Tag Archives: rural China
Visiting the Mutianyu Great Wall Posted by sasha on Jul 18, 2018
Pretty much everyone who comes to China hopes to see the Great Wall on their trip. Chairman Mao himself once famously said “You aren’t a real man until you’ve climbed the Great Wall” (不到长城非好汉 – bù dào cháng chéng fēi hǎo hàn). From Beijing, there are many different options for walking along one of the…
Celebrating Spring Festival in a Village Posted by sasha on Jan 27, 2017
All around China, families are gathered together to celebrate the Spring Festival. There’s a massive feast, dragon dances, plenty of red envelopes, the CCTV New Year’s Gala, and more fireworks than you can imagine. While we were living in Kunming, we had the pleasure of ringing in the Chinese New Year in our friend’s village…
The Quiet Side of Dali Posted by sasha on Feb 22, 2016
Although the town of Dali is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China, it’s still possible to escape the crowds here. Stay in a village along the beautiful Er Hai Lake for a more peaceful, relaxing trip.
Shaxi Video Tour Posted by sasha on Feb 11, 2016
We’ve already introduced the ancient town of Shaxi in Yunnan province in a written post, so now it’s time to take a little video tour. Check out the town square, a few temples, and an awesome hostel. Explore the beautiful surroundings on foot, and finish with the colorful Friday market.
Shaxi Ancient Town Posted by sasha on Jan 25, 2016
Most backpackers in Yunnan follow a pretty beaten path – Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-la, and Tiger Leaping Gorge. This is all doable in 10-14 days, all linked up with public transportation, and these places all cater to tourists. There are also many interesting places in Yunnan that are quite hard to get to, especially if you…
Haba – A Village in the Clouds Posted by sasha on Dec 6, 2015
After exploring the ancient town of Lijiang and tackling the epic Tiger Leaping Gorge hike, our journey through northern Yunnan province rolled on with a stop in a small mountainous village. The point of stopping in Haba village (哈巴村 – hǎ bā cūn) was to recuperate a bit from the exhausting hike, and also to visit…
A Very Chinese Chinese New Year Posted by sasha on Feb 25, 2015
After a 6-year hiatus from celebrating the Spring Festival in China, I decided to keep it local this year and take a short trip through southeast Yunnan’s Honghe Prefecture in favor of a beach vacation. Check out some highlights from our trip through this stunning part of China, home to many Hani and Yi people…