Ruth Lor Malloy
Author
China Guide
China Travel Current Information
Ruth Lor Malloy |
China Guide China Travel Current Information |
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.
Vertical Layout Slides - Landscape Layout SlidesThe last time this page was updated was 12/31/08
Chengdu
If you think China is not Chinese enough, do consider following the footsteps of Hope Justman as she hikes along one of China's old roads, the one that goes between Xian and Chengdu. Her book "Guide to Hiking China's Old Road to Shu" is full of practical advice and directions, pictures of train tickets and what they mean, and where to find the best doufu restaurants (from the Three Kingdoms period no less). She suggests that you pay a guide Y40 a day, and warns about losing your camera down the toilet of a train. This is a delightful book that is also full of historical references about this interesting off-the-beaten tourist track road. ISBN-13: 978-0-595-42551-8 (pbk). Order through iUniverse, 2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512. www.iuniverse.com or telephone 1-800-288-4677. Published 2007.
DATE: RLM, August, 2008.
China Southern Airlines has expanded its code-share agreement with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to include all-new Boeing 777 service between Chengdu, China and Amsterdam. KLM will operate the service and China Southern will have seats available to offer to customers originating from Chengdu or connecting from China Southern’s new hub at new Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou. This will provide this region with its first direct connection to Europe. The twice-weekly 777 service will be operated by KLM under the flight number KL 891 and will depart from Schiphol each Wednesdays and Sundays at 20:40 hours, arriving in Chengdu at 12:30 hours the next day. The return flight, number KL 892 will then depart on Thursdays and Mondays at 14:00 hours, arriving in Amsterdam the same day at 18:45 hours. -- China Southern, DATE April, 2006.You still need a permit to visit Tibet. The cheapest way to go is just to buy a one way flight from Chengdu to Lhasa and an entry permit. The cost is Y1900 (US$232) at this moment. We need a copy of your passport and Chinese visa for arranging the permit and it takes two days. If you don't want to wait in Chengdu, you can fax us the copies and we can get everything arranged before you arrive. Then you can fly next day.
You can join a four-day Lhasa tour with local people, ( two days for sightseeing in Lhasa and one day going and one day back). This costs Y4200 (US$512) at this moment, including flights, permit, three nights in a 2-star hotel, entrance fee, guide, transfer, food and insurance. The price is higher for a private tour depending on the quality of the hotel. The address is Overseas Tourist Corporation, Tel: 86-28-86118322 86154179, Fax: 86-28-86154179.
E-mail: samtour@yahoo.com . See page 669, 2002 edition. – Sam Yue, Date: April, 2005.
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At the Chengdu airport, I felt reassured when scanners checked us for high temperatures although Chengdu only had a handful of SARS cases. The weather was mild though it was winter and dark. It rained a couple of times during our short stay.
Our group went to see the pandas at the Panda Research Centre (page 664, 2002 edition). The weather didn't cooperate and remained too dark for good photos, but the pandas did their best to please us. One came over and then sat down - about a meter and a half away and ate and ate and ate. Another tried to balance on a chair - clumsily and comically. Over at the panda maternity ward, we saw two cubs in incubators - wow. What a thrill. Scientists in 2004 will be discussing whether or not and how to return pandas to the wild. Our guide Zhang Han knew a lot about pandas and how scientists have to encourage these solitary animals not to kill their cubs. If they can't, the scientists then have to take over the job of raising them.
Zhang also said, "One day a panda went to a restaurant for a meal of bamboo. After he finished, he shot the waiter. The manager asked the panda why he did so. "I'm a panda," he answered. "The dictionary says a panda eats bamboo, leaves, and shoots."
We went to Du Fu's Thatched Cottage and the classical Temple of Marquis Wu which are only exciting for people who know something about Chinese history and poetry. Wonderful however was a marvelous metal statue of the Tang poet and the "cottage." Look at it carefully because traditional farm houses are quickly disappearing. I saw only a few. A highlight was our guide reciting a couple of Du Fu's poems.
The Sanxingdui Museum (page 664) is world class and shouldn't be missed, especially after parts of it recently toured North America. Remember the strange-looking bronze statues with protruding eyes? Space people? Symbols for all-seeing eyes? "No," said Zhang "the statues are of the king who introduced silk worms to China. He had protruding eyes." The entry fee is Y50. Although the museum is relatively new, the toilets were tiled ditches.
In Chengdu, we also visited a beautiful produce market, that sold pastries, barbecued rabbit, and dumplings. It had baked garlic, fried pancakes and pickles.
I last saw the Dujiangyan Irrigation System over twenty years and had forgotten how beautiful the temple and its gardens are. We were also treated to a concert in the exquisite tea house, played on replicas of ancient instruments and got a good explanation on a scale model of how this amazing twenty-two hundred year old water conservancy system worked and is still working. It is the oldest such project in the world and an UNESCO Heritage Site. It is well worth a visit and the 80-meter high mountain-side climb to the Two Kings' Temple.
We spent one night at the new GUOYAN HOTEL in Dujiangyan and loved being out in this small resort city. Tours usually return to Chengdu for the night as it's only an hour's drive back, but I'm glad we stayed there because the area is beautiful and the air is fresh. This four-star hotel is new with 150 rooms, tennis, sauna, and pool. Tel 028-8714-6666, or fax 8713-8878. It has no television in English but the food is okay. It is clean with hard double - double beds, duvet comforters and an in-room safe that's hard to operate. It takes credit cards but doesn't change travelers checks. The published rates are Y698 for rooms, and Y898-Y998 for suites. Ask about its current discount.
