Glass Trail Path in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Offers a Thrilling Experience

February 6th, 2012

 

Experience the ‘Glass Terror’ in China 

There are many places to visit in China but none come close to the amazing trail in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The forest has the cliffs of the Tianmen Mountains and these cliffs rise more than 1400 meters. The path that snakes around these cliffs is the one where tourists walk along the side of these cliffs. At the highest point of the path, clear transparent glass has been used for construction which converts this beautiful natural trail into one of the most exciting trails for a tourist. The trail capitalizes on the vertigo factor and has become one of the most popular attractions in the region.  

 

Glass Trail at Tianmen Mountains of Zhangjiajie

 

The Fascinating Glass Trail Provides a Thrilling Journey like None Other 

With its bustling economy, China has opened doors to the world. The nation that has proven its might in infrastructure development has also shown the world innovation is something that they try to incorporate in everything they do. For those who do not know, one of the biggest skateboarding and rollerblading rinks is now present in China. All those from the United States who are visiting Beijing on their study abroad programs or are on a China tour will find a place which would offer them a piece of home away from home where they can skate all they want.  

Similarly, when the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province was to be prepared for tourist attraction, Chinese masterminds came up with the perfect idea to convert this beautiful site into an exciting and mind numbing trail. The national forest park encompasses the massive vertical cliffs of Tianmen Mountains which rise approximately 1450 meters over the forests. A trail has been created around these cliffs where visitors get to walk on a path constructed along the sides of this cliff.  

Move over roller coasters, the new wild ride is here. The path along the cliff side of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park has been created using transparent glass. Therefore when you are walking high up along the side of the cliff, you see everything under your feet. It is almost like walking through air and provides one of the most thrilling experiences ever. This nature path adds so much more to nature and the thrill element converts an otherwise normal trail walk into something that is unforgettably thrilling.  

For people who love a rush of the adrenaline, this is the right place to be. The excitement spike occurs especially because the path suddenly becomes transparent at a height of 1400 meters. Despite the glass being 2.5 inch thick along with a side rail to secure the path, it takes a lot of courage to walk on this clear seethrough surface at that height without getting intimidated. The 60 meters of “walking in air” can leave you clinging to the rails all the time. Hence it gets the name “The Glass Terror”. There are a lot of excitements in store when you opt for Chinese language programs or study abroad programs. China’s constant urge to turn the mundane into something exciting has provided students and tourists alike with a treasure trove of surprising things to discover.  

Most of the people who are learning Mandarin in China can take time out of their schedule and visit this national forest. In fact many China travel itineraries incorporate this place for its obvious attraction.

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Top 10 Old Towns in China

February 5th, 2012

 

Plan your China tour? China’s 30-year urbanization drive has produced a great number of booming towns and super cities. Urbanization has been a necessary condition for achieving sustainable development. But many towns and cities in China have their own ambitious city planning and development programs. They sometimes compete each other for bigger, greater and stronger towns or cities. More and more towns and cities look alike in terms of shoppping malls, public parks, buildings and etc. After traveling around, you won’t have deep impression of the these towns and cities which closely resemble each other.
 
To curb the urban assimilation drive, in the past 30 years great efforts have been made by the local governments at different levels to have overall city contruction plans and protect traditional elements especially in old towns and cities, balancing development and protection.
 
These exotic and charming old towns in China have still kept their own tradtions and cultures, which have attracted more and more tourists home and abroad, greatly enhancing their understanding of a real China.
 
The top 10 old towns here are carefully hand-picked from the numerous old and historical towns in China. If you want to experience a real and genuine China, the top 10 list of the old towns in China will offer you the guidedance in planning your own China tour. 
 
1. Pingyao (Time Tunnel) 平遥
Location: Pingyao is a small town, about 80km southwest of Taiyuan in central Shanxi Province. Pingyao has plenty of cultural relics. The city wall was first built during the Zhou Dynasty (256 B.C.) and was expanded in 1370, the third year of the reign of Ming Emperor Hongwu. In 1997, it was listed as a World Heritage Site.
Best Travel Time: Autumn
 
Sitting on the trade route between Beijing and Xi’an, Pingyao developed into a business center with the use of the nation’s earliest banks. These organizations were the first in China to use checks, and business came up in the 19th Century, when the city was the financial center of the Qing government. Pingyao is the best preserved ancient town in China.
 

Pingyao

  
2. Lijiang Old Town (where you are disconnected with the outside world) 丽江
Location: Lijiang old town sits in the city of Lijiang City of Yunnan Province. Now it is a UNESCO Heritage Site. The old town has more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road.
Best Travel Time: All the year around; for snow scene, come to Lijiang in winter season.
 
The Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges. The old town of Lijiang is quite defferent from other ancient Chinese towns in architecture, history and the culture of its traditional residents the Naxi people.

Lijiang

 
3. Dali Old Town (drink tea and see flowers) 大理
Location: Dali old town is located in the middle of Yunnan Province. The layout of Dali ancient town is like a chessboard orderly arranged and designed with streams passing by each household. The local Dali government has an urban planning which keeps its old town separated from the rest of the new area of Dalin City, so visitors coming to Dali for the first time often feel they have entered a time tunnel.
Best Travel Time: Spring time – March
 
Dali is the ancient capital of both the Bai kingdom Nanzhao (the 8th and 9th centuries), and the Kingdom of Dali (937-1253). Dali is also well known for the many types of marble it produces, hence the name of “Dali” which is literally “Dali Stone”. Dali is now a famous tourist place, together with Lijiang, for both domestic and international tourists.

Dali Old Town

 
 
4.Yangshuo (Time Passing Here) 阳朔
Location: Yangshuo is located 65km the south of Guilin city in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south of China. The town has been 1400 years, famous for its picturesque mountains and rivers, a perfect place for holiday vacation where you forget time and experience the happiness of your vacation.
Best Travel Time: April – October
 
The area around Yanggshou is dotted with Karst peaks and the Li river meanders its way around them. Yangshuo is the final stop on any of the cruising on Li River. You may spend a few hours here or several days to explore its neighbouring areas.

Yangshuo

 
5. Zhouzhuang Water Town (The best water town in China) 周庄

Location: Zhouzhuang Water Town is located at the middle between Shanghai and Suzhou. It is an ancient town of Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province. The village abounds with rivers and lakes. Zhouzhuang boasts many cultural and historical relics.
Best Travel Time: All seasons, but avoid public holidays
 
Regarded as “Venice of the East”, this town has the best water town preserved in China. The town has a history of over 900 years and most of houses in the town were constructed in Ming (1368-1644) or Qing Dynasties (1644-1911).The rivers and streams in Zhouzhuang passes the town and are connected by 14 stone-arch bridges constructed in Yuan (1271-1368), Ming, and Qing Dynasties.

Zhouzhuang

 
6. Tongli Water Town (Pearl of Taihu Lake) 同里
Location: Tongli Town sits by the Grand Canal and the Taihu Lake, about 18 Kilometer away from Suzhou, 80 kilometer from Shanghai. It has a history of over 1000 years with very convenient transportation.
Best Travel Time: All seasons, avoid public holidays
 
Tongli is typical of the water county of South China. There are totally 5 lakes circling Tongli from both outside and inside. The town is sectioned into 15 small islands by over 10 rivers. However, the islands are linked by over 40 stone bridges of various style which were constructed in successive dynasties. Tongli is noted for her small bridges, clear water.

Tongli Water Town

 
7. Wuzhen Water Town (Always Young) 乌镇
Locationa: Located 17 kilometres in the north of the city of Tongxiang, Wuzhen sit at the confluence of the four cities including Tongxian, Jiaxing, Huzhou and Wujiang, a typical water town in southern China. Various rivers circle streets; streest are linked by bridges.
Best Travel Time: All seasons, avoid public holidays.
 
Wuzhen is an old with its ancient stone bridges, stone pathways and delicate wood carvings. The town also has a rich cultural background with a history of over 1000 years.

Wuzhen Water Town

 
 
8.Fenghuang (Hills, Rivers and People) 凤凰古城
Location: Fenghuang literally means “Phoenix” in Chinese, a small and old city, 145 km south to Zhangjiajie City and 50 km south to Jishou City in Hunan Province, China. Fenghuang covers an area of 1700 km with a population of 370,000. There are the minority ethnic group, such as Miaos, Tujias. Fenghuang was described as“the most beautiful ancient city in China” by the famous writer Louis from New Zealand.
Best Travel Time: four seasons
 
Fenghuang has lots of relics and the sightseeing, the ancient city’s mountains and Tuo river, residents and establishment, temples and pavilions and so on. How to get to Fenghuang? You may first go to Zhangjiajie and connect buses to Fenghuang or you first go to Jishou and connect the buses to Fenghuang. Beijing West Station K267 12:58 / 14:53 next day.

