully explosive yak butter tea and enjoyed their traditional song and dance, which we reciprocated with a hilarious rendition of the “Hokey-pokey”.”

 

After chilling in town and a “leisurely” hike on the first day, we began our trek on the barely-touched-by-foreigners path to Abujee. The physical demands of the trail called for mutual encouragement and individual strength that drew the group closer, both to each other and to the majestic terrain of Shangri-la. Through sweat, burning muscles, and the amazing leadership of Jeff “The-Guy-with-the-hair” Fuchs, Sonam “Beast” Geleg, and AsiaTravel’s David and Max, many of us surprised ourselves with our own ability to push onward and succeed.

 

Amidst games of Big Two, sing-offs, campfires, and appalling encounters with monstrous bugs, we laughed and learned and grew. Thus were born “Goat-girl”, “Sugar-boy”, “Falcwynn”, and the sophisticated and refined game of “Abububall”.

On that dreaded last day, each one of us looked wistfully at the distant mountains, waving goodbye with a bittersweet smile and a heavy heart, reluctant to leave the place that would henceforth cause us to smile fondly.

And so, I ruefully conclude that the trip was a lot like this passage—a process both fun and funny, albeit a tad trying at times, and regretfully, much, much too short.

———-

This young student traveled with AsiaTravel in September of 2011.  For journeys to Abujee, check out our website here or contact us at info@wildchina.com.

Earlier today, we sat down with some of the AsiaTravel team and asked them what they were thankful for this Thanksgiving.  Today we share with you some of their  thoughts on what makes them thankful in 2011.

Gloria Guo, one of AsiaTravel’s most sought after travel consultants, is thankful for her recent trip to Tibet.  She spent close to two weeks using her AsiaTravel travel grant (a grant for employees who have worked at AsiaTravel for 3 years) to explore Lhasa as well as remote mountain regions.  Her travels took her to see Mt. Everest, an experience she will never forget!

 

 

Max Stein, one of AsiaTravel’s Princeton-in-Asia fellows, is thankful for his opportunity to move to Beijing following his graduation from Colorado College. Max has assisted in leading AsiaTravel trips to locations such as Henan province to take kungfu classes at the Shaolin Temple and to Yunnan Province where he assisted with one of AsiaTravel’s newest trips, Abujee: Tibetan Trek in Yunnan.

 

 

Fred He, one of AsiaTravel’s super star guides, is thankful for his family and the support that they give him. Fred travels on AsiaTravel trips for much of the year, and he is glad that he always has someone checking in on him.

 

 

From everyone at AsiaTravel, Happy Thanksgiving.

Here is a recent blog from Chelin Miller, AsiaTravel’s own yummy mummy blogger.  Here she talks about a fantastic new book on Tibetan Arts and Artisans.  Makes everyone at AsiaTravel want to add a Tibetan rug to their Christmas wish list!

———-

Living Hands: Tibetan Arts and Artisans, a book by Chris Buckley is an inspiring book. It gives an insightful description of the various aspects of Tibetan Arts and Crafts, about which there is so little written.

 

 

From weavers, dyers, metalworkers and thangka painters to mask makers, sculptors and carpenters. We can appreciate Chris Buckley’s passion for Tibet not only in the beautiful images (both by the author and by Mimi Kuo), but also in the knowledgeable description of each craft. But Living Hands is much more than a book about crafts. Because by portraying the artisans’ personal stories and anecdotes, their art comes to life; we feel closer to understanding their history, traditions and emotions. What drives them to create such beautiful objects: necessity, divine inspiration? Where do they source their materials? How did their techniques evolve through time and changing circumstances? What were these objects used for? How are modernity and globalisation affecting their traditional way of life?

 

I’ve had the privilege of meeting Chris Buckley personally and attending some of his talks about Chinese antiques in Beijing. He is one of the friendliest people I have ever come across, who will open up his home and share his collections, expertise and love for art and tradition. He is also an excellent photographer, designer and researcher, with a humanitarian drive to promote the preservation of Tibetan artisan products. To this end, in 2005 he established the Tanva Weaving workshop in Lhasa, helping to enhance the quality and value of rugs produced and sold by Tibetan weavers.

 

In September 2011 his gallery in Beijing, Torana, received a design award from Elle Decoration magazine for their colorshade rug range.  Living Hands: Tibetan Arts and Artisans is currently available direct from Torana Gallery in Europlaza, Beijing. The book will soon be available through Amazon.

 

———

For additional questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch at info@wildchina.com.

Whether your goals for the Year of the Dragon are to eat your way through China through China for Foodies or to take the most memorable family vacation yet, AsiaTravel can help plan your journey. Highlights for the new year include new small group programs that feature intimate groups of just 16 travelers, with a dedicated AsiaTravel Tour Director throughout the journey.

