Beijing Expert

Inactive volcanoes, crystal-clear lakes and looming trees – the unspoiled natural beauty of Changbai Shan rewards the intrepid travelers who make their way out to this northern diamond.

For nature buffs, Changbai Shan is a piece of heaven, and it certainly lives up to its name, which means “Ever-White Mountain.” Budding nature scientists will be in a proverbial paradise as they explore the explosion of animal, insect and plant life on this dormant volcano, which is also China’s largest nature reserve. This 210,000ha of dense virgin forest lies on the border of China’s Jilin Province and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Created in 1961, the nature reserve is home to one of the most diverse mountain-forest ecosystems in Asia. Evergreen species like Korean pines and Japanese yews share the slopes with Mongolian oaks, dwarf birch and other deciduous trees.

The variation in plant and animal life is due to the changing altitudes. From the foot of the mountain to 1,000m are mixed coniferous and broad-leaved trees. Hardy and valuable coniferous trees like dragon spruce and fir can be found from 1,000m to 1,800m. Above 2,000m, only lichen survives. Within this treasure trove thrives over 300 medicinal plants such as the winter daphne and wild ginseng. (more…)

Heritage: Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area

With primeval forests, rocky crags and rushing streams, Zhangjiajie is a sublimely beautiful place to explore nature’s bounty. Be sure to bring lots of film and a good pair of shoes.

Stashed away in a remote northwestern corner of Hunan Province, bordering Guizhou and Chongqing, is the Wulingyuan Scenic Reserve (wǔlíngyuán fēngjǐngqū 武陵源风景区), better known as Zhangjiajie. Wisely set aside in 1982 as one of China’s first nature reserves, Wulingyuan protects an astounding variety of flora, fauna and minority tribes. The area has been given a UNESCO World Heritage listing, so extensive protection is in place, such as a complete fire ban (including smoking), conveniently placed rubbish bins and flagged erosion-resistance paths. (more…)

Heritage: The Ancient Building Complex in Wudang Shan

A legendary mountain, immortalized in countless sword-fighting novels, Wudang Shan has been the cradle of Taoism for over 1,000 years.

The Wudang Mountain range joins the Qinling Mountains in the west and Shennongjia in the south. Wudang Shan itself is situated in Danjiangkou in Hubei Province, not far from Wuhan and comprises of 72 peaks, 36 cliffs and 24 valleys. Its main peak, called Heavenly Pillar Peak (tiānzhù fēng 天柱峰) stands at a statuesque 1,612m and together with the other mist-shrouded peaks, creates a spectacular vision. However physically daunting Wudang Shan may seem, its natural beauty and exquisite architecture, its rich history mixed with Taoist culture and lore, makes it a worthwhile detour from Wuhan.

Hugging the terrain of Wudang Shan are pockets of architectural delights. Whether atop precipitous peaks, reclining on sloping terraces or tucked into ravines and caves, these exquisite pagodas, nunneries, prayer halls and cave temples have drawn pilgrims and tourists for centuries. (more…)

Rounding hairpin turns on a winding mountain road, the Shaolin temple’s surrounding scenery is as rugged as the legendary fighting-monks themselves.

Both domestic and foreign travelers come from far and wide to the small village nestled away in Henan Province’s Song Shan (sōng shān 嵩山), roughly an hour’s drive from Luoyang or Zhengzhou, to visit the fabled birthplace of one of the world’s most famous martial arts movements.

But Shaolin Temple is more than that – thousands visit every year to pray and pay their respects at one of China’s oldest Buddhist temples. The temple is believed to have been founded in the AD 495 by Indian monk Ba Tuo on land given by the Northern Wei emperor for monks to focus on the disciplines of their faith.

In AD 527, Bodhidharma (Dá Mó达摩) visited and founded what became the Chan (Zen in Japanese) sect. According to popular lore, Bodhidharma crossed the Yellow River on a single reed then spent nine years meditating in a cave before entering the temple grounds. His shadow can still be seen in a nearby cave to this day, aptly named Bodhidharma’s Cave (Dá Mó dòng 达摩洞).

Because Chan Buddhism emphasizes enlightenment through meditation; kung fu developed initially as stretching exercises between long hours sitting in a prone position and were used to help the monks’ concentration. Imitating animals and insects, the stretches eventually became fighting forms, which would make the name of the temple synonymous with kung fu. (more…)

Heritage: Longmen Caves

Grandiose caves filled with immense Buddhas decorated with intricate designs are a testament to the skill and wealth of the people who inhabited Luoyang and their devotion to Buddhism.

