Air China International Corp., China’s national carrier, has launched non-stop flights between Washington Dulles International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport from June 10 2014. It is the first direct service between the two national capitals offered by China’s carrier (United Airlines has opened the direct flights since 2007). The company is scheduled to offer four round-trip flights every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, departing from Beijing as CA817, served by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

On June 10, Cui Tiankai, Chinese Ambassador to United States, Anthony c. McAuliffe, Governor of Virginia, Hoskins, Deputy Mayor of Washington, DC, and Wang Yinxiang, Vice Chairman of Air China attended the maiden flight ceremony. The flight CA817 left Beijing at 12:45 p.m. (Beijing time) and arrived at 14:35. (Washington time) on the same day. The return flight CA818 departed Washington at 17:00 p.m. and arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport at 18:40 p.m. the next day.

Washington, DC is the seventh city in North America offered direct service by Air China after New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Hawaii and Vancouver. With the new nonstop service, both Beijing and Washington, DC are expected to see more sightseeing and business travelers. It is bound to promote the trade and business interaction and cooperation between the two metropolis.

The United States is a popular travel destination for more and more Chinese. While China is also an attractive Eastern nation among numerous Americans. Beijing, the capital city and cultural center of China, is the most unmissable destination in the country, and world famous for its history and Culture. when touring in China, allow yourself at least 2 two days to visit the Great wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Hulong with courtyards, taste Beijing roast duck and many other specialties, and take in amazing Beijing culture like Pecking opera, Chinese painting and calligraphy.

(Read more about China Great Wall: http://www.easytourchina.com/scene-v1-the-great-wall)

Enjoy Beijing’s Blooming Lotus in Summer

Beijing is full of fantastic activities in summer, with places to go to shy away from the summer heat, and break out the holiday cheer and noise without having to follow the regular tourists crowds. Of all the summer-fun activities in Beijing, watching lotus in full bloom is a favorable way to relax your mind, being a part of the seas of flowers. Here is our round-up of best places for lotus-watching around Beijing. Make sure you have your cameras ready to capture the beautiful blooming lotuses.

Lotus is one of the most famous flowers in China and has inspired a lot of painters and poets to create great works. Beijing’s lotuses are in full bloom from Late June till early August of 2014.

Old Summer Palace

Lotus Festival was officially opened on June 25 in the Old Summer Palace, and will last over one month. People addicted to photography should not miss this chance, as the theme park not only offers a boating tour on Changchunyuan (Garden of Eternal Spring) to the world of lotus, but also boasts a wealth of sites and ruins of the former imperial garden.

Beijing Lianhuachi (Lotus) Park

Located in the intersection of Xuanwu District, Fengtai District and Haidian District, Beijing Lotus Park is an ancient park known as the birthplace of the city, with a history dating back more than 3,000 years ago. The park covers an area of 446,100 square meters, with 15,000 square meters being the lotus pond in the summer season.

  

Beihai Park with Lotus Festival

In summer, the 800-year-old Beihai Park is a magic place to be, with the scent of lotus all around, and really worth a delightful stroll. The stretches of lotuses surrounding the white pagoda, create a classic ancient imperial garden painting. July is the best time to watch blooming lotus in Beihai Park.

Lotus Pond of Shichahai

Shichahai features Beijing’s largest and best preserved historic areas, teeming with hutongs, ancient palaces, antique shops, and old architecture complex, and has been known as the “White Lotus Pond” since the Liao dynasty (907-1125). People find the lotus pond much more attractive at night, when the lights are lit on the nearby bar streets.

Purple Bamboo Park

Located outside Xizhimen, Purple Bamboo Park has a history of more than 40 years of planting lotus. To help visitors better watch the Lotus, the park has excavated a 800-metre long passage traversing through the lotuses. And visitors can take a boat to get close to the fabulous flowers.

Yuyuantan Park

There are two places in Yuyuantan Park for lotus-watching. One is the Wan Ping He Xiang scenic spot in the southwest corner of the park with a 8000-square-meter pond of Red Lotus. The other one is the Sakura lake in the Sakura garden, with various lotuses planted in 2008.

