China, located in East Asia, has opened itself up to tourism after 30­odd years of relative isolation. This fascinating country with an ancient and turbulent history, offers a diversity of culture and is a showcase of natural beauty which includes snow­capped mountains, awesome gorges along one of the world's largest rivers, and the greatest fortification built by man, the Great Wall.

With over a quarter of the world's population, one could hardy claim to have visited the planet Earth without visiting China. It is a huge country taking up more land mass than continental Europe and has a history that rivals those of the most ancient of civilizations. Today visitors bring back stories which sound like those of Marco Polo. It is a country filled with surprises and unforgettable people. Nothing about China is mundane. It is youthful and yet eternal. It is backward and yet intellectual. It is conservative and yet bold. China will not disappoint you. It may well change you.

In terms of land mass, China is the third largest country in the world (after Canada and Russia) and is the world's most populous nation, with a population of over 1 billion, almost one fourth of the world's total. China's coastline bordering the Yellow, East China and South China seas, is roughly 12,000 km (7,500 miles) long and her land border, which she shares with 14 other countries is roughly 21,260 km (13,210 miles) long.

China experiences a diversity in climate which may be partly attributed to her great land mass. Although China falls within the Monsoon zone, this is not always indicative of the extremities of climatic change experienced in the country. Due to climatic diversity, it is prudent to divide China up into the following zones: North, Central, South, North­West and Tibet.

China's official language is the Beijing dialect (Putonghua) or Mandarin as it is known in the West. Although some 70% of the population speak Mandarin, China boasts eight major dialects, of which Cantonese is largely spoken in the South. Most of the staff at leading hotels speak English to a certain degree and interpreters are usually on hand during meetings with Chinese organisations although proficiency of English may vary. Guided tours of the more popular tourist destinations in China provide an English speaking guide. The rule of thumb is that English is spoken less frequently the further one travels away from the larger city centres.

China is in the midst of a slow explosion. Five thousand years of history and not yet anywhere near past its prime, China today is much like the image on the cover of this inaugural edition of Let’s Go: China—under construction. The Beijinger going about his daily business, painting the character ½¨ (jiàn, meaning “to build”) on a wall in the nation’s capital, was photographed unaware midway through his job. The snapshot has captured something very crucial about a changing China—the skeletal character is only half-finished, but it is legible all the same. For travelers to China today, this glimpse of a work in progress will be but one of many. Chinese history is a staggeringly long tale of building, destruction, reconstruction, and more building, and this particular moment in time is no exception. Everywhere, old buildings, roads, traditions, and ideas are being torn down as new frameworks are erected, some making careful use of the past, others branching out in new directions altogether. The painter still wears the Mao suit and felt hat of an era gone by, but his message is one for the future: China is wholeheartedly committed to reinventing itself, to building, progress, and promise. The question that remains, however, is what this fresh coat of paint, laid over a centuries-old wall, will bring.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Capital: Beijing
Population: 1.3 billion
Land Area: 9.5 million sq. km (3.6 million sq. miles) Highest Elevation: Mt. Everest, 8848m. Lowest Elevation: Turpan Basin, -154m.
Language: Mandarin Chinese (official) and 205 minority dialects and languages.
Religions: Atheism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Islam, and Christianity
Average Income Per Capita: US$3460

EXPLORE THE MIDDLE KINGDOM

With more people than any other country in the history of the world, China has naturally managed to produce some spectacular cities: huge, chaotic, teeming, dynamic masses of humanity. Many of the more than 100 Chinese urban centers with over 1 million inhabitants are still experiencing some bumps on the road to modernity, struggling with pollution and overcrowding or still trying to figure out how to squeeze a nightlife out of 3 million bored residents. But some, with skyscrapers shooting up like grass sprouts and trendy clubs proliferating, can hold their own against the best cities in the world. Hong Kong, with its cosmopolitan nightlife and ambrosial shopping, is the obvious pinnacle. But Beijing, grandiose home of a multinational populace and thriving cultural scene, and Shanghai, which is wasting no time in rediscovering its sordid past, are also obvious stops for travelers interested in living the fast life. But the trick to communing with nature in China is getting away from the crowds; once you’ve done so, the gorgeous sky’s the limit.

