I travel to China several times a year mainly for fun but also to check out hotels and new tourist attractions for my book. The following information is not in my 2002 book. 

The following items are dated with the month the information was obtained. Everything is subject to change but this should give you a good idea of what to expect. Please also look at our collection of photos from some of these places.

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The last time this page was updated was 12/31/08

Destinations  

Shangri-La.
This town was listed in my book on page 706 and on my web-site as Zhongdian. It has officially become Shangri-La now and has an urban population of 350,000. Flights now arrive mainly from Kunming, but at least once a week from Chengdu, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Lhasa, Shenzhen, and Xishuangbanna.

From the Tiger-Leaping Gorge (See Lijiang), we stopped for lunch at the Yi Xiong Lou (which was okay) but it was after sunset when our caravan arrived 20 kilometres later at the Songzanlin/ Sumtesling monastery in Shangri-la. This is worth seeing for its murals, its chapels and architecture, and if you’re lucky, you can catch it when the sun reflects from its gold roofs and golden deer spectacularly.

On the way to our hotel. I noticed that part of the street from the monastery to town was still unpaved. But the town looks more developed than it did in 2001. Dinner at the Paradise Hotel was good. Then we went off to a Tibetan theatre where we saw another Tibetan show, this one more polished than the one we saw in Lijiang but it was much of the same. (See Lijiang.) Unless you’re into things Tibetan, I would choose one or the other. The singing, dancing and costumes were excellent in Shangri-La , but it was too theatrical for some of my fellow travelers who preferred the more rustic show in Lijiang. In both cases, the performers gave the impression that they too were enjoying the show, a feeling they passed on to their audiences. Tibetans know how to party.

We had two nights in this town, which was not enough for me, because I remembered the wonderful hike with Tenzin four years before between real villages and through alpine meadows. On that trip, we stopped spontaneously to visit families, a highlight. Such a hike would have been great.

Next day, in a convoy, we drove first to lovely Bita Lake 35 km. from town. This looked like something out of Canada except for the herds of yak and Spanish moss. It was complete with a decent two kilometre-long board walk and a boat to ride – so it was not exciting for us. However, the clean air here was a welcome change from the big cities and is a strong reason to come.

Then we went to Ming Dian Da Ka village. Like Shu He in Lijiang, this was an attempt to turn a genuine Tibetan village into a theme park for group tours. It also had dancers welcoming us. In a beautiful, big Tibetan house, our hostesses gave us Tibetan tea and showed how Tibetans churn butter. In another building were demonstrations of local pottery (not worth buying) and thangka art (I’ve seen better in Qinghai.). The architecture with its high narrow windows was interesting, very different from the houses in Lhasa. I didn’t have time to see the monastery there. Our affable local guide Peter (telephone number 13988758496) had excellent English. He was helpful and lots of fun and said there were two monks assigned there full time from the monastery in Shangri-La so it was a genuine monastery. A toll road to this village should be operating in 2006.

Shangri-la’s Old Town has changed considerably since my last visit. It is being completely rebuilt in old Tibetan architecture, another theme park of wooden houses and stores which should be attractive when it’s finished.

Some of my fellow travelers seemed to like Lijiang better. They didn’t have the hikes I had. (See below). This town is still for the eco- or adventure tourist. It is near Great Rivers National Park, near the headwaters of the Mekong, Salween and Yangtze Rivers. Snow mountain peaks within a few kilometres are over 5000 meters. Glaciers, the largest and highest nature reserve in Yunnan, and vast regions of untouched wilderness are nearby. You can look for the rare golden monkeys and snow leopards.

Mount Kawa Karpo, the third sacred mountain of Tibetans, is also in the neighbourhood. It is the highest peak in Yunnan at 6740 meters and has never been climbed. This is not a challenge. This mountain is too holy to be defiled by humans with picks and clamp-ons.

Hotels: Local travel agents said the TIBET HOTEL (PAGE 708) has gone to seed and is no longer recommended, even for backpackers. Uttara Sarkar Crees said the best of the guest houses now is the SONGTSAM HOTEL near the monastery . I didn’t have a chance to see the GYALTHANG DZONG HOTEL where I stayed in 2001 but Uttara said it is still good. Guides here said the Gyalthang Dzong is too far from town but I don’t agree, especially for hikers. The Gyalthang has had a face lift and has been taken over by the upscale Colours of Angsana chain which is a sister chain of the Thai group Banyan Tree. Its web-site is: http://www.coloursofangsana.com/index.htm.  It still provides trekking and nature tours, jeep safaris and pony ride, and English-speaking guides. It is closed December 1 to March 31. For sales enquiries, call the Angsana Singapore Office at 65-6849 5788, fax 65-6462 2463, email reservations@angsana.com  . Reservations may be made through www.coloursofangsana.com  or direct with the hotel at 86 887 822 3646, fax 86 887 822 3620 or email reservations-gyalthang@angsana.com . (Tenzin, mentioned in my report below, is still in town. But Uttara is no longer working with the Gyalthang and is doing exciting work consulting with local governments on ecotourism.)

The PARADISE HOTEL (Tian Jie Sheng Chuan Dajiudian) should become a five-star in 2006 though its room structure is a bit strange. The rack rate for rooms starts at Y880 but with a discount, they were Y420. It accepts major credit cards. It could change Japanese, U.S. and Euros cash. You can only change US travellers checks at the nearby Agricultural Bank which has an ATM.

It has a spa (which I didn’t see) and a tennis court. It required a Y200 deposit before it allowed us to make overseas calls. When I did make a call to Canada, however, it was very cheap. The safe box in room 1417 was big enough for a small lap top and the room has high speed internet access. An electric socket labelled “uninterrupted power socket” was by a small desk.

The shower in the bathroom was separated from the toilet only by a curtain. The floor could get wet if you weren’t careful. The sink was in the bedroom. The window was set apart from the bedroom in a charming little alcove with a window seat and table set for tea. But it was not inviting because it was a little too chilly there.

Some members of our group were obsessed with massages. They were happy with the masseurs who came to their rooms for Y80 an hour. The swimming pool was large and beautiful and decorated with a “glacier”. As we were wearing winter clothes in the 3300 meter-high-altitude, we didn’t feel like taking advantage of it.

