Travel Destinations: Gulang Yu, Fujian Province, China

With so many provinces and thousands of great cities and towns in China it can be difficult to choose one or even a dozen cities to visit. But if you are in Fujian Province, then you should definitely make the time to visit Gulang Yu, an island 10 minutes on the boat away from Xiamen.

This is a simply beautiful island; the architecture has a distinctive colonial feel to it, with beautiful villas and crumbling ruins from its former years. It was used as a base for a large foreign community in the 1880s, complete with an English newspaper, a post office, consulates, libraries, churches and many other services. In 1903, the Chinese government declared Gulang Yu an Internation Foreign Settlement and a council of Sikhs were brought together to run the community.

Today, you can still see the impact the foreigners had on this beautiful island. The charming colonial buildings are still being used. Some of China’s most famous of musicians have come from this island.

So what can you see here? Start with a trip to Sunlight Rock, which is the highest point on the island. At 93m and when the day is clear, you may be able to see Jinmen Island itself.

At the base of here, you can visit the Koxinga Memorial Hall which has a gallery dedicated to the Dutch who settled in Taiwan and Koxinga throwing them back out of the island again. You can admire some remains of his clothing and his beautiful jade belt.

You will find Yingxiong Hill near the Memorial Hall. There is an aviary here where egrets and parrots squawk and speak. A little noisy sometimes, but it is a charming place for tourists.

Shuzhuang Garden is located on the waterfront near the southernmost part of the island; it is so beautiful that it is the perfect place to stop and relax and let the world go sailing by. The pavilions here so incredibly delicate and the bonsai gardens look simply stunning. It was established by a businessman from Taiwan who came here with his fsmily during the Anti-Japanese War.

There are other things to see and do here. Why not visit the beautiful Roman Catholic Church near the British consulate and if you carry on, you will come to Haoyue Garden, where an impressive statue of Koxinga has been erected, looking out to see to Taiwan.

One of the best things to see and do here is to wander the old streets and alleys to admire the beautiful colonial buildings that still stand on Gulang Yu.

Travel Destinations: Guilin, Guangxi Province, China

Guilin is the ideal place to go if you are looking for Chinese beauty. Located in Guangxia Province, Guilin is the most beautiful place in China; once arriving in Guilin, you feel as though you have been transported back in time when emperors ruled the country, silk robes flowed in the breeze and paladins run around the country helping others.

Guilin has managed to keep its incredible natural beauty throughout the years and even today when it has been one of the most popular places in China for both the Chinese and international travellers. However, it should be stressed that the entry fees for Guilin is extraordinarily high, but is very much worth it.

There are so many beautiful and interesting places to go. Start with Solitary Beauty Peak, a 152m pinnacle. Climb to the top for some amazing views of the area. At the top, you will find Wang Cheng, a 14^th century palace that was constructed by the nephew of a Ming Dynasty emperor.

Nearby is Fubo Sha, also known as Wave-Subduing Park, offers some just as lovely views. On the southern side is the Returned Pearl Cave where you can admire a Buddha image etched into the wall more than a thousand years ago. There are more than 200 other Buddhist images here, most date back to the Song and Tang Dynasties. The nearby Thousand Buddha Cave is not to be missed but it houses only a couple of dozen Buddhist statues, not a thousand.

If you only have a short time in Guilin, the one thing you must see Qixing Gongyuan. This is the most incredibly beautiful parks in all of China, possibly the world. Seven Star Park is on the eastern side where the peaks resemble the Big Dipper constellation. The park was first opened as a tourist destination during the Sui Dynasty. The biggest highlights here are Seven Star Cave and Dark Dragon Cave.

Reed Flute Cave has the most amazing scenery found in Guilin. In the underground Reed Flute Cave you will rock concert lights highlighting the beauty of the stalactites. The Crystal Palace of the Dragon King holds around 1000 people at a time. The entrance fee is steep but well worth it.

Rong Hu and Shan Hu are two lakes in Guilin. The former is named after a 800 year old banyan tree on the shore, which stands by the restored South City Gate (Nan Men) built in the Tang Dynasty. The bridges and the trees are elegantly lit up at night, making a truly romantic and beautiful place to be after the sun has set.

