12 Perfect Days in . . .

I c o n I c I t I n e r a r I e s
S i x t h i n a S e r i e s
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Some places are perfect for the independent traveler. And some, well,
arent. For our series Iconic Itineraries, weve picked destinations that are must-sees but whose tourism
infrastructures are so geared to groups that having an authentic experience can seem next to impossible. Not to worry.
Working with the worlds leading travel specialists, weve created step-by-step trips that let you see the best each place
has to offerbut on your terms. Each of our highly detailed itineraries has been vetted and perfected by a Cond Nast
Traveler editor, and each can be bought as is with just one phone call or customized at will. So here are:
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I l l u s t r a t i o n s b y
J a me s No e l S mi t h
PROVENCE TUSCANY HAWAII CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY and mor e Wa t c h t hi s s p a c e f o r
*Visit cntraveler.com/iconictrips for the first five in our series of must-have Iconic Itineraries: Peru (including the Andes, Machu Picchu, and the
Amazon), ruSSIA (including Moscow and St. Petersburg), egyPt (including Cairo, Aswan, and Luxor), INDIA (including Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra),
and SOutHeASt ASIA (including thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos).
the great Wall, the worlds
longest, was built 2,200
years ago to protect China
from invaders. the section
pictured is Mutianyu,
90 minutes from Beijing
(see page 98).
93
}
6
B y We n d y Pe r r i n
Classic China
I c o n I c I t I n e r a r I e s
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Day 1 (Saturday): Beijing
T
ake it from someone who has navigated Chinas
sprawling capital by subway, bicycle, taxi, and rick-
shaw: By far the most efficient way to sightsee is by car
when traffic is lightwhich is over a weekendwith a
driver who drops you off at one end of a sight or street and
picks you up at the other, so you neednt waste time back-
tracking. If you land in Beijing on a Friday, you can recover
from your transpacific flight
with a good nights sleep and
start your itinerary at the op-
timal time: Saturday morning.
Your hotel? For ambience on
a budget, try the Hotel Ct
Cour SL (86-10-6512-8020;
hotelcotecoursl.com; dou-
bles, $168$268), a 14-room
property in a traditional court-
yard compound once inhabited by
dancers and musicians of the imperial court.
If youre up for a splurge, however, consider the China
Club Beijing (86-10-6603-8855; thechinaclubbeijing.com;
junior suites, $385), an elegant members-only club in an
antiques-filled courtyard-style sixteenth-century palace.
Only a few elite tour companiesAbercrombie & Kent,
for instancehave access to eight impeccable suites that
are furnished with old-fashioned traditional canopy beds
and freestanding tubs.
So its Saturday morning, youve slept through the night
(thank you, melatonin), and its time to throw yourself into
the historic center of Beijing, right? Wrong. On Saturday
mornings, the Forbidden Citythe imperial palace com-
pound that was off-limits to the masses for 500 yearsis
crammed with domestic-Chinese tour groups, each group
wearing matching baseball caps and scurrying after their
flag-waving leader. They tend to diminish the majesty of the
Ming dynasty courtyards that served as the seat of govern-
ment until the last emperor abdicated at the start of the
twentieth century. So save the Forbidden City for this
afternoon, once the crowds have thinned, and head
instead to the Capital Museum, which at 9 a.m.
will be virtually empty.
The Capital Museum
(86-10-6337-0491; capital
museum.org.cn) is a brand-
new airy architectural
knockout filled with innova-
tive 3-D displays that intro-
duce you to Chinese cus-
toms and traditions. You
need only 90 minutes there
and to visit only two floors.
On the second floor is a time line
that tells you what was happening in Beijing at the same
moment as key events in Europe and the United States, so
you can put Chinas history in context. On the fifth floor
are reproductions of Chinese homes and street scenes.
Both will magnify your appreciation of everything else
youll see in Beijing.
Now that you can envision how locals have lived for cen-
turies in Beijings traditional residential alleywayscalled
hutongsyou are ready to explore them yourself. Have
your car drop you off at Liulichang Streeta boulevard of
antiques and curio shops south of Tiananmen Square. Walk
The Challenge
How do a travelers best-laid plans get foiled
in China? Let me count the ways. First, theres
the rise of the countrys enormous and newly
traveling middle class, which has caused many
previously charming spots to become overrun
with domestic tourists and overbuilt for the
mass market. Second, things in China change
overnightstructures go up, neighborhoods
are bulldozed, the government rewrites the
ruleswhich means its tough to get accurate
logistical information or trustworthy opinions
as to what is worth doing and whats been
spoiled; guidebooks are out-of-date as soon
as theyre published; and advice from anyone
who has not been to the specific destinations
on your list within the past few months is not
reliable. Third, theres the pollution, which
wrecks views and curtails your enjoyment of
the big cities that the typical China itinerary is
heavy on. Fourth, the Chinese tourism infra-
structure inflicts a government-dictated
mass-market agenda that is not very appeal-
ing to the sophisticated traveler. Get within
its clutchesas happens on the average tour,
including private onesand you will waste
considerable time at ho-hum places, navigat-
ing them in a way that is not optimal, with de-
tours for forced shopping, meals at generic
tourist restaurants, and layers of middlemen
extracting as much money as possible from
you along the way.
Sound dreadful? But wait, theres more. Say
youre an independent traveler with limited
time who wants to experience a smart combo
of Chinas highlights as well as its off-the-beaten-
path gems. Since a car is vital and foreigners are
rarely allowed to rent one, most travel plan-
ners will set you up with a private car and driv-
er, plus an English-speaking guide, in each of the
destinations on your itinerary. These guides
will make orif youve chosen the wrong trav-
el plannerbreak your trip. Normally, guides
in China are trained to lead you to what the
government has determined will interest you,
as opposed to what will actually interest you.
They are conditioned to be highly inflexible and
to pad their pitifully small paychecks with kick-
backs from stores (thus the forced shopping)
and with gratuities from you (which is why it is
not uncommon to feel emotionally manipulat-
ed by them). So where do you find a China
travel planner with up-to-date information, re-
liable taste, special access, and flexible, custom-
er-friendly guides who understand what is
pleasing to the eye and authentic rather than a
tourist trap, and how do you avoid lines and
crowds and pick the restaurants, shops, and ac-
tivities that are worthwhile?
{ }
Many visitors to Beijing take a hutong tour
by rickshaw in the Hou Hai area, but these
can feel QuIte tOurISty. Instead, walk
through the area near Liulichang Street
[Fig. 1]
In the hutongs, youll see
cobblers repairing shoes,
grocers delivering produce,
and residents preparing
lunch outside (there are of-
ten no indoor cooking or
plumbing facilities).
[Fig. 2]
Bring your camera to
Da Dong roast Duck
restaurant so you can
capture the chefs at work
in the kitchen and your
server slicing up the meat
at your table as if in a
choreographed dance.
94
For the solution, see page 100. >>
I c o n I c I t I n e r a r I e s
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Cond E nast travElEr / c nt r a v e l e r. c om 96
eastward along the pedestrian-only street past the stores
that have gotten touristy of lateyou can tell from their
perfect paint jobs in preparation for the Olympicsand
youll hit a car-free hutong area (note the peeling paint)
where youll see everyday life being lived [Fig. 1]. After
youve had your fill, drive to lunch at Tian Di Yi Jia (140 Nan
Chi Zi Dajie, Dong Cheng District; 86-10-8511-5556; meals,
$25), a courtyard compound within the former Imperial City
that has been beautifully decorated with a mix of traditional
Chinese furniture and striking contemporary art.
