Sunday July 12, 2009
My colleague
Martha Bakerjian who writes the
Italy Travel site has put together a
blog carnival of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Covering the US, Canada, 14 European countries, 5 Central and South American Countries, 5 Asian and Middle Eastern countries as well as Australia and New Zealand, you could spend a whole day on a virtual tour of cultural heritage.
China, alone, has 26 sites on the UNESCO list and is constantly upgrading its tourist facilities at the sites. You’ll likely recognize some of the names: the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Terracotta Army in Xi’an, the Great Wall. But there are others more off the beaten path like the Walled City of Pingyao and the Potala Palace in Tibet.
Whether you’re planning your next trip or just dreaming, an itinerary that includes UNESCO World Heritage Sites is a tour through history as well as culture.
Photo: inside the Forbidden City. © 2005 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Saturday July 11, 2009
It may be difficult to imagine what's in store for you in China. When it comes to shopping, it pays to have a little idea about what you'd like to buy, especially if you've limited time to squeeze in shopping between sights. Take a look at just a few of the thousands of things you can bring home from your trip to China in this
Shopping Photo Gallery. You can see chopsticks, silk pajamas, reflexology shoes (see photo at right), Mao Zedong T-shirts, just to name a few of the myriad souvenirs you could bring home.
After deciding what to buy, find out where to buy it.
Read more about shopping:
Photo: reflexology shoes on sale at one of Shanghai’s markets. © 2007 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Thursday July 9, 2009
Xi’an is usually a definite stop on most travelers'
China itinerary. The
Terracotta Warriors are on everyone’s must-see list, as they should be: they were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
But many people don’t realize there’s a lot more to Xi’an than just the Terracotta Museum. Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province in central China and is steeped in history as it not only was the cultural and political capital of China for hundreds of years, but also the beginning point of the Silk Road leading west. A crossroads for trade, Xi’an has seen dynasties come and go. Read more on the History of Xi’an.
Photos: above, the Terracotta Warriors in battle formation, © 2006 Megan Inman & Lincoln Schroth, licensed to About.com, Inc. Below, the Big Goose Pagoda, Xi’an, © 2007 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Tuesday July 7, 2009
What do they wear over there? Do I need to dress up for dinner? Are these the questions you’re asking yourself before you pack your bags for China? If so, I think this article on
what to wear on your trip to China as well as how to pack will be helpful to you.
Wondering if there are certain things you should bring and others you can pick up on the way? Understand what to pack and what you can buy. This is a list of packing essentials.
Worried about minor illnesses or getting medication during your trip? Find out what you should bring along in a first aid kit.
Finally, if you are bringing kids along, you certainly don’t want to pack two weeks worth of diapers. Here’s a helpful packing list for traveling to China with kids.
Happy packing!