Guilin has several boat trips down the River LI for tourists to gaze in wonder at the natural beauty of the area. The river runs between Guilin and Yangshou and will cost you a staggering Y500 but does include lunch and the bus trip back to Guilin. The fee is high but well worth every yuan.

A journey to Guilin will truly last a lifetime and will be a memory that you will treasure until the very end.

Travel Destinations: Guangxi Province, China

Guangxi Province is a region made up of so many different things – ethnic groups, lush rolling hills, impressive peaks, ancient temples, fertile plains – that it has become a wonderful colourful cultural mosaic that people just have to visit.

This is a region that is sadly overlooked by international travellers, but the south of the province has some of China’s best beaches, a border with Vietnam giving you access to more Asian travel and influence, and so many different cultural monuments it will make your heart catch in your throat.

One of the best reasons to come here is to get to know the many different ethnic groups that live in China – nearly 75% of the people are non-Han Chinese.

NANNING:

Nanning is one those cities which take a second, or third, glance to really appreciate her charm. Sprawling, urban and unenthusiastic initially, Nanning is yet a city that oozes charm. In addition to this, she shares a border with Vietnam which makes travel over to Hanoi very easy.

If you are in the area, come here to see the Guangxi Provincial Museum, the beautiful Qingxiu Shan Scenic Area and the Guangxi Medicinal Herb Botanical Garden. In the surrounding area, you can visit the Yiling Cave, Daming Shan and the beautiful 17^th century town of Yangmei.

DETAIN WATERFALL:

Located around the 53^rd boundary marker between China and Vietnam, the Detain Waterfall is one of those places that will make your heart stop beating with its spectacular beauty. Although most of the waterfall is in China, be careful you don’t accidently step into the Vietnamese part.

BEIHAI:

If you are a beach lover, then you will not want to miss out on the beaches here! It has a ferry that will take you to Hainan Island, but Beihai has some of the best stretches of sand in China.

GUIPING:

This small town is one of those places in China that seems almost not real – friendly, moss-covered and very pretty, it is the home of the famous Xi Shan tea that you must try whilst here. The town is also well known for the beautiful Xi Shan Park, where you hike up the modest mountain range.

WUZHOU:

Wuzhou is often overlooked by other cities nearby, but this town is simply charming once you arrive. You will find traces of the British colonial legacy here which makes for interesting walks around the back streets.

Come here to visit the Snake Repository, the incredibly stunning Western Bamboo Temple and the multicoloured Longmutai Miao, also known as Dragon Mother Temple which was said to have been the home to the dragon mother of a legendary female chieftain.

GUILIN:

A trip to Guangxi is never complete without paying a visit to Guilin, one of the most beautiful places in the world. This is a place whose beauty is immortalised in the works of poets, artists and authors for centuries; even today, this is the beauty of China imagined by Westerners.

There are so many places to visit here. The Solitary Beauty Peak, Fubo Shan, Diecai Shan, Seven Star Park, Dark Dragon Cave, Seven Star Cave, Reed Flute Cave, Rong Hu and Shan Hu … there are so many things to see here.

The highlight of any trip to Guilin is to take a trip up the Li River. Here, you pass through some of the most beautiful scenery that words cannot simply do justice.

Travel Destinations: Guangdong Province, China

Guangdong has been known to the Chinese government as the rebellious one – feisty and determined, this was the region where disgraced officials from the north in ancient times were exiled to. It was thought that barbarians lived here, but in reality, this was the region where a powerful kingdom arose after the fall of the Qin Dynasty fell, the Nanyue kingdom.

Guangdong was primarily a backwater province for years, where the Cantonese made their living through the sea, until the establishment of the three SEZ (Special Economic Zones) and the trading links to Hong Kong. Now it is one of the most prosperous places in China.

GUANGZHOU:

Guangzhou is better known to Westerners as Canton, and is the provincial capital. It was also the capital of the powerful Nanyue Kingdom which ruled at the same time as the Han Dynasty. Today, Guangzhou is a bustling city full of neon lights and pink swirling mist, having been influenced by wealthy Hong Kong.

Guangzhou will not disappoint any visitor. Come here to visit the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, the highlight of the city, as well as paying trips to Yuexiu Park, Orchid Garden, Five Rams Statue, Zhenhai Tower, the Guangzhou City Museum, the Guangzhou Art Gallery, the Temple of the Six Banyan trees, the Guangxiao Temple, the Mosque dedicated to the Prophet, the Temple to the Five Immortals, the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, and so many more.

