China Travel Wire

This is a great stop on any trip heading west from Beijing to Xi’an. Most major tours skip Luoyang because of time constraints and the general lack of attention compared with Silk Road stops. But, if you’re a Chinese history enthusiast, and/or just want to get away from the typical tourist spots, Luoyang should definitely [...]

Urumqi can be dirty, crowded, and lacking the majestic desert moonscapes that characterize the rest of the region. Nevertheless, there are a few good reasons to stick around for a couple of days before embarking on a train or bus to Kashgar, Turpan, and elsewhere: 1) The provincial museum. This is far and away the most [...]

The Chinese government faces a paradox on the eve of the commencement of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing: it needs to project a friendly image of openness to Western visitors and journalists, while maintaining tight security in one of the most challenging environments faced by any government. The Olympics is one of the [...]

The Chinese government has vowed the Olympic Games will take place under blue skies, not the murky “sauna” haze that has shrouded the city recently, but even on apparently clear days pollution levels may not be safe for athletes. Officials lavished 120 billion yuan ($17.6 billion) on cleaning up the capital with factories dozens of miles [...]

Any trip to Xinjiang will inevitably begin in either Turpan or Urumqi (乌鲁木齐), depending on if you travel by air or land – both regions are in the Central Eastern part of the province, in close proximity (roughly 2.5 hours by bus), and must-visits. For those taking the Silk Road trek through the Gansu corridor, [...]

Eleven Indispensable Items for Traveling in China Many travelers in China wonder “what should I bring along in my suitcase?” Well, here are 20 things that we think every person should consider bringing along on their China trip. We have organized them by what you should bring from home, and what you can buy (cheaply) in [...]