Bomb threat forces plane to land in East China

The plane JD5662 from Changsha to Hangzhou is parked at a seperated zone at the Changbei Airport of Nanchang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Oct. 31, 2013. The Flight JD5662 of Capital Airlines, a regional carrier, landed in Nanchang at 1:01 p.m. after the airline received a bomb threat call at 12:45 p.m. No bombs were found after a search of Flight JD5662. The 136 passengers aboard the plane went through another round of security checks at about 5 p.m. and the plane was due to take off. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi)



Source: Xinhua

China's Big Airlines Expand on International Routes

HONG KONG—China's big airlines are racing to boost their international reach as an increasingly congested home market weighs on earnings.

The nation's three state-owned carriers, which together account for nearly 80% of China's commercial airline traffic, have expanded internationally in the past few years as more Chinese citizens have traveled abroad. Much of the focus was on connecting Chinese hubs, such as Beijing and Shanghai, with big international destinations. And the expansion has been slow and uneven.

In recent months, though, the pace of international growth has accelerated. International traffic at Air China Ltd., China Southern Airlines Co. and China Eastern Airlines Corp. jumped 18% to 23% last month from a year earlier, outpacing mid-single-digit growth in domestic traffic.

And the focus overseas is shifting. Airlines are linking Chinese hubs with more second-tier international gateways, and connecting more second-tier Chinese cities with international hubs. Carriers also are targeting more customers for connecting flights. China Southern is increasing flights to Europe and Australia to move travelers between the two continents.

Chinese airlines are launching 23 new international routes in the winter schedule that took effect Sunday, according to the nation's aviation regulator.

The new routes include flights from Beijing to Houston, Geneva and Honolulu, as well as between Chengdu and Frankfurt, Nanjing and Sydney and Guangzhou and Moscow.

New, more-efficient long-range jets are helping make more routes commercially viable. And the new routes come as the carriers are increasing flights on their main international routes.

Yet analysts expect that it will take some time to develop consistent consumer demand, even though China's airlines generally have improved their service to tap Chinese business travelers.

"We've seen a very strong growth in outbound travel demand during the summer travel season. Stronger outbound traffic partially offset slower domestic traffic growth," said Davin Wu, an analyst at Credit Suisse. 

The international push underscores the pressure that China's airlines face in their core domestic business, with intense competition pushing ticket prices lower. And expanded coverage by China's high-speed rail system is diverting some customers away from the airlines.

Weaker earnings from two Chinese state airlines highlights the challenges they are facing despite a 10% rise in domestic airline traffic this year. Air China on Tuesday said its third-quarter net fell 7.3% to 2.94 billion yuan (US$483 million) from 3.17 billion yuan a year earlier, as increased competition weighed on airfares.

China Eastern, the smallest of the big three airlines, said net for January through September was 3.62 billion yuan, down 0.2% from a year earlier. Nonetheless, the carrier's third-quarter net rose 8.5% to 2.86 billion yuan.

The nation's air-travel market is booming despite slower economic growth and a frugality campaign by Chinese President Xi Jinping that has weighed on sales of first- and business-class tickets.

The pressure on airline earnings also comes amid moves by the government to liberalize the domestic airline market and promote the development of the nation's budget airlines. Beijing in May lifted a six-year ban on creating new independent airlines, approving two new privately owned carriers and signaling a looser grip on the industry.

Source: Wall Street Journal by Joanne Chiu

Carnival Cruise Lines to make Keelung a permanent base

The harbor city of Keelung in northern Taiwan last week saw its 500,000th visitor for the year, breaking a long-standing record.

The news comes as authorities announce that Carnival Cruise Lines has decided to make Keelung a permanent base for its Sapphire Princess liner from May next year. The Sapphire Princess can carry over 2,600 passengers and will stop by Kagoshima, Nagasaki and Okinawa on its Japan cruise.

Star Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Costa Cruises have already made Keelung one of their bases. Carnival is the fourth to do so.

Bruce Krumerine, vice CEO of the British-American cruise operator, visited the harbor's facilities on Oct. 28, the second time he has visited with the harbor authorities with his entourage. Krumerine is also considering to have the liner Sun Princess permanently based in Keelung.

A harbor official said Keelung's cruise traffic has been growing in 2013 because cruise operators have been seeking to compensate declining business in Europe and North America with new opportunities in Asia.

The number of passengers for unscheduled cruises in past years was around 60,000 persons each year. But this year will see about 150,000 passengers.

Star Cruise, which operates scheduled cruises each year in Taiwan, has also applied for nine unscheduled cruises.

With Taiwan gradually opening its market to China, cruise liners will also see their business grow, local media said.

Source: Want China Times 

Hotels buck weak global economy

The average daily room rate - an index to gauge the prosperity of hotels - in Beijing, Hong Kong and Macao continued to grow despite the weak global economy, international real estate service provider Knight Frank said in its latest report.

Hong Kong experienced the largest year-on-year growth among the five cities in the first half of 2012, with ADR gaining 12 percent, followed by Beijing with a growth of 11.4 percent, according to the report.

"We believe China's tourism market will continue to grow rapidly in the next few years despite the gloomy global economic outlook," said Thomas Lam, head of Research at Knight Frank Greater China.

