Three Off the Beaten Places in China

Three Off the Beaten Places in China

China is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Its home to a rich culture, a few millennia of history, great food, significant historical sites, and over 1.3 billion people. Most tourists head for the obvious tourist attractions – the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Warriors, the Shaolin Temple, the Forbidden City, and Tienanmen Square. While they are all amazing (and amazingly crowded), there is much to China than these crowded tourist sites.

China has amazing areas of beauty that are great to escape to, even if the road isn’t as beaten down by throngs of tourists. These three places will help enjoy the historical and natural wonders China without the Disney World crowds:

The Longmen Caves

The Longmen Cave is has an amazing collection of Buddhas near Luoyang. Though still popular, there is more breathing room and more natural scenery than other tourist areas of China. Thousands of Buddhas, from neck-craning enormous statues to thumbnail size statues, are carved into cliffs along the Yi River. From a distance, the cliff looks like a honey comb network. On the opposite side of the river from the giant Buddhas, lies a romantic tea house tucked away in the woods, along side a stream to offer weary travelers a rests. The site is very cheap at 40 RMB.

Don’t Miss the Xi’an City Wall

The oldest and most well-kept city wall in China is in by Xi’an, a modern city with a lively and chaotic nightly carnival. The red-lantern-lined wall overlooks traditional Chinese buildings, with towers every 100 or so meters, makes you feel like you are truly in China and not a whitewashed tourist attraction. Start your bike ride before sunset and you’ll be able to ride when the lights along the wall and the lanterns light up the city to guide your way in the dark.

Song Mountain

Fans of the movie Kung Fans will know the Shaolin Temple well. Sadly, nearly the entire original temple has been destroyed and you share this faux site with hordes of tourists. However, nearby and included in the Shaolin admission ticket, is one of China’s holy mountains- Song Mountain. To reach the mountain, you must take a 60 RMB lift, which offers a nice view of the surrounding landscape. Once on the mountain, you can walk around cliffs where stacked rocks look like dominoes about to collapse over each other.  You can get excellent views of the cloud covered mountains that look out to the jungle. and the best part- it’s an easy hike leaving you with no excuses to not explore.