TOPBUZZ

The Great Wall is one of the most visited sites in all of China.  Most Group Tours go to the Badaling section of the Wall because it is closest and there is a freeway going there.  Not my most favorite place to visit the Wall often with over 80 or more buses in the parking lot.  My choice has always been the Mutianyu section for most tourists.  The walk or hike is fairly easy as you can see in the photos.  This section has been repaired except for a steep section in the distance where you can see a part that has not been repaired and left as it was found many years ago.   For avid hikers the Simatai section is often visited although steep and more rugged.  If you are interested in doing a one way hike, the Jinshanling to Simatai sections for avid hikers is the most popular hike.  For a more rugged hike that takes about 3 hours, the sections of Huanghua to ZhuangdaoKou Guan is good but expect dense vegetation and rocks to navigate around.   Th...

Many people who have never ridden a train or not taken one for several years want to experience riding the trains in China.  Up to 10 years ago the trains all over China were similar to our trains of the 1940's.  Today some of those same trains are used in the more rural areas of China but here you see some of the new trains that have come on line.  The train with the mountains in the background is the new Tibet train that serves Beijing, Xian, Chongqing and Chengdu with stops in between.  I have ridden it from Lhasa to Chongqing for the experience and to advise my customers about it.  It seems just like a regular Chinese train however it does have oxygen equipment in each car as well as individual oxygen masks if needed.  I didn't find a need for them. The Tibet trains seem to always be full and costly.  Food should be taken with you as train food is not especially good.  The train goes all night as well as during the day so scenery is limited to...

One of the best ways to meet the local people in China is going to parks.  Parks are full of activities for everyone including children.  Chinese people love seeing foreign children and if you have your own children with you they will certainly enjoy joining in playing games.  Language never seems to be a barrier with children.  It of course helps to have a guide along to translate but you will also find many people speaking English these days and often like to practice their English with you.  Here you see the national pass time of the board game Marjon   Learning to play Marjon is a great ice breaker as you may often be asked to join in a game with them. There are tea houses and snacks served in almost all parks.  Here you also see an orchestra playing in the park.  They are non-professionals who join a club to play music.  You will also find chorus clubs practicing their music in the parks on weekends.  Let my  25 years experienc...