China Panda Base released Another Giant Panda to the Wild

On October 14, 2014, giant panda Xu Xue was released into the wild in the Ya’an city’s Liziping National Nature Reserve in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.

China Released Panda to the Wild

In the 2012, Xue Xue began its two years’ comprehensive training in habitat selection, foraging, and avoiding natural enemies with a simulated wild environment. After that, it was said to have a good physical fitness condition, and be in capable of surviving in the Liziping Natural Reserve, according to the researcher in the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP).

When the cage was open, Xue Xue looked around and waited, and walked out of the cage in two or three minutes. But it quickly returned to the cage. After repeated patient guidance by the staff, Xue Xue has finally come out from the cage again, and walked straight toward the woods after a brief observation.

China has started releasing captive-bred pandas since 2006. And two-year-old female Xue Xue is the fourth one, following Xiang Xiang, Tao Tao and Zhang Xiang. However, the five-year-old male panda Xiang Xiang died after fighting with other males about a year later. Since then, researchers have drawn lessons from the failure and improved the training methods so as to help the giant pandas adapt to the cruel wild better. Zhang Xiang, the first female panda was released in November 2013. (Know about Chengdu onhttp://www.easytourchina.com/city-c18-chengdu)

Scientists have been following the released-pandas by extracting ID identification chips and with the help of GPS collars, radio positioning tools. Anyway, monitoring data shows that these new guests of the wild are doing well.

By far, the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda has bred 243 giant panda, 208 of which survived. It is said that another panda, female Xin Yuan at the age of two, will also be released in November, in the company of her mother till she can live in the wild on her own. (Know more about Giant Panda Breeding Research Base:http://www.easytourchina.com/scene-v17-giant-panda-breedi…)

Guilin Rice Noodle: Why the 6th shop?

It may sound crazy to open a 6th Guilin Rice Noodle Shop in the neighborhood of 5 others within a 100 meter stretch of side road. Considering the low profit (some US 20 cents a bowl of noodles), less (than the main road) flow of people passing by each day, one would think this is suicidal.

But 40 days after the opening, the shop is breaking even now! With some 300+ bowls of rice noodle each day, the shop is taking the clients from the other shops.

My curiosity urged me to put forward the questions to the owner this morning. With a smile on his face, he said, “I was told that the noodles here are not great, people want something good, so here I am”.

Such confidence certainly comes from his special recipe of the noodle sauce and the meat going with the noodles.

Rice noodle sauce, consisting of a few dozen Chinese herbs and spices, takes up to 8 hours sitting on the fire.Fire needs to be controlled carefully and constant stirring the sauce is necessary, the shop owner added, “It is like making a good soup in Cantonese cuisine, though a bit longer”. Each noodle shop has its own recipe of the sauce, a top secret of the business.

 

The meat, especially the deep fried pork slices (Guoshao in Chinese), is another secret mastered by only a few in the city of Guilin. It is a time consuming work with tricks. Chunks of pork meat, together with the skin, is boiled first, and then put to a wok full of boiling vegetable oil for deep frying. The frying process is repeated a few times until the skin produces a golden color. It is then put aside for the day’s selling. A good Guoshao has both lean meat and fat, around 30% lean meat and 70% fat. Good Guoshao’s fat melts the moment it is placed in the mouth and the lean meat is tender and tasty.

Another meaning of Kungfu refers to the efforts put into a certain project. Certainly there is quite a bit of Kungfu in a bowl of good rice noodle making in this shop. Picky eaters in Guilin go searching for their best rice noodle shop in town for breakfasts. And I am one of them. I feel sorry for the other shops that I used to go to, but such is life and business.

Finally, I congratulated the owner of the shop and wished him well. I told him that some of our clients would certainly come and enjoy his noodles. And guess what he said? “If you come after 2-3pm (the daily closing time), please remind me in the morning, so I will get things ready for your clients”. Though we would not trouble him for one or two bowls of noodles, the hardworking in him certainly is another reason why he could succeed!

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5 Most Beautiful Mountains in China

Top Ten Mountains in China

Prepare to be seduced by mysterious China and its stunning mountain sceneries. Given its vast continent, the nation has some of the most breathtaking mountains on earth, which boasts not only awesome mountain views, but also haunting cultural relics. Allow yourself a adventurous China trip to ascend those legendary peaks and take in some compelling sights in China as well.