The breakfast buffet was Y20 and was in a room off the lobby which was cold and so the food too was cold. The selection was not five-star lavish. There was no yogurt, no bran flakes, but it had yak meat and cones of barley, and a wonderful noodle soup with ground meat. It had soy milk and eggs to order and a couple of cold cereals.

This hotel has 52 “Tibetan-style” rooms but don’t expect anything close to the Yak Hotel in Lhasa with its lively murals of rural life and brightly coloured furniture. This one is subdued and these rooms are smaller than the modern rooms in which we stayed. The address is: Middle Section, Changzheng Road, Shangri-La, 674400. Tel. 887-8228008. Web-site: www.xgll-tjsc.com  (Chinese only) or www.tjsc-hotel.com  (Chinese only but there are images of the hotel.) I don’t remember any staff members speaking English, however.

If you want a Tibetan atmosphere, take a look at the four-star GUAN HUANG HOTEL in the Old Town. (I think that’s the name.) It is just about the same price as the Paradise but it is full of old wood-carved Tibetan atmosphere and it is a few steps from the Old Town Square. We had a good dinner there and then went out into the square to join spontaneous dances that takes place every evening. The steps were easy and the music was catchy, and we weren’t as tired as before. It was a lot of fun.

Unlike on my previous trip, I was not bothered by smokers – though there were some. Maybe it was because there were fewer domestic tourists.

Previous: (Note many changes have occurred since this visit.)
(page 685) This wonderful frontier town has some unpaved streets, areas with no street lights, and dumpy coffee shops. I saw pigs driven down the main street. In places, it has the feeling of an Indian hill station. 

This little Tibetan town is 700 km northwest of Kunming, 250 km north of Dali, and 152 km north of Lijiang. In July I found yellow fields full of canola blossoms. Meadows were dotted with idleweiss, henbane, pedicularis, purple irises, yellow euphorbias, blue poppies, and pink anemones. The weather was ideal for hiking. 

The airport is about a 10 minute drive from town. The altitude in town is 3300 meters 
If you come by road from Lijiang, you can see the first bend of the Yangtze River and beyond that snow-covered Yu Long (Jade Dragon Mountain). The blue haze is smoke from a factory, alas. You can also stop at Tiger-Leaping Gorge. 

For me, trekking to Tibetan villages and temples, and lounging in flower-laden meadows with great herds of sheep, cattle, yaks and dzos is the main attraction. Zhongdian was one of the highlights of a two-month trip. 

The city is divided into an old town and a new town. Everywhere however, smoking can be a problem for non-smokers. Many restaurants and coffee shops are full of cigarette smoke. 

Where to Stay: The best hardware is at the PACIFIC RIM HOTEL (Huangtai Dajiudian). The best for low-budget travelers is the TIBET HOTEL. I prefer the Gyanthong Dzong (page 685) even though it is less comfortable than the newer, fancier hotels, because of its cultural programs and its standard of English, the best in town. 

The GYALTHANG DZONG HOTEL is peacefully isolated by fields of canola on the edge of town. In interesting Tibetan architecture and decor, this hotel is ideal for families with children. It has lots of places to hike, ponies to ride, a mountain behind to climb, and friendly staff. It receives China Daily about five days late. 

Rooms have bare floors, area rugs, and electric heaters and blankets. They have IDD telephone service, but no CNN nor room safes. The plumbing in my room was poor but it worked. The grouting was bad but the room was otherwise fine. The dining room had dusty window sills and stained table cloths. This hotel also has room service and can provide pack lunches. It charges Y20 an hour for internet service. In 2002 it will be renovating its 46 rooms. It is planning a "Well Being Center" and arts and crafts center.

This hotel has a travel agency that can book flights for house guests without a service charge. It can also arrange land trips to equally cool Lhasa but it takes a week to get a permit from Lhasa. You can do this in advance by sending a copy of your passport and payment by bank transfer. It can arrange for vehicles to go there too.
It is more than a hotel. It is a Tibetan cultural center where you can learn about alpine wild flowers, the Tibetan language, handicrafts, traditional medicine, and about the religion. It has botanical and bird watching guides, and river rafting. It is, and will be soon set up for eco-camping and trekking. It has 10 horses and charges Y50 an hour for riding. 

My hiking guide was Tenzin, who has a classic Tibetan face and long black hair. He was a real nomad tending sheep and goats for many years, and went to school for two years in Nepal. His English was understandable and the opportunity to talk about his exotic (to North Americans) life without an interpreter was indeed a unique opportunity. He said his wife worked for a television station. 

Tenzin took me to a village temple where thousands of prayer flags hung like Spanish moss all over the trees. He knew the monks and I took all the photos I wanted inside and out of parents teaching their children how to worship and people burning paper prayers. 

We explored one of the huge village houses, the carved wooden walls, its chapel, and two kitchens. The owners offered us rancid butter tea, which I had to impolitely refuse. I don't like it. A friendly old woman in another village didn't want her photo taken because she wasn't in her best clothes. She relented and I later send her a copy. The prayer flags on the roofs of Tibetan houses here indicate if a son is a monk, and how many generations are living there. 

What to See and Do: 
You can take Bus #3 from the Tibet Hotel five kilometers to the Gedan Songzanlin (Guihua Si) Lamasery for Y1. This Gelukpa (yellow) sect temple is open from 7am to 7pm daily and charges Y10. Be sure to take a flashlight so you can see its darker rooms. A good time to visit is at 7am when prayers are chanted for about an hour. 

The Gedong Festival takes place here in the 11th lunar month during which masked dancers drive away evil spirits, celebrate the harvest, and pray for prosperity and peace. There’s a horse racing festival in the 6th lunar month and an arts in the fifth. A Yunnan travel agent should know the exact western dates. These are very good times to visit.   

Practical Information: 
Buses: to Dechen/Deqen - no express but three buses a day leave at 7:30am, 8am and 8:30am except in winter. To Kunming - one express bus leaves daily at 9am. Overnight sleeping buses leave at 1pm, 4pm, 6pm, and 7pm . To Lijiang/Dali - one express bus leaves at 9am en route to Kunming at 9am. 