We travelled by tour bus to Leshan along fast four lane highways and got on a boat to see the Great Buddha (page 668) from the water, a better view because you can then see the two guardians at his feet. We also drove up to the temple at the head of the Buddha and could see how its head and shoulders were recently painted while Chinese tourists tried to take photos of each other apparently patting his head. You can no longer walk on the Buddha's feet. Then we drove 1 ½ hours onwards to Emei Shan (page 666) where we spent the night.
Our guide said the best hotel in Emei Shan now is the newer, four-star Emei Shan Grand (Emei Shan Da Jiudian). Second best is the Hongzhu Shan Hotel or Red Pearl Hotel (incorrectly translated as the Red Spider Hotel in my book). Both these hotels are close to the Bao Guo Temple and the Emei Shan tourist information office. There are lots of good signs in English. We stayed at the Emei Shan Hotel which was decent, clean and comfortable with four stories, but no elevators. Rooms have hot and cold drinking water dispensers, and double-double twin beds, but no in-room safes or television in English. We found nobody speaking English at the reception desk. The food was good however even though the chilis were toned down for us foreigners.
The breakfast at the Red Pearl looked better, its television has HBO, and there's an elevator for its five stories. The Red Pearl has no pool, but you have to pay Y80 to swim at the Grand Emei Shan.
We took the 1480-meter cable way up to a large temple on the mountain but unfortunately it was raining hard so we didn't see much - not even the one meter long earth worms that are said to live on the mountain. The souvenir stalls at the bottom sell cheap, plastic rain coats and the trip was fun. (It takes 10 hours to hike from the bottom to the top but only a few minutes by cable.)
Where to Stay in Chengdu
We stayed at the JINJIANG HOTEL about a kilometre from one of the remaining large city statues of Chairman Mao and beside the Jin River whose banks are now fixed up into a beautiful, long parkway. I didn't mention the Jinjiang in my book because both the Crowne Plaza and the Sheraton are better and the Public Relations person at the Jin Jiang spoke no English when I went to review it. It has now been renovated and the English is better. The rooms have dark wooden furniture and are a little depressing and old fashioned, but otherwise fine. They are a large size with a DVD player and wireless keyboard for games and scanning the web. I gave up trying to work it after 30 minutes, but you might do better. The television has CNN, HBO, BBC and Bloomberg, and its room service menu says an American breakfast costs Y60, continental Y30 and Chinese Y50. Alas, the evening curio market across the street is no longer there.
I was planning a tour for some friends and CITSHO had scheduled them into the Minshan Hotel across the road. I found it musty and old fashioned and went looking for an alternative. Our guide said the Amara was no longer good, and two people recommended the Tibet Hotel which has been fixed up. Preferring to billet my people downtown, I went to look at the SICHUAN HOTEL, next door to the Crowne Plaza and under the same ownership. The location is excellent next to a department store, and across the street by overpass to a pedestrian street full of restaurants and shops. A handy ATM was in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza.
But alas, the carpets of the Sichuan Hotel were stained and filthy, and no one could tell me when they would be replaced or cleaned. I decided to pay a little extra and put my group into the Jinjiang Around the corner from the Jinjiang on the river was a hotel under construction. The Sofitel Wanda should be a five-star and it looks like it will be finished within a year.
Where to Eat
I was lucky to be a group that appreciated good Sichuan food. We didn't have anyone who objected to the chilis. The food at the Jinjiang Hotel was superb - and the entertainment that came with it was wonderful. Please remember we were a group of travel agents and journalists. I don't know if the artists we saw performed daily and if you too can enjoy them. Tibetan dancers and a singer wore very fancy costumes - and slight-of-hand performers changed interesting face masks mysteriously and quickly. But you should be able to see the fascinating masked dancers at the Shunxing Tea House (see page 666). I've seen them twice now and can't figure out how they do it.
In Chengdu, one of our lunches was at the Caigengxiang Restaurant - and food there was excellent. So was the food at the Chen Mapo Restaurant - said to be a branch of the restaurant where Mapo To Fu was invented. It is on Ke Hua Bei Road, but had no card or menu in English. You need a guide to take you there.
We had another good lunch at the Xiyuan Hotel (Binguan) which you can book through CITS or other agencies and is about five kilometres from the Sanxingdui Museum. Its toilets smelled bad though.
Locals say the vegetarian food at the Wen Shu Temple (page 663) is no longer very cheap. -
RLM, DATE, November, 2003.
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We stopped in Chengdu for two nights on our way to Lhasa, and stayed this time at the very modern SHERATON CHENGDU LIDO (page 662). A taxi from the airport cost about Y80. I found an overly eager staff. The only things wrong were at its lavish buffet table. If I might be allowed to quibble, there weren't any labels regarding the flavors for the ice cream, and the tandoori chicken was bland and very greasy. Ask about the free airport transfer before you arrive. It leaves five times a day from the airport and we could have saved ourselves some money if we had known.
The Sheraton is in downtown Chengdu, on a main street near office towers, and a five-minute walk from the Taiping Yang Department store. It's five minutes by taxi to the Wen Shu Yuan Monastery. Most rooms have separate shower stalls as well as bathtubs. Most of its guests are business people. In addition to services mentioned in my book, it is planning a new Sichuan restaurant and more high-end international brand stores. In August 2002, it should have broadband available in all rooms, wireless access on its second floor, and dual data ports in all rooms.
We found Christina in the Business Center very helpful. This hotel was comfortable and the food was good. The big question lingers. Which is better, the Crowne Plaza or the Sheraton? I didn't get a chance to even look at the Crowne Plaza on this trip, so it isn't fair to judge. But based on past experience, I would recommend both as the best in the city.