Dirty, hard-core, story-rich, and currency-poor, backpackers turn up in every corner of the globe. Like all cults, that of independent travel has its pilgrimage sites. Backpacker meccas tend to be cheap and scenic, and they promise good conversation, plentiful beer, and perhaps the occasional elusive cappuccino. In China, two places fit this bill perfectly: Yangshuo in Guilin province and Dali in Yunnan province. Both are small towns blessed with natural splendor, mild climates, friendly residents, and laid-back atmosphere, and the latter is rich in ethnic minority culture. The desert oasis of Dunhuang in Gansu province is coming to enjoy much of the same reputation. Of course, the backpacker scene has its drawbacks. The temptation to consort with other Westerners can be overwhelming and can insulate the visitor from the culture that he or she traveled thousands of miles to witness. Fortunately, a few regions remain with features (like cheap accommodations, cultural diversity, and striking topography) that should attract hordes of backpackers—but don’t. These include the remote Kaili region of Guizhou province and basically all of northwestern China.

WHEN TO GO

In China travelers are truly at the mercy of the weather’s whims. Even the best-laid plans are no match for the monsoons, typhoons, snowstorms, and heavy floods that periodically close China’s roads and airports, sometimes making whole regions seasonally inaccessible. In general, the summers are hot almost everywhere (except at high altitudes), and rainy and very humid south of the Yangzi River; winters range from extremely cold in the far north (especially north of Beijing) to extremely mild in the tropical south. Late spring and early autumn are usually the best seasons in which to travel. Because China is so vast, different regions have vastly different weather, even at the same time of year. Typhoons (tropical cyclones) occur year-round in coastal China, but the strongest winds and heaviest rains hit in the late summer and early autumn. Many of China’s great rivers, particularly the Yellow and the Yangzi, are prone to seasonal flooding, generally reaching a peak in June and July. Frequent floods, landslides, and mudslides caused by heavy summer rains can make land travel treacherous, particularly in areas with dirt roads, rickety bridges, and otherwise poor infrastructure. Traveling during the Chinese New Year is only for the most determined of festival-goers. In 2000, the Chinese New Year will fall on February 5, and travel should be extremely difficult all through the week surrounding that date.

Time

Tourist Offices

Visas & Passports

Customs

The following items are prohibited: fresh fruit, and printed or filmed material which is antagonistic towards the Chinese government.

The export of traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients is forbidden and there are restrictions on the amount of jewellery, cultural items and crafts being taken out of the country. It is a good idea to keep receipts of these purchases. Chinese customs officials are not very concerned with Western visitors and thus entering and exiting the country is generally free of the usual bureaucratic hassles.

Business Information

When doing business, suits should be worn, and appointments made in advance. Punctuality is expected. Visiting cards (with the Chinese translation on the reverse side) should be exchanged. Business visitors are usually entertained in restaurants and it is customary to invite the hosts for a return dinner. It is customary to arrive a little early for these appointments. The host makes a toast to the visitor.

Money

An easy currency­converter is available on-line.

Business Hours

Private restaurants tend to stay open all day while government restaurants close between lunch and dinner and close again at about 21:00.

Parks, museums and national monuments are usually open every day of the week from 09:00 to 17:00 although many parks stay open in the evenings, especially in summer.

Peak Seasons

Post & Telecommunications

The telephone service is reliable. There are not many public phones and the best way to make an international call is to use the service of a large hotel. International Direct Dialling (IDD) has been installed at most hotels. Fax and telegraph services are also available at larger hotels and telegraph offices in the major cities.

