TOPBUZZ

Yunnan province in south China is one of my favorite places to visit.  Just north of Viet Nam, Laos and Burma, Yunnan has two distinct climates.  In the North are mountains and in the south there are semi-tropical forests.  In the middle is Kunming known as the Spring City because of its altitude and cooler weather during the summer at 5,000 feet. In the north  is LiJiang, Dali, Zhongdian, the Leaping Tiger Gorge and other remote spots like Lugu Lake famous for the beautiful lake surrounded by mountains occupied by the Muoso people who seldom if ever marry.  Most people go to Kunming to see the Stone Forest which is about two hours by car and a wonderful site to see which is one of the most unusual in the world.  In the south the city of Jinghong in the Xishuangbanna area has the only airport or is two days by bus from Kunming.  This area has many minority peoples living here with their own language, dress and culture. You may visit seve...

Most tours visit Shanghai but usually only for one day as an entrance or exit city to China.  I use to think of Shanghai only as a large big city like Hong Kong or New York.  However my opinion has changed in the last few years.  Yes it is large and very busy but also exciting.  The best museum in the country is located in Shanghai.  The Yu Garden area is #1 in China along with the oldest Tea House on the Crooked bridge leading into the Yu Garden.  The Tall  Pearl of the Orient T.V. tower has the greatest view over Shanghai at the top.  Often overlooked is the fantastic Museum in the base of the tower of the early 1900's designed like walking down an  old street in Shanghai during that period.  The Jade Buddha Temple, the old French Concession area, famous Shanghai Acrobats, Nanjing Road Mall, and a cruise on the river running through Shanghai are just a few of the sights worth seeing.  The MagLev train from Pudong Ai...

I have been traveling China for over 25 years.  The first time I went with a friend who had business there in 1989.  We went to Beijing, Xian and Chengdu.  I saw a 3rd. World country at the time; but as a business person also saw a country posed for great growth.  Wanting to go back and watch this growth besides being interested in the culture, I started a small business selling Goose Down and Feathers from Chinese suppliers to our largest producer of feather products in the U.S. right here in my home town of Seattle.  That venture allowed me to visit some of the remote parts of rural China where people lived and worked the same way for centuries.  Some still do using water buffalo to pull the plows and hand rice processing equipment.  Over the years I watched the tremendous growth in the cities with  sometimes a 100 or more cranes being used while they constructed large buildings and apartment houses.  I have seen th...

The Yangtze River cruise is the best known cruise in China which is a 4 day experience you will not forget.  However there is another river cruise that perhaps is not as well known.  It is a One day cruise down the Li River with some of the most spectacular scenery in China.  After a visit to Guilin with so many things to see, the cruise is one day down to the town of Yangshuo.  The scenery includes the hay stack like hills all along the river which in ancient times was actually the bottom of the ocean.  You will see farmers along the narrow river working their farms with water buffalo and fishermen fishing from their small bamboo rafts.   Once arriving in Yangshuo there are many things to do and sights worth seeing.  Hiking and Biking area available here as well as bamboo rafting.  Lots of great shopping too.  If you wish to have a cooking lesson there are full or half day cooking lessons available.  If that wasn't enough, the...