Shigatse is the hub of the road network connected Lhasa, Nepal and western Tibet. It is a destination of wonders, such as Mount Everest, Tashihunpo Monastery Sakya Monastery, Shalu Monastery and so on. Just follow the previous people’s visiting footprints to this mysterious land to experience the wonderful journey! Today I’ll take you to the one of the biggest well-preserved manors in Tibet-Pala Manor.

Xinduqiao is also called East Russia. It is a small town located in the west of Kangding County. The altitude of Xinduqiao is about 3300 meters. Although there is no prominent landmark landscape, Xinduqiao is well known as the paradise for Photographers, with more than 10 kilometers’ long “photographer corridor”.

Xinduqiao is a picturesque small Tibetan town and famous for its plateau pasture scenery, with vivid green grassland, streams, mountains, and Tibetan counting houses surrounding it. The Tibetan houses in the town have very spacious yard, red lacquer doors and white walls, mostly built with stones. People can also overlook the Gongga Mountain which is the most magnificent mountains in Sichuan province.

Tourists who are travelling to Sichuan-Tibet line will stop here to see the beautiful scenery, as well as taking photography. Although Daocheng, a more beautiful place along the Sichuan-Tibet line, is not far from here. There are still many people making a pause here for photography even coming here for wedding photographs.

Xinduqiao

What to see in Xinduqiao

Gongga Mountain
Gongga Mountain or Mount Gongga is located in the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau (in the middle part of the Snowy Mountain on the Hengduan Mountains). The Gongga Mountain is between the between the Dadu River and Yalong River. Gongga Mountain means the white iceberg as well as the highest mountain in the Tibetan language.

Gongga Mountain

Tagong Grasslands
Tagong means “Buddha favorite place” in Tibetan, located in the Kangding County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, with an elevation of 3730 m on the high plateau. It is the most famous grasslands in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and the Sichuan-Tibet highway passes through the grasslands. There are rivers, grasslands, forests, mountains, temples, Tibetan Houses and architectures along the scenic area, full of Tibetan style.

Tagong Grasslands

Yala Kamiyama
Yala Snow Mountain has been listed as one of the 18 eco-tourist areas in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture state and is called “‘Yala Snow Natural Eco-tourism Zone.” This scenic area has beautiful landscape and many types of tourism resources. One of the most fascinating is a blue mountain lake under the pyramid-shaped Yala peak, where the lake and glacier ice connect and form the ice waterfall, a exquisite natural picture.

Yala Kamiyama

The Best Time to Visit Xinduqiao
Generally speaking, the best time to visit Xinduqiao should be from mid-October to the end of November. During this season, the gorgeous scene of blue sky, white clouds, river water, the sunlight, tall poplar, etc in the breeze, picturesque, fascinated.
Because it is relatively high altitude here, so the temperature has a relatively big difference between morning and evening, warm clothes such as jackets are needed. Even if you come here in summer in July and August, also requires a long-sleeved.
Xinduqiao features amazing natural lights for photography, a great place for hiking, changeable weather, picturesque scenery, food specialty and special local products, as well as unique ethnic customs and age-old minority cultures.

Useful Information
Language
Xinduqiao local language is mainly the Tibetan in Sichuan dialect. Because there are many local tourists every year, therefore mandarin is also been used.
Bank
There is only a RCC (rural credit cooperative) in Xinduqiao, so recommend to enough cash.
Post office
Xinduqiao town has a post office.
Phone Number
Kangding County Tourism Bureau 0836 -2822928
Sichuan Provincial Tourism complaints Tel 028 -86657308
Alarm Hotline: 110
Fire: 119
Emergency Center: 120
Accidents: 122
Police SMS alarm: 12110
Weather Forecast: 12121
Red Cross first aid station: 999

Chongqing Cuisine is also known as Yu Cuisine (渝菜) in China. It belonged to Sichuan cuisine before the third time for Chongqing recovery as a municipality and has spicy and sour aroma characteristics, especially numb spicy. According to historical records, Sichuan cuisine originated in the ancient Ba and Shu Kingdom. Chili, pepper, and bean paste are the main condiments to make different flavor of type.
Chongqing covers a large area and has a variety of snacks, including the Chongqing hot and sour noodles, dan dan noodles, clod glutinous rice cakes, and so on. You can’t miss these common and delicious snacks during the Chongqing tour.

