China Tours

Huanglong is a scenic and historic interest area in Songpan County in the northwest part of Sichuan , China . It is located in the southern part of the Mt. Minshan range, 150 km north-northwest of the capital Chengdu . This area is known for its colorful pools formed by calcite deposits, especially in Huanglonggou (Yellow Dragon Gully), as well as diverse forest ecosystems, snow-capped peaks, waterfalls and hot springs . Huanglong is also home to many endangered species including the Giant Panda and the Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Huanglong was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992.

Due to thousands of years of geological evolution, Huanglong consists of numerous unique landscapes of geological landforms. Glacial revolution, terrain structure, stratum of carbonic acid rock, tufa water and climatic conditions have created this world-famous travertine landscape. These accumulated travertine landscapes and fascinating pools are Huanglong's main attraction. The total length of the travertine is 3.6km and it is thought to look like a huge golden dragon wheeling through the snow-capped mountains of the valley.

Jiuzhai Valley or Jiuzhaigou is a nature reserve in the north of Sichuan . It is known for its many multi-level waterfalls and colorful lakes, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

Jiuzhai Valley takes the name from the nine Tibetan villages along its length, and seven of them are still populated today. The main agglomerations that are readily accessible to tourists are Heye, Shuzheng and Zechawa along the main paths that cater to tourists, selling various handicrafts, souvenirs and snacks. In 1997, the permanent population of the valley was about 1,000, made up of about 130 Tibetan and Qiang families. Due to the protected nature of the park, agriculture is no longer permitted so the locals now rely on tourism and local government subsidies to make a living.

Jiuzhaigou's best-known feature is its dozens of blue, green and turquoise-colored lakes. The local Tibetan people call them "Haizi" in Chinese, meaning "son of the sea". Originating in glacial activity, they were dammed by rock falls and other natural phenomena, then solidified by processes of carbonate deposition. Some lakes have a high concentration of calcium carbonate, and their water is very clear so that the bottom is often visible even at high depths. The lakes vary in color and aspect according to their depths, residues, and surroundings.

Jiuzhaigou is composed of three valleys arranged in a Y shape. The Rize and Zechawa valleys flow from the south and meet at the centre of the site where they form the Shuzheng valley, flowing north to the mouth of the valley. The mountainous watersheds of these gullies are lined with 55 km of roads for shuttle buses, as well as boardwalks and small pavilions. The boardwalks are typically located on the opposite side of the lakes from the road, shielding them from disturbance by passing buses.

Chengdu is the capital city of Sichuan Province . With a population of 11 million, it is an important commercial transportation, and communications hub of south-western China . Major corporations such as Lenovo, Intel and Microsoft have opened offices in the city's Hi-tech zone.

The locals have a reputation for a laid back attitude and knowing how to enjoy life; but when the call to action came, they proved quick to answer it. On May 12, 2008, a 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck causing damage to the area, killing about 80,000 people and injuring 26,413 in the area as of May 24, 2008.  4,021 of the casualties and most of the property damage were from Dujiangyan and Pengzhou, two suburban cities of Chengdu .  Although the epicenter of the quake was only 75 kilometers (48 miles) away, the urban area did not suffer any discernible damage. Those events inspired many acts of heroism and generosity by Chengdu people.

Historically, Chengdu has a special place in the annals of finance. The world's first paper money, the 'Jiao Zi' was minted in Chengdu in the year 1023, during the Song Dynasty of ancient China.

The big draw of Chengdu is delicious Sichuan Cuisine and local snacks. Fortunately, you will have a chance to taste Hot Pot in Sichuan Style today. Sichuan is famous for its spicy fare, and one of its delicacies is the hot pot. The Sichuan hot pot is a bubbling cauldron of extremely hot oil and water. Dip your choice of the variety of supplied foods into the pot, including meats, vegetables and tofu. It's a very social meal. People sit around to enjoy it and make a long evening out of it. As the saying goes, 'When in Rome , do as the Romans do', your Chengdu experience is fulfilled with this traditional spicy hot pot.

Huangshan City is located at the south of Anhui Province and famous for the Mt. Huangshan and the scattered serene villages.

