Guide to China Attractions

China Attractions

Manifesto

Manifesto is the low-key version of Bar Rouge. Manifesto boasts a fantastic atmosphere, tasty drinks, and awesome décor without the drunken westerners and snobby models. Located on Julu Lu near several great restaurants (including Mesa, which is actually connected to Manifesto), this locale can easily top off a romantic date or exciting night out with friends. Manifesto offers a variety of seating from high seats at the bar to comfy cushioned booths, so you can snuggle up with your sweetheart. The drink menu includes all of the classic choices with cocktails priced around 50RMB beer around 40RMB. In addition to the standard choices Manifesto offers some creative specialties including a great lychee flavored martini. Manifesto is a cozy yet elegant locale. When I feel the urge to be grown up and get a little dressed up, this is my first choice.

Update: Manifesto just moved upstairs from Mesa to an even cooler space with a lovely terrace.

How to get there: Take Metro Line 1 to Changshu Rd. Station. Exit onto Changshu Rd. and head north. Take a right on Julu Lu. Manifesto is on the left side of the street before the intersection with Fumin Lu.

Fo Shan Yuan Vegetarian Buddhist Restaurant

This is one of those vegetarian restaurants that serves rabbit food which tastes as good as meat and potatoes. With more than one hundred dishes on the menu, from imitation meatballs or fish to vegetable and tofu dishes, you’ll have no difficulty choosing something you’ll surely enjoy. And the good news is I translated their menu for them, so you can order without difficulty. Free buddhist literature and posters are available at the restaurant. If that’s not enough, you can actually go to the restaurant and in the morning and eat for free with the monks. I definitely recommend this restaurant.

Zapata's

Deciding which category to place Zapata’s in has taken some serious consideration. It is on one end a Mexican (others will insist Tex Mex) restaurant. The food is not great, but it should satisfy a fajita or taco craving nonetheless. Most importantly, however, is Zapata’s house specialty: Margaritas, and more specifically, their ability to serve them FOR FREE to women on Wednesday nights. For this reason Zapata’s earned a listing in the nightlife category.

It feels like the majority of Shanghai’s expat community along with a significant number of Chinese (particularly female) patrons regularly attend Zapata’s’ "Ladies Night" on Wednesdays. The free flowing Margaritas served until midnight keep the party going late into the night, as female (and sometimes even male) guests start dancing on the bar. Have fun!

Take subway line 1 to Hengshan Road Station. Take the Hengshan Road exit and walk north for about 5 minutes. Zapata’s is on the right side and the bar shares an entrance with Sasha’s at the intersection of Hengshan and Dongping Lu

Vedas

Vedas is the snazzy Indian food restaurant in town. I have never heard a single complaint about it, and there is no question that the food is amazing. Only 3 blocks away from

Vedas is the snazzy Indian food restaurant in town. I have never heard a single complaint about it, and there is no question that the food is amazing. Only 3 blocks away from Indian Kitchen, you might choose Vedas over Indian Kitchen if you want to impress a visitor who knows his or her Indian cuisine, or prefers a more serene atmosphere. Dishes averages about 10RMB higher than those at Indian Kitchen, but for connoisseurs of Indian cuisine, the extra 10RMB might make all the difference.

I love the Palak Paneer (spinach and Indian style cheese), and it’s always the most popular dish at my table. For meat lovers, the Tandoori dishes and Chicken Tikka Masala are both wonderful.

Reservations are essential, especially on weekends!

How to get there: Take Subway line 1 to Hengshan Road Station. Exit onto Yongjia Lu. Then head east on YongJia Lu, then take a right on WuLuMuQi Lu. Take a left on Jianguo Xi Lu, the restaurant will be on the right side. The restaurant is about 10 minutes walk from the subway station.