Mt. Everest

Mt. Everest is also named Qomolangma in Tibet. It literally means “The Third Goddess”. It was given its official English name Everest by Andrew Waugh in 1865. Standing 8,848 m above sea level, it is the highest mountain in the world, and resembling a pyramid towering into the sky. Mt. Everest is perennially covered with snow and attracted hundreds of mountaineers every year from home and abroad come all the way to Shigatse of Tibet, and make approach to majestic Mt. Everest. At the foot of mountain is the famous Rongbuk Monastery.

Yellow Mountain

Situated in East China’s Aunhui Province, Yellow Mountain is widely known as the most beautiful mountain in China, and offers marvelous scenery all year round. Yellow Mountain stands out for its four wonders: wondrous pines, unique peaks, sea of clouds and hot springs. Close to Yellow Mountain is Hongcun and Xidi Village, featuring well preserved architecture of Ming and Qing Dynasty. Yellow Mountain was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site in 1990.

Mount Tai

There are five Great Mountains in China, including Mount Tai on the east, Mount Heng on the south, Mount Hua on the West, Mount Heng on the north, and Mount Song in the middle. Of which Mount Tai is regarded as the foremost, not only because of its majesty, but also the historical and cultural significance. It used to be the most important ceremonial and worship sites for the emperors on history. Towering with 1545m (5,069 ft), Jade Emperor Peak is the highest peak of Mount Tai.

Mount Hua

Holy Taoism Mt. Hua is the tallest among China’s Five Great Mountains with a height of 2154 .9 m above sea level, and famed as the most precipitous mountain in China and beyond. It is famous for the breathtaking crags, steep paths, majestic scenery, and deep, narrow creeks. What’s even more exciting and frightening is its surprising plank roads on the near vertical cliffside. Only those brave people dare to try this thrilling path.

Mount Wutai

Located in northeastern Shanxi province, Mount Wutai is one of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains and home to many of the nation’s earliest and most important Buddhist temples, among which Foguang Temple and Nanchan Temple are the two oldest well-preserved wooden structures in China. Mount Wutai also features enchanted mountain views.

Yangshuo Rock Climbing Festival 2014

Yangshuo will see its most exciting time of year with the much-anticipated Kailas Rock Climbing Festival 2014 in late October and early November.

Set among the Limestone Karst mountains, Yangshuo, 65 km away fromGuilin city in Southeast China’s Guangxi Province, was beginning to attract world climbers’ attention when the American climber Todd Skinner arrived here in 1992 and had its first climbing festival in 2008, aiming at promoting the development of rock climbing in China. Now it has been Mecca to all Chinese climbers, by featuring the best rocks for climbing in Asia and a number of classic routes of various difficulties for climbing lovers of all levels.

Held between October 31 and November 2, 2014, it will be the seventh annual climbing festival in Yangshuo, and attract the top climbers from home and abroad to challenge the Moon Hill and other precipitous mountains. In addition, there will be a series of activities and performances, including dry tooling, bouldering, slack lining and music & beer partying, which promise to offer fun and excitement for everyone.

In addition to Moon Hill, there are also other mountains and pinnacles for rock climbing, such as Muzhi (Thumb) Peak, Silver Cave, Jiuping (Wine Bottle) Hill and Leipi (Thunderstruck) Hill, which are so named because of their odd shapes. Come and join the festival by enjoying the exotic, fascinating natural scenery combined with the thrill of rock climbing in Yangshuo!

Beijing Great Wall Helicopter Tour

A fascinating Great Wall helicopter tour is to have a bird’s-eye view of the Great Wall and beyond, ideal for sightseeing and expedition！

This is a safe, cost effective and highly convenient helicopter tour taking you to marvel at the majestic Badaling Great Wall and Beijing’s stunning landscape from the air, and promising an exciting adventure with some romantic moments. What’s more, you will find chartering a helicopter in China is less expensive than is imagined.

Highlights:

1. Viewing the Great Wall and Beijing from high above is a unique experience. At a moderate cost, you can have this amazing short flight that few other people take on a China tour. Get your camera ready to capture some incomparable aerial photos of Badaling Great Wall.

2. The Great Wall tour helicopters are USA or Europe made and of a good safety standard. The company is a HNA child company and HNA (Hainan Airlines) has been voted one of the safest and best airlines in the world.

Cruising Routes:

A、15 minutes’ Flying Tour:

Fly over the Badaling Great Wall, take a view of Badaling Great Wall, South Peak, North Peak, Haohan Slope, Beacon Tower.

