Many visitors to Yunnan start at the provincial capital, Kunming, nicknamed the “City of Spring.” It’s a laid-back town with pleasant weather and is known for its popular day trip to Stone Forest, a dramatic landscape of limestone rocks sculpted by wind and rain. Xishuangbanna, tucked between Myanmar and Laos in southwest Yunnan. It is home to another two dozen ethnic minorities and is a tropical holiday destination often compared to northern Thailand. It is characterized by forested hills dotted with Buddhist temples and is home to China’s last remaining elephants and tigers.
Bright colors and embroidery accent the traditional clothing of the Bai people, who are concentrated in the Yunnan province.
WHERE: Kunming is 744 miles/1,200 km northwest of Hong Kong; Dali is 874 miles/1,407 km northwest of Kunming. HOW: U.S.-based Myths and Mountains offers custom trips and 17-day scheduled departures. Tel 775-832-5454; www.mythsandmountains.com. Cost: from $5,695. Originate in Kunming. When: Feb, Apr, and Oct. LINDEN CENTRE: Tel 86/872-245-2988; www.linden-centre.com. Cost: from $120. BANYAN TREE LIJIANG: Tel 86/888-533-1111; in the U.S., 800-591-0439; www.banyantree.com/lijiang. Cost: from $270. BEST TIMES: Climate is mild year-round; rainy season Jun–Aug; Jun for Gyalthang Horse Festival in Shangri-La.
China’s Most Famous Beauty Spot
WEST LAKE
Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Described by Marco Polo as “the finest and most beautiful city in the world,” Hangzhou still offers a glimpse of old China, notwithstanding the hordes of modern-day tourists. During off-season or a quiet moment at sunrise, the city’s West Lake remains one of the loveliest sights in China. Its mist-shrouded shores are lined with landscaped gardens, pagodas, teahouses, shaded walkways, and classic pavilions. The lake may be at its most beautiful (and crowded) in July and August, when it’s covered with a mantle of lotus flowers. Ubiquitous willows create the perfect Chinese vignette, joined by groves of peach blossoms in spring, orange-scented acacia in autumn, and plum in winter. By hired boat, row to the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, the stone pagodas on the Island in the Little Ocean, or, opposite this, the Island of the Hill of Solitude, whose excellent Louwailou Restaurant, established in 1838, is one of many reasons to come ashore for traditional beggar’s chicken or lake carp.
Impression West Lake is a spectacular show that dramatizes Hangzhou folklore created by famous movie (and Beijing Olympic ceremony) director Zhang Yimou. Hundreds of actors participate in this sound-and-light extravaganza on a stage slightly submerged under the water of Yue Lake, making for a surreal floating drama effect.
Hangzhou has been a favored tourist destination for centuries, especially now that the train from Shanghai takes just 90 minutes. You can avoid the crowds of day-trippers and still absorb the beauty of the lake along the less frequented south or east shore, where surrounding hills have meandering pathways through old tea plantations. For an overnight stay, Shangri-La Hotel Hangzhou is the lovely grande dame of lakeshore hotels on the leafy (but busier) northwest shore, while Sofitel Westlake Hangzhou is a more contemporary option close to the city on the developed east shore. Or splash out at the secluded and exquisitely designed Four Seasons, which melds traditional with contemporary in a serene lakeside village setting.
WHERE: 115 miles/185 km southwest of Shanghai. LOUWAILOU RESTAURANT: Tel 86/571-8796-9023; www.louwailou.com.cn. Cost: lunch $25. IMPRESSION WEST LAKE: tickets available through your hotel concierge. Cost: from $36. SHANGRI-LA HOTEL HANGZHOU: Tel 86/571-8797-7951; in the U.S., 866-565-5050; www.shangri-la.com. Cost: from $200. SOFITEL WESTLAKE HANGZHOU: Tel 86/571-8707-5858; in the U.S., 800-221-4542; www.sofitelhangzhou.com.cn.net. Cost: from $145. FOUR SEASONS: Tel 86/571-8829-8888; in the U.S., 800-819-5053; www.four seasons.com/hangzhou. Cost: from $400. BEST TIMES: Apr and especially Sep–Nov for nicest weather; Jul for West Lake Lotus Festival.
