NineXplorer

The Tea Horse Caravan Road might not be as famous as the silk road, but it is just as hugely fascinating culturally. More than just tea and horses, it oversaw a major exchange of goods, religions and cultures in a region spanning Yunnan, Sichuan, Tibet, Myanmar and beyond. To understand the tea horse trade, let’s hit the former caravan road and discover its cultural legacy! 

The story of the tea horse caravan road started around the Song dynasty in the 11th century. During that time, the Song Chinese were threatened by tribal kingdoms of the North. Part of the reason is that they lack the faster and larger war horses of the tribes. At the same time, the Tibetans to the West lack the tea leaves that the Chinese produced, but they had good horses. Therefore, a mutually beneficial trade of tea for horses began. The road was in operation right up till the mid-20th century, and saw the exchange of other goods such as salt, precious metals, furs, animal hides, textiles and medicines.

Trip highlights:  
- Discover the former glory of the tea horse trade through a caravan descendent  
- Understand the lives of the traders at an old caravan inn  
- Explore the streets of the charming caravan town shaxi, home to old opera stages and courtyard mansions  
- Experience the Bai tribe traditions at a local buddhist temple  
- Explore the local bazaar: a mix of colorful tribal costumes and exotic local produce  
- Stay at refurbished former mansions of the caravan traders: rustic yet luxurious

Naoshima used to be an island with old villages and decaying industries just like any other rural communities in Japan. Young ppl moved away, and many houses were abandoned.

Then, a Japanese businessman who is a art lover decided to revive the area. Born in the countryside, he decided to put up modern art installation with strong messages, in the right environment and right architecture. He believes that modern art should not be just be something people collect or invest for speculative purpose. Rather, he advocates that modern art should be used as a way to uplift rural communities.

So he invited artists and architects to come together to revitalize the place. They refurbished old houses with art installation inside, and the theme is very heavy on their history n relation with people and the surrounding using elements of light. And the best thing is, the restored buildings are scattered around the village inhabited with residents, inducing a dynamic interaction between new and old, visitors and locals.

Besides refurbished houses and factories, a famous japanese architect Tadao Ando built a few museum on the island. He's well known for his use of concrete in his minimalist architecture style. The masterpiece are not museums with four walls but architecture that blends into the surrounding.

The highlight is to stay at one of the hotel built in minimalist architectural style incorporated in the museum. You will get exclusive access to art works that's inside the hotel building and even inside your room!

tibet glamping - experience the nomadic culture in style, a unique combination of culture, religion and outdoors

trip highlights:

- relax and indulge yourself at a cozy, chic log cabin, surrounded by the beautiful Tibetan grassland and the sounds of nature

- the cuisine | a unique blend of tradition and invention, creatively  transforming Tibetan staples to bring out wonderful new flavors

- explore Labrang Monastery, the most vibrant and authentic on the Tibetan Plateau | learn about the daily routine and observe a prayer session of the Tibetan monks, giving you a good introduction to Tibetan buddhism

- learn about the amazing story of Dechen, a Tibetan American who started a small unique textile factory in her ancestral land. She uses a precious traditional material (fine yak wool) and incorporates traditional weaving methods to produce high end scarfs and clothing, in the process providing employment and improving the lives of Tibetan nomads while keeping their traditional way of living

- hiking up the surrounding hills to get a gorgeous panoramic view or enjoy horseback riding at your own leisure

- enjoy yak milk tea with a nomad family: a rare, authentic glimpse into the life of Tibetan nomads

Let's take our adventure to Japan! Yakushima island has some impossibly green and lush forest that its seems like they are straight some scenes in  postcards! So much so that it inspired the animation Princess Mononoke by the Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki. In addition, Yakushima is famous for Yakusugi, or the Japanese Cedar trees which are more than 1,000 years old. The oldest Yakusugi is the Jomon Sugi, which is at least 2,000 years old and has a trunk circumference of 16.4m.

This is an hiker's paradise. And anyone can take award winning pictures without any pro equipment or photoshop enhancement. Last but not least, we will enjoy the hot spring, traditional ryokan stay, fresh seafood and of course the typical Japanese warmth and hospitality!

Special activity: hands-on session to learn how to craft Japanese cedar souvenir from a local artisan (only using fallen logs)

Let’s take our adventure the colorful hill tribe called Dongzu in remote Guizhou, who are famous for their unique culture especially for their elaborate architecture. This trip is really special because we will visit an eco-museum village that is normally not opened to tourists! It is not just a building or set of collections; it is committed to preserving and developing the Dong culture including intangible assets such as folk singing and way of farming as well. We will be able to participate in hands on session to learn about their traditions such as picking wild vegetables in the mountains, dyeing + weaving, making of paper, etc! A complete cultural immersion!

The highlights of the trip are:

-Learning about their unique architecture such as the drum tower and flower bridge

-Hiking in the mountains and rice terrace nearby

-Staying at a Dong tribe village wooden house

-Participate in cooking local food

-Picking wild vegetables in the mountain

-Dyeing, weaving and making of cloth

-Making of paper in the traditional way

-And more activities!