Around 425 million people visited tourist sites around the country during the Golden Week holiday starting on Sept 30, up 40.9 percent over the same period last year. Revenue from tourism hit 210.5 billion yuan ($33 billion), an increase of 44.4 percent year-on-year, figures from the National Tourism Administration showed.

Robust economic development and growing numbers of tourists in China make it an attractive hotel market in need of more hotel rooms. International hotel operators have shown strong confidence in China's market and are pursuing aggressive expansion plans.

For example, Accor's upmarket brand Pullman is planning to open 25 hotels in the country by 2015, on top of its 14 existing hotels. Club Mediterranee plans to open five new resorts on the mainland by 2015, which will make China its second largest market in the world.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has opened 40 hotels in China over the last five years, with an additional 90 in the works. InterContinental, which now operates 162 hotels in China, has an additional 143 under development.

"Sentiment in the Greater China hotel market is set to remain strong, with demand for hotel rooms being driven up by the increasing numbers of both local and international visitors," said Lam.

"In our judgment, the hotel market in all the five major cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao - will benefit from increasing demand from tourists and business travelers, including those coming from the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) and corporate segments," Lam added.

In the first half of 2012, hotel operators continued to expand in the Greater China region. Among the five major cities covered by this report, Guangzhou was the most active market in the first half of 2012, with more than 300 rooms added in the city.

The bi-annual Canton Fair is the largest trade fair in China and attracts more than 400,000 visitors every year. Given its position as a major Asian business and exhibition center, Guangzhou should continue to generate a steady stream of business visitors.

Shanghai's hotel market, in particular, is expected to benefit from the completion of major tourism projects, such as Shanghai Disneyland in 2015.

Meanwhile, Shanghai is to be developed into a regional transportation hub for the Yangtze River Delta region with infrastructure projects in the pipeline such as Hongqiao Transportation Interchange linking the
Huning Intercity High-Speed Railway with air and municipal public transport lines.

A number of large convention and exhibition centers in Pudong, including Shanghai New International Expo Centre and Pudong Expo and Shanghai International Convention Center, will be holding many major international exhibitions in the coming years.

The hotel markets in Hong Kong and Beijing, according to the Knight Frank report, are expected to grow steadily.

Although already well developed, they offer unique competitive advantages that cannot be easily substituted. Also, both cities have a number of tourism projects in the pipeline that should further boost hotel demand.

Beijing would benefit from the expansion of the MICE industry in the country and the central government's plans to develop the tourism industry into one of the pillars of the Chinese economy.

New hotel supply is expected to be limited in Beijing in 2012 and the ADR and occupancy rate should increase steadily and rebound to pre-2008 levels, according to the report.

Demand for hotel rooms in Hong Kong is expected to grow further, with a number of tourism-related projects in the pipeline, such as the expansion of Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland as well as a new cruise terminal in Kai Tak.

Autumn scenery of Jiajinshan National Forest Park in Sichuan

Photo taken on Oct. 25, 2012 shows the autumn scenery of Shenmulei scenic spot of the Jiajinshan National Forest Park in Baoxing County,  Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)

Hefei, Anhui Province

Anhui province has found itself in the enviable position of acting as a link between the country's eastern and central regions, as rising labor costs in China's coastal regions push investors to move inland. Hefei, the capital of Anhui, is a fast-growing industrial city about 420 kilometers west of Shanghai that is well positioned to play a major role in the process.

With a new high-speed link October, cutting the time for travel between Hefei to Beijing from more than 10 hours to less than four hours, Hefei is on the fast track to become a magnet for investors.

The rising star is keen to seize the opportunity to better present itself, with a new international airport being built and heavy investment allocated to build subway lines.

The city's rapidly expanding economy is driven by a range of key industries including auto-making and equipment manufacturing, as well as high-tech sectors such as IT, software and biotechnology.

Despite its economic ambitions, Hefei enjoys a reputation as a garden city and offers pleasant amenities for tourism thanks to its mild sub-tropical climate. It also provides easy access to some of the province's most important attractions.

Here are just a few of them:

1. Sanhe Ancient Town

Sanhe Ancient Town, about 40 kilometers away from Hefei city center, is a cluster of Hui-style buildings.

The traditional teahouses, rice shops, bridges and grey-tiled, white-walled houses are an excellent representation of one of the major ancient Chinese architectural styles.

The town is at the confluence of the Fengle, Hangbu and Xiaonan rivers, hence the name, Sanhe, which means three rivers. It covers 2.9 square kilometers and has a history of more than 2,500 years. The town, built along the river, stretches for about three kilometers.

2. Chaohu Lake

Chaohu is one of China's largest freshwater lakes. It is about an hour's drive from Hefei city center. The lake covers more than 750 square kilometers (more than four times the size of Washington, DC) and is shaped like a bird's nest, hence the name Chaohu Lake (Nest Lake).

Gushan Island and Laoshan Island are in the middle of the lake. Gushan Island covers 0.86 square kilometers and boasts entertainment places and resort villages.

Three hot springs sit surround the lake, namely Bantang Spring, Fragrant Spring, and Tangchi Spring. The lake's great attractions also include five water-eroded caves, such as Ziwei Cave and Wangqiao Cave, which are well-known for the fine workmanship of the carved figures of Buddha within them.