Northward to Tibet: 
From Zhondian, are jeep or land rover tours to Lhasa in Tibet. Zhongdian is a military controlled road - and travelers need a permit from the Tibet Travel Bureau (just like any other trip to Tibet.) Different agencies claim to take anything from three days to one week to get a permit - so give yourself lots of time. The only time to go is late April to the beginning of June, or late September and October. Expect landslides in the rainy season and bad roads. It takes five to eight days in a four-wheeled jeep with a professional driver. . See also Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang. - RLM, DATE, July, 2001.
 

Shantou
This industrial seaport city is now 4.5 hours by comfortable express bus from Xiamen, 3.5 hours from Shenzhen, and 4.5 hours from Hong Kong. It is 5.5 hours from Guangzhou. Highway signs are in English and Chinese. In addition to international flights, it has air connections with 35 other Chinese cities and train connections.

Where to Stay: These hotels all change travelers' checks for their own guests and charge a 15% surcharge on services. English is relatively good (for China). The best gym is in the Regency. The International and Golden Gulf are downtown near shops. The Golden Gulf is in the financial district. The Regency is in the east part of town near the edge of the map, in a newly developed residential area surrounded by grass. All are on the same road but in different parts of the city, so don't let Shantou's rip-off taxi drivers take you the long way around. From the Regency to the International a taxi costs around Y16. The Golden Gulf is in between. All hotels here and indeed in all of China have karaoke and beauty salons. The Golden Gulf is near the main office of the Bank of China. Hotels here add 15% service charge.

The Regency is the newest, and most luxurious hotel. The International is the best four-star hotel. The Golden Gulf is expected to improve after its renovations. I stayed at the International which was extremely helpful and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also got help from the other hotels and Zhen Jinhai.

REGENCY HOTEL SHANTOU(Di Hao Jiudian), Jinsha Dong Road, 515041. Tel. 819-9888. Fax 880-0000. E-mail: stdhint@pub.shantou.gd.cn   . Web: www.regencyhotelshantou.com   (in English but very slow). Y1280-1680 for rooms, and Y2680 to 19800 for suites. Y24000 to Y45000 a month for apartments. It has been giving 35% discounts. Five stars. Partially opened 1999. Grand opening August, 2000. This 33-story, 542-room hotel is a five-minute walk to the Shantou Railway Station and close to the airport expressway and airport (12 km). It has executive and non-smoking floors. Rooms are 40 square meters including bath, have safes, CNN, HBO, and VOD movies. Your messages arrive on your television.

The Regency has the best executive floor. Can you imagine pillows in its lounge while you read the South China Morning Post? Rooms have two telephone lines. Its 5600 square meter International Exhibition and Conference Centre has closed circuit television It has two tennis courts, about a 20-meter long, year-round outdoor pool. Its gym has nine good machines. (One was broken.) There's bowling, billiards and tennis.

Its banquet hall can seat 1040 at tables. Its breakfast buffet costs Y68, lunch Y78, and dinner Y98. Sushi on a conveyer belt at Y9 a plate is available in its Japanese restaurant. The set teppanyaki menu costs Y80 and there are shops and a florist. Regency Hotel Management (Holdings) Ltd., Hong Kong.

GOLDEN GULF HOTEL (PAGE 608)-- Its fax is now 8265162. E-mail: stgghot1@pub.shantou.gd.cn  . Older standard rooms are still Y1100 but rooms in its newly renovated floors cost Y1200 and Y1300. Suites are Y2200 to Y11200, and apartments cost Y30000 and Y40000 a month. It has been giving at least 40% discounts and free breakfasts if you book through an agent on the web. During Chinese festivals, it has been giving 45% discounts but not including breakfasts. It is near Ying Bin Square.

At night it's bathed in purple and green lights so it's easy to find. The interior however does not give the impression of a luxurious five-star hotel. It is too dark. It will however be rebuilding its lobby and renovating its upper floors this year and next. New rooms should have electrical outlets and data ports at desk level.

Rooms have VOD but no key boards, CNN, HBO, and CNBC. They have data ports, kettles, hair dryers and separate showers stalls as well as tubs. Bathrooms are white marble with green marble or chrome trim. They have scales and live plants. Every floor has a shoe shine machine. It has facilities for international conventions, simultaneous interpretation, and LCD/VCD/DVD. Its largest hall seats 380 banquet style. Its lobby is circular with shops around the edge. Its outdoor year-round pool is about 17 meters long and its gym has 12 machines only one of which is international standard. It has a lighted tennis court.

In the business center, I found the South China Morning Post, and good English.
It has hot pot, Chaozhou and western food.

SHANTOU INTERNATIONAL HOTEL (page 608) has new telephone and fax numbers, now 8251212 and 8252250 respectively. The web-site is now: www.stih.com   (English. See "Promotion" for bargain packages.) This hotel is in the Special Economic Zone, around the corner from a pedestrian shopping street selling clothes and shoes, and close to the old city.

Rooms are now Y980 to Y1380, and suites Y2200 to Y9800. It has been giving discounts of 40%. It now has CNN and CNBC, VOD with pay movies, a food court with snacks, and in-room safes. In 2001, it should have internet access and a data port in every room as it upgrades its rooms.

This is a good four-star hotel but a dirty carpet was in my 16th floor room. The general manager insisted it was only stained and that the room was cleaned daily. I was taken to some newer rooms with much better carpets. But I'm sure my carpet could have improved with shampooing. The International has non-smoking floors and rooms for single women with a warmer atmosphere and more security. Rooms are 31 square meter including bathrooms.

This friendly, unpretentious hotel has a revolving restaurant with a great view of the old city. Its breakfast buffet has a lot of variety for a four star, and it puts a lot of effort into its month-long international cuisine buffets. Its recent Canadian food month was an inspiration of its Canadian Food and Beverage Manager, Chris Pun who managed to find and serve Canadian cod, maple syrup, P.E.I. mussels, and Alberta beef. The breakfast buffet costs Y98. Dinner recently had 13 hot dishes, 10 cold dishes, roast beef, and desserts.

Its banquet hall can hold about 400 at a sit-down banquet and it has convention facilities. I found service in its revolving restaurant overly eager. Twice attendants tried to take away my plate before I was finished. The food is good, but it's not the Shangri-La. Its Y78 set lunch recently consisted of chicken corn chowder, garlic sautee prawn with butter spaghetti and vegetables, white chocolate mouse, coffee or tea.

