Impressive Images of the Most Beautiful Railways in China

Let your imaginations run wild with the amazing photos of China’s running trains - the seemingly infinitely extending railways take you into the rarely seen landscapes, and some mysterious untouched land.

1. Guiyang-Guangzhou Railway – it covers the world’s most stunning Karst landscape, and features countless surreal peaks and exotic, vanishing mountain tribe villages.

2. Qinghai-Tibet Railway – deep inside, everyone of us has a Tibet dream – we’ll touch its mysterious land someday. This railway is a mortal attraction for world travelers and railway fans.

3. Chengdu-Kunming Railway – one of China’s most difficult and challengeable railways, 42 of the 122 stations are built on the bridges or inside the tunnels.

4. The Southern Xinjiang Railway – another extreme railway in China with a total of 33 meters of tunnels on 3000m above sea level, and runs through desert, oasis, snow mountain and valleys.

5. Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway – stretching 1903 km, it lies between grasslands and deserts, newly-emerging industrialized cities and enchanting ancient towns.

6. Lhasa-Shigatse Railway: the closest railway to the sky…

7. Hunan-Guizhou Railway: it lies in the mountains and valleys, and offers a panorama view of Zhenyuan Old Town

8．Neijiang-Kunming Railway: a major railway in Southwest China in 20th century, it traverses through Sichuan Basin to Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. 66 people died for this huge construction…

Recommended China train tours:
11-day China In-depth Culture Tour by High Speed Trains
11-day East China Exploration by Bullet Train
12-day Silk Road Adventure by China Orient Express (Beijing to Urumqi)
16-day China Speed Train Discovery

Hangzhou by Night: Best Things to Do

One of the most intriguing water towns in China, Hangzhou always reminds us of its delicate, elegant nightlife.

Teahouse
Of course, there are also cool nightclubs and warm cafes in Hangzhou. But locals are obsessed with the subtle fragrance and peaceful time by enjoying a cup of tea at night. Tea house to Hangzhou people is an art of relaxation.

Impression West Lake Show
Of all the nightlife activities in Hangzhou, the grand outdoor show of Impression West Lake is the main attraction to the city outcomers and travelers. The West Lake then becomes a huge film theater, presenting an ancient romantic story, combined with soulful music and colorful lights.

West Lake Fountain
The 126-meter-long fountain finds itself at the Lakeside Three Park (Hubin 3 Park). The nearby Hu Bin International Boutique Compound is the most striking area of Hangzhou city at night.

West Lake Night Boating
Available from May to Mid-October, boating on West Lake at night is a fun-filled water activity in Hangzhou.

Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Night Cruise
The Grand Canal has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. With the water bus or quaint river boat, we'll shuttle through a dozen ancient bridges, pass by dwellings of both ancient and modern style, and then enjoy the beautiful night view.

Qiantang River Night Cruise
Qiantang River is best known for the world's largest tidal bore, usually seen on the 18th day of the 8th lunar month. The sightseeing cruise on Qiantang River is available throughout the year. It sets out from Wulin Square and lasts for about 3 hours.

Recommended China tours to Hangzhou:
8-day East China Highlights
11-day Splendor of China

Hakka Tulou Buildings Discovery – Also for Tea Culture Experience

Hakka people’s Tulou buildings (or earth towers) have recorded the changes of over 800 years.

The legendary tribes of Hakka in central China travelled south for thousands of kilometers to the remote and isolated mountains of Fujian Province because of the war during ancient times. Yet in their new home, they had to face the threat of local outlaws and bandits. Therefore Tulou was created and built to be an unbreakable castle that housed up to 80 families. Its various functions such as being well-lit, well-ventilated, windproof, fireproof and quakeproof help Hakkas to live safely and comfortably.

Today, in the west and south of Fujian, there are over ten thousand well-kept tulous in Nanjing Country and Yongding Country of Longyan City. The most famous tulous include: Yuchang Earth Tower, Zhencheng Tower, Chuxi Tulou, and Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster.