My friends stayed overnight at Billy Zhao's new "hostel" Dragon Town (Long Tang Ke Zhan), and it was a different world. Because it had barely opened, drivers had a hard time finding it. For people who want a real feeling of old China - with some comforts - this is it. It's also great for backpackers because it's so cheap. The quality is similar but better than the hostels in Lijiang's Old Town. My friends loved it. It has 25 rooms (84 beds) in a Qing dynasty family mansion on a street that is being renovated in the traditional style. The architecture and much of the furniture are real antiques. Suites have air-conditioning and most rooms have fans. The plumbing is 20th century and it has at least four staff members who speak English. The opening price is Y25 for a bed in a dorm, Y30 for a bed in a dorm with private bath, Y178 for a double room, and Y228 for a suite. It offers breakfast for Y5 to Y10 and a simple restaurant is down the street which my friends said was great. (Ask Billy for the address. He took them there.)
Eight out of 13 rooms have telephones. It's at 27 Kuan Xiang Zi Street, Chengdu 6100000. Please tell Billy I sent you. His telephone is 88158144, 86648408 and mobile 13908176330. The fax is 86245901, the e-mail: Billyzhao@yahoo.com .
A local newspaper in English said that long-distance bus service has started running this month from the Cuqiao Changyun Ticketing Office of the Shiyang Bus Station for Changdu and Linzhi in Tibet. The ride to Changdu is over 1,300 km., and takes almost three days. It costs Y415 so don't expect a comfortable, luxurious trip. Buses leave at 11am daily. Good luck if you try this grim-sounding ordeal.
We tried out the "very authentic" Baguo Buyi Restaurant recommended by the staff at the Sheraton. It's on Renmin Nan Road, a 10-minute cab ride from the Sheraton. It costs about Y50 per person for a good Sichuan banquet. It has a menu in English with photos. Ma Po To Fu was Y12; diced chicken and chili Y18; steamed sliced pork with glutinous rice flour and wrapped in lotus root leaf Y18; sweet vinegar spare-ribs with sesame Y18. The cold pork was hard but had a great sweet sauce. There was also fried crab with dried red chilies. The place has a charming rural feel, with waitresses in peasant costumes. Rose petals were scattered on the floor and red ribbons draped on the banisters - probably from a wedding party.
Travel agent Sam (page 669) says the Wen Shu Monastery restaurant is still good and you have to pay a Y1 entrance fee. Baby pandas are usually born late August and early September. We used him this time for our Chengdu-Lhasa and Chengdu-Hong Kong air tickets and transfer, and found his agency reliable.
- RLM, DATE: June, 2002.
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The rules for arranging permits for Tibet have changed a little. It doesn't matter what kind of Chinese visa you have now but it cannot be a diplomatic passport and visa. The minimum tour price is down to Y2500. (see page 669).
Phone numbers in Chengdu now add 8 in front. Sam Yue, Overseas Tourism Corporation Chengdu. Date: June, 2002.
Back to the Updates IndexChongqing
Note: prices here are in US$ and Chinese yuan.We had two nights in this city in December. The air was bad but not as bad as Wuhan's and we saw a lot of construction. There is now a flight shuttle between Chengdu and Chongqing six times a day for Y240.
We visited Old Street (page 679) and found it very pleasant. On January 1, a new road will make access to Old Town only 20 minutes from downtown instead of the current 40, making it a good alternative to the Painters' Village that many tour groups go to. There are now restaurants and inns and fortunately, it still doesn't look like a sterile theme park. We saw a recently-slaughtered goat being hacked up on the main street.
Zhou Shizhi, Deputy General Manager of CITS Chongqing said:-- that the Marriott has a better location for individual travelers, but the new Hilton is close to the gymnasium, has more parking, and has a little better service. Food at both hotels is equally good.
--People who want to see the Three Gorges this year should make their bookings early. Most ships are booking up well this year so far, not only for September and October.
-- The service quality of the Regal Cruises will still be good enough for North American travelers because there hasn't been a big change except for the big boss.
-- CITS is now planning treks through the Three Gorges which would use local ferries and no star hotels. Trekkers would climb some of those marvellous mountains. The air pollution along the Yangtze was due to the coal in cement factories and the darkness due to low-lying clouds, a winter phenomenon. These factories will be moved and boats now clean the river in many places.
-- After the water in the Yangtze rises, groups could be taking big boats into the Daming River for bus and rafting trips, and CITS is thinking about boats into the Wujiang River at Fuling which is currently too dangerous for tourists. The Wujiang has a huge natural cave.
--CITS now has all new King Long buses
-- There's a new four-star Continental Hotel on the way to the airport opened earlier in 2002. So far, we haven't put many of our North American clients there. But we will use it because we found it very good. At present we still prefer to use the Holiday Inn and Hilton.
-- A new five-star ship the King Di Wang should be the best on the river in 2003 for hardware and service. It will be in western style and have two elevators, and operate between Chongqing and Yichang. Its manager is expected to be Swiss. The East King and East Queen will then be second best, and the Presidents 1 to 3 will be third. Another new ship, the China Glory, is currently being built and is also due about March 2003. The Victorias are old but the service is good. (Note: see Yangtze Gorges for Victori's new ships. - RLM)
-- CITS hasn't any information about the new ship New Century 1.
-- In 2003, most ships will sail between Chongqing and Yichang. The water will start to rise next May and until 2006, it will be 65 meters higher than normal. In 2006 it will rise to 155 meters above sea level and in 2007 to 175 meters with a lake in Chongqing.
