Destinations

No matter which part of China you come from, your first impression of Kunming is sunshine and spring-like brightness, which never changes with the seasons. Looking up, the plateau sky is a deep, clear blue that seems to stretch endlessly.

At the “Talking About the Fourth City” forum, hosted by New Weekly magazine and others, Chengdu beat Shenzhen to become the fourth city after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The city has a full range of industries and a distinctive Sichuan cultural tradition, along with famous food, drink and beautiful women. In recent years, more and more outsiders have come to love Chengdu. Descriptions such as “the city you won't want to leave” and “the Eastern Garden of Eden” keep multiplying, and their content boils down to “laid-back, content with small comforts, mahjong and hotpot.” In reality, local housing prices have pushed most people beyond the Third Ring Road. Chengdu is no longer just a pastoral idyll, and the typical Chengdu comfort and ease seem to be losing some of their footing, inevitably tinged with Chinese-style anxiety. Yet no matter which direction you head from Chengdu, within 100 kilometres you will still find traditional, remote mountain villages, where tens of millions of Sichuan farmers work hard all year round and form the famous army of migrant labourers. Chengdu, which accounts for nearly a third of Sichuan's economic output, has every advantage of location and resources, drawing on the best of the province's resources, and it is the whole province that has nurtured it.

In Chongqing you often come across stretches with such steep gradients that they look almost vertical, yet locals insist on calling them ‘roads’ with names. Staying in a hotel in Chongqing, the staff from the first floor up to the fifth will specially remind you: go up one more level and you can leave through the back door straight onto the street behind the hotel. Clearly, the staff could tell that the guest was an outsider.

To photograph Huangguoshu Waterfall, be sure to go down to the edge of Xiniu Pool (Rhino Pool). The scenery, angle and light there are ideal. Do not jostle with large crowds on the path to Shuilian Cave for the shot, since the angles and results are poor there. Other good vantage points include: Guanpu Pavilion (Waterfall Viewing Pavilion), which offers a panoramic view of the waterfall; beside the three-character “Shuilian Dong” (Water Curtain Cave) stone tablet, where skilled photographers can capture a double rainbow (the refraction zone is in the morning); and Wangshui Pavilion, which gives a bird's-eye view of the waterfall plunging down in full force.

In Tibet you may witness this scene: a long, extraordinary mountain road, and a group of deeply devout pilgrims who prostrate themselves at every step. They have been travelling for years, aiming to touch the sacred land of Lhasa with their whole bodies in a single lifetime.

If every city had a gender, Xi'an would be the most masculine of them all. Its massive city walls, grey-yellow tones and the deep imperial aura of an ancient capital leave no room for anything delicate. Locals eat from enormous bowls, and the occasional strains of Qinqiang opera (秦腔) carry a rugged, weathered masculinity.

Xining's sunlight pierces through the clouds and falls straight onto your skin. Without sunscreen beforehand, the searing sensation is hard to escape, and your eyes ache. But the sky is such a deep blue that you feel you could melt into it, which makes up for the blazing sun along the way. Xining is already very close to Tibet, so coming here is a rehearsal for entering Tibet.

The Yellow River winds through Lanzhou like a golden handkerchief beckoning you. Over two thousand years ago, this was one of the four great Yellow River ferry crossings. Tang monk Xuanzang on his journey to fetch scriptures, Han generals campaigning in the west and merchants heading east all once crossed the river here on sheepskin rafts known as “huntuo.” And so the Golden City, nestled between mountains and river, came to be — today's Lanzhou.

Ningxia, one of the smaller provincial regions on China's map, is like a treasured jewel cradled in the arms of the motherland. The Yellow River tumbles out of the mountains of Gansu and pauses to rest here. Fertile loess lies in layered deposits, and plump carp and boundless rice paddies gave rise to the saying “the Yellow River makes Ningxia rich.” It is no wonder that nearly a thousand years ago, the once-mighty Western Xia Empire built its foundations here and expanded across a vast territory that stretched for thousands of kilometres.

The song “The Visitor from the Iceberg” made Xinjiang a symbol of faithful love. Why are the flowers so red? Because of the clear sky and the radiant smiles of the Uyghur girls. The Tianshan Mountains are the “ribs” of Xinjiang, dividing it into the Junggar Basin of northern Xinjiang and the Tarim Basin of southern Xinjiang. Grown within these ribs, Urumqi is as complex and expansive as Uncle Afanti himself.

They say Shanghai's most fascinating quality is how “old meets new.” As for “new,” Pudong Airport, the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Maglev train all represent the country's latest and fastest. As for “old,” it does not mean that Shanghai has a long history. Counting from when it first appeared as a small fishing village, it has only about six or seven centuries behind it before becoming an international metropolis. The “old” refers to the glamour of old Shanghai, the city of the Ten-Mile Foreign Concessions, from its shikumen (stone-gate) lanes to its former foreign concessions. The opulent, dazzling music of that era still seems to drift faintly in the air.

