The Yinghu Lake, one of the provincial scenic spots affordable China travel packages, is located at the foot of the Tianzhu Mountain which is 18 kilometres to the southeast of the city proper of Ankang. The Lake is the largest green man-made lake with fresh water in the northwest China after the foundation of the Ankang Power Station. The lake has a perimeter of 540 kilometres and covers a total area of about 77.5 square kilometres. It is the provincial tourist resort which boasts such natural sights as the Bashan Mountain and the Hanshui River, and also an ideal ecological place for visit which is based on well-kept ecological environment like surrounding mountains and vegetation, and features sightseeing, recreation on the water, relaxation in holidays. What’s more, the Yinghu Lake is the very place where literators get together so as to compose poems, paint paintings and take photos.

Sights

the Dam of the Power Station: the Dam of the Power Station holds back at the Huoshi Rock top 10 China tours the surging Hanjiang River which has run for thousands of miles. As a result, a high gorge comes into being on the lake. When the flood needs to be discharged, the sluice gate is opened and giant water posts spew out from the holes of the gate. Under the influence of the inertia and the press of the water, the water posts get the shape of parabola and then fall into the riverbed in the lower reaches. The water roars and surges forward just like thousands of horses rioting.

The Golden Snail Island: the Golden Snail Island is one of the important sights of the Scenic Spot of the Yinghu Lake. The Island gets its name because it looks like a snail standing in the lake, and Ankang was called in the ancient times Jinzhou (Jin means gold or golden in Chinese). The Snail Peak Tower stands grand and magnificent on the top of the Golden Snail Island. The tower has five floors and is as high as 26.5 meters.

The Vega Stone: during the years of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, Liu Yingqiu, a famous scholar in Ankang had composed a poem, the Vega Stone. The poem praised highly the true love between the loyal and industrious Cowboy and beautiful Vega who was good at weaving. Nowadays, a statue of Cowboy stands where Cowboy stood. On the northern bank of the Yinghu Lake stands the statue of Vega who is looking toward the direction of the statue of Cowboy.

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This splendid fortification, with a green-tiled, twin-eaved roof rising up imperiously south of the Ancient Observatory affordable China travel packages, dates back to the Ming dynasty. Clamber up the steps for views alongside camera-wielding Chinese trainspotters eagerly awaiting rolling stock grinding in and out of Běijīng Train Station. As you mount the battlements, two forlorn stumps of flag abutments and a cannon or two can be seen, but really worth hunting out are the signatures etched in the walls by allied forces during the Boxer Rebellion. You can make out the name of a certain P Foot; ‘USA’ is also scrawled on the brickwork. The international composition of the eight-nation force that relieved Běijīng in 1900 is noted in names such as André, Stickel and what appears to be a name in Cyrillic. One brick records the date ‘Dec 16 1900’. Allied forces overwhelmed the redoubt after a lengthy engagement. Note the drainage channels poking out of the wall along its length. You can reach the watchtower from the west through the Railway Arch top 10 China tours, which was built for the first railway that ran around Běijīng.

The watchtower is punctured with 144 archers’ windows, and attached to it is a 100m section of the original Inner City Wall, beyond which stretches the restored Ming City Wall , extending all the way to Chōngwénmén and north to Beijingzhan Dongjie. Inside the highly impressive interior is some staggering carpentry: huge red pillars that are topped with solid beams surge upwards. The 1st floor is the site of the Red Gate Gallery , one of Běijīng’s long-established modern art galleries; the 2nd-floor gallery has a fascinating photographic exhibition on the old gates of Běijīng, while the 3rd-floor gallery contains more paintings. Say you’re visiting the Red Gate Gallery and the ￥10 entry fee to the watchtower will be waived

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You may have seen these long, light-skinned, and hairy roots at your Japanese or Chinese markets and wondered about their relation to other kinds of tubers.
Naga-imo is a kind of mountain yam, the tuberous root of a climbing China tour deals vine. There are other mountain yams, such as icho-imo, yamamot-imo, tsukune-imo. Mountain
yams take on a gluey, almost mucilaginous consistency when they're grated.

But, grating the mountain yam immediately transforms it from a fairly common-looking root vegetable into a pile of sloppy white goo. This fact alone makes
naga-imo and other mountain yams distinct from tubers such as the potato or taro, not to mention the unique taste and texture.

