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theMessengerFascinating China

Vol.18 No.6Nov. - Dec., 2007

Unveiling the Mystery of HuanglongThe Grassroots "Forbidden City"Chinese Tourists Set Off on the Road - an Evolution

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Editor'sMessage n May 1990, CRI's English Service started the bimonthly four-color newsletter "The Messenger" with an eye on strengthening ties with listeners. The publication was delivered to overseas listeners and to foreigners in China who work at embassies or consulates, foreign-owned and joint-venture companies, as well as students, teachers, journalists and tourists, or those who request it. It brought them information about Radio Beijing's (the former name of CRI) activities and future plans.

Since then, "The Messenger" has evolved, incorporating a fresher appearance to reflect CRI's tremendous modernization and change over the years, and China’s breathtaking transformations. The current issue prominently features the country's most fascinating places, with first-hand travel stories from our reporters adding a personal touch.

All of the staff working on "The Messenger" will continue to strive for excellence because we believe that is what you deserve. We hope you will continue to share our adventure as we journey down new and exciting paths.

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CONTENTSFEATURE: FASCINATING CHINA CITY TOURS

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Guangzhou: A Shoppers’ Paradise

Pearl River Night Cruise

What to See in Beihai

The Wonderland of Jiuzhai Valley

FEATURED SNAPSHOTS

Mailbag

FROM OUR LISTENERS

30Beautiful moments on the reporters’ roads throughout the "Fascinating China"

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Chinese Tourists Set Off on the Road - an Evolution 36

CRI NEWS BRIEFSCRI Launches On-Air Chinese Teaching Institute 33

China Radio International www.crienglish.com

theMessengerFascinating China

Vol.18 No.6Nov. - Dec., 2007

Unveiling the Mystery of HuanglongThe Grassroots "Forbidden City"Chinese Tourists Set Off on the Road - an Evolution

Unveiling the Mystery of Huanglong

I Have a Date with the Prairie

The Grassroots "Forbidden City"

Yungang Grottoes: Gallery of Ancient Buddhist Art Glories

Have a Taste of Russia in Hehei

Dalian - China's Top-notch Tourist City

Liugong Island, Not Only an Island

Discover the Real Suzhou

Wang Zhaojun’s Story: the Sadder Side

A Temple and a Legendary Dalai Lama

Online Voting Winner List

Voices from the Voters

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Learn Chinese Now!

Admiration of the Tang Poem

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With some 4,000 years of civilization, almost 10 million square kilometers of territory, and a diversity of 56 ethnic groups, China is by all means the apple in the eye of travelers worldwide.

From September to October, 14 reporters from CRI English Service toured 13 remarkable tourist cities and regions throughout China. Acting as observant travelers, they were there to find out the true charms of the country.

Here we present you with some of their discoveries from the trips. You can log on to CRIENGLISH.com for more first-hand stories, or see photos and video clips from their tours at http://english.cri.cn/webcast2007/events/travel/index.htm.

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Wholesale markets of national importance are by no means rare in Guangzhou. The city was one of the largest and earliest trading centers in China, if not the world. Visitors are generally fascinated by the variety of wholesale markets here.

Housewares, toys, umbrellas and sweets - lots of sweets! - are neatly bottled, colorfully packaged and splendidly showcased to attract passers-by.

But this is just a drop in the ocean of the markets -- products range from

foodstuffs and teas, shoes and leather goods, garments and bedding, to stationery and decorations, cosmetics and audio visual products, and more. From ordinary rubber bands to brand-name cosmetics, from yummy raisins to fresh seafood, from all-purpose plastics to exquisite porcelain, you will never fail to find anything you have in mind.

What's more, it's

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Guangzhou: A Shoppers' Paradise Text / Photo by Yang Yong

very easy to make a satisfying purchase at a satisfactory price; you may even get it as a steal if you bargain especially hard or buy in bulk.

No wonder Guangzhou is called a shoppers' paradise. Shoppers from all over the country and around the world regularly converge on the city. Most of them are merchants or tourists. There is always win-win atmosphere in these busy and prosperous wholesale markets.

Seeing is believing at Yide Road, a 100-year-old street renowned for its comprehensive selection of goods. Five indoor wholesale markets and 200 shops line this 1,000-meter-long strip, where carts are frequently seen and heard whizzing through the market, helping crazed shoppers carry away their bounty.

Thirty-five-year-old Zhou Hua is a

Porcelain cups are showcased for sale in Zhou Hua's porcelain shop.

Delicious-looking sleeve-fish are skewered for roasting.

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typical Sichuan woman. Years of hard work in Guangzhou have provided her with a solid knowledge of the porcelain business. These days, she is a porcelain designer and owns a porcelain store inside Wanling Wholesale Market on Yide Road. Her business is quite good and constant.

Zhang Li is one of her customers. She is from Haikou, a city of South China's Hainan Province. She sells decorative goods in her city, and comes to Guangzhou frequently to purchase wholesale materials.

"There are a lot of good choices in these Guangzhou markets. It is near my place, and there is a low price for everything. It's very convenient and very cheap, but of sound quality." Zhang Li said.

At 2 pm, Zhou Hua still had no time to think about lunch.

"It is painstaking to run a shop here. But there are a lot of opportunities too, including abundant business information, customer resources and more. We mainly sell wholesale to abroad, to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, for instance."

Zhou Hua is not worried about competition from similar porcelain shops nearby.

"Competition is natural here. But one wins with the best quality and reasonable prices," she said. "Quality is the most important, otherwise you will surely fail."

Patrick, a businessman from London, was here purchasing ladies' shoes. He comes

to Guangzhou two times a year. Asked why he chose Guangzhou, Patrick replied with a big smile.

"Guangzhou is probably the best place to purchase shoes!"

Outside the shop, I was again immersed among numerous carts, touts, shoppers and millions of goods on Yide Road.

The most surprising thing I spied was a giant and grand Catholic church standing just back off the busy commercial road. It was Sunday, and hymns could still be faintly heard resonating from inside. Despite the noise of the nearby markets, the tranquility of the church seemed never to be disturbed.

One can not be considered to have been to Guangzhou if they don't experience a pleasure cruise on the Pearl River, the third largest river in China and the largest in Guangzhou.

So we did!It was an exciting and

warm late-summer night when we arrived at Tianzi Wharf, one of many famous wharfs in Guangzhou, to start our cruise. Tianzi Wharf is located on Beijing South Road.

Every day starting from 6 pm, a number of cruise ships ply the river. It was 9 pm and the wharf was still crowded with hordes of tourists. Orderly, we went up to the top floor of the cruise ship, from where the best views of the river could be seen over the two-hour trip. Later, accompanied by the sound of blaring whistle, we set off!

This was the real Pearl

Pearl RiverNight CruiseText by Yang Yong / Photo by Yang Yong & Liu Bing

River! The river was so wide, probably over 300 meters in width.

We passed by Shamian, an island full of exotic flavor. Some 19 countries have had consulates there over past few decades. That was Aiqun Hotel, which used to be the highest building in China. And that was Sun Yat-Sen University, one of the country’s most distinguished universities...

We also passed by six famous and grand bridges: Guangzhou Bridge, Haiyin Bridge, Jiangwan Bridge, Haizhu Bridge,

Views from the cruise ship on the Pearl River.

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Jiefang Bridge and Renmin Bridge. With lights upon them, each shone forth golden rays into the night sky. Traveling under the bridges was quite interesting. You could hear the mixed echoes of both water flowing beneath the ship and cars running over your head. Besides those, everybody on the ship was yelling joyfully!

Gently moving forward, I could feel the breeze off the river on my face and hear the sound of water splashing against the side of the ship.

Different constructions, old and new, along the river banks are adorned with various kinds of neon lights and awash with moonlight, casting colorful reflections upon

the calm water, making the sleepy city at night appear even more attractive.

There are also modern apartment buildings along the banks, illuminated with a myriad of lights. I was imagining the touching scene of a family reunion. Millions of Cantonese are nourished by the Pearl River, and they love their dear city.

Time flew. When classical Cantonese songs were played at the end of the cruise, I suddenly felt something both foreign and familiar. What was that? It was just beyond my description. You had better come try this cruise for yourself and experience your own emotions.

TransportationFrom Beijing to Guangzhou: By air,

￥1850 ($250), 3 hours.

AccommodationEconomy hostels cost about ￥150

($20) on average.

TipsTaxicab fare in Guangzhou starts

from ￥7 ($1), plus￥1 fuel tax. Taxi drivers switch shifts at around 6 pm, but you can always book a taxi by dialing 96900, 96122, or 020-86231800.

What to See in Beihai Text / Photo by

Liu Bing

The first time I heard about Beihai, I thought it meant the famous Beihai Park in Beijing, since I have been living in Beijing

for years. But I was wrong. The city of Beihai is dubbed the "oriental Hawaii." It's a lovely city with blue sea, silver sand, white

clouds and relaxing lifestyle. It's considered a perfect destination for vacationers because Beihai has green trees, various fruit, nutritious seafood and semi-tropical weather year-round. Beihai is located on the Beibu Gulf in the southern part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on the southwestern coast of China.

Before even setting foot in Beihai, I was already excited, thanks to my online search. Beihai has the top-notch beach in the world, the Silver Beach, and the youngest volcanic island, the Weizhou Island, in addition to good-quality air and craft works. It's also the home of pearls. And if you want to visit Vietnam, you can easily take a ship from Beihai. My

mind had already flown to the city while I was still in Beijing.

The flight from Beijing to Beihai takes about 4 hours, as you can see from the map - Beijing is in the north, and Beihai is down away in the southern part of China. People in Beijing were wearing autumn clothes, but my suitcase was full of skirts, t-shits, and swimsuits.

The Fucheng Airport in Beihai is a small one. We stopped at the airport for a while to recharge our cell phones, as we needed to contact friends, but then something unexpected happened. We couldn't find a taxi! Ten minutes ago, there had been so many cabs, but all of a sudden, none was left. A beautiful girl in a minority costume told us taxis were only available when flights arrived. Fortunately, the girl and her colleagues from a travel agency had their shuttle bus to pick up their customers, and they kindly offered us a ride. So, for those who plan to travel to Beihai, make sure you grab a taxi as fast as you can, otherwise you'll be left stranded if you've got nobody to pick you up.

Many people in Beihai ride motorcycles, so besides taking taxi, you can ride a motorcycle if you are brave enough! A man relaxing on a hammock on the Silver Beach.

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Rickshaws are another good choice, if you're not in a hurry. When you slow down the pace of life a little bit, you will rediscover more beautiful things to appreciate.

In Beihai, Silver Beach and Weizhou Island are the must-sees.

The Silver Beach got its name because of its soft and silvery quartz. Its sand is as soft

as a blanket. You can rest in the guesthouse and villas built in different styles nearby. Known as one of the best beaches in China, the Silver Beach attracts sea lovers with an average seawater temperature of 23 Celsius year round.

Weizhou Island is the biggest and youngest volcanic island in China, a seabed of living coral in a warm volcanic bay. Hospitable islanders make it so warm that it is great to visit any time of the year. You can get up early to watch the sun rise in Sesame

Beach (Zhimatan), then head to Volcano Park to see exquisite volcanic scenery and black breccia terrain. The mountain was formed during the last volcanic eruption 7,000 years ago. Between 3 and 4 pm, you can dive in the water warmed up by the sun and have an imitate touch with everything beneath the sea surface.

Beihai not only attracts many tourists, but also has changed the life tracks of many people. Professor Yang is one of them. Yang earned a doctorate degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1984. He spent eight years tackling a tough software problem, which led to the successful design of F35, a new generation of fighter plane. Despite these accomplishments, Yang Yao left the U.S. after two decades of glorious career to live a calmer life in Beihai. He now enjoys a peaceful and quiet life as a university professor. He thinks Beihai is the best place to take a long vacation.

TransportationFrom Beijing to Beihai: By air,￥2210

($300), 5 hours.

AccommodationThe best plan is to find a hotel close to

sea, which is not hard in Beihai. The prices range from￥120 ($16) to ￥140 ($19).

A little kid is making handicrafts.

People say one of the most delightful experiences in Jiuzhai Valley is resting with the sound of the flowing water nearby. This is true. If you listen closely, you will hear the water playing different tunes, some in haste, some at ease, some cascading to magnificent waterfalls, some to the babbling brooks.

It is said that after you have visited Jiuzhai Valley, you’ll think no waters anywhere else will match their charm. It has gained this reputation largely from its beautiful lakes, called "haizi", or "sons of the sea", by the locals. Legend has it that when the God Dage fell in love with the beautiful Goddess Semo, he used the wind and moon to make a magic mirror to impress her. Unfortunately, the mirror broke. The 114 pieces fell into the

valley and became the crystal lakes, just like beautiful diamonds embedded in the canyon.

Although it's a legend, diamond is well chosen to describe these lakes. From pure blue to dark green, the lakes of Jiuzhai Valley radiate the whole spectrum of hues. The surfaces, peaceful as a mirror, reflect the colorful woods on the snow-capped mountain.

Locals told us that once a child put the scenery on canvas, but was upbraided by his teacher for having "too much imagination". Only after the teacher herself came to Jiuzhai Valley did she realize that such a place did really exist and apologized sincerely to her student.

Many tourists echo the awestruck

feeling. Regev is a tourist from Israel. He said

excitedly: "It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to in my whole life. What's special about Jiuzhaigou is you can see together lakes, mountains with colors of trees, red, green and orange. And then you see the snowy mountain, and the lake is also really special and colorful."