Now that its about 2 p.m., head for the Forbidden Citys
north gate (the rear entrance), and proceed from north to
south (back to front), since this will mean fewer crowds than
if you entered at Tiananmen Square (forbiddencitychina
.com). Stroll through the Imperial Garden into the
courtyards where the
emperor, the empress,
their children, and his
concubines lived. Dont
miss the hall where the di-
sastrous Dowager Empress
Cixi, the power behind the
throne for 50 years, sat in-
visibly behind a yellow silk
screen, whispering com-
mands to her young nephew, the emperor.
By the time you reach Tiananmen Square your legs will be
shot, so return to your hotel for a rest before your Peking
duck dinner at the Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant (22
Dongsishitiao; 86-10-5169-0328; meals, $55), Beijings best
spot for relatively non-fatty duck [Fig. 2].
Day 2 (Sunday): Beijing
L
ocals gather every morning in Tiantan Park, which
surrounds the Temple of Heaven, but the scene is
most colorful on Sunday mornings [Fig. 3]. Dont miss the
temple itself, of course, as it is a paragon of Ming dynasty de-
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Arrive at tiantan Park
at 8 a.m. to see clusters
of Beijingers taking
rumba lessons, doing
tai chi, kicking shut-
tlecocks, and playing
chess, dominoes,
cards, and Chinese
instruments.
Although the english-language signage and audio
guides in the FOrBIDDeN CIty arent bad, it
helps to have a human guide navigate this 7.8
million-square-foot compound of 980 buildings M
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Cond E nast travElEr / c nt r a v e l e r. c om 98
sign. Its intricate wooden pagodas were built with no
nailsjust bracketing and joints (like most Chinese antique
furniture). Before leaving the park via the east gate, stop by
the Teahouse, where you can sit down to a flavorful lesson
in Chinese tea ceremonies. Its touristy, but its interesting
and fun enough to be worth the stop.
Sunday morning is also the best time for the Panjiayuan
Market (18 Huaweili; panjiayuan.com), Beijings largest out-
door antiques and flea market. Its an engaging scene even if
youre not a shopper. If you are, buyer beware: Most of the
antiques are phony, and you must bargain hard for what-
ever souvenirs catch your eye.
Your next stop is a place that was for me the highlight of
Beijing: the Childrens Palace (11 Jingshan Park Back-St.;
86-10-6406-0397). Set in buildings that once belonged to
the Forbidden City, its where many of the citys most tal-
ented children go for extracurricular classes. Only with an
appointment can you stop in to
watch as they learn violin, piano,
calligraphy, gymnastics, and
martial arts [Fig. 4].
At lunchtime, head to the
nearby Sichuan Restaurant,
located next to Prince Gongs
Mansion (14A Liuyin St.;
86-10-6615-6924; meals, $14).
Accustomed to serving tourists
without being touristy, it also happens to have been Deng
Xiaopings favorite eatery. I dont know what Deng used
to order, but you should try the tea-smoked duck, the
fish-scented eggplant, and the Four Season Beans cooked
in garlic, scallion, and minced pork.
Much of what youve seen so far in Beijing has been old
and dusty, so nows the time to get a feel for the countrys
hip side. Factory 798 (86-10-8457-2188; 798art.org) is a
cluster of converted industrial buildings that is the center
of Beijings burgeoning arts scene. Youll find galleries, ca-
fs, and boutiques selling artist-designed items. The com-
plex is enormous and labyrinthine, so start by buying a
map of it at Timezone 8 Art Books (798 Dashanzi Art Fac-
tory). Then visit two well-regarded galleries a short walk
away: the Long March Project (longmarchspace.com), a
good not-for-profit organization that nurtures new artis-
tic talent, and the Commune Gallery (beijingcommune
.com), founded by curator and critic Leng Lin and dedicat-
ed to top Chinese contemporary artists. Next, take the
five-minute drive to Caochangdi Village to see the collec-
tions at Pekin Fine Arts (pekinfinearts.com), run by
20-year China resident Meg Maggio, who promotes great
Asian artists, and Guang Han Tang (guanghantang.com),
which has exquisite antique furniture from the Ming and
Qing dynasties. For more contemporary Chinese art,
stop by Universal Studios Beijing (universalstudios.org.cn)
and the CourtYard Annex (courtyard-gallery.com).
Tonight is a convenient time for a taste of classic Peking
Opera (86-10-6351-8284; tickets from $25)though the
taste is an acquired oneat
the Huguang Theater, a for-
mer guild hall dating from
1807 [Fig. 5]. The show
starts at 7:30 p.m. and youll
be out by 9or at inter-
mission (but first visit the
open-during-intermission-or-
upon-request opera museum
attached to the theater).
Youll want to wake up ear-
ly tomorrow, so forgo a sit-
down dinner in favor of some quick and authentic food at
the Donghuamen Night Market [Fig. 6]. The many yummy
noodle, dumpling, and veggie snacks should be safe as long
as they are boiled or steamed while you watch (Donghua-
men Dajie; dishes, $3$8). Two blocks away is the Beijing
2008 Olympic Flagship Store (Wangfujing St.), in case youd
like to make a souvenir run.
Day 3 (Monday): The Great Wall
and the Summer Palace
T
he Great Wallthe worlds longest, built 2,200
years ago to protect China from invading
armiestends to lose some of its
grandeur when crawling with base-
ball-capped tourists. Leave your
hotel at 7 a.m., however, and
you can avoid Monday
morning rush hour and
ascend the wall before
the hordes arrive. There
are six sections of the Great
Wall accessible to the pub-
licall in various states
of decay or restora-
tionthat you must
choose among. If youre
an avid hiker who has always dreamed of climbing the
Wild Wall, youll want to drive three hours to Jinshanling
or Simatai and do the seven-mile hike between them with
an experienced guide (since parts have been reduced to
rubble). If youre not that rugged or time is a factor,
your best bet is the Mutianyu section of the wall,
only 90 minutes from town. The watchtowers are in
good shape, the cable car is safe, the vistas are beautiful (if
its a clear day), and although there are plenty of vendors
selling tourist schlock, at least theyre kept off the wall it-
self. If you leave your hotel at 7 a.m., you will have three
hours at Mutianyuample time to walk for a mile in each
direction before lunch [Fig. 7].
En route back to Beijing, stop for a couple of hours at the
At PANJIAyuAN MArKet, have your guide teach you
to haggle Chinese-style (or have him do it for you)
as well as tell you which items are things youll see again
later in your trip and which can only be bought here
[Fig. 5]
At the Huguang theater,
sit in the center of the
ground floornot in
the front rowso you
can read the subtitles
without craning your
neck and to avoid being
spat upon by the enthu-
siastic performers.
[Fig. 4]
unlike its crowded coun-
terparts in Shanghai,
Beijings Childrens Pal-
ace is typically empty of
visitors, and the students
seem less self-conscious.
[Fig. 6]
At Donghuamen Night
Market, youll see cooks
whipping up local delica-
cies such as starfish, centi-
pedes, crickets, and scor-
pionsalthough there are
plenty of less exotic snacks
to choose from.