Electricity

Disabled Travellers

Budget Travel

History

It was only in the mid 1920s that the nationalist forces (Kuomintang) led by Chiang Kai­shek were able move further north from Guangzhou and establish a new government and capital at Nanjing in 1927. During this year Chiang also turned on his erstwhile Communist allies (the Communist Party having been founded in 1921) and with the Kuomintang, mounted a coup against the Communists in Shanghai in which many of them were hunted down and killed. Chiang Kei­shek's objectives were to consolidate his power base, breaking the power of the warlords, and driving the Communists from their base in the hills of Jiangxi province south of the Yangtse. He later also drove them from the provinces of the northwest to which the Communist forces, now under the leadership of Mao Zedong, had moved after the Long March in 1934.

In addition, the Japanese had invaded Manchuria in 1931 and created a puppet state which was under the Emperor Pu Yi. In 1937, Japanese troops clashed with Chinese troops outside Peking, and the Sino­Japanese war began. The Japanese were defeated in 1945 and this was followed by full scale civil war between nationalist Kuomintang forces and the Communists. The civil war continued for a period of four years and culminated in the defeat of the nationalist forces and the establishment of the People's Republic of China by Mao Zedong from the Tiananmen gate in Peking on 1 October 1949.

With the advent of the Communist regime in China, many rapid changes have been brought about on social, political and economic fronts. Successive land reform programmes saw the elimination of landlords, the distribution of land amongst the peasants, the establishment of co­operative farms and, finally, a commune system which still operates today. A massive programme of industrialisation was undertaken with the initial assistance of the late Soviet Union. After the Sino­Soviet fallout in 1960, China continued with her industrialisation programme to the extent that today, China has one of the fastest growing economies in the world and a substantial industrial base. This transformation has not been without setbacks and the Great Leap Forward at the end of the 1950s, an attempt at accelerated economic growth relying on indigenous resources, was a resounding failure.

The period between 1966 and 1970 is known as the Cultural Revolution and is characterised by political, social and economic upheavals on a large scale. It was during this period that old guard party officials were ousted, intellectuals denounced and economic advance, halted. Foreign relations deteriorated and a flashpoint during this period was the burning of the British Mission in Beijing to protest at disturbances in Hong Kong.

Both Premier Zhou Enlai and Chairman Mao Zedong passed away in 1976 and with their deaths came the arrest of four prominent Politburo members, the so called Gang of Four, who were subsequently charged with the excesses of the cultural revolution. Former politicians who had been disgraced and imprisoned were released and reinstated, political institutions restored and the programme of accelerated modernisation and industrialisation resumed. There has in recent times been dissent with the speed with which reform has been implemented, especially on the human rights front and students and workers have taken the lead in calling for liberty, the deepening of democracy and better living conditions. At times these calls have resulted in tragedy and as recently as 1989, there was bloodshed in Beijing with the killing of pro­democracy supporters by government troops in Tiananmen Square. This heavy­handed action by the Chinese government was very public and was widely condemned by the outside world.

China continues to grow on the economic front and is set to inherit Hong Kong and Macao in 1997 and 1999 respectively. The return of these colonies to Chinese control is bound to impact upon the People's Republic of China and what effects this situation engenders will be most interesting. It has been suggested that the 21st century has been reserved for China. How true this is will depend largely on whether China can deepen democracy whilst at the same time, curtailing the growth of her enormous population.

Economy

Major trading partners are Japan, Germany, Hong Kong and the USA. China's economy has benefitted greatly from the open door policy adopted in the mid­1980s. This move involved the abolition of tight restrictions on foreign trade.

Population

Government

The relationship between the Party and the government is simply that the government does the bidding and follows the guidelines laid down by the Party. The Party can be viewed as a parallel structure, mirroring the government organs in which Party members hold key positions.

The Party is made up of a general secretary under which is a standing committee of the Politburo which comprises five members. The standing committee of the Politburo is important in that it is the body which issues policy directives under the auspices of the Politburo.