Shi Chuan is another visitor who wore a silk Chinese gown. "Although I have been here many times, each time it gave me a renewed feeling of beauty. This time, I specially chose this coat for the trip. It's Chinese style, bright red, with hand-embroidered flowers and birds on it, very beautiful! This is how I feel about Jiuzhai Valley. I do not think I can really

The Wonderland of Jiuzhai ValleyText by Yang Tingting / Photo by Liu Lu

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describe the beauty in words. It’s like a poem, a painting and a song."

According to a World Natural Heritage Organization survey, only Plitvice Lake National Park in the Republic of Croatia ranks with Jiuzhai Valley, but the Croatian site is dwarfed in comparison: only one-twelfth of the vertical range and one-third the surface area of Jiuzhai.

Yet people quip that Jiuzhai Vallery, literally the "Nine Village Valley", is not just a heaven but also a hell -- heaven for photographers, and hell for painters. During my trip, I came across one brave soul, Zhou Changxing, who dared to try to capture the beauty of the moment on canvas.

"Just now, a tourist told me Jiuzhai Valley was hell for painters, but I would say it is a paradise for masters" the painter said, "the rich colors here strike me deeply, and the waters inspire me. I mean, where else can you find beauty like this? The colors and the lights are ever changing. If you are not skillful enough, you won't capture the beautiful moments, but I believe I can make it! This series of paintings are supposed to be exhibited next year in Beijing as a gift to the 2008 Olympics."

Beside the beautiful lakes at Jiuzhai Valley, you can always find signs saying "Your tenderly touch may damage fruits of calcification from millions of years ". What they're trying to say is that the flow of water over millions of years, combined with accumulations of moss and algae and other ecological transformations, has created this magical scene. Though the water is pure and transparent, it refracts astounding colors.

And surely, Jiuzhai Valley has guardians protecting its future, many of whom are local Tibetans. This fascinating place, found by a group of wood-cutters back in the 1960s, receives more than 2 million tourists each year. It is the homeland for the local Tibetans. Their history is thoroughly chronicled in "The History of Tubo of the Tang Dynasty", written some 1,200 years ago, which describes how King Songtsen Gampo arrived here in his first expedition to the East in the 8th century AD. Having arrived here, he left behind a part

of his army. Until this Eden was opened to the

outside world, locals enjoyed a peaceful life, generation after generation. So, has their home been well protected? Some visitors shared their views.

Li Xinchuan, from southern China's Guangdong Province, is here for a second visit. He told us more about the history of the valley: "My last visit here was more than 10 years ago, but I would say now it's more beautiful! That time I spent 3 yuan, or about 40 cents to rent a horse. I rode a horse up the mountain. But now, you see there are rails to protect the lawns, and there are plank paths

built along the cliffs. What's more important, the water is as pure as before. People have done a good job protecting this place! "

Another visitor, Shi Chuan, recounted her several visits to the place, "It's already the 5th time that I have been here, and each time, I've noticed new improvements, in tourist facilities, management, or in the guide service. These really impressed me!"

Visitors have been impressed by the well organized services, such as the transportation system, with buses arriving every five minutes, and stops throughout all the scenic sites. A guide is always available to answer questions. One ticket serves as a pass

for all the shuttle-buses.Ma Yigang, from the Management

Office of Jiuzhai Valley, told us more about the bus system. "It was in 1998 that we realized there were too many private cars in the valley. This caused air pollution and traffic congestion. So we introduced a unified bus system. It worked! Not only are the buses environmentally friendly, they are also coordinated. So we continue to use the system today."

The valley has been listed among 5A tourist areas -- the highest rating in China's tourist attractions -- for transportation, tourist guides, sanitation, and accommodation. Ma

Yigang said although the tourist economy is booming, the priority has always been to "protect the environment and improve the lives of the local people".

"It is the home for more than 1,000 Tibetans from nine villages", the official said, "They used to be farmers and herdsman. Now all locals have chosen to work in the tourism sector. Those who have more than 5 years of driving experience can become drivers; and the elderly or illiterate can be sanitation staff. In addition, the government has implemented the policy of returning arable land to forests, which provides farmers with regular subsidies as compensation."

CRI reporter Yang Tingting is interviewing local Tibetan Grandpa Longze.

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Sang Zhaxiu is a local Tibetan. He told us more about his new job, "I'm a sanitation worker here. I live outside the valley. Every morning I come here at 7:30 and leave at 4:30 in the afternoon. In this specific site known as the Virgin Forest, I have 30 fellow workers. It has been more than half a year since I've been working here. I feel good!"

Yet, for many young lads and girls, dancing and singing on stage may be a more attractive option. When night falls, Tibetan songs and dances come to the stage. Among the well-known performing troupes are "Red Cheeks on the Plateau" and "Jiuzhai Paradise." After the show, spectators can enjoy the authentic Tibetan Guozhuang Dance by the glowing fires, side-by-side with the lads and girls.

Jiuzhai Valley and Mount Fuji of Japan are planning to become sister tourist areas, to exchange experiences in protection and development. Locals always say "mankind has only one earth, and there is only one Jiuzhai Valley on Earth. We cherish the land as we care for our eyes."

TransportationFrom Beijing to Chengdu: By air, ￥

1590 ($215), 2.5 hours.From Chengdu to Jiuzhai Valley: By

air, ￥1090 ($147), 30 minutes; or by bus (4 times a day from Chadianzi Bus Station), $9, 8-9 hours.

Accommodation: Plenty of hotels available just 10

minutes away from the scenic area. Hotels ranking 5 stars or above cost about $100 per night. Ordinary hotels cost bout $40. Backpackers can live in local Tibetans’ houses in the 3 opened villages.

We arrived at our destination at a snowy dusk.

The temperature dropped suddenly and an unexpected snowfall came on the third day I stayed in Jiuzhai Valley. I was quite exited to see this winter's first snowfall.

My colleague and I thought this snowy afternoon afforded the perfect time to visit the picturesque snow-capped mountain and wonderland at Yellow Dragon Valley, or Huanglong in Chinese.

Known as the "secret wonderland and heavenly scenery on earth", the Huanglong scenic spot is located in the virgin forests in the northwestern tableland of Sichuan Province, and is within the administrative territory of Songpan County in Aba Tibetan and Qing Autonomous Prefecture.

Huanglong's major scenery is concentrated in the 3.6-kilometer-long (2.2

miles) Huanglong Valley, which includes snow-clad peaks and the easternmost glaciers of China. Due to its layered calcium-carbonate deposit patterns, the valley resembles a golden dragon winding its way through the virgin forests, stone mountains and glaciers. Scattered along the valley are numerous colorful ponds of different sizes and shapes, which are strewn with a gold-colored

Text / Photo by Liu Lu

Unveiling the Mystery of

Huanglonglimestone deposit that gives a shimmering golden hue to the water. So in sunlight, a golden dragon seems to surge forth from the forest. And so it was named "Huanglong Valley", or Yellow Dragon Valley.

With its "six wonders" of unique colored ponds, beach flows, snow mountains, fascinating canyons, ancient temples and folk customs, Huanglong attracts millions of tourists both from home and aboard every year.

After a two-hour drive on the slippery and zigzagging mountain roads, we finally arrived at the foot of this mystical tourist attraction. We settled in at a nearby hotel and made a detailed plan for our expedition the next day.

We slept deeply and soundly that night. It was deadly quiet outside, still snowing heavily.

The Long HikeI could not believe my eyes the next

day when I got up, because the whole world was in only one color - white! Everything had been covered with a layer of snow overnight.

"I cannot wait to go to Huanglong, Let's hurry up!" My colleague hastened me.

After we put on all our thick clothes and ate a simple breakfast, we started our journey.

Beautiful scenery assaulted our eyes as soon as we arrived at the front gate of the scenic spot. A strong feeling flashed into my mind: to compare Huanglong with a fairyland on Earth is not an exaggeration. The beauty of this place is beyond any words. You need to see it in person to truly appreciate its unique charm.

The magnificent snow mountain, the vast primeval forest, the crystal clear blue sky and the white clouds composed a florid

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The crystal wonderland of Huanglong in Winter.

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watercolor painting.Huanglong is famed for its outstanding

travertine (calcium carbonate) formations.

With the virgin forest as its backdrop, the travertine scenery contains colorful ponds, beaches, lakes, springs, waterfalls and caves. Most of them are scattered along the way to the top of the main scenic spots.

Instead of taking a cable car to the top of the mountain, we walked a more toilsome but economical way. If we had taken the cable car, we would surely have felt regretful

at missing so many fascinating creations of nature along the way.

After an almost 30-minute trek, a group of exquisite, crystal clear ponds caught our eyes with their unparalleled and aesthetic

charm. These are the Yingbin Colored Ponds, or Welcoming Guests Ponds. In winter, the lily-white snow and falling leaves enhance their glamour even more. From the ponds, you can see the interwoven reflection of trees, mountains, clouds and sky, which is a veritable feast for the eyes.

One of my favorite ponds is the beautiful Competing Pond. It covers an area

of 20,000 square meters, and consists of 658 small ponds. It was given the name because the sunlight reflects on the ponds' water in an array of eye-catching colors. The ice forest, bamboo shoots and waterfalls form a truly breath-taking and magically icy scene. This pond is believed to be the grandest and most colorful travertine pond cluster in the world.

After an almost four-hour trek, we finally climbed to the highest

ponds - Wucaichi, or Five-colored Ponds, the largest pond cluster of Huanglong, which is

almost 3,600 meters high.Because of its high altitude, many

travelers got altitude sickness here. But luckily, besides the feeling of excitement, the two of us had no ill affect at all.

The pools of the Five-colored Ponds are filled with green water in shallow areas, making them such a wonderful sight. This "jade tray" reflects the sunlight in red and purple colors.

Everything was wrapped in white snow, except this pond that reflected the blue sky, as if a celestial emerald had been scattered on the ground. The pond is believed to be the eye of Huanglong, and one of its greatest attractions.

Huanglong ImpressionWe rewarded ourselves for successfully

climbing to the top scenic spot by returning by cable car.

I prefer Huanglong over Jiuzhai Valley, for everything there is so natural and magnificent. Walking along the devious roads and under the shadow of the trees whose leaves were covered with thick snows, made me feel I was completely part of nature.

With so many wonderful views in one place, Huanglong is not only one of China's greatest treasures, but also the world’s. Its beauty is beyond description.

It has been believed for centuries that the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the platform to paradise. Huanglong is its eastern end, the first step toward heaven.

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TransportationIt is recommended to travel to Jiuzhai

Valley first and go to Huanglong on your way back to Chengdu.

From Jiuzhai to Huanglong: By direct tourist bus, ￥20 ($3), 2 hours.

AccommodationTips

Opening hours: 9:10 to 16:40, from April to October.

Due to its high altitude, the average temperature is around 7 C. You can rent warm overcoats and oxygen bags in the scenic area.

No supermarket available. Remember to bring energy snacks yourself.

The crystal wonderland of Huanglong in Winter.

The crystal wonderland of Huanglong in Winter.

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Looking at a map, you will find that the northwestern Gansu Province has the shape of a dumbbell, long and narrow. It runs from southeast to northwest for over 1,000 kilometers.

Roughly in the center of Gansu Province, there is a city called Zhangye; that's where our story begins.

Driving along a highway that meanders on a vast golden carpet-like prairie in late autumn, we were heading to the Mati Temple, or Horse's Hoof Temple.

On the road, the view was great. The highway was sparsely lined by poplar trees, their leaves in orange, yellow, red and green. On the far side, vast prairie land, like a golden furry carpet, stretched out to the horizon, ending up at the snowy Qilian Mountain Range that lies far beyond.

Occasionally, we came cross some shepherds driving a herd of plump sheep roaming the grassland, or a farmer harnessing his cattle to build a barn, or a few local villages consisting of wooden or stone houses.

Nourished by a mountain stream of melted ice and snow, the fertile oasis at the foot of Qilian Mountain becomes the granary of the Hexi Corridor, earning Zhengye the name "Gold Zhangye".

After traveling due south for some 65 kilometers, we entered the Mati Village in the Sunan Yugu Autonomous Prefecture, our destination for today.

Legend has it that long long ago, a divine horse once stopped here, leaving a huge horseshoe imprint on a piece of stone. Later, people built a temple to enshrine the relic, and named the temple after the legend, the Horse's

Text by Chu Daye / Photo by Wang Yiliang

I Have a Date with the PrairieHoof Temple.

The Mati Village is located at the mouth of a V-shaped valley and is home to Tibetans, Han people and Yugu ethnic minority people. We meet our tour guide, a pretty Yugu girl, called Sardan.

Sardan was wearing the unique costume of the Yugu people: a pink gown with blue embroidery, a red capped hat and a pair of riding boots made of cowskin. She told us that she had two names, one from before her marriage and one after. Plus a Han Mandarin name, she altogether has three names.

The Mati Temple Scenic Area occupies an area of 13.85 square kilometers. It mainly features natural landscape, historic grottoes and monasteries, as well as the folk customs of the local Yugu people.

The Mati Temple itself has two parts to see: the temple and the grottoes carved into the sand cliff behind it.

The Mati Temple is divided into a northern part and a southern part. As the southern part is a working monastery, we would only visit the northern part. The Mati

Temple is now mainly devoted to Tibetan Buddhism. The temple reached its peak in around 1200 AD, when the monastery held

over 1,000 monks.When we entered

the monastery of Mati Temple, there was a group of monks holding prayers inside the hall. We were really lucky, as such ceremonies are only held twice a month, once on the first day of the Chinese calendar and once on the fifteenth day. Led by a senior monk, the monks visited each room in the monastery one by one, chanting sutras in

Sardan, our tour guide, posed in front of the entrance to the Mati Temple.