English is above average for a four star in a city with so few English-speaking visitors. Sunpride International Management Group (Hong Kong).

Where to Eat: better stick with the hotels. One hears of Chaozhou but not Shantou cuisine so I went to Chaozhou and found little to recommend a trip. The cuisine is a branch of Cantonese, with lots of seafood, and was so named because Chaozhou used to be the name of the whole area. Now Shantou has become more prosperous and famous, but the name of the cuisine remained.

What to See
Your hotel should be able to organize sightseeing. The International Hotel can arrange for you to join a daily one-day tour of Shantou for Y98 that leaves at 9am. The Golden Gulf has 12 person mini-buses or Crown cars for Y150 an hour, and Mercedes Benzes from Y200 to Y350 an hour, and several itineraries. It also has a tour organized by the ferry company for Y250. And it rents bicycles for Y10-Y15 an hour.

Chaozhou, 40 km from Shantou, used to be more important than Shantou, so that's where the main temples are. Buses go every 20 minutes to an hour between the two cities during the day. A taxi would cost about Y80 one way, the bus Y10.
There are a couple of mildly interesting temples.

The only real reason for going to Chaozhou is to buy porcelain. It has a huge porcelain market in Feng Xi Town on Anjie Road about four kilometers from the west bus station. This was opened in December 2000, about Y10 by taxi from the bus station. There, the first asking price for a gaudy one meter-high vase with gold trim can be Y400, and a one meter-high crackled gray ceramic vase about Y40. There are many stalls here.

The old city in Shantou is full of low-rise houses and a pleasant, interesting walk. I wanted to see but didn't have time for a trip to the Chen Chi Hong Gu Ju or "Little Imperial Palace." In Qian Mei in Longdu, Chenghai city. Tel. (754)5786955. This is 20 kilometers northeast of Shantou and said to be a beautifully-preserved restored 506-room extended Teochew family mansion. It is said to be full of gilded wooden carvings, glass and stone sculptures. A tribal dance should be performed twice daily. If you get there, please tell me about it and if it's worth the trip.

Practical Information: an internet bar is to the left as you leave the International Hotel. Cross Jin Sha Road at McDonald's. It's on the second floor of the corner building. Look for a sign with a computer and a tell-tale "e" on its screen. Open 9am to 2am.

Interpreters: Zhen Jinhai, Manager, Translation Company, Unit 202, 15 Gong He Road, Shantou, 515031, Tel. 754-8273283, fax 8454806. Mobile: 13502776867.
It charges Y300 a day or Y200 a half day for an interpreter, and it can handle Japanese, German, French and Spanish as well as English.

For bus and plane tickets, best try your hotel. The International arranged for a bus pickup for me at the bus stop outside the hotel, a great convenience as I had a lot of luggage. The bus company sent someone with a cell phone to help me get onto a bus that is not supposed to stop. I had to jump on while running while the representative threw on the luggage. Some of the better buses belong to the Gang Tong (H.K.) Motor Transport Co. Ltd. Hong Kong tel. 2787 7777 or fax 2785 4519. Web-site: www.yp.com.hk/gangtong  (English); e-mail: gthk@biz.netvigator.com  . Hong Kong travel agents can arrange for buses to Shantou.

The Shantou Tourist General Co., has a Tourist Information Centre at 35, Yuejin Road, 515031 near the ferry pier. Ask for Chen Wei Xiong, English Interpreter. Tel. 8970701, Fax 8980942, Mobile 13501402768. E-mail: stgccn@pub.shantou.gd.cn   . Web-site: www.stgc-cn.com (Chinese only).

Chaozhou CITS, Tel. (768)229-3601, and fax 226-5891.

The Business Center at the International Hotel charges for express bus tickets Y150 from Shantou to Shenzhen, Y180 to Guangzhou, Y240 to Hong Kong, Y90 to Xiamen, and Y140 to Fuzhou. The train to Shenzhen hard seat costs Y119 and soft Y137. The train to Guangzhou costs Y72 for hard seat, Y132 for hard berth, and Y208 for soft. The flight to Guangzhou costs Y530, to Hong Kong Y1230, to Fuzhou Y500, and to Wuyi Y560.

Tourist Complaints: Tel. 8297616. --RLM, Date: November, 2000.

Back to the Updates Index             

Shenzhen
Note: see pages 636 to 643. A 15% service charge is added to all prices.
I wish I had had more time to spend in this city. Most people don't like it, because it's so new and built up, but it does have some very nice areas-like its beautiful golf courses, interesting theme parks, and little seaside restaurants and bars. 
This time I was less than 24 hours there, just passing through on my way to Hong Kong. I took a comfortable Y20 bus downtown from the airport and only had to drag my luggage 100 meters to get a taxi to the SHANGRI-LA SHENZHEN, my favorite downtown hotel. Its convenient location meant I could dash over to the shopping centre near the Customs House and buy some crystals for my son. I found a store there and splurged but I didn't have room in my luggage to carry many of the counterfeit goodies also sold there. 

To attract more guests, the Shangri-La was charging $79 for a room and breakfast plus the usual 15%. Its lobby was lively and full even though it is only a couple hours drive from SARS Ground Zero. The August occupancy rate was a healthy 80%. It has a new joint venture business centre with 50 small, serviced offices for rent costing upward from Y8000 a month. They looked very utilitarian. 

Over dinner, Kelly Wu, Communications Manager and T.S. Cheah, Director of Marketing spoke of developments in the city such as a new subway station and mall near the train station to be finished the end of 2004. The retired Russian aircraft carrier Minsk is now moored nearby with an entrance fee of Y100. 
During the SARS epidemic, all staff and guests entering the hotel had temperature checks. Those with a fever were supposed to go to hospital but no one had one. All hotels tried their best to show they were safe. Staff wore masks "for your safety..." They put plates and cutlery onto tables after guests sat down and served meals individually, not from common dishes. The chefs were still weaning masks. Before SARS, the occupancy rate was 70 to 80% and during it, the occupancy rate went down as low as 16%. No hotels closed in Shenzhen which had 53 confirmed cases of the disease. There was nothing they could do about business except to keep the highest safety and hygiene standards. After it was over, it had a "Come Back Campaign, a series of promotions with four airlines.