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Summer Palace (86-10-6288-1144; en.summerpalace-china
.com), the imperial retreat where, from the eighteenth
century until the start of the twentieth, the emperor and
his household escaped Beijings summertime heat. Its a
vast park filled with temples, pavilions, gardens, a huge lake,
and the worlds longest covered walkway, decorated with
8,000 paintings [Fig. 8]. Its best to visit in the midafternoon,
because it can be a mob scene in the morning. Walk the
Long Corridor, climb Longevity Hill to the hilltop
temple if visibility is good, take a dragon boat ride
on Kunming Lake, and hit Suzhou Streeta re-
creation of the garden city of Suzhou in the Qing
dynasty, with shops, walkways, and the ambience
of a canal town that was built for the Qing rulers.
Youll be back in town around 5 or 6 p.m., and
since you must leave for the airport at 5:30 tomor-
row morning, you may want to dine early. You could spend
your last night in Beijing at Donglaishun (130 Wangfujing
St., Dong Cheng District; 86-10-6528-0932), a classic res-
taurant known for its northern Chinesestyle lamb hot
pot; its a fun meal because you get to cook it yourself. Or if
a hot spot sounds better to you than hot pot, opt for Chi-
nese nouvelle cuisine at the Whampoa Club (23A Jinrong
Jie Jia; 86-10-8808-8828), the younger sister to the trendy
Shanghai flagship (see Day 8).
Day 4 (Tuesday): Lijiang
A
fter three days in Beijing you
will crave blue skies and fresh
air, so escape to Yunnan Province,
where youll begin in Lijiang [Fig. 9].
True, Lijiang has been turned into a
cultural theme park lately, but there
are unspoiled nearby villages where
the local Naxi (pronounced nah-shee)
people, in their traditional blue cos-
tumes and headdresses, remain so
friendly and endearing that its still
possible to interact with them in a
genuine way. The same is true of the
Khampa Tibetans who live four hours north of Lijiang in
Zhongdian, also known as Gyalthang (the local Tibetan
name) and Shangri-La (the official new name the tourist
board uses). Four years ago, Chinese authorities declared
Zhongdian the location of the fictional Shangri-La in James
Hiltons novel Lost Horizona place that Hilton described
as having snow mountains, grassland, Tibetan people, red
soil plateau, three rivers flowing along, colorless snow-tea,
and a lamasery. The name-change gimmick to promote
tourism has, alas, workedand it puts Zhongdian at risk of
[Fig. 7]
After climbing the wall,
refuel with farm-fresh
food at Xiao Long Pu, a
ten-minute drive from
Mutianyu (your driver
will know the way). Skip
the roast fish, but indulge
in the vegetables and
dont miss the taro rolls.
[Fig. 8]
the 8,000 paintings
that decorate the
2,390-foot Long
Corridor at the Sum-
mer Palace are impos-
sible to see (for all the
tourists) unless you go
at the right time of day.
The Solution


China specialist Gerald Hatherly of Abercrom-
bie & Kent (see Wendy Perrins 130 Top
Travel Specialists, August 2007) has lived in
Hong Kong for 22 years (he started with A&K
in 1986 as a China tour leader) and spends 150
days a year traveling throughout the country.
He speaks, reads, and writes Mandarin fluently
and handpicks the guides he uses. His trips are
flexibleA&K itineraries can be changed on
the spotand because the company has offic-
es in Beijing and Shanghai, it can exercise a lev-
el of quality control over your itinerary that
U.S.-based travel planners cant. (Be-
ware U.S.-based tour operators
who say they have local offic-
es but dont really: They con-
tract your trip out to second-party
travel agencies in China, which in turn use oth-
er local agencies, thus foisting on you a string
of miscommunicating middlemen. Beware,
too, of U.S. tour operators who promise one-
on-one experiences with locals in their
homesdumpling cooking lessons, for in-
stancesince such preplanned interactions
often turn out to be halfhearted and less a cul-
tural exchange than an awkward financial
transaction.) There are other great China tour
operatorsImperial Tours and Geographic
Expeditions, for instancebut these solve the
problem of guide quality control by sending a
tour escort with you throughout your trip (in
addition to the local guides and drivers). Hav-
ing this extra person accompany you from
start to finish may guarantee that
you get the itinerary and service
you deserve, but it can also make
a trip prohibitively expensive.
Geralds tours represent, to my
mind, an optimal combination of
great experience and cost-efficiency. Ive taken
cheaper trips through lesser tour companies,
and, believe me, when you factor in how much
I had to spend to rectify the countless prob-
lems that ensued, in the end they
werent any cheaper.
Besides getting the best guides,
its important to go at the right time of
yearfrom late April through the end of May
or from September through the end of Octo-
ber, with the exception of the first few days of
May and the first week of October (national
holidays when millions of Chinese travel do-
mestically). Key also is to limit the amount of
time youre stuck in traffic in grimy industrial
cities. For this reason, I have (at the risk of in-
curring hate mail from China scholars every-
where) eliminated Xianan imperial capital
thats home to the terra-cotta warriors, and a
staple of group tours. If your goal is to under-
stand ancient Chinese history, I encourage you
to include Xianand I advise you how best to
do so at cntraveler.com/iconictrips. But if your
goal is to be charmed by China, your time is
better spent elsewhere. For
the same reason, I have elimi-
nated another group-tour sta-
ple: a Yangtze River cruise. In-
stead, I recommend Yunnan
Province, in southwestern Chi-
na, near Tibet. Its closer to the pastoral, blue-
skied China of your romantic imagination, and
the people and landscapes are less spoiled by
tourism than in the rural locales on most orga-
nized tours (including Guilin and Yangshuo).
Ive tried my best to make recommenda-
tions that will not be obsolete a few months
from now, but given that this is China, its an
impossible task. So, should Gerald make sug-
gestions that contradict mine, follow his. Hes
there; he knows. Finally, since guides are not as
necessary in the big cities as they are in rural
areas, if your trip is limited to Beijing or Shang-
hai and you dont want a guide, my advice is to
hire an English-speaking driver through your
hotels concierge and to stay at a highly rated
property that caters to Western business trav-
elers, because these typically have the best
concierge desks and English-speaking drivers.
{ }
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Cond E nast travElEr / c nt r a v e l e r. c om 102
suffering the same fate as Lijiang. So go soon!
From April through October, a nonstop daily flight
leaves Beijing at 7:35 a.m. and arrives in Lijiang at 10:45.
Take it and by lunchtime you can be sitting outdoors in the
Old Town, at the small canalside restaurant Ma Ma
Fus (45 Mi Shi Xiang, Xin Yi St.; 86-888-512-2285; meals
about $15), eating fried noodles and watching the world
go by. At least thats where youll be if youve opted for
convenient and economical digs such as the Sanhe Hotel
(86-888-512-0891; doubles, $42$65), whose rustic
rooms are set around traditional courtyards in the center
of the Old Town. (Rooms near the street can be noisy, so
stay in Nos. 301309 or
201207, off the
courtyard in
back.) You wont
be lunching at
Ma Ma Fus if
youve opted for
the citys most
luscious proper-
tythe Banyan
Tree Lijiang
(86-888-533-1111;
banyantree.com; villas,
$500$1,200), 20 minutes outside of townbecause
once you check in you wont ever want to leave. Every
room is a designer-showcase villa, and there are several
restaurants and a gorgeous spa. If your primary goal is to
get out and explore the area, stick with the Sanheor, if
you require Western standards of service and efficiency
(including a business center), the modern Grand Lijiang
Hotel (86-888-512-8888; doubles, $83$108), across the
street from the entrance to the Old Town. Charming its
not, but its a good value.