Mention Suzhou and you can't avoid phrases like 'water town', 'houses resting on rivers' or 'the Venice of the East', but none of these words can capture its one essence: serene elegance. Walking through Suzhou's city, you must slow your pace. Narrow lanes, green trees, white walls, and branches quietly stretching out from behind a wall: stroll through such a streetscape and even the breeze you bring seems to stir everything around you. The old lanes of Suzhou, their bluestone slabs worn smooth, the faint scent of wood, and the stone lions with patches of moss at their doorways: these are Suzhou's deepest dream. Shantang Street, Taohuawu, Pingjiang Road... even the unhurried, peaceful feeling carried in the street names cannot be imitated. Although billboards, the emblem of modern life, have moved into the buildings of this old city, they have never destroyed this feeling, and that is what people envy most.

Whenever Hangzhou is mentioned, West Lake is inevitably part of the conversation. 'History at every turn, culture at every step': in Hangzhou, landscape and culture blend perfectly, and this blend is almost always found around West Lake. Before coming to Hangzhou, it is well worth doing some background reading. Without a few Chinese history books under your belt, walking around West Lake may only show you asphalt roads and a large pond, and you will hardly sense the rich history and culture.

The southern route is shaped by water, clean and clear. As you walk through village after village, the irrigation channels along the way are always there, wherever you go. Even inside the residential houses, the canal water follows right behind you.

This is not a casual summary of Qingdao from someone passing through. It is Kang Youwei's assessment of the city's colours. Today it has become the slogan of the Qingdao municipal government: Qingdao is “red roofs and green trees, blue sea and blue sky.” Either way, experiencing Qingdao in its clear air gives you an immediate sense of visual delight. Qingdao's daytime sunlight is very strong, so bring sunglasses to protect your eyes from the glare.

The fog and rain are part of Lushan's scenery, and some people come specifically for the mist. But this also means that, while you may “fail to see Lushan's true face” (不识庐山真面目), you must endure the dampness on the mountain. It shows up in several ways. The chill is the main one: when the temperature gap between the mountain and the foot of the mountain widens, fog rolls in on Lushan, bringing a damp, cold feeling. At such times, only the lush greenery and the succession of scenic spots can dispel the gloom that the dampness brings.

As early as the Western Zhou period, Wuyi Mountain was already part of the “Land of the Seven Min” (七闽之地), the settlement area of the Min people. In the late Spring and Autumn period, the Yue people entered Fujian. Later, through ethnic migration and blending, the area gradually took on its present character, with the Han people in the majority and the She people living in concentrated communities. This is why traces of ancient Yue culture, such as cliff-suspended boat coffins (架壑船棺), are still preserved here.

Hundreds of years ago, Beijing was built to embody the highest ideals of imperial rule. Today, the north-south central axis and the strictly symmetrical east-west layout of the city have grown somewhat blurred, yet traces of the ideal of harmony between heaven and humanity can still be sensed. As a former imperial capital, the city was far more concerned with expressing moral ideals and moral instruction than with providing a comfortable place to live. Even now, Beijing has not become China's most liveable city. It may not be a comfortable place to live, but it is often a place for ideas. Among all Chinese cities today, Beijing is arguably the one where idealists are most concentrated. In fact, people in this city are happy to see themselves as idealists, yet most of them also have a clear-eyed, even shrewd sense of reality. Of course, in Beijing today, idealism can be a banner, a slogan, a genuine way of acting or a nostalgic mood; it can be a stance of rejecting the worship of money, or it can become a sign for making a profit or a pretext for... Whatever the case, at least in this city, people still remember that the word "idealism" exists.

As one of China's earliest municipalities, Tianjin is a metropolis that rarely becomes the centre of attention. Its history reveals a city with a glorious past: Peiyang University, today's Tianjin University, was China's earliest state-run institution of higher learning in the modern era; Nankai University was Tianjin's first private university; and the grand and small Western-style buildings across the city have witnessed stories that cannot be forgotten in modern Chinese history. As an old industrial city, Tianjin has a large number of industrial heritage sites. As the times have moved on, these old factories have gradually left the stage of history. In recent years, however, many have been upgraded and converted into creative parks. Industrial relics once forgotten by the times have come back to life.

Anyone who has visited Chengde comes away with the same impression: it is a small city. In fact, Chengde has never been a large place. It became famous only because the Kangxi Emperor, who never forgot his roots on horseback, built a imperial summer retreat here. This “imperial retreat,” once reserved exclusively for the Aisin-Gioro family, is now full of visitors, and the pop music drifting from the streets has somewhat dispelled the solemn atmosphere.

Pingyao's old town still has 3,797 traditional courtyard houses, most of which are inhabited. With its intact ancient city walls and the traditional residences where people still live, Pingyao remains a living ancient city.

Backed by many national dairy enterprises, Hohhot could hardly fail to be called the “Dairy Capital”. In the suburbs and the villages of the surrounding banners and counties, you will regularly come across small herds of dairy cows ambling about, and the strong smell of cow dung hangs in the air. Even more heartening is that every city, district and township leader says: “Given Hohhot’s position in the national dairy industry, we must raise our dairy cows well, and we are determined to do so.”

