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Travel Destinations: Qingyuan and Foshan, Guangzhou Province, China

Guangdong Province is a beautiful place full of cities, towns and beautiful little villages. The capital of the province, Guangzhou, is the first port of call for most travellers coming to mainland China from Hong Kong but there are some lovely smaller cities and towns that should not be missed.

QINGYUAN:

Qingyuan is an industrial city located about 70km north of Guangzhou, sitting on the Bejiang River. The city itself is not very interesting on its own, it is full of warehouses and factories spewing dark clouds into the air, but serves as the gateway to northern Guangdong.

However, the surrounding area of Qingyuan is beautiful and very interesting. The river valley is a peaceful place where you can relax in the sweet smelling pine forests, the stone mountains and deep canyons will leave you dizzy with their beauty.

Tucked away in the hills you will find the beautiful temples of Feilai and Feixia. These are not to be missed. You can get to these temples via ferries from the Bei River Dock. The ferries won’t leave until they’re full and it is best to get there early. A complete ferry trip there and back again will take about four hours. If a ferry isn’t available, then there is a bus you can catch.

The ferry will take you up the river, passing some incredibly beautiful stone villages, historical pagodas and then onto the temple of Feilai. The original building is 1400 years old but has been remodelled in the mIng Dynasty. Afterwards you will be transported upriver to Feixia Temple.

FOSHAN:

Located 19km southwest of Guangzhou, Foshan is a smaller town with a population of 960,000 people. However, it is just as rich in history; this is one of China’s oldest pottery towns. The town was established in the Han Dynasty and famous, not only for its beautiful pottery, ceramics and designs, but its incredible ancestral temple. The city is named ‘Buddha Hill’, taken from the three statues of Lord Gautama that were erected on a hill during the Tang Dynasty.

The ancestral temple complex, Zu Miao, is the most incredible piece of architecture in Guangdong Province. It dates back to the late 11^th century, dedicated to the Daoist god Beidi, the god of the North who is usually depicted as a turtle and a snake.

There is an impressive statue of the god in the main hall along with some impressive carved wooden screens. The rest of the temple is just as richly decorated, with many ceramic figurines of deities and characters from mythology.

The complex is part of the Foshan Museum (Foshan Bowuguan) where you will find some of the most incredible displays of martial arts and Cantonese opera.

Take a walk south and you will come to the Buddhist Renshou Temple, an active temple dating to the Ming dynasty. Inside, admire the seven storey pagoda built in 1656. Also here is the interesting Foshan Folk Arts Studio.

If you are coming here, you must see Shiwan, one of China’s most important places where they make ceramics. You will find everything here – from the most beautiful tableware to Buddhist figurines. Here, see the famous Nanfeng Ancient Kiln, housing two ‘Dragon kilns’ which date from the early Ming Dynasty. Since they were first used, the kilns have never gone out.

Both cities are very interesting and should not be ignored. So when visiting Guangdong Province, take the time to visit here. You will not be disappointed.

Travel Destinations: The East Coast, Hainan Province, China

The East Coast of Hainan Province is a wonderful place to spend a week or two when you are travelling through China and are in need of some relaxing time. Picture palm lined beaches, bays that stretch as far as the eye can see, and beautiful headlands and you are at the East Coast. Although the towns are not as exciting as the beaches, they are still wonderful places to visit.

About 60km south of Wencheng, Qionghai is the famous place where the first Chinese communist cell was formed back in 1924. Carry on south for about 50km is Wanning and then another 23km to Xinglong. This is the home to more than 20,000 Chinese-Vietnamese and Chinese from overseas (especially from Indonesia or Malaysia) who established the Xinglong Overseas Chinese Farm (Xinglong Huaqiao Cun) where they have now settled. You will find these Chinese dressing up in Southeast Asia costumes and show visitors a range of different tropical agricultural techniques, including coffee – Xinglong coffee is famous throughout China as well as being the transsexual capital of China.

Shimei Bay (Shimei Wan) is the first place you should start when arriving in Hainan’s East Coast. This is a beautiful stretch of coast that still remains unscarred by commercialization that you get in the Sanya area. This beautiful beach is lined with palm trees and is mostly deserted so most of the time you have this gorgeous beach all to yourself.

Shimei town is largely undeveloped but this will not always be the case, so enjoy it while you can. Shimei Bay is also a great place to surf; you can see some local and expat surfers catching the waves but the chances are that you will only see fishermen. However, as surfing becomes more popular in China, Shimei Bay is set to become the best place to go.

Lingshui and Monkey Island are other great places on the East Coast. Lingshui itself is the oldest settlement on Hainan but visitors really come here to visit Monkey Island, the home of a number of Guangxi monkeys. There is a government wildlife research centre here to observe them and this is a great place to relax and enjoy yourself.

The monkeys here are very tame and will want you to feed them snacks of peanuts which you can buy. Just remember to keep your cameras and your valuables safe at all times – these monkeys think that they are photographers!

Travel Destinations: Yan’an, Shaanxi Province, China

Yan’an, depending on which side you believe, was either the holy land of Chinese communism or the place where Chairman Mao’s warped dystopian law began. No matter which way you look at it, Yan’an is the place where the Long March ended in 1935, in which only an estimated 9,000 people survived.

Yan’an served as the power place until 1947, the location where the Chinese communists created their ideologies. As such, Yan’an has become the must-see place for patriots, attracting over four million tourists worldwide each year despite being nondescript compared to other cities in China.

Because of its deep political history, there are many sights to see here relating to the history of communism and the Cultural revolution in Yan’an. Through the years that the communists used this town as their headquarters, they moved quite a few times, meaning there are a several former headquarters.

The Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters Site (Yangjialing Geming Jiuzhi) is a very interesting place to visit. Located 3km northeast outside of town, you can see the assembly hall where the first central committee meetings were once held. This includes the 7^th national plenum where Chairman Mao was officially confirmed as the leader of the party and the revolution.

You can also see the simple dugouts nearby where Mao, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and other party members lived and worked. Take a quick trip to the nearby caves where the communist personnel and secretaries worked on their propaganda.

Just south of the Wangjiaping Revolution Headquarters Site (Wangjiaping Geming Jiuzhi). This served as the last place which was used by the communist leaders here in Yan’an. At this site, you can see who Chairman Mao and the other communist elites lived. You can get to both of these sites by taking the number 1 bus from the train station.

The Gengnshuangshan Revolution Headquarters Site is much easier to get to from town; it is located around 100m north of the post office. When the communists moved to Yan’an, this was their first base and you can see that this was a very primitive and basic place to use.

If you are searching for more history than just modern politics, then head to Treasure Pagoda. This is a beautiful building dating from the Song Dynasty and can be found southeast of the river junction.

Qingliang Mountain is another great place to visit. You can bask in the natural beauty and hike up the trails. You can also visit the Ten Thousand Buddha Cave (Wanfo Dong) when you come to Qingliang Mountain. This cave was constructed into the Cliffside beside the river and has some incredible Buddhist statues.

Yan’an can be reached in a number of ways; the airport is 7km northeast of the town where there are daily flights to Xi’an and Beijing. If you are coming from Xi’an, there are regular daily buses which will take you to Yan’an.

Yan’an may not be the first choice for travellers who are visiting China; however, this town can give you the realistic and haunting legacy of China’s recent political past as well as its beautiful distant history.

Tourist Destinations: Khajuraho, India

Khajuraho is in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, also known as Bundelkhand. A beautiful place, it is famous for the fantastic Khajuraho art which draws thousands of tourists, both international and national, to its bosom.

The temples in Khajuraho are some of the most exquisite and fascinating not only in India, but in the world. The temples here were built in the 9^th and 10^th centuries by the Chandela rulers who had the temples carved with some of the most erotic and sensual depictions. 85 temples were originally built but sadly only 20 remain today. Aligned from east to west, the temples are made from sandstone, looking like something out of an Asian fantasy.

Visitors arrive in Khajuraho all year round despite the temperature fluctuations. The temperature can reach a staggering 47 degrees C. Winters can then drop to a dizzying 4 degrees C. From July to September is the rainy season but still the visitors come travelling to this remarkable place.

There are many different hotels here, depending on what your needs and budgets are. It is best to book well in advance, especially if coming during the peak season.

64km away from Khajuraho is the magnificent Dhubela Museum where you can admire and learn more about the Shakti cult and their incredible pieces of art on display. Different sections of the museum are dedicated to clothing, weapons and art.

Benisagar Lake is a beautiful place to relax and enjoy yourselves located 7km away from Khajuraho. If you like to fish or want to enjoy a boat ride, there is a dam on the Khudar River where you can enjoy these activities.

If you enjoy historical or cultural attractions then you should pay a visit to Panna, a world famous diamond mine. Nearby, the Panna Nature Reserve is the perfect setting to relax and watch nature and wildlife go sailing by.

The Pandava Waterfall on the Ken River is another beautiful natural scenic place in which to relax. It is located around 25km away from Khajuraho. The Pandavas are said to have spent time here after they were exiled.

One of the best times to come to Khajuraho is during February or March when the monsoon festival of Teej is held, celebrating the marriage of the gods Shiva and Parvati. The Khajuraho dance festival is also held sometime around here, where classical Indian dancers arrive to perform some of the most incredible music and dances.

Khajuraho is a wonderful place to visit for a few days. One of the most colourful places in India, the people are incredibly friendly, the sights full of history and culture, and the food to simply die for. What are you waiting for?

Travel Destinations: Leshan, Sichuan Province, China

Leshan is home to a population of 156,000 people and one massive statue of the Buddha, whose fingernail is bigger than the average human. This is the main reason for most people travelling to this town.

The town itself is set near the river with tree draped alleys and roads and is one of the most relaxed cities in China. You will see droves of Chinese tourists here and is a great place to relax after hiking up Emei Shan.

The first thing to see here is the Grand Buddha. This is the pride of the town, a place of great spiritual peace. The Grand Buddha sits peacefully, carved into a cliff face that sits at the meeting place of the Dadu River and the Min River. The Buddha here is the largest in the world at 71m high; his ears alone are 7m each, his insteps 8.50m and big toe 8.5m long.

It started with the Buddhist monk Haitong in 713 CE believing that the Buddha would be able to calm the treacherous waters that boatmen travelled up and down. The Grand Buddha itself wasn’t completely finished until 90 years after the monk died. It was the loose rocks that fell into the river that actually calmed the waters but the locals have always said it was the Buddha that really did it.

Hidden away from prying eyes inside the Buddha’s body, it actually a series of pipes and water drains to prevent the statue from weathering although it hasn’t completely prevented it. There was once a building that protected the Grand Buddha but it was destroyed during a war in the Ming Dynasty.

The thousand Buddha Cliffs is located 30km north of Leshan and are a great place to go and see. There are over 2,400 Buddhas that decorate the cliffs here. They date from as early as the Eastern Han Dynasty but despite their age, show the signs of aging well.

The cliffs are set in a lovely position along the riverbanks but do require an effort to reach them. There are many regular buses from the long distance train station in town that will take you to Jiajiang where you will then need to take a pedicab.

Other sights here include taking a boardwalk from Dadu River and up along the Min River to Jiazhou Binguan. Here you will come across dancers, both ballroom and fan, making it an interesting place to go.