WHITE CLOUDS HILLS:

White Clouds Hill are a region of lush rolling hills with more than 30 peaks, all home to many different temples and monasteries. Star Touching Peak is the highest peak here and the local people have claimed that White Cloud Evening View is one of the eight best sights in Guangzhou.

KAIPING:

Kaiping is home to the famous diaolou, a series of impressive watchtowers constructed in a mixture of architectural designs from Roman to rococo. They were built in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries by Chinese who returned from abroad and they were used as fortresses to keep out bandits and the Japanese troops.

FOSHAN:

Foshan is one of China’s oldest pottery towns in the country, established in the Han Dynasty. There are many places to visit here; the Zu Miao temple complex, the Foshan Museum, the Buddhist Renshou Temple, the Foshan Folk Arts Studio, Liang’s Garden and good places to visit.

The highlight to a trip to Foshan is travelling to Shiwan, one of the most important ceramic making centres. Nanfeng Ancient Kiln is said to never have had put out their dragon kilns since the day they were fired up in the Han Dynasty! In addition to this, you can browse and buy some of the most beautiful ceramics from the town.

This has only touched the list of what there is to see in Guangdong Province – the region is home to more cultural attractions, vibrant cities, colourful towns and sleepy hamlets that it is impossible to note them all here. Once you travel to Guangdong, you will not be disappointed.

Travel Destinations: Fujian Province, China

Fujian Province is one of the most beautiful regions in China – a lush coastline, deep clear blue waters, steep mountains and fertile snaking river valleys; Fujian Province is everything that you could possibly want in a trip to China.

For centuries, Fujian has been a flourishing region, the coastline being important in trade, and still today you will find it a busy place. However, Fujian is much more relaxed than other places such as Beijing and Shanghai. The mountainous interior remains virtually unexplored by tourists; these mountains and lush rolling hills provide fantastic hiking trails for the curious.

FUZHOU:

The capital of the province, Fuzhou is a thoroughly modern Chinese city but still remains proud of its long history dating back to the 3^rd century CE. Even Marco Polo travelled here and called it a ‘veritable marvel’.

There may only be a few cultural attractions here but what there is here is definitely worth taking a look. The Jade Hill Scenic Area is a green oasis in the middle of the urban jungle where you will find the White pagoda dating back to 904 CE. Black Pagoda is nearby. A trip to West Lake Park, the Fujian Provincial Museum and the Taijiang Harbour are also sights to see here.

TAIMU MOUNTAIN:

Taimu Mountain is a beautiful rugged mountain, surrounded on all sides by impressive views of the sea and its peaks wrapped in an ever-lasting sheath of mist, making it look like something out of an ancient Chinese fairytale. The trails here are brilliant and there are many other things to see here – you will find a number of karst caves, ancient temples and hoodoos. There are 36 temples on the mountain; some of the best are Guoxing Temple and the One Tile Temple.

XIAMEN:

Known more popularly to the West as Amoy, Xiamen is considered the prettiest city in Fujian. You will find many old colonial homes here as well as a popular waterfront district. Come here to visit the Nanputuo Temple which is over a thousand years old; the Xiamen University; the Overseas Chinese Museum; and a trip here is never complete until you take a visit over to the island of Gulang Yu just a short boat ride away.

YONGDING:

This is a rolling farmland region, lush and fertile, and home to the Hakka people. In the Jin Dynasty, the Hakka people were forced to migrate to the south to escape persecution and famine; eventually, they settled in Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces.

This area is simply beautiful. It is a landscape full of emerald green fields, lush vegetation and serene hills just waiting for you to explore. It is famous for its tulou (earth buildings) which many are available to visit.

GUANZHOU:

Quanzhou was once one of the most important trading ports in China and one of the stops on the maritime Silk Road. Today, it is a smaller city than Fuzhou and Xiamen, but it makes up for it in cultural attractions and personality.

Come here to see the Kaiyuan Temple, one of the oldest temples in the city, dating to 686 CE. The Qingling Mosque is a great place to visit, as well as the Puppet Museum, the Guandi Temple, the Mazu Temple and the Maritime Museum.

Fujian is a beautiful province and a place to explore if you are able to spend a week or two here. What are you waiting for?