The most important group within the Party is the central committee which is made up of 175 full members and 110 alternate members. The central committee is selected by the national party congress which is held approximately once every five years. The central committee is home to the political bureau or Politburo, as it is known. The Politburo comprises 17 full members and one alternate member.

The state council acts as the executive of the National People's Congress and consists of a premier, vice premiers who are usually selected from the ranks of the Politburo, ministers, who are in charge of the various ministries (finance, forestry, defence etc.) and other government leaders drawn from the ranks of commissions bureaux and other state organisations. All the members of the state council are appointed by the National People's Congress, on the advice of the Party.

The National People's Congress is made up of 3,500 deputies, elected by the People's Congresses of the 30 provinces and municipalities under central government control and by the People's Liberation Army. Although vetted as the highest organ of state authority, in reality, the National People's Congress is subservient to the state council.

Language

Hotel Staff in the major cities speak English to some degree and interpreters are usually on hand for meetings and transactions with state organisations, although fluency varies to a certain degree. The rule of thumb is that the further one travels away from the larger city centres, the less one finds people able to understand or speak any English.

It is important to remember that phrase books are an invaluable means of interacting where one is not able to speak the language.

Religion

The Communist Party discouraged religious practice in 1949 when it came to power, but entrenched religious freedom in the constitution of 1954. During the period of the Cultural Revolution in the mid 1960s many religious institutions were destroyed. More tolerance has been shown towards religious freedom since the end of the Cultural Revolution although periodic crackdowns and the general repression of religious practice are still common and widespread.

Social Conventions

Do not be offended by being stared at or followed around, as the Chinese show open interest in foreigners, especially in the more remote areas. Staring back does not help, and only adds to the amusement.

A visitor will often be greeted by applause as a sign of welcome, and the usual response is to applaud back. In China, the family name is always mentioned first.

Although China officially condemns racism and sexism, theory seldom reaches street level. Western men should avoid situations where they are alone in a room with a closed door, with a Chinese woman. There have been numerous cases where the police have burst into a foreign man's room, accused him of insulting Chinese women and hauled him off to jail to pay a fine. A foreign woman accompanying a Chinese man does not warrant much attention in this male­orientated country.

The visual arts range from painting and calligraphy (which both rely heavily on precise brush strokes) ceramics and bronzeware to music, opera and dance. The Beijing Opera is considered the best form of Chinese opera and is a combination of singing, mime, acrobatics, dance and dialogue. It is performed at many of the theatres in Beijing.

Other forms of cultural entertainment include the acrobatics displays which are held in a few theatres and halls in Beijing and Shanghai. The newspaper, China Daily usually carries a listing of all cultural performances. Every urban centre has a museum, most of which are devoted to the history of the People's Revolution.

The History Museum and the Museum of the People in Beijing display historical artefacts and chronicle the history of the Chinese revolution until the CCP came to power. The Mao Zedong Memorial Hall in Beijing houses the embalmed body of Chairman Mao. The Forbidden City in Beijing is an historical palace compound which was closed to the ordinary public for many centuries. It displays a fascinating array of ancient Chinese architecture. The Temple of Heaven in Beijing is a beautiful temple complex set in a large peaceful park. The Ming Tombs in Beijing encompass a fascinating historical site where thirteen Ming emperors are buried. A few of the tombs have been excavated and restored.

