Badaling Great Wall

The great-wall is a must for every traveller heading to Beijing, it is truly both awe-inspiring and culturally enriching experience, but if you have already been to the world-renowned Badaling Great Wall and are searching for somewhere more untamed and commercialized why not try the sections of the Great Wall at Simatai?

Simatai, located 120km north of Beijing in the county of Miyun, is renowned for its steepness and amazing state of preservation. If you're unwilling to sign up for a tour-group then getting required careful planning. Firstly, you will need to go to Dongzhimen which is a major subway station, after getting off at Dongzhimen you will need to find the long-distance bus station and buy your ticket at the ticket office. The No.980 express buses which go to Miyun are reasonably frequent and cost around 50 Yuan, and the journey from Beijing to Miyun takes around 90 minutes – perfect time to have a nap! Upon arriving in Miyun, we have two choices given by my China tour advisor to get to the Wall: try and strike a deal with a local to get driven there in a private car (Note: that usually costs about 200 Yuan); and the other way is to wait mini-buses that head to the wall (Note: generally, these mini buses take much more time, for they are sporadic and not very speedy). It takes less than an hour from Miyun to the wall, so in total from Beijing to the Wall itself it's a one-way trip of around three-hours, so make sure you head off early in the morning!

Upon arriving at the wall, especially in summer you will instantly be hit with how hot and sunny it is; so heaps of sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses are all essential. Tickets to get in cost 30 Yuan (US$5). Upon entering you have the options of hiking up the sheer sides of the wall or catching a cable-car to the summit, the cable-car costs 50 Yuan (US$9). I personally feel that using the cable-car to reach the top of the summit and then slowly meander down again. Upon reaching the end of the cable-car, there is just a short walk up to the wall proper. Upon my first time visiting the wall I was just amazed with how untouched and well preserved it still remains, a sense that soldiers of the Ming Dynasty could at any moment march once again on its rugged parapets. There are almost no hawkers there, just some windswept old women selling postcards, ice-creams and cold bottles of water. The wall is yours to explore at your own pace. As you walk along the 5.4kilometre stretch that straddles Beijing City and Hebei Province, you realise just how difficult it must have been to construct, the wall itself sits on a mountain ridge elevated 960metres above sea-level it really is an architectural wonder. According to the locals, during construction of the wall during the Ming Dynasty in order to overcome the problem of ferrying bricks up the rugged, steep ridge-line the labourers would tie individual bricks to goats who would then deliver the bricks up to the wall.

This section of the wall offers spectacular vistas as you peer down on the villages and rice fields that dot the landscape far below , there are also over 15 beacon towers still standing in perfect condition that provide relief from the blaring sun and a chance for photos; a word of caution though the wall becomes steep and difficult to navigate in parts and requires at least two hours to finish, upon arriving at the accessible section of the wall there is a 100metre flying-fox for those who wish to make a swift and thrilling descent. Despite is comparative remoteness; the untamed beauty and isolation of Simatai make it an attractive alternative to Badaling and a great way to spend a day in Beijing.

A weekend in Yangshuo

When my friend Tony called me to tell me that he would come and visit me for the weekend, I was very excited. We decided to visit Yangshuo, a city close to Guilin, as the nature there was said to be very beautiful.

So on Saturday morning we took the cruise ship to get to Yangshuo. The tour was during four hours and included a Western-Chinese lunch buffet, which all are arranged by my China trip agency Online China tours. As the sun was shining we spent most of the time on top of the boat to enjoy the mountains surrounding us and to take pictures.


It was a very enjoyable time. Arriving in Yangshuo, we nearly were overrun by elderly women offering "bamboo boat tours", flowers or bike tours ("Wo bu yao!" means "I don't want that!").