Tulou is a miracle of Chinese traditional dwellings and attracts the eyes of world architectures with the wacky designs. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

The industrious Hakka people also reclaim rice terraced fields and tea farms from hills - rows of tea trees stretch down the hillside. They savor the simple pleasure of picking tea leaves and drinking tea in the quint tulou houses.

Sample tours to Hakka Tulou from Xiamen:
3-day Xiamen Tour Package to Hakka Earth Buildings

More Hakka Tulou tours:
5-day Guangzhou Xiamen Tour with Tulou Castles Exploration
17-day China Ancient Architecture Tour

A Cultural Exploration into Anhui: Huizhou Craftsmen Ink Stick

One of China’s “four treasures of study”, the traditional handicraft of ink-stick survives today. The Huizhou ink-stick, produced in ancient Huizhou, Anhui Province, is the best of its kind, for being lustrous, moist, deeply black, strongly fragrant, mothproof and mould-proof. Hui ink-stick has a history of over 1000 years, and has been a favorite for calligraphers and painters ever since Tang Dynasty.

Today local people inherit Huizhou cultural legacy and traditions, as well as the Hui ink-stick manufacturing processes. She country, Jixi Country and Tunxi District in Huangshan City becomes the three production centers for Hui ink-stick.

Founded in 1782, Hu Kaiwen Ink-stick factory is the oldest surviving operating ink stick factory in China and has been well-known at home and abroad. If you can pay a visit to the Hu Kaiwen Ink-stick factory, you’ll find the original factory buildings of brick houses still exist, but dirty and dyed by ink, and be shown the process how the Huizhou ink-stick is made. Of course, several of the processes are highly guarded secrets.

Like many other traditional crafts industry, Huizhou ink industry also has to be reconstructed and continue to innovate. Hu Kaiwen Ink-stick factory selects the best ingredients including a dozen Chinese herbal medicines and has created many new ink stick productions, which led to many international prizes and are of great artistic value and collection value.

Huizhou ink stick, especially Hu Kaiwen ink stick, has been a refined handicraft article in China, and a national intangible cultural heritage.

Book with Easy Tour China for an inspection tour to the ink stick factory in Huangshan City:

4-day Yellow Mountain Hiking Tour with an Ink Stick Factory Visit

11-day China In-depth Culture Tour by High Speed Trains 

A Cultural Trip through Chongqing City: 6 Must-visit Sights

China’s biggest "mountain city" Chongqing is one of the three starting cities of Yangtze River Cruise, thus many travelers would like to have a one day Chongqing tour before embark on the luxury ships and begin China’s most legendary voyage.

There are many to explore in Chongqing: the profound, enticing culture, the well-arranged streets and houses melting into the fog (the city is also renowned for heavy fog), the beautiful mountain landscape stretching charmingly, and the excellent spicy foods 

Ciqikou Ancient Town

Built in Song Dynasty, Ciqikou is over 1000 years old, and was an important commercial dock by land and water. Here you can experience the ancient Bayu Culture, local religious life, discover some historical sites of WWII, and many interesting folk activities.

Highlights: East-Sichuan architecture, wood or bamboo-made dwellings, temple fair during Spring Festival, Sichuan Opera, teahouses, traditional craft like dough figure, oil manufacture, sugar refinery

Zhongshan Four Road

The 800-meter-long street is jammed with historical building and museums, mainly of Anti-Japanese War period during WWII.

Highlights: The museum of Chinese democratic parties, Gui Garden, Zhou Residence, Dai Residence.

Eighteen ladder Road (Shiba Ti)

The best place to see the old Chongqing, it used to be the main street of the city. Its prosperity is far gone, but turns to be a charming cultural street, where you can find stone-slab streets, traditional noodle stalls, the old barber's shops…

Eling Park (Goose Neck Park)

A rich businessman Lee Yaoting built it in 1909 as a private garden, now it becomes a popular public park among locals. Sited in the highest place of the Yuzhong Peninsula, Eling Park is famed for the grandness, steepness, and elegance. Here you can have the best view of the mountainous city Chongqing and the majestic Yangtze.

