travel

Guizhou's mountainous terrain has limited transport with the rest of China and helped preserve its countryside and traditional lives of the minority people.

The lesser travelled part of Xinjiang is a difficult place to visit made worthwhile by its contrasts, not least between its harsh beauty and the friendliness of the people.

The water towns of Jiangsu are so famous that copies are springing up all over China. The originals are well preserved and deservedly popular tourist destinations

Hainan is a subtropical oval blob of island that sits in the south China sea. Tourism is booming as those escaping the freezing winters of the north are drawn to the 'Hawaii of the East'.

Qinghai is one of the largest provinces in China and one of the most thinly populated. Its full of dramatic scenery, minority peoples dressed in traditional clothes, monasteries and poor towns with little restaurants serving home grown food. .

Tiananmen Square is easy to dismiss as just a large and ugly expanse of concrete – which it is. It is also something that must be part of any Itinerary of the country because it encapsulates the nation’s modern aspirations and the baggage of its past.

Datong was my first trip out of the city> Maybe because it was the first journey, or because it was approached without prior expectation, it has remained the most memorable.

An ancient way of living that has important lessons for modern life

I’ve travelled down the Hexi corridor into the far western province of Xinjiang. Its China’s largest and least populated province. Famous for its dried fruit, its wine and more recently, news reports about the trouble there.

The Hexi corridor is a narrow strip of fertile land along the silk road into China from the west. Full of history, diverse cultures and dramatic scenery.

The vast, designated tourist area, is a collection of attractions themed around local history and myths. Its development has slowed and is decaying faster than new attractions are completed.

Kites invented in China are still popular. The ancient construction methods and designs still survive along with more modern materials and constructions.

A 2 day cycle trip along the Northern section of the Grand Canal.