Part 5 of My Series on 10 Reasons Why I Like Living in China

8/ Attractions China has too many attractions to try listing them all here, the most well known sites in or near Beijing, Shanghai, Xian (terracotta warriors) and the 3 Gorges Dam are well documented. Here are some of the less well known.

My first working location in China was in the extreme north east in a city called Harbin, winter there is very harsh, very cold with a winter average of around -30C, and the winter is one of its attractions. Once the river freezes ice blocks are cut and used to make an ice city as part of the Ice and Snow Festival that occurs every year. Some of the world’s best ice sculptors arrive and help transform the city center into an area of art through their ice sculptures. The ice city is well worth a visit although you do need to wrap up well against the cold.

Chengdu in Sichuan province is home to the panda, with a panda conservation center close to the city. Sichuan province is the only area in the world that the panda survives in the wild.

In Jiangxi province, one of my favorite places is Longhushan or Dragon and Tiger Mountain. It is virtually unknown outside of China and only receives a few overseas visitors, mostly from Asia. It takes a full day to see all the attractions ranging from a bamboo raft along the slow flowing river, where you can observe the mountain scenery and view mountainside caves that were used for burials in ancient times. It has walks along forest paths, bamboo trails and an elevated walkway on the side

of a cliff. You can observe traditional village life, through their food, stay overnight in a hotel or visit the site where Taoism is reported to have originated from.

In Guiyang province a visit to an ethnic village belonging to the Miao people was an unexpected surprise when some friends took me there. The whole village is a tourist attraction, showing off their traditional skills, food, way of life and dancing.