Your first stop after lunch should be Black Dragon Pool
[Fig. 10], whose park contains several exhibitions about
the Naxi people, and these are essential to appreciating
what you will see in and around Lijiang. Head first to the
Dongba Culture Research Institute. The Naxi have done
a good job of preserving their 1,400-year-old heritage be-
cause it has been passed down through the centuries by
wise men or shamans called dongbas. A dongba-in-training
will sit you down in a Naxi classroom and give you a de-
lightful introduction to the traditions at the heart of his
culture, which aims at pursuing a life in harmony with na-
ture, animals, and the gods [Fig. 11].
As the gardens and pavilions around Black
Dragon Pool empty out in the midafternoon,
spend at least an hour exploring the park and
its sixteenth-century architectural treasures
known as Five-Phoenix Pavilions. Dont miss the
embroidered silk paintings in the silk workshop off
Peony Garden (Traditional Culture Exchange Center;
86-159-8793-3240). But make sure that by 4:30 youre at
the Lijiang Municipal Museumthe new museum at the
north gate of Black
Dragon Pool, not the
old one next to the
Dongba Culture Re-
search Instituteso
you have enough time
for its Naxi Dongba
Culture Exhibition
before the building
closes at 6 p.m. Seeing
the displaysdevot-
ed to the ancient
manuscripts, costumes, rituals, instruments, and houses
of the Naximay take no more than an hour, but youll
want at least 30 minutes for the gift shop, where a dongba
in full regalia will draw you a customized Naxi pictograph
on tree-bark paper ($20). The shop carries a lovely array
of Naxi crafts and antiques, but the prices are high and
you must bargain hard.
A good spot for dinner in the Old Town? The upstairs
balcony at Old City Beef Restaurant (69 Xinyi St.; 86-
139-8884-4615; meals about $15), where you can gaze
onto the streets festively lit up at night. Dont miss the
beef soup and just-out-of-the-oven Naxi baba (pancake-
shaped local bread).
Day 5 (Wednesday): Lijiang
T
he Old Town is
less touristy by
day than by nightif you
know where to go. After
an hour or so at the
vegetable market, stroll
through the areas more
residential neighbor-
hoods, where you can still see moms doing laundry in a
stream while their children play nearby. Climb to Wang
Gu Lou Pagodabut only if its a clear dayfor vistas of
the Old Town and the peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Moun-
tain. Descend through the Mu Family Palace, a replica of
the palace of Lijiangs rulers from the Ming period through
the early twentieth century, and end up at the Nature
Conservancys Exhibition Center. The exhibit, in a histor-
ic house in the Old Town, shows the conservancys work
in rural Yunnan Province. Dont miss the lovely video Voic-
es of a Sacred Land.
After lunch, perhaps at the convenient Naxi Family Caf
(Xin Yi Jie; 86-888-511-5749; meals about $16) in the Old
Town, head to the countryside around Lijiang to explore
villages where Naxi farmers still live as they have for gen-
erations. In Yuhu, wander amid traditional stone houses
and peep into the friendly inhabitants courtyards. Youll
After dinner at Old City Beef restaurant, meander
through the streets to the market square where, if you
can see past all the baseball caps, you can watch
trADItIONAL NAXI DANCeS being performed [Fig. 11]
the Naxi people of Li-
jiang have the worlds
only complete picto-
graphic language.
the translation of the
sign that this shaman
wrote for my son?
Happy Birthday!
[Fig. 10]
Black Dragon Pool is a
legendary lake in a
picturesque park with
scenic views on a clear
day of the areas tallest
peak, Jade Dragon
Snow Mountain. Its
much less crowded in
the late afternoon.
[Fig. 9]
Although Lijiangs Old
town has gotten a bit
Disneyfied since being
named a uNeSCO
World Heritage
Site in 2003, its still
worth visiting.
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also find the former residence of Dr. Joseph Rock, an Aus-
trian-American scientist who lived in China from the
1920s through the 1940s, studying Naxi culture and lead-
ing National Geographic Society expeditions. There is a
fascinating photo exhibit showing what life was like then.
Next, head to the village of Baisha, which once was the
capital of the Naxi kingdom and now is a good place to
see the Naxi doing their everyday thingplaying cards,
drinking tea, hauling produce [Figs. 12, 13]. Youll also find,
in the sixteenth-century Phoenix Pavilion, the Bai Sha mu-
rals, whose fusion of animist images with Chinese Daoist,
Tibetan Buddhist, and Mahayana Buddhist ones reflects
the Naxis choice not to reject outside cultures but rath-
er to learn from them.
Only a two-minute drive from Baisha is the Banyan
Tree Li-jiang, so if youre staying there, youll be tempted
to retreat to the hotel for the rest of the day. If not, head
back to the Old
Town for dinner at
Hong Lou (70 Xin
Yi St.; 86-888-512-
1548; meals about
$15), run by a group
of Naxi women.
Make sure that by
8 p.m. you are seated
in the beautiful Na-
Xi Concert Hall for a
performance by the Naxi Orchestra, whose 24
musicians play lilting melodies on ancient stringed in-
struments that look a bit like something out of Dr. Seuss.
You wont hear these exotic tunes elsewhere in China, so
dont miss them. After the concert, introduce yourself to
the veteran conductor Xuan Kea fascinating man who
speaks fluent English, which he learned partly from Dr.
Rock, who lived with Xuans family for a time. A musical
prodigy who studied Western classical music until he was
imprisoned for 27 years when the Communists came to
power, Xuan was rehabilitated in 1978 and since then has
been researching the regions ancient musical traditions.
Attention, Banyan Tree guests who are likely to hole up in
their villas this evening: Be sure to attend the Naxi con-
cert on the first night in Lijiang.
Day 6 (Thursday): Drive to Zhongdian
B
efore hitting the road, make sure your A&K guide
has picked up some bottles of water. The scenic
drive north to Zhongdian takes three or four hours if
youre going direct, but youll want to make a few stops en
route to explore small communities and photograph natu-
ral wonders. The ride takes you past farm country and fruit
stands until you reach the first lookout terraces over the
Yangtze. Youll want to snap some photos on the terraces,
but avoid the Buddhist templethe authorities will try to
get you to contribute money, and there is some concern
that the monks arent even monks.
Continue on to the village of Shigu, which sits at the first
bend in the Yangtze, where the river does a V-shaped turn
before continuing eastward. The 300-degree twist makes
for panoramic, though usually mist-shrouded, views. The
best day for Shigu is market daywhich happens every
third daybut at any time you can see the towns Red
Army Memorial, a moving statue of a soldier and a Naxi
farmer that commemorates the winter crossing of
the Yangtze by 20,000 Red Army soldiers at the
start of the Long March in 1934. Continue on to
Shigus giant sixteenth-century shi gu (stone drum),
which memorializes a joint Naxi/Han army victory
over an invading force from Tibet and is believed to
have magical powers. Take a walk along the
towns main street, have an early lunch at the
charming little Jiang Nan Restaurant, and then
leave Shigu for Tiger Leaping Gorge, so named be-
cause, according to local legend, a tiger fleeing
from a hunter was able to leap across its narrowest point
(which, by the way, is 82 feet wide). The gorge, one of the
worlds deepest river canyons, can be accessed from ei-
ther the Lijiang side or the Zhongdian side of the river
but the former seems preferable. The latter requires walk-
ing 1,100 steps down to the riverwhich means walking
back up again. A few miles away, a monstrous parking ga-
rage is being built where you will soon be required to park
your car and board buses to get to the gorge. The Lijiang
side, on the other hand, has a level walking path
that runs alongside the river, taking you through
the gorge and affording more scenic vistas; if there
has been rainy weather, though, you need to watch
out for falling rocks. The gorge is most impressive dur-
ing the high-water months from June through Septem-
ber, when the river thunders through. A round-trip
hike on the Lijiang side from the parking lot to the
narrowest part of the gorge and back will take
you about 90 minutes.