-- that the new wharf near the Holiday Inn hasn't been built yet and there's now a long row of restaurants there. He recommended the Wai Po Qiao (Maternal Grandmother) which also has a branch in the Da Du Hui building behind the Harbour Plaza. The Wai Po Qiao is on South Bank Street/ Nan Bing Lu.
-- His guides take CITS groups on request to a restaurant on the way to the airport which has a cheap 24-hour internet bar. Unfortunately it has no name in English, so ask your guide.
-- The new monorail will not start now until 2004.
-- The Three Gorges Museum is due to open in 2004 or 2005 opposite People's Congress Hall with relics unearthed along the Yangtze. There are now three boats giving two hours evening cruises and the best one is the Chaotianmen. It offers dinner on its early sailing. There is Sichuan opera every evening during the tourist season at the Chaotianmen Hotel (near the pier). He says the better cable car is over the Yangtze because you have to climb stairs to go to the one over the Jialing River.
-- CITS' address has not changed (page 681) but its fax is 6385-0196 and its website is now: www.citscq.com.
Where to Eat:
We took Mr. Zhou's suggestion and went to Nan Bin Lu for dinner. It must have had three kilometres of restaurants and bars You can tell which restaurants were popular because they were jammed full, and the others were empty.
Mr. Zhou's recommended second floor of the Wai Po Qiao (Maternal Grandmother), Nan Bin Lu, Jin Guan San Ye Jie had a line-up but the hostess set up another table for us, all nice and friendly. One of the hostesses pointed to her grandmother and said theirs was a restaurant of three generations. The place was large and full of noisy locals but the food was good and cheap. Musicians using traditional Chinese instruments played Jingle Bells, Oh Susanna and Mexican songs. The hostess recommended sweet dow foo with peanuts for Y12, and chicken with green peppers for Y18. The ham and celery was too salty for me at Y28. The dinner totalled Y61 for the two of us. It's best to phone for a reservation at 6288-1918 or 6288-2128 X 8000. The ground floor has Chongqing snacks.
Where to Stay:
The Hyatt Regency Chongqing (page 675) is still under construction, and the opening is now scheduled for Oct 2004. .
The InterContinental Hotel project has been cancelled.
We stayed at the CHONGQING MARRIOTT (page 676) which now has 495 rooms. In addition to the information in my book, its ballroom seats 350 banquet style and its presidential suite has gold pillars, and its own sauna, Jacuzzi and gold-colored fixtures. But its safe was not big enough for a lap top. It does have a kitchen, a small game room and six crystal chandeliers.
But in spite of the poor English in Housekeeping, it did a quick shoe cleaning job for us. I liked having liquid shower and bath gel, but my husband preferred bars of soap of which there was one small one. Our room 2414 had a black marble bathroom with a beige marble floor and very firm beds. The breakfast buffet was very ample and included Japanese noodles, good pastries, salmon, bacon, omelettes to order, cold cereals, hot milk, soy milk, cheeses, dim sum, congee, salted duck eggs and juices. The coffee shop has a Hong Kong chef but it also had good dan dan noodles for Y15, garlic shrimp Y39, and mapo do fu Y20 - all Sichuan dishes.
Its gym was spacious with 27 machines (The Hilton's were newer). Its pool was 14 meters long in a pretty setting. Laundry prices are Y20 for a dress shirt, Y8 for an under shirt or under pants, and Y20 for trousers.
We found it hard to read the elevator buttons (a common problem in many hotels). You need to use a key to access the executive floors (a good security measure). We found the d‚cor warmer than at the Hilton and liked it better. Its spa has been contracted out and you have to pay to use it. Its setting downtown beside a flower market gives the flavor of old China, while across the street it is building an office tower. Only a block away is the convenience of department stores and the downtown pedestrian street. You can also walk downhill to the Chaotianmen piers.
We had a look at the HILTON CHONGQING hotel which was almost completely open in April of this year. Its d‚cor is trendy with green glass trim and plasma screens. It has wireless hook-ups for computers in some of its public areas.
This hotel was designed by Hirsch Bedner. All rooms have broadband, two telephone lines, separate shower stall and tub, and are 35 to 40 square meters. Room safes can fit lap tops and rooms have smoke masks. Its heated pool can be used year round. It has no tennis courts but you can use the ones in the nearby stadium. The executive lounge is very classy but its chairs could be more comfortable.
Services include a shuttle to city centre, voice mail, car wash, and plant rental. Its Spa is wonderful with 31 cardio machines in its gym (which should have 14" television monitors soon). Its pool is 12 X 18 meters with Jacuzzi jets, and there are sauna and steam rooms, and a cold plunge pool. It will have aroma therapy and you can now get a quick CACI face lift that will last for 48 to 50 hours for Y400. It has a high tech "skin regenerator system" and a fusion shower with nine shower heads (designed by Life Style). The Spa's VIP Suite, which should open in January, has its own flotation bed with music.
We found these and other facilities amazing, especially as most of their users are local Chinese.
Its ball room can seat 350 banquet style. There's dim sum on weekends. The breakfast buffet costs $10, lunch $12, and dinner $12.50 plus 15%. There's a children's menu, Cantonese, Sichuan and western food and Robatayaki. Rooms range from $180 to $210 and suites from $270 to $1600. Its presidential suite has a television with its Jacuzzi and a published rate of $2000. With an occupancy rate of 40 to 50%, it should be giving good discounts. It has four floors of offices for rent and full-service apartments. .
Why should guests stay there instead of the Marriott? It is closer to government offices, the mayor, and there will soon be a new department store ten minutes away. You can walk to the Chongqing Museum. You can also walk to the evening dances at People Square. It is 25 km from the airport and five km from the Chaotianmen wharfs and cruise ships.
