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Time After Time
Rebkong is a small monastic town that lies 180 kilometers south of Xining, the capital of Qinghai province. Situated on the edge of the Tibetan plateau at an elevation of 2,600 meters (8,530 feet), the town is surrounded by mountains and expanses of nomadic pastureland in a region historically known to its nomadic inhabitants as Amdo Tibet. Home to several monasteries and villages around the main hub of the central town, the area has hundreds of professional artists – many of these teenagers with steady hands and excellent eyesight that lend well to the detailed skill of Thangka painting. As well as learning about traditional paintings, you will have the chance to meet monks and learn about the significance of Tibetan Buddhism, worship and prayer to the local people of Qinghai and their culture.
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Located in the northern mountain ranges of Hunan, the remote Zhangjiajie National Forest was known only to the Tujia, Miao and Bai minority groups for centuries. Today, with its towering karst spires, rich brown earth and lush forests, Zhangjiajie has become a striking and iconic Chinese landscape. Made a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1992, and immortalized by the film
Avatar, the park is a dramatic landscape of deep, forested canyons and enormous, isolated limestone peaks, each with their own miniature ecosystems akin to bonsai forests. This tour also takes in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, the world s longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge. Walk it if you dare!
Image courtesy of Dragon Adventures
Once the hideout of China’s most infamous criminals, Sanshan Island on Lake Tai Lake presents a perfect escape from urban life. A traditional and serene Chinese fishing and agrarian village, walk along the shores and watch the boatmen reach into the silvery lake with their nets, searching for shrimp, crab and fish. Stroll unpopulated paths or take a rickshaw and jostle for position on the one-lane roads with geese, chicken and ducks waddling around. At the top of each of Sanshan’s peaks, there are tall Buddha statues along with temples, pavilions and gardens, offering amazing views of Lake Tai.