Mt. Huangshan in east China 's Anhui province is one of China 's ten best-known scenic spots. It is characterized by the four wonders, namely, odd-shaped pines, grotesque rock formation, seas of clouds and crystal-clear hot springs . Mt. Huangshan is celebrated for having all the features of mountain scenery. Known as the No. 1 Mountain Under heaven, it features numerous imposing peaks(77 exceed an altitude of 1,000m ), forests of stone pillars and evergreen sturdy pines; other features include grotesquely-shaped rocks (many of which are individually named, such as 'pig-headed monk eating water melon'), waterfalls, pools and hot springs. Because of its mists and clouds, natural scenery in the area changes beyond prediction. Xu Xiake, a noted Chinese geologist and traveler in Ming Dynasty, praised Huangshan Mountain as the best of all mountains.

Because of the limited water and food resources, the price climbs high on mountain. Please be careful while sight-seeing and environmental-friendly to the beautiful scenery.

Tunxi Old Street, located at the center of Tunxi District of Huangshan City, has been the distribution center of south Anhui Province knowing for the production of green tea and ink. It is the witness of the flourish of Anhui merchant's for a period of time. The street is 1.5 kilometers long and 7 meters wide. There are long lines of shops along two sides of the street. They are all made of brick and wood and have double floors in Ming-and-Qing-Dynasty style. The street is regarded as the living picture of Qingming Shang He Tu. So far, over 100 movies have been shot in the old street. Here you can buy featured souvenirs such as traditional Chinese medicine, Qimen Black Tea, Anhui ink stick, Shexian ink stone and Anhui Four Carvings.

Xidi is known for its unique and elegant wooden houses: prettified walls preventing rain infiltration, black tiles recording the history of the town, decorative gate towers standing for the particular flavor of the architecture. The exquisite wood carvings, stone engravings and tile carvings are also very representative. Rockeries, fish ponds, various parterres can be seen in the courtyard, where the ground is paved with cobbles. Well-arranged lanes, streams and architectures in Xidi are really garden-like scenery.

Hongcun Village is an ancient village with a history of 400 to 500 years. The original residential style and features of the Ming and Qing Dynasties were preserved perfectly there. Hongcun Village has a cattle-like plan, a stream passes by every door in the village like a cattle's gut, a semi-lunar pond looks like the cattle's stomach, and the four bridges over the stream from the cattle's feet. With marbled ground, black tiles, fresh red lanterns, elaborate woodcarvings and amazingly comprehensive water system, it is known as ‘the folk imperial palaces'.

Today you'll find a Buddhism shrine - Jade Buddha Temple , located in a crowd of Shanghai City . It was first built in 1882 in Jiangwan on the southern outskirts of Shanghai . In order to make it convenient for the adherents to visit, it was bodily moved to Shanghai City at the present sire in 1918. It is named for its two bejeweled white jade Buddha. It receives thousands of visitors and worshipers everyday while keeps its sanctity and charming. Carved from a whole piece of white jade, the sitting jade Buddha statue is translucent with a solemn expression, displaying the excellent skill and extraordinary art of Chinese people.

Yuyuan Garden has a lot of stories for it was severely damaged in the 19th century and was restored in 1961. This garden was first built in the 16th century by provincial governor, Pan Yunduan, in honor of his father who was the then government minister. It has many scenic courtyards decorated with baroque rockery, pools, and flora that are all connected by corridors and passageways. The delicate design and exquisite layout of the whole garden reveals a strong impression of 'garden in the garden, whole in the part.'

Shanghai World Financial Center is a supertall skyscraper in Pudong New Area, Shanghai . It is a mixed use skyscraper which consists of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls on the ground floors. On 14 September 2007 the skyscraper was topped out at 492.0 meters (1,614.2 feet) and became the second tallest building in the world; as well as the tallest structure on mainland China , including Hong Kong.

Then it comes to the Bund, the showcase with the old buildings of colonial-era leftover along Huangpu River . The renowned waterfront district is the city's most famous landmark. The word BUND is of Anglo-India origin meaning embankment on the waterfront. It is also the popular site to enjoy the night view of the city.

Shanghai offers colorful recreations with rich contents and creative form. Your night may be filled with an interactive old form of art known as the Acrobatics. As one of the traditional art forms, acrobatics has long been popular among the Chinese people for more than 2,000 years. It is famous for its excellent skill, dare-devil performance and the harmonious combination of various kinds perform arts. Those professional performers have been trained of as early as age six or seven so that they can play so well and excellent. It definitely will be an unforgettable night in your memory.