Vacation is largely about escape, escape from the predictability of workaday life, escape from the claustrophobia of city life. But the middle of nowhere gets old quick. What you want is a trip through nowhere. When your path dwindles to a tiny speck on the horizon, and you drift through spectacular desolation, the mind is free to flutter about at first, and finally to soar. Witness the iconic movie theme of driving through Death Valley. Better yet, think Huck Finn on his raft. Now that’s drifting, an ultimate escape from old self to new you.
The Mississippi is decidedly more inconvenient to pilot a raft on than it was a century and a half ago, but naturally China offers its own unique version of the experience.
Changsha can be called the heart of China in more ways than one. It is found right in the middle of the breast of any big chicken map of China. Its satellite town Shaoshan is home to Chairman Mao, and its hinterlands produce grain for much of the nation. Furthermore, it is a transport hub, pumping goods East to West along the Xiangjiang River, and from Guangzhou to Beijing via railroad. Neither a glittering Shanghai nor a quaint Yangshuo, Changsha is one of scores of major Chinese cities concerned with growing from second tier backwater to first-rate economic juggernaut, come hell or high inflation.
Visitors to Shanghai are often impressed by the glitz and the glamour of the new skyscrapers and booming economy. Yet still, just behind the main big money shopping malls, 5 star hotels and Ferrari showrooms lies old Shanghai, largely unaffected and still much as it ever was. Taking a walk just one street behind the JW Marriott Hotel at Tomorrow Square just off Nanjing Xi Lu, you immediately enter a Shanghai living as it has done for much of the past 100 years….
By Christoph Muell... - Posted on October 31st, 2007
ChinaExpat has launched a new skiing feature on our website. Two ski pros with extensive experience both inside and outside of China can answer all of your skiing questions in our forum, which you can access at
Both pros also organized ski trips around China. Take a look at their sites to arrange the perfect getaway to meet all of your needs.
The only thing better than getting out to the ski slopes in China is having a couple of pros organize your vacation. You are sure to benefit from their years of experience.
By Christoph Muell... - Posted on October 31st, 2007
China Expat’s readership hails from across the country. However, at some point or another everyone ends up in Beijing, either on business, travel, or passing through on an international route. The city itself gets almost no snow during its winters, but it does have some beautiful mountains just outside its limits that are worth a look. If you have a hard time believing that just because you cannot usually see them through Beijing’s gray air, a short trip out there will help you realize how much lies just past the capital’s urban exterior. Some of the area ski slopes are surprisingly good, and a delightful way to get out of the city.
By Christoph Muell... - Posted on October 31st, 2007
For hardcore types, true skiing only starts once you have left the groomed and controlled slopes to enjoy the natural snow of the wild mountains. To access extreme ski areas, quite a bit of mountaineering tends to be involved, as the terrain is too steep for normal skiers, and they have no lifts or cable cars. It is a lot of work, but for the discerning adventure seeker the effort is well worth it.
By Christoph Muell... - Posted on October 31st, 2007
As skiing catches on in China it is becoming an increasingly viable way to spend a vacation. However, it is important to keep in mind that you should not expect your experience here to be the same as you might have on the European slopes. Conditions here are different, and realizing this will help you enjoy yourself much more, whereas constantly comparing China to the Alps will leave you disappointed.
Considering how few foreigners speak really good Chinese, isn’t the media’s Chinglish coverage a little excessive? True, occasionally phrases on signs are extremely funny, so it makes sense that the subject gets some attention. However, after dozens of stories on the topic, it definitely begins to feel a bit mean-spirited.