Mati Temple was built along a cliff face of red-sand stone.

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quite strong indeed. If you are not a good drinker, just sip a bit to show your respect and thanks to the host. If you really can drink, then you've certainly found the right place!

As we entered, we found that the arrangements inside the tent were different from a common restaurant. The central area was clear and all guests sat in a circle. The central area was where singers and dancers entertain the guests. A typical Yugu lunch offered to guests is mainly mutton. A whole sheep, newly butchered, will be boiled in salty water and people eat it with their hands and a knife. Other food items include dairy products, chicken and highland barley wine.

When we were having our lunch, a group of local boys and girls entered the tent and began to sing and dance. It was amazing to hear their high-pitched and loud voices and saw their sporty and energetic movements. Their warmness cheered up everyone in the room, and especially those who were already a little drunk.

The weather in the mountains is very unpredictable. During our lunch break, it began to snow outside. When I finished my lunch, golden autumn had long gone, and silver winter had been waiting on us for quite a while.

Sardan suggested that we should ride horses into the mountains, as there was a beautiful waterfall hidden deep in the valley. So we rented three horses, 50 yuan for each, and began our march in the snow.

Sardan is a superb rider, but my colleague and I are not: we needed the horses' owner to lead us. As we went riding into the

front of Buddhist statues.The Yugu ethnic

minority group has a population of some 10,000. They live as nomads at the foot of Qilian Mountain. They can be further divided into two tribes: the Eastern Yugu and Western Yugu. The people in the two tribes are basically the same. The only difference lies in their clothing. Dozens of years ago, the Yugu people began to settle down and ended their nomadic lifestyle, but nowadays they still make their living by raising cattle, sheep and horses.

Accompanied by Sardan, we set off first to visit the main attraction of the Mati Temple, the Thirty-Three Tier Sky, a group of temples and pavilions built along a vertical cliff face. Thirty-three is a Buddhist term, meaning "very high". The mountains at the Mati Valley have mainly red sandstone cliffs. The stone cliffs are naturally open. Subsequent monks from the Mati Temple extended many of the caves and opened up winding tunnels, passageways and stairwells to link them together. Several pavilions with superb balcony views were also built at gorgeous positions, giving the cliff face its current shape.

During our climb, we saw many sculptures and wall paintings devoted to Buddhist doctrines. But they haven't been very well protected over the years, which is a heart-breaking fact. The highest pavilion of the Thirty-Three Tier Sky is nearly 50 meters high and the climb took us 20 minutes.

After we successfully reached the top cave on the cliff face, Sardan told us that those who reached this level would be blessed with good health and longevity. I think that must be reasonable, as climbing the endless step ladders into the labyrinth-like caves has already demonstrated our physical fitness.

After climbing the grottoes, we walked into the Mati Valley, and met a group of white tents along the road.

These Tibetan-style tents are where tourists enjoy their lunch or dinner.

Several girls were waiting us. Judging from their costume, they are Tibetan girls. Wow! They began to sing a toasting song to us!

The wine, highland barley wine, is

valley, the snow became heavier. And the world around us had turned white. The best thing about the Mati Valley, to me, is that there were only us at that moment, nobody else. We didn’t have to frown at crowded tourist flocks, as there were none. There was nobody except us. It was a couple of private hours, pure private hours, for us to feel the greatness of Mother Nature. Straight virgin pine tree woods, a trodden, muddy path, and the flowing sound of a running stream, these are the only things I remembered from that 30 minute ride.

We never made it to the waterfall. The road

conditions were too bad for our horses to continue. But to me, the trip was fulfilled. I call it "a date with the prairie". What a wonderful day!

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My horse was having a short rest before we headed back.

TransportationBeijing to Lanzhou: By air, ￥1500

($202), 2.5 hours.Lanzhou to Zhangye: By bus, 8

hours.Zhangye to Mati Temple: As no tourist

buses available, you're recommended to rent a car. A round-trip to Mati Temple costs around ￥200 ($27).

AccommodationTry the Zhangye Hotel in the

city center. The 3-star hotel is the city's government guesthouse and the rate could be negotiated for around ￥200 ($27) per room.

TipsThe Mati Village is a wonderful

choice for a one-day excursion, a 2 hours' drive from Zhangye.

You'd better hire a tour guide to fully appreciate the significant of the buildings (￥100, or $13, in Chinese).

The local tent restaurant mainly provides meat and wine. Unless you're good at drinking, don't drink too much or the hosts will keep toasting you.

The horse rental is negotiable. We agreed upon ￥50 ($7) per horse.

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Many travelers have marveled at the magnificence of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Not far from the capital city, in central Shanxi Province, there is a grassroots "Forbidden City", the Wang family's Grand Courtyard, or Wang Jia Da Yuan.

The five majestic castles of the Wang family's Grand Courtyard lay on a plain hillside in the village of Jingsheng, located in the city of Jinzhong in central Shanxi. This architectural complex occupies a total area of 250,000 square meters. That is as large as one-third of the real "Forbidden City". No matter it is called "the No.1 civilian residence in China".

"Feng Shui" is the ancient Chinese practice of the placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment, and it is one factor that the Wang family had seriously considered when the grand courtyard was constructed.

Text / Photo by Peng Ran

The complex is backed with a hill slope, facing a spacious plain in the south. To its west is Yellow River, its east the Mianshan Mountain. Its location has the classic favorable pattern according to the "Feng Shui" theory.

The whole residence area is divided into five castles. The number is a deliberate choice. On the one hand, five represents "wu xing", or the Five Elements: metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Ancient Chinese people believed these five basic elements made up the whole world. On the other hand, five refers to the five holy creatures from old Chinese legends: dragon, phoenix, tortoise, kylin and tiger. They all bear good auspices.

In addition, the layout in some of the castles integrated the owners' family name, Wang. The Chinese character "wang" comprises of three horizontal lines crossed by an upright line in the middle. The figure

was composed especially for the residents, to remind them of their obligations to unite and honor the family name.

The ancestor of the Wang family, a farmer named Wang Shi, settled down in Jingsheng village 700 years ago. Legend has

it that besides cultivating the land, he also made a living making bean curd. And his part-time job started a mercantile tradition in the family. The following centuries witnessed the Wang family expanding not only in population but in their business and social status. More wealth gave family members a better education and paved their way to political power. During its heyday in the 18th century, the grand courtyard was home to over 1,000 male Wang offspring and their wives and children. Among them, 12 were major government officials, 42 were honored with various official titles and many more were successful merchants.

Rows of houses at Red Gate Castle. A miniature of the "Forbidden City".

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Although the Wang family has long since declined along with China's feudal system, the grand courtyard has managed to survive and become a monument of the famous Shanxi merchants' past glory. Now, two castles of the courtyard are opened to visitors.

Located in the east of the complex is the Gaojiaya Castle, built about 150 years ago and owned by two brothers from the 17th generation named Wang Rucong and Wang Rucheng. It consists of two joint mansions and a shared recreational area, occupying about 20,000 square meters. Gaojiaya adopts China's time-honored architectural style of "siheyuan", in which houses surround square courtyards in four horizontal directions.

But what distinguish Gaojiaya are the variety of carvings found on the brick, stone and wooden materials in the buildings. Constructed during the most prosperous period of the Qing Dynasty, the Gaojiaya Castle exhibits colorful, exuberant and elaborate decorations. Vivid carvings and sculptures can be found everywhere: eaves, columns, walls, window frames, door heads, thresholds and staircases.

A local tour guide named Wu Xiaoxu explained the meaning of a stone relief on the outside wall of a house:

"This might be the most interesting stone carvings in the courtyard. It portrayed a fable from an ancient book - '24 Filial Piety Charts', meant to educate the newly-wed wives how to behave. On the chair an old lady is seated. She was toothless because of old age so she couldn't eat regular food. So her daughter-in-law breast-fed her. By her side was a baby boy. But his attention was drawn to a servant with a toy, so that his mother could save the breast milk for his grandmother. Plants with auspicious meanings were blooming all around them. It indicated that a family could prosper only when the housewife was virtuous and pious."

This piece illustrates the important role of the housewife in a big family like the Wang's, which is ironic because, at that time, women were not even counted as legitimate family members. Nevertheless, the Gaojiaya Castle has dozens of such didactic decorations scattered all over the yard with the purpose of teaching the youth about traditional virtues like diligence, concord and filial piety. Other carvings convey all kinds of auspicious meanings so as to surround the residents with abundant domestic bliss.

The refined wooden carvings are particularly noteworthy. They feature a

variety of figures of fauna and flora, and are largely found on the eaves and windows, a treat for the eyes that also carry domestic blessings. For example, on the window of a house dedicated to the newly-weds, one carving figures a fish piercing a lotus flower.

Mr. Qiu Xiaofeng, a senior culture researcher on the Wang Family's Grand Courtyard, explained it implied the reproductive action and carried the family’s wish that the new couple would start a family here very soon.

But the abundance of carvings didn't necessarily make the residence vulgar and tasteless. The Wang family attached great importance to the education of their descendants, and they built their houses with the classic gardening theories of Li Yu, the famous Chinese aesthetician from the 17th Century.

"Li Yu advocated bringing natural beauty to the family windows. By creating beautiful landscape on the windowpanes, the residents can enjoy the marvelous world outside, the mountains, the waters, the plants and the animals, without leaving the room." Mr. Qiu said.

But different from those in southern China, the wooden carvings in Wang Family's Grand Courtyard were painted with colors. It's probably because Shanxi has long and colorless winters. Colorful house decorations would delight the residents through the depressing seasons.

To the west of Gaojiaya is the square-shaped Hongmenbu, or the Red Gate Castle. Compared with the luxurious Gaojiaya, the Red Gate Castle was constructed half a century earlier and still followed the simple style of the previous Ming Dynasty. The remarkableness of the Red Gate Castle lies in its ensemble. In total it has 88 suites with 716 rooms. With an overall area of 25000 square meters and surrounded by high ramparts, it does look like a miniature version of the Forbidden City from afar.

Some houses in Wang Family’s Grand Courtyard have been turned into museums displaying the Wang's family tree as well as their cultural heritage. Antique furniture, ancient paintings and relics help visitors conjure up images of the family's prosperity during its apex. Among the exhibits, two items from the Qing Dynasty are particularly noteworthy. One is a genuine imperial edict, and the other is a large map that shows China's domain in the 18th century. Both pieces were royal gifts and showed the Wang family's privileged political status.

Among all the big ancient merchants' mansions in Shanxi, the Wang family's Grand Courtyard is the largest in scale. Its location, structure, architectural features and artistic carvings add to its uniqueness and charm.

Although the chilly weather in late October has ended the peak tourism season, there are still quite a few visitors strolling amidst the castles with an awed expression on their faces.

One man surnamed Li is from central China's Henan Province.

"The architecture is awesome and the style is unique. The carvings, no matter on the bricks, wood or stones, are all fantastic. It's a wonder that they are so well preserved. It is a precious treasure."

Among the visitors are quite a few foreigners, like Kathy Swanson from the United States.

"It's very impressive. It's huge. It's much bigger than I expected. Really, really, beautifully designed and I think the little gardens inside are really impressive too."

There is still much to say about the Wang family's Grand Courtyard, but it'll be more fun to see it with your own eyes. As a slogan in the courtyard reads: "You need see no more mansions after seeing the Wang family's Grand Courtyard."

TransportationFrom Beijing to Taiyuan: By air, ￥

700 ($94) , 1 hour; From Taiyuan to Jiexiu: By train, ￥

20 ($2.7), 2.5 hours; From Jiexiu to Wang Family's Grand

Courtyard: By Bus No.11, ￥4 ($0.5), 45 minutes.

AccommodationEconomic hostels available within the

grand courtyard, ￥140 ($19) on average.

A vivid stone carving at Gaojiaya Castle.

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The Yungang Grottoes are well-known as a treasure-house of ancient Buddhist art and one of the three largest major cave

complexes in China (the other two being the earlier Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang and the later Longmen Grottoes at Luoyang). Thanks to their large scale, rich contents and exquisite carving techniques, the Yungang Grottoes were included on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 2001.

On a sunny morning, we boarded a bus bound for the Yungang Grottoes, lying some 16 kilometers west of Datong City in northern Shanxi Province, a mere one hour away. The construction of the caves began in the Northern Wei Dynasty in the middle of the 5th Century, basically only stopped after some 60 years of continual work when the

Yungang Grottoes-Gallery of Ancient Buddhist Art GloriesText by Han Yueling / Photo by Peng Ran

capital city was relocated from Pingcheng (present-day Datong) to Luoyang.

Before my tour, I had already gleaned

some background knowledge about the grottoes. I knew that the first two emperors of the Northern Wei Dynasty were both devout Buddhists. However, the third emperor, who was a Taoist, rejected Buddhism and issued a decree launching a nationwide suppression of it. After he died, the succeeding emperor ordered the full restoration of Buddhism upon his enthronement. He then commenced building the Yungang Grottoes. At this time, Chinese Buddhism was reaching its peak

of popularity and Yungang became the first grotto group to be fully under the auspices of the imperial family since Buddhism entered

China around the first century A.D.

