Picturesque places in China - February?

[gary l. friedman]

I'm in Beijing now, and having photographed it to death I find myself

with an extra week on my hands (Feb. 7-11th, 2004). I can travel

anywhere, and am hoping to hear from others of some particularly

picturesque provinces or villages I might be able to visit during

this time.

 

A sample of the China images I enjoy taking can be found at

<http://www.FriedmanArchives.com/roadtochina/Sampler.htm> (There are

probably too many there, but at least you don't have to click your

mouse incessantly! :-) )

 

I appreciate any wisdom, experience, or knowledge from this forum!

 

Sincerely,

Gary Friedman

www.FriedmanArchives.com<div></div>

[walter_strong3]

I haven't been there myself but the Li River area in southern China sure looks good.

[mark pav]

I was in China almost 20 years ago, so not only are my recollections very fuzzy, they are quite outdated. When I was there we visited places where the locals had never seen a Westerner, and since I have blonde hair and my sister has red hair and blue eyes we would sometimes gather a crowd of curious locals just by walking down the street. You won't get that today!

 

There are, of course, all the well-known places of interest and things to do: The Great Wall, Qin Terra Cotta Army in Xi'an, Yangtze River Cruises, Tibet and the Silk Road (both a bit out of your way), the Forbidden Palace, etc.

 

Have you been outside of Beijing yet? Pretty much everywhere you go will have something to look at; pick a place and explore it. I'm afraid I can't offer you any more specific advice though.

 

Good pics so far. :)

[kott]

Gary,

 

I have been in China for most of the last six years.

My personal favorite is Sichuan province. To the west of the capital Chengdu are mountains inhabited by Tibetan and Chang minorities. The rest of the Sichuan basin is also very photogenic...and if you like spicy food, it's hard to beat!

Here is a link to some examples of what you can see:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=165068

Though not all are from Sichuan.

Email me if you want more advice on Sichuan!

Jonathan

kottjn@hotmail.com

[bevan_donovan]

Hi Gary

 

Firstly I have to say what a great website you've got. I only looked at it briefly but I'll definately check it out more thoroughly.

 

Now if you can travel anywhere then you're options are endless.

 

Close to Beijing there is the Great wall if you already haven't done it. I can personally reccomend the leg between Jinshanlin and Simatai. In 2002 it was very rugged and no tourists, one of the highlights of my trip.

 

The Li river and the Guilin province as a whole are awesome. Yangshao is a good base for exploring this region. While a tad touristy you can hire bikes and go off into the countryside, pass through towns & villages and organise a trip down the Lijang River which is well worth the effort.

 

Xian and the Terracotta warriors is worth it. Take your tripod if you go, you can use it for photographing the warriors. In 1995 you weren't even allowed to take pictures.

 

If you can organise something down the Yangtse then do it. As you'd be aware it is all changing and you won't be able to in a few years. A trip down the river, check out a place like Fengdu and a trip up one of the tributaries will be very memorable if you get the oppotunity.

 

These are just a few ideas. Whatever you organise you have a ball, it's a fantastic place (dodgy businessmen aside)

 

Cheers

Bevan

[gary l. friedman]

Many, many thanks for your collective input!! After consulting with several sources, I'm now planning to travel to the Xiahe province, which has little tourism and a large population of monks. (Hope it's not too cold! :-) )

 

Be well, one and all!

 

Sincerely,

Gary Friedman

www.FriedmanArchives.com

[rolpahof leikonblad]

I don't think there is a Xiahe province. Perhaps it is Ningxia or Qinghai.

If you want to take scenic photos, go to Huang Shan (The Yellow Mountain). It's not too far from Shanghai, but the foggy mountain scene is just unbeatable. Usually one has to stay there for few days. Make sure to avoid full sunny days.

[jeff_booth]

and it will be cold. VERY, probably. It's fairly high in the mountains in a more northern latitude. If you want warm, check out the Xishuabana region in Yunnan. But I had an amazing time in Xiahe in 97.

 

<p>

Jeff Booth

<p>

<a href="www.travelphotographer.net"> Travelphotographer.net</a>

[daneev]

GUILIN.

 

http://www.imperialtours.net/guilin_main.htm

 

cheers

danee

[mark_k3]

Gary

How is your travelling in Gansu? Love to see your new photos.

[gary l. friedman]

Well, it's a little late, but the answer to "Gary How is your travelling in Gansu? Love to see your new photos." can be found here:

 

China images: <http://friedmanarchives.com/China/Page1/index.htm>

 

blog about my experiences there, teaching English, and trying to start a new company: <http://friedmanarchives.com/China/Web/TOC.HTM>

 

Enjoy!

-Gary<div></div>