The Shangri-la was totally refurbished in 2003 and is planning to equip its club floor and executive suites with mobiles telephones. Eventually these telephones will be in every room, for use only inside the hotel so you won't miss calls during meals. The Shangri-La was also the first hotel in Shenzhen to offer broadband and wireless connections in public areas. 

Dinner was the usual wonderful Shang Palace banquet. We gorged happily on winter melon with scallions and seafood, cucumber and marinated sliced pork, and a wonderful scallops and chilli shrimp. There were also prawns in orange sauce, honey sweet turbot, and garlic broccoli and steamed crab. I was struck by the bursts of different, interesting flavours. The staff was efficient and eager as usual. 
I spent the night in one of its refurbished room with a bay window overlooking the train station. It has a much appreciated light illuminating the in-room safe. One handy button connects directly to "medical emergency" and a porcelain vase is beautifully lit from its base. The bathroom is an attractive green and brown marble. Next morning, I caught a bus from the Sunshine Hotel to the Kowloon Railway Station. It was a lot less stressful than than my previous three-hour walk across the border . 

Shangri-La will be opening new hotels in Fuzhou, and in 2006 in Futian, the new city center of Shenzhen. - 
RLM, DATE, August, 2003. 
* * * 
I made a quick day trip to this city on the Hong Kong border. See Hong Kong in this web-site for the Xili Golf Course (page 642). This club, managed by Shangri-La, now has 36 holes, a 30-room hotel, and 12 apartments.

Most important to know is that all telephone numbers in my book for this city are now eight digits. Just add a 2 to the front of those that begin with 6, and an 8 to the front of those that begin with 2 or 3. 

Also important to know is that there might be a long delay if you are going from Shenzhen to Hong Kong on foot through the respective customs houses at Lowu. On my return to Hong Kong there this month, queues were at least three hours long on the Chinese side. There were only two officers on duty processing hundreds of people. Subsequent complaints might solve this problem but before you try this route, ask hotel people in Shenzhen if delays are still the case and what is the best way to avoid them. 

The Shenzhen Lichee Festival is usually in June. There's talk of helicopter service between Macao and Shenzhen later this year. Its port should be near the Crowne Plaza Hotel. 

Where to Stay
The exchange rate is HK$1=RMB$1.1. The LANDMARK HOTEL SHENZHEN (page 638) is now under Accor management. It no longer has a Brazilian restaurant. The e-mail address of the Sales & Marketing Dept. is sm@szlandmark.com.cn . 

Fun is the new 376-room, five-star CROWNE PLAZA. In keeping with the spirit of its neighbor Windows of the World across the road, the interior here has a Venetian theme. Staff are dressed in striped gondolier shirts and an attempt at typical straw hats. Glasses lean like the Tower of Pisa and some floors are mosaic tile. Although it does serve Italian food, its six-piece band is American, and restaurants serve Western, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese food as well. 

Seventy percent of the rooms have balconies and average 36 square meters. All have safe boxes, two data ports, CNN, BBC, and separate shower stalls and tubs. Twin beds are doubles. You can choose to swim in either its 25 meter-long, year-round indoor pool or in summer, its 45 meter-long outdoor pool. The gym has 32 imported machines, mainly Precor. Try to avoid weekends when most of its guests arrive from Hong Kong to relax. The breakfast buffet costs Y118, lunch Y128, and dinner Y148. 

Its internet service is Y60 an hour. It's an eight minute walk to a Walmart, and a Food Street with 20 small restaurants. 

I had lunch and a tour of the 285-room HOLIDAY INN DONGHUA SHENZHEN (page 640). It is 24 kms from the Shenzhen airport. It has a Guest Service Centre where one call puts you in touch with all its services. 

I ordered a bowl of noodles and a banana split - both of which arrived at the same time. Service obviously needed some work. This hotel was opened in 1998 and all rooms have complimentary access to the internet. Only a few however have computers. If you use the hotel's machines, it costs Y30 for 30 minutes for e-mail. 

The Holiday Inn has just opened its health centre with a large indoor pool, aerobic room, 17-piece gym, and sauna. It has Japanese and Cantonese restaurants. In the neighborhood are the Bin Fen Jia Ri Restaurant (Cantonese), and the Hiya Department Store with a supermarket in the basement. Five minutes by road is Shenzhen University, and 15 minutes by taxi is the hi-tech park. It has a shuttle bus to the railway station and the ferry pier, and a subway line should reach here from the railway station in 2004.

The NOVOTEL WATERGATE SHENZHEN opened in 2000 but I haven't had a chance to see it yet. The rack rate for a standard room is US$135 net. It currently has a promotional rate of US$78 net including two buffet breakfasts for a standard room. It's at No. 1019, Shennan Zhong Road, Shenzhen, 518031, Tel : 8213 7999, fax : 8213 7311. Email : hotel@novotel-watergate.com  . -- RLM, DATE, August, 2002. 

Note: more information on Shenzhen is in the 2002 edition of my guide. 

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Suzhou

The road between Suzhou and Hangzhou has already been in use for over a year. It is very convenient, takes only two hours, and almost every 30 minutes there is a bus. Sometimes this road has traffic jams but the train takes a longer time. -- Maria Xu, Sheraton Suzhou Hotel & Towers, DATE, February, 2004. 

Janet Lv, Public Relations Manager at the Gloria Plaza Hotel Suzhou says it's the Sampan not Sanpan Seafood Restaurant, and the Gloria's e-mail address is: gloria@gphsuzhou.com  . RMB588 is the "previlege price" for the weekend. 
DATE: November, 2002. 
* * * 

We were two days in Suzhou looking for silk. The most important change here has been the addition of "6" in front of all telephone numbers. 

There's now a half day rickshaw tour from 9am to 12noon through the alleys. No food. There's also a sampan tour with story telling Check with CITS whose first e-mail address is correct, but the second should be: dragonlu@pub.sz.jsinfo.net . 

The Silk Spinning Mill No. 1 is now giving demonstrations of the silk manufacturing process. Especially fascinating is the silk stuffing used for quilts. 

We had a chance to visit the impressive Suzhou International Foreign Language School (page 410, 2002 edition). It is located in the suburbs, about 40 minutes by car from downtown. It has 10 foreign teachers who teach oral English and looking for more. Classes have 30 to 35 students each. There are 3400 students in total. It looks like a good place to teach. 