Liberation Monument Shopping Area

Around the Liberation Monument, the most important landmark of Chongqing, the city government built China’s first commercial pedestrian street - Jiefangbei Pedestrian Commercial Street. It is ideal for shopping, entertaining and dining. 300 meters away, Chongqing’s most famous food street offers all kinds of local specialty foods and snacks. 

Chongqing Night Scene

Enjoy the wonderful Chongqing night life and the beautiful night scene as the neon is lighted. Best places for the night view include Eling Park, One Tree Observation Deck on Nanshan Mountain, the night cruise, Hongya Cave

Exploring Chengdu’s Backcountry – Pingle Old Town

For those in the know travellers, China’s new urban star Chengdu brings to mind not only the adorable, worry-free giant pandas and spicy, delicious Sichuan Cuisine, but also a dozen ancient towns around Chengdu, making it a great all-round travel destination in China. Pingle is one of the best of Chengdu’s old towns, and offers fun cultural experience.

9-day Chengdu Culture Tour to Pingle Ancient Town

Located 93kmk southwest of Chengdu, Pingle Town was initially built as far back as 150BC during the West Han Dynasty, and used to an important town on ancient Silk Road and Tea Horse Road. There is a river running through the ancient town, and leading us into the heart of Pingle, for more atmosphere and a wealth of cultural sites, including the Ming and Qing dynasties’ traditional dwellings, the thousand-year-old alleys, the ancient temples, weirs, docks, beautiful old bridges, etc.

Rambling the streets of Pingle Town, walking through the humble wooden buildings, and listening to the ancient music, you may feel that you are back in time. You can also try many local specialty foods and snacks, and experience some interesting folk activities.

If you are looking for an adventure on a mountain or a mountain hiking trip around, then you’re encouraged to visit the tranquil Lugou Bamboo Sea. There is a huge Buddha statue on the mountain, even taller than the famous 72-meter-high Giant Buddha in Leshan.

How to get to Pingle Old Town: Take a bus from the Jinsha Bus station/Chengdu Chengbei Bus Terminal (North Train Station)/Shiyangchang passenger Bus Center to Qionglai City (about one hour), then take a bus or small van to Pingle (about 15 minutes).

Best Season to visit Pingle Old Town: March till June and September till November

A Romantic Approach to Dali for Erhai Lake and Cangshan Mountain

For years, the peaceful, romantic town of Dali has been a popular destination for honeymooners, photographers and world travelers. However, a few days' cursory sightseeing tour will not reward you the real unique beauty of Dali. Why not take an in-depth Dali tour with unexpected cultural and spiritual experience?

Embraced by Erhai Lake and Mount Cangshan, small Dali is a place of self-exile. Numerous people from big cities like Kunming, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou come and stay here to relax the mind and find peace. They cycle around Erhai Lake to find the primitive villages of Bai people, take a boat cruise in Erhai Lake to watch the cormorant fishing, and take a cable car up Cangshan Mountain to find the ancient Buddhist temples and the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple (at the foot of the mountain), and enjoy the splendor of sunset and the wonderful panoramic view of Erhai Lake.

You’re encouraged to reserve a hotel or guesthouse by Erhai Lake in Shuanglang, Longkan, Taoyuan or Caicu Village with a lake-view room. Stay several days for the sunrise on Erhai Lake, the dramatic scene when it is sparkled in the sunshine, and absolutely clear after the rain.

 
For some spare time, you can stroll through Dali Old Town to feel and perceive its profound culture and folk art. Stop on the Renmin Road (People Road), you will find some special shops with special stories. For example, here is a watchmaker's shop, which is a mess, with a beaten-up shopkeeper. His wife left him in 2006, so the time of all the clocks and watches stops in 2006. Sounds like a movie script, right?

Recommended China Yunnan tours to Dali:

9-day Colorful Yunnan
12-day Yunnan Tour to Dali Lijiang Shangri-La