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Mar 2018 – Sep 2025

Dream of China

An open-ended adventure by Vic Read more

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Day 14
Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 10:19 AM
⛅ 6 °C
Altitude: 63 m
China Dongheyan 39.868212, 116.18957539°52’6” N 116°11’22” E
Leaving Beijing
April 7, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C
Almost 10:30am and ready to leave for the Beijing Airport. Some last pictures from our hotel area.
TravelerSafe travels!
4/7/18Reply
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Day 14
Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 12:18 AM
🌙 4 °C
Altitude: 28 m
China Longshancun 40.070634, 116.60700340°4’14” N 116°36’25” E
Flight home
April 7, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌙 4 °C
Started to load the plane at 3:10 with scheduled departure at 3:25. Then once on the plane they advised there will be a further delay as they had not finished fueling the plane. Finally started to taxi at 4:00pm 35 minutes late so we are hoping that our shortened connecting time of 1.5 hours is enough to clear customs and catch our flight to Winnipeg. Got to Vancouver and they have already rebooked us on a later flight to Winnipeg. It will be a long travel day arriving around 10 pm.Read more
TravelerThanks for the update. Take care. From your all your pictures it looks like you had a wonderful holiday!!
4/7/18Reply
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Day 13
Friday, April 6, 2018 at 7:17 PM
🌙 6 °C
Altitude: 63 m
China Dongheyan 39.868453, 116.18982239°52’6” N 116°11’23” E
Last Night in Beijing
April 6, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌙 6 °C
Arrived in Beijing train station at 9:30pm. Another 45 minute bus ride to the hotel. Departing tomorrow at 10:30 am for the airport to go home. Had a great vacation but looking forward to returning to a slower pace.Read more
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Day 13
Friday, April 6, 2018 at 2:37 PM
🌬 14 °C
Altitude: 199 m
China Guoxiaozhai 34.650416, 113.55045434°39’1” N 113°33’2” E
Zhengzheu to Beijing
April 6, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌬 14 °C
Traveled by coach to Zhengzheu to catch a bullet train to Beijing. This is a 3 hour trip traveling at approximately 300 km per hour. Great way to travel with lots of room and comfortable ride. Although they have security and X-ray scans of luggage at the train station entrance the staff are very young and quite inexperienced creating a lot of confusion and unnecessary searches of our luggage.Read more
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Day 13
Friday, April 6, 2018 at 7:02 AM
🌬 11 °C
Altitude: 148 m
China Niewan 34.667908, 112.4200434°40’4” N 112°25’12” E
Temple Shaolin
April 6, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌬 11 °C
The Shaolin Monastery also known as the Shaolin Temple, is a Chan ("Zen") Buddhist temple in Dengfeng County, Henan Province, China. Dating back 1,500 years when founded by Fang Lu-Hao, Shaolin Temple is the main temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism to this day.

Watched Kung Fu demonstrations. There are 35,000 students learning the art of Kung Fu at this location. Again there were hundreds of thousands of visitors here today giving a new perspective of crowded spaces. Interestingly the crowd was quite orderly.

We were often asked to pose for pictures with local visitors and exchange a few words of English.Read more
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Day 12
Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 9:26 PM
⛅ 18 °C
Altitude: 161 m
China Niewan 34.668869, 112.42030334°40’8” N 112°25’13” E
Nightlife in Luoyang
April 5, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Ate supper then booked into our hotel and went for a walk. Drivers and pedestrians have a total disregard for traffic lights, rules and each other. I’m amazed that there are not more accidents that we have seen.

It is not unusual to see families with their children on one scoter as shown in the picture. Even infants are tucked away on the floor in front of the driver. Forget about baby car seats.

Came across a group of seniors exercising on the sidewalk and were very friendly.Read more
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Day 12
Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 5:02 PM
⛅ 15 °C
Altitude: 145 m
China Guanlin 34.595078, 112.46929534°35’42” N 112°28’9” E
Longmen Grotto
April 5, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Toured the Longmen grotto. Because today was a national holiday they estimated there were approximately 500,000 visitors alongside us today.

The Longmen Grottoes are some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Buddha and his disciples, they are located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of present-day Luoyang in Henan province, China. The images, many once painted, were carved as outside rock reliefs and inside artificial caves excavated from the limestone cliffs of the Xiangshan and Longmenshan mountains, running east and west.Read more
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Day 12
Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 11:20 AM
☁️ 8 °C
Altitude: 144 m
China Litun 34.596639, 112.45162534°35’48” N 112°27’6” E
Luoyong
April 5, 2018 in China ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
Arrived from Xi’an by bullet train. Very comfortable and quite. We were a little worried about getting off the train with all our baggage because it only stops for 2 minutes at each stop but good planning and coordination by our tour guide made it quite easy

Population of Luoyang is 6.8 million, small by China standards.

Yellow River tributary shown in the picture.

Low profile toilets are standard in most public washrooms but hotels have western style toilets.