We heard a rumor that I.M. Pei is designing a new museum for Suzhou to be finished perhaps in 2005. It is said to be beside the Humble Administrators Garden. 

Where to Stay: 
We stayed one night at the Gloria Plaza (page 401, 2002 edition). While we liked the Ramada better, we also enjoyed the Gloria. Its location is more central. Its upgraded Chinese restaurant should reopen in August and its enlarged ballroom should reopen in October. 

The breakfast buffet, included in the price of our room, was good. Its room service menu has soups Y22-Y65, Entrees Y50-Y98, Grills Y138-Y178, Asian delicacies Y40-Y45, Desserts Y25 - Y40, and Chinese Y30 - Y298, the latter for abalone. Its Sanpan Restaurant has Cantonese dim sum. Hotel staff recommended the Chuang Fu Lo, a Sichuan restaurant 10 minutes from the hotel, if you want a change of pace

We also stayed at the Ramada Plaza Bamboo Grove Suzhou (page 401, 2002 edition) for one night and enjoyed it. Breakfast was included in the room price. Its western buffet lunch is now Y68 and western dinner Y88 net. It actually became a Ramada on December 2001. Its coffee shop with windows opening onto its courtyard garden and pond is a joy because of the six geese - waddling along in straight lines like in a peasant painting. It now has very good Thai food - we tried it - and its ballroom seats 250-300 people banquet-style. It no longer has the only Filipino band in town. 

Its newly removed standard rooms on the fourth floor have silk pillows, bigger windows, and data port. Its executive rooms have not yet been renovated and when they are, there'll be an additional Y100 charge.

* * * 
In September, 2001, the APEC Finance Ministers congress was held in Suzhou. This city has had experience in hosting top-level international conferences and its prices are cheaper than Shanghai's. It is also improving in other ways. A direct express highway should be finished in 2003 between Suzhou and Hangzhou, thus avoiding Shanghai entirely. The trip should be about two hours then. 

A pleasant one-kilometer walkway has been built beside the New Suzhou International Hotel along Jinji Lake. A new canal should link the Shantang Canal to Tiger Hill and many ancient sites will be developed along it, hopefully in 2001. The first priority however is clean water, and a new sewage system. Then the canal could be developed into a public waterway with electric motors, says the tourist office.

My four days in Suzhou were full: new restaurants to try, a noodle shop, and a fascinating tea house. I talked with the Suzhou tourism office, reviewed hotels, and with the friends and family of one of my readers, explored Tongli water town. At the pearl market I bought strands of fresh water pearls for Y40 each which included knotting and a clasp. After the store's owner pointed out the ones that were dyed black, I felt I could trust her. The Y40 pearls weren't flawless nor perfectly matched, but they were real, and she had a clean western toilet. 

I found a silk garment factory with overruns, and visited two silk spinning factories where the quality was good. At Silk Spinning Mill No. 2, you can see the whole process from cocoon to spinning to mechanical looms, but clothing styles and patterns in its showroom was conservative. The Silk Spinning Mill No. 1 was near the Bamboo Grove Hotel, and the styles are more to the western taste, but you can't see the process. Silk stores are all over, around all the tourist attractions. The Silk Museum still has a store too. 

Many stores sell "washable" silk ("mian tang si chou" in Chinese) which needs no or little ironing. You do have to learn a few words of Chinese but can you trust them to tell the truth? Nos. 1 and 2 should be reliable. 

(I think the best bargains are at the Silk Market in Hangzhou, but you might not find what you want during your visit. Guides in Suzhou might deny it exists.) 

Having been to Suzhou about a dozen times, I didn't visit any gardens or temples this time. There was no time. I would have liked a couple of more days. 

Suzhou which already has a lot to offer visitors is upgrading what it has, and opening new attractions. It is working on a Wellness Centre and will be offering lecturers on gardens, embroidery, Sun Tze and the Art of War, and the places where Marco Polo visited here. 

On my next trip, I want to see the new areas open to tourists. You can now go hiking along Taihu Lake and hire a motorboat. You can take a bus to eighty square kilometer Xishan Island (as big as Hong Kong island with a hiking trail around it). This is especially good in the spring, said Xu Wei Rong of the Suzhou tourist office, because then you can view a sea of plum blossoms. The four-star Xishan Hotel is near the Hill of Old Stone Man there. You can spend the night and explore a well-preserved Ming dynasty street in Moon Bay Village. 

Where to Stay
I spent two delightful days at the Sheraton and two at the Bamboo Grove, both hotels in the southern part of the old city. They are both recommended and are in traditional Chinese-type architecture. The Sheraton is better. The Gloria is my third favorite hotel. For a cheaper hotel, I like the Suzhou though it's badly maintained. The location is good and it might be getting new management. The standard of English in the hotels here is not as good as in Shanghai. Hotels here add 15% service charge on all services. 

The five-star SHERATON SUZHOU HOTEL AND TOWERS (Xi Lai Deng Jiudian) is still my favorite hotel here, and in fact, one of my favorites in the whole of China. (pages 200, 397). 2002 prices are US$200 to $242 for rooms and $388 to $1588 for suites. Y888 is the "privilege price" for the weekend. It has been discounting 20 to 40%. The e-mail is now: Sheraton_suzhou@sheraton.com . The website is: www.sheraton-suzhou.com (English). 

I really enjoy staying here because it is beautiful and very Chinese. When you look out the window of its coffee shop, or swim in its indoor-outdoor pool, you see nothing but beauty and history. The integration of the Pan Men Gate into its view is wonderful. And walking up the ramp to its second floor lobby is like walking up to the top of a city wall in any old Chinese city. On the other hand, it offers CNN, the International Herald Tribune, and the Asian Wall Street Journal. 

Rooms are 32 to 34 square meters, nice and big. It has a gym with 17 machines overlooking its pool and three television monitors. The food and service are good, and English is not a problem. Maria Xu (Director of Sales) is a delight and knows of a tailor who can make a silk dress in one day. 