Lu Residence Restaurant

A feast at the recently restored Lu Residence Restaurant makes one feel like an important dignitary or foreign merchant visiting Yangzhou during the Qing Dynasty. The setting and menu are completely traditional, if only spruced up a few notches. Sure, there are traces of kitsch, but it is a unique dining experience nonetheless. Lu was an incredibly wealthy merchant during the Qing Dynasty. He built this residence - the largest in Yangzhou - with the intention of hosting large gatherings. Perfect for a larger group, the recent renovations focused on the original high ceiling dining halls, and the restaurant is now an interesting series of these halls that largely dominate the complex as a whole. Come here to dine, but then be sure to walk around the residence as a distraction. By the entrance is an impressive museum of Yangzhou cuisine complete with plastic mold dishes, old cooking utensils, and everything one could possibly want to learn about the local cuisine. English captions are a plus too.

Sabrina's Country Store - Western Groceries

Located across the street from Sichuan University's west gate, Sabrina's Country Store is likely essential to any expat living in Chengdu, especially families with children. To those foreigners who are well immersed in China, Sabrina's may strike you as a bit of reverse culture shock. The impressive selection of cheeses, candy, canned goods, and cereals (just to name a few items) almost causes a bit of confusion as to one's whereabouts. Foreigners who love to cook should definitely stop by Sabrina's for its selection of cooking ingredients and spices, items which are extremely difficult to find in China. For budget travelers, the store won't be of much use as prices are rather high, unless you are really craving a Reese's or are in need of some canned goods for a camping excursion.

Directions: Sabrina's is located on Kehua Beilu across the street from Sichuan University's west gate and Peter's Tex-Mex Grill. Headed south, it is just before the intersection with the American consulate road. Bus nos. 6, 49, 55, and 110 pass by the restaurant on Kehua Beilu

Bubba's

Bubba’s Texas style BBQ just opened up in Hongqiao – much to the disappointment of all of those that live in Puxi. Still, the authentic BBQ is definitely worth the drive, so if you are feeling...

Bubba’s Texas style BBQ just opened up in Hongqiao – much to the disappointment of all of those that live in Puxi. Still, the authentic BBQ is definitely worth the drive, so if you are feeling a little homesick for a truly American meal, this locale is the answer to your problem.

The feel is 100% America with country music playing in the background, peanuts on all of the tables (shells SHOULD be thrown on the floor), and a simple menu with great food and beer. Bubba’s is even working with an American importer to offer some amazing American micro brews, so beer lovers should keep an eye out. The owner actually went to the trouble of having an authentic smoker from Texas sent to Shanghai, so customers are guaranteed nothing but the best. The BBQ sauce is the owner’s family recipe, and it will knock your socks off.

I love the ribs, the pulled pork sandwich and coleslaw. YUM.

Sorry, no subway will help you, so taking a taxi is the easiest way. The restaurant is next to the Hongqiao Marriott on Hongqiao Lu.

Mesa

Connected to one of my favorite bars, Manifesto, Mesa is an equally cool Australian influenced restaurant which attracts an upscale Shanghai crowd. I had been looking forward to checking this place out, so I may have hyped it up a little too much in my mind. With that said, I have to say I was a little disappointed with my meal, and I think about half the table was as well.

The ambiance is a little cold, yet sophisticated with great floral arrangements and cool lighting. The simplicity is nicely contrasted with the plush bar upstairs. I definitely recommend having a drink at the bar first and then heading to the restaurant.

Our meals in general, as I said before, were mediocre – but the Sea Bass and risotto was delicious, as was the steak. Everyone else was happy enough to finish their meal, but don’t get too adventurous with your selections. Choose dishes you know you will like on the menu, and you’ll be happy. I have heard nothing but good things from other Mesa customers. Be sure not to skip cocktails, they’re delicious (I like the mango martini the best!)

When the bill comes, expect about 300-400 RMB per person, with appetizers and a drink.

Making reservations in advance at Mesa is certainly recommended.

Take Metro Line 1 to Changshu Rd station. Exit onto Changshu Rd and walk north. Take a right on Julu Lu about 10 minutes later. Mesa is on the right side of the street just before the intersection with Fumin Lu.

Mix Hostel

Since opening its doors in March 2005, Mix Hostel has wasted little time in becoming the busiest and most popular youth hostel in Chengdu. The hostel contains 105 beds in 35 rooms. Rooms with air conditioning incur an extra fee of Y10 per night. There are no private bathrooms in any of the singles, doubles, or dorms at Mix which is part of what keeps the price so low. Laundry is Y10 per load, there are 20 gigs of music stored on the computer, and the hostel also boasts wireless internet. There is a well-stocked DVD room, a bar, and a small restaurant serving up Western dishes and some Sichuan treats for Y5-20.

