frommer's china 2010

$25.99 USA/$30.99 CAN/£18.99 UK Find travel news & deals, expert advice, and connect with fellow travelers at spine=1.6115" Shanghai is China's most outward-looking, modern, and brash metropolis. See chapter 10 for details on exploring the city. Detailed maps throughout • Exact prices, directions, opening hours, and other practical information • Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants, plus sights, shopping, and nightlife • Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas • Insider tips from local expert authors 4th Edition 4th Edition China China MONGOLIA NEPAL BHUTAN MYANMAR (BURMA) VIETNAM JAPAN SOUTH KOREA NORTH KOREA RUS SIA INDIA PAKISTAN INDIA enya g Chongqing Dazu Leshan Dali Lijiang Changsha Chengdu Xiamen Guilin Sanjiang Hong Kong Guangzhou Nanning Taipei Kunming Guiyang Nanchang Wuhan Beihai Kashgar Turpan Datong Qingdao Weifang Luoyang Jiayu Guan Lhasa Xi'an Kaifeng Qufu Zhengzhou Lanzhou Yinchuan Xining Jinan Taiyuan Hohhot Shijiazhuang Tianjin Ürümqui Beijing Suzhou Yangshuo Fuzhou Hangzhou Shanghai Shenyang Changch Harbin Nanjing Putuo Shan un Shenyang XINJIAN QINGHAI GANSU SICHUAN NINGXIA GANSU SHAANXI SHANXI INNER MONGOLI LIAONIN HEBEI HEILONGJIANG A JILIN G N TAIWAN H I M A L A Y A S THE STONE FOREST Lake Tai Sea of Japan (East Sea) East China Sea Yellow Sea Ganges H u a n g R . Y a n g z i R . L i R . Erhai Lake Y e l l o w R i v e r SHANGHAI THE SOUTHWEST EASTERN CENTRAL CHINA HONG KONG & MACAU A L O N G T H E Y E L L O W R I V E R THE NORTHEAST T H E T I B E T A N W O R L D T H E S O U T H E A S T BEIJING & HEBEI GUANGDONG YUNNA GUIZHOU GUANGXI FUJIAN HUBEI HENAN PLATEA OF TIBET U TIBET TIANJIN SHANDONG BEIJING HUNA JIANGSU JIANGX ZHEJIANG N ANHU I I N G Hefei T H E S I L K R O U T E S Mt. Everest Tai Shan Song Shan Jiuhua Shan Heng Shan Lu Shan Huang Shan 0 300 mi 300 km0 International Boundary Provincial Boundary Provincial Capital The Silk Road National Capital Zhichunli Anheqiao North Beigingmen Suzhoujie Bagou Beixinqiao Zhangzi- zhonglu Dongsi Dengshikou Dengshikou Dong- zhimen Dongsi- shitiao Chaoyang- men Chaoyang- men Hepingli Beijie Hepingxiqiao Andingmen Gulou Dajie Jishuitan Chegongzhuang Fuchengmen Beijing Railway Station Sihui Sihui East Yonghegong Dongdan Dong- zhimen Xizhimen Jianguomen Chongwen- men Xuanwumen Fuxingmen Shaoyaoju Zhichunlu Haidian Huangzhuang Huixinxijie North Beitucheng Guomao Lishuiqiao Beijing Capital International Airport Xidan Yonghegong Dongdan Dong- zhimen Xizhimen Jianguomen Chongwen- men Xuanwumen Fuxingmen Shaoyaoju Zhichunlu Haidian Huangzhuang Huixinxijie North Beitucheng Guomao Lishuiqiao Beijing Capital International Airport Xidan Wangfujing Tian’anmen East Tian’anmen West Lingjing Hutong Tian’anmen East Tian’anmen West Changchunjie Caishikou Heping- men Qianmen Ciqikou Tiantan Dongmen Puhuangyu Liujayao Songjiazhuang Songjiazhuang Nanlishilu Muxidi Military Museum Gongzhufen Wanshoulu Wukesong Pingguoyuan Guchenglu Bajia Amuse- ment Park Bajia Amuse- ment Park Babaoshan Yuquanlu Shuangjing Jingsong Liufang Guangximen Guangximen Guangximen Dazhongsi Anzhenmen Anzhenmen Jiandemen Mudanyuan Xitucheng Taiyanggong Taiyanggong Sanyuanqiao Liangmaqiao Agricultural Exhibition Hall Tuanjiehu Hujialou Yong’anli Jintaixizhao Jintaixizhao Huixin- xiqiao Huixin- xiqiao Datunlu East Beiyuanlu North Lishuiqiao South Tiantongyuan South Tiantongyuan Tiantongyuan North Olympic Sports Center Olympic Green South Gate of Forest Park Wangjing West Beiyuan Wudaokou Shangdi Xi’erqi Huoying Huilongguan Longze Terminal 2 Terminal 3 Gaobeidian Communication University Dawanglu Yong’anli Taoranting Lingjing Hutong Line 1 Line 2 (Loop Line) Line 4 Line 5 Line 8 (Olympic Branch Line) Line 8T (Batong Line) Line 10 Line 13 Line L1 (Airport Extension) National Library Weigongcun Renmin University Beijing Zoo Jiaomen West Gongyixiqiao Majiapu Beijing South Railway Station Xinjiekou Ping’anli Yuanmingyuan Park East Gate of Peking University Zhong- guancun Xisi Transfer Station Jiangwan Town Dabaishu Chifeng Rd Hongkou Stadium Dongbaoxing Rd Pengpu Xincun Wenshui Rd Zhongshan Rd (North) Yanchang Rd Shanghai Circus World Jinjiang Park Shanghai South Railway Station Hechuan Rd Qibao Xingzhong Rd Caohejing Development Zone Guilin Rd Yishan Rd Hongqiao Rd Caobao Rd Zhenping Rd Jinshajiang Rd Zhongshan Park Caoyang Rd Zhongtan Rd Beixinjing Songhong Rd Loushanguan Rd Weining Rd Yan’an Rd (West) Longcao Rd Caoxi Rd Shilong Rd Transfer Station Pudong Int’l Airport Longyang Rd Shanghai Science & Technology Museum Shiji Park Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Longyang Rd Huangxing Rd Yanji Rd (Central) Huangxing Rd Xiangyin Rd Boxing Rd Wulian Rd Jufeng Rd Dongjing Rd Wuzhou Rd Jinqiao Rd Yunshan Rd Beiyangjing Rd Deping Rd Pudong Ave Yangshupu Rd Dalian Rd Jiangpu Rd Siping Rd Anshan Xincun Quyang Rd Minsheng Rd Yuanshen Sports Ctr Shiji Ave Linyi Xincun Yaohua Rd Lingyan Rd (South) Shangnan Rd Huaxia Rd (West) Gaoqing Rd Gaoke Rd (West) Dongming Rd Shanghai Children’s Medical Ctr Lancun Rd Pudian Rd Luban Rd Damuqiao Rd Lujiabang Rd Shanghai Stadium Shanghai Indoor Stadium Dong’an Rd Pudian Rd Tangqiao Nanpu Bridge Xizang Rd (South) Xizang Rd (North) Zhongxing Rd Zhongxing Rd Lingpin Rd Hailun Rd Qufu Rd Baoshan Rd People’s Sq People’s Sq Laoximen Dashijie Dongchang Rd Lujiazui Nanjing Rd (East) Xinzha Rd Xizang Rd (South) Baoshan Rd Shanghai Railway Stn Shanghai Railway Stn Hanzhong Rd Jiangsu Rd Nanjing Rd (West) Jing’an Temple Xujiahui Hengshan Rd Changshu Rd Shanxi Rd (South) Shanxi Rd (South) Huangpi Rd (South) Huangpi Rd (South) Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Line 4 Line 6 Line 8 Line 9 Maglev spine=1.6115" China 4th Edition by Simon Foster, Jen Lin-Liu, Sharon Owyang, Sherisse Pham, Beth Reiber, Lee Wing-sze, and Christopher D. Winnan 01_526583-ffirs.indd i01_526583-ffirs.indd i 2/4/10 6:57 PM2/4/10 6:57 PM Published by: WILEY PUBLISHING, INC. