Author Archives: Mike
China travel – Shangri-La
Okay. Its real name is Zhongdian. The China Tourist Board renamed it Shangri-La for the benefit of Western tourists who have read James Hilton’s novel “Lost Horizons” and want to visit a mountain utopia where they can escape the … Continue reading
China Travel – Leaping Tiger Gorge
It’s in Yunnan Province, close to the border with Tibet and near the famous Yangtze bend. The locals say it’s the highest gorge in the world – far exceeding the Grand Canyon. I went there with my wife and was … Continue reading
China Travel – Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is part of an extensive system of waterways that criss-crosses eastern China and links its four major rivers. Large parts were in place during the Tang Dynasty. The ancient towns along the canal banks are favourite destinations … Continue reading
China Travel – Silk Road
Two silk roads cross eastern China. One hugs the mountains of the Tibetan plateau to the south. The other takes a northern route and skirts the mountains of Mongolia and the Tien Shan. Both routes pass though some of the … Continue reading
China travel – Mountains of Heaven
The English name is an exact translation of the Chinese “Tien Shan”. The mountains stretch for 1500 km (1000 miles) along the northern rim of the Taklimakan desert, from Urumqi in the east to Kashi in the west. They are … Continue reading
China travel – Urumqi
It’s a city of several million people, nestling beside the Tien Shan (Mountains of Heaven) in China’s Far West. In winter, temperatures plummet to well below zero. In summer they rise into the forties (Centigrade). Cars are made there … Continue reading
China travel – Kashi
Fat-tailed sheep When you get there, you are almost in Central Asia. Indeed, most of the locals would say you are already there. The tribal lands of Pakistan are a short distance to the south and Afghanistan is not much … Continue reading
China travel – sex
There’s more to Xian than terracotta warriors Guys. Bear in mind that Chinese women are relatively reserved when it comes to sex. I’m not suggesting that there is no such thing as free love in China. I’m merely trying to … Continue reading
China travel – independent traveller
There was a time when tourists needed to join a group or hire a guide to visit China. Those days have gone but the myth remains. Part of the problem is the description that is applied to the country.
China travel- people
There are 1,300 million of them and they’re all called Chinese. The European Union has a third that number; they are all called Europeans but no one expects them to be the same. We recognise that Bulgarians are different … Continue reading
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