- Walking on the Great Wall from Jinshanling to Simatai (Beijing):
The Great Wall, winding snakelike through the mountains, was meant to be walked. This magnificent 3-hour hike follows Chinas greatest monument through various states of repair, from freshly restored to thoroughly crumbling, over steep peaks and gentle flats, and through patches of wilderness and rugged farmland, with over two dozen watchtowers along the way.
- Exploring the Forbidden City's Forgotten Corners (Beijing):
No one fails to be impressed by the grandeur of the Forbidden City's central axis, which is all most visitors see. But the quieter maze of pavilions, gardens, courtyards, and theaters to either side have the greater charm.
- Cycling the City Wall in Xi'an:
The largest city walls in China have been much pierced for modern purposes and can be tackled in a modern way, too, with a breezy, traffic-light-free ride above the rooftops on rented bicycles and tandems. Behold views of remnants of vernacular architecture, clustered around small temples.
- Exploring Lijiang's Old Town:
Built over 800 years ago and partly rebuilt after a massive 1996 earthquake, Lijiang's old town, with its maze of cobblestone streets, gurgling streams, and original and reconstructed traditional Naxi houses, is one of the most atmospheric places in China, hordes of tourists notwithstanding. Rise before the sun, then watch its golden rays filter through the gray winding streets, lighting up the dark wooden houses.
- Strolling Past the Old Russian Architecture in Harbin:
At the heart of the Russian-built city, Zhongyang Dajie is unexpected cupola-topped Art Nouveau mansions are reminders of the 1920s and 1930s, when Harbin was the liveliest stop on the eastern leg of the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
- Riding the Star Ferry (Hong Kong):
There's no better way to acquaint yourself with Hong Kong than to ride the cheapest cruise in China. The century-old green-and-white Star ferries weave between tugs, junks, and oceangoing vessels in a 5-minute harbor crossing.
- Cruising the Li River (Guilin):
One of the most popular attractions in China, the cruise along the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo is overexposed and overpriced, but the scenery along the way, taking in gently rolling karst mountains, gigantic bamboo sprays, and quaint fishing villages, is still some of the most memorable in the world.
- Unwinding in a Sichuan Teahouse:
One of the great pleasures of being in Sichuan is drinking tea at a neighborhood teahouse. On any given afternoon at Qingyang Gong in Chengdu, for instance, seniors can be found playing mahjong with friends while their caged songbirds sit in nearby trees providing ambient music. As patrons eat watermelon seeds, nuts, dried squid, or beef jerky, attendants appear at regular intervals to refill their cups from copper kettles. For an afternoon of perfect relaxation, bring a friend and a deck of cards, or postcards to
write, and forget about sightseeing for a few hours.
- Strolling in Shanghai's French Concession:
The domain of the French community up until 1949 was colonial Sh1mghii's trendiest area, and it remains full of tree-lined boulevards, colonial mansions, and numerous Art Deco masterpieces, now bundled up with phone lines and pole-hung washing. Some of the city's best shopping is also here. Just beyond the former concession is modern
Shanghai's trendiest area, the mega development of restaurants and shops known as Xintiandi.
- Getting Lost in the Lanes Around Beijing's Back Lakes:
No other city in the world has anything quite like the hutong, narrow lanes once "as numberless as the hairs on an ox." Now rapidly vanishing, the best-preserved
hutong are found around a pair of man-made lakes in the city center.
This section of the city is almost the last repository of Old Beijing's gritty, low-rise charm, dotted with tiny temples, hole-in-the-wall noodle shops, and quiet courtyard
houses whose older residents can still be seen walking around in Mao suits.
- Dining Tang-style at the Shanxi Grand Opera House (Xi' an):
There are several dinner-theater shows in Xi'an, but this one combines a more authentic performance by an opera company holding revolutionary credentials, with an imperial banquet of more than 20 kinds of dumplings, all excellent.
- Taking a "Peapod" Boat on Shennong Stream (Yangzi River):
Best of the Three Gorges cruiseexcursions, this 2-hour journey through a long, narrow canyon rakes passengers to one of the famous suspended coffins of the Ba people, then returns them downstream in a fraction of the time. Along the way, howler monkeys can sometimes be spotted swinging through the trees, small waterfalls appear from the rocks, and swallows and other small birds flit about. The water in this small tributary is surprisingly clear, and the scenery and silence are thoroughly calming.
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