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 Copyright © 2010 Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authoriza- tion through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978/750-8400, fax 978/646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201/748-6011, fax 201/748- 6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Frommer’s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN 978-0-470-52658-3 Editor: Melinda Quintero Production Editor: Eric T. Schroeder Cartographer: Roberta Stockwell Photo Editor: Richard Fox Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services Front cover photo: China, Jiangxi: Children standing in doorway. © Lou Linwei/Alamy Images Back cover photo: China, Shanghai, Bund at Night. © Walter Bibikow/Jon Arnold I mages Ltd/Alamy Images For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our C ustomer Care Department within the U.S. at 800/762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317/572-3993 or fax 317/572-4002. 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Manufactured in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 1 01_526583-ffirs.indd ii01_526583-ffirs.indd ii 2/4/10 6:57 PM2/4/10 6:57 PM CONTENTS LIST OF MAPS viii 1 THE BEST OF CHINA 1 1 The Best China Experiences . . . . . . . .1 2 The Best Small Towns . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 3 The Best Countryside Trips . . . . . . . . .4 4 The Best Mansions & Palaces . . . . . . .5 5 The Best Museums. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 6 The Best Temples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 7 The Best Markets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 8 The Best Festivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 9 The Best Up-and-Coming Destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 10 The Best Local Accommodations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 11 The Best Buys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 2 CHINA IN DEPTH 13 1 China Today. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 2 Looking Back At China . . . . . . . . . . . .15 A Trinity of Teachings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Power of the Eunuch. . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Dateline: Chinese History at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 3 The Arts in China. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 4 Architecture in China. . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Wind & Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Knowing Your Dragons from Your Phoenixes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 5 The Lay of the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 6 China in Popular Culture: Books, Film & Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 7 Eating & Drinking in China . . . . . . . .35 Quick Sticks: A Chopstick Primer . . . . 35 Shocking Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 3 PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO CHINA 38 1 When to Go. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 China Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . .42 2 Entry Requirements & Customs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 3 Visitor Information & Maps . . . . . . . .50 4 Travel Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 5 Getting There & Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 10 Rules for Taking Taxis around Town. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 6 Money & Costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 7 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 02_526583-ftoc.indd iii02_526583-ftoc.indd iii 2/4/10 6:57 PM2/4/10 6:57 PM iv CONTENTS CHINA 8 Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 9 Specialized Travel Resources . . . . . .65 10 Special Interest Trips & Escorted General Interest Tours. . . . . . . . . . . . .66 11 Staying Connected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Online Traveler’s Toolbox. . . . . . . . . . . .74 12 Tips on Accommodations. . . . . . . . .75 4 SUGGESTED ITINERARIES 78 1 The Regions in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 2 China in 1 Week: Or, China at the Speed of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 3 China in 2 Weeks: Contrasting China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 4 China in 3 Weeks: Imperial Sights & Rural Delights. . . . . . . . . . . .83 5 China for Families: A 1-Week Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 5 BEIJING & HEBEI 86 1 Orientation: Beijing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Neighborhoods in Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 2 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Fast Facts: Beijing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 3 Where to Stay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 4 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 5 Exploring Beijing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 The Big Makeover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Walking Tour: The Back Lakes. . . . . .137 6 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Buying Pearls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 7 Beijing After Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 8 Side Trips from Beijing. . . . . . . . . . . 