China Guide 2008

Heritage: Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area

With primeval forests, rocky crags and rushing streams, Zhangjiajie is a sublimely beautiful place to explore nature’s bounty. Be sure to bring lots of film and a good pair of shoes.

Stashed away in a remote northwestern corner of Hunan Province, bordering Guizhou and Chongqing, is the Wulingyuan Scenic Reserve (wǔlíngyuán fēngjǐngqū 武陵源风景区), better known as Zhangjiajie. Wisely set aside in 1982 as one of China’s first nature reserves, Wulingyuan protects an astounding variety of flora, fauna and minority tribes. The area has been given a UNESCO World Heritage listing, so extensive protection is in place, such as a complete fire ban (including smoking), conveniently placed rubbish bins and flagged erosion-resistance paths.

The reserve is home to three of China’s minority groups, the Tujia, Miao, and Bai who continue to carry on their traditional ways. In Zhangjiajie Village (zhāngjiājiè cūn 张家界村), there is a Museum of Tujia Culture (tǔjiā wénhuà bówùguǎn 土家文化博物馆) focusing on traditional handicrafts. Traditional song and dance performances are held here and are a great way to get a taste of the local color. This is not simply a show to make the tourists happy, but is a family run center with aims of cultural preservation. The Tujia are suspected by some to be the last remaining descendants of western China’s mysterious prehistoric Ba Kingdom. (more…)

Heritage: The Ancient Building Complex in Wudang Shan

A legendary mountain, immortalized in countless sword-fighting novels, Wudang Shan has been the cradle of Taoism for over 1,000 years.

The Wudang Mountain range joins the Qinling Mountains in the west and Shennongjia in the south. Wudang Shan itself is situated in Danjiangkou in Hubei Province, not far from Wuhan and comprises of 72 peaks, 36 cliffs and 24 valleys. Its main peak, called Heavenly Pillar Peak (tiānzhù fēng 天柱峰) stands at a statuesque 1,612m and together with the other mist-shrouded peaks, creates a spectacular vision. However physically daunting Wudang Shan may seem, its natural beauty and exquisite architecture, its rich history mixed with Taoist culture and lore, makes it a worthwhile detour from Wuhan.

Hugging the terrain of Wudang Shan are pockets of architectural delights. Whether atop precipitous peaks, reclining on sloping terraces or tucked into ravines and caves, these exquisite pagodas, nunneries, prayer halls and cave temples have drawn pilgrims and tourists for centuries.

The oldest temple on Wudang Shan is the Five Dragon Ancestral Temple (wǔlóng gōng 五龙宫) which dates back to the 7th century AD. Like this temple, the 72 temples, 39 bridges, 36 nunneries and 12 pavilions on Wudang Shan reflect some of the best architectural styles of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. (more…)

Rounding hairpin turns on a winding mountain road, the Shaolin temple’s surrounding scenery is as rugged as the legendary fighting-monks themselves.

Both domestic and foreign travelers come from far and wide to the small village nestled away in Henan Province’s Song Shan (sōng shān 嵩山), roughly an hour’s drive from Luoyang or Zhengzhou, to visit the fabled birthplace of one of the world’s most famous martial arts movements.

But Shaolin Temple is more than that – thousands visit every year to pray and pay their respects at one of China’s oldest Buddhist temples. The temple is believed to have been founded in the AD 495 by Indian monk Ba Tuo on land given by the Northern Wei emperor for monks to focus on the disciplines of their faith.

In AD 527, Bodhidharma (Dá Mó达摩) visited and founded what became the Chan (Zen in Japanese) sect. According to popular lore, Bodhidharma crossed the Yellow River on a single reed then spent nine years meditating in a cave before entering the temple grounds. His shadow can still be seen in a nearby cave to this day, aptly named Bodhidharma’s Cave (Dá Mó dòng 达摩洞). (more…)

Heritage: Longmen Caves

Grandiose caves filled with immense Buddhas decorated with intricate designs are a testament to the skill and wealth of the people who inhabited Luoyang and their devotion to Buddhism.

Luoyang, once the capital of 13 dynasties, does not offer many historical reminders that it’s more than 5,000 years old. Once the center of Chinese power and culture Luoyang is now best used as a base to explore the Longmen Caves (lóngmén shíkū龙门石窟), 12km from the city.

Originating from India, Buddhist cave carvings commemorate Sakyamuni, who used to teach his students in caves. Cave carvings became one of India’s great artistic heritages and spread throughout Asia along with Buddhism, the Longmen Caves have been selected as an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites. (more…)

On the southern bank of the Yellow River, the ancient city of Kaifeng has withstood natural disasters, invasions and time.

Since 361 BC Kaifeng’s city walls have shielded early kingdoms and dynasties from northern invaders. The city’s fortunes reached a zenith during the cosmopolitan Song dynasty – this period distinguished Kaifeng as one of China’s most historically important cities.

For 168 years, the Eastern Capital, as Kaifeng was then known, flourished as a political, economic and cultural hub of the Middle Kingdom. Its streets bustled with people, animals and lively commerce. Resplendent temples and synagogues drew crowds of the faithful. Through its gilded city gates, camel caravans and Silk Road merchants sauntered in with bags full of goods.

