After finishing another great semester, I have finally gotten around to consolidating our top picks for China based on our Lonely Planet investigations. This was a very difficult task as China is huge and full of amazing things to see, eat, and explore. In fact, I am sure that we will still be unable to get to everything on our list, so if you have an opinion on our top picks, please let us know. We would appreciate your input! So here are the places we will attempt to visit in China:
Beijing -I don't believe you can experience China without coming here. Yes, there are an ungodly amount of people; yes, it is hot and smoggy; and yes, it is for the most part, ugly. BUT, Beijing also has the Forbidden City, Summer Palace AND access to the Great Wall of China. For me, my first visit was like stepping into another world and I cannot wait for Pearce to experience it!
Shandong - Steeped in myth and supernatural allure, Shandong is the stuff of legends where iconic philosophers once pondered and Taoist-inspired emperors launched naval expeditions in search of lost continents. Highlights include Tai Shan Mountain, the most important of the five sacred mountains; Qufu, the hometown of Confuscious; and Qingdao, a German styled city in China dubbed "China Switzerland" home of the Tsingtao Beer Museum.
Shanghai-
Highlights include The Bund, Shanghai museum, French Concession, Taikang Road Art Center, Yuyuan Gardens and Bizarre, Huxinting Teahouse and Riverside Promenade.
Fujian - Directly facing the island of Taiwan Straight, the southern province of Fuijan - famed
for its tricky dialects- is a lush mountainous, coastal region of China. Highlights include Gulang Yu Island, West Lake which has been praised by emperors, revered by poets, and intoxicated the Chinese imagination for centuries; and Wuyi Shan, another mountain which has some of the most spectacular unspoiled scenery in the province.Shanxi - Some of the province's old courtyards and castles are so well preserved they're often used as film sets, but it’s the rough-around the edges, still lived in settlements that really steal the show. Highlights include the Yungang caves which contain
51,000 ancient statues; the Hanging Monastery, a Buddhist monastery built precariously into the side of a cliff; and Zhangbi Underground Castle, a 1400-year-old network of defense tunnels.Shaanxi - Shaanxi is where it all started in China. 6 thousand years ago, nomads decided the then fertile region, so close to the yellow river, was ther eperfect place to put down roots. Highlights include: Xian - a city that is famed for the Terrocata warriors, Muslim Quarter, and totally intact city walls from the Ming dynasty; Foping Nature Reserve where 100 pandas are protected in the wild; and Hua Shan, one of Taoism's five sacred mountains with a hike along the Green Dragon Ridge.
Anhui - It has well-preserved villages and fantastical mountains. Highlights include: Qiyuin Shan mountain range; Xidi and Hongcun, ancient Chinese villages, with idyllic scenery and homestays; and Huang Shan - with its granite peaks and twisted pines, Huan Shan is easily in the top ten sites to see in China.
Hong Kong - enough said.
Guanngxi - Undeniably stunning scenery is what lures most travelers to lush, green and
subtropical Gaungxi. Highlights include Guilin with its otherwordly karst topography and stunning Li River boat ride;Yangshuo - claimed to be even more breathtaking than Guilin, best seen by a hot air balloon.Yunnan - More than half of China's ethnic minorities live here. Home to Dali, the original funky banana-pancake backpacker hangout, this town is sandwiched between the mountains and Erhai lake which you can bike around and Tiger Leaping Gorge, this unmissable trek of Southwest China (and possibly all of China?), the gorge is one of the deepest in the world, it measures 16km long and was carved from the waters of the Jinsha River. It is prenaturally lovely nearly every step of the way, although is not for the weak.
Anything we are missing? Let us know!
Allyson (and Pearce)
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