3. Huangshan Mountain

If you have an extra two to three days in Hefei, you should go to Huangshan Mountain, in southern Anhui.

The mountain, about five hours' drive from Hefei, is well known for its spectacular scenery, sunsets and pine trees. It is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature.

Typically, a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site would involve one day of climbing to the top of the
mountain, staying overnight to see the sunrise and spending another day descending.

A network of trails at Huangshan Mountain offers interesting routes for viewing sharp stone spires topped with pretty, twisted pine trees and the moving sea of clouds.

All junctions and paths are well signed in Chinese and English, and with a 3-yuan English-language map, no tourist guide is needed for the visit.

There are literally thousands of steps. If you are not fully prepared for the hard work, there are also cable cars to make your tour easier.

As one of the most highly rated tourist attractions in China, visitors may find Huangshan packed with crowded tourist groups. The cost of entry, hotels, food and water can mount, but once you are immersed in the spectacular scenery this will seem inconsequential.

Eating and drinking

Hefei's signature food is crayfish, which are boiled and eaten with dipping sauces, usually spicy. The local cuisine is typically eaten outside, with beer.

Chinese are often quite selective about where to buy crayfish because they need to be cleaned and cooked thoroughly. Hefei's most famous crayfish street is Ningguo Road, and another good area to find crayfish is Hupo Dining Street.

Rather than drinking beer at bars, Hefei's drinking culture is more about tea, especially green tea. As the old
Chinese saying goes, "famous mountains produce famous tea". Huangshan Mountain is renowned for producing great green tea, and its Huangshan Maofeng is considered one of the top green teas in China.

There are many attractive stores on Hefei's Huayuan Street where you can sample teas and related snacks.

Apart from Huangshan Maofeng, other top-notch teas are produced in Anhui, including Tunxi Green Tea and Huoshan Huangya.

Source: xinhua

Beijing airport set to become world's busiest

By next year, Beijing Capital International Airport will rank as the world's busiest passenger airport, ending the 13-year reign of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to a report from the Global Business Travel Association.

"In 2012, Atlanta serviced 92 million passengers and Beijing 82 million. The relative growth in the two markets suggests that Beijing International will surpass Atlanta by 2014,"Joe Bates, the association's vice president of research, told China Daily in an interview.

In a release Thursday, the Virginia-based travel association said China is "growing its business travel market faster than any other nation, and continues to close the gap on the US as the largest business travel economy in the world."

Beijing's displacing Atlanta as the world's busiest airport marks the latest changing of the guard in the global marketplace.

With total spending on Chinese-originated business travel expected to grow a weaker than expected 14.3 percent this year and 17.2 percent next year – more than double the US rate – China is expected to overtake the US as the world's dominant business-travel market by 2016.

It overtook the US as the world's largest automotive market in 2009 and is poised to replace the US as the world's largest economy by the end of this decade.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International has been the world's busiest airport in terms of passenger volume since 2000.

The primary hub of Delta Air Lines, last year it had a 3.4 percent increase in number of passengers over 2011, according to Airports Council International, the worldwide association of airports. Beijing Capital International Airport, Asia's busiest airport since 2009, came in second with a 4.1 percent increase, according to the traffic report.

Bates said Beijing's rise into the world's busiest airport tells "a story of growth".

"Both business and leisure travel – outbound and inbound – are outpacing the developed world,"the travel association researcher said. "It's a sign that China's business-travel market continues to move ahead but will be challenged by infrastructure constraints".

The travel association, which predicts business-travel trends by tracking spending and other metrics, cut its 2013 outlook for total China business travel, citing the "protracted slowdown"in China's key trading markets in North America and Europe". China's economy also is slowing amid the nation's embrace of a consumption-driven rather than export- and investment-driven economy.

Even so, the travel association expects the Chinese economy to remain "a robust engine for economic growth at home and abroad", even though its growth sources are experiencing "dramatic change". And "that means the outlook for business travel remains positive,"the association said.

Source: By Michael Barris in New York (China Daily USA)

HNA Group buys 48% stake in French airline

HNA Group, the parent company of Hainan Airlines Co Ltd and China's fourth-largest airline group, completed its acquisition of a 48 percent stake in Aigle Azur, a Paris-based private airline, as HNA expands its international flight network, the group announced on Tuesday.
The French airline also will open its route from Paris to Beijing in the summer of 2013.

It marks the first time that a Chinese airline company has invested in a European airline. HNA Group will be the second-largest shareholder in the airline, after Go Fast Group in France.

But the two sides refused to reveal the amount of the deal, which once was reported at $40 million.

According to the agreement, Aigle Azur will be governed by an executive committee composed of five representatives, two of which will be named by HNA Group. In addition, HNA will assign an executive member to be the vice-president and appoint a deputy chief financial officer.

Aigle Azur, founded in 1946, runs domestic passenger services in France and international services to Portugal, Italy and Mali. It also operates charter, cargo and wet-lease services.

The deal will also allow Aigle Azur to introduce two A330 wide-body aircraft.
HNA Group board member Tan Xiangdong said the cooperation with Go Fast and the investment in Aigle

Azur is a milestone in HNA's overseas expansion, and demonstrates successful cooperation between Chinese and French companies.

