A different kind of high in China
China is full of contrasts whether in landscape, culture or historical sites. Here, you can watch the sunrise from a sacred mountaintop, search for antiques or crafts in the colorful confusion of a local bazar, journey on a river cruise or enjoy festive celebrations honoring age-old legends and customs.
China remained long in isolation, until expedition of the 19th century revealed its massive wealth.
Cathay Pacific Airlines recently invited a group of Cebu media practitioners that included Thea Riñen of Cebu Daily News; Lyndon Angan of Make My Trip Travel TV Noel Villaflor of Sun Star, David Cua of Zee magazine and this writer to a familiarization of Changsha, China. We boarded a CX 920 flight to Hong Kong where we took a connecting flight to Changsa on Dragonair where our much-anticipated quest would commence.
Changsha is the capital and largest city of Hunan province in south central China. The recorded history can be traced back 3,000 years. Although not as ancient a capital city as Beijing or Xian, Changsha has rich historical heritages including old wall remains, tomb sites, religious temples and buildings. What earns the city its reputation is the fact that it was the site of Mao Zedong’s conversion to communism. Rebuilt since 1949, the city is now a major interior port and a commercial and industrial center.
Day 1.Changsha to Zhangjiajie
Our trip to Zhangjiajie took five hours by land. We proceeded to the Yellow Dragon Cave in Suoxiyu natural reserve. Considered the longest in Asia, it is an incomparable realm of gigantic subterranean chambers, fantastic cave formations and extraordinary features. The tally of natural wonders includes one natural reservoir, two underground rivers, three pools, four waterfalls, 96 passageways, 13 caverns and thousands of stalagmites and stalactites.
Day 2. Yuanjiajie
This scenic area is accessible by taking the Bailong elevator, which is built onto the side of a huge cliff and takes you a whopping 1,070 feet high. It has three Guinness World Records, honored as the highest, fastest and largest-loaded elevator in the world. The total height is 335-meters.
Tianzi Mountain
This mountain takes its name from a man, Xiang Dakun, a leader of the Tu ethnic group who led a revolution and avowed himself as Tianzi (Son of Heaven). The mountain provides stunning views of peaks, which rise one after the other. It is known as the “Monarch of the Peak Forest.”
Baofeng Lake
Considered a world natural heritage, Baofeng Lake is reputed as “a classical lake in the world.” The scenic area was first developed by chance. It was a peaceful gorge many years ago and the local people built a reservoir within the rocks only with the purpose of storing water for irrigation. People never expected that after the project, a beautiful scenery would be created and now has become quite famous.
Tianmen Mountain
China’s newest tourist spot is a glass-bottomed walkway around the cliff face of the Tianmen Mountain, 4,700 feet about sea level. This can be reached by taking a four-mile long cablecar, said to be the longest of the same type in the world. On the opposite side is the Tianmen Cave, which was authorized as a national forest park in July, 1991.It is a natural water-eroded cave with the highest elevation in the world. It is actually a big hole in the mountain but people call it a cave which is on the precipice. Guests may need to walk up 999 steps to reach the top.
Tianmen Fox Fairy Show
We culminated our most enjoyable and exciting trip by watching the spectacular Fox Fairy Show at the foot of Tianmen Mountain. It is the world’s first real scene musical drama with the high mountains and deep valleys as the background. On the hanging platform more than 100 girls wearing traditional costume sing to offer spectators a wonderful aural enjoyment. With a cast of 530, the awesome drama which originated from a traditional Chinese myth and folk tales, integrates the elements of folk music and modern art.
Now is the time to discover China with its ancient treasures, modern wonders, fascinating heritage and fantastic cuisine that will enthrall, excite and amaze you. And throughout all this meet friendly people eager to share their warm hospitality.
Cathay Pacific has prepared several well-thought-out and reasonably priced tour packages that will add a fresh dimension to your travels. The six packages include the best of Pearl River Delta, Avatar, Zhuhai, Canton, Chimelong and the very best of Yangtze River.