Mildly sweet like jicama with a texture similar to taro, only less starchy, naga-imo is delicious pan-fried until the surface is browned and crisp and the
interior is soft and tender. This is the way I usually China best tours eat naga-imo: after browning some bacon in the cast iron, I use the bacon fat to cook thin slices of
naga-imo, and call it a day.

But sometimes I'm inclined to go a step further and take advantage of naga-imo's unique texture. Grated naga-imo is a common ingredient in Japanese dishes
that require a binder such as okonomiyaki, a kind of pancake layered with cabbage and often pork belly. I don't often go through the rigmarole of making
okonomiyaki by shredding cabbage, browning belly or bacon, sprinkling popular China tour package dashi flakes on top, and dousing the pancake with kewpie mayoinaise and okonomiyaki
sauce, yet the idea of using grated naga-imo as a base for a pancake batter is simple enough to do any weeknight.

To prepare the batter, grate the naga-imo with a microplane grater. You can use a bit of potato starch or rice flour if you want to refrain from dairy, but
mixing an egg with the grated naga-imo produces just the right consistency for dropping the batter by dollops into your pan. You can add anything you want:
chopped bits of bacon, browned garlic and scallions, or sauteed vegetables. If you happen to have fresh herbs around, like basil, mint, cilantro, all the
better.

The texture of the batter when it's cooked is something like the interior of a really tender latke, but with very little fuss. Serve with a bit of fine
quality soy sauce and sesame oil, and you've got a naturally gluten-free pancake dish.

Finally, a warning: like taro, the skin of naga-imo causes mild itching on the skin, so use a pair of gloves when handling the root. tags: travel to China

Nestling at the foot of the Minshan Mountain, and having the Minjiang River Yangtze River tour flowing past its gates,the Songpan County was built during Tang Dynasty (618-907), when Prince Wencheng was married to a Tibetan King. The county, which was extended to its largest area during the Ming Emperor Jiajing's reign nearly 500 years ago, is still a bridge between the long lasting friendship between the Han and Tibetan peoples.

The minute you approach the county, you will be fascinated by the grand gates. Decorated by well written names and various pictures, the grand gates, from four directions,were once the best place to put weapons in order to keep outsiders from invading the county. Now still the largest of their kind in existence in China, these gates have become the witness of history. Like the faded pictures carved on the stone wall,they are still telling the stories of past centuries even today.

Horse trek has become more and more popular in Songpan

Go to the downtown area, the rising three-star hotels and horse riding Tibetan people will give you mixed feelings of their place in history. You may feel confused by what you see: A county that is going through the inevitable urbanization process, or a quiet and peaceful primitive Tibetan village.

Recommended as the world's best place to ride a horse, Songpan County China vacation deals has become an increasingly popular tourist attraction, especially among backpackers.

The county now has two professional horse treks that offer both designated and customized horse trekking services. The horse trekking services, which offer each tourist a local tour guide, and a horse,will bring you a fresh experience of camping and cooking food.

Among the nearby sightseeing hotspots, Mounigou and Xuebaoding are our top recommendations for horse trekking.

A foreign backpacker takes photo during horse trek

Mounigou is 15 kilometers away from the Songpan County and consists of two big scenic spots: the Zhaga Waterfall and the Erdaohai Lake.

From the downtown area, it takes about half an hour by riding a horse to go to thetop of a nearby mountain. Looking at the Tibetan village inlayed among the mountains,it looks like a natural musical chapter top 10 China tours, the beauty of which is the benediction of God.

Going through a small river and riding along the road for two more hours, you will then see a vast primitive forest with waterfalls running and roaring.

Now you are getting close to the famous "little Jiuzhai Valley", and the Eerdaohai Lake.

Mouni Valley, the beautiful scenery that along the horse trek route

Coming into Erdaohai Lake, you will be astonished to see the tranquil and serene mountain lakes, the blooming flowers, and the steaming hot springs and chirping birds.

Slowly and quietly walking on this celestial land, you may also have the fortune to see how small squirrels are enjoying their days.

During summertime, you may like to have a swim or even bathe in the natural hot spring pools in Erdaohai Lake. The bubbles that pop up from the bottom of the pool will assure you that the water is always fresh and clean.