More than 8,000 Years of Art History
THE NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM
Taipei, Taiwan
The world’s largest and most valuable collection of Chinese art—nearly 700,000 pieces—is housed at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, one of the most visited museums on the planet. Only a small fraction—about 15,000 pieces, rotated every three months—is exhibited at any one time. It would take 12 years to see the entire treasure trove.
Displays are vastly improved following renovations completed in 2006. The works are jaw-dropping, with artifacts spanning eight millennia from prehistory to the early 20th century. Many of the paintings, calligraphy, bronzes, ceramics, rare books, sumptuous jade carvings, curios, and coins come from Beijing’s Forbidden City (see p. 480) and were once part of the private collections of Chinese emperors. Some of the most significant items remain on permanent display. A ruffled Chinese cabbage with a delicate carved grasshopper hidden among the leaves made of a single piece of white/green jadeite was nominated by the public as the museum’s most outstanding treasure. Another superb artwork is the Qingming Scroll, a great masterpiece of Chinese painting depicting a Song Dynasty festival. Also a crowd-pleaser for its blend of western and Chinese influences is a 1728 study of horses by Jesuit missionary Giuseppe Castiglione.
Almost as interesting as the collection is the story of how it came to Taipei. Some 13,000 crates of these treasures were hauled around mainland China as the Japanese advanced during World War II. The nationalists, led by Chiang Kai-shek, shipped the best pieces to Taiwan as they fled 1949’s Communist takeover. They were stored in a railway warehouse, then a sugarcane factory until a new museum building opened in 1965.
After he established a new Taiwanese government, Chiang Kai-shek had the Grand Hotel built near the museum to house foreign ambassadors and VIP guests; in the 1960s, the Grand was considered one of the world’s finest hotels. It’s not quite as majestic as it used to be, but old-hotel buffs still love it. For an experience of more contemporary chic, Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel soars 43 stories above Taipei’s business district and has rooms and suites overlooking the city skyline.
A Ming Dynasty Buddha exudes serenity.
INFO: Tel 88/62-2881-2021; www.npm.gov.tw. THE GRAND HOTEL: Tel 88/62-2886-8888; www.grand-hotel.org. Cost: from $195. SHANGRI-LA FAR EASTERN PLAZA: Tel 88/62-2378-8888; in the U.S., tel 866-565-5050; www.shangri-la.com. Cost: from $240. BEST TIME: Sep–Nov for autumn weather.
Ski Hokkaido’s Prince of Powder
NISEKO
Hokkaido, Japan
Three major bodies of water surround Japan’s main northern island of Hokkaido—the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Pacific Ocean—and when the freezing winter winds blow in from Siberia, they dump as much as 40 feet of dry powder snow (with a downy 4 percent moisture content). Niseko, a resort area that sits at the same latitude as Portland, Oregon, gets more of this perfect snow than Whistler or Vail could ever dream of, creating some of the world’s greatest ski runs.
Due to its relatively close proximity and the mere 1-hour time difference, Australian ski-hounds are no strangers to Niseko’s slopes. On the western side of the island and just a 2-hour drive from Hokkaido’s capital, Sapporo (see next page), the reigning prince of powder is marketed as Niseko United, a mountain comprised of four separate ski areas: Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village, Annupuri, and Hanazono. Buy a single electronic lift pass and you can ski across all four, all day, and hardly cover a run twice. Backcountry skiing is possible, as is night skiing, and when you’re done, the resort has plenty of onsen (hot springs) in which to soothe slope-weary limbs.
Recent injections of capital from Australia and Asia have seen a boom in new properties in Niseko, particularly in and around the main village of Hirafu, with aspirations of becoming the Aspen of the East. Among several seriously chic lodges, Souiboku stands out. The apartment-size accommodations have a stripped-down décor that is softened by cashmere throws, antiques, and contemporary art, and all have spectacular views of Fuji-like Mt. Yotei. In the same league are the apartments at J-Sekka, a complex that includes Niseko’s most impressive deli café, a gourme
t restaurant, and a chic bar with roaring log fire.
If you prefer your resorts on a grander scale, there’s also the Windsor Hotel Toya Resort & Spa, less than an hour’s drive south. Overlooking deep Lake Toya, this five-star property with spacious, comfortable rooms hosted the 2008 G8 Summit meeting.