147 9 Chengde. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 10 Shanhaiguan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 11 Shijiazhuang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163 Walking Tour: The Pagodas of Zhengding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 6 THE NORTHEAST 171 1 Shenyang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Minorities & the Manchu Myth. . . . .177 2 Dandong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Border Crossing: North Korea & Russia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 3 Dalian & Lushun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 4 Changchun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 5 Jilin City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Wild China: Yanbian . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 6 Changbai Shan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 7 Harbin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 8 Wu Da Lianchi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 9 Manzhouli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 7 ALONG THE YELLOW RIVER 227 1 Datong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 2 Hohhot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 3 Yinchuan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 The (Nearly) Lost Dynasty of the Xi Xia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244 4 Yan’an. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 5 Pingyao. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 6 Taiyuan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 7 Wutai Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 02_526583-ftoc.indd iv02_526583-ftoc.indd iv 2/4/10 6:57 PM2/4/10 6:57 PM v CONTENTSCHINA 8 THE SILK ROUTES 268 1 Xi’an . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 2 Hua Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 3 Tianshui. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 4 Lanzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 5 Linxia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 6 Hezuo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294 7 Xia He (Labrang) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 8 Langmu Si (Taktsang Lhamo). . . . 298 9 Jiayu Guan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 10 Dunhuang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 11 Turpan (Tulufan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 12 Urumqi (Wulumuqi). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .319 13 Kuqa (Kuche). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325 14 Kashgar (Kashi). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328 15 Tashkurgan (Tashikuergan) & Karakul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338 16 Khotan (Hetian) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 Wild China: Yining (Gulja). . . . . . . . . .342 9 EASTERN CENTRAL CHINA 346 1 Zhengzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348 2 Dengfeng & Song Shan . . . . . . . . . 353 3 Luoyang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 4 Kaifeng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 Kaifeng’s Jews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367 5 Ji’nan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368 6 Tai Shan & Tai’an. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 The Great Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .374 7 Qufu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 Confucius Says . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .380 8 Qingdao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 Wild China: The Funeral Pits of Zibo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .396 9 Nanjing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398 The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom . . . .402 The Nanjing Massacre . . . . . . . . . . . . .407 10 Yangzhou. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 The Grand Canal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .416 Huaiyang Cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .418 11 Wuxi, Tai Hu & Yixing . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 Wild China: The Water Village of Tongli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .423 12 Hefei. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 13 Huang Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427 14 Tunxi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431 Huizhou Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . .435 10 SHANGHAI 437 1 Orientation: Shanghai. . . . . . . . . . . 