Xuebaoding, with a sea altitude of 5,588 meters, is the main peak of Minshan Maotain Chain, located in Songpan County. Because it is covered by snow all year round, it looks like a white giant - and this is how it got the name of Xuebaoding popular China tour package. As the highest peak in Songpan, it is also the ultimate goal for backpackers to view the wild natural landscape.

1. National Museum of China

After years of renovation, China’s premier museum, housed in the immense 1950s building on the eastern side of Tiān’ānmén Sq top China tours, finally reopened in 2011. It was a work in progress at the time of research, with some halls still closed, but much of what was open was well worth visiting. The Ancient China exhibition on the basement floor is outstanding. It contains dozens and dozens of stunning pieces, from prehistoric China through to the Qing Dynasty, all displayed beautifully in modern, spacious, low-lit exhibition halls. Look out for the 2000-year-old jade burial suit, made for the clearly well-endowed Western Han Dynasty king Liu Xiu, and the life-sized bronze acupuncture statue, dating from the 15th century. You could easily spend a couple of hours in this exhibition alone.

Also worth seeking out is the Ancient Chinese Money exhibition on the top floor. The Bronze Art and Buddhist Sculpture galleries, one floor below, are also impressive.

Many of the other halls housed temporary art galleries when we last visited, which were eye-catching, but lacked English captions. The museum, which is vast and energy sapping, also has a pleasant ground-floor cafe . Note, you must bring your passport along to gain museum entry.

2. White Cloud Temple

White Cloud Temple China tour deals , once the Taoist centre of northern China, was founded in AD 739, although most of the temple halls date from the Qing dynasty. It’s a lively, huge and fascinating complex of shrines and courtyards, tended by Taoist monks with their hair gathered into topknots.

Near the temple entrance, worshippers rub a polished stone carving for good fortune. The halls at the temple, centre of operations for the Taoist Quanzhen School and abode of the China Taoist Association, are dedicated to a host of Taoist officials and marshals. The Hall of the Jade Emperor celebrates this most famous of Taoist deities, while Taoist housewives cluster earnestly at the Hall to the God of Wealth to divine their financial future. Depictions of the Taoist Hell festoon the walls of the Shrine Hall for the Saviour Worthy .

Drop by White Cloud Temple during the Spring Festival and you will be rewarded with the spectacle of a magnificent temple fair (miàohuì) . Worshippers funnel into the streets around the temple in their thousands, lured by artisans, street performers, wǔshù (martial arts) acts, craft workers, traders and a swarm of snack merchants.

To find the temple, walk south on Baiyun Lu, turn left into Baiyungguan Jie and it’s about 50m up on the left.

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In this line of work, one thing that happens faster than anywhere else I've worked is that people come and go China travel deals. Every six months my social group changes. In some ways it's great because you get to meet new people frequently. On the other hand, sometimes you feel like you didn't get enough time together, no matter how much you hung out. The end of the spring term is always worse since most work contracts run Sept thru June. And since it's June, it's not surprising that someone important to me is leaving. I haven't talked about her much in this blog, but she and I spent a lot of time together in the past year and a half. Much of it was Saturdays in Guangzhou and we referred to each other as "Guangzhou Buddies." For our last free bus into the city, she and I and a few other close friends spent one more day in the city.

We started out at YueXiu Park. Unlike last time I was here, it wasn't raining. But it was hot and humid and after walking around for a little more than an hour we'd had enough.

We went across town to eat lunch. A very popular chain restaurant in Beijing and Shanghai top 10 China tour packages finally opened a location in GZ. They serve up very fresh western food with a few Asian things on the menu, too. The whole staff speaks English. It feels like I'm in the US again. We all opted for salads of some form (a rarity in China) and some people also got pancakes (with real maple syrup!), Elvis French toast, and we all got freshly squeezed fruit juices and smoothies. We were all in food heaven.

Lastly we went to Shamian Island. During the 19th century it was an important port for foreign trade and after the Opium Wars it was divided into two concessions, one for the British and one for the French. I've heard that Chinese nationals were not allowed on the island during this period, but I can't verify that. Sufficed to say, the island is still flush with old European architecture, lush trees, and feels more peaceful that the rest of the city. Since few cars drive on the island, it's one of the quietest spots in the city. We strolled, we chatted, we drank coffees, and relaxed. The perfect end to a perfecy day.