The Shanghai Museum in Shanghai displays bronze and ceramic tools, ornaments and weapons. The Ming City Wall in Nanjing dates back to the height of the Ming empire in the 14th century. The Taiping Museum in Nanjing documents the history of the region and its people. The Exhibition Hall of the Revolution in Guangzhou has some interesting documents and photographs of leaders and events which took place during the revolutionary years. Old Guangzhou University in Guangzhou contains two museums, one of which is devoted to the prominent revolutionary writer Lu Xun. Xian Province Museum in Xian has fascinating archaeological displays. Xian Yang Museum in Xian Yang has a collection of small terracotta statues which were found in the area

Food & Drink

Some of the Beijing speciality dishes include Peking duck, Mongolian barbecued meat and vegetables. Shanghai cuisine makes use of spicy seafood while Sichuan cooking is even more spicy with smoked duck as a speciality. Cantonese cuisine involves much steaming and stir­frying and is not as spicy as other regional dishes. Ingredients which are commonly used throughout China include rice, noodles, soya beans, sauce and curd (tofu), sprouts and chilli. Almost every type and part of the animal and plant is turned into a tasty and edible dish, so the more adventurous palates can try dog, cat, snake, monkey and tortoise meat. Food is usually served in small bowls and is eaten with chopsticks. There are numerous restaurants and hotels which serve Western food.

Tea, coffee and beer are the most widely consumed beverages. There is a great variety of locally brewed wines and spirits. Western and Chinese soft drinks abound and bottled mineral water is available in most urban centres. Distilled rice wine, known as maotai, is one of the best­known national drinks.

Entertainment

Sport

Skiing
Skiing is a fairly cheap sport in China, although the facilities are not of the best. Westerners may have trouble hiring ski boots which are big enough. The Songhua Lake skifields are situated in northeast China, 16 km (10 miles) from Jilin town. There is a more advanced skifield at Tonghua. The best skifields are found near Harbin in Heilongjiang province.

Whitewater Rafting
China has high mountains cut by long rivers, most of which have not yet been dammed. The country thus offers some of the most challenging whitewater runs in the world. Unfortunately, Chinese officials have been quick to take advantage of the flow of Western river runners visiting the country and now charge exorbitant fees for the privilege of negotiating their rivers.

Shopping

Shows & Festivals

Parks & Reserves

China has more than 300 nature reserves. Changbaishan Nature Reserve in Jilin Province is the country's largest reserve. It is densely forested and contains the picturesque volcanic crater lake known as Tianshi, or Heaven Lake. Zhalong Nature Reserve in Heilonjiang Province covers a vast swamp region and is home to thousands of species of birds. Wolong Nature Reserve is situated outside Chengdu in Sichuan Province and is the largest and most popular reserve established for panda conservation. It is also home to snow leopards, musk deer and thousands of species of plants.

Climate

Peking and the North:
Winters (December to March) are extremely cold but dry and often sunny, with very little snow.
Temperatures average around 0 °C (32 °F).
Warm clothing is essential during this period.
Summers (June to September) are very hot and humid.
Temperatures can rise to 38 °C (100 °F).
Lightweight clothing is advisable.
Rain in the North generally falls during June, July and August.

Shanghai and Central China:
Winters (December to mid­March) are short and not extreme, though it can get very cold.
Temperatures average around 2 °C (36 °F).
Warm clothing is essential during this period.
Summers (May to October) are hot and humid in the inland areas.
Temperatures average at around 24 °C (75 °F).
Medium­weight clothing is advisable, despite the warm and humid conditions.
It rains throughout the year, with May to August being the wettest months.

Guangzhou (Canton) and the South:
Winters (January and February) are short and not terribly cold.
Temperatures average around 15 °C (60 °F).
Bring warm clothing as a precaution only.
Summers (April to October) are hot and generally very humid.
Temperatures can rise to 38 °C (100 °F).
Lightweight clothing can be worn all year round; bring warm clothing as a precaution only.
It is very humid and wet all year round, with tropical downpours during the summer months. December and January are the driest months.

Xi'an and the Northwest:
Winters (December to mid­March) are characterised by extreme cold.
Temperatures average around -10 °C (14 °F).
Warm clothing is essential.
Summers (June to September) are hot and dry.
Temperatures rise to 38 °C (100 °F).
Lightweight clothing is essential.
Most rain falls during the winter months (December to mid­March).

