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Xishuangbanna

7/31/2018

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The end of the new year ceremony is basically a giant water fight.
In April 2014, I brought about 20 teens to the small town of Xiashuangbanna, in the southwest of the southwestern-most Chinese province, Yunnan.  Xishuangbanna is north of Laos and Myanmar, but is called the Chinese "mini-Thailand" because of the Thai-inspired architecture, the subtropical climate and the palm tree lined streets.  The spicy food, and the flora and fauna, are more typical of Southeast Asia than China.  The area is home to a number of ethnic minorities, with genealogical ties to Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

It just so happened that in April that year, on the exact days that we had our trip, was the water splashing festival of the Dai people.  The festival lasts three days and culminates in a free-for-all of locals running through the streets with water guns, spraying anyone and everyone.  From apartments above, buckets of water rain down on unsuspecting citizens.  Water flies out of doorways onto those running by.

The holiday is more than a water fight, however.  The festival marks the new year for the Dai.  For the first two days, they don their best traditional clothing and go with their families to temples and monasteries.  They symbolically pour water over their own, and each other's, heads in order to wash away past transgressions and start the year anew.  We were lucky enough to participate in one such cleansing.  The monastery we visited rented traditional clothing to visitors.  We joined the ceremony with dozens of Chinese.  It was a beautiful experience.  The Chinese are very proud of their traditions and happy to share them with others.

I never know what surprises we will encounter on our trips to China, but there are always unexpected wonders awaiting.  Join me on a trip to China to uncover the surprises!


Purple rice
Fish with lemongrass
Thai-inspired
Tropical flowers
Botanical garden
Buddhist pagoda
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May I Drink the Water?

7/24/2018

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No.  You cannot drink tap water in China; the locals do not drink it either.  Even in the big cities like Shanghai and Beijing, tap water is not well filtered or purified.  Boiled water is fine!  That's why every hotel room in China has two bottles of mineral water for guests, as well as an electric teapot for boiling tap water.  

The water served in restaurants is always boiled.  Since even the Chinese do not drink the water, there is not a question as to whether or not to boil it; this is just a matter of course.  Similarly, if you ask for ice water, the water used to make the ice will be boiled prior to freezing.  Dispensers in airports and railway stations also serve boiled cold, and sometimes hot, water.

With respect to showering, washing your face and brushing your teeth, most reliable sources state that this is ok.  Local Chinese do this.  When I go to China, I use the tap water to brush and wash.  I tell travelers that it is fine to do so, however, if you have concerns, you can just boil water in your hotel room and use it to brush and wash.  Alternatively, you can use bottled water, although that is a more expensive option. The CDC states that it is best to avoid swallowing water while showering, and depending on where you travel (rural locales), using boiled water to brush.  

As with traveling to any third world country, there are small annoyances that we must bear.  However, if we only visited places with the same creature comforts as home, we won't open our eyes to how most of the world lives.  The tradeoff is clearly worthwhile.

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Zhujiajiao

7/17/2018

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In the spirit of the "Venice of the East" from last week's post, this week is about Zhujiajiao.  The name is a mouthful:  joo jee-ah jee-ow.  The beauty of this little water town is its proximity to Shanghai, about an hour from the city.  This little oasis is touristy, but one can get a real sense of the lifestyle of the past, especially if you wander into the back alleys.  Another way to avoid the tumult is to stay later into the afternoon or early evening when the crowds thin.  

Like Suzhou, this ancient water town boasts beautiful wood, stone and marble bridges from the Ming and Qing dynasties.  The canals wind through the town.  A short boat ride reveals the complexity of Zhujiajiao's waterways, an ancient transportation system.  The locals still wash clothes and pots and pans in the water, which is surprisingly clean.  The best way to see the village, however, is by foot, not boat.  Meander along the narrow sidewalks that line the canals, taking in the beauty of the old buildings, some of which are hundreds of years old.  If time permits, there is a Buddhist and a Daoist temple to explore, as well as beautiful gardens.  Of course, it's always fun to stay into the evening and eat a meal in one of the locally owned restaurants.

Join one of the Chow Fun Tours to Shanghai and see one of the ancient water towns like Zhujiajiao!

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Suzhou

7/10/2018

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The beautiful canals of Suzhou
PictureBoat ride in Suzhou
Last week's blog, about Hangzhou, started with 上有天堂下有苏杭 which means, "Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou."  Suzhou is called the "Venice of the East", with its little canals, stone bridges and cobblestone pathways.  In Suzhou, gondolas are replaced with bamboo rafts, but they are similarly poled through the canals.

Suzhou is over 2,500 years old, founded in 514 BC, and to this day is a major commercial center of China.  Parts of the city boast skyscrapers and apartment buildings, but the beauty of Suzhou is in the meticulously kept gardens, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.  "Gardens to the south of the Yangtze River are the best in the world, and Suzhou gardens are the best among them."

Join me on a trip to China and see Suzhou or one of the other water towns surrounding Shanghai.

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Hangzhou

7/3/2018

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In the summer, lotus flowers are in full bloom all over Hanzhou's West Lake.
PictureJeremy and I enjoying the sun on one of the dozens of walking paths that are elevated above the lily pads and ponds surrounding West Lake
There is a Chinese saying:  上有天堂下有苏杭, pronounced "shang yo tee-en tang, shee-ah yo soo hahng."  It means "Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou."  Indeed Suzhou and Hangzhou are breath-taking, although I think they are two of thousands of beautiful places in China's vast land mass.  

What makes Hangzhou so spectacular?  The main attraction is West Lake, dubbed one of the twelve "superb sunset spots around the world" by CNN.  It is beautiful in every season.  Even in the sweltering summer sun, the lotus flowers are in bloom and are their most beautiful, as if to entice us to brave the heat. 

West Lake is a man-made, freshwater lake, divided into five different sections, separated by causeways.  When we visit, I always bring travelers on a boat cruise around the lake in order to view the bridges over the water and the mountains in the background.  A walk through the gardens offers an up-close view of the trees and flowers, as well as little temples and pagodas.  As we walk by, willow trees dance in the breeze and koi frantically compete for food thrown to them by local children.  

Another Hangzhou draw are the longjing ("dragon well") tea farms.  Longjing is the number one tea in China and is sometimes referred to as the "Queen Green".  We always visit one of the local tea plantations to see how the tea is picked, hear about its health benefits and enjoy the beauty of the terraced farms.

Join me on a trip to China and see Hangzhou or one of the thousands of other beautiful spots in the Middle Kingdom!


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Longjing Tea Farm
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    Lauren Drazen

    I have traveled all over the world, including adventures in China, Uganda, Taiwan, Thailand, Cambodia, Argentina, Vietnam, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, England, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, Netherlands, Canada and Mexico!  My greatest love is introducing Americans to the sites, traditions and people of China.  My hope is to give travelers a new lens through which to see the world.

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