Then, back to the bus for a much needed nap on the ride home.

tags: travel to China and China tourism

I had previously spent two Chinese New Years with a Tibetan family in a village of Diqing prefecture, Yunnan Province last minute China travel deals . The six weeks seemed enough for me to know all that I needed. This year, I planned to spend Losar (Tibetan New Year) in Qinghai Province with the family of a Tibetan girl I'm supporting financially to study medicine. Before I left Beijing, I refreshed my memory with basic words for greeting, eating and drinking, and rejoiced thinking I would eat mutton every day.

I was surprised to discover, however, that the Amdo Tibetan language spoken in Qinghai differed greatly from Khamba Tibetan of Yunnan. But this was only the beginning of a chain of surprises.

People in this village raised exclusively cows and ate only beef. We ate with hands, using a knife for big pieces of meat with bones.

Every morning "my daughter" and her sister would herd the six cows in a specific area on the mountain, and at sunset the cows came back by themselves. One day I accompanied them. The cows suddenly climbed up instead of following the path. The girls said it was because an enormous and dangerous looking black ox was on the way. "They are afraid of the ox?" I asked. "No, the ox is afraid of you." How could that be, a gentle and kind person like me?

In other parts of China, many Chinese thought I must be an Uygur. This year, several Tibetans remarked "my daughter" and I looked alike. Well, didn't I say that her father looked like an Italian?

As it was my third winter visit to Qinghai best tours of China, I was expecting cold, wind and snow. Surprisingly we did not have such weather. From 10 am to 3 pm, it was possible to take off my coat. Three layers of wool were enough outside, but a surprise awaited me in the bedroom: While the kang (heated bed) was really warm, the rest of the room was below 0 C. In the morning, the water was frozen hard in the basin, my towel was a piece of ice. My hand cream, toothpaste and pens had to be heated.

By day we stayed in the main room where there was a cow dung stove. Surprisingly, cow dung emits no smell. I was repeatedly warned to stay away from the chimney but even so I managed to burn my coat sleeve, which made everyone laugh.

When I accepted an invitation to the neighbor's wedding the next day, I didn't know it would be at 5:30 am. We waited outside for the groom to arrive from another district. No ceremony was held. Only a huge breakfast was served to women in one room and men in another.

On the way to the next destination, I gave my seat to a woman with a toddler. Trying to keep balance, I put my notebook on the upper shelf with my gloves and a thangka painting. When I got off, I forgot my notebook, which contained the notes of several interviews, phone numbers, information about my hotel in the provincial capital Xining, and of my return flight to Beijing popular China tour package. One can imagine my distress.

Two days later, when I reached Xining, I rushed to the bus station, hoping to find that silver gray bus. A security guard said without its license number there was no hope of tracing it, as buses have irregular schedules.

Sometimes it pays to be a foreigner, as the guard introduced me to a wonderful woman in charge.

"Don't worry, within 48 hours your notebook will be here," said the woman named Wei Suxia. But, I was leaving the next morning.

After several calls and patient explanations, she finally traced the bus, which was based in Jainca county, an hour and a half's drive from Xining, and convinced the driver Ma Jianxiong and his assistant Zhao Ersa of the notebook's importance.

Good hearted Ma and Zhao took the day off and drove to Xining to hand the precious notebook to me. This was such a miracle and the most touching surprise of my eventful China trip.

Although obviously not required to travel in Asia, knowing how to say hello in Chinese the correct way allows you to properly greet more than 1.4 billion Mandarin Chinese speakers affordable China tours. That number does not even include Cantonese speakers who will also understand!

Locals who work with tourists had to learn a very different and difficult language in order to meet your needs: English. Greeting local people in their own language almost always gets a smile and a thumbs up for effort -- even if you mispronounce the tones.

Massive China has so many dialects that people from one region to the next have a hard time understanding each other. Thankfully, these common Chinese greetings will work nearly everywhere that you travel.

A Little About Mandarin Chinese

Although there are several variations, Mandarin is the closest thing to a common, unified dialect in China. You will encounter Mandarin while traveling in Beijing, and because it is the "speech of officials," knowing how to say hello in Mandarin is useful everywhere.

Mandarin is often referred to as "simplified Chinese" because it contains only four tones. Words tend to be shorter than ours, so one word can have several different meanings depending on the tone that you use.

How to Say Hello in Chinese

"Ni hao" (pronounced "nee haow") is the basic, default greeting in Chinese. Both words are pronounced with a falling-then-rising tone. The literal translation is "you good," or in other words, "how are you?"