Fenghuang

 
9. Huangyao (Nestled in the poetic mountains)黄姚古镇
Location: Huangyao Town is located in the notheast of Zhaoping County of Hezhou City of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south of China. “Huang” and “Yao” are the main surnamcs of the people who live here, hence the name of the town “Hangyao”.
Best Travel Time: September – Novemeber
 
The town originated in Song Dynasty with a history of over 900 years. Here you are back to a time tunnel, feeling its history and its past busy prosperity and a place to settle your heart peacefully here. The town is nestled in the mountains with picturesque view resembling a Chinese painting.

Huangyao

 
10. Chikan Old Town (Half Chinese and Half Western) 赤坎古镇
Location: Chikan old town is 12km away from the city center of Kaiping City, 160km southwest of Guangzhou City in Gongdong Province. The old town was firtt built in Qing Dynasty with a hisory of over 350 years. It still  retains much of her charm as a flourished market town.  The Tanjiang river passes by the town with fishing boats and the western style buildings made up picturesque view for this ancient town.
Best Travel Time: October – December

Chikan Old Town

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The Top 10 Most Beautiful Lakes in China

February 4th, 2012

 

China is abundant with mesmerising places: rivers, lakes, forests, mountains, falls, gorges, wetland, glaciers, grassland, caves and deserts. The list can much longer and it is impossible that you could visit them within your life time. Here I list the top 10 most beautiful lakes in China, trying to give you a helpful direction as well as a dream travel list for your physically traveling the beautiful lakes in China or for a mental tour on a China map.
 
 
1. West Lake ( Where to spoil yourself) 杭州西湖
Location: West Lake is located on the west of the city center of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province. It is surrounded by the hills on three sides: north, west and south with its east side abutting the city center. West Lake is  3.3km long from north to south and 2.8km wide from east to west with a circumference of 15km. West Lake ws listed as world cultural heritage in June 2011.
Best Travel Time: May – October
 
I put West Lake in the first place is very subjective largely because I’m from Hangzhou. More specifically I was born and grew up with West Lake, which is always lingering in my mind and takes its root in my heart. For me, West Lake is the most beautiful lake in China. It is located within a modern city, easily accessible, close to people with more human nature like a delicate beauty, a gleaming pearl dropped from the heaven.
 
See my West Lake Trip Report

West Lake in Hangzhou

 
2. Qiandao Lake (Kingdom of Isles) 杭州千岛湖
Location: Qiandao Lake is located 129km in Chunan County in the southeast of Hangzhou and 140km to the northeast of Huangshan Mountain. It is a “backyard garden” both for Hangzhou and Shanghai. Qiandao Lake means “one thousand lakes” which characterize the 1078 isles in the lake itself.
Best Travel Time: September and October
 
Again Qiandao Lake is from my hometown Hangzhou and I naturally give more attention. But objectively Qiandao Lake is worth the praise and applause from travelers who have made trips to the lake. Qiandao Lake is well known for its clear, and drinkable water in some places where the renowned Nongfu Spring brand of mineral water is produced.. It also accounts for green forestation  and exotic islands. Qiandao Lake’s population include Snake Island, Bird Island, Monkey Island, Lock Island , and more.

Qiandao Lake

 
3. Kanas Lake  (The Purest lake in the world ) 新疆喀纳斯湖
Location: Kanas Lake is located 855km northeast of Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang. Kanas Lake, or more exactly, Kanas Scenic Area, Kanas Geopark and Kanas Natural Reserve.
Best Travel Time: September and October
 
The Kanas Lake (Kanasi Hu) means “beautiful, rich and mysterious” in Mongolian. The lake is nestled in the deep forests and mountains of Altay. The lake is 1,374m above sea level and covers an area of 45sqkm (10 times bigger than Tianchi on Bogda Mountain) with the deepest point of 188m. The long bean-shaped lake reflects the surrounding snowcapped mountains. Legend has it that huge monsters live in the lake. They often has take away horses and camels drinking into the water by the lake and later swallow them, a similar story of “Nessie Monster” in Scotland.
See my Kanas Lake trip report

Kanas Lake

 
4. Sayram Lake (the last tear drop of Atlantic Ocean) 新疆赛里木湖
Location: Sayram Lake is located between the Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture and the Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang. The lake takes an area of 457 square kilometers. The fault basin is at the sea-level of 2,073 meters. The lake has a depth of 86 meters.
Best Travel Time: March and April; July – September

The lake is an amazing natural water resource and is circled by green grasslands. Nestled in the mountains, it’s tucked away and misty occasionally. The mixed view of the surrounding snow-capped peaks and the dragon spruce plants on the mountains is very photographic.

