Hezuo is a convenient transport hub in Gansu, central China, so it was inevitable that we’d end up there. But we didn’t just pass through, we stayed the night so we could visit the Milarepa Palace Buddhist Temple. It’s a huge nine-storey building where spiritual leaders from varying sects are worshipped on each floor. When…
Tag: photography
Discovering A Truly Wild Area Of Western China
Sometimes, all it takes is one photo to persuade me to visit a certain place – and that’s exactly what happened when we were in Gansu. I discovered a little village surrounded by jagged peaks and it wasn’t too far away from us. Buses didn’t travel the final 30km, so we hopped in a taxi…
Sky Burials, Monasteries, And Beautiful Hikes | Langmusi, China
Getting to the Tibetan town of Langmusi proved to be a little more challenging than we’d expected. From Songpan, in Sichuan, we took a bus north to Zoige, where we were informed there weren’t any buses to Langmusi, instead, we’d have to take a shared taxi. We didn’t mind, but we had to wait almost…
Hiking Above Huanglong’s Terraced Pools|China
The terraced travertine pools of Huanglong are just a couple of hours away from popular Jiuzhaigou, yet it sees a fraction of the visitors. In comparison, it’s a much smaller and quicker park to explore, with most visitors opting to take the cable car to the top, where they have only a short stroll to…
The Bluest Water In China | Jiuzhaigou Valley
The natural sights in China will probably surprise many people. From red rock deserts and snow-capped mountains, to crystal clear lakes and the rocky towers that inspired the Avatar movie – China has it all, and today we’re exploring the blue lakes of Jiuzhaigou National Park. The park suffered from overtourism in previous years, with…
Visiting A Traditional Miao Village | Guizhou, China
Langde is a Miao village nestled into the side of a lush valley in Guizhou. The locals are part of the ‘Long Skirt Miao’ ethnic group and every day they perform a welcoming ceremony for the visitors. While some villages have become overrun with tourism, Langde has managed to avoid the big tour groups –…
Slow Trains and Traditional Markets in Guizhou, China
China’s rail network has grown rapidly, and it now has the world’s most extensive high-speed railway network, boasting 50,000km of tracks. While many people still think Japan has the fastest trains – it’s actually China that holds the record. Major train stations across the country are built to handle 16,000 people per hour, where they’re…
A Miao Village Nestled In A Dramatic Gorge
The little, wooden village of Dehang sits in a dramatic gorge, and it’s home to the Miao ethnic minority group. The area offers some fabulous hiking routes, so it was an easy add-on to our itinerary. Our hotel in the nearby town gave us a complimentary shuttle service to the scenic area, and it turned…
The Cliff Dwellings Of Wangxian | China
Wangxian Valley in eastern China has a history dating back to 25–220 CE, but since 1998 it has been heavily damaged by granite mining. In 2017, the government decided to step in and invested over 300 million dollars to redevelop the area into a tourism destination to resemble ancient cliff-side dwellings. We don’t normally like…
Admiring The Granite Spires At Sanqinshan | China
We keep returning to China because we love the dramatic landscapes and the fascinating culture. After starting our trip in a city, we couldn’t wait to escape the chaos and head to a scenic area – and the one we picked was Sanqinshan. It’s a mountainous area filled with spiky granite peaks where hiking paths…
NON STOP TRAVELLING 