It also has special security and amenities for female guests including a menu that shows calories and free nail polish remover and milk and cookies at turndown. It also provides a copy of Cosmopolitan.
The telephone number is in my book, but the fax is 6903-8700. The address is Zhong Shan San Lu, Yu Zhong District, 400015. E-mail: INFO_CHONGQING@hilton.com or cqhilton@online.cq.cn . Web-site: www.hilton.com .
I found the decor luxurious, cold and trendy with no feeling of traditional China. The lobby displayed motorcycles, a local industry. A raffle for one of them was in progress. . I'd like to stay there on my next time to get a better feel for the place. --RLM. DATE, December, 2002.Dali
(page 682) This is one of the places to go to escape the heat of China's summer. In early July, the temperature ranged from 17C to Y22C, a very comfortable spread. You can take a daily overnight train from Kunming to Dali which leaves about 8pm and arrives in Dali at 7am. It has sleepers, soft for Y150, and hard for Y70 to Y90. Bus Number 8 goes from the Xiaguan/Dali railway station to Yu Er Road in Dali for Y1.50. >From Xiaguan is 14 km south of Dali. Buses now leave Kunming for Dali from the Long Distance Bus Station on Beijing Road near the railway station. They no longer go from the Camellia Hotel in Kunming. They take five or six hours and cost about Y105.
The flight from Kunming takes about 30 minutes and arrives a few kilometers south of Xiaguan. The 32 km drive in a taxi from the airport to Dali costs between Y50 and Y80 and goes by the Xiaguan railway station, past the Three Pagodas and the four-star Asia Star and on to the old city. Many of the plane passengers seem to go directly to a pier in Xiaguan where they take a Y180 cruise on Erhai Lake. Boats leave between 8:30am and 9am and might offer you a demonstration of cormorant fishing.
If you have a choice, don't do that. Not only are the boats crowded, but so are the islands they go to. I went later in the day on a small boat to the Sky Mirror Pavilion on Luoquan peninsula and was one of four tourists. It was peaceful and relaxing especially at dusk as we watched the sun disappear behind the mountains, the tallest peak of which, is at 4122 meters. The peninsula has a small Guan Yin Ge (Goddess of Mercy Temple) which is real, and a larger pavilion which is recent.
You can take a smaller boat from one of the restaurants or from Edward Adventures. Try also No. 4 Guest House. Edward can arrange your own cormorant show for an additional fee. Entry to the peninsula was Y5. Tel. 2479517. On a small boat, you can also go to the Wase Market on the other side of the lake which takes place every five days from the fifth of the month. This market is better than the Shaping Market.
Edward Adventures can also arrange, if you want to, a good dinner with a Bai fisherman's family as chickens hop over the threshold into the dining room and strange gods watch from the altar. We had corn, potatoes, pork, spicy and very bony small fish, and deep-fried cheese. Be prepared to ask a lot of questions.
There's now a museum and a library on the street north of the South Gate and south of the Jinhua Hotel. The library has a record number of elaborate roof brackets in traditional Bai style. The museum has no titles in English, charges Y5, and is open 8am to 6:30pm daily.
Outside the West Gate at the end of Foreigner's Street, are some interesting marble factories where they cut marble the same way bake shops slice bread, almost. Don't stand too close. Chips fly. There are over 12 factories on a street going west from the highway near Reflections of Three Pagodas Park.
I dropped in to see He Li Yi, author of Mr. China's Son (page 683) and he was disturbed because a guide book had mention that he was dead. He wanted to assure people that he is still very much alive. His web-site is: http://www.homestead.com/yndali/homepage2.html . And he can reserved a hotel room for you without a service charge. He also has e-mail service, and Bai food. His office is a mini-Bai museum.
Dali is very small. Foreigner's Street/Yiang Ren/Hugou Street is only about two blocks long and cars are forbidden. You can also walk everywhere inside the wall of this tiny town and along the top of the wall
Where to Stay:
The best hotel is still the Asia Star. The Santayuan Hotel has better rooms than the Jinhua but the Jinhua Hotel is more convenient and cheaper. I stayed at the Jinhua which was basic, clean and had no English. The location was really fantastic. I would not stay at the Old Dali Inn because of the straw mats on its walls, a fire hazard.
The 62-room two-star GOLDEN FLOWER (JINHUA DAJIUDIAN) HOTEL is at the intersection of the two main streets, Yiang Ren/Huguo Street and Fuxin Road, 671003. Tel. 2673343, 2673344, Fax 2670573, 2673846. It is relatively new, Rooms are small with carved wooden furniture, hot and cold drinking water dispensers, and clean carpets. Beds are good, but it has no CNN. The hair-dryer didn't work. Rooms are air-conditioned and range from Y198 to Y228, and suites are Y298, so don't expect too much.
Number Four Guest House/Yuan Garden Hotel( Di si zhao dai shou or Yu An Yuan Binguan) is full of back-packers. It is at 4 Huguo Road, 671003, Tel. 2672093. E-mail: yuangarden@hotmail.com . The location at one end of Foreigner Street and close to the main highway is good. The English is quite good and much better than the Jinhua's. Its prices: with 5 or 6 beds it's 10Y a bed; with 3 or 4 beds, it's 15Y a bed. Single rooms cost 30Y a day. Double rooms cost 50Y a day, and standard rooms 100Y a day or 120Y a day. At that price, don't expect much.
Where to Eat:
Food is very cheap and adequate here, so don't expect top standards. Meat is frequently half-cooked. Send it back and have it cooked some more. Bai food is much like Sichuan's with chili's, vinegar, soy sauce and sesame seeds.