After checking in at our hotel, we started to walk around the city, took a local bus and enjoyed the view on the Li River. A Highlight is the "West Street" and the area around it, with lots of western restaurants, bars and people around. For the evening we had planned to watch "The Impression of Sister Liu", a famous performance with light effects on the Li River. Being lucky with the weather, we enjoyed the 1hour lasting show under the stars and were impressed by the light effects. After the end of the show we decided to check out the bars of West Street. It was very funny, because Chinese Bars are slightly different from western bars. From the music, over Karaoke performances of the customers to the way people drink beer. When going out, you should not forget to try "Li Qian", the most famous beer of this region. The next day we had a date with a local guide who went with us on a bike tour through the countryside to moon hill. It was amazing to see the farmers with their water buffaloes on the fields and to pass villages where women were washing their clothes in a river. Not to mention the beautiful landscape of mountains, rivers and fields. At noon we arrived at moon hill.


The 800 steep steps up to the viewpoint and about 23degrees Celsius did not stop us from climbing it up. Even if we had to face that our physical condition was not be the best, we reached the top and the beautiful view was worth all struggles! The view from up there is amazing!

The return was quite fast and when we arrived back in Yangshuo after 4 1/2 hours we were happy to enjoy a good lunch at "China Café". Of course we tried the local specialty, Beer fish, which was good, but quite spicy. When we were about to take the bus back to Guilin, the last highlight of the day stopped us from doing so. We were asked by three producers to participate in a television advertisement for the local beer "Liq". Finally we agreed and had a lot of fun while getting a good payment! So beware, if you are a westerner, lots of funny things might happen to you! :-)

Travel Putuo shan

One of the most enriching travelling experiences I have ever had was on an island little known to foreign tourists located in Zhejiang Province in eastern China. The island is called Putuo Shan. The island itself is located about an hour by boat from the small sea-side town of Ningbo (itself too worth a visit!) and around eight to nine hours from Shanghai for those of you who enjoy longer boat rides!
The most distinctive thing about Putuo Shan is: how sharply it contrasts to mainland China! The boat ride is the first point of difference, it is always important to enjoy the journey as much as the destination and during fine weather the one hour catamaran ride from the mainland to the island is defiantly a highlight, surrounded on all sides by deep blue sea and equally blue sky you're struck by a feeling that you have finally escaped the occasionally suffocating slate grey clouds that hang above most Chinese cities. Getting off the boat one really gains the sense that they have left China and arrived in another place, everything seems less rushed, more fluid; no disturbing but freedom and space to enjoy yourself.

Putuo Shan is far from just a small island, it has an incredibly rich history which is there for you to explore as much or as little as you please. The mountain that dominates the topography of the island is one of the four-sacred mountains in Chinese Buddhism and is adorned with a golden thirty-three metre high statue of Zizhu Lin an ancient master of Chinese Buddhism which sits on the peak of the island with omnipresent gaze. As you head up the mountain the thick fragrance of incense becomes more palpable, and the light clank of Buddhist bells ring gently against the empty blue sky, reaching the summit it becomes apparent just how big a thirty-three metre high Buddha is, and how remarkable that this monolith could somehow be erected on the craggy peak of this small island. The Buddhist architecture also strikes you as not being typically Chinese, it seems to have an European al-fresco flair that makes you feel you're somewhere between Santorini and Shanghai, the temples have large open windows to keep the casually whitewashed interior cool and breezy, golden religions ornaments adorn every room, accompanied with the deep aroma of incense. The experience is almost overwhelmingly stimulating.

Aside from the peak there is plenty to do on the island, the seafood of course is amazing; fresher than fresh, walking along the crooked, shady alleys of the base of the mountain, you will be tempted by the seafood in the small shops and can't help feasting on fish, crab, lobster and shellfish (usually that delicacy costs more than 100 Yuan). If seafood is not your thing then pack your own lunch.