B、30 minutes’ Flying Tour:

Fly over the Badaling Great Wall, Guanting Reservoir, Kangxi Grassland.

C、One hour’s Flying Tour:

Fly over the whole Yanqing Area-wide surface, grassland, Badaling Great Wall.

Tips:

1. This chopper ride is operated from the airport at Badaling – approximately 80 km from downtown Beijing and only 5 minutes from the Badaling Great Wall.

2. This tour can be operated every day if the weather permits, and may be delayed in case of bad weather.

3. People who would like to take this tour should make a reservation 3 days in advance.

4. Arrive at the designated airport 40 minutes before scheduled departure time for check-in.

5. Make sure your camera and video is labeled anti-flash before boarding (to avoid interfering with the pilot’s control).

6. Please obey the instructions of airport service personnel.

China Travel Tips for National Day Holiday

October is one of the best months to marvel at China’s majestic scenery, when the colorful, lyrical autumn glitters Its varied continent. But you can expect some creaming crowds and inevitable queues in the early October. China’s most famous tourist sites reach fever pitch from October 1 -7, which is the National Day holiday of China and known as the “Golden Week”. Here are some useful tips and pointers to help survive during Golden Week and ensure you a delightful China visit.

1. Foreign tourists are discouraged to travel in China during the “Golden Week”. It is better to avoid doing so if possible. You can make it just before or after this period, when there are usually smaller crowds, and the cost is comparatively lower.

2. Plan thoroughly and seek out travel tips before set off. Make yourself familiar with the destinations, along with the attractions’ locations, traveling route, train stations, hotels and restaurants. It is better to bring with a tourist map with both Chinese and English language.

3. If you don’t like the holiday crowd, try to avoid visiting the most popular tourist destinations such as Lijiang, Yangshuo,Fenghuang Ancient Town, as well as those famous places of interest, including Forbidden City and Badaling Great Wall in Beijing, Terra Cotta Warriors museum in Xian, West Lake in Hangzhou, and Jiuzhougou Vally. Be positive and patient if there are queues and crowds.

4. Consult with a reliable travel agency and book a few things in advance. Generally, train tickets for the Golden Week are difficult to get; and the hotel rooms are in short supply. So book your tickets and room ahead of time. Travelling with a local guide and driver can take out a lot of stress.

5. You probably will have to accept paying more than normal. The tour cost during the Golden Week could get higher, since the prices of hotel rooms, flight tickets, and food may rise much.

6. Consider carrying with some regular medications, in case of some minor cuts and bruises. A China trip during Golden Week will be not for hypertensive or cardiac patients.

7. Be extra careful with your valuables. When part of the big crowds, watch out for your wallet, camera and cell phone, beware of thieves.

Lhasa-Shigatse Railway Open in August 2014

A new railway in Tibet has open to the public since August 16th, 2014. It links the Tibet’s two largest cities, the capital city Lhasa and Shigatse.

Spanning 251 km, the new rail line starts from Lhasa, the last stop of the “Sky Way” Qinghai-Tibet Railway, then passes Doilungdeqen County, Qushui Country, and traverses through the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon for approximately 90 km, finally reaches Shigatse of Southwest Tibet.

Qinghai -Tibet Railway

Lhasa-Shigatse rail line is regarded as a big outreach program of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway – the world’s longest plateau rail. It was put into operation in January 2011, and finally completed on August, 2014. There are totally 14 stations on this trail. And the trains are allowed to travel at a speed of up to 120 kilometers per hour. In this way, the travel time between the two cities will be cut in half, with the journey time being about 3 hours.

Lhasa-Shigatse railway traverses on the world’s highest plateau at an elevation of 4,000 m. Many visitors has suffered from altitude sickness when taking a train within this region, so the coaches are installed with an oxygen diffusion system to relieve the discomfort caused by high altitude and ensure each passenger a smooth and pleasant trip. (Read More about Qinghai-Tibet Railway on:http://www.easytourchina.com/blog-v1229-highlights-along-…)

Lhasa-Shigatse railway will better connect most parts of Tibet, further Tibet and the country’s other regions. It is expected to improve local people’s travel conditions, and boost tourism and economic development in Tibet.

There are so many destinations and places of interest in Tibet that are both tranquil and stunning, including Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Changtang Grassland, holy Namtso Lake, Yamdrok Lake, Mt. Everest and so forth. (Click for China Tibet tours:http://www.easytourchina.com/tour-c291-tibet-tours)