Well, almost all of China...My starting and end point was Hangzhou and stops were Zhangjiajie, Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou, Zhangye, Turpan, Ürümqi, Narat, Pingyao, Datong, Beijing and Tianjin. The trip focused mostly of beautiful landscapes and countysides throughout China, because there are A LOT of them!
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Beatrice
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Stops
Stop # 1
Sport/ActivityIf you arrive by train to Zhangjiajiem you'll have to get a bus or cab to one of the villages that are next to Zhangjiajie national forest park.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Also called the "Avatar mountains" because they look like they are just floating in the air. Student tickets are 160 Yuan (2016) and give you entry for 4 days, because the area is gigantic and you can't possibly explore it in only one day. Cable car up the mountains are an additional 60 Yuan but you can also walk up (exhausting but rewarding). There is of course a McDonalds right on top of the mountain. Beware of the monkeys, they are very cheeky.
Stop # 2
SightseeingHeavy rain flooded the train tracks to Chengdu, so we only had 1 full day there unfortunately. Stayed at Mrs Panda Hostel, can definitely recommend.
Stop # 3
SightseeingHard to get to, because it's deep in the mountains of Sichuan but sooo worth it! The most beautiful place I've ever seen, literally paradise on earth!
Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park
Literally paradise on earth, the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life! It is exactly as colourful and beautiful as you see on the photos! Most people get in by taking a 10h bus from Chengdu. Tickets are 200 Yuan and include the bus inside the national park that brings you to the main points of attractions but you can also explore the valley by foot. There are also a couple of Tibetan villages in the valley.
Stop # 4
SightseeingThe only point of interest is Zhanye Danxia National Geological Park, but for that alone it is absolutely worth it to come here!
Stop # 5
ExploreHottest town in China. Don't go there (like I did) in July, it's above 40°C and direct sun the whole day. Still very interesting, culturally arabic.
Stop # 6
SightseeingCapital of Xinjiang province. Looks more like an Arabic town than a Chinese one.
Stop # 7
Sport/ActivityHard to get in, since it's in the far far West of China. Great for hiking. I stayed in one of the traditional yurts.
Stop # 8
SightseeingIf you've already seen other Ming and Qing ancient cities you can skip this one, not because it is not beautiful, it's just very very touristy
Stop # 9
SightseeingGreat little city for explores in the area such as Yungang Grottos and Hanging Monastry. The city itself is nothing special
Stop # 10
ExploreMost beautiful and most horrible city in China simultaneously, but I love it!
Stop # 11
ExploreVery European - you can definitely see the colonial influences. Similar to Shanghai in that it is very modern, no ancient Chinese sites.
Stop # 12
SightseeingVery hot and humid in July. City itslef left a lot to be desired, but there's lots of beautiful nature around it.