It's fun to try the various restaurants around Foreigner Street. The Wooden House has sandwiches for Y6 and Y8, Salads for Y5 and Y6, Soup for Y3 to Y5, pizza for Y15, desserts Y4 toY10, and beer Y5 to Y10. Its music is Bai, and it has chess and card games. Every Sunday afternoon from 2 to 4pm, performers rehearse Tang dynasty music here. It's at 51 Hugou Road, Tel. 2672166, 2670508.
Marley's Caf‚ on the corner of Hugou Road at 105 Bo Ai Road is convenient, and the food good. Regular Number Four buses plying noisily from here to Xiaguan pick up passengers outside. Its American breakfast costs Y9, Chinese beef noodle breakfast costs Y5.50, Beijing duck Y15, spicy hot chicken Y25, fried snow peas Y4, coffee Y5, cappuccino Y6, beer Y5 to Y19 (Guinness), and gin and tonic Y22. It is open 6:30am to 11pm, and lays on a pleasant, popular Sunday evening Bai banquet for Y25 plus drinks, a good place to meet fellow tourists.(My Bai friend said it wasn't authentic and not spicy enough but the unknowing foreigners liked it.) The telephone is 2676651. E-mail: Marleydali@hotmail.com . No credit cards. Wall are decorated with Tibetan posters and maps.
What to See:
Besides the boat trip, you can now take a cable car (shou dao) up Cangshan Mountain to 2540 meters and hike two kilometers to a little waterfall overlooking the three pagodas.
Shopping:
Circular tie-dyed table cloths cost about Y50. The dye will run the first couple of washings, but after that it's okay, and doesn't need ironing. The batik you see here is from Guizhou. You can see the tie-dying process in Zhouchong Village forty minutes from Dali by road.
Excursions:
If you drive without stopping from Dali to Lijiang on new Dali Road, it's 3 1/2 hours, and cheap (Y40 or Y50 by public bus). The more expensive and comfortable buses are Volvos and Daewoos. These have been leaving at 8:50am, 2:20pm and 7:20pm.
It takes about five or six hours to drive from Dali to Lijiang on the old road if you take a 33 times two kilometer detour to Treasure Stone Mountain/Shi Bao Shan. At this heritage site, you pay a Y40 entrance fee. Going via Shi Bao Shan especially with luggage, you really need a taxi which could cost Y500. But is it worth it to see the unique meter-high female genitalia?
Long-distance buses have also left Dali for Zhongdian at 6:40am and 10am. Sleeping buses go overnight.
Practical Information:
Travel Agents:
The most helpful travel agent for me here was Edward Hu of Edward Adventures. 21 Guangwu Road, 671003. Tel and Fax: 2670222. E-mail: edad@public.km.yn.cn . His English is excellent and he organizes treks for western groups. He is equipped for trekking, has a toilet tent, and tents you can stand up in. Write for his beautifully illustrated brochure. Edward charges $2.00 for booking a hotel room. His rates for hotels:
Dali;
Asia Star Hotel $56.00 breakfast included
Santayuan Hotel $30.00 breakfast included
Jinhua Hotel $18.00 no breakfast
No.4 Guesthouse $12.00 no breakfast
Lijiang:
Guangfeng Hotel $68.00 breakfast included
Jade Dragon Garden $50.00 breakfast included
Grand Lijiang Hotel $56.00 breakfast included
Zhongdian:
Pacific Rim Hotel $40.00 breakfast included
Gyalthang Dzong Hotel $35.00 breakfast included
Tibet Hotel $30.00 breakfast included
Says Edward, at the moment there is no express bus south to Baoshan, Tengchong, Ruili nor Dehong yet, as the road is under construction. There will be express buses when the road is ready.
Dali CITS can arrange home stays. Contact Ms. Lin Bo in Xiaoguan, Tel.2124707. Its Dali address is 77 Bo Ai Road, 671003, Tel.872/2661701, 2661702, or 13608729332, and Fax 2661700. The e-mail is: ptcitsdl@ynmail.com . I dropped in but couldn't find anyone who could speak English. It would be better to telephone the office in Xiaoguan.
More information about Dali will be in the next edition of my guide book. See also Kunming, Lijiang and Zhongdian. - RLM, DATE July, 200Dunhuang
We took a direct overnight train eastward from Urumqi to this town that was established in 111 B.C. It is the most important archaeological site on China’s Silk Road. It was not only a military outpost but it was an oasis for camel caravans before going either north or south around the dreaded Taklamakan desert. Many traders wanted protection before venturing out into its dangers and so it became a religious center as well. Its famous ancient caves were full of historical documents (including the first printed book), sculptures and paintings. Some of the original sculptures and paintings are still there, now well guarded behind steel doors. Some look primitive. There are other lesser known groups of caves in the Dunhuang area you can visit too. These have fewer tourists and can be just as interesting.The main attraction, the Magao Grottos, is about a 20-minute drive from downtown. Count on a two-hour visit. The entry fee during the May to October high season is Y180. This includes an English-speaking guide and visits to only eight to ten out of almost 500 caves. You have less than ten minutes in each. The maximum group size is 25 people. They are open from 8:30am to 6pm during high tourist season with the last ticket sold at 5pm. From November to April, they are open from 9pm to 5:30pm. They are however closed in inclement weather, and especially during sandstorms. No bags or cameras are allowed into the caves. You can check these on the grounds or leave them with your driver. You do not have a choice of caves unless you make arrangements beforehand. You probably have to pay extra. Telephone 937-8869060.