*The above is a rough itinerary and is subjected to slight changes. However, please rest assure that we always strive to bring you the best possible travel experience based on the latest field situation

What makes this trip really special is that I am trying to work closely with the locals so that we will have more interaction and hands-on session to learn about and experience their culture up close. I believe that this is really as non-touristy and authentic as it can get!

Quanzhou, Fujian is probably one of the most underrated travel destination. According to Marco Polo's travels,  Quanzhou was together with Alexandria considered one of the two largest seaports back in the 13th century. Due to her position as the starting point of the maritime silk road, traders from around the world converged, bringing with them many religions of the world. From Hinduism, Islam to Zoroastrian, their influence has left a mark in the many places of worship in the city. And the best thing is, since the city has a low profile (relatively few local or foreign tourists), many places are well-preserved.

We will also learn about the various unique Fujian culture, such as the Fujian opera and puppet show (with an interesting modern twist!). In addition, we will admire the old villages with extremely delicate carvings on Fujian style courtyard, and another seaside village with unique southeast Asian influence on its costumes.

And not to be missed is the stay at a refurbished overseas Chinese houses that is super charming!

Let's go back to China during the chaotic 1920s, where people built the fascinating tower houses called Diaolou to protect themselves. Built by returning wealthy merchants at the turn of 20th century, they reflect a very unique East-West fusion on the architecture styles. Of special interest is the nine storey high Ruishilou, featuring a Byzantine style dome and Bianchouzhulou, China’s very own leaning tower of Pisa!
 
We will stroll around the quiet and peaceful village slowly and explore the Diaolou, village houses and ancestral shrine. Standing on the top floor, you will marvel at how well the Diaolou blend in with the surrounding village houses, the forest and the hills behind. Everything is just in harmony with one another and you will feel so peaceful.

The interior furnishings in some Diaolou are well preserved; imported luxury goods like gramophone, German clock and French silverware line up alongside traditional Chinese furniture and they seem to tell you a story from another era. Each Diaolou has its own unique architecture style, character and interesting story, waiting for us to explore:
 
- Did you know that there are four different types of Diaolou? What purposes did they serve?
- Why is the Bianchouzhulou leaning? What is the meaning of its long and funny name? 
- In Chinese architecture, lions or dragons statues are commonly used as a symbol of power or for protection. But why is there an eagle in one of the Diaolou in Majianglong?
 
Besides the Diaolou, we will also explore the old town of Chikan, famous for its rows of colonial style shophouses built in the 1920s. We will also try out the famous local street food such as yellow eel claypot rice and stuffed tofu with fish paste. Last but not least, we will stay at a tastefully refurbished minimalist style hotel, just besides the charming row of shophouses.

Scattered across the hills in Fujian province, the Hakka Tulou are colossal multi-storey fortified villages, predominantly in a doughnut shape. More than just empty castles, they were the epitome of traditional communal living, with hundreds of people living in close proximity. We will explore a few authentic Tulou, still occupied by real villagers (with chickens running around), and stayed overnight at one to experience authentic Hakka food and hospitality!

From the Ming Dynasty onwards, the Hakka people have been moving into the Fujian area and build Tulou to defend themselves against hostilities. In a typical Tulou, families live in rooms leading off from wooden galleries arranged over five levels in a ring-like formation, which face onto an oval central courtyard. The ancestral shrine is usually situated within the central courtyard, symbolizing its importance to the Hakka people. Kitchens are on the ground floor, with storage and living quarters upstairs.

There are literally thousands of such Tulou still standing in China, but the traditional way of life in many Tulou is slowly giving way to mass depopulation and over-commercialization. So in order to show you the authentic traditional way of life, we will explore Tulou that are:

- Still occupied by real villagers (and live chickens)
- Free of annoying touts
- Welcoming to travellers like us

In other words, we avoid crowded, commercialized Tulou that typical mass market tours bring people to. We will get an authentic Tulou experience by exploring the off the beaten track ones and staying at one overnight for a complete cultural immersion. We will also find out interesting things like:

- The history and evolution of Tulou, exploring them in their many forms (yes they are not only round but squarish as well!)
- How the architecture and interior layout of Tulou provides a functional and comfortable living environment to the Hakka people for hundreds of years
- The ingenious defense system of Tulou, such as the anti-fire main gate or underground escape tunnel

Highlights of the trip:

- Hiking through the countryside dotted with rustic villages and fields

- Taking a relaxing yet exciting bamboo raft ride down the yulong river flanked by karst peaks

- Staying at a classy and fabulously restored Qing dynasty mansion, set in a small quiet village surrounded by nature

- Exploring a very well-preserved ancient town, complete with former scholars’ ancestral hall with delicate wooden carvings, government offices, etc

This is a place that doesn’t need much introduction. The rock pillars at Zhangjiajie (ZJJ), aka Avatar land, is simply surreal.

The problem with ZJJ is that it’s one of the top ranking tourist site in China, meaning crowds of Chinese tourists. So our plan is to get away from them by doing some hiking and then we can have the scenery all to ourselves.