There are two beaches on the island, one-thousand step beach and one-hundred step beach, swimming is not permitted at one-thousand step beach but for those of you keen to hit the water then head to one-hundred step beach (accessing the beach requires a small charge is applied), there are deck chairs with umbrellas to relax on and for those who can't sit still there are banana boats and quad-bikes for rent, the water is as clean as it is blue and is the perfect way to waste away a slow-paced relaxing afternoon.
Typically tourists start heading back to the mainland at four to five o'clock by boat, truthfully one day is enough time to sufficiently enjoy the island, but accommodation is available if you wish to stay. It is possible to organise transport to and from the wharf in Ningbo back to the city or even as far as Hangzhou. In the spirit of searching for ways to add a new dimension to your China travel experience this gorgeous, relaxing Buddhist paradise certainly should be something on your to-do list.

Qingdao, China tour

I arrived in Qingdao early in the morning due to the train taking 18 hours when I thought I would arrive in 10 hours. The hotel I booked was not near the train station and far from east towards the financial district. I showed my Chinese address to the taxi drivers and three of them had no idea where the street even was. I showed them a map of the city with a dot that showed where the hotel was, still no luck. I did not see any bus stands or signs near the train station. I decided that I would walk to another hotel that was in the Lonely Planet and see if they had any rooms that didn't show on the Internet or see if they could get me a taxi that would work. As I was crossing the street I was almost hit by the bus that would take me to my hotel. He wouldn't let me on the bus since it was out in the middle of traffic and it moved on without me. After no idea in my mind then I just phoned my China travel advisor from Online China Trip, she tell me waited until the next bus came. So I did and after being on the bus for 45min I was finally found my destination. Showering and sleeping came easy, finding something to do or not. I walked along the "beaches" most had algae covering them and the beach was maybe 100 sq ft of sand. Most areas had a concrete beach. This didn't stop people from swimming or having algae fights, or digging for something they were sure to try and serve me later that night. I chose not to go in, that was really the least of my problems, the main problem was that I was only able to get the Friday ferry to South Korea so I would be here for a week. I decided to switch hotels after a couple nights to a different area. This was a slight improvement. The main attraction, at least by my standards, was the Qingdao beer factory. This was actually rather interesting and I thought better than the Guinness factory. I mainly chose to eat food on the street, it was much cheaper, I mean I would hate to pay over $2 for a meal. However, I did go into a nicer restaurant one night where the server brought me out a spoon and no chop sticks. I was highly offended even though it would have been much easier to eat with the spoon I decided to ask, well point, to get me some chop sticks. Then I proceeded to show the entire restaurant my amazing skills with the two sticks. I didn't choose to show everyone, it was just that everyone was watching me. After a couple of minutes the two girls next to me asked if I was an English teacher who had been travel China or living here for years.
I chose to take the ferry from Qingdao to South Korea and this was going to be an 18 hour journey but thankfully I would be sleeping for most of the time. It was not as good as the ferry in Finland, but that was to be expected. There was no casino, but if i wanted I could have watched a movie in Chinese with Korean subtitles. I chose to sleep instead.

Li River in Guilin

On 14th April, I got the chance to take a boat cruise along the Li River and Four Lakes, it is my first time travel China, and my travel agency Online China tours recommended the most beautiful landscape city-Guilin for me. The guide said to us that it is a new boat cruise for the travelers to 360°explore Guilin city. The government tries to handle the boat cruise as water bus, then travelers can board the boat at any moment with their convenience. So, there is one more way to discover Guilin.

The Two Rivers and the Four Lakes (Liang Jiang Si Hu) form a splendid waterway through the centre of Guilin City. Cruise boats carry travelers around the route daytime and evening. The 1.5-hour cruise is worthy as it offers a chance to view Guilin’s tranquil mountain and water scenery, along with traditional Chinese architecture, ancient inscriptions on the bridge arches and well-maintained park-style lake frontage, from the best vantage point: on the water itself. The Two Rivers and Four Lakes consist of the Li River (Li Jiang), the Peach Blossom River (Taohua Jiang), Chinese Fir Lake (Shan Hu), Banyan Lake (Rong Hu), Osmanthus Lake (Gui Hu) and Wooden Dragon Lake (Mulong Hu).