English translations for the lavatory sink are google translations so that would explain why they don’t make much sense.Read more
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Day 12
Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 6:54 AM
🌫 8 °C
Altitude: 415 m
China Yanta 34.231107, 108.95157434°13’52” N 108°57’6” E
Leaving Xi'an to Luoyang
April 5, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌫 8 °C
Leaving for the train station to catch a high speed bullet train to Luoyang.

When we ask how long the bus trip will be to the various locations the standard answer often is about one and a half hours depending on traffic. LOL.

Streets and highways are beautifully manicured with shrubs, flowers and trees everywhere.

Lots of farm land between Xi’an and Luoyang. 70% of China’s population are farmers.Read more
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Day 11
Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at 10:18 PM
☁️ 8 °C
Altitude: 416 m
China Yanta 34.231614, 108.95228634°13’54” N 108°57’8” E
Dumpling Dinner and Cultural Show
April 4, 2018 in China ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
Lovely dinner of 18 dumpling varieties. Some had interesting flavours but most were eaten and enjoyed. On to Louyang early tomorrow morning by high speed train.

The Chinese are celebrating tomb sweeping festival during the next 3 days which is a traditional Chinese festival on the first day of the fifth solar term of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. This makes it the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, either 4 or 5 April in a given year. People will burn pretend money on street intersections in a circle to show respect for family members who have died. We saw a number of these fires while traveling around today and now know what it represents. Traffic is expected to be quite congested over the next couple of days as a result.Read more
TravelerBeautiful photos!
4/4/18Reply
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Day 11
Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at 5:26 PM
🌬 14 °C
Altitude: 403 m
China Baqiao 34.310483, 109.08266234°18’38” N 109°4’58” E
1 1
Tarracotta Army
April 4, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌬 14 °C
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.

The figures, dating from approximately the late third century BCE,[1] were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong District, Xi'an, People's Republic of China, Shaanxi province. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits nearby Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum.

The young boy in the picture came running up to me and wanted to practice his English. So we exchanged some pleasantries, took a a selfie and then he gave me a big hug. Giving hugs is quite special since showing emotion as we learned today is not a Chinese custom.Read more
Traveler Remarkable!
4/4/18Reply
Traveler Nice!
4/4/18Reply
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Day 11
Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at 1:33 PM
🌬 16 °C
Altitude: 501 m
China Lintongqu 34.368858, 109.23360434°22’8” N 109°14’1” E
Xi'an Jade and lacquer furniture
April 4, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌬 16 °C
Toured a jade and furniture factory. Lots of beautifully crafted pieces of art.
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Day 11
Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at 8:29 AM
🌬 11 °C
Altitude: 422 m
China Yanta 34.231114, 108.95260934°13’52” N 108°57’9” E
Xi'an
April 4, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌬 11 °C
Forecast includes a Hazardous Air Quality warning. No surprise with all the cars and factories in the area. Beijing and Shanghai have moved all factories out of the city to reduce the pollution. Xi’an has not done this yet.Read more
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Day 10
Tuesday, April 3, 2018 at 10:33 PM
🌬 20 °C
Altitude: 412 m
China Yanta 34.230458, 108.95286334°13’50” N 108°57’10” E
Travel to Xi'an
April 3, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌬 20 °C
One hour and 10 minute flight to Xi’an although total elapsed time from leaving for the airport, flight delays and travel to our hotel was about 6 hours. The joys of traveling between large cities in China. Xi’an has a population of 10 million. Lots of posted rules. The picture below was inside an elevator. Staying at a Holiday Inn for the next couple of days. Had a western style supper just to change things up. Actually the pizza was quite good.Read more
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Day 10
Tuesday, April 3, 2018 at 2:50 PM
⛅ 31 °C
Altitude: 426 m
China Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport 29.715285, 106.63563129°42’55” N 106°38’8” E
Chongqing Zoo
April 3, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Chongqing is the largest city in China with a population of 33 million. There are currently 80,000 buildings that are over 33 floors. Took a quick tour of the Chongqing zoo to see the pandas. Now leaving for Xi’an.Read more
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Day 10
Tuesday, April 3, 2018 at 5:53 AM
🌙 18 °C
Altitude: 169 m
China Jialing Jiang 29.569727, 106.58253529°34’11” N 106°34’57” E
Arriving at Chongqing
April 3, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌙 18 °C
Arrived at 6 am. Going to be a hot day around 30c. Another very large city.
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Day 9
Monday, April 2, 2018 at 10:52 PM
⛅ 26 °C
Altitude: 155 m
China Dongbu 29.710258, 107.2721129°42’37” N 107°16’20” E
On our way to Chongqing
April 2, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
One thing that has amazed me is the size of some of the cities on the Yangtze River. Many of these cities are relatively new and were established when the three gorges dam was built and the low lands were flooded. The government relocated millions of people and paid to move them. The city in the pictures is very modern and has all the glamour of any western metropolitan city. We were told the Government will often build high-rises on spec so they can keep their unemployment low. In some cases these buildings will sit empty for many years. Also construction on many projects run 24/7.Read more
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Day 9
Monday, April 2, 2018 at 10:16 PM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 224 m
China Liyuan Xi 29.728951, 107.3679129°43’44” N 107°22’4” E
Captain's Farwell Dinner
April 2, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Interesting dishes to choose from. Texture of “meat” dishes were often very mushy and obviously processed. Some dishes were very spicy others were indistinguishable.
TravelerVery interesting!
4/3/18Reply
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Day 9
Monday, April 2, 2018 at 6:17 PM
⛅ 26 °C
Altitude: 145 m
China Guicheng 29.886884, 107.72529229°53’13” N 107°43’31” E
Fengdu on our own
April 2, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Went ashore on our own but what a process to get off the boat. Had to sign a waiver (see picture) that states “since I’m not willing to follow dock safety rules of no disembarkation by ourselves.....”. Interesting street food which I would love to have tried but don’t want to take any chances to spoil my vacation.Read more
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Day 9
Monday, April 2, 2018 at 11:26 AM
☀️ 23 °C
Altitude: 124 m
China Gonghe 30.404792, 108.15064830°24’17” N 108°9’2” E
Red Pagoda
April 2, 2018 in China ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Excursion to the Red Pagoda. Ninety nine steps to the top.
The red wooden 12 story pagoda rises stunningly against a 30 meter (100 foot) high rock outcropping along the banks of the Yangtze River.