The deal will increase the number of incoming tourists to France and create more jobs locally. The partnership will also allow Aigle Azur to enjoy HNA's annual passenger transport of 3.5 million people, Tan added.

Aigle Azur President Arezki Idjerouidene said the cooperation with China's fourth-largest airline company is a turning point for Aigle Azur.

"We hope to grow and develop together with HNA," he said, adding that the basis for a successful partnership with HNA is the similarity in the businesses of the two companies and the view they share on the prospects of the aviation industry.

The economic recession in the West has created difficulties for the aviation industry, but HNA is still positive about Aigle Azur's prospects.

"Aigle Azur is a well-operated company and it managed to make a profit even during the financial crisis," Tan said.

"We think investing in Aigle Azur is a well thought-out decision of HNA," he added.

Tan said the deal will help HNA extend its international flight network, especially its business to Europe and Africa.

Aigle Azur, which also has routes to Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, will open routes from Paris to Beijing and other destinations.

International expansion has been a major focus of HNA Group during the last two years, and the group is also looking at some niche markets, such as Africa.

The group invested in Ghana-based Africa World Airlines Ltd, which launched its first flight in September.

The new airline will become the group's basis to expand its business in Africa.

Tan said HNA will continue to seek overseas acquisition opportunities after the deal with Aigle Azur.

Chongqing launches 72-hour visa-free stays

Chongqing will allow transit passengers 72-hour visa-free stays from November in a move aimed at boosting the local economy and tourism.

The new policy will apply to visitors from 45 countries, the municipal government announced on Wednesday, and follows similar decisions taken by Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

Ai Yang, deputy secretary-general of the Chongqing government, said, "The policy will increase cooperation between Chongqing and foreign countries, boosting tourism, commerce and cultural exchanges."

He sees the policy as an opportunity for Chongqing to develop local tourism, commerce, culture, exhibitions and air travel.

Jean Bruno, a Frenchman who has worked in the legal sector in Chongqing for three years, said the decision will boost cultural and performance exchanges between Chongqing and overseas countries.

"It will benefit artists and troupes the most, making it much easier to stage touring shows in Chongqing," Bruno said, adding that it will also help some of his friends who are interested in touring Asia.

But he said the policy needs more promotion among foreigners. "It is worth making more people aware of this visitor-friendly policy," he added.

Visitors eligible for visa-free stays must have air tickets to a third country with confirmed dates and seats, and visas where required.

A service center for transit passengers will operate at Chongqing airport.

"The airport will provide services including currency exchange and travel advice at the international terminal for the convenience of passengers," said Pei Mingxue, the airport’s deputy manager.

In 2012, 22.05 million passengers used Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, ranking it the ninth-busiest nationwide.

More than 1 million passengers entered or left China from January to September at the airport, with the total for the year estimated to reach 1.3 million.

Pei also said a third terminal is being built at the airport and work is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.

Twenty-one international airlines operate from the airport, and a non-stop flight from Chongqing to Sydney is due to be launched at the end of the year. Non-stop flights to the 45 countries covered by the new policy, including Russia, Germany and Italy, are being planned.

Zhang Xiang, a senior official at the Chongqing Tourism Administration, said that from January to September the city received nearly 52 million overnight visitors, with 1.71 million coming from overseas.

The majority of foreign visitors came from the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, Zhang said.

"The tourism administration will provide suggested routes for transit passengers, including a Three Gorges tour and a food tour. We will also open a service window at the airport to provide advice in several languages," she added.

Chongqing, the only municipality in southwestern China, has a population of 30 million. The downtown area is surrounded by hills and has two rivers.

Source: china daily via china.org.cn 

Tibet unveils national park at Heavenly Lake

LHASA - A national park was unveiled on Tuesday at Namtso, a holy lake for Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims and a tourism destination near the Tibet Autonomous Region's capital of Lhasa.

The Namtso National Park also includes the main peak of Mt. Nyanchen Thanglha and Yangbajain, a place known for its hot springs, in addition to the lake.

The park is located between Damxung County, which is under the administration of Lhasa, and Bangoin County in Nagqu Prefecture.

The establishment of the park indicates that Tibet is implementing advanced tourism management methods, said Sun Yongping, deputy chief of the regional tourism bureau.

The park is Tibet's second national park following the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Park, which opened in 2010.

Ecological protection will be underlined at the Namtso National Park, with alpine ecology and biodiversity as its focus, Sun said.

With an altitude of 4,722 meters, Namtso boasts the world's highest salt lake, known as Heavenly Lake.
The park will be open to tourists all year long.

Source: Xinhua

Badaling Great Wall Bursting with Autumn Colors

One of the most popular tourist sites in Beijing, the Badaling Great Wall is enveloped in thick autumn foliage bursting with colors as seen in this photo taken last week.  (Source: CRI)

The Great Wall at Badaling in Autumn

Photos taken on October 21, 2015-  Red autumn leaves at the Great Wall at Badaling, Beijing, China



Source: Xinhua

Huangshan Mountains in Autumn

Photo taken on October 20, 2013 shows the autumn scenery of the Huangshan Mountain's in Huangshan, Anhui Province


Source: Xinhua

9 China hotels with ridiculously good views

Some hotels are there to let you get some shut-eye; others aim to keep your eyes busy day and night. Here are nine of the latter in China where a snapshot from the windows could be the best souvenir for your trip.