438 Shanghai Neighborhoods in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .441 2 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 Fast Facts: Shanghai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .443 3 Where to Stay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 Chinese Business Motels. . . . . . . . . . . .455 Airport Hotels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .458 4 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 Three on the Bund (Wai Tan San Hao). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .460 5 Exploring Shanghai . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466 World Expo 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .476 6 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477 7 Shanghai After Dark. . . . . . . . . . . . . 478 8 Suzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480 9 Hangzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483 02_526583-ftoc.indd v02_526583-ftoc.indd v 2/4/10 6:57 PM2/4/10 6:57 PM vi CONTENTS CHINA 11 THE SOUTHEAST 488 1 Anji & Moganshan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490 2 Yandangshan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497 Climbing the Peak of Mount Yandang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .500 3 Wenzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503 4 Linhai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506 5 Wuyi Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508 Wuyi Shan End to End for Free . . . . .510 6 Quanzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515 7 Xiamen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522 Smuggling Kingpin or Local Boy Made Good?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .528 8 Jingde Zhen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535 9 Guangzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540 Parsing Fact from Fiction: The Kaiping Dialou. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .554 10 Shenzhen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558 12 HONG KONG 563 1 Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 563 Hong Kong Neighborhoods in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .569 2 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570 Fast Facts: Hong Kong . . . . . . . . . . . . .572 3 Where to Stay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573 4 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581 5 Exploring Hong Kong . . . . . . . . . . . 588 6 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595 7 Hong Kong After Dark . . . . . . . . . . 599 8 Macau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603 East Meets West. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .611 13 THE SOUTHWEST: MOUNTAINS & MINORITIES 614 1 Guilin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616 2 Yangshuo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 623 3 Bama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632 4 Fengshan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 638 5 Leye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641 6 Xingyi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 645 Exploring Guizhou: Guiyang & Kaili. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .645 A Brief History of the Guizhou Minority Populations . . . . . . . . . . . . . .646 7 Kunming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 649 8 Dali . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 661 The Bai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .664 A Home Away from Home . . . . . . . . .667 Munching on Flowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . .668 9 Xizhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 671 10 Shaxi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 672 11 Lijiang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 676 The Naxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .678 12 Shuhe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686 13 Xianggelila (Zhongdian). . . . . . . . . 688 Paradise Found? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689 14 YANGZI & BEYOND 694 1 Chengdu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695 The Ways of Tea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .709 2 Emei Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710 A Proper Visit to Emei Shan . . . . . . . .711 3 Le Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713 4 Dujiangyan & Qingcheng Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715 5 Jiuzhaigou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717 02_526583-ftoc.indd vi02_526583-ftoc.indd vi 2/4/10 6:57 PM2/4/10 6:57 PM vii CONTENTSCHINA 6 Chongqing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 720 7 Dazu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 727 8 Middle Reaches of the Chang Jiang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 730 The River by Any Other Name. . . . . .731 9 Wuhan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 735 10 Wudang Shan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 742 11 Changsha. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 743 Mao’s Roots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .747 12 Nan Yue Heng Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . 750 13 Wulingyuan & Zhangjiajie . . . . . . 751 14 Fenghuang Gucheng . . . . . . . . . . . 756 15 THE TIBETAN WORLD 758 1 Xining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 761 Tsongkapa: Tibet’s First Catholic?