Then continue your drive north to Zhongdian.
You will climb and climb, perhaps driving through
clouds, until you reach Zhongdian, at 10,500 feet.
Ward off altitude sickness by drinking plenty of water dur-
ing the ride.
The hotel quandary you face in Zhongdian is similar
to the one in Lijiang: If you stay at the most inviting prop-
ertythe Banyan Tree Ringha (86-887-828-8822;
banyontree.com; doubles, $400$900), a 40-minute drive
from townyou wont want to leave your room, and
therefore you may miss a lot. Again, if sensual delights are
a priority, opt for the Banyan Tree, whose villas resemble
traditional Tibetan lodges, only a helluva lot plusher. If
sightseeing or affordability is your priority, stay at the
quaint 22-room Songtsam Hotel (86-887-828-8889;
[Fig. 13]
Stop by Baishas Jade
Dragon Snow Moun-
tain Chinese Herbal
Medicine Clinic for
some hot tea with the
renowned Dr. Ho
Shi-Xiu.
Downstairs from the memorial in Shigu, youll find a
tributary of the yangtze and a QINg DyNASty BrIDge.
According to local legend, you and your beloved will
have a happier relationship if you cross the bridge together
the tip
Jellied bean curd in
a spicy chile sauce
with peanuts is a
must-try dish in
yunnan Province.
[Fig. 12]
At one end of Baisha
village sits a tie-dye
studio that designs
lovely and intricate
fabrics used for every-
thing from tablecloths
to childrens clothing.
I c o n I c I t I n e r a r I e s
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songtsam.com; doubles, $75), within walking distance of
Zhongdians most famous monument, Songzanlin Monas-
tery. Request a standard room with a balcony facing the
lake. As soon as you check in, order a pot of ginger tea,
the local antidote for altitude sickness. Its so tasty, youll
be an addict before long.
The lack of oxygen can tire you out, so tonight youll
want to take it easy, avoid alcohol, and turn in early. At
the Puppet Restaurant (Old Town St.; 86-887-822-5485;
meals about $17), order the thendu soup (with yak meat
and handmade noodles), Tibetan potato curry, and momo
(Tibetan dumplings) stuffed with either yak or vegetables.
Day 7 (Friday): Zhongdian
T
he town that I think of in my heart not as Zhong-
dian or Shangri-La but as Gyalthang (pronounced
gehl-tung)since thats what the locals call itsits amid
a stunning landscape of tranquil lakes framed by snow-
capped mountains
and valleys dotted
with wildflowers
and horses. The
regions three par-
allel riversthe
Mekong, Salween,
and Yangtze
have made it a
World Heritage
Site. The city itself
has a Wild West flavoryaks and black pigs wander
through the streets at rush hourand the car-free Old
Town has not yet been gussied up Lijiang-style. Of course,
tourism is growing so fast that, by the time this article
comes out, the town may also have finished building the
massive parking garage where visitors to Songzanlin Mon-
astery, Yunnan Provinces largest, will be required to park
their cars and board tour buses to get back and forth. If
youre staying at the Songtsam Hotel, though, the monas-
tery is just a short walk away [Fig. 14]. I dont know if its
the lamasery of the Shangri-La of Lost Horizon, but I do
know that about 500 lamas live there, including two ador-
able little boys [Fig. 15]. Stop by the small second-floor
chapelthe room of the Protector of Gyalthangwhere
monks sit on the floor chanting and praying.
Next stop, the vegetable marketthere are three.
The most engaging and photogenic is the oldest, which
youll find in the New Town, across the street from the
Peoples Bank of China building. Youll see Khampa Tibet-
ans in their traditional ethnic garb, as well as a few monks,
buying everything from yak cheese to noodle soup to
Tibetan black clay cookware.
Hit the Tibetan-style Old Town next. The renovated
section is lined with shops with trilingual signage (Tibetan,
Chinese, and English) and names like Lucky and Trustwor-
thy Silver Workshop Handed Down from Generation to
Generation. Dont miss the brand-new Diqing Ti-
betan Autonomous Prefecture Museum, which will
introduce you to the regions Tibetan minorities.
After a lunch of warm, sweet, gooey yak
cheese [Fig. 16] and baba at a spot in the New
Town thats a favorite among localsTashi
Khata (Lucky White Scarf)and after
buying a prayer flag ($2) for use later this
afternoon, head out of town. Get a feel
for the road to Tibet by driving half an
hour along this dramatically winding high-
way as far as the town of Nixi [Fig. 17].
Stop by Nixis Tibetan Black Pottery
Workshop to watch artisans shaping the clay with their
hands and wooden tools, just as theyve done for centu-
ries. Turn around and drive back to Zhongdian, and then
to the tiny village of Ringha, set amid rolling meadows
where medicinal herbs grow. Its well worth the climb
of several hundred steps to reach Five Wisdom
Buddha Temple, a serene hilltop haven that is a
reflection of the local culture of people and ani-
mals living together in harmony. Beneath the count-
less prayer flags strung around the temple, youll find
clusters of surprisingly outgoing goats, sheep, and black
pigs. (At the Tibetan New Year, such animals are given to
the monastery as a form of atonement for livestock that
have been killed; at the temple, nobody will harm them
which is why they are so friendly toward strangers.) Re-
member that prayer flag you bought in town? Tie it up
among the other flags.
After tea with a village family in
a traditional Tibetan
farmhouse, it will be
4:30 or so and youll
be a five-minute
walk from the Ban-
yan Tree Ringha.
Whether or not
youre staying at the
hotel, get an herbal
massage in its over-
the-top Tibetan spa. Dinner tonight in the Old Town
should be at Potala Log Cabin (Bei Men Lu; 86-887-822-
8278; meals about $17), a cozy place whose specialty is
Gyalthang hot pot [Fig. 18].
Next comes the experience that was the highlight of
my entire trip. At 8 every night in Zhongdian, the locals
come outolder ones in ethnic dress, younger ones
not [Fig. 19]and dance around the illuminated market
square in concentric circles to galvanizing Tibetan
rhythms. While the dancers you saw in Lijiangs market
square were paid to perform, these people do it for free
and with heartfelt zeal: It is a local tradition that knits the
At Songzanlin Monastery, ask if the LIVINg BuDDHA
is in residence; if he is, have your guide arrange a
meeting. you can receive a blessing or ask him to pray
for any wish or concern you may have
[Fig. 16]
Zhongdians culinary
specialties include yak
cheese (zo cheese, ac-
tually, since a female
yak is a zo), yak spare
ribs, and the very oily
yak-butter tea.
[Fig. 15]
Monks as young as
five can live at Song-
zanlin Monastery;
bring postcards from
home so they can see
where you live (es-
pecially if you want to
take their picture).
[Fig. 14]
Built by the fifth Dalai
Lama, Songzanlin
Monastery is nick-
named the Little Pota-
la Palace because of its
resemblance to its
more palatial cousin
in Lhasa, tibet.
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community together. Surprisingly, just as many men dance
as womenand every bit as gracefully and enthusiastical-
ly. Hopefully, youll join in too. This square dancing is a
tough scene to photograph, given the darkness and the
rapid movements, so dont be shy about standing in the
best spot for pictures: smack in the center of the square,
while everyone swirls around you in a colorful circle.
