Chinese Traditional Wedding: Must-haves for Bride and Groom

Dreaming of a truly individual, fun yet elegant wedding that you will never forget? Who doesn’t? Nowadays more and more young people in China put on the white gown and suite like what the Westerns do on their weddings, and slowly forget about the traditions… However, some newlyweds dust off the old favorites, and seize the opportunity to have a unique and unforgettable wedding ceremony by practicing the traditions and customs of a real Chinese wedding.

There are a few things that bride and groom must have for a Chinese traditional wedding:

1. Bride’s ceremony dress

Chinese bride’s wedding dress is typically red and features an embroidered phoenix, a divine bird in Chinese ancient legend and a traditional symbol for bride. Then she needs a red shawl and a phoenix crown. For the bride in North China, the wedding dress is traditionally a qipao or cheongsam. This elegant one-piece dress highlights feminine curves and is still preferred by many brides today.

2. Veil

Bride in Chinese traditional wedding also wears a veil, but in a red color. Traditionally it features a red silk cloth to veil the bride’s face when she is transferred from her parents’ home to her husband’s. And the groom will finally uncover the bride’s veil.

3. The groom’s attire

For a traditional Chinese wedding, the groom usually wears a red “Number One Scholar” robe, matched with a black gauze cap. Today, the grooms abandon this exaggerated costume, but choose to wear a dark blue robe embroidered with a dragon.

 

4. A wedding sedan (or a carriage)

A wedding sedan carries the bride to the groom’s home. It is covered with a red curtain embroidered with dragon and phoenix. They are sedans carried by 4 people or 8 people.

5. The marital bed

For modern people, a Chinese traditional marital bed is more like a piece of art works. The material and workmanship are matchless. In the past times, it took about three years to finish a perfect marital bed. Today, many boutique hotels in China still have this kind of bed in their featured rooms.

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6. Firecrackers

The firecrackers are crackling and spluttering in celebration.

7. Fancy candles

Pairs of red candles emblazoned with silvery and golden dragon are lit in the hall and the bridal’s chamber at wedding.

Photography Trip to Hulunbuir Prairie, Inner Mongolia

Far away in the northeastern Inner Mongolian of north China, Hulunbuir is a vast purest grassland at the foot of the Greater Xing’anling Mountains and stretching silently and endlessly into the sky. With an area of 260,000 square kilometers, the scarcely populated Hulunbuir Prairie is the largest and best-preserved one in China, and known as one of the world’s top three prairies.

The spacious natural grassland is crisscrossed by more than 3,000 meandering rivers and 500 crystal clear lakes, where groups of cattle and horses drink and graze leisurely, creating an idyllic, romantic setting for all photographers.

Hulunbuir Prairie offers awe-inspiring sceneries throughout the year. May in spring is a riot of color. Make your way to the forests for the azalea blossoms blaze scarlet before the snow finally melts. June till August in summer will see the endless grass mat dotted with little colorful flowers. A comfortable temperature between 16℃-21℃ (61℉- 70℉) makes it a one of the best summer retreats in China. September in autumn claims to be the best time for photography, when the mountains and prairie are dyed with intense fall color, forming a strong contrast with the blue sky. Hulunbuir Prairie in winter is blanket with snow and ice, making it a majestic snow world.

Hulunbuir Prairie is also appeal to those obsessed with ethnic culture photography. It is home to Mongolian nomads and herders and people from over 10 ethnic groups, such as Russian, Ewenki, Daur and etc. Various fun minority festivals are held here, among which, Mongolian Nadam Fair in July is the most typical and famous of its kind. 

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Top 8 Cycling Routes in China

From climbs over breathtaking mountain paths to twists through idyllic country roads, truly great cycling routes can be found all over China, from north to south. Hop on one of China’s 8 best scenic bicycle routes and you’ll be in for a treat – exotic desert scenery, picturesque high land lakes, enchanted ethnic cultures, refreshing coastlines…

1. Urumqi, Xinjiang — Dunhuang, Gansu

Cycling route: Urumqi (Xinjiang) → Dabancheng District →Turpan →Shanshan County →Yiwanquan Village → Kumul City → Luotuo Quanzi Town →Xingxingxia Town (Gansu) →Xihu County → Dunhuang

Overall distance: 990km / 615 miles

Duration: 10 -15 days

Best time for cycling: late summer and early autumn between August and October

Start this rocking ride at Urumqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, then trace desert dunes and meadows, search for the lovely oases with abundance of fruits and get caught by exoticism along the spacious Gobi desert highway. End it at Dunhuang, a major stop of ancient Silk Road, and home to Mogao Grottoes – a rare treasure house of Buddhist art.