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .765 2 Tongren (Rebkong) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 768 3 Yushu (Jyekundo) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 770 4 Maqin (Dawu). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 774 The Panchen Lama’s Letter. . . . . . . . .775 5 Golmud (Ge’ermu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 776 6 Lhasa (Lasa). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777 Permit Purgatory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .780 Railway on the Roof of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .782 7 Shigatse (Rikaze) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 793 Where Is the Panchen Lama? . . . . . .794 8 Gyantse (Jiangzi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 796 9 Sakya (Sajia). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 798 10 Lhatse (Lazi). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800 11 Xin Dingri (New Tingri) . . . . . . . . . . 800 Everest Trekking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .801 Wild China: Mount Kailash & Lake Manasarovar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .802 12 Lao Dingri (Old Tingri). . . . . . . . . . . 802 13 Zhangmu (Dram) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 804 16 FAST FACTS 806 1 Fast Facts: China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 806 2 Airline & Hotel Websites. . . . . . . . . . .80 17 THE CHINESE LANGUAGE 812 1 A Guide to Pīnyīn Pronunciation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814 2 Mandarin Bare Essentials . . . . . . . . 815 3 Selected Destinations by City . . . 821 18 THE CHINESE MENU 845 1 Popular Dishes & Snacks . . . . . . . . 846 2 Popular Dishes by Destination . . . 849 INDEX 865 02_526583-ftoc.indd vii02_526583-ftoc.indd vii 2/4/10 6:57 PM2/4/10 6:57 PM LIST OF MAPS Zhengzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349 Kaifeng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363 Tai Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .373 Qingdao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386 Qingdao Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .387 Nanjing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .400 Nanjing Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .401 Yangzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .415 Huang Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .429 Shanghai Accommodations & Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446 Shanghai Accommodations & Dining Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .448 Shanghai Attractions . . . . . . . . . . . .468 Shanghai Attractions Key . . . . . . . .470 The Southeast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .489 Quanzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .517 Xiamen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .523 Guangzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .542 Guangzhou Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .544 Kaiping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .555 Hong Kong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 564 Kowloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .575 Central Hong Kong . . . . . . . . . . . . . .579 Macau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .605 The Southwest Region . . . . . . . . . . .615 Guilin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .617 Yangshuo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625 Kunming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .650 Dali . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 663 Er Hai Hu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .670 Shaxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673 Lijiang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .677 The Yangzi Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .696 Suggested Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Beijing & Hebei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Beijing Accommodations & Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Beijing Accommodations & Dining Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Beijing Attractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Beijing Attractions Key . . . . . . . . . .126 Walking Tour: The Back Lakes . . . .139 Chengde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 Dongbei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 Shenyang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174 Shenyang Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 Dandong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 Dalian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189 Changchun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198 Changchun Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199 Jilin City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 Harbin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 The Yellow River Region . . . . . . . . .229 Datong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 Hohhot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235 Yinchuan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245 Taiyuan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259 The Silk Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269 Xi’an . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .272 Xi’an Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .273 Lanzhou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289 Jiayu Guan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301 Dunhuang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .307 Turpan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315 Ürümqi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321 Kashgar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .329 Eastern Central China . . . . . . . . . . . .347 02_526583-ftoc.indd viii02_526583-ftoc.indd viii 2/4/10 6:57 PM2/4/10 6:57 PM [...]... afoot for a new China, without emperors A foreign-owned railway line provoked the final rebellion against dynastic China and the last emperor, Puyi, was powerless to stop it In 1911 the provisional Republic of China was founded in Nanjing under Dr Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925) MODERN CHINA Revolution & the Battle of Ideologies 2 LO O K I N G B AC K AT C H I N A 05_526583-ch02.indd 21 21 CHINA IN DEPTH Relief... to be addressed in the new China In spite of the 2008 world economic crisis and government measures to slow the growth rate, the pace of change in China today is difficult to comprehend and you really do have to go there to understand it However, not everyone is caught up in the whirlwind and modern China displays greater contrast than anywhere else on the 2/4/10 6:58 PM CHINA IN DEPTH 14 C H I N A... Best of China With every new edition of this book, identifying the “best of China becomes a more and more difficult task As this once isolated giant awakens, forces are being unleashed that impact tourism Devastating pollution, widespread corruption, and the sheer volume of tourists have transformed many of China' s best-known sights into filthy, overpriced circuses To find the very best that China has... treasure from the Forbidden 2/4/10 6:58 PM 22 City In Taiwan Chiang founded the Republic of China (ROC), from where he planned to eventually retake the mainland CHINA IN DEPTH The People’s Republic of China LO O K I N G B AC K AT C H I N A 2 On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong declared the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, the world’s most populous communist state The nation was in tatters, but there... and film projects in the U.S and China She is the author of Frommer’s Shanghai, and has also written about Shanghai, China, Vietnam, and San Diego for Insight Guides, Compact Guides, the Los Angeles Times, and several websites She speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and enough Shanghainese to be a curiosity to the locals Most recently, she was the principal writer of the U.S .China Media Brief produced by the... what you’re actually likely to see as a visitor PREHISTORY Legend has it that China was founded by the creator Panku, and humans were born of the parasites that infested him This is 2/4/10 6:58 PM 16 CHINA IN DEPTH A Trinity of Teachings LO O K I N G B AC K AT C H I N A 2 Myth, religion, and philosophy are so intertwined in China that it can be difficult to separate the three Likewise, the three principal... periods of prosperity, development, and expansion, invariably followed by tumultuous times of conflict and uncertainty, and then the cycle would repeat CHINA IN DEPTH China s third major religion, Buddhism, came from India but quickly found a new home in China; its popularity was aided by its willingness to incorporate pre-existing local deities, a factor that hindered the advancement of the less adaptive... religions to be found in China though; there are huge numbers of Christians and Muslims, although it’s difficult to ascertain exact figures because only officially recognized versions are tolerated, meaning that millions practice in secret 2/4/10 6:58 PM CHINA IN DEPTH 18 LO O K I N G B AC K AT C H I N A 2 The enduring Han dynasty (206 b.c.– 220 a.d.), which still lends its name to China s dominant ethnic... 1920s and 1930s, when Harbin was the liveliest stop on this leg of the TransSiberian Railroad See chapter 6 • Cycling the City Wall in Xi’an: The largest city walls in China have been 2/4/10 6:58 PM 2 THE BEST OF CHINA • • THE BEST CHINA EXPERIENCES 1 • • much pierced for modern purposes and can be tackled in a modern way, too, with a breezy, traffic-light-free ride above the rooftops on rented bicycles... in China Most were hollowed out over a 65-year period between 460 and 524 Viewed as a whole, they show a movement from Indian and central Asian artistic models to greater reliance on Chinese traditions See p 230 • Maiji Shan Shiku (Tianshui): This haystack-shaped mountain of soft red rock, covered in brilliant green foliage, is China s prettiest cave-temple site, and 2/4/10 6:58 PM THE BEST OF CHINA . .78 2 China in 1 Week: Or, China at the Speed of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 3 China in 2 Weeks: Contrasting China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 4 China. largest city walls in China have been 1 THE BEST CHINA EXPERIENCES 04_526583-ch01.indd 104_526583-ch01.indd 1 2/4/10 6:58 PM2/4/10 6:58 PM 2 THE BEST CHINA EXPERIENCES THE BEST OF CHINA 1 2 much pierced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 2 CHINA IN DEPTH 13 1 China Today. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 2 Looking Back At China . . . . . . . . . . . .15 A Trinity of