You can just take a taxi to the caves, but be sure to ask the driver to wait for you. There are public buses too. CITS charges Y200 a day for a guide, but an English-speaking group guide is included in the Y180 entry fee. CITS can provide a car for Y300 a day. The Magao Grottos Academy Book Store between the caves and the parking lot seems to have the best selection of books, slides and CDs. Your entry fee also allows you into an exhibition centre with reproductions of the caves, also on the grounds. It was closed during our visit, but our guide said it would re-open “soon.” I found it worth visiting several years ago for an idea of what other caves look like.
For the real caves, guides take flash lights but you might want to carry your own. It is best to avoid high tourist seasons because of the line-ups. We were there in July – the hottest time of year. There were about a hundred other people at the same time and we didn’t have long to wait.
Pre-paid tourists are usually also taken to the touristy Ming Sha sand dunes – which you might want to climb. There are camels to ride to nearby Crescent Lake – a pond really. Some visitors rent or buy red bootees to protect their shoes from the sand. A few meters away is a small Folk Custom Museum with a fancy Chinese bed, old spinning wheels, and children’s tiger hats. It is near the dunes and I think a visit just to see the Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel is worth a stop while you’re in the neighbourhood. The architecture is unusual and stunning.
We visited the Yulin Caves, 180 kilometres east of the city. It was opened in 1987, but a good highway was finished in 2007. These caves were on the side of a gorge above a dried river bed. It was a lot more pleasant than the Magao Caves because we were the only people there at 9:30am. To our uneducated eyes, the art was similar and the three of us saw eight caves out of 42. We paid Y75 each which covered a well-informed guide. The car from the city cost Y1200. Some of the statues were crude and most were original from the Wei and Northern Zhou dynasties. They are open at 8:30am and closed at 5pm every day.
And there are other sets of caves and things to see in Dunhuang, which we didn’t have time for. There’s a “wind and water erosion place, a geographical park and ghost city – opened in 2005,” our guide Helen said. “Compasses don’t work there and it’s in a million year old lake bed and the wind sounds like a ghost.” This is 180 kilometres from town and the entry fee is Y70. On the way, you can see the Western Hall part of the Great Wall and the Jade Pass which is the official entry to the north Silk Road. But the road is bad and a car costs over Y1000.
There’s also a museum on the history of the Silk Road, at Yuang Guan, 70 km. from Dunhuang in a grape growing valley. We didn’t have time to see this either.
Dunhuang has two dance shows in the evening. The one at the Dunhuang Hotel was good – especially the women in yellow who did the dance of the 1000-armed Guan Yin Goddess of Mercy. To see the best view of that dance, sit in line with the middle of the stage. The Silk Road Hotel also has a show which alas, I didn’t see. Theirs is inspired by the murals in the caves. It is on every evening depending on weather at 8 or 9pm.
The special tourist train with Urumqi operates from May 1 to October 1 and does not have a dining car though instant noodles and hot water are offered. Soft class compartments have bunks for four people with clean linens but no towels. They have air-conditioning with sealed windows which you can’t open. As trains go, it was comfortable and even had a 220 volt electrical outlet. You can store your suitcases under the bunks and the one small table, and also in a loft. You can lock your door but you might have to share your compartment with a stranger. We did walk through the hard class coaches. These have six bunks to a compartment but no doors to lock and no privacy.
We left Urumqi at 8:40pm and arrived in Dunhuang at 10am. We left after dark and woke up to stark, bleak scenery with almost no vegetation. At one point, we saw snow-covered mountains in the distance. 20 minutes outside of Dunhuang, we came to rows of hills. The station is 13 kilometres from town, and no porters were available to help individual travelers lug bags up and down stairs in the station.
There are direct flights daily in the summer to Dunhuang from Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Lanzhou, Shanghai, Urumqi and Xian. The train saved us one night’s hotel room.
I stayed at the four-star Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel (Dunhuang Shan Zhuang) and loved it. It is only a Y5 taxi ride from downtown. It is beautiful, unusual, and on the outskirts of town. It is within walking distance of the giant sand dunes and the folk lore museum. Dunhuang with its urban population of about 99,000 is not big. The people are mainly Han – no colourful ethnic nationalities here.
The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel’s light-coloured, traditional Chinese fortress exterior fits its desert sand surroundings well. The staff is friendly and helpful, and a few have excellent English. Rooms are small; the furnishings unique and interesting. Its air-conditioning is on five hours a day and kept at 25 C. in summer. Its cavernous, three-story lobby is decorated with three enormous murals. It can change travellers checks and takes credit cards. During sand storms, it closes its windows and doors and distributes masks on requests. It is open all year round and lends coats to guests in cold weather. It rents bicycles. Dunhuang is generally flat with relatively few cars so bicycling is quite good. You can book this hotel directly. It’s on Dunyuet Road, Dunhuang City, 736200, Tel (937) 888 2088, Fax (937) 888 2086 or e-mail webmaster@the-silk-road.com . The direct web-site with a local map is: http://www.the-silk-road.com/hotel/dunhuanghotel/location.html . You can also book through its Hong Kong regional office at: Silk Road Hotel Management email: webmaster@the-silk-road.com . That website is www.the-silk-road.com .
I tried its roof top, sun rise breakfast and found it a lovely, peaceful way to start the day. The pre-dawn pink light gives an eerie effect to the desert surroundings. The nearby curved Chinese roofs, beyond lines of green willow and popular trees, looked as if they were covered with snow. But it was sand. You can see a Korean and Japanese Buddhist temple nearby. The food is good too: scrambled or fried eggs with potato puff, sausage, ham, toast and tomato. This is also a good place to see the sun set.