In July and August local Mongolian and Kazak herdsmen gather on the lake side to do their traditional ethnic activities which include horse racing, wrestling and lifting sheep while galloping on horse-back.

See my Sayram Lake Trip Report

Sayram Lake

 
5. Qinghai Lake (Heart of land and Sea) 青海湖
Location: Qinghai Lake is located about 100 kilometres west of the provincial capital of Xining at 3,205m above sea level in a depression of the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo.
Best Travel Time: May – August
 
Qinghai Lake is a saline lake situated in the province of Qinghai, and is the largest lake in China. Twenty-three rivers and streams empty into Qinghai Lake, most of them seasonal. Five permanent streams provide 80% of total influx. The lake has fluctuated in size, shrinking over much of the 20th century, but increasing since 2004. Despite its salinity, it has an abundance of fish, such as the edible naked carp.

Qinghai Lake

 
6. Namtso Lake (where you whisper with God) 西藏纳木错
Location: Namtso lake is located 240km to the northeast of Lhasa. Namtso literally means “heavenly lake”. Namtso Lake is in the rectangle shape, 70km from east to west and 30km from north to south with an area of 1920 square km and 4718m at the sea-level.
Best Travel Time: June – September
 
The lake is composed of 5 islands with the largest island of 1.2 square kilometers. It is said by the Buddhists that they are the avatars of five Buddhas. The lake is rich in all kinds of fishes, snow lotus, caladium and the place for wide animals dwelling. The lake is clear, flickering blue light under the sunshine, which seems to wash your soul cleanly.
 

Namtso Lake

7. Yamdrok Lake (A Pearl from the sky) 西藏羊卓雍错湖
Location: Yamdrok Lake is located 105km to the southwest of Lhasa. Yamdrok-Tso Lake is 130km long from east to west and 70km wide from north to south with a total perimeter of 250km and the surface area of 638 square km, average depth of 20-40 meters. It is the largest lake at the north foot of the Himalayas.
Best Travel Time: June – September
 
Yamdrok Yumtso Lake is a kind of low salt lake formed by the snow melted water from the snow capped mountains nearby. The lake looks like a holy sapphire. Under the clear azure sky, the clean water of the lake is as smooth as the surface of fine blue jade. Yamdrok Lake is said to be be the female Guardian of Buddhism in Tibet. Every year, many local Tibetans and visitors from Lhasa and from other places would come here for pilgrimage or sightseeing.
 
My Yamdrok Lake Trip Report 

Yamdrok Lake

 
8. Lugu Lake (A pure lake) 泸沽湖
Location: Lugu Lake is located 260km north of Lijiang City, a border lake between Yunnan Province and Guizhou Province. The lake has an area of over 50 square km with a sea level of 2690m, the highest lake in Yunnan Province.
Best Travel Time: May and June
 
Lugu Lake is woven with beautiful legends and teemed with poetic landscape. Lugu Lake is pure and azure without any pollution, 11 meters visible, which is very rare. The lake area is inhabited by many minority ethnic groups, such as the Mosuo, Norzu, Yi, Pumi and Tibetan. the Mosuo people (“Moso”), are said to be a sub clan of the Naxi People. The lake is also well-known as the region of “The Kingdom of Women” . where the Mosuo women have the the dominant role in their society. 

Luhu Lake

 

9. Tianchi Lake ( Heavenly Lake in Mt. Changbai) 吉林长白山天池
Location; Heaven Lake is a crater lake on the border between China and North Korea. It lies within a caldera atop the volcanic Baekdu Mountain, a part of the Baekdudaegan mountain range and the Changbai mountain range. It is located between Ryanggang Province, North Korea and Jilin Province, northeastern China.
Best Travel Time: July August and September
 
Tianchi Lake has a surface elevation of 2,189m. The lake takes an area of 9.82 square km with a south-north length of 4.85 km and east-west length of 3.35 kilometres. The average depth of the lake is 213m and maximum depth of 384m
 

Tianchi Lake

 
10. Jingpo Lake 牡丹江镜泊湖
Location: Jingpo Lake is located southwest of Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province. The lake occupies an area of 1200 square meters. It is a famous scenic spot as well as an ideal summer resort of North China. The lake hs been called ”West Lake of North China”.
Best Travel Time: July August and September
 

The northern side of the river runs down the Diaoshuilou Falls, a 40 meter waterfall caused by the lake. Jingpo Lake is well known for its craggy limestone cliffs and its azure waters containing 40 types of fish and fresh water coral.

Jingpo Lake

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