The grottoes were hewn onto the sandstone slope of Wuzhou Hill in a honeycomb pattern. During the early Northern Wei period, the hill was regarded as a holy site where several emperors prayed for rain and the blessing of deities. Caves and niches stretched for approximately one kilometer from east to west. There are 53 major caves at Yungang Grottoes surviving today, including some 51,000 statues and statuettes. They are noted for their rich variety, ranging from small, only three centimeters high, to tall, measuring 17 meters in height!

Two natural ravines cut into the face of the cliff and divide the caverns into three

The giant Buddha sitting in the open air is the most frequently published symbol of the Yungang Grottoes.

Grotto 12, regarded as the "music cave," is the most brightly painted of all. The beams and pillars are dotted with exquisite carvings of dancers and musicians with musical instruments in their hands.

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groups, numbered from east to west. It was a bit difficult to view these carvings in their right chronological order. After entering, we went

straight to the central group numbered 5 to 13, which are said to be the most glorious part of the whole assemblage. Grotto 5 enshrines the 17-metre-tall sitting Sakyamuni Buddha sculpture, which has 3.4 meter long earlobes that extend almost to its broad shoulders. The cave is screened by a four-story wooden attic made in a simple style.

Sculptures in Grotto 6 showcase the complete story of Buddha's life. In the centre of the cave is a square tower extending from the floor to the ceiling. The relief carvings on it and one side of the surrounding wall depict the life of Sakyamuni, from the day of his birth to the time he achieved enlightenment. The remaining parts of the wall are covered with numerous tiny Buddhas, rows upon rows of them in fact. The cave also boasts a variety of vivid figures, such as Bodhisattiva, disciples, guardians and Buddhist devotees.

Later we went to colorful and vigorous Grotto 12, regarded as the "music cave". It's the most brightly painted one of all. The beams and pillars are dotted with exquisite carvings of dancers and musicians with musical instruments in their hands, such as a whistle or Sheng- a reed pipe wind instrument. Even the ceiling is full of captivating details. In the centre of it lie several blossoming lotuses surrounded by a few flying "apsaras" - known as the flying gods of heaven's song or music in Buddhism.

Zhao Kunyu, assistant archivist with the Yungang Grottoes Institute, says the Northern Wei Dynasty witnessed a thriving era of

music communication and amalgamation."The Northern Wei was a belligerent

country. It brought the population, as well as

the culture and music of occupied countries to Pingcheng. To date there are nearly 500 representations of musical instruments to be found at the Yungang Grottoes. You can see panpipes and plucked zithers that originated in China, the waist-drum which was introduced from the Korean Peninsula, as well as the lute from the Western Regions (present-day Central and Western Asia). We've concluded that a majority of the musical tradition in Pingcheng came from the Western Regions. This cave displays scenes from a grand musical gala, for the sake of chanting Buddha's merits."

Besides the integration of music, Zhao added that the Yungang Grottoes developed a tradition of absorbing the essence of foreign art. Architectural elements like Chinese interlocking wooden brackets, called "Dougong" can be seen here, alongside Indian golden-winged birds, Gothic columns and other Western decorative elements.

Walking westward, we arrived at a five-cave group built in the initial phase. Numbered 16 to 20, they are known as the Tan Yao Five Caves. These huge solemn stone Buddha's houses here were chiseled under the auspices of monk Tan Yao, who decided to integrate religious worship with obedience to the emperor. On his instruction, the statues were fashioned to symbolize the first five rulers of the Northern Wei Dynasty. His reasoning was that the project would safeguard the prosperity of the country while upholding Buddhism.

Zhao Kunyu noted that Buddhist cave art developed its own distinct character at Yungang.

"In the Tan Yao Five Caves the statues possess a kind of characteristic rarely seen in India, Xinjiang and other parts of China. They combine the imposing appearances of the emperors of the Northern Wei with the expressions of Buddha, thus creating a new form of Buddhist statue."

Although no existing record shows which emperor each represents, Cave 18 is believed to enshrine Emperor Taiwu, the destroyer of Buddhism. Adopting a standing position, his left hand is placed on the chest, in a gesture of apology.

Looking from the outside, one can see that lots of minor caves and niches scattered on the cliff face have been eroded. Most regrettably the Yungang Grottoes were not under proper protection for centuries. They suffered from the serious affects of pollution in the 1980s as they were surrounded by dozens of coal mines. At that time, a state-highway transporting coal passed by just a few hundred meters away. Because of this, windblown abrasive dust particles entered the caves and were deposited on the statues, obscuring their features and degrading their painted surfaces. In 1998, the central government rerouted the highway, moving it away from the grottoes. Many small, nearby coal mines were also shut down.

As we were about to depart, I looked back at the gorgeous Yungang Grottoes one last time. Mere words are not enough to express my respect toward the skilful artisans, who left such a wondrous legacy. What I can say is that everyone visiting here is responsible for taking good care of them, so that future generations will also have an opportunity to gaze upon this priceless treasure.

TransportationFrom Beijing to Datong: By train, ￥

60 ($8), 6 hours; From Datong to Yungang Grottoes:

You can take a bus at Datong railway station, ￥2 ($0.25), 1 hour.

AccommodationMany mid-range hotels are available

near Datong Railway Station, such as Hongqi Hotel, a 3-star rated hotel. A standard room costs ￥240 ($32) per day.

The Yungang grottoes were hewn onto the sandstone slope of Wuzhou Hill in a honeycomb pattern.

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At the top of North-East Asia, China's Heilongjiang Province resembles a swan with her wings spread, the city of Heihe is just one of many brilliant pearls on her neck.

The territory of Heihe starts from the central line of the Heilongjiang River, overlooking Blagoveshensk, the capital of Amur State and the third largest city in the far east of Russia.

Heihe is the only city along the Chinese border with sub-provincial authority to engage with its facing counterpart - Blagoveshensk.

Everyday, hordes of people from China and Russia pass through the border checkpoint, in and out. These people have a variety of reasons for entering the other country, be it a short trip to experience the exotic scenery, culture and customs, or just for recreation, consumption and business.

Heihe City has introduced many convenient measures for both Chinese and Russian border people to enter each other's country, such as an extremely simplified border crossing procedure.

A Russian visitor introduced the situation at the checkpoint:

"The passing procedure is not complicated. But there are lots of people at

the Russian side to pass the check into China, so that the speed to pass the check is slow. At the Heihe side it is easy. You need only buy a ship ticket."

Many Russians come to the Chinese side to buy everyday commodities, and some of them are merchants. These merchants come into China, trade or buy Chinese products and then carry them over to Russia to sell for their livelihood.

There is one tax-free day a month in the Sino-Russian Border People Trading Zone.

Have a Taste of Russia in HeiheText / Photo by Guo Kai

Russians will not pay any tax when buying commodities on this day.

A Russian woman named Cbemlana, introduced her purpose for coming into China and her feelings on the rapid economic development of their neighbor country - China.

"We always come to Heihe in summer for entertainment or a rest. Sometimes we buy commodities. Lots of Russians like to wear Chinese garments and use Chinese products. The products from China are of a good quality."

A Chinese stallholder, Dong Haiyan introduced his business and dealings with Russians in the trade zone.

"Here, we have a lot of Russian visitors every day. They come to buy commodities as they are satisfied with Chinese products."

"They believe us about the quality of our goods. The busiest time is from May to October. Now it is the fading season." He added.

Another Russian visitor, who was paying her second visit to the city, said she

Heihe quay on Heilongjiang River.

Heilongjiang River runs along the China-Russia border.

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Dalian - China's Top-notch Tourist City

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would purchase a marten overcoat, seasonal products and children's commodities this time.

"There are some specialty stores here where the quality is very good. I've come here for the second time. A month ago I came here for the first time. I like this city very much. The people here are very hospitable."

Following the economic development of the region, more and more people are flowing across the border between Heihe and Blagoveshensk. The shortest distance between the two cities is only 750 meters over Heilongjiang River.

From a bird's eye view, Heihe and Blagoveshensk look like one city on the Heilongjiang River. A harmonious "city of twins" is being built along the river.

The two cities are marching ahead hand-in-hand, promoting economic development and cultural exchanges in the region.

Chinese students majored in the Russian language acquire lots of knowledge here without even having to cross the river; and admittedly getting across is not a bad idea - seeing and experiencing things in the flesh is always a good idea.

For sure many Russian people like coming to Heihe. You can see lots of them on the streets, in restaurants and hotels. In some restaurants, you will see that all the customers are Russians, and you may well feel that you're in Russia instead of China!

There are lots of buildings with domes fashioned in the Russian style in the city of Heihe. In this respect, inland Chinese people who want to experience some exotic Russian atmosphere need only come to Heihe. And with a passport, they will have the chance to cross the border into Russia, quickly and efficiently. In Heihe, the application for a visa into Russia is very simple, and you can get a provisional visa in less then two hours after applying for it.

TransportationFrom Beijing to Harbin: By air, ￥1100

($150), 1.5 hour; From Harbin to Heihe: By air, ￥600

($81), 1 hour.

AccommodationEconomic hostels available, ￥130

($18) on average.

Wedged between the Yellow and Bohai seas on the southernmost point of the Liaodong Peninsula, Dalian is a crucial port city of China. As China's northern ice-free harbor, Dalian has been the envy for many other cities. With beautiful scenery, nice environment and fast development, this romantic city ranks among China’s best tourism destinations in many people's hearts.

"I think Dalian is a very nice city, even for people from Europe. There are not so many differences from their homes. It's a very good start to enjoy China."

"It's a very nice place. It's amazing here."

"I've been to many cities in China,

including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. But my favorite is Dalian. My first impression is how clean and beautiful it is."

Text by Yang Yang

"I like this place very much and I want to come back again."

These visitors from all over the world are eager to express their love for Dalian. As one of "China's Best Tourist Cities", awarded

by the National Tourism Administration and the United Nations World Tourism Organization, this "Northern Pearl" of

The "ctystal ball" on Youyi Square, one of Dalian’s landmarks. [Photo by Chen Wei]

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China has its own advantages in developing its tourism industry. Xia Deren, Mayor of Dalian, made three points:

"The advantages of developing tourism in Dalian are as follows: the first point is Dalian's beautiful natural scenery; the second is its precious historical sites; and the third is the great economic and living environment it provides."

People call Dalian a beauty by birth because its natural sceneries are quite fascinating and unique. Located in the southern cusp of Liaodong Peninsula, Dalian's coastline is different from the gentle sand beaches in South China. Instead, it's scattered with rocks and reefs, making the sea even more calm, vast and mysterious. Seashore, sunshine, mountains and forests... all of these make Dalian a paradise for tourists.

Dalian is also a good textbook of China's modern history. Lvshun, the important military port located in southwestern part of Dalian, witnessed many vital wars in history such as the "Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895" and the "Japanese-Russian War of 1904-1905 ". Many significant historic sites are still well preserved there.

With fast economic development during the past few years, Dalian has turned from a little fishing village to a modern international city. Countless skyscrapers and large shopping centers make it easier for people to live and work here. The most important thing is the rapidly increasing GDP, while the environment is also well protected.

The local government has spent about 1 billion yuan (about 127 million USD) to clear the rubbish on the surface of the sea and has made many other efforts for its environmental construction. Up till 2006, the green coverage of Dalian reached 45%. No matter where you go in this garden city, you can see green trees, grasses and colorful flowers. The air here is 100% fresh! People even joke of exporting the air from Dalian to other cities.

When talking about Dalian's attractiveness, we can't miss the squares, because the popular "square culture" reveals the spirit of the city: green and people-oriented.

Crowned as the "Northern Hong Kong" and the "Oriental Paris", Dalian boasts of around one hundred squares, each with its own style and story. Zhongshan Square is a financial center of Dalian. The architectural style there is a combination of the oriental and the occidental, which well illustrates the city's history.

Xinghai Square, or Star-sea Square, is

once the largest square in Asia, covering 1.1 million square meters. The bronze sculpture of people's footprints from their childhood to their senior years represents the long journey requiring patience and composure, which Dalian also went through. Walking around the open space, enjoying the beautiful scenery, you might not realize that just ten years ago this place was a large garbage dump. Yes, it was, but today, with a group of buildings including the World Expo Center, the square has become a new international business district, which is really a miniature of the rapid advancement of the city over the past decade.

If Zhongshan Square and Xinghai Square are more economic-oriented, Haizhiyun Square, or the Square of the Rhythm of the Sea, is a good place to refresh your soul. Located in the eastern part of Dalian, Haizhiyun Square is surrounded by the sea from three sides and backed by the mountain on the other. Driving up the zigzagging road up the mountain, you will arrive at a magical slope where it is much easier to go downside up than upside down.

Not far from the slope there is a teashop where you can enjoy Chinese tea, light music and the ocean scenery up from the mountain. Several miles from the teashop, there is an ever green man-made Grand Banyan Tree, where people can enjoy the cool breeze in summer time and entertain themselves all year round. Being there, you can forget all yours sorrow and worries!

However, a city's charm lies most in its passion and its fashionable taste. Dalian is also a sports city where many world championships came from. The city's soccer team won first place in Chinese Football League Matches seven times consecutively. The love of sports presents us an active and passionate Dalian, yet the garden city can also be charmingly elegant and quiet. The ladies in Dalian are considered to be the most skillful at making themselves beautiful in China and the annual Dalian International Fashion Festival has been held here each autumn ever since 1988, making Dalian a super fashion workshop.

There are not only beautiful sceneries, great squares and fascinating fashion events in Dalian, but also hospitable and warm-hearted people. People living here are very friendly. They are always ready to help. Jan Weiser, a German student studying in Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, has made many Chinese friends in Dalian and is very satisfied with the living condition here.