The hostel was opened by a young Chinese couple named Mix and Gigi, who just wanted to give back to the travel community they love so much. The atmosphere reflects the passion for travel of the owners, as the tastefully decorated lobby is constantly bustling with travelers sharing a drink and a story.

Note: Mix is a great place to meet travelers, relax, and book tours. The only catch is that it is a bit far from most of the nightlife in the southern part of the city, so expect a relatively large taxi fare when you head home at night.

How to get there: IF YOU BOOK AT MIX IN ADVANCE THEY WILL ARRANGE TO PICK YOU UP AT THE TRAIN STATION. Mix is easy to find from the north train station. Chengdu’s main road. From the train station, take bus 16 or 55 and get off at the third stop and head left down Xinghui Xilu. The hostel is on the left side. If you cross the Fu river, you’ve gone too far. From the airport, take the 303 bus to its terminus at the Minshan Hotel. Then walk across the street and catch the 16 bus headed up town. After a few kilometers, you will pass the Wenshu Monastery and Fu river. Get off and turn right down Xinghui Xilu.

Book a room at Mix Hostel Chengdu Guesthouse

Xinjiang Flavor Restaurant

Xinjiang Autonomous Region forms the northwest part of China and represents a culture quite different from that of the Han Chinese. The Xinjiang Flavor Restaurant (loosely translated) serves tasty dishes that demonstrate just how different the Islamic Uyghur culture of Xinjiang is. Any foreigner living or traveling in China has not truly tasted ‘yang rou chuan’ （lamb-kebabs）, until they have tried them Xinjiang style. For only 1 Yuan each, large lamb skewers are served en masse and with a smile from the friendly, although sometimes pushy Uyghur staff. Be sure to wash down the lamb with some fresh Naan bread, prepared on location, and some Xinjiang style fried rice which includes small lamb chunks and carrots.

There is no English spoken at the restaurant and no English on the menus. It is not a big problem though, because there are only four main items to worry about, and three of them are prepared out front in plain view of the patrons, so a basic pointing charade will do the trick for those who do not speak any Chinese.

羊肉串，yang rou chuan, lamb kebabs

囊饼， nang bing, Xinjiang sesame bread

手抓饭，shou zhua fan, Xinjiang fried rice with lamb chunks

大盘鸡，da pan ji, ‘big plate of chicken’ – spicy chicken with assorted vegetables

One recent meal for 8 of us cost 68 yuan. Another meal for 10 of us cost 76 yuan. The restaurant is certainly affordable. I really enjoy eating here if you couldn’t already tell.

How to get there: The Xinjiang Flavor Restaurant is located in the ZongBei neighborhood, just off of Kehua Beilu and due south of Sichuan University’s south gate. The restaurant is at the corner of Guojiaqiao Beijie and Kehua Jie. Buses 6, 55, and 110 head south on Kehua Beilu. Get off the bus just before the south second ring road (at the plaza with Le Cafe Paname), cross the road, and head straight down Kehua Jie.

Top China Tours

$238 Per Day

Private Hangzhou Day Trip from Shanghai by Bullet Train

Take in the highlights of beautiful Hangzhou on a private full-day tour from Shanghai. After hotel pickup and transfer by high-speed train to Hangzhou, your private guide takes you to see some city attractions, such as Faxi temple. Moreover, enjoy a tasty lunch at a local restaurant before heading to Longjing village. There, learn about the process of farming and producing dragonwell tea, the region’s most famous product. Finally, enjoy a scenic boat cruise on UNESCO World Heritage-listed West Lake before returning to Shanghai.