Nurtured by the Three Xiang and Four Rivers, Hunan's women are naturally captivating. Beneath the gentle appearance of the Xiangmeizi (Hunan girls) often lies a steadfast character, and the phrase "as firm as steel and as gentle as water" describes them perfectly. The term is more than a compliment on Hunan beauty; it also honours the achievements of Hunan women, from Xiang Jingyu, Yang Kaihui and Cai Chang, who helped save the nation in its hour of peril and shed blood for the revolution, to Ding Ling, Qiong Yao and Can Xue, who have shone brightly in literature.

For a long time, only two Chinese cities have dared to claim the word 'great': 'Great Shanghai' and 'Great Wuhan'. Great Wuhan carries so much past glory, and today the word 'great' holds even more meaning. The Han River flows into the Yangtze here, and Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang, the three towns at this T-junction, together make up Wuhan, which is vast indeed. Streams of people from north and south gather and disperse here, and northern and southern cultures meet and blend. No one feels lonely far from home here, for there is a warm welcome at every door. So 'great' also describes a broad, all-embracing spirit.

Xuchang lies in the heart of the Central Plains and has a long history as an important birthplace of Chinese culture. It has several historic sites from the Three Kingdoms period, which Romance of the Three Kingdoms fans should not miss.

Harbin women tend to be tall and fair-skinned, with a frank and generous character. Harbin men are often tall and burly, giving an impression of “tough guys,” yet they are in fact very friendly.

Held once a year in Jilin City in January, the festival centres on Jilin rime ice, one of China's four great natural wonders. The festivities last about a month. During this time there are grand Northeast yangge dance gatherings, lantern floating and colourful lanterns on the Songhua River, a parade of decorated boats, fireworks evenings, and international and national ice and snow sports competitions including skating, skiing and ice hockey.

Shanhaiguan is the first city inside the Great Wall pass, and Huludao is the first city beyond it. Separated by just one wall, the two cities have almost completely different landscapes: on one side, a small inland town steeped in Chinese civilisation and farming culture; on the other, a key stronghold once ridden through by nomadic peoples. Ningyuan Ancient City in Huludao still stands firm today, a witness to the many battles fought here, and its important historical sites remain for later generations to admire.

Stepping into the streets and alleys of Guangzhou, the Cantonese surrounding you on all sides may leave you a little bewildered. Although newcomers keep pouring into the city, Cantonese still flows through its streets and alleys. This ancient city has its own stubborn side, and what makes it feel familiar is the dignity beneath its bustle.

Northern Guangxi's wonder lies in its towering mountains, rushing rivers and primeval forests, which set it apart from the Guilin area. Its exoticism lies in ethnic minority customs and architecture that differ markedly from those of Han Chinese regions. Northern Guangxi is home to the Zhuang, Yao, Miao, Dong, Shui, Gelao, Mulam and Maonan peoples. Their distinct cultural traditions and customs mean the region's wonders are not merely something to see, but something that touches the heart.

The Central-Western Route borders Beibu Gulf and faces Vietnam across the sea. Most of the area is tropical rainforest that few people visit. Looking out over the endless sea of forest, it feels both mysterious and eerie compared with the bustle of the east coast. Perhaps because the natural conditions in the west are harsh, Han Chinese have rarely settled here since ancient times. Only the Li and Miao peoples live here, in their own distinctive ways, which gives the region a rich ethnic character.

Hong Kong's neon night views over Victoria Harbour are world-famous, and its nightlife is just as thrilling. The booming economy has created a strong demand for leisure and entertainment, so Hong Kong's entertainment industry is especially well developed. In particular, the dai pai dong food stalls, discos, bars and karaoke venues in Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui, and even the entertainment venues in Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok, usually operate 24 hours a day. All kinds of novel and offbeat entertainment keep springing up, so this city that never sleeps is never quiet. Hong Kong's charm lies in its nights, and only by truly immersing yourself in its nightlife will you understand what a dazzling world it is.

Only two places in the world still hold street circuit races: Monaco and Macau in China. Macau's roads are average, but traffic management is good, and many streets run one way. Unlike the purpose-built track in Zhuhai, Macau's street race sets up only a few grandstands at corners and on the balconies of several hotels, screened off by all kinds of signboards, with tickets priced at MOP100–300. On race day the streets are packed with spectators, and cars covered in advertising and bright colours scream past one after another. The thrill is hard to describe in words.

We might say we come to know and understand Taiwan through its music, writing and film. The bittersweet, achingly familiar teenage life in *A Brighter Summer* (《牯岭街少年杀人事件》), the endless sea mist in *A City of Sadness* (《悲情城市》), and *Mama, Don't Cry* (《妈妈，别哭》), which many people finish with tears in their eyes, have left many of us with an unshakeable fascination with Taiwan.