The tall pagoda is the most interesting part of the Shibaozhai Temple. It consists of two sections: The lower one is a nine story edifice that abuts the rock outcropping. The upper section sits on top of the outcropping (where the temple buildings reside).

The nine story section is not a free-standing building. Its architects designed it to lean against the rock outcropping for its support. Without it, the section would topple over.

The Shibaozhai pagoda structure was built without nails.Read more
TravelerBeautiful photos!
4/2/18Reply
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Day 8
Sunday, April 1, 2018 at 2:06 PM
⛅ 24 °C
Altitude: 169 m
China Liyutuo 31.009915, 109.71137831°0’36” N 109°42’41” E
Wu Gorge
April 1, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Sightseeing along the Wu gorge.
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Day 7
Saturday, March 31, 2018 at 8:41 PM
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 141 m
China Xujiachong 30.851263, 110.97572530°51’5” N 110°58’33” E
Departing from Yichang
March 31, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Leaving tonight at approximately 9:15 pm heading west along the Yangtze River with the Three Gorges Dam behind us.
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Day 7
Saturday, March 31, 2018 at 8:36 PM
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 144 m
China Xujiachong 30.8511, 110.97569430°51’4” N 110°58’32” E
Three Gorges Dam
March 31, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in Yiling District, Yichang, Hubei province, China. The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest power station in terms of installed capacity. It supplies only 2% of the power demand in China, still a big number. 70% of power demand comes from coal generators, a major polluter, the rest comes from other hydro electric generators, nuclear reactors and green power. Although the three gorges dam is a environmentally friendly source of power it is not without controversy causing human and ecological damage.Read more
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Day 7
Saturday, March 31, 2018 at 7:53 AM
☀️ 15 °C
Altitude: 143 m
China Xujiachong 30.851265, 110.9760230°51’5” N 110°58’34” E
Yangtze River Cruise
March 31, 2018 in China ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
We arrived at our boat shortly after 1am and got up for breakfast at 6:45. Great sleep but a little short. Just waiting to tour the Three Gorges Dam. It is a hydroelectric gravity dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in Yiling District, Yichang, Hubei province, China. The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest power station in terms of installed capacity.Read more
TravelerContinue to enjoy the trip. Happy Easter!
4/1/18Reply
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Day 6
Friday, March 30, 2018 at 5:12 PM
⛅ 18 °C
Altitude: 35 m
China Shanghai Pudong International Airport 31.151965, 121.79737831°9’7” N 121°47’51” E
Leaving Shanghai but not so fast
March 30, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Drove about 1 1/2 hours from our hotel to the second Shanghai airport (Pudong Airport) to catch our flight to Yichang. Interesting architecture at the airport as you will see in the pictures. As we approached the airport it became quite foggy. The departure screens showed all flights either delayed or cancelled. They boarded us anyway and we sat on the tarmac for over 2 hours to allow the backlog of flights to clear before we were allowed to take off. There must have been at least 50 planes waiting for the fog to clear hence the 2 hour wait. This is a massive airport. It will likely be well past midnight before we get on our boat for the next leg of our trip, four day Yangtze River cruise. Overall impression of Shanghai, very modern elitist attitude city. Very beautiful and well manicured. Surprising amount of green space and greenery in a city of 24 million. This is one of their strategies to combat pollution. It is considered as the financial capital of China whereas Beijing is the political capital. In fact there are efforts to discourage/restrict blue collar migration into Shanghai.Read more
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