The plan is to hike up and down the mountains in ZJJ in two days without using any cable car or elevator (yes, the Chinese actually built an elevator inside one of the rock tower!) We will explore the non-touristy part of the park that will give you an equal if not better experience than the supposedly “best” tourist spots. We will also stay one night on the mountain so that we can enjoy the starry night sky and catch the beautiful and peaceful sunrise the following morning.

Last by not least, we will also visit the Tianmen Mountain (that literally means "Door to the heaven"), a natural hole in the mountain of a height of 132m. With a long flights of steps leading up to the hole and with the whole mountain often half shrouded by mist, it almost feels like you are climbing up to heaven.

Guangdong is not known for its nature and scenery, but you will be amazed at the surprisingly unspoiled nature at the Guangdong Grand Canyon!  Here you will find turquoise water and countless waterfalls. It’s going to be a quick weekend getaway where we will do a moderately easy hike and relax at a chalet resort.
 
The Guangdong Grand Canyon was formed 130 million years ago due to the repeated tectonic movements and erosion of the Nanling mountain range in southern China. The canyon is 15km long and 300m deep. At the surface, the widest part is 1km wide. The Dapu river at the top falls through the cracks and creates waterfalls up to 200+m tall, before forming turquoise lakes and other interesting rock formations at the bottom.

Kinmen, a place seemingly forgotten by both Mainland China and Taiwan. Just 2km off the coast of Xiamen, Kinmen is part of Taiwan and used to be at the forefront of the conflict between the two sides. Take it as a blessing though, because being at the frontline means a lack of modern development and buildings in traditional Minnan style and Western fusion style are well preserved. So let’s experience the Minnan culture and their hospitality by staying at a refurbished traditional guesthouse!

Kinmen used to be like any other sleepy fishing villages along the coast of Fujian, with many Minnan style houses dating from the Qing Dynasty. It all changed in 1949, when the Nationalist retreated from the Mainland and setup Kinmen as the forefront of the civil war with the Communist. The conflict persisted for the next 30 years, giving rise to various war monuments such as underground bunkers, command centers and huge loudspeakers blasting propaganda to the enemy.

Since the 1980s, Kinmen has been slowing recovering from the war. Ingenious locals are making good use of the war relics: from using spent artillery shells fired from the Mainland to make meat cleavers, to using underground bunkers to store the famous Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor.

The highlight of this trip will be staying at a tastefully refurbished Minnan style guesthouse, which used to be a primary school for the village. We can sip tea and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the three courtyard in the middle of the mansion.

The Zhuang tribe, Yao tribe and Dong tribe has been developing the rice terraces for at least a thousand years in the remote hills of Guangxi, Guizhou and Hunan. Due to a lack of flat land, their ancestors had to cut out steps along the hills for cultivation. In addition, they had to divert streams in the hills to irrigate the terraces, while taking care not to destroy the natural eco system. The shapes and outlines are varied due to the complex terrain, adding an artistic sense to the practicality of the fields. The rice terraces are nothing short of a miracle, made possible by the wisdom and generations of hard work of the ancestors!

The plan is to stay at a guesthouse in one of the village for two nights and use it as a base to hike in the surrounding countryside. In addition to admiring the rice terraces themselves, we will take time to explore a few villages of the minority tribes. Hopefully we would be able to see more activities in the villages than usual due to the harvesting season!

Macau is NOT just about casinos. It is a place where Portuguese Cathedrals, traditional Chinese shop houses, cobbled stone alleys lined with colourful houses reminiscing of Lisbon coexists. Join us on a walking tour to find out the real Macau!

In many ways, the colonial history of Macau and HK are similar. However, HK is quickly erasing her colonial legacy while Macau is doing a great job in preserving, restoring and promoting her interesting heritage. We will discover what we are missing in HK and visit some fabulous colonial era buildings. Among them are a wonderfully restored mansion with European, Indian and Chinese fusion architecture and a well-preserved traditional Chinese pawnshop museum. We will also have a hands-on session to paint our own traditional Portuguese tiles as a souvenir! 

Dapeng fortress town is one of the best-preserved coastal fortresses near HK, dating from the Ming dynasty. Located at the perimeters of Shenzhen, it was built in 1394 to defend the surrounding coastal area (including HK) initially against Japanese pirates. At its peak, over 2000 soldiers were stationed at Dapeng. Subsequently, it became a Qing dynasty stronghold against the British and participated in the Battle of Kowloon during the Opium War. Though modernization has taken a toll on this 600 years old fortress, we can still explore the many narrow alleys of the old town to uncover its interesting history and culture:

• Did you know that the British setup a stone boundary marker at Dapeng peninsula to demarcate the HK-China border, even though Dapeng is in Chinese territories?
• Did you know besides glutinous rice cake, the local Chinese view this pastry as the most important food during Chinese New Year? (we are going to make it ourselves!)
• Did you know what’s the purpose the long row of buildings with a strange curved rooftop?

The highlight of this trip will be having hands-on sessions to make traditional Chinese pastries and to draw Chinese landscape painting. It will be a great chance to learn and experience in depth about Chinese culture!