Geography

The terrain is varied, and ranges from high plateaux in the west to flatlands in the east. Mountains occupy almost a third of the land. There are a number of large rivers in China, the most notable being the Yellow River and the Yangtse Kiang.

Health

Medical facilities are quite good in most of China with reasonably high standards particularly in the larger towns and cities. Some of the large tourist hotels provide a medical service. There are not many English speaking doctors but the standard of health care is quite high and medical services are reasonably priced. Most urban centres have pharmacies with plentiful supplies of Chinese and Western medicines although the language barrier may result in problems.

It is advisable to take out a comprehensive insurance policy which covers accident, illness and loss of belongings before leaving home. The most common ailments among visitors to China are tummy upsets due to contaminated food and water, sunburn and high altitude sickness. Generally the tap water in the cities is fine to drink but in the more rural areas it is best to play it safe and drink only boiled, purified or bottled water and make sure that all food is thoroughly cooked.

The sun is extremely harsh particularly in the desert region and at high altitudes. Thus a good pair of sunglasses, a hat and sunblock are essential items.

Parts of central and southern China are malaria areas and thus insect repellent and prophylactics are recommended.

Safety

For most travellers to China, Hong Kong and Shanghai are firmly on the list of places to see. Only a few years ago a very popular trip was sailing from one to the other up China’s east China coast.

Although this service is now suspended, it had me thinking about other possibilities. There is still no finer way to leave Hong Kong than sailing out through its extraordinary harbour. I looked at a map, read the guidebooks and decided to meander up towards Shanghai. It’s hardly a conventional route, but some places justify the effort.

The Jimei was to be floating home for about 20 hours. We cruised by countless gleaming skyscrapers, past the old airport runway, through a narrow channel and out into the South China Sea. I was bound for the coastal city of Xiamen, once known as Amoy. About 150 years ago, merchants from Europe and America flocked here to trade. China had just lost the first Opium war and this was one of the declared “treaty ports”.

Foreign traders enjoyed many privileges and in Xiamen they built a jolly little enclave. Today, their airy mansions and quiet shady streets remain the same. It is one of the few places in China where the colonial heritage is so intact.

Our ship was full of Chinese returning home or visiting relatives. There was one restaurant and two bars (“No. 1” and, surprisingly, “No 2”), the walls were formica and its cabins didn’t lock. As we rolled in the darkness through squally showers, I wondered if the hull had stabilisers. I also noticed the lack of any crew.

Cruising into Xiamen the next morning, we passed rusty freighters and barges. At first glance it doesn’t look like much, a kind of low-key imitation Hong Kong.

The real appeal lies in Gulangyu island which faces modern Xiamen city across a busy, narrow channel. It’s here that the 19th Century merchants built their palatial mansions amidst low hills and sandy coves. Terracotta roofs and even the odd red dome poked through lush vegetation.

You can’t miss the huge statue of Koxinga, a 17th Century pirate-king who gave the Dutch a good kicking. Today, he glares across the sea at Nationalist Taiwan where, ironically, most of Xiamen’s boom-town wealth originates.

I enjoyed a few days here, catching the ferry to Gulangyu and strolling the tranquil lanes. No cars are permitted and only a handful of electric buggies with chattering Chinese tourists buzz past. There’s good food, modest beaches and satisfying views from Sunlight Rock. It was time to move on.

Today’s Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province, is never going to win awards as a picturesque city. Marco Polo thought it a “marvel” with “every amenity”. I thought of it as a transport hub and marvel-less rather than marvellous. But Fuzhou does have its moments.

Having explored a maze of narrow lanes and alleys more in keeping with Polo’s time, I climbed a couple of low hills in the city centre. From their pagodas and towers — a mere 1000-years-old — you look down on a schizophrenic city-scape. The old quarter, an ancient and picturesque jumble of courtyards and houses with upturned dragon eaves, is fast disappearing under hideous concrete and white-tiled buildings.