Day 8 (Saturday): Fly to Shanghai

C
atch the 8:35 a.m. flight out of Zhongdian that gets
you into Shanghai at 1:10 p.m. and you will feel as
if youve been laser-
beamed from the past
into the future. You
will also, after five
hours crammed into a
teensy seat on a sold-
out plane (the norm
here), crave exercise
and fresh air. So hit
the Bund, Shanghais
waterfront prome-
nade that serves as an introduction to the citys past and
future simultaneously: On one side of the bustling Huang-
pu River sit the former banks and trading houses from the
1920s and 30s, which yield a taste of Old Shanghai, while
across the river the space-age skyline of Pudongthe
citys financial district on steroidsyields the flavor of
New Shanghai.
En route from the airport to the Bund, make one quick
stopnot at your hotel, since checking in now will waste
precious daylight sightseeing hours (a big advantage of hav-
ing a car and driver is that you can keep your bags in the
car), but rather at the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition
Hall. A half-hour visit will give you an overview of how
quickly the city is changing and will enhance your ap-
preciation of everything else youll see in Shanghai.
In addition to a giant model of the city as it cur-
rently looks, you will find (on the third floor)
another giant model, of Shanghai 2010the year
the city will host the World Expothat is re-
markable for its sheer intricacy as well as for
the futuristic picture it paints (100 Renmin Da
Dao; 86-21-6372-2077).
Time for the Bund, which you should reach around 3:30.
The landmark Peace Hotel is closed for renovations but
is nonetheless a good place to start your walk, since its
where the Bund intersects Nanjing Road, one of Shanghais
shopping meccas [Fig. 20]. As you stroll down the Bund,
check out the up-and-coming side streets and peek into
some of the fashionable new boutiques, galleries, and cafs.
At No. 5 on the Bund, stop by two of Shanghais hottest
spots: the restaurant M on the Bund (86-21-6350-9988; en-
tres, $26$42) and the Glamour Bar. Across the street
is Three on the Bund (threeonthebund.com), the stylish
Michael Gravesdesigned restaurant and shopping center;
pop into its Shanghai Gallery of Art for a view of the build-
ings cool atrium. Three on the Bund is home to Laris
(86-21-6321-9922; entres, $28$40), Jean-Georges
Shanghai, and the Whampoa Cluball superb restaurants
that serve international cuisine to Chinas nouveaux riches,
foreign visitors on expense accounts, and you: Youve got a
7:30 dinner reservation.
Its still only about 5:30, though. If visibility is good as
sunset approaches, hop across the river to Pudong
and grab a drink with a dazzling view at the Grand
Hyatts Cloud 9 Bar (88 Century Blvd.; 86-21-5049-
1234), atop the Jin Mao Tower, Chinas tallest building.
Your guide will point out how the skyline will be changed by
what you saw at the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. Too
much haze? Another pre-dinner optionif the hip con-
temporary-art scene at Beijings Factory 798 left you hun-
gry for morewould be a visit to M50, Shanghais new
converted-warehouse art district on Suzhou Creek. Now
is the best opportunity for your A&K car to zip you over
there, and an hour is enough time to get a pretty good
sense of it (you can also get a feel for it at shangartgallery
.com and artscenewarehouse.com).
After dinner at Laris or M on the Bund, it will be
time to check in to your hotel in the former French
ConcessionShanghais most charming
neighborhood, with European-style man-
sions and leafy streets filled with res-
taurants, boutiques, and nightspots.
The place to stay, if you can af-
ford it, is the Mansion Hotel
(86-21-5403-9888; china
mansionhotel.com; dou-
bles, $380$680), an exqui-
sitely decorated 32-room property
that reeks of Old Shanghai; splurge on a special king
doubleat $680 the least expensive room type with a
front-facing view, which means you look out onto the ele-
gant courtyard and cityscape.
Day 9 (Sunday): Zhujiajiao and Shanghai
I
f Shanghai is the Paris of China, Zhujiajiao might be its
Venicea small Venice, to be sure, but well worth a
half-day trip, since its one of the few traditional water
towns that have not gotten too commercial. On a Sunday
morning, when the traffic is light, you can zip there from
Shanghai in only 45 minutes. In Zhujiajiaos car-free maze of
canals, bridges, and narrow lanes lined with shops on the
ground floor and the shopkeepers residences above, you
will see the routines of daily life.
The City God Temple is a good first stop [Fig. 21].
Amid the burning incense and the worshippers bowing
in prayer in four directions (since there are gods to the
Is Shanghais Mansion Hotel too pricey? try the ruI JIN
HOteL, a colonial-style property set amid gorgeous
gardens that also oozes 1930s charm (86-21-6472-
5222; ruijinhotelsh.com; doubles, $170$220)
the tip
ringha is a good place
to visit a traditional ti-
betan farmhouse. this
woman lives with four
generations of her fam-
ily, and served me a
snack of yak-butter tea
and yak cheese.
[Fig. 18]
My guide, tashi, made
sure we tried gyal-
thang hot pota soup
of vegetables, meat,
and rice noodles,
served bubbling in the
big black clay pots you
saw earlier in Nixi.
[Fig. 17]
your drive on the road
to tibet will take you
past snowcapped
mountains, lakes,
farms, and a ski re-
sortyoull wish you
could keep driving all
the way to tibet.
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north, south, east, and west), you can find your god
which in the Chinese calendar is determined by the year
you were bornby locating your year among the dozens
of vividly painted god statues. Another good stop: the
Qing Dynasty Post Office, a sweet museum inside an old
postal station that shows quite artistically how letters
were delivered from the Forbidden City to the rest of
China from the end of the seventeenth century through
1911. The highlight is a wonderful collection of postcards
of nineteenth-century Shanghai, although it
may drive you nuts to see how much
was razed to make
way for todays sky-
scrapers [Fig. 22].
You can easily be
back in Shanghai by
2 p.m. for your insiders
tour of Old Shanghai
those alleys, lane hous-
es, and tiny pockets of
the city that have thus
far managed to escape
the wrecking ball. These half-hidden gems are easy to walk
right past unless youre with a Shanghai historian who can
point them out. Two expats who have lived in and written
about Shanghai for years give customized private tours fo-
cusing on the citys architectural heritage: Patrick Cranley,
co-founder of Historic Shanghai (historic-shanghai.com),
a local preservationist group, and Peter Hibbard, author of
The Bund Shanghai: China Faces West (gingergriffin.com).
Your tour should concentrate on the French Con-
cession: Before, after, or during the tour, walk
along Fenyang Road from the Pushkin statue
northward (past the former homes of Chiang Kai-
shek and the Song Sisters) to the Arts and Crafts
Research Institute (79 Fenyang Rd.; 86-21-6437-3454),
a museum in a former French mansion where you can
observe artisans engaged in traditional Chinese arts and
crafts such as paper cutting, embroidery, and making
dough dolls. Have Cranley or Hibbard drop you off on Tai-
kang Road in the Lane 248 neighborhood [Fig. 23]. Grab
an early dinner at one of Lane 248s outdoor cafs because
at 7:30 youve got an acrobatics show thats a 20- to 30-
minute drive away. ERA: Intersection of Time, at the
1,600-seat Shanghai Circus World (2266 Gonghe Xin Lu;
86-21-6652-5468; era-shanghai.com; 7:30 p.m.9 p.m.;
$11$80), is a multimedia spectacular that is the most in-
novative of Shanghais acrobatic shows: It finishes with six
daredevil motorcyclists zooming past one another inside a
spherical cage. En route from the Circus Center back to
your hotel, ask your guide to write down for you in Chi-
nese characters the name and address of each stop on
tomorrows agenda. Also, if the acrobats left you gob-
smacked, decide whether tomorrow night youd like to
see the world-famous Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe in its
more formal, traditional show, where the emphasis is less
on special effects and more on athletic precision and tight
choreography [Fig. 24]. If so, tell your guide so that A&K
can get you last-minute tickets. The show is in a
more convenient venuethe Shanghai
Center Theatre (1376 Nanjing
Rd. W.; 86-21-6279-8663;
shanghaiacrobats.com;
$14$28), next to the
Portman Ritz-Carlton
but it also starts at 7:30,
which means you cant
enjoy a nice leisurely din-
ner on your final night in
Shanghai. The best seats
are in rows 6 through 11.