China's Grand Canal And Silk Road Were Inscribed as World Heritage Sites

China’s Grand Canal and ancient Silk Road were added to the World Heritage list on the 38th session of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, held in Doha, the capital of Qatar on June 22, 2014.

The Grand Canal, also known as Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is listed by UNESCO as the longest artificial waterway in the world. The 1,794-kilometer-long canal has a history of over 1,400 years, and is 10 times the length of Suez Canal (172.5 km in length, built in 1869) and 20 times that of the Panama Canal (81.3 km in length, built in 1914).

Running through today’s Beijing, Tianjin Municipality, Hebei Province, Shandong Province, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang province, the Grand Canal benefited the nation’s material circulation and promoted China’s unification of the north and south. It reflects the superior wisdom of ancient Chinese people and is one of Oriental civilization’s outstanding achievement in technology and management of water conservation. >> Know more about Grand Canal

The ancient Silk Road was jointly submitted for inscription on the World Heritage List by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Stretching for 7,000 km (of which over 4000 km are in China), it served as a bridge that connected China and Mediterranean Sea 2,000 years ago and has made great contributions in strengthening the trade and cultural exchanges between Asia and Europe. It also demonstrates the significant effects of religious ideology such as Buddhism, Manichaeism, Zoroastrianism and other religions in the development of civilization and urban planning in ancient China, Central Asia and other regions. >> >> Know more about Silk Road

The Silk Road application consists of 33 historical sites from imperial capitals, ancient palaces, pagoda sites to ruins along the old passage – of which 22 are in China, 8 in Kazakhstan and 3 in Kyrgyzstan.

The success of “entitled” calls for the three countries to jointly protect the Silk Road heritage and is bound to promote the regional economic cooperation and motivate a cultural renaissance among the people in these nations.

China Is to Ease Green Card Policy

This is very good news for foreigners staying in China and overseas Chinese, as the country is actively considering amending the "green card" rules, by lowering the application and approval threshold, said by the Organizational Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. With a more flexible and pragmatic application requirements, China is going to attract more foreign experts and talents, as well as more overseas Chinese.

The regulations on permanent residence for foreigners in China or the green card policy was first Launched in August 2004, drafted by the ministry of public security and the ministry of foreign affairs and approved by the state council. The policy was to provide permanent residency for high-end foreign experts, people with large investments or outstanding contributions to the country, and those having families in China.

Foreigners who have obtained permanent residence in China can enjoy the services as smoothly as normal Chinese residents during the duration of their stay in China. They can get into and out of China freely with passports and China green cards, without visas.

Apparently, it is an attraction of foreign talents, and a good move for more areas apart from Beijing and Shanghai in China to take in talents and experts. However, many green card holders still ask for more improvements to realize their rights, and suggested that the green card cover a larger group of foreigners who have good education and stable jobs as the skills they possess are needed in China. (Know more about Beijing on: http://www.easytourchina.com/tip-v424-beijing-introduction)

According to statistics, as of now, a total of applicants from 91 countries and regions have got China green card at the first time. Most of them come from the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia, and Germany.

The first green card holders include 94 investment professionals and their families, mostly being returned overseas Chinese, 763 people company personnel, teachers, professions and their families mainly in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu province, Zhejiang province, Guangdong province, and 1612 special contributors and their families.

(Know more about Shanghai on: http://www.easytourchina.com/tip-v427-shanghai-introduction)

10 Tips to Ensure A Good Sleep on A Long-Haul Flight

Falling asleep is without doubt the wisest decision to make to help stay comfortable on a long-haul flight to China. But When you settle down to relax on your long-haul flight and try to get some sleep, trouble is coming – there is no enough legroom and you get wrong seat, a disgruntled baby begins exercising his vocal cords, all sorts of noise are made…

To make the most of the start of your journey grab some sleep on the airplane, and to create an environment more conducive to sleeping on a plane while in China, here are some helpful tips and pointers:

Recommended China tours  

1. Choose the proper seat

A long-haul flight to China could be 10 to 20 hours or more, and your seat will obviously affect your sleep. Try to reserve your seat in advance. It is considered wiser to get a window seat, which you can lean against and get you out of the noise in your row. Furthermore, you’ll also have some control over the window shade. Bulkhead seats and the seats of the last row are not suggested to pick.