2. Qinghai Lake Grand Loop

Cycling route (clockwise direction): Heimahe County →Bird Island → Gangcha County →Xihai Town →Huangyuan County

Overall distance: 360km / 224 miles

Duration: 4 -7 days

Best time for cycling: summer between July and August

Cycling around Qinghai Lake (3200m / 1988 miles above sea level) is a delight to tough cyclists and pilgrims. China’s largest inland lake is a holy lake for Tibetans and the most famous biking route in the country. In July, the Qinghai Lake International Road Cycling Race will be held, and it is great time to enjoy the vast stretches of rape flowers blooming in a dazzling golden color, and watch the dozens of migrating birds on the Bird Island.

3. Chengdu, Sichuan – Lhasa, Tibet

Cycling route: Chengdu →Ya’an →Kangding County → Litang County → Batang County→ Mangkang County → Zuogong County→ Basu County → Bomi Country → Nyingchi County → Gongbo’gyamda County → Maizhokunggar County →Lhasa

Overall distance: 2200km / 1367 miles

Duration: 25 – 30 days (high intensity)

Best time for cycling: late spring between May and June, early autumn between September and October

If bikes and Tibet aspiration mix well for you, follow the thrilling yet beautiful Sichuan-Tibet highway for extraordinary scene. Ride out of giant panda hometown Chengdu, find Xinduqiao in Kangding, which is a photographer’s paradise endowed with endless grassland and golden cypress. Ride forward, meet the spectacular Yarlungzangbo River Grand Canyon, the picturesque Nyingchi area, and Niyang River formed by “Goddess’s tears”, and end the bike tour at the holy city Lhasa, Tibet.

4. Hainan Island Grand Loop

Cycling route: Haikou →Lingshan Town → Sanjiang Town →Wenchang City →Dongjiao Coconut Plantation Scenic Area →Bo’ao Town →Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden →Sanya City → Wuzhishan City → Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County →Haikou

Overall distance: 650km / 403 miles

Duration: 8 –10 days

Best time for cycling: winter and spring between November and May

Biking is arguably the best way to explore Hainan Island, the southernmost of China.
Cyclists will find the romantic island a must for their biking experiences with blue sky, gentle sea breeze, charming sea beaches, and lovely coconut forests along the coastline highway.

5. Lanzhou – Dunhuang in Gansu province

Cycling routes: Lanzhou → Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County → Wuwei →Zhangye → Jiuquan → Jiayuguan City → Yumen City → Guazhou County →Dunhuang

Overall distance: 1,100km / 684 miles

Duration: 12 –15 days

Best time for cycling: golden autumn between September and October

This adventure cycling route begins along China 312 National Highway from Lanzhou, the capital and largest city of Gansu Province. Then trace the ancients’ footprints to pass through deserts and oases. Sites along the way highlight the route’s history, from old temples, tombs, Buddhist grottos to time-honored Great Wall dedicated to ancient Chinese history. Moreover, Zhangye Danxie Landform reveals a masterpiece of nature’s design and evolution.

6. Shangri-La Grand Loop

Cycling route: Chengdu →Dujiangyan →Xiaojin County →Danba County →Xinduqiao Town → Litang County →Daocheng County → Xiangcheng County →Shangri-La County → Lijang City →Luguhu Town → Yanyuan County → Xichang →Ya’an →Chengdu

Overall distance: 1,500km / 932miles

Duration: 20 –30 days

Best time for cycling: May, September till middle November is of good climate and best scenery.

If you like a challenge, take on this 1500-kilometer isolated road, and you will be awarded with a real scenic world. There you’ll cycle on numerous rugged winding roads up and down the hills, enjoy the highlight of Yunnan and Sichuan province, stop by the beautiful old ethnic  villages, and snake past the world’s last Shangri-la in Daocheng Yading.

The following two routes are for easy leisure rides within the city, and can be done throughout the year:

7. Hangzhou, Zhejiang

Cycling route 1: West Lake loop

Overall distance: 11 km / 6.8 miles

Cycling route 2: Duan Bridge → Jade Spring → Hangzhou Botanic Garden →Jiu Li Song → Lingyin Temple → Faxi (Tianzhu) Temple

Round Trip distance: 16 km / 10 miles

The Hangzhou city rides are short, easy through the famous attractions like West Lake, and Lingyin Temple. The routes fit all, including children and senior people.

