A family vacation in China is an interesting proposition. Striking the perfect balance between your personal travel ambitions, and those of your loved ones, takes some logistic talent, to say the least. As you nervously arrive in Beijing with your family in tow, you are immediately reassured. Transport, accommodations, tickets and immigration… it’s all been taken care of. Still with a modicum of disbelief, you head to the Great Wall: surely this will be stressful. Quite the contrary. You enjoy a quiet champagne picnic, as the kids’ jaws hang but an inch from the ground. There is something playful and exciting about entering the Forbidden City. The palace complex awakens the imagination. One afternoon, you finally let go of your apprehensions, and pleasurably stroll through the charming hutongs of Beijing, and discover art galleries, cafés and fashionable boutiques, in a labyrinth of beautiful alleyways.
Travelling to Xi’an on a bullet train is one way to shake off morning grogginess. The children were beyond themselves with excitement. But for your part, one of the highlights of the trip has to be the Terracotta Warriors, who silently, eternally stand watch. The silent soldiers are one of the treasures of Humanity, let alone China. You get to admire them from a VIP deck. Your expert guides weave such stories around them, that the little ones seem hypnotised by the tale. The city of Xi’an hides many Middle Kingdom secrets, and as you bike along the ancient walls, you come to realise, you are having fun, and the family never felt so close.
For the kids, hiking all the way up to the summit of Mount Emei is a feat. For yourself, it is more about discovery. In one thing you agree: the view above the sea of clouds is breathtaking. The golden statue of Samantabhadra is a beautiful ― though imposing ― metaphor of the path to Buddhahood. This is a place of Enlightenment. This Sacred Mountain is strewn with Buddhist religious sites. It is one of the four Sacred mountains for Buddhism in China. It is not an overstatement, that every step up has been a lesson of sorts. Next up, a treat for the young ones: Pandas. Though you must admit, they fill you too with childlike enthusiasm.
The strange topography of Guilin and Yangshuo, has forced farmers to adapt the landscape to their needs. The Dragon’s Backbone is the result of this kind of agriculture. The terraces are over six centuries old, and they have provided sustenance for the region. A local farmers greets you into his home, and as both your families break bread, you are happy to find friends in this remote corner of the world. The Mountains that surround the Li River, create a landscape that is difficult to grasp. The place is beautiful on its own right, but it is difficult to grasp. Art comes to your aid. Liu San Jie Impression, is a lightshow that uses the topography to create beauty, in a theatre carved by nature, but highlighted by human invention.
As you continue your exploration of Yangshuo, you realise that to travel in China, you must experience firsthand the finer points of Chinese culture. A cooking lesson reveals the secrets of the region’s gastronomy, and you get to prepare your own dishes, using only the finest ingredients. Calligraphy is an artform that combines the meaning of words with the subtlety of the brushstroke. As you learn from the masters the movements of the hand, and the delicate nuance of this art, the kids are painting with ink and making beautiful images appear out of what initially seemed like a blot. Theirs are much better, and it is clear which will be hanging on the walls, back at home.
You make your way back to the coast. This time to the city of Shanghai. Many cities have been dubbed “The Paris of the East”, sometimes too liberally. You have to admit, though, that Shanghai is a fair contender. As you explore the tree-lined streets of the French Concession and lose yourself in the charm of Tianzifang, where artist studios and galleries seem to pop out of nowhere. It is a place to explore leisurely. The kids have a different opinion. A vintage sidecar ride through the city is exciting. You crown you visit to the city with the amazing show of acrobatic dancers, who fuse Chinese acrobatics with modern technology. You are impressed. Perhaps someday, they will call Paris the Shanghai of the West.
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