Luoyang, once the capital of 13 dynasties, does not offer many historical reminders that it’s more than 5,000 years old. Once the center of Chinese power and culture Luoyang is now best used as a base to explore the Longmen Caves (lóngmén shíkū龙门石窟), 12km from the city.

Originating from India, Buddhist cave carvings commemorate Sakyamuni, who used to teach his students in caves. Cave carvings became one of India’s great artistic heritages and spread throughout Asia along with Buddhism, the Longmen Caves have been selected as an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.

The site boasts not only the caves, but also lush mountains and ridges with springs and waterfalls. Two mountains on the east and west side of the Yi River are covered with green pines and cypresses, towers and pavilions dot each mountain. A hot spring near the entrance of the west mountain caves is a constant 24°C.

The caves got the name Longmen ,which means “Dragon Gate,” because the two mountains appear as a gate with the Yi River running through it, and when the Sui dynasty emperor built his palace in Luoyang, it faced the mountain “gates.”

Many of the well-known caves are located on the western mountain. Work at the Longmen Caves started in AD 493 when the emperor of the Northern Wei dynasty moved his capital from Pingcheng (now Datong) to Luoyang. It continued up to the Qing dynasty with two thirds of the caves dating to the Song dynasty. According to the Longmen Caves Research Institute, there are 2,345 niches, over 2,840 inscribed tablets, more than 60 pagodas and some 100,000 stone statues. (more…)

On the southern bank of the Yellow River, the ancient city of Kaifeng has withstood natural disasters, invasions and time.

Since 361 BC Kaifeng’s city walls have shielded early kingdoms and dynasties from northern invaders. The city’s fortunes reached a zenith during the cosmopolitan Song dynasty – this period distinguished Kaifeng as one of China’s most historically important cities.

For 168 years, the Eastern Capital, as Kaifeng was then known, flourished as a political, economic and cultural hub of the Middle Kingdom. Its streets bustled with people, animals and lively commerce. Resplendent temples and synagogues drew crowds of the faithful. Through its gilded city gates, camel caravans and Silk Road merchants sauntered in with bags full of goods.

Culture blossomed through poetry, calli-graphy, philosophy and the arts. Ceramic art reached its peak; no subsequent dynasty was able to replicate the exquisitely refined work of the Song ceramic masters. Today, only few pieces of priceless porcelain from the famous Guan Kiln (guānyáo 官窑) exists.

Kaifeng, home to 1.5 million people in its heyday, is a city of “firsts.” In 1041, printer Bi Sheng invented a revolutionary moveable type technology that accelerated the spread of ideas and culture throughout China. The first mechanical clock in the world was also produced here in 1092 and Kaifeng’s astronomical clock tower ran on hydropower generated by a gigantic water wheel.

The renowned Northern Song statesman and scientist Shen Kuo also came from Kaifeng. His 30- volume work called Mengxi Bitan (梦溪笔谈) is a priceless record of the learning and cultivation of his era, covering politics, economics, philosophy, history, military affairs, science and technology. In one article, Shen Kuo wrote about petroleum, which he called shiyou (rock oil), a term still used today. He recorded the properties of petroleum, its sources and uses such as how petroleum ashes could be made into ink sticks.

Even more fascinating is that Kaifeng is the earliest Chinese city to be home to a sizeable Jewish community. The first Jews arrived at Kaifeng having traveled the arduous Silk Road from Persia. Their first synagogue was built as far back as 1163, but never rebuilt after the flood of 1852. Three stone tablets in Kaifeng Museum (kāifēng bówùguǎn开封博物馆) record their arrival. (more…)

Heritage: Yungang Caves

From thumb-sized figurines to a 17m colossus, the Buddhist carvings at Yungang are one of the most spectacular holy sites in China.

Clustered in groups, the Yungang Caves (yúngǎng shíkū 云冈石窟) are meant to be viewed as a whole. This endeavor will take a few hours, but considering the carvings took almost half a century and 40,000 laborers to complete, the few hours spent exploring these majestic caves is time well-spent. Of the numerous artistic masterpieces that Buddhism has germinated in China in the past 2,000 years, the caves at Yungang are among the most profound.

The caves are located 16km west of Datong in northern Shanxi Province. A notch south of Inner Mongolia, this strategic location was once a cultural crossroad, with influences from India, Central Asia and Mongolia. In AD 368 a group called the Tangut (tuòbá拓跋) made Datong the capital of their Northern Wei dynasty. The Tanguts were fervent Buddhists and began work on the caves in 453, ending around 494 when the Northern Wei moved their capital to Luoyang and continued their devotional work at the Longmen Caves.

Over the centuries, the region’s fortunes have wavered. Datong is now an industrial city and an important coal production center. Situated on the Loess Plateau, the old capital is sometimes referred to as the “Sea of Coal.” Convoys of coal-laden trucks and swarms of bicycles clog the flat road to the mountain.