It’s happening throughout China, especially in the towns and cities strung along the wealthy eastern coast. But there’s one little haven, the highlight of this route, that should remain unscathed — Putuo Shan. This hilly island, one of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains, sits about 80km east of Ningbo port and 200km south of Shanghai. Its shrines and monasteries have attracted pilgrims for centuries, and today the warm, clean sea, cliffs and beaches entice local tourists in droves.

It’s busy in summer, impossible at weekends and almost Biblical in its crowds on festival days. Frequent boats sail from Ningbo down the Chunhua River and into the East China Sea. Four hours later, we nudged Putuo’s jetty and another 1000 picnickers swarmed across the island. There’s a good chance you’ll be offered a room with a local family since accommodation can be tight.

Scenery and hillside paths are not the only attraction for space-starved city dwellers from the mainland. Guanyin, “Goddess of Mercy”, is China’s most popular deity and this is “her” island.

Despite decades of Communist austerity and a clamp down on religion, old beliefs have re-surfaced. Today it’s perfectly acceptable to kowtow before Guanyin statues and shrines with a handful of joss sticks. Pilgrims can buy tapes of religious songs and Guanyin memorabilia. There are yellow cotton bags to be stamped — for a donation — at various stages along the pilgrim trail. Money is the key that has unlocked faith.

In its heyday, Putuo’s monasteries housed up to 4000 monks but when the communists came to power in 1949 there were only 2000. The mad Cultural Revolution — when almost anything old, gracious or traditional was destroyed by Mao’s Red Guards — marked a low point. Putuo just survived and the temples have been well restored. Some are converted into charming hotels and, while not cheap by backpacker standards, can be reasonable value.

One can sail direct to Shanghai from Putuo but I wanted more of Zhejiang Province. After a cursory look at Ningbo I headed west to Shaoxing, a charming town threaded with canals and waterways. It’s one of those places worth visiting for the atmosphere rather than specific sights. Do it sooner rather than later, for China Destruction plc is at work here, demolishing old quarters though not on an epic scale — yet.

It’s a very old town, set in the midst of a plain latticed with waterways. Romantics credit it with 5000 bridges, but 15 or so were quite enough for me. Corners of Shaoxing are vaguely Venetian and quite quaint, in a way most Chinese cities lack. Lu Xun, one of China’s most famous turn-of-the century writers, was born here and you can visit his former residence. Even without any knowledge of his life or literature, I enjoyed seeing a preserved traditional home. There are courtyards and calligraphy, and the place doubles as a kind of folk museum.

Beyond town, I caught a bus to Dong Hu (East Lake), a cheesy mix of boats, pagodas and tourist pap. It might have been a waste of time were it not for the boatmen who row — with their feet — appealing little skiffs to Yu Ling, a rural temple complex. It’s the quiet canals which justify the two hour trip and you could probably go all the way back to Shaoxing if desired.

There was one last stop before Shanghai, nothing less than the “tourist capital of China”. Few Chinese cities flaunt the rise of local tourism more than Hangzhou. Even Marco Polo lavished it with “City of Heaven” praise. The main drawcars is the huge Xi Hu (West Lake), spread over nine square kilometres. It’s surrounded by gardens, pavilions, and on the eastern side, the congested city which you’d do well to avoid.

You can take boats around the lake, stopping off in Xianying Island, or strolling along its causeways. Su Di, the longer of the two, has six arched bridges in three kilometres and, in summer at least, may be as far as one gets.

In the nearby hills nestle monasteries, tea plantations and a tea museum. I made for Feilai Feng, known for its ancient Buddhist sculptures peeking out from shrubbery and mossy rocks.

Lingyin Si, once a huge working monastery, stands amidst massive trees and, though heavily restored, remains an impressive complex. When it finally came, noisy, stinking Shanghai was almost too much.