This is a private, full-day trip from Shanghai to Hangzhou. After you are picked up in your hotel lobby in the early morning, you will take a bullet train to Hangzhou. This is the fastest way to Hangzhou and you can experience train speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour. Your tour begins at one of Hangzhou's signature sites, the West Lake. Enjoy a lake cruise to see the top ten West Lake scenic views. You will then be taken to experience the wonderful cuisine of Hangzhou at a local restaurant. After lunch, you will visit Faxi temple, a well-known Temple dating back to the Jin Dynasty. See its famous wooden Buddha. Here, you will see fewer tourists and more locals. Finally, enjoy a cup of green tea when you visit the famous Longjing village to see wild fields of Longjing tea bushes where the locals produce the world famous green tea- Longjing Tea. In the village, all locals are tea farmers and you will see the entire procedure of making the famous tea and will get the chance to taste the best quality emperor tea. Afterwards, you will take the bullet train back to Shanghai and you will be returned to your hotel.

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Guangzhou

Day 1 Arrive in Guangzhou

Arrive in Guangzhou in the morning, you will be met and transferred to hotel, then visit Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. The Memorial Hall is a very famous historical scenic spot. It is in memory of Sun Yat-sen, the great revolutionary forerunner. After that proceed to visit the Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family. It is a unique site for offering up sacrifices to worship ancestors of 72 Chen families in Guangdong. This ancestral temple is also the largest, best preserved and best decorated ancient architecture existing in Guangdong province.

Day 1 Arrive in Guangzhou

Day 2 Guanzhou Tour

After breakfast, you will go to Yuexiu Park first, the largest and the most famous park in downtown Guangzhou. There are three artificial lakes and seven hills of Yuexiu Mountain. Then you will visit Temple of Six Banyan Trees, which is one of the four best Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and located on the Liurong Road (meaning the Six Banyan Trees Road). The Nanyue King Tomb Museum is a must-see Guangzhou attraction, which dates back to 2,000 years ago, is the earliest large scale painted stone chamber tomb ever found south of the Five Ridges. Buried with the tomb owner in a jade shroud are a gold seal and a lot of exquisite jade adornments. It has become a world famous museum. After the day tour you will be transferred to airport for your next destination.

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Pingyao Highlights Walking Tour

Pingyao Highlights Walking Day Tour

With our guide to know the Ancient Pingyao better!

Our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at 08:00 or 08:30, then show you the ticket office to get the ticket for the museums we will visit later.

Pingyao Highlights Walking Day Tour

With our guide to know the Ancient Pingyao better!

Our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at 08:00 or 08:30, then show you the ticket office to get the ticket for the museums we will visit later.

First we will visit the 700 years old City wall, We will climb up from south gate and have a walk on the wall. We are not sure how many km we can walk, because of the renovating of the wall. Normally we will walk from south gate to the Yunlu Exit.

Then visit the Confucius temple, there is a old building named Dacheng Hall which is over 840 years old. From outside, we can see the big wood joints to lift the big roof around the building which is named Dougong. Due to this design, there are less columns inside the hall for giving the big space for the statues and the prayer. We have chance to see the Confucius statue and learn the philosophy of Confucius. If you like, you can pray for you and your children to get better study.

There is the Paper Cutting master named Wentao nearby the exit of Confucius temple. She is very smart and create the new style paper cutting with much more details and good wishes on it. Her products are made by hanks. It is worth to visit and buy as a souvenir from Pingyao. From the table standing and wall hangings. Please remember, take the red one because of red is the traditional and happy color. But the white one is the best. It is really difficult to choose, because of all of them are really nice.

Then you can have coffee break or tea break if you need at Chummy coffee, after this, visit the City god temple (ChenghuangMiao) which is most beautiful temple inside the wall. Because of the roof is covered by the colorful glazed tiles. There is not only city god and also the three money gods, Now you know why pingyao was the financial center.

Next we will visit the Ancient government building, to see the pingyao politics center in the ancient time. It is the complete building with officials bed room, kitchen and private garden. Follow the guide to look the official’s life from the 250km far away from the hometown.

Have a stroll in the alley to the Rishengchang exchange bank, which is the first bank all of china.You can not miss it.

After lunch, walk to the Ming and Qing street, this is the shopping street full of the stores on the both side of street. You can find alot things here , from post card to lacquered boxes, and wall panels. One more place to see, it is the Armed escort agency also named security and transport service for the business man before the bank founded.

Inlcusions

1.private english speaking tour guide servcie

2.bottle water for the tour

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