My friends stayed in the older (1995) Dunhuang Hotel (Dunhuang Binguan) which looks much like other Chinese four-star hotels. I was amazed that one of the managers remembered me from a visit over ten years before. The English was good. I only ate dinner there, Japanese food one evening and curry another. They were decent. Its store has a good selection of books on the caves. We found a better selection at the Magao Grottos. This hotel is within walking distance of the main pedestrian shopping street – with lots of antique and curio stores, and an evening market.
Foreign visitors also stay at the four-star Great Sun Hotel (Tai Yang Nen Binguan) and the new five-star Sha Zhou Hotel should open later in 2007. The Ba Du Kung Gia Coffee Bar on East Street is a novel place to hang out. It has swings instead of chairs. Our guide Helen Zhang Hai Fen said the best local Chinese restaurant is the Bai Li Zhang Canting on South Street. The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel Restaurant has western food.
Xinjiang China International Travel Service made arrangements for our whole Silk Road visit. I would recommend it. See Urumqi for the address. Our Dunhuang arrangements were made through Dunhuang CITS, e-mail dhcitslwy@hotmail.com. Fax 0937-8821259. Tel. 0937- 8836588. Guide Helen Zhang Hai Fen was very good. You can reach her at helen221@126.com or telephone 138-93712204.
For other Silk Road destinations, see Silk Road South, Kashi, Karakorum Highway and Urumqi. – RLM, DATE July, 2007.
Fengyang County (Hefei)
Curiosity took me to the native town of the founder of the great imperial Ming dynasty. The average tourist might not think the 2 hour road trip north worth the effort, but people interested in Ming art and history, and who want to get away from tourist hordes, should find it fascinating. It can be a day trip from Hefei.After Zhu Yuanzhang (page 389) became emperor, he expanded the tomb of his parents in Fengyang because he wanted it bigger than the one he built for himself in Nanjing. His parents' tomb has 32 pairs of stone animals and officials, more than any other imperial Sacred Way in China, and the sculptures are original and in good repair. The Ming Huangling tomb is seven km outside this tiny county town and surrounded by corn fields, its feng shui obviously good. You have to hire a car to get there; there are no public or tour buses. Prepare for a Y20 entrance fee and no soft drink and souvenir stands.
Around the town, Zhu ordered two walls built and you can still see parts of these walls and one very deep gate with three entrances, the tallest entrance only for the emperor. Many of the bricks have the name and city of the maker, and they are from all over China. Unfortunately, most of the old bricks have already been re-cycled. But you can still see carvings of dragons inside the gate.
The huge Drum Tower, originally built in 1376 and rebuilt in 1999 on the original base, is in the center of town. It overlooks a square full of market stalls which I think bustles very much like it did in Ming times. A museum should be in the drum tower now. Locals point out that the 42 meter-high drum tower is bigger than the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing.
You can also visit the Buddhist temple (Wu Huang Si) where Zhu became a monk in 1344. It's on Hong Wu and Fengling Roads, Tel. 6726600 or 6722500. You can stay in its very modest guesthouse in three-bed dormitories, maybe for free. The temple serves vegetarian meals and has fans but no air-conditioning. Ask for Mr. Guyojing Guofu. It currently has 40 monks and four nuns and still has a big bell donated by Zhu's son and a Ming metal drum. Its current buildings were rebuilt in 1383.
The farmhouse architecture between Hefei and Fengyang is quite ordinary, and not as charming and traditional as that of south Anhui province near Huangshan. The south had many rich merchants putting money into beautiful houses.
Tourism officials in Fengyang also say that villagers here speak the unique Yi dialect which is similar to Japanese. It seems that the young people who were assigned to find pills of immortality for the First Emperor came from this area. Legend says they escaped to Japan when they didn't succeed and are the ancestors of today's Japanese.
Twenty km from Fengyang in Bengbu is the birthplace of the 'Responsibility System' which transformed the economy of China. In 1978, some poor farmers in Xiaogong village offered to grow a particular crop, give a pre-set amount to the government, and keep the rest. This was illegal at the time, but contracts were signed. This concept became so successful in increasing production that the system spread to the whole of China and is still being used today. You can meet some of the innovators.
CTS' telephone is 550/6729710 and 6729610, but it and the tourist attractions have no English- speaking guides so you should take an interpreter with you.
Restaurants are in the Ming style buildings around the square but don't expect too much.
The Fengyang Hotel in the main square near the Drum Tower is rated two stars, costs Y200-
Y300 for a twin, takes only cash, no credit cards, and the water wasn't working in the room we looked at. But it has air-conditioning, matching drapes and bedspreads, international direct dial phones, and is relatively clean. The hotel is adding a sports complex, with dancing and bowling.
Notes: Jiu Dou, the movie was filmed in a dyeing factory in Nanping northwest of Fengyang, a town which tourism officials say is more cultural than Lijiang. Peking opera originated in this province. For his 60th birthday, Qing Emperor Qian Long imported opera performers from Anhui to Beijing, claiming them as his own, says tourism people. RLM, June, 1999.Foshan
Foshan (page 605) is now 1.5 hours from Taishan by expressway. Its Ancestral Temple is worth a visit for its carvings and art work. Look for the carving of a foreigner from 1834, a union jack, its gilded wood, and 500 year old memorial arch. The entrance fee is Y10. Itis close to the Overseas Chinese Hotel Zumiao Road.If you have more time here, do see Liang's Garden. This started out as a charming old residence of very wealthy scholars during the Qing dynasty. It has a good penjing (bonsai) section, ponds, pavilions, carvings and picture stones. It is open daily 8:30am-5pm and costs Y5. It's at Xianfeng Ancient Path, Songfeng Road, Tel. 0757/224-1279. RLM, July, 1999..
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