Approaching my trip to Beijing I was full of apprehension: Would I be able to handle the freakishly long plane flight? The culture shock? How would I communicate with the natives? I had a feeling I was going to be simply overwhelmed by China and its massive capital city.
Upon arriving, my fears were aleviated as we were greeted by some of the warmest, kindest people I have ever met while traveling abroad. Although the city's sky was cloaked in pollution about 5000 times worse than Los
more...
Every day, I am mesmorized by the choreographed morning exercises done by the 5,000 students at the Liangang Middle School, where I teach spoken English as a volunteer.
Yangtze River - Three Gorges. Stunning - but by water! Some bad and good news. The largest-in-the-world dam has raised the water level in the Yangtze wiping out villages and... More
Loved the history visible to those who seek it. Xian and the Terra Cotta warriors were fabulous. Enjoyed the zoo with the Pandas. Great Wall was so crowded. River cruise... More
Yes, your eyes will burn and your nose will run, but once you get past the overwhelming pollution you're in for a treat. Beijing is embracing the 21st century with glass towers... More
Such an interesting city. Thousands of years of history and yet bursting with modern energy. Some people (especially younger folks) speak english but not all that many. So what?... More
Before the official cleanup for the Olympics, Beijing was a quiet urban city with a distinct local culture and great night markets, with lots of backstreets to explore - although... More
Ethical Traveler recently conducted a study to learn where Americans tend to travel in the developing world, and how this compares with the most environmentally and socially progressive places to actually spend our tourism dollars. The results were surprising—and instructive....more
As if the sagging dollar and soaring oil costs weren't enough to dent travel budgets, hotel room rates are expected to surge in the coming year....more
- click on the photos to learn more about members' travels
Prev
5 cheers
Want to go to China?
Member Photos
Destination Reviews
