Thomas E.King

CROSSROADS THROUGH CHINA by Thomas E. King

Background Making his first visit to China in the early 1980s, Thomas E. King has been writing about the cultural diversity and scenic highlights of the country for nearly 30 years. During this time he gone from China’s well known Great Wall to China’s lesser known greatest waterfall and many, many places in between.

Thoughts about China Tourism China was an enigma to much of the world until the massive country allowed individual travellers in 1982. Now visitors from around the world discover this mighty country where people are charming, scenery is outstanding and history is ever present. Crossroads through China will showcase specific areas of interest in China to Australian and New Zealand travellers. Over the following months this column will cover travel destinations and tourism topics as diverse as the World Expo 2010 city of Shanghai, the Silk Road and golf in China to central China’s World Heritage attractions, Beijing and Chinese cuisine.

Tasting China

Many people are familiar with Cantonese cuisine. Originating in Guangdong Province in southern China and neighbouring Hong Kong, it’s frequently their first taste of Chinese food.

Freshness is supreme in the Cantonese kitchen and it’s common to see live fish and seafood in tanks at the entry to fine restaurants.more

Splendour of the Silk Road

About 2000 years ago camel caravans began to become a frequent sight on the fabled Silk Road linking China and Europe. In all there were some 30 countries located along not just one road but several ancient trading paths that spanned the immense distance between East and West.

The southernmost route was by sea, skirting Southeast Asia, India and the coastline of Arabia. The northernmost route was overland across Russia.more

Bargains of China

Offering markets overflowing with the handicrafts and the ambience of yesteryear as well as modern-as-tomorrow shopping malls stocked with designer brands, China is a shopping paradise. There’s no shortage of places to spend your money and virtually no limit to what you can buy.

Sophisticated shopping centres complete with fast food outlets and cineplexes can now be found in all major Chinese cities. Stylish emporiums particularly abound in China’s big three cities: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.more

The Beauty of Beijing

When you think of Beijing, the political, cultural and communications centre of China, undoubtedly a whole host of unique historic and scenic attractions come to mind.

The massive Tian’anmen Square, the golden roofed Forbidden City, the architectural perfection of the Temple of Heaven, the pavilion- and pagoda-surrounded Summer Palace, the Great Wall of China and the Ming Tombs all contribute to making Beijing the nation’s major tourist mecca.more

Central China Safari

Around 2000 years ago two Indian monks were invited to China to pass on Buddhist wisdom to the imperial court. Escorted by an entourage sent by Emperor Ming Di, the scholars endured many hardships during their long and arduous trek.

The guests and their convoy finally arrived in Luoyang, an ancient capital of Henan Province in east central China. With them were Buddhist scriptures and a statue of Buddha that had been carried on two white horses...more

China’s World of Wonders

China can proudly claim many outstanding places of natural beauty and historical significance. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has so far recognised 40 of these special spots as being of global importance and inscribed them on its prestigious World Heritage List.

I have already touched on some of these momentous places in this ongoing series of travel vignettes: The Ancient City of Lijiang in Yunnan Province, Yellow Mountain in Anhui Province, the Classical Gardens in Suzhou and The Ancient City of Pingyao in Shanxi Province...more

Legends Live on in Hainan

Sometime in the misty past, so begins an ancient Chinese fable, a hunter tracked a deer across Hainan Island. On he went scaling 99 mountains and forging 99 streams in his pursuit of the nimble creature.

Finally the hunter’s prey could flee no more as it reached a steep peak overlooking the sweep of Luhuitou Peninsula. As the deer turned its head to see the hunter rapidly approaching, it transformed into a pretty girl...more

Guangzhou on the Go

Long before China opened its door to ‘foreign friends’ in the late 1970s, Guangzhou was a bustling business destination attracting delegates from around the world to the biannual Canton Trade Fair.

Organised every spring and autumn and now known as the China Export Commodities Trade Fair the well organised shows focus the spotlight on the powerhouse of Guangdong Province, one of the largest cities in China...more

The Grandeur of Guizhou

Bordering the better known Yunnan Province - a much visited Chinese district north of the ‘Golden Triangle’ countries of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand - unpolluted and relatively sparsely populated Guizhou is untrammelled by the boot of international tourism.