Chongqing Hot Pot
The most famous Chongqing food is undoubtedly the Chongqing Hot Pot, which was initially created by boatmen and trackers to keep warm. Chongqing is the birthplace of Hot Pot and Chongqing Hot Pot is well known for its numb, spicy, fresh, fragrant, and changeable flavor.
As the representative of Chongqing food culture, Chongqing Hot Pot has become the typical cuisine of Chongqing and is also available in the large and small streets in other parts of China.

chongqing hot pot

Authentic Way to Eat Chongqing Hot Pot
1 Authentic Chongqing Hot Pot should be eaten in the pot with 9 grids, each grid for each kind of food;
2 the hotter of the weather, the more people to eat Hot Pot (if you see some people eating Hot Pot with their bare arms in the hot summer, you will know they are the local Chongqing people);
3 it is recommend to add a spoonful of vinegar in the Hot Pot

Where to Eat the Hot Pot in Chongqing
1 High-grade: “Hong Ding • Beauty Beauty Hot Pot”, where the environment is very good and different from the traditionalHot Pot restaurants, one person one pot, 88-168 yuan / person
2 Middle-grade: Little Swan Hot Pot and Qiqi Hot Pot in Jiefangbei Road, Dezhuang Hot Pot opposite the Nan’an District Government, etc are more famous mid-grade Hot Pot in Chongqing, usually 20-50 yuan / person
3 Cheap places: mainly concentrated in night market of Minsheng Road, Yuzhong District, Shangqingsi night market, 10-15 yuan / person and is popular with students.

Chongqing Hot and Sour Noodles
With the flavor of sour and spicy as its highlight, Chongqing Hot and Sour Noodle taste good and long been loved by the people. The noodle is mainly sweet potato flour.

chongqing hot and sour noodles

Dan dan Noodles
It is a kind of hot-spiced noodles in soup favored with a sauce containing dried shrimp, shredded preserved vegetables, peanuts, sesame seeds, chili oil, vinegar and garlic. Dan dan refers to shoulder poles. In the earliest time a noodle peddler shouldered his pole with two baskets at the either side while walking along streets. The baskets contained his noodles and sauce. He sold his noodles for the convenience of passers-by. His noodles cost almost nothing and gradually local people called it Dan dan Noodle.

dan dan noodles

Yuan Yang is a county located in Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan province, China, along the Red River. It is well-known for its spectacular rice-paddy terracing. With terraced fields as the main landscape in Yuan Yang, Hani terraced fields is regarded as the core area, which is one of the 45th World Heritage Sites in China.


Yuan Yang County lies at an altitude ranging from 140 along the Red River up to nearly 3000 metres above sea level in the Ailao mountains and is situated about 50 km north of the border with Vietnam.

The majority of the inhabitants of the Yuan Yang County are from the Hani ethnic group. The town of Old Yuan Yang is a Hani minority settlement atop a ridge of the Ailao mountain range at an elevation of around 1570 m. It is a popular travel destination with photographers due to the vast areas of nearby mountains which have been cultivated into terraced rice paddies for at least the past 1300 years by the Hani people.


Yuan Yang Terraces is regarded as the earth sculpture masterpiece of the Hani people and mainly consists of three scenic spots: Bada(坝达), Tiger Mouth (Laohuzui, 老虎嘴) and Duoyishu(多依树). Large acres of terraces form a magical magnificent landscape under the cover of white clouds. It is really a must-go destination for Yunnan tour.



Location of the Yuan Yang Rice Terraces
Southern Ailao Mountains, Yuan Yang County, Yunnan Province, China

Ticket
There are two kinds of ticket for visiting Yuan Yang Terraces: one day ticket and multi-day ticket. One day ticket: 100 yuan/person; half-price ticket 50 yuan / person (including Qingkou Folk Village, Tiger Mouth scenic area, and Bada)
Multi-day ticket: 180 yuan/person; half-price ticket 90 yuan/person (including Qingkou Folk Village, Tiger Mouth scenic area, Bada and Duoyishu); validity period of 10 days

Preferential policies
1 Half-price tickets (with valid documents): Students (excluding adult education); servicemen, disabled; 1.2 – 1.4 meters children (including 1.4 meters); 60-69-year-old elderly, including 60 years old (not Yunnan pepople)
2 Free ticket (with valid documents): 1.2 meters (including 1.2 meters) of children; over 70 years (including 70 years) old; 60 years Yunnan elderly (including 60 years old); retired cadres; disabled veterans; Travel agency accompany staffs; tour guides