"Everything is very nice. People are open-minded. There is nobody who wants to cheat you. They are all very nice. They try to help you. You are welcomed everywhere you go. It's such a nice atmosphere to live here. I think it's really good."

Just as Jan Weiser says, everything is nice here and everything is ready for you. There is no reason for you not to pay a visit to such a charming city.

Representing its 6 million residents, Xia Deren, Mayor of Dalian, expresses his warm welcome:

"Dalian is an open city. We have our arms open, welcoming guests from all countries and regions to visit Dalian. I believe if you come to Dalian, Dalian will definitely leave you with a beautiful impression, and you will realize that there is a very pretty city in China."

TransportationFrom Beijing to Dalian: By air: ￥

820 ($111), 1 hour; By train: ￥256 ($35), 10 hours;

From downtown Dalian to Golden Pebble Beach: By high-speed light rail, ￥8 ($1);

AccommodationThe cost of hostels in Dalian varies

from ￥140 ($19) to ￥300 ($40) for a standard room. There are also economic youth hotels along the seashore which can cost as little as ￥100 for one person a night.

TipsBus No.16 runs through many

of Dalian’s famous squares, including Haizhiyun Square, Zhongshan Square and Xinghai Square.

You can also take a trolley car from the railway station to Haizhiyun Square. Dalian's trolley cars are considered an intangible cultural heritage.

The picturesque coast. [Photo by Chen Wei]

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Liugong Island, Not Only an Island

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Liugong Island is situated in the northeast of the Shandong peninsula and set amidst the graceful splendor of Weihai Harbor, spanning 4 kilometers across, 1.5

kilometers in length, and covering an area of 3.15 square kilometers. The island stands two sea miles away from the downtown of Weihai.

It took us a 30-minute trip on a passenger ship before we landed on the island. We could not wait to see the pearls of Weihai.

Famous for its splendid natural scenery, from its continuous ridges and peaks to its densely-grown trees, Liugong Island is known as the "Wonderland beyond the

Text / Photo by Zhang Lingling

Human World". So why is it called Liugong? According to our tourist guide, there is a story behind it.

"Dating back to the Eastern Han

Dynasty, the wife of Emperor Liu Bian escaped from a palace coup. Later she gave birth to a boy and named him Liu Ming. They started to live on the island. The boy grew up and saved a girl one day when he was out fishing. The two later married and saved many more fishermen. People warmly referred to them as Grandpa Liu, or Liu Gong in Chinese, and Granny Liu, or Liu Mu in Chinese. In order to show their gratefulness to the couple, they built a temple on the island and named it Liugong Island."

There are two highlights on Liugong Island. One is the birthplace of the first modern navy force, the Beiyang Naval Unit in China. The other is the home of China's

first forest park on the sea.As the birthplace of

the Beiyang Fleet -- the first modern navy force in China -- the island had a solemn and tragic history. Now the Museum of the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), or the China Jiawu War Museum, has become a famous "national youth education base" and "national patriotic education base". The name of the museum engraved at the entrance is the calligraphy by former Chinese President Jiang Zemin. More than 1,000 pictures as well as over 200 cultural relics related to the Beiyang Fleet and Sino-Japanese War of 1894 are on display at the museum. In addition, lots of precious objects of great historical value, such as a 20-ton cannon from a battleship of the Beiyang Naval Units are also

exhibited. The museum took the exact site of the administrative office of the Beiyang Navy for its exhibition hall, integrating modern technology and traditional exhibition style, while reproducing the solemn historical scene of the defeat of the Beiyang Navy through cultural relics, pictures, waxworks, sand table and models.

The Museum of the First Sino-Japanese War has gained a reputation both home and abroad. A visitor from Malaysia gave us his impression after visiting the museum: "We

A view of Liugong Island.

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theMessengerhave learned about Chinese history and are impressed by the Jiawu War."

Liugong Island Expo Park is another large and multifunctional spot to show the history of Beiyang Naval Units. It covers an area of 50,000 square meters and has had more than 220 million yuan (about 28 million USD) invested in it. It is also called the encyclopedia of Liugong Island. The First Sino-Japanese War Demonstration Hall in the expo park brings history to life for visitors by employing multimedia and visual imaging. Walking through the halls, visitors will find like they were in a time machine that enabled them to feel and experience the reality of the war.

As the first forest park on the sea recognized by the State Forestry Adminis-tration, Liugong Island National Forest Park covers an area of over 4,000 acres, accounting

for nearly 75 percent of the whole island. There are more than 50 species of wild plants and over 50 species of birds residing on the island. If you watch carefully, you may catch a wild spotted deer sauntering here and there in the woods. Somewhere within the present territory of the forest park, the British built China's first golf course in 1902.

Since the opening of Liugong Island in 1985, facilities at scenic spots and the quality of services have both improved, as has the living standard of local people.

Uncle Sui is a 66-year-old local resident who has been living on the island for 48 years. He told us his feelings about the changes: "There have been enormous changes on the island. Liugong Island Expo Park was just built and the China Jiawu War Museum has been restored. They have also said that new scenic spots will be expanded to the east of the island. With the development, the quality of our lives has also improved: the transportation has become more convenient and our income has increased as well. Before

the founding of the People’s Republic, we pumped water from a well. Later we used tap water. Now the government promotes desalination of seawater for residents."

Xiao Su is a young man who sells fishing rods on the island. He said: "The number of visitors coming to Liugong Island has increased by 15 percent every year on average and the number hit 1.4 million in 2002. Now I can sell 70 to 80 fishing rods every day. With the increasing income, our lives have improved a lot. I believe Liugong Island has a bright future."

With its fresh air and a temperate climate, Liugong Island is an ideal place to visit.

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TransportationFrom Beijing to Weihai: By air, ￥770

($104), 1 hour; From Weihai to Liugong Island: By

passenger ship, ￥50 ($7), 30 minutes.

AccommodationEconomic hostels are available near

scenic sites, ￥100 ($14) on average.

Wild spotted deer saunter in the forest park on Liugong Island.

A 20-ton cannon from a Beiyang Naval Units battleship is on display at the China Jiawu War Museum.

Fascinating China City Tour

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There is a popular saying in China that "In heaven there is paradise, on earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou". Suzhou has been praised as a "paradise on earth" since the ancient times. Back then, Suzhou was a center of economic prosperity and cultural richness. Even after the passage of time and with the dramatic changes that have taken place in the world, Suzhou still enjoys great prosperity and recognition.

Suzhou's appeal is not in its skyscrapers, expressways or supermarkets. Sights such as these may be found in its neighboring city, Shanghai. Those who visit Suzhou, like me, marvel at its small bridges, murmuring brooks, classical gardens and water towns. While experiencing its prosperity, visitors can also appreciate the exquisiteness and elegance of Suzhou.

This is my first trip to Suzhou. Before I set out, I did a lot of research on the Internet. I was faced with a big problem after arriving at Suzhou Shuttle Bus Station at six in the afternoon. It took me over one hour to find a taxi during that rush hour. Luckily, this didn't influence my expectation of this city. Leaving my luggage in the hotel, I rushed to the Guanqian Street, a remarkable bazaar in the heart of Suzhou.

Guanqian Street got its name from its location in front of Xuanmiao (Mystery) Temple. Throughout its history of 150

Text / Photo by Xu Liuliu

Discover the Real Suzhou

years, a number of time-honored shops selling pastries and cakes have thrived here, such as Daoxiangcun, Caizhizhai and Huangtianyuan. A section of Quanqian Street between Bifengfang and Taijiannong is called Gourmet Street and has many restaurants specializing in Suzhou cuisine, a variation of Jiangzhe cuisine. Among them, Songhelou, meaning "Pine Crane Pavilion", stands out as the grandest and most famous. The restaurant has been in business since 1757, serving from emperors to ordinary folks in search of links to the past like me.

In this restaurant, a waitress will stand near you to serve you dishes and introduce the name and history of the dishes. You shouldn't

miss the world-famous dish called "Song Shu Gui Yu", or Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish at Songhelou. The restaurant is the creator of this dish, a fried boneless fish coated with a

sweet-and-sour sauce. It is one of the most famous Chinese dishes, and also one of the most difficult to make.

According to a folk legend, Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) tasted it while touring southern China, and praised it to no end. It's made with a whole "mandarin fish", a type of freshwater perch. You can find the mandarin fish in the market by the brown spots on its tail. The fish is completely de-boned with a cleaver in a manner difficult to describe without pictures, but the result is a boneless fish with the head and tail still attached. After being fried, the head of the fish looks big with its mouth wide open, the tail bends upwards, and the body looks just like a squirrel with

its fur stood up. The dish will make the sound like a squirrel squeaking when it is sprinkled with the dressing made from shrimp meat, dried bamboo shoots and tomato ketchup. Thus the Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish is complete in color, smell, and flavor, and will arouse the appetite of whoever sees it.

Wandering in the Guanqian Street after such a big dinner is necessary for travelers. Along the street there are many stores, selling local products

of Suzhou, including handicrafts, silk, embroidery and fans. You can pick up some products as gifts for your friends. Sightseeing along Guanqian Street is a main leisure

Caizhizhai, Suzhou’s Laozihao or time-horned brand in making and selling local sweet and snacks locates its base in the Guanqiang Street, a remarkable bazaar in the heart of Suzhou.

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theMessengerIt is said that the private garden offered so much beauty within its miniature landscape that it was a must see for the Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty whenever he toured the southern regions of his large empire.

The emperor added some royal touches to the villa. The escorted officials, led by Liu Yong, lodged at Hongying Villa, which consisted of two Ming Dynasty gardens: Xiuye Garden and Xiaoyin Garden.

In the villa stands a two-storied theatre, with upturned eaves. In front of the stage is a broad yard flanked by a corridor on each side. Of all the garden-like mansions in Mudu, only Hongyin Villa boasts of such a stage. It testifies to the imperial splendor of the private garden. Scaled down versions of operas are presented in karaoke style throughout the day, so most visitors have a chance to observe this ancient form of entertainment.

Three days passed by very quickly and left me with many Suzhou attractions undiscovered, such as the Tiger Hill and Hanshan Temple. Fortunately, the real Suzhou unveiled before me: it's like a big garden consisting of many mini gardens. Tranquility, elegance, and harmony with nature contribute to the serenity of the city.

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activity for Suzhou locals, as commerce, culture, religion and tourism are all combined into the atmosphere here. Guanqian Street gives us the opportunity to experience the prosperity of Suzhou.

Among towns around Suzhou City, Zhouzhuang is the most famous, named as the "Venice of the Orient." However, the town is gradually losing many of its elegant ancient touches with booming commerce and of course, packed visitors. Actually, there are many other choices for visitors, including Tongli, Mudu, and Luzhi. I decided to visit Mudu to avoid the Golden Week Peak and discover a real water town.

Located by Taihu Lake in the west of Suzhou City, Mudu Town has long been distinguished as Number One Town in southern Jiangsu Province. The town was built beside the mountains and its people all live near the water, which is rarely seen in

the ancient towns located to the south of the Yangtze River.

There is a legend about its name, "Mudu", meaning "timbers blocking the river". It is said that during the Spring and Autumn Period, when King Wu was building the "Guanwa Palace" for his concubine Xishi (a famous beauty of that time), a huge amount of timbers floated there and blocked the river, giving the town the name of "Mudu".

Four of the ancient dwellings have been restored along the main canal and offer a glimpse of the scale and opulence of life enjoyed by the fortunate during the Ming and

Qing dynasties. All four are within walking distance of the town gate, and although they are similar in design, each has its specialties.

At the eastern end of Santang Street, Mudu's main street, lies Yan's Garden, which is the former residence of Taiwan celebrity Yan Jiagan. The garden occupies 16 mu of land and showcases the finest workmanship of all.

Following the guide, we entered the garden. Artificial hills and water, flowers and trees, pavilions and terraces constitute a beautiful picture before us. Every shot with my camera was a wonderful photo of natural landscape.

The living quarter is at the center of the garden, with four mini gardens like satellites around it. The miniature gardens are named after the four seasons. The Spring Garden has a single towering magnolia tree to highlight the theme; the Summer Garden is blessed

with a large lotus pond; the Autumn Garden features sweet-scented osmanthus trees; and the Winter Garden is dotted with plum-blossom trees. The four gardens are connected by a long corridor, intermingled with pavilions and rockeries. Each step amazingly reveals a new scene, faithfully reflecting an architectural philosophy practiced by garden builders in this part of China.

If Yan's garden is the most poetic and elegant, then Hongyin Villa is the most spectacular garden in town.

Buildings are spaced widely, with scenery as natural and gorgeous as in Xanadu.

TransportationBeijing to Shanghai: By air, ￥1280

($173), 2.5 hours;Shanghai to Suzhou: By bus, ￥35

($4.7), 1.5 hours.Within Suzhou: By bike or on foot.

AccommodationEconomic hotels are plenty in the city,

￥150 ($20) on average.

TipsRecommended Suzhou snacks: bean

curd cakes with honey, pine nuts in syrup, melon seeds fried with rose juice and sesame cake with mashed dates.

Famous Suzhou restaurants: Songhelou Restaurant (Guanqian Street), Deyuelou Restaurant (Taijiannong), Wangsi Restaurant (Taijiannong), and Zhu Hongxing Restaurant (Renmin Road).