The province in south-western China doesn’t make it onto many tourist itineraries because it doesn’t boast of a great wall that snakes its way through the countryside or a massive square in front of a once forbidden city...more

Savouring Suzhou

Even before Marco Polo visited Suzhou in the mid 13th century, this city in southeast China’s Jiangsu Province was considered old.

Founded more than 2500 years ago, the intrepid Italian explorer described Suzhou - named Wu in ancient times - as one of the most beautiful cities in China after gazing upon its picturesque canals and walking through its lovely gardens...more

Tee Time in China

Golf enthusiasts are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to savouring Chinese ‘tee’. Well tended championship golf courses of style and substance can be found virtually across the length and breadth of the massive country.

Many of them have supplementary sporting facilities so those not conversant with the game can still enjoy pursuits like tennis and swimming. Additionally, an increasing number of Chinese golf havens are now equipped with classy spas as well as teaching academies where visitors can learn fundamentals or perfect skills...more

Delights of Dalian and Surprises of Shenyang

Beijing hasn't always been the capital of China as a few other select centres have also held the exalted post. For a short but glorious period in the 17th century, for instance, the power of the Middle Kingdom emanated from Shenyang

Located northeast of Beijing, Shenyang - the capital of Liaoning Province - has origins dating back two millennia. However, it didn't emerge as a city until the 11th century when it began to prosper as a trading centre for nomads.

Among the powerful nomadic tribes in the northwest of China were the Manchus. They began to flex political muscle against the ruling Ming dynasty in the early 1600s.

In 1625, the founder of the Manchu State, Nurhachi after earlier seizing power from the Ming emperor, moved his capital to Shenyang, then known as Mukden. His first decree was to build an official residence that would rival the palace in Beijing's Forbidden City.

Today visitors can wander through Shenyang's still intact royal complex gazing at a collection of some 100 buildings built nearly 400 years ago.

The majority of tourists having previously seen the massive palace complex in Beijing will be able to easily compare the two regal residences.

The most noticeable difference I discovered on a sunny summer afternoon is the lack of crowds and the diminutive size of Shenyang's 'Forbidden City'...more

Tales of Old Lijiang

From its source in the Tibetan snowfields, the Yangtze meanders for more than 6300 km through the central heartlands of China before flowing into the East China Sea just north of Shanghai.

For most of its journey the longest of all rivers in one of the world’s biggest countries is a docile ribbon of brown.

While the mighty waterway passes fields and farmlands and sprints past valley walls now and again only once does it wildly rage and uncontrollably churn as its progress to the sea is temporarily restricted by the narrowest of all gorges.

I reached the awesome Tiger Leaping Gorge after a two hour drive from Lijiang, an ancient trading town of Yunnan Province in southwest China, followed by a gentle 3 km stroll on a well constructed walkway.

The scenic reward was well worth the physical effort because after passing through the final pedestrian tunnel I was confronted by the full fury of the massive river surging between sheer cliff faces just 25 metres apart.

The noise was deafening and the experience exhilarating as I stood gazing skyward in an unsuccessful attempt to see the peaks of cloud covered mountains.

It’s 3900 metres from turbulent waters to snow-capped summits, a dizzying distance that has propelled this scenically splendid place into the record books as one of the deepest gorges in the world...more

Escape to Yellow Mountain

Since ancient times Mt Huangshan in China’s southern Anhui Province has been called the “No. 1 Mountain under Heaven”

Famed for twisted pines, grotesque rock formations, a cloud ‘sea’, crystal-clear hot springs and the snow and ice scenery of winter, these attributes - considered “the five sublimes of Huangshan Mountain” - have long been creative influences for painters and poets.

Two misconceptions about China’s must-see mountain were immediately dispelled as my sleek cable car capsule reached the summit and I stepped onto the mystical mountain: it’s not yellow nor is there a lone peak.

The name came from an imperial decree in 747 AD when Mount Yi – Black Mountain – was rechristened Mt Huangshan to honour Huang Di, a legendary Chinese ruler known as the Yellow Emperor.

As for being a solitary summit, some 72 named peaks each soar higher than the next. Lotus Peak is the loftiest at 1864 metres with Bright Summit Peak and Celestial Capital Peak rounding out the top three...more

Shanghai Surprises in the Expo City

Shanghai is shining and it’s not just because the summer sun is beaming over China’s financial capital. This bustling metropolis has Expo ‘fever’ with a record number of people from around the globe enjoying the first-ever world exposition to be organised in a developing country...more