Travel Tips for Traveling Yuan Yang Terraces
1. The best time to see the scenery of the terraced fields in Yuan Yang is from November to the following April.
2. Yuan Yang lies on the Tropic of Cancer, so the climate is neither extremely hot nor cold. However, it is cooler in morning and evening, and the sun is very strong at noon. You should pay attention to sun protection. Moreover, T-shirts and shorts can be worn all year round, but you are advised to take a jacket.
3. It is very interesting to participate in a local country fair, during which the entire minority people dress in colorful ethnic costumes.

Located in the northwest of Yunnan province (527 km away from Kunming), Lijiang is one of the hottest tourist destinations in China even the whole world. Lijiang is well known for its wonderful natural scenery and interesting culture, including the Naxi Ancient Music, which is known as Jade Dragon Snow Mountain; Tiger Leaping Gorge; the “living fossil of Chinese classical music”; the world’s only “living” hieroglyph Dongba hieroglyphs; the Mosuo people who still has the characteristics of matriarchal, etc.
Lijiang is divided into the old and new town with Lion Hill (a local landmark) marking the “dividing line”. East of the hill is Lijiang Old Town, and to the west is the new town district. The following are some travel tips for a wonderful Lijiang tour!



Best Time to Visit Lijiang
1. Lijiang enjoys abundant sunshine all the year around, favored with fresh air and charming natural scenery. It allows visitors to get there at any time. The best time to visit Lijiang is April, May, September and October, when the weather is the most pleasant.
2. You can also plan your itinerary catering for local festivals, such as the San Duo Festival (Date: Feb 8th of the Chinese lunar calendar); Torch Festival (Date: Jun 24th to Jun 26th of the Chinese lunar calendar); Mi La Festival (Date: May 15th of the Chinese lunar calendar), etc.
3. If you like snowy scene, you can visit Lijiang during January to March, but it still depends whether you are lucky enough to see the snowy scene!
Health & Safety
2. There are 13 ethnic groups living in Lijiang. When visiting their families, you should respect their etiquettes and taboos;
1. In the Lijiang Old Town, it is not allowed to ride the bike;
3. Lijiang has a clear annual distinction between the rainy and dry seasons. The rainy season lasts from May to October, extremely July and August. That’s important to know because heavy rains may result in debris flow, and keep safe during the trip;
4. Travelling in summer, T-shirts and trousers are enough, but it’s advisable to take some warm clothes in the other seasons. What’s more, don’t forget to protect yourself from the strong radiation from the sun.
Shopping & Entertainment
1. Square Street in Lijiang Old Town is the most traditional shopping place in Lijiang. Many shops sell various local products;
2. Lijiang Old Town is an ideal place to buy souvenirs and Naxi-style handicrafts;
3. Business hours in Lijiang (new town) are not fixed with most businesses operating from 9:00-19:00;
4. If you wander around town long enough, you’re bound to see the impromptu performances at a local park, along a stream, or even at someone’s house!

Located in the south of Beihai city (36 sea miles away from Beihai), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Weizhou Island is China’s youngest volcanic island, also is the largest island in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Aerial view from the sky, Weizhou Island is just like a bow-shaped emerald floating in the sea. Meanwhile, Weizhou Island is one of China’s most beautiful islands, attracting visitors from everywhrere.

 What to See on the Weizhou Island
To watch the sunrise and sunset is the permanent theme on the islands, whether for the photographic subjects or sensory enjoyment, always temping. On the Weizhou Island, the best place to see the sunrise is the colorful beach (Wucai Beach) and Shell Beach; while the sunset in the DiShuiDanPing (water dripping red screen) and ShiLuoKou is more touching.
There is a Moon Bay Square in the Weizhou Crocodile Hill Park, where the vision is broad with extremely beautiful sea view, suitable for photography.



How to Tour Weizhou Island
There is a color Weizhoudao North Shore Ecological Leisure Road on the island, which is the most suitable riding route on the Weizhou Island. This road is the first dedicated tourism road in Guangxi region, starting from west point reservoir embankment, ending at the ShengTang Village, with a total length of approximately 8 kilometers.
The road series up the main tourist attractions on the island, based with red, black and white color. The road is like a ribbon mildly throughout the rural fields, suitable for freeride and motorcyclists sightseeing. Anyone riding on this road faces the sea, and enjoys the most beautiful scenery around the island.