Day 10 (Monday): Shanghai
I
ve organized your three days in Shanghai so that to-
days agenda can be accomplished on your own. Why?
First, youve had a guide and driver from the moment you
landed in China, and by now you are probably itching to
improvise and wander. Second, it saves you money. Much
of today can be done on foot, but youll be hailing a few
taxis as well, which is why you asked your guide to jot
down that list of addresses in Chinese; youll show it to
your cabdrivers.
Start at the Shanghai Museum (2 Renmin Da Dao;
86-21-6372-3500; shanghaimuseum.net), which is least
crowded when it opens at 9 a.m. It is arguably Chinas single
best museum, thanks to the
scope and quality of its an-
cient artbronzes, ce-
ramics, paintings, furni-
ture, calligraphy, jade,
coinsand the technol-
ogy it uses to display
them so beautifully. The
English sign age is great,
but its still worth renting
the audio guide. Dont
skip the intricate ethnic-
minority costumesChina has more than 50 ethnic mi-
norities, and the exhibit highlights just how distinctive they
areor the fabulous gift shop.
Hungry for lunch? If youre a true foodie eager for tradi-
tional Shanghai cuisine, its worth the 15-minute walk west
along Nanjing Road (the busy boulevard with all the giant
department stores that you glimpsed from the Bund, at its
eastern end, the other day) to have lunch at Meilongzhen
(Bldg. 22, 1081 Nanjing Rd. W., opposite the Meilongzhen
Shopping Center; 86-21-6253-5353; meals, $11$20), an
institution dating from 1938 that may be the citys single
On your tour of historic Shanghai, make sure to stop into
Hong Merchant, a restored house that is Chinas most
BeAutIFuL ANtIQueS gALLery (No. 3, Lane
372, Xingguo rd.; 86-21-6283-2696)
[Fig. 20]
In Shanghai, be sure
to pop into buildings
along the Bund, such
as the former HSBC
headquarters at No. 12,
built in 1923. Its lobby,
with a mosaic dome,
is a temple to finance
(it closes at 5 p.m.).
[Fig. 21]
At Zhujiajiaos City
god temple, locals
who want good luck
say, students prepping
for examstie red
ribbons on one of the
Wishing trees.
[Fig. 19]
the women of Zhong-
dian wear white
aprons if theyre not
married and blue
aprons if they are.
marCh 2008
C l a s s i c C h i n a
I c o n I c I t I n e r a r I e s
115
best Shanghainese restaurant. Order the luobuo su bing
(radish cakes wrapped in phylo pastry), the xiao long bao
(traditional Shanghai-style steamed dumplings stuffed with
pork or crab), the ti pang (braised pork shank), and the shi
zi tou (pork and crabmeat balls stewed with braised cab-
bage). If a happening scenes more important than cuisine,
walk ten minutes
south of the Shang-
hai Museum to Xin-
tiandi (pronounced
shin-tyan-dee)a
two-block district of
restored shikumen
stone houses that
has been so success-
fully turned into a
hot shopping, dining,
and entertainment
center that it serves
as an important Shanghai showcase and an impetus for the
renovation of places like Lane 248. A good lunch choice
if theres a table available upstairsis Ye Shanghai (338
Huang Pi Nan Lu, House 6 Xintiandi; 86-21-6311-2323;
meals, $40$55).
After lunch, stroll over to the Dongtai Road street mar-
ket (87 Dongtai Lu; cash only), just southeast of Huahai
Park and a 15-minute cab ride from Meilongzhen. Its an
antiques and curios bazaar where you will find everything
from Mao watches and Communist-era posters to em-
broidered slippers for bound feet. (Be warned: You must
bargain, and assume that little is genuine.) The neighbor-
hood will give you a glimpse of how people lived in Shang-
hai years agoand how some of them still live, without in-
door toilets or stoves.
Continue walking east from Dongtai Road, and in 10
or 15 minutes you will hit the Yu Yuan Gardens (218 An-
ren Jie), a traditional
Chinese garden com-
pound dating from 1559
that covers five acres
and includes pools, pa-
vilions, rockeries, and
a zigzag bridge. Its
Shanghais number
one attraction for
domestic tour
groups and is un-
bearably crowded in
the mornings and on weekendswhich is why
youre going now, at 4 p.m. The Yu Yuan Gardens close
at 5, so youve got an hour.
Unless you opted for the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe
this evening, you can spend your final night in the city en-
joying a leisurely dinner. Try Lost Heaven (38 Gao You
Rd., by Fuxing Xi Rd.; 86-21-6433-5126; meals, $27$40),
a restored 1920s high-ceilinged villa in the French Con-
cession where the excellent food and decor blend Bur-
mese and Yunnan styles.
Day 11 (Tuesday): Hangzhou
A
fter Chinas concrete jungles, Hangzhou, consid-
ered the countrys most livable city, is a breath of
fresh air. Since West Lake is best explored on your own
by foot, bike, and boatIve arranged your two days in
Hangzhou so that on the first you will blitz those must-
sees where you benefit from having a guide, and on the
second you can amble around the lake on your own.
Hangzhous highlights are manyit was Chinas capital
during two dynasties and is renowned for its tea and silk
so Ive selected those sights that best round out your in-
troduction to Chinese culture.
Catch the 7:53 a.m. bullet train out of the Shanghai South
Station, which arrives at the Hangzhou train station closest
to the lake at 9:08, and by 9:45 you can be at the Lingyin
Temple (1 Fayun Lane; 86-571-8798-8665)the largest, old-
est, and most famous Buddhist monastery in southern Chi-
na. The temple complex will be crowded (the only time you
can avoid the hordes is at 7:30 a.m.), but because its a major
pilgrimage spot, the crowds are interesting: a line of crim-
son-robed Tibetan nuns here, a cluster of chanting
monks there. The Great Hall contains probably the
most striking Buddha you will see during your
trip: Chinas largest sitting Buddha, 81 feet
tall, gilded and planted on a giant lotus.
Besides understanding the im-
portance of Buddhism in Chinese
culture, its equally critical to steep
yourself in the significance of tea. Hang-
zhou is the source of Chinas finest green
tea: Dragon Well, named after a serene
spring situated amid the tea plantations just out-
side the city. At the teahouse at Dragon Well Vil-
lage, you can learn about and sample the different va-
rieties (Longjing Rd.; 86-571-8797-5902). The tea is said to
have all manner of healing powers, from improving your
eyesight to curing heart conditions to helping you lose
weight. The finest is the spring harvest tea; a great vintage
can fetch $110 to $275 per pound [Fig. 25]. The tea at
Dragon Well Village is of a higher quality than what you can
buy downtown or in the United States, so this is the place
to stock up. And here you wont be subjected to the hard
sell youll find at the more touristy MeiJiaWu Tea Culture
Village, farther up the road.