Come summer, there’s just as much to do in the area, from hiking and biking to river rafting and enjoying fireworks over Lake Toya.
WHERE: 160 miles/257 km southwest of Sapporo. VISITOR AND SKIING INFO: www.niseko.ne.jp/en/. SOUIBOKU: Tel 81/136-21-5020; www.suibokuhirafu.com. Cost: $510 (off-peak), $730 (peak). J-SEKKA: Tel 81/136-21-6133; www.j-sekka.com. Cost: from $200. WINDSOR HOTEL TOYA: Tel 81/142-73-1111; in the U.S., 800-745-8883; www.lhw.com/hotel/the-windsor-hotel-toya-resort-spa-hokkaido-japan.com. Cost: from $390 (off-peak), from $730 (peak). BEST TIMES: Dec–Mar for skiing; May–Oct for fireworks at Lake Toya.
A Winter Extravaganza
SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL
Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
The Japanese talent for reshaping nature is unmatched. The country that raised ikebana (flower arranging) and garden design to high art also transformed the weeklong Sapporo Snow Festival (Yuki Matsuri) into a world-famous show where mammoth snow and ice sculptures depict universal icons ranging from Michelangelo’s Pietà to Hello Kitty. Ice palaces and a host of other fantasy shapes are created from more than 38,000 tons of snow that must be trucked in from the nearby mountains by Japan’s armed forces. Some sculptures that reach more than 130 feet in height and 80 feet in width are begun weeks before the festival’s early-February opening. The highlight is the Snow Sculpting Contest, where teams compete from around the world, often from unlikely destinations such as Hawaii and Singapore.
The festival was established in the 1950s, after the dismal years following World War II, when local students built six snow sculptures in Odori Park in downtown Sapporo, still the main venue for today’s festival. It really caught on in 1972 when Sapporo, Japan’s newest major city, gained global attention as the site for the Winter Olympics. The city serves as an excellent base for exploring ski resorts within a 2-hour drive, such as Niseko (see previous page), or Hokkaido’s wild national parks, including Daisetsuzan and the Shikotsu-Toya.
Don’t leave town without heading to the 19th-century brick brewery that still produces the liquid gold Sapporo beer for which the city is famous. Flagons of ale go perfectly with the barbecued lamb dish known as Ghengis Khan served at the beer hall next door. During the Sapporo Summer Festival, Odori Park is transformed into a beer garden under the trees. There’s live music and a chance to sample food from across the island. Big bowls of miso-based ramen (soup noodles) with a variety of toppings are the local specialty.
WHERE: 594 miles/955 km northeast of Tokyo. VISITOR INFO: www.snowfes.com/english. WHERE TO STAY: The classy Sapporo Grand Hotel is still one of the city’s best Western-style hotels. Tel 81/11-261-3311; www.grand1934.com. Cost: from $245. BEST TIMES: Jun–Sep for the clearest weather; early Feb for the Snow Festival; late Jul–Aug for the Summer Festival.
Japan’s Last Frontier
SHIRETOKO PENINSULA
Hokkaido, Japan
Hokkaido is Japan’s most untamed island, with ragged peaks, surf-beaten shorelines, thick forests, and gorgeous lakes. While its capital city, Sapporo (see above), and the ski resort of Niseko are well known, huge areas of the island see few visitors. Off the beaten track in Hokkaido’s far northeast is the Shiretoko Peninsula, an extraordinary mountainous and forested landscape protected within a national park.
Shiretoko means “the end of the earth” in the language of the Ainu, the original people of Hokkaido, and it is the southernmost area in the world where ocean drift ice reaches the shore. The standout natural features of Shiretoko include the Five Lakes (Shiretoko Goko) and the more remote Lake Rausu, the largest lake on the peninsula, where alpine flora carpets the adjoining land in June and July.
Shiretoko is home to 2,000 Steller’s sea eagles (half of the world’s population) as well as 10,000 Yezo deer, the endangered Blakiston’s fish owls, Steller sea lions, and the biggest concentration of brown bears in the world; offshore, minke whales and orcas are frequently spotted, with sightseeing cruises leaving from the small town of Rausu on the peninsula’s east coast. According to experts, Shiretoko is among the first of the world’s great ecosystems to feel the full force of climate change. The rise in temperatures and melting of ice is already affecting local fishermen accustomed to catching crab, salmon, and scallops, who are now encountering bonito, sunfish, and other species normally found in warmer waters.