The list is in no particular order.

1. St. Regis Lhasa Resort, Tibet Autonomous Region

This is one of the world’s highest luxury hotels, situated 3,700 meters above sea level.

The hotel itself is as stunning as its surroundings, so much so that you’ll be sorely tempted to skip that Everest climb after all.

There are 122 rooms, a dozen suites and 28 private villas plus a wine bar and a spa, all affording literally breathtaking views.

The Deluxe King Rooms, Lhasa Suites, Tubo Suite, and Everest Suite all provide a straight-on view of the

Potala Palace, the one-time residence of Tibet's spiritual leader in exile, Dalai Lama.

22 Jiangsu Lu, Lhasa 拉萨市江苏路22号; +86 891 680 8888; rooms from RMB 1,900 (US$302) per night; www.starwoodhotels.com

2. Li-An Lodge, Guangxi

Set atop the Longji, or Dragon’s Back, this four-story boutique hotel provides the best angle to view the rice terraces that are the wonder of southern China.

Eight of the 16 rooms overlook the rolling emerald tiers spread over eight mountains, while the others face various parts of the surrounding landscape.

Corner room Celadon has the best views: you can take in the green spirals from two sides.

Each room is uniquely decorated, with celadon porcelain, terracotta earthenware, and wood block prints.

"I was thrilled when I reached the spot [in 1997] where Li-An Lodge stands now," says Keren Su, 60, owner of the lodge.

"A fantastic dream-like view spread out right from my feet down to the entire valley," the Chinese-American continues. "I dreamed about building a house of wood structure just like the local village houses. It took me nine years to fulfill my dream."

What's most amazing about the wooden lodge is that it was built without a single nail -- in the manner of traditional Chinese dwellings.

Ping'an Cun, Heping Xiang, Longsheng County 龙胜县和平乡平安村; +86 773 758 3318; rooms from RMB 1,850 per night; www.lianlodge.com

3. Songtsam Meili, Yunnan

This quaint lodge in northwest Yunnan Province has just 17 rooms,13 in a building facing Tibetans’ sacred site Meili Snow Mountains, and four in a second building that overlooks the valley as well as the tiny, five-house village in which the hotel is located.

At about 3,600 meters above sea level, Songtsam is remote. It’s incredibly quiet here and there’s not a hint of light pollution to tarnish the star-speckled night sky.

The hotel is designed to look like a traditional Tibetan home gone chic, with Wi-Fi and shiny Macs in the library.

A good option to spend the days is hiking and flower picking in the village. At night, curl up around the wood-burning stoves, or join the staff for a bonfire sing-along.

The room rate includes all meals, soft drinks and local beer. The hotel is closed every winter from mid-December to mid-March due to harsh weather.

Geji Village, Deqin County, Zhongdian, Shangri-La 香格里拉中滇德钦县各几农村; +86 887 828 8889; rooms from RMB 1,280 per night; www.songtsam.com

4. Hotel Indigo, Shanghai

This is the only high-rise hotel on the south Bund, with 184 rooms all decked out in 1930s Shanghai style.

The views are sweeping throughout its rooms and public spaces.

From rooftop steakhouse and bar CHAR, take in the cityscape with a dirty martini in hand and Wagyu filet in stomach.

Guestrooms overlook either the Shanghai old town, with its brick row houses, or the gleaming Pudong skyline, Huangpu River, and Bund’s colonial architecture.

For 28-year-old American Johanna Hoopes, the appeal of the hotel is that "the south Bund is just starting to develop."

"There are no other tall buildings to obscure your view," says Hoopes, "it's wide open."

585 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu, Shanghai 上海市中山东二路585号; +86 21 3302 9999; rooms from RMB 1,580; www.shanghai.hotelindigo.com

5. Grand Hotel, Beijing

The furnishings at this 217-room hotel err on the side of classical Chinese, rather than the now de rigueur East-meets-West, but it’s what's outside the rooms that's really what you’ve come to see -- the gargantuan Forbidden City.

The Deluxe and Old Pekin Suites look out onto the Forbidden City and bustling Chang'an Street. From the Forbidden City View Room, you get a full-on view of the golden pointy roofs of the former imperial palace.

Ambassador Suite provides views of both the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. With the rose pear wood furniture, the 118-square-meter flat is fit for an emperor.

35 Chang'an Dong Jie, Beijing 北京东长安街35号; +86 10 6513 7788; rooms from RMB 980 per night; www.grandhotelbeijing.com

6. Shangri-La Hotel Guilin, Guangxi 

Guilin is the jumping-off point for Yangshuo, a backpacker town whose karst mountains and crystal-clear river are immortalized on the RMB 20 banknote.

The seven-floor, 449-room Shangri-La sits right on the bank of the Li River and, from the Deluxe River Rooms, you can see its delicate curve, backed by the sharp peaks of the karst rock formations.

At sunset, the rooms and surroundings are flooded with golden light, a photographer's dream.

Though locals will dip in the Li, you can take advantage of the 400-cubic-meter, enormous (and immaculate) outdoor pool, which is set in a verdant garden and watched over by a uniformed lifeguard.