Next, head to Hangzhous Old Town and the former
residence of Hu Xueyan (Yuanjing Lane, 18 Wangjiang Rd.;
86-571-8682-1131), a wealthy Qing dynasty businessman
[Fig. 26]the magnificent courtyard garden comes com-
plete with a lake, pavilions, a zigzag bridge, red carp, and tri-
[Fig. 23]
Lane 248 is a neigh-
borhood of small stone
houses that have been
spared the bulldozer
and turned into a chic
district of boutiques
and coffee shops.
[Fig. 24]
Acrobats in both Bei-
jing and Shanghai per-
form this bicycle stunt,
but its Shanghais
troupe that is the must-
see: their precision is
spellbinding.
Hangzhous legendary lakewith its mist-shrouded
banks, willow trees, islets, pagodas, and arched bridges
looks like it stepped out of one of those ancient INK-
AND-BruSH PAINtINgS at the Shanghai Museum
[Fig. 22]
Pick up a sampan by the
City god temple and ride
it to the Fansheng Bridge,
where you can lunch on the
water at Lao Dong Lai. try
zongzi (meat and rice
wrapped in leaves) and lo-
tus root (162 great North
St.; 86-21-5924-
0856; meals about $11).
I c o n I c I t I n e r a r I e s
C l a s s i c C h i n a
Cond E nast travElEr / c nt r a v e l e r. c om 116
lingual parrots. A good spot for lunch in the Old Town is
Huang Fan Er, Emperors Kitchen (53-57 Gaoyon St.;
86-571-8780-7768; meals about $20); order the dongpo
pork (a 900-year-old Hangzhou specialty) and, if its in sea-
son (September through early December), hairy crab. A
short stroll after lunch will take you to the museum that Hu
Xueyan founded in 1874, the Hu Qing Yu Tang Museum
of Traditional Chinese Medicine (95 Dajing Lane; 86-571-
8702-7507), where hundreds of medicinal plant and animal
specimens are displayed, including bugs, snakes, and sea
creatures. (Its a good thing you already ate.) Dont miss
the old-world workshops where elderly pharmacists
(called masters) demonstrate how they make herbal po-
tions. Last comes the museums highlight: the pharmacy,
where more white-coated masters scurry around filling
herbal-medicine prescriptions, measuring and mixing all
manner of strong-scented ingredients [Fig. 27].
Leave the drugstore no later than 3:15 so that you have
time for the Xiling Seal Engravers Society (Solitary Hill;
86-571-8717-9617), a museum in a lovely location on a
West Lake islet that is devoted to two of Chinas indelible
cultural traditions: cal-
ligraphy, which is not
just a way of writing
but a beloved art
form; and the chop
or seala symbol of
ones identity and also
an object of artistic ap-
preciation. Its likely
now 4:15, and theres
time for one more
stop. Given how im-
portant gardens are
to Chinese culture, it should be the Botanical Gardens
(1 Taoyuanling; 86-571-8796-1908)the place that best
shows off the greenery and flowers for which Hangzhou is
famous, especially in the photo-perfect late-afternoon light.
Now have your car deliver you and your luggage to your
final hotel, the Shangri-La Hangzhou (78 Beishan Rd.;
86-571-8797-7951; doubles, $195$445), set amid 40 acres
of gardens. Book a $345 East Wing Lake View room so that
in the morning you can awaken to a classic Chinese land-
scape painting outside your window. I wont recommend a
budget hotel option for Hangzhou because youll be guide-
and driver-less tomorrow and therefore you should have a
crack concierge at your fingertips.
Hangzhous oldest restaurant, Lou Wai Lou (3 Gushan
Rd.; 86-571-8796-9023; meals about $50), is on the same
islet as the Seal Engravers So-
ciety, just a 10- to 15-minute
walk from your hotel. Make
sure your 7 p.m. reserva-
tion is for the main dining
room, since the private
rooms do not have lake-
view tables, and order two
Hangzhou specialties: beggars
chicken, baked in lotus leaves
and clay, and shrimp bathed in
Dragon Well tea.
Day 12 (Wednesday): Hangzhou
T
his is your day of relaxationyouve earned it!
so theres no schedule, only a few suggestions:
Catch the misty early-morning scene on the lake, when the
locals do their tai chi and dance classes; rent a bike to circle
the lake; and catch a boat for a cruise to the islets. The
Shangri-Las concierge can help with all three. Be sure to hit
two particularly lovely spots: Viewing Fish at Flower Pond
(near Nanshan Road, on the south side of the lake), an
800-year-old garden famous for its peonies and carp pond,
and Guos Villa (17 Yang Causeway), an early-twentieth-
century family compound built in the style of a classical gar-
den. Into silk? If you didnt see enough of it at the Shanghai
Museum or if youre a shopper, check out the China Silk
Museum (73-1 Yuhuangshan Rd.; 86-571-8703-5223), the
worlds largest, which covers the history of silk and has a
nifty gift shop, or the Hangzhou Silk Shopping Center, Chi-
nas biggest silk department store, which sells everything
from silk umbrellas to silk hand cream and has a first-floor
factory where you can see, step by step, how silkworms
become duvets. For last-minute shopping after dinner,
check out the night market on Wushan Road. The curios
arent authentic, but the scene is. And when your head hits
the pillow tonight, smile at the fact that, thanks to Gerald,
you managed to avoid getting chewed up and spat out by
the Chinese tourism machine.
[Fig. 26]
Hu Xueyan was a
wealthy Qing dynasty
merchant whose jewel
of a mansion paints a
beautiful portrait of
nineteenth-century
life. And its not listed
in most guidebooks.
[Fig. 27]
In the drugstore of
the Museum of
traditional Chinese
Medicine, elderly
customers socialize
over ginseng tea.
The Adventure Continues Online Youre not done yet! Theres much
more on our Web site, including two bonus trips: one to Xian and the other to Guilin and Ping An. For all that
plus an easy-to-print PDF of this article, go to cntraveler.com/iconictrips after February 26.
How to Book
Contact Gerald Hatherly at Aber-
crombie & Kent Hong Kong (852-
2865-7818; cell, 852-9156-2260;
hatherly@abercrombiekent.com
.hk). The cost of the tour de-
scribed here is $5,156 per person,
based on double occupancy. This
includes hotel stays (specifically, 11
nights in the more affordable op-
tions cited and two at the Shangri-
La Hangzhou, in the recommend-
ed room categories); airfare
within China; guides, drivers, and
ground transportation and meals
except on Days 10 and 12 (daily
breakfast is included through out);
entrance fees; a tour with the
Shanghai historian; and taxes and
hotel service charges. (The cost
may fluctuate with the exchange
rate.) This itinerary is only the
beginning of what Gerald can ar-
range, but be aware that embel-
lishments will cost more. Since
China is 12 hours ahead of eastern
standard time, I recommend e-
mailing him first to brief him about
your needs and to arrange a con-
venient time for a phone appoint-
ment. A&K Hong Kong is part of
the international network of Ab-
ercrombie & Kent offices; if you
must work with someone in the
United States, you can call A&K in
Oak Brook, Illinois (800-554-7016;
abercrombiekent.com), but make
sure the Oak Brook travel planner
works closely with Gerald.
} {
[Fig. 25]
the Hangzhou way to
drink tea is to eat it,
leaves and all. It is
served unstrained in
clear glasses so you can
appreciate the shape
and color of the leaves as
they swirl around.