China Summer

It was never our intention to spend the summer in China. However, we could not leave due to the pandemic so we had to make the most of it. After school was canceled four days early due to COVID scares, we ran to a clinic to get tested. With no indication of when the results would come back (and needing them 48 hours before flying) we went again the next morning for another test. By 1pm we had the results and by 3pm we were heading to the airport. We got out of town before more flights were canceled.

Our check-in process was a disaster due to translation issues and health protocols but 45 min later we were in bed. Our first day in Beijing had us walk around Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City. We did not carry our passports and we got all the way around before we couldn’t go further without ID, and it was a long walk back. We also saw the Olympic park where the 2008 games were held but all of the sites were temporarily closed. The next day we hit the water park and enjoyed rides with no waiting. While the rides were awesome, the rest of the park looked like it was used for a horror film 15 years ago. We capped off a long two days by taking 2 hours to get a car and travel the 10K to Great Leap Brewing where we met our friends for dinner.

Kaelia’s 11th birthday was celebrated with a visit to Sun Park and a fun boat ride in the lake. We then headed out for Mexican before Alan and I made the super smart decision to go out to some dive Japanese bar for yet more drinks, but it was essential to catch up with my buddy. The next day we joined the McInnis’ for a cooking class in the Hutongs (the small alleyways of the old city). We played with knives and chopped up a delicious kung pao chicken, pineapple rice, and veggie dumplings.

Our next stop was a Dutong, several hours train from Beijing. The main site here are the Yunang Grottos which house 50,000+ Buddhist cravings in cliff dwellings. From hundreds of small buddhas to ones that stand 50 ft. tall, there seemed to be no end to this artistic display and many of them were still in tremendous shape considering they are 1500 years old! The next day we went south of town to the Hanging Temple. This site is built high into a cliffside and also ranges from about 1400-1500 years ago. While seeing it was cool, walking along its plans high above the ground was a little nerve wracking! We took a cable car up neighboring Mt. Heng, one of the 5 Great Mountains of China, and walked around, with the intention of walking down. This peak is littered with many temples and monasteries as well, all high above the valley floor. However, the path down was closed so we got jacked having to buy another cable car ticket down.

After a train back to Beijing we flew to Zhangjaijie, otherwise known as the Avatar Mountains. The rain was heavy and consistent, but we hiked anyway, first to a waterfall near our hotel. Taelyn was brave enough to swim in the water, but it was far too cold for fun. A slippery path was marked by giant toads, some the size of softballs. The next day we headed down into the park, soaked by rain, and followed a river up. We hit a path that was closed, but on the advice of our hotel, stepped around the fence and hiked on. No one was there; a rare moment of solitude in busy China. The final leg was up and over a peak. The steps were slick from moss and rain, and the stairs never relented. We went from freezing to sweating and once we reached the top, we had to descend for more than an hour down those greasy steps. Our final day required a cable car up to the top and a bus. We stepped into tourist zones. Wide paths were packed with people all following the guide holding a little flag and shouting facts and instructions into his PA system. It was a gross contrast to the previous days. However, the views were unrivaled as the floating mountains emerged from the fog. We took another “closed” path down and hiked for an hour until we reached “One Step to Heaven,” a natural platform on the peak of a spire. The only way to reach the summit was a near-vertical ladder climb. Our efforts were met with a 360-degree view of the mountains. We dropped again, our legs jello, before finishing up our stay at the lovely Whispering Mountains boutique hotel.

Our next leg had us down in Yunnan and we went right to the Stone Forest. I had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly surprised as the park with rock formations melded into a cavern of caves, trails, climbs, and valleys. The next two days were in the rice terraces. The views were wonderful, but clouds obscured the sunset. We skipped sunrise due to the rain, and the terraces that appear bathed in blue light were not flooded so we saw little more. Our only stop was the mushroom village in a total downpour – not a person was out. While it had the potential to be great, the 6-hour drive back and the two-hour train made it a questionable stop on our trip.