111 Huan Cheng Bei Er Lu, Guilin 桂林市环城北二路111号; +86 773 269 8888; rooms from RMB 850 per night; www.shangri-la.com/guilin/shangrila

7. Hongzhushan Hotel, Sichuan

There are 510 rooms spread across nine buildings in this 440,000-square-meter resort, so you'll get in plenty of walking before you even hike Mount Emei (峨眉山), one of the nation's Buddhist mountains whose base is adjacent to the hotel.

Buildings Five and Eight are the best of the lot -- rooms inside either face foresty Emei or 100,000-square-meter Hongzhu Lake.

Billy Zi (字文照), 31, a product manager at online travel platform Trekiz, recommends the third- and fourth-floor mountain-view rooms in Building eight.

"On sunny days," he says, "you can take photos of [Emei's] shining Golden Summit," atop which sits the world's highest golden Buddha (48 meters).

And when the weather's less clear, you'll still have a prime view of the 3,099-meter mountain.

Beside Baoguo Temple, Mount Emei 峨眉山报国寺旁; +86 833 552 5888; rooms from RMB 335 per night; www.hzshotel.com

8. Naked Stables, Zhejiang

"The tranquility evoked by the peaks and dips of the mountains create a sense of calm," says Zimbabwean Jean Jumbe, 28, who stayed at the 240,000-square-meter private reserve last December.

From the resort’s African-rondavel-inspired Earth Huts, you can look directly into the tree tops and bamboo stalks for which Mount Mogan is known.

From the treetop villas, you've got a panoramic view of the whole resort, including the tiered infinity pools, their soothing blue water popping against the verdant backdrop.

Naked Stables Private Reserve, Sanjiuwu, Laoling Village, Moganshan Town, Deqing County, Huzhou City 浙江省湖州市德清县莫干山镇老岭村三鸠坞; +86 21 6431 8902; rooms from RMB 2,600 per night for an Earth Hut and RMB 5,800 per night for a treetop villa; www.nakedretreats.cn

Ritz-Carlton Guangzhou, Guangdong

Canton Tower is currently the tallest structure in China (though the 632-meter Shanghai Tower will overtake it in 2014) and the world's second tallest TV tower, after Tokyo's Skytree.

From the 351 guestrooms at the Ritz-Carlton Guangzhou, you'll overlook either the sprawling city or the Pearl River and Canton Tower.

All the River View rooms have a straight-on outlook of the gleaming “slim waist,” a nickname for the 600-meter tower.

The center of Guangzhou is constantly under construction, especially the neighborhood in which the Ritz-Carlton is located, so some rooms do overlook building sites. You won't be waking up to jackhammers, though; the windows block out every decibel.

3 Xing'an Lu, Pearl River New City, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 广州市天河区珠江新城兴安路3号; +86 20 3813 6688; rooms from RMB 1,950 per night; www.ritzcarlton.com

Source: CNN Go By Sophie Friedman

Hoteliers Brave Room Glut in China

HONG KONG—Demand is cooling in China for international hotel companies. But that hasn't kept them from putting new hotels and resorts on the drawing boards.

Hoteliers say China remains their most important country for growth, with Accor SA, Hilton Worldwide Inc., Marriott International Inc. and InterContinental Hotels Group each planning to open more than 100 properties in the country in the coming years.

"There's a lot of supply growth, but demand will eventually catch up," says IHG Chief Executive Richard Solomons.

Mr. Solomons acknowledges that the pace of construction has created short-term oversupply in certain parts of the country in recent years. Beijing and Shanghai, for example, added hundreds of hotels in anticipation of the 2008 Olympics and Expo 2010, respectively. But he says he expects domestic demand will pick up the slack quickly.

IHG's revenue per available room, an industry standard for business health, rose 9.7% in the first half from a year earlier. Mr. Solomons says growth was lower in recent months, without disclosing the figure. IHG, the world's largest hotel company by number of rooms, operates under the InterContinental, Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza brands.

France's Accor, which runs about 130 hotels in China under the Ibis, Sofitel, Grand Mercure and Pullman names, says China's cooling economy has decreased the company's revenue growth per available room in the country to between 6% and 8% in the past three months from 12% to 15% in the first half.

"It's too soon to say it's a definite trend," says Michael Issenberg, chairman of Accor Asia Pacific.

Accor has signed contracts to open 100 more hotels in China. The company is focusing on developing its Ibis budget brand. Accor has 59 Ibis hotels in China, 40 of which the company owns outright, an unusual move in China where most international hotel chains operate under management contracts and don't own the properties.

Hilton has 31 hotels in operation in China with another 110 hotels in its pipeline. Martin Rinck, the company's Asian-Pacific president, says Hilton sees "huge potential" in smaller cities for midmarket hotels.

IHG, which opened its first hotel irn China in 1984, says it expects to add 150 hotels in the coming years to the 172 it already operates. The company generated $1.9 billion in revenue in China last year, up from $1 billion 2009.

China now makes up 10% of IHG's global revenue, though Mr. Solomons says he expects the country to match the U.S. as the industry's biggest hotel market in terms of rooms by 2025.