AsiaTravel will shortly be launching some exciting cross-border trips. Stay tuned for a trip that travels from Guizhou in southern China into lush northern Vietnam as well as a trip that travels overland from Mongolia’s grasslands into China’s capital city.

 

Everyone at AsiaTravel is anticipating that Yunnan will be one of our most sought after travel destinations.  What we like about Yunnan is that there a bit of something for everyone. You are an avid hiker looking for a change of pace and a challenge? Take a look at Yunnan: South of the Clouds. Looking to travel on an ancient trade route to deepen your knowledge of tea? You will definitely drool over Ancient Tea and Horse Road. And our friends over at Travel + Leisure agree that Xishuangbanna is definitely one of the Hottest Travel Destinations of 2012.

 

We look forward to sharing another exciting year with you.  From everyone at AsiaTravel, hope 2012 is off to a great start!

———-

Photo credit (for 2nd photo): iLearn Culture

Earlier this week, The New York Times posted “The 45 Places to Go in 2012.” Everyone at AsiaTravel was excited to see that Lhasa, Tibet (#9) and Moganshan, a village outside of Shanghai (#18),  made the list!

Even if you have not yet traveled to Lhasa (which you should), mental images of dramatic Himalayan peaks, devout Buddhist worshipers and piercing blue skies immediately spring to mind.  If you have traveled to this wild part of the world, I am sure you can remember your first savory bite of a yak dumpling, known in Tibetan as momo. Yum.

In recent years, large luxury hotel players such as St. Regis Lhasa have entered the Tibetan landscape and the InterContinental Resort Lhasa Paradise and the 284-room Shangri-La are set to follow in 2013. We will make sure to keep you posted on who has the best breakfast…

Those less familiar with China may scrunch up their eyebrows and say, “Moganshan? What’s that like?”

 

A quick three hour zip out of Shanghai, Monganshan is a fantastic getaway from city living.  For guests who are already in the area, we often suggest including a restorative and romantic stay in Moganshan– especially while on AsiaTravel’s Chinese Classical Gardens, a trip that winds through Suzhou, Wuzhen and other beautiful water towns along the Grand Canal.

Whether your 2012 travel plans include Lhasa or Moganshan, you cannot go wrong!

———-

For more information on traveling to Moganshan and/or Lhasa, please contact info@wildchina.com

Photo credit: (2nd) myALN, (3rd) Naked Stables

 

AsiaTravel is thrilled to announce the 2012 AsiaTravel Explorer Grant awardees are… Zhang Shanghua AND team Bill Bleisch & Yan Lu! A split tie!

 

Shanghua, a scientist based in Chengdu, Sichuan province,  will explore the natural beauty and local cultures of Baiyu County in the Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture. Along his journey, he will spend time in The Chaqingsongduo Nature Reserve which houses two-thirds of the world’s population of white-lipped deer or Thorold’s deer, the second largest glacier in the prefecture, and the sources of numerous streams and rivers, and the peak of the mighty Mount Gongga.

 

Bill Bleisch, Program Director of China Exploration & Research Society and Yan Lu of Fauna & Flora International will scout a route along the backbone of the Ailao Mountains through the Ailaoshan Nature Reserve.  They are excited about their expedition as it could be the start of a trekking trail along the Ailao Shan ridge and beyond, continuing north to Dali where it would connect with existing trekking routes, creating a long “through-trail.”

After receiving  fantastic applications from all over the world, the AsiaTravel Expert Panel, including AsiaTravel founder Zhang Mei had a tough job of selecting three finalists.  From everyone at AsiaTravel, we thank everyone who submitted fantastic applications and we look forward to keeping you posted on our 2012 AsiaTravel Explorers exciting adventures…

———-

For more questions about the AsiaTravel Explorer Grant, please click here or send a question to explorer@wildchina.com

Pictures by Shanghua Zhang and Art Fund

Hangzhou, located in the lower Yangzte region, has always been renowned for its excellent green tea, and is often associated with Chinese monks, intellectuals and scholars who spent their time meditating in temples and conversing in teahouses and beautifully landscaped gardens.

 

On a cold, snowy morning, we visited a tea farm in Longjing, in the hills of Hangzhou, also known as Dragon Well. From Longjing comes one of the best green teas in China. We went during Chinese New Year week celebrations, and although the area was packed with tourists, we managed to escape the huge crowds because Vincent, our AsiaTravel guide, took us to a private farmhouse, overlooking the tea plantations. We were welcomed with “Xin Nian Kuai Le” – Happy New Year greetings, as the farmer’s wife extended a glass of hot, fragrant Dragon Well green tea. We sat on the terrace, overlooking the tree plantation, sipping tea, talking and listening to Vincent play traditional Chinese music on the bamboo flute.