The Pan Men, the water gate just behind the Sheraton, has been renovated, and is a good place to walk. It is beside a canal and a 300-meter long part of the city wall, two thick 2.7 meter and 5.3 meter high gates, and Qing dynasty cannons. There's a large garden, signs in English, and good views of the boats along the canal. People exercise here in the morning. Pan Men is open 8am to 4:45 or 5pm, Tel. 8267737, and the entrance fee is Y6, but you can sneak into part of it earlier from the west side. Just follow the tai-chi people. 

Although this hotel is in the south part of the old city, it's conveniently located for everything. The city is small.

Its coffee shop prices: 
Caesar Salad RMB50+15%
Pizza Mediterranean RMB75+15%
Sirloin Steak RMB135+15%

Beer RMB30+15% & above
Coffee RMB30+15% & above
Bloody Mary RMB50+15%

Its buffets cost for breakfast, RMB115+15%, lunch RMB 98+15% (Mon-Fri) and RMB108+15% (Sat-Sun); and dinner RMB128+15%.

RAMADA PLAZA BAMBOO GROVE HOTEL/SUZHOU became a Ramada in 2000. Renovations are now in progress in its rooms. It should all be done in August this year including the introduction of broadband access. Rooms are 28 to 30 square meters with a larger than usual curved desk. The only problems I had during my stay were a data port that didn't work, a message light that didn't turn off, and the disruptions to the fourth floor elevator because of construction. These were no real inconvenience, especially when the staff tried very hard to get a package of silk to me that arrived after I left. And no one charged me when I shanghai-ed one of its cute-looking bellmen. 

The Ramada says it's three km from city center but you can walk to Shi Quan tourist street. No. 1 Silk Spinning Mill is also close by. It's a 15-minute drive to the railway station and a seven-minute drive to the pier. The e-mail is: bghsz@public1.sz.js.cn . Its ballroom seats 250 people banquet style and its creative chefs have concocted their own Suzhou dishes. It has a spacious garden, a deli and a Filipino band, the only one in town. The manager Anson Lee is a Canadian. It no longer has Lee Garden management so expect things to improve. 

GLORIA PLAZA HOTEL (KAILAI DAJIUDIAN). Postal code: 215006. e-mail: Gloria@gphsuzhou.com . The web-site is: www.gphsuzhou.com . Four stars. This hotel is 1.5km from the Sheraton on the main street between the two new parts of the city, and is a 10 minute walk to Guan Qian Street. It is relatively near Suzhou University. It has a shuttle bus to the New District and the Industrial Park twice a day. This hotel now has 296 rooms with prices ranging from Y980-Y1480 for rooms and Y1980 to Y4080 for suites. It has been giving a 40% discount. Rooms are 32 square meters. All rooms have fax and internet outlets, safes, CNN, HBO and voice-mail in four languages. In 2001, it will be renovating its executive floor, and bar. 

Its business center subscribes to the South China Morning Post and Straits Times, can book flight and train tickets and charges Y0.40 per minute for the internet. 

The Gloria has 24-hour room service. I tried the lunch buffet and it was very good though not as lavish as the Sheraton's. Its ballroom can seat 110 at tables. It has an eight-machine gym, outdoor Jacuzzi, steam bath, and a mini-golf putting green. It has no pool. Rooms are Y980 to Y1480, and suites Y1980 to Y4080. It has been discounting 40%. It has an excellent tourist map in Chinese and English to help you get around. 

What to See: 
I met Alan Hurvitz through this web-site. When we discovered we would be in Suzhou at the same time, we made an attempt to meet. He was traveling with his family and friends in a pre-paid tour and had a guide and van. We decided to go together to Tongli, one of the water towns 25 km. from Suzhou, but since it was beyond the limits of the city, we had to pay extra. It was a wonderful opportunity for me not only to meet some of my readers, but to have a guide show us around and interpret. 

As it was, our guide Lisa from the Chinese Women's International Travel Service took us to a kindergarten and encouraged us to invite ourselves into a couple of the houses. We had a wonderful time meeting friendly seniors and children. She also took us to a market. Tongli, population 10,000, was not as commercial as Zhouzhuang but it is not as interesting as Zhujiajiao village in Qingpu which has a garden and little museum to visit .The Sheraton takes its guests to Lu Zhi village. (See also Zhouzhuang in Shanghai.) 

Where to Eat: 
Restaurant inspectors publish their results in the newspaper, a practice that is helping to raise standards here. See above for Sheraton prices and recommendations. 

QIAN TANG CHA REN is an exotic tea house at 311 Shi Quan Street, 10 minutes walk from the Suzhou Hotel. Its second floor has ping tan (traditional story telling). It is open 8am to 2am. The manager's office telephone is 530078. It has antique or reproduced old Chinese furnishings, bare wooden floors and curtained cubicles. It has carved wooden pictures, black brick walls and latticed windows. Its decorator has captured the look and feel of old China and this tea house should be visited just for a look. Waiters are in Song dynasty costume and the music is Buddhist. Most teas cost Y48 which includes a buffet of noodles, dried fruit, sweet pastries, rice, dried fruit and nuts. 

Towards the Qian Tang Cha Ren and across the street from the Suzhou Hotel is YANG YANG, a relatively cheap cafe at 144 Shi Quan Street, Tel. 5192728. Popular with foreigners, it is named after the grandson of its founder. It offers six pieces of deep-fried won ton for Y5, special marinated chicken for Y15, green beans in garlic sauce for Y25, sweet and sour pork for Y18, Gong Bao chicken for Y18, and half a road duck for Y28. At these prices, don't expect it to be fancy.

Practical Information: 
--In July, the temperature was 28C to 36C and muggy. 

--China Eastern Airlines in Suzhou has a shuttle bus to Shanghai airport. It costs Y50
--CITS has moved to 18 Dajingxiang St., 215005. Tel. 5152401, 5223783, fax 5159006. This is near the Lexiang Hotel. Ask for Lu Guangxing (Bruce), Deputy Manager, English Department. Tel. 13606219715. He can tell you about the garment factory that exports to the U.S. and has overruns for sale. It charges for a four-passenger car to Wuxi Y400, to Nanjing Y900, to Shanghai Y550, and to Hangzhou Y850. For a guide for one or two visitors a day, it charges Y400.
--The Suzhou Municipal Administration of Tourism is at 115 Shiquan St., 215006. 
Tel. 5268952, Fax 5304615. Ask for Ms. Yong, fourth floor, Tel. 5223131. This is on the grounds of the Suzhou Hotel, to the right as you enter the gate. For brochures.