We arrived in Dali with no more rain!! The ancient city was lined with shops and food; we had to try the Crossing the Bridge Noodles – famous in this area – where all items get cooked in the soup on your table. We had a lovely bike ride on the shores of Erhai Lake and a nice walk in the 1000-year-old Three Pagodas. We found that we only saw about a third of the place as we were leaving. The girls bought items (Kaelia a fancy Chinese dress and Taelyn tie-dye parachute pants) and had ribbons braided into their hair. We sampled Bad Monkey brewery as well as a little craft place and a fun, artsy place with beer and gin. The next morning, we stopped and learned about how tie-die was done but opted not to buy anything.

Two hours up the road in Lijiang, we visited a giant mansion Mufu Palace, also called the miniature Forbidden City. We strolled around Black Dragon Pool Park and caught a small glimpse of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance though the views were somewhat impeded. 

Another long drive took us to the Yangtze River and Tiger Leaping Gorge. Legend has it that a tiger was being chased and leapt from a rock on one side to the other. I don’t think he would have made it. The power of the water rushing down was tremendous. When we arrived in Shangri-la, not much was happening. The streets seemed somewhat baren. By nightfall, there was more activity, and the ladies joined a Tibetan-style flash mob of dancing in the square. The next morning, we traveled to Pudacuo National Park and walked around Shudu Lake. People were sucking oxygen out of a bottle on the bus ride in (we were at 12,000 ft). Our kids kept up and we left the guide huffing on the side of the flat trail. Then we visited Songzanlin Monastery, also known as the “Little Potala Palace” since it resembles the one in Tibet.

The touring ended, we transferred back to Yangshou where we meet up with our closest friends overseas. This is our favorite place in China and we made the most of it. Renting ATVs/dune buggies and ripping through the mud was a lot of fun. We shopped West Street, had beers and pizza at Demo, and played pool (when we weren't swimming in the pool). A few of us took the kids to a high ropes course where we ascended up a rock wall over various obstacles. The view down was a little shakey but the zip line rides to end it was pretty rewarding. Renting scooters and driving out to the waterfall for a swim was a highlight as well, though the went, mossy trail made for a few slip and falls on the scooters!

Originally we thought our summer over but we had a chance to head to Chengdu, so we booked it. Chengdu is famous for its giant pandas. Wanting to do it right, we booked the caretaking tour which included us having to clean out the cages of the pandas as well as make some of their food. The absolute highlight was getting to hand feed the bears. While it was another expensive endeavor, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  While our children were done, we took the chance to go out in Chengdu. Lost Plate had an auto rickshaw/tuk-tuk food tour. Joining mostly other expat teachers from around China, we bounced from place to place in the back of a tuk-tuk, drinking Snow beer and trying all sorts of local cuisine. 

Just outside of Chengdu and a short train ride away was the town of Leshan, famous for its Giant Buddha. Once entering the park, there is a significant walk to the area of the Buddha. The crowds here were massive, and it was challenging to get to the rail to look down on the structure. Those of us willing to walk on were able to wrap around and down the cliffside. Waits here could be hours long, but we were early enough or lucky enough to have to wait a short time before being let in to the base of the structure. Looking up at it was a sight to behold. Our climb out was at the pace of the people ahead of us (pretty slow) and the long walk out back to the train station made for quite a day. We rode back to Chengdu. That night we checked into a hotel because we were taking the train again in the morning.  A few hours later we were up and out of their hair, on the train again to Emeishan, or Mr. Emei, which is the highest of the four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. Cable cars lead to a pathway for a moderate hike up to the Golden Summit, just over 10,000 ft. Our views were decent but I wouldn't want to be wandering up here in winter. 


And thus ended a jam-packed summer of travel in China, as there wasn't anywhere else to go. It did give us a great chance to see a lot of amazing places in China that we likely would not have done had we been able to travel elsewhere. However, the real problem with this was that we had no break from China, which is not an easy place to live. Given the choice, it's always better to get out and see new places so that your home does not become all you know.