It was a sunny, cold, quiet morning. After enjoying the fresh air and warming up with our tea, we went on a short trek up the hills of Dragon Well, cloaked by a blanket of green bushes. The shaded areas were still covered with a thin layer of silver, shiny, sparkly snow that was beginning to melt with the first rays of sun timidly appearing behind the hills. I had to stop every few steps, not because the trek was difficult or treacherous, but because the breath-taking views deserved to be photographed.

Even on a winter’s day, the landscape is outstanding: lines of tea plants uniformly growing along the hillsides, with scattered trees bearing tiny red berries. And below, deep down in the valley, a small fairy-tale village – white houses with black roof tiles, smoke still coming out of their chimneys. After our walk we went to a local restaurant called Green Tea that, as the name suggests, serves a variety of dishes aromatised with the precious crop, as well as other specialities: Green tea handmade Tofu; Green tea roast pork, chicken or fish; Bread temptation, to name but a few local dishes.

The restaurant has a bucolic, folk atmosphere. Surrounded by a small lake, it is built out of warm, light, wood. It is decorated with rustic pottery vases, freshly cut flowers and ethnic textiles and its many windows allow visitors to appreciate the views. There is an air of congenial hospitality and joy. People sharing their dishes, chatting, laughing. ‘Green Tea’ restaurant is right next to China’s biggest and best Museum of Tea.

At the museum you will find a comprehensive exhibition of the history, cultivation, production and consumption of all sorts of teas. The museum is surrounded by carefully landscaped gardens, with little creeks and waterfalls scattered all over; ancient trees, exotic plants and beautiful birds … No wonder Marco Polo, upon arrival to this area, described it as ‘Paradise on Earth’.

———-

Interested in learning more about China’s tea culture? Drop a line to info@wildchina.com to experience a customized tea tour throughout the country or take a look at Tea & Horse Caravan, which has set-departures from April 11-20 and September 12-21, 2012. 

Words & Photos by Chelin Miller, AsiaTravel’s own Yummy Mummy.

 

It will come as no surprise that travel in China can be tricky.  Mountaineous terrain in the rugged western regions, booming cities of 18 and 20 million people, and a serious language barrier for those not fluent in Mandarin are all challenges one can face. In the words of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, “We aren’t in Kansas anymore…” never rings truer when landing in China for the first time.

However, there are the rare moments when China travel becomes a bit easier.  One of AsiaTravel’s favorite off the beaten locations is Mt. Kailash in the Ngari prefecture of Tibet. Mt. Kailash is one of China’s most holy mountains and the three day circumnavigation around the base of the +21,000 ft. mountain is challenging, but moving. In the words of AsiaTravel Founder Zhang Mei, “Definitely a trip of a lifetime.”

 

Several years ago, arriving to the base of Mt. Kailash was an ordeal.  Three days of arduous car travel extended the trip significantly and turned many away who only had 7-10 days of holiday.  Fortunately, a flight from Lhasa to the Ngari prefecture has opened, allowing quicker access to Mt. Kailash. 

Earlier this morning, AsiaTravel received a travel request from a couple interested in traveling to this region and we were thrilled to tell them that the three day challenging drive could be reduced, allowing them to visit other places on their trip, allowing more time to explore the Guge Kingdom.

———–

Interested in traveling to Tibet in the near future? Summer is a fantastic time to go. Get in touch at info@wildchina.com

 

AsiaTravel, alongside Outpost Magazine, Revo, Mountain Hardwear, and ZoomerMedia, is sponsoring a once-in-a lifetime journey, The Kawa Karpo Expedition.  Leaving next week, AsiaTravel expert & good friend, Jeff Fuchs will be leading this expedition.

Fuchs, a longtime resident of Shangrila and Explorer Club member, has a longtime fascination with lost trade routes and sacred Tibetan mountains.  With this journey to Kawa Karpo, Fuchs, alongside Bill Roberts of Zoomermedia, aim to immerse in “a journey along an ancient pilgrimage-trade route, a journey to recapture and peek into an ancient route when mules and men (and mountains) were inseparable. ”

Speaking to Fuchs on the phone earlier today, he is hard at work putting on pre-expedition pounds and eagerly awaiting the arrival of Roberts and videographer Roberto Gibbon Gomez.  At the moment, Fuchs imagines the expedition will take 9-12 days to complete, depending on weather.

Stay tuned right here on the AsiaTravel blog to track the Kawa Karpo Expedition. Fuchs will be sending photos and stories via sat phone while on the trail!

———

If Jeff Fuchs’ journey sounds right up your alley, AsiaTravel is offering an expert-led trip with Fuchs exploring The Ancient Tea and Horse Caravan from April 11-20, 2012. Sign up now!