There’s the whole world. And then there’s China.
China is a mystery you can lose yourself it. The more you know about it, the less you understand. It’s endlessly beautiful, its diversity mesmerizing. 50 years ago, China was one of the poorest and most backward countries, now it’s a phoenix rising from its ashes. You can find metropolises, mountains, rural areas, and ethnic groups rooted in time and history. It’s core is philosophy and practicality at the same time. It’s unlike anything else, it’s unique, it’s magical: it’s China.
The Dragon’s Lineage
Another name for China is the “Dragon’s Lineage” because, according to Chinese mythology, emperors had a direct connection with dragons, divine creatures that descended from the heavens. The dragon was the symbol of imperial power. The emperor embodied the “Son of Heaven,” and his throne was the “Dragon Throne”. The dragon was also associated with rainfall and soil fertility, key elements for an agricultural country.
Thus, the Chinese call themselves “Dragon’s Children”, considering the dragon a symbol of power, strength, and good fortune.
China, atheism and religion, culture and Instagram effect
China is officially atheist, although its religious population includes Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist, Christian, and Islamic faiths. Faith is primarily based on the ancestral order between the cosmos and nature, and on philosophical principles such as yin and yang, two complementary opposites that represent the duality of the universe, interdependent and necessary for universal balance.
China, a culture equivalent to ours but opposite to ours. It’s a world that is not globalized in a globalized world. Even from a tourism perspective, China is experiencing a renaissance, and the so-called “Instagram effect” is highlighting destinations that until recently were known almost exclusively to locals. This is the case of Chongqing, the “vertical metropolis”, which went viral thanks to the iconic monorail passing through a residential building.
Unusual China: we bet you’ve never heard of the destinations we’re revealing below!
Guizhou Province
We are in Yunnan, home to the world’s largest natural cave (Zhijin Cave), one of China’s largest waterfalls (Huangguoshu Falls), and the longest cave in Asia (Shuanghe Cave). In Zhaoxing there’s the Dong culture, known primarily for its carpentry and architectural skills. Shiqiao is a traditional paper-making village, and Paimo is famous for its indigo-dyed batik fabrics.
Near Lugu Lake, high in the mountains at an altitude of approximately 2,700 meters, is the Mosuo ethnic group. Women are the heads of households, and society itself follows a matriarchal system.
Women own houses and land, pass their surnames to their children, and are free to have relationships with multiple men without the need for marriage. You can reach the lake in about 6-7 hours by bus from Lijiang.
The Rock-Carved Buddhas of the Longmen Grottoes
We are in Henan Province, home to one of the most unique Buddhist sites in the world: the Longmen Grottoes. Here 100,000 statues of Buddhas and deities are carved into the cliff face. Some reach up to 17 meters high! The caves date back more than 1,500 years, and traces of the original paint is visible on many of the statues.
The Submerged Village of Shi Cheng: China’s Atlantis
In Qiandao Lake, in Zhejiang Province, lies an ancient submerged city: Shi Cheng, “China’s Atlantis”. This village was deliberately flooded in 1959 to create a hydroelectric plant on the Xin’an River. Roads, temples, and architecture dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties are 40 meters underwater, perfectly preserved, discovered in 2001 by divers.
Yiliang, the county in Yunnan, home to Baohong tea and roasted duck
Roasted duck is a cult dish in Beijing since 1330 AD, when it was served only at the imperial court. The recipe then spread among the population, becoming one of the symbols of Chinese cuisine. Baohong means “vast treasure” and is the name of the mountain where this particular tea grows, of which people use only the small leaves of the plant. Near the plantations, there are also some small artisanal workshops where locals dry and prepare the tea for sale.
Houtouwan: China’s Ghost Town Swallowed by Nature
On Shengshan Island, off the coast of Shanghai, lies this ancient, uninhabited fishing village, abandoned since the 1990s. The village is now wrapped in the embrace of nature. However, you can still visit some of the houses and you’ll see furniture and objects intact.
Huangshan Yellow Mountains
Located in Anhui Province, eastern China, they are considered among the most beautiful in all of China.
This area counts hundreds of granite peaks, Huangshan pines (trees shaped by atmospheric phenomena), and cloud formations that give the place a surreal aura. There are many scenic spots: the Hot Spring Area, also known as the “North Sea”, the “Jade Screen” Area, the “Valley of Pines” Area, the Valley of Clouds Area, and the White Clouds Area.
Suzhou and Traditional China
A city on the Silk Road, also known as the “Venice of the East” for its numerous canals, navigable by gondola. Ping Jiang Road is the city’s main thoroughfare. It still retains its ancient cobblestone pavement, and the shops maintain traditional architectural styles. A short distance from Suzhou is the village of Tongli, an ancient village preserved over the years, full of stone bridges.
Zhangjiajie: the Avatar Mountains are in China!
These mountains, with peaks suspended in the sky, inspired the planet Pandora in the famous film Avatar, located in Hunan Province. Zhangjiajie National Park is an Eden with rock pinnacles that seem to float among the clouds. Some of these unique rock formations have unusual names, such as “Pillar of the Southern Sky” and “Fairy Bridge”. From 2022 people can reach the Yuanjiajie area by the Bailong Elevator, also known as the “Elevator of 100 Dragons”, a glass elevator in an extremely scenic location on a precipice. With a climb of 326 meters, it is the tallest and heaviest open-air elevator in the world.
Fenghuang: la città della fenice
Fenghuang means “phoenix” in Chinese. The city is inhabited by the Miao and Tujia ethnic minorities, who maintain their traditional customs and speak their local language. Fenghuang is an open-air museum! The best way to visit it is to stroll through its streets, alleys, traditional houses, wooden stilt houses, and the Diaojiaolou, characteristic buildings of the Miao ethnic group. Along the banks of the river, women wash clothes and men fish, while food is prepared on the quayside. At night, all the ancient buildings overlooking the river are illuminated.
Are you ready to set off for an unusual China, to discover a world within a world?!