The new cruise route includes Li River and Four Lakes, we started the cruise from the pier at Elephant Trunk Hill, although it rained a little, it made the air more fresh and the scenery more clear and beautiful. People say the Guilin scenery is more attractive and charming in misty and rainy day, so, we were lucky to enjoy such fairy landscape. The boat turned around the Elephant Trunk Hill and let the travelers have chance to enjoy it with panorama. Then boat continued to sail along Li River, the cruise was leisure and tranquil, you can see the Seven Star Park far away and Fubo Hill closely. When the boat arrived Diecai Shan (Folding Brocade Hill), we disembarked there, you can have chance to climb up to the top of hill, but we just went through into the park. This park is just located in the Wooden Dragon Lake (Mulong Hu), from here, we were on the Four Lakes cruise. On the cruise, you can pass lots of different styles of bridges with its own story. No wonder, people say Guilin is like the Venice in China. After sailing in about 45minutes, we arrived the last stop in Chinese Fir Lake (Shan Hu). Here is the best shot point for the Sun Tower and the Moon Tower.

When visit Guilin, you can also try the water bus sailing on the waterway, you will find this city is such close to you, you can not help falling in love with her.

Travel Xing An of Guilin

With three days holiday I needed something do, so harnessing my adventurous spirit I decided to visit one of the twelve counties that surround Guilin. So I start my private China trip in Guilin. Guilin is such a perfect base for extended travel purely due to the fact that there are so many amazing locations to visit within relatively close proximity, all of which have amazing scenery and unique characteristic, it offers visitors to Guilin to experience a new town every day. Upon arriving at the bus-station it was clear that a combination of heavy rain and bus departure times that the most convenient destination would be the Northern county of Xing An.
As with many trips throughout China the journey is often as enjoyable as the destination itself. The trip to Xing An included a winding trip through rugged mountain terrain and rice terraces overflowing with heavy June rain. It's always great to drive through the country-side and see farmers driving bullocks through freshly tilled soil, and ancient-looking woman perched on the side of the road selling an assortment of fruits. From Guilin it takes around two-hours to get to Xing An which in English translates as Peace and Happiness. A small township sitting in the northern part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Xing An has a vibrant albeit small community of less than one-hundred thousand people. But what is there to do in Xing An? Surprisingly quite a lot!

There are three main tourist destinations in Xing An: Mao Er Shan (Cat Mountain), Chao Ran Pai (a renown nature retreat) and Ling Qu or Ling Canal (an ancient Imperial Dyke) all of which are beautiful and historic because of flooding throughout Guangxi which would make heading into the mountains slightly perilous I decided to head to Ling Qu which is only five minutes out of town. Entry costs is the somewhat inflated price of Y50 (US$9) but with a flash of my student card I was in for half price. I wasn't sure what to expect from Ling Qu but to be truthful what I discovered failed to excite me in the way I had hoped, true there is an amazing two-pronged river that runs through park an seeing it full or deep drown water flowing furiously was a site to behold, but that aside the tourist park is in disrepair which much of it literally crumbling upon itself, a boat ride across the river provided a brief highlight in an otherwise ho-hum experience. It was not until I emerged from the park and into the township itself did I witness something worth writing home about.

The amazing thing about the township of Xing An is how it is seemingly to unaffected to the machinations of the world around it, it is a town with a style and feel all of its own, especially on the day of the festival there was a tangible fervor which was both thrilling and exhausting at the same time, as I wandered the streets I found a small and dank Rice Noodle store in which I enjoyed an enormous bowl of rice noodles, I imagine this is what China must have been like thirty-years ago, after lunch a wander into a small alley called "water street", tables covered in hog organs, live crabs struggling to escape from their plastic prison, weathered old women spinning clothes from the shadows of their houses and a pervading smell of steaming bread accompanied by wafting streams of steam flowing from a bakery, this must be 'real China', indeed to debate the point is irrelevant, this is a China you will not see in Beijing or Shanghai or even in Guilin and for this reason Xing An is worth a visit.