International Travel Adventure

This is Part 3 of a planned two-part article series introducing China well ahead of the Olympics this year. As we all know, China has had some major tragedies with which to deal since our first installment about travel to this year’s Summer Olympics host country. Perhaps I should have said “host countries”, as Hong Kong will be the venue for the equestrian events; even though Hong Kong is China territory, for the third time in history Olympic events will be held under the jurisdictions of two competing National Olympic Committees; Hong Kong competes separately from China for hosting Olympics.

While many thousands of people’s lives have been lost, with many more thousands impacted severely by the Sichuan Province quakes, China is moving ahead toward her “coming out gala” of the 2008 Summer Olympics. China has looked forward to, and is endlessly preparing for, this summer’s spotlight historic event. For more commentary, feel free to read the previous posts in this series. That having been said, it is important to realize China is much more than Hong Kong, Beijing and additional related Olympic venues (Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, and Qingdao). For adventure, China is a great country to travel. Many readers cannot travel there during the time-frame scheduled for the Olympics. Even if you can fit the schedule, attending more than one or two events can be outrageously expensive - that’s just the Olympic way.

So, where else to travel, and what else to experience or explore, you ask? If you want to trek along the Great Wall, part of it is only a short drive from Beijing. Since it is mega-historic, mega-famous, large enough to be the only man-made structure visible to the naked eye from earth’s orbit, and the “prop” for one of David Copperfield’s major televised illusions, you should see it and explore it. To avoid the tourist crowd, go early in the morning - dawn is best; by around 8:00-8:30 a.m., the bus loads begin arriving. (Of some 690 sites globally listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, this is one of 27 in China.)

You might want to experience the exquisite beauty of nature of Hangzhou’s metropolitan area, especially around West Lake. If you only visit one city, and the beauty of nature’s scenes easily win your attention, don’t miss this gem, about 112 miles (180 km) southwest of Shanghai. For the main adventure here, follow your camera lens. Your camera will thank you. Hangzhou could be on your way to explore China’s largest bamboo forest in Anji, which is about 1-1/2 hours by bus from Hangzhou. There is the rather touristy Bamboo Museum, but a good forest trek is the objective. Whether or not you’ve spent time exploring forests - even the bamboo kind - this will be a treat. As a bonus, check out the location of the beautifully choreographed bamboo forest martial arts scenes from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. As a second bonus, some of the friendliest people you’ll meet will be in the Anji area. Guest houses and restaurants, all run by locals, are plentiful. I recommend an overnight stay in order to experience everything the Anji area has to offer. Make friends here.

When you visit China, try to make a point of visiting Sichuan Province - both for the diversity of peoples and cultures (probably more than any other province in China), and to explore any accessible regions following the quakes of May 12. The landscape of some areas has changed dramatically in the wake of the monumental shifting of continental plates; there were, at one point, at least 34 newly formed lakes. If you’re able to physically contribute to any of the ongoing assistance needed in the devastated regions, your adventure will be more satisfying and complete.

There is so much more China has to offer the adventure traveler. Tibet and Mongolia - two totally different autonomous regions of China - both geographically and culturally - possibly hold the most promise for adventure purists. Interestingly, both share wide open spaces and nomadic lifestyle cultures. Due to the space constraints of these articles, we’ll save them for next time. Yes, we’ll revisit China before the Olympics, and probably again after. This is China’s year to shine, so why shouldn’t we take advantage?

Please be sure to check out the Video III page for Chinese music and associated cultural videos. Certain things come to mind when we think of areas in which Chinese people excel, and some of them are included.

If you’re still unsure of anything about your next international travel - and you want it to be cheaper, safer, and more adventurous, get my free “Smart Tips Handbook” available exclusively to Registered Readers! Click the link below.

International Travel Adventure