A month in China

Having previously studied and lived in Beijing, China felt like a second home to me. Thus, going back to the country for a month to explore the places I hadn't previously visited garnered my enthusiasm. Along with my wife Chloe, her mom Martha was also with us.

Our itinerary began in Hefei where I have family. The city attracts very few foreign tourists but we did manage to find the world's largest drum building here. Evidently it is a real estate planning center built to look like a drum.  

Next up we stopped in Guilin. A city situated in the southern region of China, Guilin is surrounded by beautiful lakes. While there we went up the Sun and Moon pagodas. It was beautiful as you can see the entire cityscape atop the structures.

Not too far away we took a boat ride along the Li river. It is home to the picture of the 20 Chinese yuan bill. During the same day we also visited the city of Yangshuo. Most western tourists are attracted to this place for its views of the Karst Mountains and its famous old west street.

Another popular attraction that we visited while in Guilin was the Longji Rice Terraces. The most prominent rice field within the terrace is nicknamed Dragon’s Back, as the individual rice paddies resemble dragon scales.

Thereafter we flew to Chengdu. It is the home to the giant panda research base where baby cub breeding occurs. Only an hour away is the city of Leshan. Famous for the Leshan Giant Buddha, the world's largest stone Buddha statue.

Following Chengdu we visited the city of Zhangjiajie. The national park there is often referred to as the inspiration for James Cameron's movie Avatar. The place is filled with unique mountains that cannot be seen else. Also within the park is the world's tallest outdoor lift called Bailong Elevator.

Another popular attraction we visited while in the same city is the world's longest cable car ride. Although the weather was poor we still managed to experience the 7,500 meter long trip which lasted more than 30 minutes up to Tianmen mountain.

The next chapter of our adventure took us to Jiuzhaigou Valley. A beautiful nature reserve situated just north of Chengdu. The place is filled with memorizing scenery ranging from snow-capped peaks and waterfalls to colorful crystal lakes. The native population within Jiuzhaigou is primarily Tibetan which only added to the charm of the valley.

Finally for our last stop, we traveled to Shanghai, this mega-city was filled with landmarks such as The Bund, which lit up the night with its various skyscrapers and Jing’an Temple, a Buddhist temple built in the middle of the bustling city streets.

Looking back, the trip was an adventure of a lifetime, we not only discovered places we fell in love with, but also experienced the essence of China.