You can enhance your greeting -- more so when speaking to friends rather than strangers -- by adding "ma" to the end of the hello to form "nee haow ma."

Saying Hello to Elders and Superiors

Following the concept of saving face in Asia, elders and those of higher social status should always be shown additional respect. The proper way to say hello in Chinese to superiors is by using "neen haow" -- a more polite variation of the standard greeting popular China tours.
Simple Responses in Chinese

Taking the greeting one step further is sure to get a smile during your interaction.

Hao: good
Hen Hao: very good
Bu Hao: not good (bad)
Xie Xie: thank you (pronounced similar to "zh-yeh zh-yeh") is optional and can be added to the end.
Ni ne: and you? (pronounced "nee nuh")

How to Say Hello in Cantonese

Cantonese, spoken in Hong Kong travel to Hong Kong and southern parts of China, has a slightly modified greeting. "Neih hou" (pronounced "nay hoe") replaces ni hao; both words have a rising tone.

A common response in Cantonese is "gei hou" which means "fine."

Should I Bow When Saying Hello in Chinese?

The short answer is: no. Unlike in Japan where bowing is common, people tend to only bow in China during martial arts, as an apology, or to show deep respect at funerals. Many Chinese opt to shake hands, but don't expect the usual firm, Western handshake.

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Bargaining in Hong Kong travel to Hong Kong is a must if you want to get the real price for your purchase. Some people are naturally nervous about trying to bargain, especially when faced with the gritty veterans that man Hong Kong’s shops and markets. Below we’ve put together some essential tips to help you understand the rules and etiquette of bargaining in Hong Kong and hopefully put you at ease.

It’s worth noting that the rules below are mostly aimed at those shopping at Hong Kong’s many markets, although the majority of the rules also work for smaller stores.

Rule #1: Start with a low price
Everybody and their dog has an opinion on how much below the sticker price you should start your negotiations; 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%. The truth is there is no hard and fast figure. It depends on the price of what you’re trying to buy. The higher the price, the lower you should start. Most Hong Kongers kick off their bargaining somewhere between 30% and 40%. The best rule to follow here is that you really can’t start to low.

Rule #2: Know your product
If you’re just buying trinkets or souvenirs after Hong Kong tour packages, this doesn’t really apply, but for those buying bigger ticket items, you should know how much the item costs. This is particularly important for electrical goods and photographic equipment. Hong Kong’s swinging merchants are past masters at making you think you’ve got a deal, when in fact you’ve paid more than the item would have cost you at home. You should price the item online or at home.

Rule #3: Don’t believe the seller
Assume the seller is lying about everything. If you’re buying a piece of Jade priced at $5 and the seller says it’s real, use your common sense, it’s not. Hong Kong salespersons will spin you a web of tales to make you buy their product. That antique chessboard for just $10 - made yesterday in Shenzhen.

Rule #4: The walk away
If you and the seller have reached a deadlock and you’re still not happy with the price, it might be time to walk away. Tell the seller your final price and then slowly walk away, this gives the seller time to change his mind and call you back, which they often will. If the walk away doesn’t work, don’t return to the stall, as the seller is now firmly in the driving seat when it comes to dictating the price.

Rule #5: Don’t take tea
If the seller offers you tea, it’s generally not a good idea to accept. The seller is simply trying to give himself more time to wear you down. He wants you to think of him as your friend so you’ll find it more difficult to bargain effectively.

Rule #6: Pay in the local currency
You may be packing pounds or dollars, and the salesperson will helpfully offer to take them off your hands at a very good exchange rate, don’t accept. You will, at best, get a very poor exchange rate, at worst, get completely ripped off. Always use HK$.

Rule #7: Dress down
You don’t need to dress like you’ve been sleeping rough for the last week, but waltzing around with a Gucci bag, D&G sunglasses and a swanky digital camera are all signs to the seller that you have more money than sense. Dress plainly.

Rule #8; Don’t Try and Bargain in Malls
Major stores and chain stores don’t bargain and just like you wouldn’t try and get some money knocked off at Circuit City Hong Kong sightseeing back home, you shouldn’t try here either. Smaller mom and pop stores will offer discounts, although they won’t be anywhere near as large as the markets. Look for 15% to 20% as a maximum.

Contain Hong Kong in your top 10 China tour packages