In a bid to lure more Chinese travelers, IHG started a Chinese-only brand, Hualuxe. Aimed at the "upper midmarket" and catering to Chinese clientele—boasting 24-hour noodle bars and favoring tea rooms over cocktail bars—the first Hualuxe is scheduled to open in 2014.

So far, most hotel development by international brands has been in major cities, mostly as part of mixed-use projects sanctioned by the government. But hotel companies now are building in smaller cities in China's interior and developing resorts for a newly affluent middle class that only recently has begun to afford leisure travel.

Marriott is developing resorts in Yunnan province and the Yellow Mountain region of Anhui province.

"We're particularly bullish on domestic leisure spots," says Paul Foskey, executive vice president of lodging development for the Asian-Pacific region at Marriott.

Industry observers have said the glut of rooms is a short-term issue. "I'm cautiously optimistic," says Torsten Stocker, a partner at consulting firm Monitor Group. "It's less a matter of continuous oversupply in the market than how some brands will do a better job in building their brands than others. The bigger issue is:
How do you actually find people to run and manage these hotels? There's a shortage of well-trained people."

IHG says it expects it will need to hire 100,000 employees in China over the next five years.

Source: Wall Street Journal By Jason Chow

Chasing the Chinese Tourist Yuan

Money trumps politics. That rule is being proved again as more Chinese venture abroad—and countries seek to capture that tourist spending by making the visa process easier.

So for China's richest man, Wang Jianlin, the formalities ahead of a trip to the U.K. earlier this year didn't include lining up at the U.K. Embassy in Beijing. Instead, the U.K. visa service went to him with the equipment to take his application, fingerprints and photograph.

The visa service's efforts paid off: Mr. Wang, the chairman of China's largest commercial property developer, Dalian Wanda Group, went on a shopping spree. He bought British yacht builder Sunseeker for £300 million ($478 million), and plowed another £700 million into a London site to build Western Europe's tallest residential tower.

That's more than most Chinese spend on a trip. But in the aggregate, Chinese tourists have now passed Germans and Americans to become the biggest spenders abroad. About half of the 83 million Chinese who traveled outside the mainland in 2012 spent more than $5,000 per trip, according to British payment processor WorldPay.

Chinese tourists are world-class shoppers, WorldPay said, accounting for a quarter of sales of luxury goods around the world.

To woo the Chinese big spenders, governments all over are changing their policies. The VIP visa service that Mr. Wang got isn't available to everyone, but select Chinese tour groups will be allowed to apply for a U.K. visa using the same form they use to apply for a Schengen visa, which allows travel to 25 other European countries.

This should shorten the wait time for those tour groups and give the U.K. a shot at some of those tourist yuan. In 2012, the U.K. attracted only 180,000 Chinese visitors—compared with 1.2 million who went to France, which uses the Schengen visa.

The U.S. is also streamlining the process for Chinese visitors. Until this year, Chinese seeking just to make a visa appointment needed to call a dedicated line that required first purchasing a special phone card, which inevitably seemed to run out of cash while the caller was on hold. Now Chinese can make appointments online. The U.S. also dramatically increased its visa-processing capacity for Chinese travelers. In 2012, it processed 1.4 million non-immigrant visa applications in China, 80% more than just two years earlier.

Ease of getting a visa counts for holders of Chinese passports because they face more limits than travelers from 85% of the 200 countries tracked by consulting firm Henley & Partners. They need to apply for visas in advance to most developed countries and Asian neighbors, and even the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau.

Uncertainty over visas is a constant complication for Chinese business travelers, leaving them with little control over their own schedules and forcing last-minute travel decisions depending on whether visas come through.

And though many wealthy Chinese also have foreign passports, that doesn't always make travel simpler. Chinese like to make trips in groups, with extended families and business associates, meaning the destination must often be determined by where the group members with only Chinese passports can obtain visas.

Some destinations with less-stringent visa restrictions have enjoyed windfalls from the growth in Chinese traveling overseas. South Korea's Jeju Island has allowed Chinese travelers without visas since 2008, and last year they accounted for two-thirds of the 1.68 million foreign visitors. China has also grown to be the biggest source of tourists for the Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean. Mauritius, another Indian Ocean island nation, received 20,000 Chinese visitors in 2012, 77% more than in 2011.

This freedom can be abused, though, partly explaining why some countries have been reluctant to open up to the Chinese quickly. Saipan, a U.S. territory in the Western Pacific Ocean, doesn't require visas for Chinese, but it is now seeking to limit the entry of pregnant Chinese women after some tried to take advantage of the ease of entry to gain U.S. citizenship for their newborns.

China itself is starting to show signs of loosening up its visa regime, after making it harder for some foreigners to get visas in recent years. Thailand eased restrictions for the Chinese about five years ago, and now China is proposing a bilateral visa exemption. Also, starting this year, foreigners from 45 approved countries passing through China are allowed to stay in Beijing without a visa for 72 hours.

Chinese authorities expect the number of travelers going overseas to hit 100 million next year. But that will still leave 93% of the population at home—potential travelers. The travel industry, hoping that the number of Chinese travelers keeps climbing, is preparing to serve the next wave.

"All the loosening up of visa restrictions is positive for our business," said Jane Sun, chief operating officer at Chinese travel agency Ctrip.com International Ltd., which recently raised $800 million from a bond sale. "The business prospects for China's industry look great now, so we want to get prepared for new investments."