2. Settle down and relax

Keep a few small necessities and important items in a bag with you. The rest can be put in the overhead compartment. Then try to relax and get rid of the stress, anxiety and pressure, which may keep you up.

3. Dress comfortably

You are not suggested to put on your pajamas on the plane, but you can wear loose-fitting clothes and shoes, which will help to relax and grab the sleep easier.

4. No coffee

The caffeine will make it harder to sleep on the plane. And don’t drink too much wine, or you’ll have to make much time to the lavatory and it may cause yourself some dehydration and a headache.

5. Blankets and pillows

There is a blanket and pillow that you can ask for once you get on the plane. But even better you can take your own neck pillow that really supports your neck and works for you.

6. Bring your go-to gear

In addition to the travel pillow, you also need an eye mask to stay away from the light, a set of earplug or noise-canceling headphone to block out the noise. These are very helpful for those who are easily distracted or very light sleepers.

7. Music

Never forget your ipod with some soothing music that can help tune out distractions and noise, and lull you into a peaceful sleep on the plane.

8. Fasten your seat belt

Remember to place your seatbelt above your blanket. Or you will be woken by cabin crew to check if you are buckled in when there is turbulence on the flight.

9. Recline your seat

After the airplane takes off, adjust your seat into the most comfortable position, then sleep is more likely to come.

10. Sleep aid

If falling asleep on planes can be real challenging for you, and you need some sleep aid, like sleeping pills and herbal supplements, you can first have a try at home or speak to your doctor, as these pills may vary greatly in how they affect individuals.

Photography Trip to Xiapu Fishing Villages in Fujian Province

If you are fascinated with nature and folk photography, being committed to capturing the perfect balance of light and shade, Xiapu fishing villages ought to be your next destination, which is simple, bumble but a real paradise for photographers, and is bound to bring you a completely new visual



Located in the northeastern Fujian Province and approximately 400 km from Xiamen, with the coast line (of East China Sea) stretching for 404 km, Xiapu boasts China’s most beautiful mudflats, with its people earning a living on fishing for thousands of years. The marine life, bamboo poles, seaweed harvest, fishing nets, fishing boats and dotting fishermen blend into the mudflats as the sun rises and sets, creating bright-colored graphic pictures and a dreamlike world of light and shadow. Make a romantic approach to Xiapu, before more people come flocking in!



Major scenic spots in Xiapu for photographing include Beiqi village for sunrise and fishermen working on the mudflats, Xiaohao village for beautiful sunset, Sansha East and Shatangli low lying beach for stunning sunrise, Weijiang for seaweed harvest, Mt. Mantou for the morning scenery of hanging oyster , Beidou for beach and alluring old banyan tree forest, and Sha’ao Bay at Qida village for abalone farm with many colorful floating houses.

The best time for Xiapu Fishing Villages photography

Xiapu Fishing Villages offers great photography throughout the year. March till April, come here for Yangjiaxi old banyan tree forest and fish fry catching; late April till June, claiming to be the best time of the year, for fish fry catching, seaweed harvest and egrets; July till September for dramatic sky and multi-colored mudflats during the typhoon season; October till next February for seaweed harvest and red maple leaves.

Recommended China tours by Easy Tour China

  

Touring Chengdu for Excellent Food And Haunting Culture

Prepare to be seduced by the vibrant city of Chengdu in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province. This charming city has long taken credit for having photogenic scenery, the most excellent food and the cutest creature – giant pandas. Allow yourself at least 24 hours to take in Chengdu’s compelling sights, and haunting culture. Here below is some important travel information and the most recommended things of Chengdu. See if you agree.

Chengdu

How to Get to Chendu

As a new urban star in China, Chengdu enjoys a good geographic location and can be easily approached by rail, air or expressway daily from most cities in the nation. Furthermore, it has direct flights to over 20 international cities. When touring Chengdu city, most attractions and important places are accessible by the public transport like city bus and metro.

Teahouses in Chengdu

Unlike the people in other big cities of China, who are always rushing to get something or somewhere, those in Chengdu live with a much slower pace and enjoy their daily life. Head for a local teahouse to have a cup of tea, while reading a book, sinking in thought or enjoying a unique tea ceremony. Chengdu people are fascinated with playing mahjong. They even play mahjong in the river to cool off during the hot summer days.