What to Eat on Weizhou Island
Weizhou Island is a paradise for Seafood lovers. The Seafood on the island is fresh and cheap, even is only half the price of that in the restaurants in the Beihai City center.
The center of Nanwan Town, there is a Nanwan Seafood Market, the gathering place for tourists to buy Seafood.
 

Sichuan Overview
Sichuan Province is called Chuan or Shu for short, and has always been known as the “Land of Abundance”. Located in the southwest of China, Sichuan attaches to Chongqing in the east; Yunnan and Guizhou in the south; Tibet in the west; Qinghai, Gansu, and Shaanxi in the north.
Western Sichuan is the plateau, which is part of the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the Hengduan Mountains, where the economy is underdeveloped, sparsely populated, but has beautiful and natural scenery. The eastern Sichuan is basin, extended to Chongqing. It is the main area of Sichuan and Chongqing, with dense population and prosperous economy.
There are many attractions in Sichuan, not only has the paradise-like natural scenery, but is also full of religious monuments, with grasslands, snow-capped mountains, rivers, lakes, glaciers, etc. No matter how would you like to tour Sichuan, you would find Sichuan is an amazing place to explore.



Travel to Sichuan, no matter where you travel, the well known scenic spots such as Chengdu, Dujiangyan, Jiuzhaigou, Emei Mountain, or other scenic places in Sichuan, you need to take note of a few things:
1 Household items: many hotels and inns do not provide the wash supplies, you’d better bring them, such as towels, toothbrushes, shampoo, soap (you can also wash clothes), slippers and so on.
2 Sunscreen: Most areas of Sichuan are in the highlands, so the ultraviolet is relatively strong, protective measures are essential, you can bring some sunscreen, sun hats, etc.
3 Clothing: Even if you visit Sichuan in the summer time, you still need to prepare some warm winter clothes when entering the highland regions. Usually 3,000 meters above, the regional average temperature is only ten degrees and even dropped a few degrees at night.
4 Altitude Sickness: When reaches an altitude of 3,000 meters above altitude sickness occurs, just change your attitude, reasonable arrangements for your own activities and diet, the symptoms will soon be eliminated. At the beginning of arriving at the plateau, don’t do strenuous exercise, do not eat too much, do not take bath at the first two days, do not drink, have rest at night.

Hutong, refers to the lanes and alleys in the main streets of town and village, also means the relatively small streets leading into the inside of residential area. It is an integral part of local transportation. Hutong is a major feature of Beijing, with the famous ones such as Nanluoguxiang, Yandaixiejie, Dongjiaominxiang and Shichahai.

Route 1: Drum Tower — Shichahai — Yinding Bridge — visit Hutong — Back to Beihai Park North Gate
Route 2: Qianhai — Yin Ding Bridge — Houhai — visit Hutong — Prince Gong House garden



Hutong is the unique ancient alleys in Beijing. There are thousands of Hutong in Beijing, they are distributed around The Forbidden City, and most of them are formed in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
Visitors can start the Hutong tour by taking the old traditional rickshaws from Hutong tour starting point which is about 100 meters west of Beihai Park North Gate, and then arrived at the first stop: Drum Tower. As the timekeeping center of the capital, Drum Tower was built in 1272, about 50 meters high. Visitors can the climbed to the Drum Tower, and have a look at the Hutong on both sides of the central axis of Drum Tower, to know more about Beijing’s history, urban pattern and the formation of the Hutong.
After that, visitors can pass through Hutong by taking rickshaws along Shichahai, get off at Yin Ding Bridge, and walk to some Hutongs which are full of Beijing’s folk, guides will tell visitors Beijing’s hutongs and courtyard culture, as well as the traditional way of life at Hutongs. By chatting with the residents, visitors will understand the people’s living habits and customs.
Visitors can also take the rickshaws to the Prince Gong’s Mansion garden, which is also known as “Red House Grand View Garden”. Prince Gong House garden is a large Qing aristocratic family house. It was founded in 1779, covering an area of three hectares, and now it is the best preserved Qing Dynasty palace. Visitors can have a rest in Prince Gong House garden, drinking tea, and eating snacks, as well as enjoy the opera theater.