Once out of the city the traffic begins to thin out and the Wuzhou Hills ripple into view. Stone watch towers that have guarded China’s northern border for thousands of years are silhouetted against the horizon. Amid such sparse surroundings, caves full of Buddhas in fanciful poses come into view. Though the caves are famous for their depictions of the Buddha, other celestial beings are also represented. There are minutely detailed bodhisattvas and apsaras. Some caves are guarded by stone soldiers and others are covered with exuberant designs painted onto walls and ceilings.

The caves extend 1km from east to west and are divided into three major clusters. The grouping of the caves is seemingly haphazard, but it’s possible to follow stylistic changes in the carvings as influences ebbed and flowed. Persian, Indian, even Greek and Byzantine influences can be seen in the rock carvings from the weapons, music instruments and clothing displayed. (more…)

Once a remote outpost reached only by the most pious of pilgrims who traveled for months with wills steeled by devotion, Wutai Shan remains a hidden treasure for those seeking true contemplation.

Wutai Shan’s name means “five terraces,” which accurately describes the five flat peaks of this sacred spot – north, east, south, west and central peak. In the quiet valleys between the peaks lay a smattering of ancient temples, twisting trails and awe-inspiring views.

The major sights at Wutai Shan are rather spread out, forcing one to indulge in the gorgeous scenery that surrounds the five terraces. This also means that no one sight is overwhelmed with tour groups. Wutai Shan’s temples are an eclectic mix of Han Buddhist and Tibetan and Mongolian Lamaist traditions, making the mountain one of the best places in China to view Buddhist architecture. (more…)

Heritage: the Ancient City of Pingyao

The past is alive in Pingyao. Whereas other cities have embraced modernity often at the expense of their historical heritage, Pingyao tenaciously holds onto its past.

As dawn breaks and the morning sun bathes Pingyao’s gray city walls in warm tones, you find yourself flung back in time, as your eyes behold a Ming dynasty fortress in all its imposing glory. Watchtowers, cast iron cannons, intimidating wooden gates and sturdy walls render an impenetrable feel. And then the city wakes up. Narrow alleys that coil around time-honored courtyard homes fill up with its 480,000 denizens. Shops open their doors to reveal modern cashier equipment perched on antique tabletops. Bustling about are bicycles, rickshaws and scooters. Here in Pingyao, modernity lives with centuries old relics.

The old walled city is an architectural treasure trove. Civic buildings, private homes and streets are well preserved in Ming and Qing styles. Few buildings rise above two stories. Several are adorned with splendid eave roofs, intricately latticed windows, hand-painted glass lanterns and ornate wood. (more…)

Inner Mongolia has the lure of open grassy plains, herds of horses and sheep roaming freely while nomadic herdsmen watch over their flock, and a stretch of blue sky that eventually touches the green plains far off in the horizon.

Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, may not immediately stir images of a rough and ready frontier, but what this cosmopolitan city does offer is a gateway to the majesty of the grasslands which lie just beyond the city. The sights within the city shouldn’t be dismissed either. Once a political and cultural center, the relics of the past are strewn throughout. More than 36 ethnic groups live in Hohhot’s confines, with Mongolians making up about 9% of the population.

Bone fragments of early humans who lived in the area as early as 500,000 years ago have been found; these early ancestors are thought to be contemporaries of Peking Man. The first permanent establishment began about 2,300 years ago during the Warring States Period when the King of Zhao built the city – Yunzhong in the area. The merger of a 16th century Mongolian settlement and a city founded by Ming emperor Wanli has become present day Hohhot.

Though no longer apparent, the city was once a center of Buddhism with over 50 temples, although many are now in ruins. The Dazhao Temple (dàzhāo 大召), “zhao” means temple in Mongolian, was built in 1580 and is home to a 2.5m tall silver Buddha which the 3rd Dalai Lama came to personally bless in 1586. The 30,000m² complex is an interesting mix of Tibetan and Han architectural traditions.

The Xilitu Temple (xílìtú zhāo 席力图召), only 100m away from the Dazhao Temple is the largest and prettiest temple. It was built from 1567 to 1619 and has seen continual expansion. The 4th Dalai Lama’s teacher was the former abbot of this Lama temple and upon the accession of the 4th Dalai Lama; the temple was greatly expanded in honor of his teacher. The temple complex is mostly of traditional Han Chinese design, but the Dajing Hall (dàjīng táng 大经堂) features Tibetan styling. In the southeast corner is a 15m high tower. During the regularly held Buddhist festivals, colorful dancers wear intricate Tibetan style masks. (more…)