Culture blossomed through poetry, calli-graphy, philosophy and the arts. Ceramic art reached its peak; no subsequent dynasty was able to replicate the exquisitely refined work of the Song ceramic masters. Today, only few pieces of priceless porcelain from the famous Guan Kiln (guānyáo 官窑) exists. (more…)

In the winter Harbin comes alive – sculptures and buildings rise up out of the ice that grips the city. Snow, ice castles and a frozen river – it’s a glittering spectacle that’s well worth the risk of a little frostbite.

If you tell a Chinese person you’re going to Harbin, they’ll most likely shudder and encourage you to alter your plans: “Too cold,” they’ll say. Despite that, it’s not too cold for the three million people who live in this city perched up in far northeastern Heilongjiang Province. Tradition has it that China is shaped like a rooster, Heilongjiang being the head and Harbin the eye and the city retains important unique features and a peculiar charm that you won’t find anywhere else in the country.

Harbin was just a tiny town in China’s northeast for hundreds of years – until at the end of the 19th century the Russians decided they wanted to build a railway from Moscow to Vladivostok. The railway was laid in 1896 when the Chinese government was forced to grant Russia a concession at Harbin, which quickly grew to dwarf the old Chinese town. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, thousands of White Russian refugees crossed the Black Dragon River, better known in the west as the Amur River. At one stage around 160,000 foreigners from 33 countries were living in the city and they set up well over 1,000 companies, including China’s first beer brewery in 1900. The city soon became known as the “Moscow of the East,” and at only seven days train journey from Paris was proud to know the latest fashions well before Shanghai or Hong Kong. (more…)

Dalian, on China’s far northeast coast, is popular with domestic travelers but is yet to be discovered by international tourists. This refreshing coastal city is the perfect antidote for those aching to get away from the congestion and pollution of China’s big cities.

Dalian is a relatively new city by Chinese standards and has grown rapidly by virtue of having an excellent natural harbor – which made it prime real-estate for the imperialist ambitions of Russia and Japan. Much of Dalian’s recent history reflects the 20th century conflicts of China. Today Dalian is a major center for shipping, logistics and fishing. The proximity to good transportation and its special economic stimulus policies have attracted a rapidly growing pool of high-tech industries. Prosperous, clean, jolly, and vibrant, it offers a stark contrast to the often-gritty realities of other northeastern cities. Even in a country where local pride runs strong, the people of Dalian stand out with a fierce pride in their city.

There are some worthwhile things to do here. Some of the beaches are nice, and its high latitude and ocean breezes help it escape some of the worst of steamy Chinese summers – that’s why the Chinese come here. There are some fine examples of classic Russian and Japanese architecture here, the seafood is excellent. Moreover, it’s just a pleasant place to be. (more…)

Inactive volcanoes, crystal-clear lakes and looming trees – the unspoiled natural beauty of Changbai Shan rewards the intrepid travelers who make their way out to this northern diamond.

For nature buffs, Changbai Shan is a piece of heaven, and it certainly lives up to its name, which means “Ever-White Mountain.” Budding nature scientists will be in a proverbial paradise as they explore the explosion of animal, insect and plant life on this dormant volcano, which is also China’s largest nature reserve. This 210,000ha of dense virgin forest lies on the border of China’s Jilin Province and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Created in 1961, the nature reserve is home to one of the most diverse mountain-forest ecosystems in Asia. Evergreen species like Korean pines and Japanese yews share the slopes with Mongolian oaks, dwarf birch and other deciduous trees.

The variation in plant and animal life is due to the changing altitudes. From the foot of the mountain to 1,000m are mixed coniferous and broad-leaved trees. Hardy and valuable coniferous trees like dragon spruce and fir can be found from 1,000m to 1,800m. Above 2,000m, only lichen survives. Within this treasure trove thrives over 300 medicinal plants such as the winter daphne and wild ginseng. (more…)

Heritage: Yungang Caves

From thumb-sized figurines to a 17m colossus, the Buddhist carvings at Yungang are one of the most spectacular holy sites in China.

Clustered in groups, the Yungang Caves (yúngǎng shíkū 云冈石窟) are meant to be viewed as a whole. This endeavor will take a few hours, but considering the carvings took almost half a century and 40,000 laborers to complete, the few hours spent exploring these majestic caves is time well-spent. Of the numerous artistic masterpieces that Buddhism has germinated in China in the past 2,000 years, the caves at Yungang are among the most profound.

The caves are located 16km west of Datong in northern Shanxi Province. A notch south of Inner Mongolia, this strategic location was once a cultural crossroad, with influences from India, Central Asia and Mongolia. In AD 368 a group called the Tangut (tuòbá 拓跋) made Datong the capital of their Northern Wei dynasty. The Tanguts were fervent Buddhists and began work on the caves in 453, ending around 494 when the Northern Wei moved their capital to Luoyang and continued their devotional work at the Longmen Caves. (more…)

Once a remote outpost reached only by the most pious of pilgrims who traveled for months with wills steeled by devotion, Wutai Shan remains a hidden treasure for those seeking true contemplation.

Wutai Shan’s name means “five terraces,” which accurately describes the five flat peaks of this sacred spot – north, east, south, west and central peak. In the quiet valleys between the peaks lay a smattering of ancient temples, twisting trails and awe-inspiring views.

The major sights at Wutai Shan are rather spr (more…)