Attractions in Chengdu

There are a lot of attractions in Chengdu that are worth a visit. Situated on the Axe Hill 10 kilometers north of Chengdu, Giant Panda Breeding Research Base is an unmissable place. 40 plus pandas as well as other endangered species inhabits here. Why not try to be a panda volunteer to get close to them? Go visit Jinli Old Street at night when it is illuminated by the red lanterns, which offers a laid-back vibe. Kuan & Zhai Alleys of various bars and handicraft shops is another place to relax. Also there are museums, history temples and cottages, which reveal the splendor of time-honored Chengdu and its quaint Bashu culture. As for its culture, visitors should not omit the Sichuan Opera, a local performance art most famous for Face changing.

Other famous sights nearby Chengdu city include Leshan Giant Buddha, Mt. Emei, Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong, Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, Bifengxia Panda Base

Local Food And Snacks in Chengdu

Chengdu is well known for its Sichuan cuisine, which is hot, spicy, succulent, and crisp. Famous local dishes include Mapo Toufu (Bean curd with mince and chili oil), Kungbao Chicken (Spicy diced chicken with peanuts), Hot Pot, Sliced Pork/Beef/Fish with Hot & Spicy Sauce. Take a gourmet tour to Chengdu, travelers should not miss those snack streets, and feast on various local snacks.

Enjoy the Hot & Spicy Food in China

China has long been famed as a treasure-house of flavor and taken credit for excellent spicy food! Many wonder where to go for the distinguished spicy Chinese dishes. Therefore, we come up with a list of 7 “hottest” places in China. They are really worth a gourmet tour, provided you are addicted to world spicy food.

Take a taste-bud-tingling tour of China’s spiciest cuisines

1. Sichuan & Chongqing

  

Sichuan province together with Chongqing city is the paradise for food lovers, especially for anyone that likes spicy. There are Chuan restaurants and food streets packed with local dishes and snacks everywhere in Chengdu and Chongqing, all of which are hot and spicy. The most famous Sichuan and Chongqing food include the Hot Pot with red oil, Mapo Toufu (Bean curd with mince and chili oil) and Kungbao Chicken (Spicy diced chicken with peanuts).

2. Guizhou

Guizhou always reminds people of its overwhelming spicy food. In each family, there is chilli powder, Chopped hot pepper, Dried red pepper and chili with soya especially for noodles and rice noodles. With these Chili ingredients, Guizhou people make all kinds of mouth-watering spicy dishes. They also like sour and hot flavor.

3. Hunan

Hunan cuisine is known as one of China’s eight cuisines, and never lack of chili or pepper. The local dishes are spicy and appetizing. There are Hunan restaurant across the nation favored by spicy food lovers. The steamed fish head with diced hot red peppers and Dong-an chicken claim to be the most famous Hunan dishes.

Know more about Chinese food and cooking

4. Yunnan

Guess for what? Dehong in the West Yunnan province has the world’s hottest pepper variety, named Yunnan Shua Shua La, as hot as the Ghost Pepper in India. Elaborate Yunnan Cuisine pays attention to the use of fresh food and ingredients. When touring Yunnan, make sure to feast on wild mushroom hot pots, Yunnan-style steamed chicken and crossing the bridge rice noodles.

5. Jiangxi

Yet this is another province in China that stands out for spicy food. Pingxiang city of Jiangxi province is considered to be the “hottest” city in China. People here put chili in all dishes, even including the porridge and stew. However, people in Jingdezhen (home of Chinese ceramics), nearby Anhui province, prefer less spicy.

6. Guangxi

Spicy food is not very popular in Guangxi province, except Liuzhou city, Guilin city (nearby Hunan province) and the area inhabited by Dong people. Liuzhou food is famous for Snail Powder, while Guilin food for Guilin rice noodles and spicy Garlic Chilli Sauce.

7. Hubei

Hubei Cuisine is much less spicy than Chuan cuisine or Guizhou Cuisine, but the Hubei braised food, such as the spiced duck neck (a kind of snack food) has an extra-spicy kick, and is really addicting!