Recommended scenic spots: Tiger Hill Park; Hanshan Temple; Temple of Mystery; West Garden Temple; The Lingering Garden (Liu Yuan); The Master-of-Nets Garden (Wangshi Yuan).

One corner of the Summer Garden blessed with a large lotus pond and intermingled with pavilions and rockeries, one garden of Yan’s Garden in Mudu Town.

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Departs for the Frontier". Peace ensued for over 60 years thanks to her marriage.

But Wang Zhaojun's story does not end with a "happily ever after". Hu Hanye was almost twice as old as she was and already married. It's said that he died just

three years after their wedding. According to Xiongnu tradition, Wang Zhaojun had to marry the new leader, the eldest son of Hu Hanye, her step-son. She tried to return to the Han Empire but her request was turned down by the emperor. Finally she had to capitulate and marry the new leader and spend the rest of her life in service

against her will.The mausoleum of Wang Zhaojun is

called Qing Zhong, or the Green Tomb. It resembles the natural green slope of a hill. She is still commemorated by Inner Mongolia people as a peace envoy, who contributed greatly to the friendship between the Han and Mongolian ethnic groups. A Zhaojun Museum has been set up near her tomb, in which her beautiful likeness is displayed in a white-marble sculpture and her wedding scene has become a bronze statue. In these artistic representations Wang Zhaojun always looks happy and resolved, in accordance with the widely accepted image of her as a brave woman who sacrificed for her country.

Her sorrows as a tragic heroine deprived of true love may be buried along with her deep in the green tomb.

Reputed as one of the "four beauties"-Xi Shi, Diao Chan, Wang Zhaojun and Yang Yuhuan - of Chinese history, the legendary figure Wang Zhaojun is now resting in peace on the outskirts of Hohhot, capital city of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Wang Zhaojun, also known as Wang Qiang, lived during the West Han Dynasty. Before her life took a dramatic turn, she was a neglected palace lady-in-waiting, never visited by the emperor. At that time, the Han Empire was having conflicts with Xiongnu, a nomadic people from Central Asia, generally based in the present day Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In 33 B.C., Hu Hanye, leader of the Xiongnu paid a respectful visit to the Han emperor, asking permission to marry a Han princess, as proof of the Xiongnu people's sincerity to live in peace with the Han people. Instead of giving him a princess, which was the custom, the emperor offered him five women from his harem, including Wang Zhaojun.

The historical classic, "Hou Han Shu", reveals that Wang Zhaojun volunteered to marry Hu Hanye. When the Han emperor finally met her, he was astonished by her beauty, but it was too late for regrets. She married Hu Hanye and had children by him. Her life became the foundation and unfailing story of "Zhaojun Chu Sai", or "Zhaojun

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Wang Zhaojun's Story: the Sadder Side Text / Photo by Peng Ran

A bronze sculpture featuring Wang Zhaojun and her husband Hu Hanye on their wedding day.

The hill-like "Green Tomb" of Wang Zhaojun.

Fascinating China City Tour

to undermine his throne. In 1707, Tsangyang Gyatso was overthrown in a coup and escorted to the capital city for trial. But he never made it. One story says that he was murdered near

Nam-tso Lake, died at 24.

However, the legend of the Guangzong Monastery tells a different version of Tsangyang Gyatso's end. In this case, he vanished, instead of died, at Nam-tso. And later he appeared in Helan Mountain, turned into a devoted monk and resumed his religious cultivation at the location of the Guangzong Monastery. A lot of people came to pay him respective visits and many stayed and became his students.

According to a local guide, after Tsangyang Gyatso passed away, his body didn't decay. His awed followers built the Guangzong Monastery to enshrine him. His divine revelation has kept the temple prosperous for nearly two hundred years, until his remains were sabotaged in the nationwide turmoil and the lamas had to cremate his remains. Now in the gold dagoba in the main hall of Guangzong Monastery are the Buddhist relics of

Tsangyang Gyatso.Outside the main hall there is a big

silver lotus shining in the sun. It looks pure and even crystal, reminding me of holiness,

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At the foot of Helan Mountain in the west of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, stands a lama temple - Guangzong Monastery. It was established about two and a half centuries ago. It's said that during its heyday, the temple occupied a land area of 400 thousand square metres and was home to as many as 1,500 lamas. Now only two main halls remained standing on the hill slope, with five dagobas guarding in front of the stairs leading to the entrance. Although tourists are spotted everywhere, the whole place has a solemn silence.

One of the most important lama shrines in Inner Mongolia, Guangzong Monastery is significant mostly as it is allegedly the place where the legendary Sixth Dalai Lama died.

The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, was born in 1683 and became Dalai Lama at 14. However, rather than his monastic achievements, he was remembered more as the author of many fantastic poems and lyrics about love. Stories have it that as a restless teenager, he soon grew bored with the uneventful holy life in Potala Palace. He had a pavilion built near the palace, which is now known as the "Dragon King Pond", and invited young people in Lhasa there for parties. There he met a girl named Dawa Zhuoma, the love of his life. He wrote a lot of affectionate love songs

A Temple and a Legendary Dalai Lama

Text / Photo by Peng Ran

for her when they dated, but the good days soon passed, and Dawa was taken back to her hometown by her parents. Tsangyang Gyatso never saw her again, and he composed even

more poems and songs lamenting this short but core-shaking relationship.

His indulgence in literature and fun gave opportunities to his ambitious followers

Guangzong Monastery is embraced by Helan Mountain.

The white dagobas featuring Tibetan Buddhism.

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1 Beijing 1003

2 Hong Kong 989

3 Shanghai 968

4 Hangzhou 963

5 Dalian 950

6 Baotou 946

7 Lhasa 944

7 Xi'an 944

9 Guilin 939

9 Suzhou 939

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and more, of pure love, like the love between Tsangyang Gyatso and Dawa Zhuoma. Had he dedicated himself to Buddha in the latter half of his life just to forget her?

Two hundred and fifty years later, Tsangyang Gyatso's poems and love songs are still being recited and sung by people, and his love story has been passed on and become a beautiful legend. I bowed a little in front of the shrine believed to be holding his ashes. I may not believe in religion, but I believe in love.

TransportationTransportationBeijing to Hohhot: By air, ￥610

($82), 1 hour; By train, ￥100 ($14), 10 hours.

Results of Online Voting for Fascinating Places in

ChinaInternational Tourism Cities

1 Changdu 985

2 Fenghuang 952

3 Shaoxing 948

4 Zhouzhuang 947

5 Huizhou 942

6 Pingyao 940

7 Penglai 939

8 Jingdezhen 935

8 Loulan 935

10 Tongli 934

Characteristic Towns and Villages

Top 10

An old monk strolling peacefully,despite the curious pilgrims and tourists around.

Online Voting for Fascinating Places in China

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Famous Mountains Impressive Waters1

2

3

4

5

6

7

7

7

10

Baiyunshan

Huangshan

Taishan

Yulong Snowy Mountain

Hengshan (Hunan)

Changbaishan

Emeishan

Laoshan (Shandong)

Lushan

Meili Snowy Mountain

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Huangguoshu Waterfall

West Lake

Bosten Lake

Qinghai Lake

Three Gorges

Hukou Waterfall

Taihu Lake

Tianchi Lake

Qiandao Lake

Lugu Lake

987

982

978

967

966

965

958

957

951

943

Habitable Cities Places Worth of Re-discovery1

2

3

4

4

6

7

7

9

10

Beijing

Beihai

Shanghai

Dalian

Hong Kong

Nanjing

Chengdu

Hangzhou

Suzhou

Kunming

Beihai

Jiuzhaigou

Dalian

Dunhuang

Suzhou

Guangzhou

Shaoxing

Huanglong

Datong

Weihai

975

969

957

954

954

947

946

946

939

938

999

982

979

975

972

968

965

962

956

956

*CRIENGLISH reserves the right for final explanation of the relevant rules.

Each top winner will receive a silk scarf or a set of bath towels.

Each second place winner will receive a set of key-shaped Fuwa mascots.

Each third place winner will receive a set of Fuwa-themed chopsticks.

Each Thanks-for-voting gift winner will receive a Fuwa-themed scratch pad.

Online Voting for Fascinating Places in China

976

971

961

959

956

948

947

947

947

939

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

9

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Online Voting Winner List3 Top Winners

Koen van Aken (Netherlands)Joao Loures (Brazil)Bishnubabu Poudel (United Kingdom)

5 Second-place WinnersHualisi (Mexico)Nattapat Khumla (Thailand)Meishan Liu (Canada)Mayuku Omeresanine (Nigeria)Glenn N. Roth (USA)

Simon Cheung (China)Xiaoxuan Che (China)Harjito (Indonesia)Jenny Hung (Philippines)Lilin (China)Paulo Roberto de Oliveira (Brazil) Cliff Oliver (USA)M. Younus (Pakistan)何丽丽 (China)唐宇 (China)

10 Third-place Winners

Rehana Huda (Bangladesh)Syed Zafar Hussain (Pakistan)Jin Xinyuan (China)Hans Verner Lollike (Denmark)Hugo Longhi (Argentina)Bezazel Ferhat Ben Rabah (Algeria)Miss. P. Sreelaxmi Reddy (India)Xu Feiyan (China)向悦 (China)杨琳 (China)

10 Thanks-for-voting Gift Winners

Voices of the Voters向悦, China I think the most fascinating

place for me is the place having its unique beautiful scenery or its unique character. For example, Beijing features its royal verve; Suzhou features its delicate Chinese classical gardens; and Hong Kong has its own international environment.

杨琳, China I choose Qufu as the would-be most attractive international tourism city because it's the hometown of the great thinker, great educater, great sage Confucious! Confuciounism is gaining popularity across the globe nowadays and also it has exerted profound influence on our Chinese people's philosophy of living, literature, art, and folk customs!

Helmut Matt, Germany Splendid beauty - touching impressions of China - there's no other country on earth with such a variety of charming places, beautiful landscapes, enchanting smells and sounds, exciting cities

and warm hearted people. Being there once, China touches your soul deeply and will never let you go as long as your heart beats. Thinking of China’s most gorgeous places to go and being overwhelmed by the huge number of immortal attractions I get more and more convinced that a man’s lifetime’s too short to get an adequate impression, too short to see all the things and places, to meet all the fascinating people and to get all the dimensions of the Chinese way of life which I’d like to.

Hans Verner Lollike, Denmark I have only visited Hong Kong, Macao and Shenzen, but CRI has given me the desire to see other very unique places in China. Hong Kong is fabulous: old places and the most modern, hectic life and quiet villages, where people play in the narrow streets. Good traffic connections and a lot to experience just by walking. I also enjoyed the old downtown

of Macao - to go to the grave yard and find Danish names on their grave stones. I was also impressed by the Miniature-China Park in Shenzen.

Harjito, Indonesia There are many fascinating places in China. I hope China will build modern cities but not forget the Chinese culture. China has received Starbuck from the United Stated and I hope China will campaign tea as a popular beverage with high quality.

Glenn N. Roth, USA I have traveled to China many times. Met and married my wife who resides in Chengdu. Sichuan Province and especially Chengdu I find to be the most beautiful and fascinating places in the world. The food is unbelievably Goooooood. The history is 3000 years old. The natural scenic sites are breathtaking and of course the women are all "Fenzi".

Hualisi, Mexico China is the perfect mix of culture and beauty. 在中国的时候,

Online Voting for Fascinating Places in China

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我太高兴！(I was really thrilled when I was in China.)

A.Varada Rajulu, India I visited many of the places mentioned in your website during my five visits to China. I felt very happy to see these places which are well preserved. The Government and the people are taking utmost care in keeping these places spick and span. I also felt very happy to note the love and affection shown towards the visitors especially when they are from other countries.

何丽丽, China I am a girl who loves travel very much, though I don't have much time and money to travel. So I traveled a lot through TV and Internet. It's good to see many fascinating places around the world. I feel we human beings are really really lucky to live on this wonderful planet. If we still want to keep these things with us, we need to take actions to protect them and treasure them.

Shamsul Huda, Bangladesh China has enormous potential to woe sizable share of outbound tourists from Asia, Europe and North America to boost its economy. China has pristine landscapes, historic places all over the country, as well as rich cultural traditions and unique mouth-watering cuisines to satisfy travelers. Chinese tourism industry should modernize more to make it a cheaper destination with convenient transportation. Chinese visa policy should be more tourist-friendly and the government should market those attractive places in China to attract more foreign tourists.

Nattapat Khumla, Thailand I have visited China many times. The culture, nature, and Chinese living style always make me happy, especially in Sichuan Province, which has lots of interesting and beautiful places. I hope Chinese will keep and conserve these treasures as long as they can. I LOVE CHINA!

Bishnubabu Poudel, United Kingdom China is a rich land with wonderful cities and towns, and I have visited many cities in China and most of them impressed me deeply by their culture and natural beauty. It is my dream to visit the rest of the places of my choices in the lists.

Meishan Liu, Canada Nanning is a really good city as it is clean and green all the year round. Lijiang is a fascinating ancient town that worth rediscovery! However, more and more people are going to Lijiang for traveling or business which makes the little town lose some of its original and special savor. What makes me worry is that Lijiang

is being polluted now! The melted water from the snow mountain flowing through Lijiang looks dirty after noon.

邓诗竹, China Being a Chinese, I always prefer the places with deeply-rooted cultural traditions and dynamic attitudes towards the world's fast development.

Cliff Oliver, USA I really liked Beijing and Shijiazhuang. Both cities are interesting and the people are very friendly. I really liked visiting Century Park in Shijiazhuang. And Beijing was just about tops! Always something to see and do. The food is so marvelous, everything about Beijing is super. Love visiting there and can't wait to return.