Source: Wall Street Journal by Wei Gu

Scenery of Lhasa

Photo taken on Oct. 12, 2013 shows the night view on the Lhasa River, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region


 Photo taken on Oct. 16, 2013 shows the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region

Photo taken on Oct. 13, 2013 shows the scenery from the top of the Ngaqen Mountain in Lhasa, Tibet

A follower of Buddhism walks past prayer wheels outside the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet

A student writes homework at roadside in the sun in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region

Source: Xinhua

Zhouzhuang: China's Venice

The old town of Zhouzhuang is located in the "Golden Triangle" among Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou. The town was included on American news agency CNN's list of the top-10 most beautiful towns in the world.

More than 60 percent of Zhouzhuang's architecture has been well preserved from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Likewise, the town's 14 stone bridges, from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, embody a unique structure that mesh well with the old waterway infrastructure for which the town is famous. Also boasting hundreds of old mansions, courtyard dwellings, alleyway boutiques selling traditional wares, Qunqu opera and delicacies such as Xuan rolls and Apo tea, Zhouzhuang is definitely worthy of its moniker, "The best water village in China"


Source: Xinhua

Taiyuan, Shanxi Province

The turbulence of history has left very few ancient Chinese mansions intact, and the passage of years makes it even harder to preserve their typically wooden structure.

Sadly, only two original Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) mansions can be found in Shanxi province, where it is estimated that 90 percent of Chinese architecture from before the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) exists. Its capital, Taiyuan, the political, economic and cultural hub of the province, still offers the best of ancient North China's culture.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Shanxi merchants became the epitome of national wealth for their cleverness in managing their fortunes. During this period, Taiyuan became the financial center of the Qing Dynasty. The capital has become a hub for heavy industrial since 1949, with its surrounding areas accounting for more than half of China's total coal mining output.

However, Taiyuan is adjusting its reliance on heavy industries, which have brought it wealth but also heavy pollution. The city is balancing its industry structure in an effort to attract tourists to its rich and storied culture. Here are some of the places you should not miss.

1. Jinci Temple

Located 25 kilometers away from downtown Taiyuan, Jinci Temple is a grand collection of ancient wooden buildings set against a lush landscape of cypresses that was built in memory of Tang Shuyu, the local king during the Western Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-771 BC). His decision to make use of the nearby Jin River to irrigate and foster agriculture transformed Taiyuan from barren lands to a thriving city.

The Hall of the Sacred Mother is the most famous building in Jinci Temple, with its 43 Song Dynasty (960-1279) figures of maids set in two rows to serve Yijiang, Tang Shuyu's revered mother. The clay sculptures inside are an important source for scholars studying the clothing style of the Song Dynasty.

On the right side of the hall stands a famous cypress that is at least 1,000 years old. Legend has it that a Taoist was selling ointments under the dead cypress, but no one was buying them. The Taoist sighed and plastered ointment on the tree, which soon sprang to life. Today, most travelers stop to pray under the tree in the hope of bringing eternal health to their family.

Nanlao Spring gurgles from the hill behind the hall and flows ceaselessly in any season. The statue of the Sacred Mother, the maid sculptures and the spring are known as the three wonders of Jinci Temple.

2. The Giant Buddha of Mengshan Mountain

This 1,461-year-old Buddha statue was carved on one side of a south-facing hill cliff located 20 kilometers southwest of downtown Taiyuan. It is believed to be 162 years older than the world's largest sitting stone sculpture of the Buddha in Leshan, Sichuan province, but is not as well known.

The Mengshan Mountain Buddha statue is 63 meters tall. When first discovered in the 1980s, parts of the main body were buried, and it was not until 2008 that it was opened to visitors after years of restoration.

3. Tianlong Mountain Grottoes

These grottoes, 40 kilometers southwest of Taiyuan, include a series of 24 caves in the mountainside.

Nestled within them are 1,500 Buddhist sculptures that are as magnificently carved as they are solemn. The second and third grottoes have a history of more than 1,500 years.

The multi-story ninth grotto is home to an eight-meter-tall Maitreya statue as well as an 11-meter-tall, soberly clothed Bodhisattva statue. The ornaments on the stone carvings are succinct and in line with the dogma of Buddhism. The roof of the shrine is decorated with motifs such as lotus and dragon.

4. Shanxi Museum

The four-story building is located at 13 Binhe West Road, situated along the Fen River in central Taiyuan.

The collection of antiques on display is rich and important as Chinese civilization first began to develop in Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan provinces. The building itself is architecturally pleasing, and is designed to depict structures of the past. Visitors will be mesmerized by the many Buddhist statues, porcelain, paintings and calligraphy.

Food and Drinks

Shanxi claims to have more than a hundred varied styles of noodles - there are sliced noodles, pulled noodles and maoerduo (cat's ears) to name a few. Daoxiaomian (sliced noodles) are the most popular. The cook's ability to fashion noodles from dough requires years of training and is considered an art.

The famous dish here is guoyourou (fried boiled pork). Like most Taiyuan delicacies, it is flavored with vinegar and tastes salty and is crispy. Travelers might also try some local snacks such as tounao, a Muslim soup with three large pieces of lamb and Chinese herbs.