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TRAVEL
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March15
China provides some of themost diverse holiday
options of any Asian country. Here, Hong Kong-
based luxury tour operator
Lightfoot Travel
picks its top ten spots around the Middle
Kingdom, most of which can be done as long
weekends. What are you waiting for?
CHINA
TOP
TEN
SHANGRI-LA, YUNNAN
Considering its towering snow-capped peaks, vast plains and striking
Tibetan architecture, you can see why the fictional utopia depicted in James
Hilton’s
Lost Horizon
is reportedly based on these lands. The people, culture,
cuisine and sheer expanse of open space will take your breath away; literally
– the area lies at an average altitude of over 3,000 metres above sea level.
YANGSHUO,
GUANGXI
The landscapes depicted
in just about every Chinese
scroll, Yangshuo’s karst
mountains and lazily winding
rivers are the ideal spot for an
extended weekend trip from
Hong Kong. Stay at charming
little boutique hotels, go rock-
climbing, bike through rice
paddies, raft down the Li
River and make sure to try
the Guilin rice noodles that
the region is famous for.
ZHANGJIAJIE, HUNAN
Zhangjiajie is most notable for being one
of the places that inspired the floating Hallelujah
Mountains in James Cameron’s blockbuster
movie
Avatar
. The National Forest Park is part of
a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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CHENGDU, SICHUAN
One of the prettier cities in China, Chengdu is a haven for food lovers
with its fiery hot pot and tasty street snack culture. There are several panda
sanctuaries just a short drive away, and trust us, there really is nothing cuter
than baby pandas clambering, rolling and play-fighting with each other. The city
serves as a gateway to the northern lake area of Jiuzhaigou, as well as hikes to
picturesqueMount Emei, the highest of China’s four Sacred Buddhist Mountains.
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