My experience on the Emperors Channel
 From Suzhou | Feb 16, 2005 23:02

Stop by in Datong on the way from Beijing to Xian
 From Datong | Feb 16, 2005 05:02

Cheap places in Beijing | Beijing | Oct 24, 2005 08:07
If you have a backpacker soul, these tips are helpful:

I recommend the BEIJING FAR EAST YH.
TIESHUXIEJIE No. 90.
Phone: 63018811-3118 or 3119 They charged 45 Kuai in a 3-bed-room. They offer a complete kitchen, washing machine, drier and western style showers and toilets. But the best thing is the location. Outside there is a market street full of streetkitchens, restaurants, supermarkets...only 5 minutes walk from TianAnMen and the ForbiddenCity!

On our difficult way to find a nice place we passed:
1. BEIJING YH, JianGuoMenNeiDaJie No.9 close to Beijing Railwaystation which was said to be brand new...in fact they were still building it in 2003
2. SAGA YH in some bad alleys 700m behind the Beijing YH, with 60 Kuai in a shabby 4-bed-room too expensive for the run down state.
3. ORIENTAL YH, Dondang-third-lane at Donfang Plaza No.8 - good location close to the TianAnMen and fair prices....but booked out! Ah, keep on walking;-)
4. Another place in the middle of nowhere: DIAO YUAN HOSTEL, somewhere next to the channel on YouAnMenDongBinheLu No.135...which is closer to the Temple of Heaven
BUT they have the best guy for organizing trips to the Great Wall!
It is Mr. John:
TieShuXieJie No. 66, XuanWu District. Phone: 83151553, 13901123938, 138012211089 or 13611326769.
Email hotmail.com|jian_min
His place is called ManGuoXiangHuoGuoDian.
A great trip to Simatai for two persons (60 kuai each) for a driver (Mr. John himself) in a jeep. to Simatai it is a 3h drive each way.

Mountains of the famous Lungjing Tea or Dragons Well Tea | Hangzhou | Apr 1, 2005 04:29
Do some hiking in the mountains of the Lungjing tea plantations. Its behind the Westlake and easy to get there by public bus. In those small villages you can see the complete production line of the most famous green tea of China. On your hiking route you can get through Bamboo forests and climb up the paths along the mountain ridges covered by beautiful fresh green woods. Enjoy some sugar-cane on the way or take a break and taste the dragons well tea in a village of its origin.
I enjoyed it very much! The pic shows my friend Omed on the ridge of a tea plantation.

Shanghai | December 23, 2004 - January 11, 2005
Shanghai - Chongqing - Shanghai

Hong Kong | March 1, 2004 - April 1, 2004
Hong Kong - Guangzhou (Kanton) - Guilin - Yangshuo - Longji - Chongqing - Chengdu - Lhasa/Tibet - Chengdu - Chongqing - Shenzhen - Hong Kong - Macau - Hong Kong

Beijing | March 12, 2003 - April 10, 2003
Beijing - Datong - Xian - Hangzhou - Suzhou - Shanghai - Beijing