--The Suzhou International Foreign Language School is still looking for teachers of English. It's on Lumu, 215131. Tel. 5760026, or Fax 5490201. E-mail: stmao@cmmail.com .  Ask for Mao Songtang, Vice-Principal. 
 
--Prices: Laundry prices in the four-star Ramada Plaza Bamboo Grove should indicate approximately what you should budget in other four-star hotels as well: dress shirt Y22, sport shirt Y16, cotton jacket Y25, trousers Y22, undershirt Y10, socks Y10, handkerchief Y10, pajamas (two piece) Y20, cotton dress Y25, and stockings Y10. .

--The city has opened five tourist bus lines from the railway station to all the main attractions for Y2. No English yet. 

Public Bus Routes (from the Suzhou Tourism Administration map): Tourist Bus 1 (East) Railway Station - North Temple Pagoda-Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove Garden, Jinmen Gate, Lingering Garden, West Garden, No. 1 Bridge, Tiger Hill. 

Tour Bus 1 (West) Railway Station, Lingering Garden, West Garden, Tiger Hill. 

Bus 5: Tiger Hill - West Garden, Lingering Garden, Guanqian Street, Lion Grove Garden, Zoo. 

Bus 27 (Inner Circular Route) Railway Station, Dongda Street, Friendship Hotel, Master-of-Nets Garden, Twin Pagodas, Lion Grove Garden, Humble Administrator's, Qimen Gate, North Bus Station, Railway Station. 

--Angela's Design is a recommended tailor shop at 164-1 Shi Quan Street, near the Sheraton Hotel. Tel. 13906134922. (English-speaking). It makes good chi pao dresses. Open 9am to 8pm except on the second of each month. 

--How does one shanghai a bellman? This one carried my bags from the Bamboo Grove Hotel onto my soft-class train coach while the aisles were jammed with people and my seat was at the far end. I told him to get off the train, but by that time, the door was locked. The train started pulling out and he had to stay on until Shanghai. I really did Shanghai him! He didn't seem upset by it. Fortunately he had a cell phone and called the driver. I felt I had to tip him a lot. - RLM, DATE, July, 2001. 

* * *
More information is in the 2002 edition of my guide book. 
* * *

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Taishan  
See page 627, 2002 edition 

In Hong Kong, China Travel Service (CTS) has a booth at the airport where you can get a visa to China in about four hours if you apply before 7am, 9:30am and 2pm on a weekday. We had thought of getting our China visa in the China Resources Building after arriving in Hong Kong because it’s much cheaper there, but then I discovered a Hong Kong holiday the day after we had planned to get one. Many people would be going to China too and there would be line-ups, I figured. So I got my visa painlessly with no line-up before we left home at CTS in Toronto. This agency has offices in many cities around the world and can probably help you avoid line-ups for a service fee at Chinese consulates everywhere.

One bus a day goes at 8am from the Hong Kong airport to Taishan and over 70 other cities. Tel. 852-2186-7218. China Travel Service has buses going to 16 different cities in China from downtown Hong Kong.

I was disappointed in not being able to take a ferry from Hong Kong China City to the port near my father’s birthplace in Taishan. That ferry goes past Macau and then up an estuary of the Pearl River past villages with old black brick houses and watch towers. It is an idyllic and historic introduction to the area, but alas, the ferry only went every other day and we couldn’t fit it in. We had to take a bus from a hard-to-find terminal near the Prince Edward MTR station where staff speak no English. Fortunately, we had booked the bus through my favourite Hong Kong travel agent, Irene Wan who can now be contacted at irene@exotic-holidays.hk  . Her office is August Moon Tour & Travel Co., Ltd. 7th Floor, Humphrey Plaza, 4-4A Humphrey’s Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. Direct Tel: 3575-9090. Fax: 2311-1318; mobile: 9039-9428. http://www.august-moon-travel.com.hk  .

With our bilingual tickets in hand, we were able to find the Wei Cheng bus stop amidst several store-front bus stations from which buses go from a two square block area near the Prince Edward MTR station (Exit C). It helped to go there the evening before our 7am departure time. The $140 bus turned out to be comfortable and included one stop at the Hong Kong border to show our passports and another stop at the Chinese border post in Shenzhen where we had to drag out our luggage for no one to look at. We also had to hand in our completed arrival and health forms while an immigration officer stamped our passports. We finally left Shenzhen at 7:50am. It was a couple hours from there directly to the front door of the Garden Hotel in Taicheng, the county seat of Taishan county, which Irene also booked for us. The Wei Cheng Bus Co. is at 2 Playing Field Road in Mongkok, Hong Kong telephone 2391-9091. In Taishan, telephone 750-5500888.

The Garden Hotel was better than during our visit in 2002, probably because former manager Alan Ng had returned. We stayed two nights there and the food was great and no rusty water were in our taps. However, Alan should be supervising the reconstruction of this hotel and you had better telephone to make sure it is still open before you try to make a booking there. Its telephone number is 750-5500888.

If you find a good alternative in Taishan while the Garden is closed, please let me know. – RLM, DATE June, 2007.

* * *

Standards haven't changed too much now that the Garden Hotel has been without its international management company for over a year. Water in the tap in my room was rusty, and the hotel still didn't have CNN though it had some English programming from Hong Kong. The food was still good but not everything on the menu was available. The standard of English was down.. Room prices are now Y380, Y420 and Y460.

Outside the hotel in town, there seemed to be fewer internet services. The main shopping street close to McDonald's however has been wonderfully transformed and almost looked like a Disney theme park. The road has been closed to motor vehicles and it's a joy to shop there now. Pedestrians no longer are confined under the buildings hanging over the sidewalks.

Next door to the biggest bus terminal was a decent coffee shop called something like Blue Bird where my sister got a passable beef and tomatoes on rice, and I had a big helping of Singapore noodles for Y8 each. Don't expect padded seats at that price.

The price for the boat from Gongyi port to Hong Kong has now gone down to HK$160 because most people prefer the bus. The trip is so pleasant, I would recommend using it at least one way. It leaves Gongyi at 1:45pm. This is about 12 km. from the Garden Hotel.
RLM, DATE August, 2002.



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