Jenny Hung, Philippines Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city where Oriental and Western cultures co-exist harmoniously. Xiamen city truly lives up to its monicker as "City in the Garden". I have lived here for almost 3 years now, and I've nothing but praises to its wonderful landscape and sea view. Although most locals can't speak fluent English, I believe in 5 years' time, they'll be able to communicate well with foreigners.

Roger R. Roussel, Canada In Spring of 2008, there will be a Tour of China organized by an official travel agency. I know two people of my village will go in that memorable tour. They told me that they will visit Beijing and more specific towns and villages. I will have the itinerary and I will provide them more specific information that CRI send me, because I got in file all the correspondence you've sent me since your first letter in 1979. In that way they will be more prepared to discover your beautiful country.

Ru, Germany We should explore the places that are more remote and unknown because they are not as shining as those international metropolises. However, they stand for original Chinese culture.

Azam Ali Soomro, Pakistan When we look at China in whole, we can find many things, which are not mentioned here, but they are also really very much fascinating. For instance, if we look at the 56 Chinese nationalities we will be very much inspired and attracted towards their culture, their traditions, their customs, their dresses, their food, their music, their dancing, their living styles, their every day life, etc. I mean, it is really very attractive to only imagine about the various things related with China. All in all thank you so much for providing us the chance to get some very in-depth and unique information and knowledge about China.

Ivan Robichaud, Canada The various

regions of China are so different one from the other that it's difficult to choose the most fascinating. I truly enjoyed Beijing and Shanghai but I must say that Suzhou was very special. A Chinese poet once described it as "heaven on earth".

Jean, China China has too many fantastic places to be top 10. Different people will have their own judgment in heart. So it doesn't really matter to the general top 10. You go, you see, and you remember

Hans Nilsson, Sweden I have been to China twice, in 1977 and in 2005. I do love China, and are fascinated by the mixture of the old culture and the new modern China. I do like Beijing but also the small villages in the countryside. And not to forget, the fantastic good food in China.

Uwe Volk, Germany There are various place throughout China I would like to visit one day, but I have to make a selection to meet with my limited time and money budget. I voted for Shanghai, because this city seems to me as THE example for economical growth in combination with an interesting younger history. I listened to many reports about Shanghai and met people returning from this city, that I decided to see the city with my own eyes, hear the city with my own ears, smell the city by my own nose and -of course- taste the Shanghainese cuisine with my own mouth. I already booked a flight to Pudong / back from Hongqiao in April next year.

Aga Schwartz, Israel I would like you to add to your lists small remote places in Southeast Guizhou and in South Yunnan, where small, untouched local minorities villages are scattered around...

Koen van Aken, Netherlands First of all, China is great! And I am definitely coming back someday. I was amazed by everything that I saw. My first day in China was in the city of Beijing. The sounds, the people, the traffic, the houses and the smell of the city where so impressive, that I still got them on my mind. In Beijing the peoples are very helpful and the use of taxi, bus and Subway are reliable and a good way to get around in the city. Xi'an, is also a great city to travel to. Of course I visit the terra cotta army. It was huge! Then there is the beautiful landscape of Guilin. I went to Xing-Ping for a trip over the Li River. Guilin was very relaxing: nice temperature and nice people. And eating at Good Aunt,in the centre, is also a nice experience. I can write about China and her cities for hours, but the best thing to do is just go and see it yourself.

Online Voting for Fascinating Places in China

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Shengping Street with century-old buildings. Beihai, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Photo by Liu Bing]

The sand of Silver Beach shines under the sun. Beihai, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Photo by Liu Bing]

The beautiful green coast. Dalian, Liaoning Province.[Photo by Chen Wei]

The downtown of a modern harbor city. Dalian, Liaoning Province.[Photo by Peng Ran]

A night view of Xinghai Square, once the largest square in Asia. Dalian, Liaoning Province. [Photo by Peng Ran]

The Hanging Monastery (Xuankong Si) built some 1,400 years ago on the sheer cliffside. Datong, Shanxi Province. [Photo by Peng Ran]

Elaborate Buddhist figures on a rock columnat Yungang Grottoes. Datong, Shanxi Province.[Photo by Peng Ran]

The Mati Temple built along a cliff face of red-sand stone. Zhangye, Gansu Province.[Photo by Wang Yiliang]

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The Hanging Monastery (Xuankong Si) built some 1,400 years ago on the sheer cliffside. Datong, Shanxi Province. [Photo by Peng Ran]

Elaborate Buddhist figures on a rock columnat Yungang Grottoes. Datong, Shanxi Province.[Photo by Peng Ran]

A view from the cruise ship on the Pearl River. Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. [Photo by Yang Yong & Liu Bing]

Sacred Heart Church, with a history of more than 130 years, stands on a busy commercial road. Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. [Photo by Yang Yong]

The "Crystal Palace " in the Reed Flute Cave. Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.[Photo by Xu Liuliu]

The landscape of the 83-km-long waterway from Guilin to Yangshuo, the fascinating Lijiang River. Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Photo by Xiao Henggang]

Autumn in Hengshan Mountain, one of China’s five prestigious mountains. The peak in distance resembles the face of a bear with visible "jaws" and "teeth". Datong, Shanxi Province.[Photo by Peng Ran]

Featured Snapshots

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Heilong River. Heihe, Heilongjiang Province. [Photo by Guo Kai]

The remarkable architecture of Wang Family’s Grand Courtyard. Jinzhong, Shanxi Province.[Photo by Peng Ran]

The crystal wonderland of Huanglong in Winter. Huanglong, Sichuan Province. [Photo by Liu Lu]

A vivid brick carving decoration at Wang Family’s Grand Courtyard. Jinzhong, Shanxi Province.[Photo by Peng Ran]

The serene beauty of Mianshan Mountain. Jinzhong, Shanxi Province. [Photo by Peng Ran]

Autumn in the Shuitao Valley of Mianshan Mountain. Jinzhong, Shanxi Province. [Photo by Peng Ran]

The golden sand at "Golden Sand Bay". Wuhai, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo by Peng Ran]

Reedy Wuliangsu Hai, or Wuliangsu Lake. Hetao Plan, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo by Peng Ran]

The zigzag bridge with sweet-scented osmanthus trees on both sides in the Yan’s Garden. Mudu, Jiangsu Province. [Photo by Xu Liuliu]

Beautiful setting sun on the sea. Weihai, Shandong Province.[Photo by Zhang Lingling]

The colorful autumn. Jiuzhai Valley, Sichuan Province. [Photos by Liu Lu]

A boat anchors near an ancient street amid drizzles, with reflection of traditional residential buildings in a river. Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. [Photo by Luo Dan]

Dazhao Monastery. Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. [Photo by Peng Ran]

Helan Mountain. Inner Mongolia.[Photo by Peng Ran]

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CRI Launches On-Air Chinese Teaching Institute

The CRI Confucius Institute, China's first ever on-air Chinese teaching initiative, was launched on December 6th at CRI's headquarters in Beijing, in a bid to help more people around the world "learn Chinese with their mother tongue".

Sponsored by China Radio International, the institute will broadcast multilingual radio and online programs in more than 40 languages, authorized by the headquarters of the Confucius Institute in Beijing.

The on-air institute will also incorporate sub-institutes based upon regional learners' native language, in conjunction with CRI classrooms established around the globe.

The institute aims at attracting 20 million students worldwide over the next 5 years.

Confucius Institute is a non profit making organization that aims to promote Chinese language learning and teaching and the understanding of the Chinese culture across the world. It also endeavors to facilitate global research activities and cultural and education exchanges between China and other countries.

Text by Zhu JinPhoto by Peng Ran

Chinese government officials, foreign diplomats, CRI directors, staff and listener representatives witness the birth of the On-air Confucius Institute.

State Councillor Chen Zhili unveils the On-air Confucius Institute.

Katarina Stojanovic (M), daughter of Tatjana Soldat (R), who works at CRI Serbian Service, presents a gift to the On-air Confucius Institute, a giant panda painting done by herself.

This CRI listener representative comes all the way from Nagano, Japan to attend the launch ceremony.

CRI News Briefs

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Hi, dear friends. I'm so glad to meet you all here again. Last time we talked about making phone calls in Chinese. Today we are going to continue with this topic. But the difference is that we unavoidably may make some mistake calls sometimes. What would you hear and how can you respond in such a case?

When you have dialed a wrong number, you may hear the other person say "You've got a wrong number". In Chinese it's "ni3 da3 cuo4 le." "Ni3", is you. And "da3" is to

dial. But originally, it means "to beat" or "to strike". "Cuo4 le" means wrong or incorrect. So "ni3 da3 cuo4 le." means "you dialed the wrong number".

And if you forgot what number you dialed, the person answering the phone may say "Nǐ3 bō1 le duō1 shao?" "Bō1" is another verb for dialing. "Bō1 le" means "having dialed". "Le" here indicates the past tense. "Duō1 shao" means how much. "Nǐ3 bō1 le duō1 shao?" What number did you dial?

If now you realize you have dialed

the wrong number, then you can say "Sorry, I made a mistake." In Chinese it's "dui4 bu qi3, wo3 da3 cuo4 le". "Dui4 bu qi3" is sorry. "Wo3" means I. "Da3" again is to dial. "Cuo4" is wrong. "Dui4 bu qi3, wo3 da3 cuo4 le". "Sorry, I dialed a wrong number."

That's all for this time's "Learn Chinese Now!" For more information, please log on our website http://www.crienglish.com and click on the "Learn Chinese" icon. Also if you have any comments or advice, please e-mail us at crieng@crifm.com.

By Zhao Pingping

鸟鸣涧王维

人闲桂花落，夜静春山空。

月出惊山鸟，时鸣春涧中。

The Gully of Twittering Birds

By Wang Wei

Idly I watch the cassia petals fall;Silent the night and empty the spring hills;The rising moon startles the mountain birds;Which twitter fitfully in the spring gully.

[About the Poet]The Chinese poet and painter Wang

Wei (699-759) was one of the greatest poets of the golden age of Chinese poetry, the Tang Dynasty (618-907). He was also regarded by later critics as the founder of the Southern school of landscape painting.

Wang Wei was born in the present Fenyang County in Shanxi Province. By the age of 15, Wang Wei was already a skillful poet and musician. In 717 he won first place in the metropolitan examination in preparation for a government career, and in 719 he was awarded the highest degree in the examination system. His long official career began immediately thereafter with his appointment as assistant director of the Imperial Directorate of Music. By the time of his death in 759, he had

directed the administration of 12 departments in the ministries of war, justice, and works. His career was not uneventful; it included demotion, exile, and forced service under the usurper An Lushan. Two personal losses also left a deep imprint: when he was about 30, his wife died childless, and Wang never remarried; 20 years later, the death of his mother left him grief-stricken. Though he continued to hold office thereafter, he tended more and more to withdraw from public society to the solace of his country home along the Wang River. There, in the company of fellow poets, Buddhist monks, and other friends, he roamed the hills and waters, studied Taoism and the Buddhist sutras, wrote, and painted.

Wang Wei is sometimes classed as one of the three greatest poets of the Tang Dynasty, along with Du Fu and Li Bai. While he was neither as brilliant a craftsman as Du Fu nor as exuberant a genius as Li Bai. He excelled in imagery, and his poems often hold a subtle metaphysical flavor testifying to his long study of Buddhism. Many of his works are full of perfectly crystallized visual images that they became favored subjects of later artists, as in this couplet: "White herons drift across flooded rice fields; yellow orioles warble in shadowed summer trees."

Learn Chinese Now!

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theMessengersuch performance. I've got many reasons why I listen regularly to your radio broadcasts. But the most important reason is the quality of the presentation of your programmes. CRI is my favorite worldwide broadcaster.

Roger RousselCanada

I began to listen to CRI at the age of about eight. Then, my father did listen quite often and usually said a day without CRI news seemed wasted. Therefore, I will say I inherited listening to CRI. The programme I adore most besides your news is "Listeners' Garden". I am interested in the Chinese art and literature, and especially the Great Wall of China.

Ibrahim DNigeria

CRI really provides full-fledged radio broadcasting programmes, which always enliven listeners' curiosity and emotions. In my mind, it is the very fundamental

criterion to arouse listeners' intensity and devotion to maintain with CRI. but here I am eager to share a suggestion with you that in India, mostly in Uttar Pradesh (a state of India), I am hardly able to listen to it continuously due to bad frequency-setting. I urge you to please take appropriate action for this inconvenience.

AFAQ AHMADIndia

I have been listening to CRI for about 18 months. I usually listen about 4 or 5 nights each week. I enjoy China Drive and also the news broadcasts. It is very interesting to listen to the news in both countries (US and China) to get different perspectives on the same stories in some cases. I am a faculty member and an administrator at a local university and we have a relatively large number of students from China's mainland and Taiwan. I think listening to CRI helps me better understand our students and relate to them more personally. Last year, I was lucky enough to be able to visit China and it was a very memorable experience. I was in Shanghai and Guangzhou. I found the Chinese people that I met to be very welcoming and hospitable. It was an experience to remember.

David UnderwoodUSA

I still listen to you mainly from wrn.org or directly from your website as I keep forgetting to get batteries for my shortwave radio. I look forward to getting your card when it comes. I read your magazine you send me cover to cover and it is my goal one day to learn Chinese or try to. I also look forward to seeing the Olympics in China next year. That should be an awesome sight and I would love to be there but alas I will watch it on TV :) It is always good to hear from you all and I look forward to many more correspondences and broadcasts in the years to come from you.

