{"id":837,"date":"2025-11-15T13:11:48","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T12:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/?p=837"},"modified":"2026-03-28T09:12:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T08:12:48","slug":"china-culture-instagram-ghost-towns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/china-culture-instagram-ghost-towns\/","title":{"rendered":"China: culture, mythology, Instagram effect and ghost towns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

There’s the whole world. And then there’s China.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

China is a mystery you can lose yourself it.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dragon’s Lineage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another name for China is the “Dragon’s Lineage”<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, the Chinese call themselves “Dragon\u2019s Children”<\/strong>, considering the dragon a symbol of power, strength, and good fortune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"traditional<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

China, atheism and religion, culture and Instagram effect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/strong>, two complementary opposites that represent the duality of the universe, interdependent and necessary for universal balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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”<\/strong> is highlighting destinations that until recently were known almost exclusively to locals. This is the case of Chongqing<\/strong>, the “vertical metropolis”, which went viral thanks to the iconic monorail passing through a residential building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Unusual China: we bet you’ve never heard of the destinations we’re revealing below!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Guizhou Province<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We are in Yunnan<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Near Lugu Lake<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rock-Carved Buddhas of the Longmen Grottoes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We are in Henan Province,<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Submerged Village of Shi Cheng: China’s Atlantis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"aerial<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In Qiandao Lake<\/strong>, in Zhejiang Province, lies an ancient submerged city: Shi Cheng<\/strong>, “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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yiliang, the county in Yunnan, home to Baohong tea and roasted duck<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Roasted duck is a cult dish in Beijing<\/strong> 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<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Houtouwan: China’s Ghost Town Swallowed by Nature<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n