FAR EAST
AUTUMN COLOURS, JAPAN Colourful autumnal leaves are to the Japanese autumn what cherry blossoms are to spring. The brilliant shades of reds, oranges and yellows are usually at their best in November when the many parks and gardens are a delight to visit.
MIYAKO ODORI, JAPAN Watch geishas perform a variety of Japanese arts including dance and tea ceremonies each April in Kyoto. For the dancers, the Miyako Odori, or “Cherry Dance” is quite gruelling, as they must perform flawlessly multiple times a day, but being able to participate is a great honour.
ONSEN BATHING CULTURE, JAPAN Learn all about local etiquette whilst enjoying a soak in a traditional Japanese hot spring bath.
CRUISE ON THE LI RIVER, CHINA A cruise between Guilin and Yangshuo provides a glimpse of rural life and some of China’s most beautiful scenery.
YANGTZE RIVER, CHINA Cruise the mighty Yangtze, taking in the Three Gorges and the Three Gorges Dam Project – for many the most relaxing part of their visit to China.
MACAU
A short ferry ride from Hong Kong, Macau offers an interesting blend of European and Chinese heritage, rewarded by UNESCO World Heritage status.
DIM SUM, HONG KONG
No visit to Hong Kong is complete without trying some dim sum. These mouth-watering Chinese snacks can be found at many of the 11,000 restaurants in the former British colony.
CHINA GUIDES Sumo Wrestlers, Japan
A SUMO MATCH, JAPAN Watch an authentic Sumo tournament in Tokyo, a combat sport that can trace its roots to the Shinto harvest rituals of 2,000 years ago.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA One of the new Seven Wonders of the World – visible from space but at its most impressive when walking along its less visited sections.
FORBIDDEN CITY, CHINA An incredible 9,999 rooms in the Forbidden City of the Chinese Emperors in Beijing.
GIANT PANDAS, CHINA Visit the Panda Research Base at Ya’an to see the work that is being carried out to preserve these wonderful endangered creatures in China.
TERRACOTTA WARRIORS, CHINA Be in awe of China’s army of 8,000 intricately detailed sentinels in Xi’an at the starting point of the Silk Road.
WATER VILLAGES, CHINA The countryside around Shanghai is home to scenic water villages filled with networks of creeks and waterways; these historic towns still echo the cultural traditions of ages past.
PETER CAO, BEIJING Peter is a licensed and professional English- speaking tour guide who graduated from Beijing University in 1996. Having worked as a tour guide for 16 years, he has had the pleasure of meeting
thousands of foreign visitors from all over the world. A friendly and patient person, he loves and enjoys his job particularly when he is imparting his wealth of knowledge of China.
MICHELLE LI JING, XI’AN
Michelle has been working as an English speaking Tour Guide in Xi’an since 2001 having won the First Prize in the 2010 National Tour Guide Competition. “I’ve been doing this amazing job for 11 years and I enjoy it so much. When I am working I always keep this in my mind: Sweet smile greets tourist everyday, pure-heart moves people all the way. As a tour guide I can meet different people almost every day. I love my hometown very much and I’d like to show them how excited I am about my hometown and try to get them excited too!”
HELEN HE, GUILIN Helen He graduated from Guangxi University and has a Bachelor’s degree in English and a masters in Chinese Folklore. She has been working as a guide in Guilin since 2001.
“Guilin is a beautiful city with unique tourism resources. It is my hometown. Millions of tourists come here every year. I enjoy my job very much. Being a tour guide, I can show people around my town and make friends from all over the world.”
BEST TIME TO TRAVEL With vast topographical extremes, China’s climate can vary considerably, although generally it has a temperate climate, with cold winters and warm summers. The southern climate is more temperate but generally spring or summer are the best times to visit. South West China, including Yunnan Province, enjoys a pleasant climate with Kunming known as the ‘city of eternal spring’. The many microclimates and higher altitude of places like Dali and Zhongdian lead to varied weather patterns but generally May to October are the best times to travel. National holidays between 1-7 May and 1-7 October are peak dates for domestic tourists and travel is best avoided if possible.
Japan enjoys a varied climate with very distinctive seasons. Summer can be hot and the main rainy season is June. The best times to visit are spring and autumn, when temperatures are moderate and also coincide with many of the festivals held across the country. There is the added attraction of the cherry and plum blossoms in March and April and autumn colours later in the year. Note that ‘Golden Week’ (approximately 29th April to 6 May 2013) is a national holiday and many hotels may be full. Winters can be bitterly cold but also offer the opportunity of skiing in some of the alpine resorts and clear mountain views.
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