Tony ReederUSA

Recently, I spread the news about CRI to some of my colleagues at the institute I am with. I showed them The Messenger issues that I had received from you and shared my listening experience with them. Our lunch-break meeting culminated in a discussion of the current Sino–Russian relations and of the role of China in the world arena. I also spoke about the cross-straits relations – a topic that the people were less familiar with. Regarding CRI, I told them that by becoming regular listeners to CRI English, they would have the advantage of killing at least two birds with one stone (sorry for the eco-unfriendly idiom J) – first, they would get a wealth of information about the past and present of China without resorting to books, and second, they would be constantly improving their English at absolutely no cost. Besides, turning to the fun part of the listening (a third "bird"), I directed the attention of two people, who are jazz-music fans, to the China Beat program, which often includes jazz and jazz-related music. I very much hope that the CRI English family will soon be reinforced with new people from Russia!

Dmitry TychininRussia

Thank you very much for you great and interesting radio program. Every night I listen to your English program. I am a 24-year-old soldier. Unfortunately I can not listen to it in the morning but every night when I come back from my office I eagerly find your station and I enjoy it. I'd like to pay tribute to all people who work in this radio. Please

accept my thanks once again.Amin Nononia

Iran

My name is Phan Thi Hai Yen. I am a student in Hanoi University (of foreign study) and in the same class as Nguyen Van Hiep, a regular listener of your English service. Do you still remember him? And Hiep, himself, introduced CRI's English service to me. I tried to pick up CRI in English and I think your tones of voice are really good. I wish I could have that tone right now. So can I become a new listener of your service? If so, I'd be very grateful to you. Moreover, Hiep has received many letters from you and, especially, his name was on the air on Listeners' Garden.

Phan Thi Hai YenViet Nam

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States and, in addition to being thankful for family, friends and good health, I am thankful for your English service

broadcasts via shortwave radio. I have been listening to shortwave broadcasts from China for many years and I greatly appreciate the news and views from China. It is amazing how a radio can shrink the size of the world we live in and hearing your voices on the radio brings it down to a more personal level. I hope to be able to continue to receive your broadcasts for many years to come. Again, thank you so much for your broadcasts. My best regards to everyone in China.

Terry KorzanUSA

As a regular CRI listener for almost 3 decades, I am very happy to tell you that during those years of regular listening, I have learned so much about your beautiful country. Many changes occur in different fields, such as economy, social and tourism. China is a key player in the world's economic development. People of China will benefit of

Mailbag

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This year, a couple of retirees from Shanghai gained overnight nationwide fame with their newly released book - "Mom and Dad's European Tour" (Laoba Laoma Qu Lvyou). Three years ago, Yang Jun, 65, and his wife, Zhang Ying, 59, spent 83 days traveling in five European countries: Italy, France, Monaco, Spain, and Portugal - all by themselves. In China where the life of an average retired person is generally to be found taking care of grandkids, watching TV all day long or doing physical exercises at the park, their experience is incredible.

Next year will be the thirtieth anniversary of China's launching its reform and opening up to the outside world policy. During the past three decades, along with the booming economy and rising living standards, traveling for many Chinese people has changed from a dream to a reality, from a luxury to a necessity. Citizens' altering attitudes toward traveling have mirrored the significant development of the country.

From Dream to RealityBefore 1978, there was hardly any

domestic tourism in China, not to say overseas tourism. As the overall economy was lagged out, an ordinary family's income could hardly cover their daily expense. It was nearly impossible for a person to travel in the country except for business trips. Going abroad was the privilege of a scarce amount of people due to the state policies at that time.

The turning point came in the beginning of 1978 when the State Tourism Convention was held in Beijing, and officially launched the developing programs for China's Tourism Industry. Three years later, blueprints for domestic tourism were released. In the following decade, scenic spots were explored and tourist facilities constructed. A steady rise in the number of domestic tourists was spotted. In 1990, 280 million Chinese people traveled within the country, contributing a domestic tourism revenue of 17 billion yuan (about 2.27 billion USD).

The 1990s witnessed significant progress in China's domestic tourism as people started to benefit from the fruits of economic reform. Families had extra money to spend on something more than food and clothes. The tourist flow of 1998 reached 694 million, more than double of that of 1991, which was 300 million. But this was just a prelude.

Starting on National Day, October 1, 1999, the "golden week" was introduced into Chinese people's lives. From then on, in addition to the two-day weekends and

annual leave, people could enjoy three week-long vacations respectively during the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) in winter, the May Day holiday in spring and the National Day holiday in autumn. The new policy removed the last obstacle of limited leisure time for potential tourists, and gave birth to an unprecedented flourishing in the tourist market, as well as another round of exploration of tourist resources nationwide.

The year of 2006 saw a domestic tourist flow of 1,394 million, among which 58.7% were farmers from rural areas. 40 million Chinese people traveled within the country during the first "golden week". On the 20th "golden week" falling on this year's May Day holiday, the figure rose to 179 million. "Golden weeks" have now even become an economic term.

Overseas traveling for individual Chinese was not open until ten years ago. Previously, beside those who were studying overseas, only the ones who have folks living in other countries could tour abroad for personal visits. But late starting didn't at all slow the steps of Chinese tourists eager to see the outside world. Meanwhile, China is the biggest tourist source in Asia, and has one of the world's most fast-growing and influential overseas tourism markets. 34.52 million Chinese traveled abroad in 2006. By this June, the number of destination countries and regions open to Chinese tourists had reached 132.

Many Chinese people like to quote an old proverb when talking or writing - "Traveling ten thousand miles equals reading ten thousand books." - Now they're trying to live it.

From Luxury to NecessityThe prosperous Tourism Industry is

vivid evidence of Chinese people's increasing living standards, as well as the change in their understanding of travel.

When travel just became a part of Chinese lifestyle, it was still a luxury for most people. And when you've saved for years to set off on a week-long tour, it's natural that you want to make the most out of it. For a long time, even till now, the whirlwind group tour is the most popular way of traveling among Chinese tourists, no matter home or abroad.

For many of the early Chinese tourists, going to as many famous places as possible

used to be the only goal. Due to the short time available for seeing each place, what they did at each stop was not to appreciate the scenery, but to take a lot of photos of themselves in front of the scenery, so that when coming home they could show it off to their acquaintances. There is even a doggerel to mock such tourists: "On the bus they sleep. Off the bus they pee. At scenic spots they take photos. Back home they have no idea where they've been."

Besides taking photos, pioneer Chinese tourists traveling abroad also shopped a lot - just as if they had intended to go all that way just for shopping - instead of sightseeing. They lived in cheap hotels and ate little, but never gave a second thought when purchasing luxurious and expensive goods - watches, make-up, clothing from big bands - anything

that was cheaper than its taxed price back in China.

As the tourism market matures, and incomes keep rising, traveling, even traveling abroad, is no longer something to show off, nor merely an opportunity for Chinese travelers to shop until they drop. Especially among well-off urbanites, a relaxing vacation is what they want from a tour. They still take photos - but of the impressive scenery - not to show off where they've been, but to exhibit their photography skills, or just to help consolidate a memory.

Another change in Chinese people's traveling behavior is that more people are traveling individually instead of joining a group tour. The new generation of independent travelers usually collect information about their destinations on the Internet, and make highly detailed personalized itineraries, which they call "homework". During the trip, they live in economic but likable hotels, use public transportation and pay a small fortune for a distinctive local dinner. They also read about the destinations before they go, so that they can better appreciate their significance. Back home, they share their "homework", travel experience, tips and photos on the Internet. For them, such a tour is relaxing,

By Peng Ran

Chinese Tourists Set Off on the Road - an Evolution

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theMessengerenlightening and also helpful for others.

Stella and her husband Simon from Shanghai are both fans of such individual tours. This May, the couple spent 20 days in South Germany and Austria. Her travelogue, published on Shanghai's well-known Liba Forum is currently one of the most widely-viewed. Stella recalled two moments on this tour that impressed her the most. One was that they took the wrong path on the way to the Neuschwanstein Castle. But the breathtaking scenery on their detour not only wiped out her regret, but also drove her to re-think the meaning of travel. The other was she spent the best time of an afternoon napping in a beautiful garden, and didn't feel guilty about "wasting the time" at all. "Enjoying your trip is the most important thing," she concluded.

Another thing to have changed on

Chinese people's traveling agenda is also the choices of destinations. Getting off the beaten path has become the priority of many travelers. And backpacking is nothing new any more. Meanwhile, domestic daredevils are frequently seen at the remote areas in West China, where visitors used to be mostly foreigners. Quite a number of Chinese backpacking veterans spend their vacations hiking on the snow-capped mountains in Nepal, or exploring historical remains in Cambodia. Recently Africa has been discovered as the new apple in the eyes of Chinese overseas travelers.

A latest survey released by AC Nielson on August 2 shows that 53% of Chinese are planning to spend their spare money on vacations. The proportion is the highest of all Asian countries. According to another survey by China's leading tourist service provider, Ctrip.com, among the potential customers of overseas tours, 72.4% would like to travel individually or semi-individually (buying plane+hotel packages from travel agencies but doing sightseeing by oneself) instead of joining a touring group. The figures show that nowadays traveling has become a common necessity in the life of ordinary Chinese citizens - no mess, no fuss, just something to

enjoy with one's true feelings.

The ConcernsLike anything that goes too fast, China's

skyrocketing tourism development is plagued with problems. Two of the most notorious troubles these days are: the over-crowded "golden weeks" and Chinese tourists' bad behaviors abroad.

When more and more Chinese begin to enjoy themselves traveling on the road, the crowds to and at the scenic spots during the "golden weeks" will be unbearable. Whenever a "golden week" approaches, train tickets, plane tickets and hotel rooms suddenly become the hottest commodities in China. For those who have managed to reach their destinations, the price hikes of the entrance tickets to the scenic spots will be a challenge

to their budgets again. In nearly every famous tourist site, what you see the most is not the scenery,

but tourists like yourself. A news photo taken around the National Day "golden week" in 2005 showed that some tourists

were forced to stand on the walls on the Great Wall since people could hardly move on the packed pathways. The tour is not only no longer enjoyable but is getting rather perilous. In addition, having too many visitors also pose a threat to the maintenance of the tourist resources, especially those historic relics that can't be restored once damaged.

Fortunately, China's tourism administrations are aware of the situation and are now taking efforts to ease the tension. For example, some scenic areas start to limit the daily number of visitors they accept, and some try persuading tourists to travel in low seasons by reducing their ticket prices around those times.

Many people are also disgusted by the congested traffic and scenic spots three times a year. More and more Chinese choose to rest at home or travel abroad during the "golden weeks". And those with flexible vacation days choose to travel on other days. Voices about canceling the "golden weeks" are being heard. In any case, the "golden week" fever has started to cool down with more and more Chinese are becoming rational travelers.

Chinese tourists' uncivilized behavior when they travel abroad is one of the hottest topics last year in China. Some Chinese tourists are being warned that while their

bad behaviors such as spitting, slurping food and cutting queues may be just annoying to people at home but can be intolerable in other countries. After the National Day holidays the government called for all tourists to improve their manners and this official suggestion led to a nationwide discussion and self-examination on this issue on the Internet. Now quite a few international travel agencies will give their Chinese customers cards with tips for traveling abroad, reminding them of the preferable behaviors.

As spitting, littering and cutting queues are unacceptable anywhere, some of the inappropriate behaviors of Chinese tourists can be attributed to the cultural gap. For instance, there is no such thing as giving service tips in restaurants in China, and in many areas of China, the way to applaud the food and thank the host is by making loud yummy noises when eating. "What a pleasure to welcome friends from afar", and "Making your guest feel like home" are two proverbs that hospitable Chinese follow when accommodating a visitor. (Beijing's recent campaign of translating the Chinese menus into standardized English for the Olympics is a good example.) Therefore, with a lack of adequate education on intercultural communication, some Chinese tourists would simply take it for granted that their foreign hosts felt the same way.

Anyway, Chinese are known as humble good learners. The younger and better educated generation of Chinese tourists has been proven to be more globalized and adaptable in foreign countries. As cross-cultural communication is becoming a popular subject in China, it's promising that more Chinese tourists will learn the western way of "do as the Romans do" and know better before they set off.

The FutureChina is one of the most, if not the

most, fastest growing tourism markets in the world. From January to March this year, 9.7 million Chinese went abroad to realize their dreams of "traveling around the world".

World Tourism Organization has estimated that by 2020, China will become the fourth largest tourist source of the world and about 100 million Chinese tourists will leave their footsteps overseas. Chinese are ready to explore the world. Is the world ready?

Chinese Tourists Set Off on the Road - an Evolution

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English Service CRI, 16A Shijingshan Road,Beijing, China 100040Tel: 86-10-68891617/ 2971

Fax: 86-10-68891121

Email:crieng@crifm.com / crieng@cri.com.cnWebsite: www.crienglish.comPublisher: Liu ChiEditor: Xie QiaoExecutive Editors: Zhao Jianfu, Li Yongjing, Peng RanDesigner: Zhang Nan

The Messenger is free of charge. For extra copies, further information and sending in your contributions, please contact:E-mail to: themessenger@crifm.com

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The Messenger magazine is the internal journal of the English Service of China Radio International, published bimonthly for CRI listeners and web visitors.

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A corridor in Guangzong Monastery, Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo by Peng Ran]