8. Yangshuo, Guilin, Gangxi Autonomous Region

Cycling route: Yangshuo → Gonglong Bridge → Moon Hill → Fushan Temple → Yan Village → Tianjia River → Ai Hill → Yangshuo

Overall distance: 20 km / 12.4 miles

There is no better way to experience the beauty of Yangshuo than by bike. There are countless trails and paths spreading through the farms, rivers, rural villages embraced by the most stunning Karst scenery.

15-day Guilin Grand Loops Cycling Tour

The Gyirong Port at China-Nepal Border Is Officially Opened

A renovated China-Nepal border port at Gyirong, South Tibet’s Shigatse city, was officially opened in December 1, 2014. Since 2006, Nepal has been Tibet’s biggest trade partner for eight consecutive years. The Gyirong Port is expected to further facilitate bilateral economic development and boost tourism on both sides.

Recommended China Tibet Tours

The Gyirong border port, which started operation in 1978, used to be the largest land trading port linking Tibet and Nepal. Now the port has been expanded and developed into the cross-border China-Nepal Gyirong Port Economic Cooperation Zone, and will also be built into a tourist destination.

“Trade at the Gyirong Port will be expanded and tourists will be allowed to travel through the port.” Dong Mingjun, vice chairman of the Tibet regional government Said.

Recent development of the port has also benefited a lot to the local residents with the construction of infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, hotels, business service center and a 24 km of asphalt from Gyirong to Nepal’s Rasuwa.

The Lhasa-Shigatze Railway opened earlier this year also makes the Gyirong Port a link between China and the South Asia. It will not only promote trade between China and South Asian countries, but also bring a great number of visitors to Shigatze, which is the base for spectacular landscapes and some grand monasteries: Mt. Everest, Tashihunpo Monastery, Sakya Monastery, Shalu Monastery, Rongbuk Monastery, etc.

9 Tips for Safe Traveling in China

Is China safe now? By and large, the answer is yes. The public security here is good; people are friendly, enthusiastic and reliable. However, when it comes to tour China for international tourists, the country has a few ‘rules’ that you should keep in mind to avoid potential danger and stay safety.

Here are nine tips for a safe and worry-free China tour.

1. Pick a decent hotel with care. Book the hotel with a trustworthy hotel-booking website or a travel agent. The star hotels in China are mostly in a good and safe location with considerate and hospitable services, as well as great security measures.

2. Order the healthy meal. when coming to China, you should not miss trying various authentic Chinese dishes, by finding yourself a decent restaurant for a nutritious, fresh, and healthy diet. Many restaurants in China’s tourist destinations also have English menu. Be careful if you’re trying the street food, which MAY cause an allergy.

3. Beware of the petty crime. China is the largest developing county in the world, and far from immune to crime. Petty crime is still high in plenty of places, especially the crowded areas, such as the railway station, bus station. So always keep an eye on your belongings, including the camera, mobile phone, wallet and purse, and be aware of the pickpockets and thieves.

4. Leave your jewelries and valuables at home. Dress conservatively and try to blend in the locals, providing you don’t want to be target of thieves. If you do have some valuables with you on the tour, it is suggested to deposit them in the hotel’s checkroom / hotel safe.

5. Plan thoroughly ahead and check out online forums. For example, If you are planning on visiting the ancient capital city Xian, you might need to know that there are pickpockets everywhere in the Muslin Street, and avoid the unethical taxies who may overcharge for rides.

6. Never accept food, drink or cigarettes from strangers, especially when you’re travelling alone. Protect yourself and your children from cheaters, irregular charge, and any other troubles. If you have a tour guide, contact your guide whenever you encounter a problem. if not, call the police for help.

7. Don’t carry large amounts of cash with you. Carry only as much as you need for a day trip. If by any chance you lose your wallet, you will still have enough money to go on your journey.

8. Buy the travel Insurance. To be on the safe side, travel insurance is indeed a necessary expense. Tourists can pick one of the best travel insurance for your China vacation, which can cover flight delay, accidents, injury, illness and death medical expenses. The travel Insurance will make you much more secure in China.

9. Digitize your important travel documents. It is of critical importance to scan all relevant visas, travel documents and passports and email to your account before you head out for your China tour. In this way, you can have the photocopies in case the original ones are lost or stolen.