There are no roads or paths in the northern part of Shiretoko, and the only way to appreciate the breathtaking views of the rugged shoreline is by boat in the Sea of Okhotsk. There’s basic accommodation in Rausu, but the best places to stay are in the west coast town of Utoro, where you’ll find the fairly opulent Shiretoko Grand Hotel beside the harbor. It has spacious Western- and Japanese-style rooms, some of the latter with their own outdoor hot tubs. In the depths of winter, short day cruises from Utoro on an icebreaker through the drift ice can be arranged.
WHERE: 733 miles/1,189 km northeast of Toyko. HOW: Michi Travel Japan offers 3-day trips, staying at a local inn with its own onsen (hot springs). Tel 81/352-13-5040; www.michitravel.com. Cost: from $1,200, includes most meals, boat, and English-speaking guide. Originate in Shiretoko. SHIRETOKO GRAND HOTEL: Tel 81/152-24-2021; www.shiretoko.co.jp/english. Cost: from $250, inclusive. BEST TIMES: Jan–Apr for migratory eagles; Apr–Oct for whales; Jun–Aug for hiking.
A Traditional Touch in the Alps of Japan
TAKAYAMA
Gifu, Honshu, Japan
After centuries of peaceful isolation on the Miyagawa River in the mountainous region of Hida, Takayama has retained a traditional touch like few other Japanese towns, particularly in Sanmachi Suji, its beautifully preserved downtown area. Surrounded by dense forests, Takayama was well known for its skilled carpenters who helped to build imperial palaces and temples as far away as Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara. As you’ll see, they saved their finest talents for their hometown.
Founded in the 16th century, Takayama’s charm lies in its old merchant houses, good small museums, serene temples (the city’s oldest dates to 1588), inns with traditional wood-lattice windows, and six small sake breweries (distinguished by a cedar ball suspended at the entrance), all clustered into a compact grid of streets immediately east of the river. A 5-minute taxi ride west of town brings you to the Hida Folk Village, a fascinating outdoor museum made up of over 20 traditional farmhouses and workshops, from 100 to 500 years old, relocated from the outlying area. Some display local folk artifacts and others house artisans and artists who demonstrate the town’s well-known woodcarving craft. The A-shaped structures with thatched roofs prevent snow from piling up and are called gassho-zukuri (meaning “praying hands”). They were built without nails; strips of hazel branches hold the beams together, allowing them flexibility to sway with the wind. You can see similar homes in the picturesque hamlet of Ogimachi, 50 miles northwest of Takayama, the most popular of the three areas that make up the Shirakawa-go and Gokayama heritage districts.
Always bustling with tourists, Takayama becomes most crowded during its famous semiannual matsuri (festivals), one of which takes place in spring (sanno) when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, the other in autumn (hachi-man) when foliage peaks. Tens of thousands of spectators gather for parades of large 11th-, 17th-, and 18th-century yatai (floats), each elaborately decorated and beautifully preserved, showcasing Takayama’s legendary craftsmanship. Each yatai carries a sophisticated karakuri ningyo (marionette show) controlled by puppeteers who balance atop the floats. Four of these floats can be viewed year-round at the Takayama Festival Float Exhibition Hall.
There are plenty of small traditional inns in Takayama, and the modern Takayama Green Hotel, close to the train station, offers very spacious Japanese- and Western-style rooms. There’s a good range of restaura
nts here too and excellent onsen (natural hot springs), some with landscaped outdoor pools.
Many of the farmhouses of Hida Folk Village are centuries old.
WHERE: 331 miles/533 km northwest of Tokyo, 100 miles/161 km northeast of Nagoya. VISITOR INFO: www.hida.jp/english. TAKAYAMA GREEN HOTEL: Tel 81/577-333-5500; www.takayama-gh.com. Cost: from $230, inclusive. BEST TIMES: May–Aug for nicest weather; Apr 14–15 for Spring Festival; Oct 9–10 for Autumn Festival.
Peace and Tranquility
HIROSHIMA AND MIYAJIMA
Honshu, Japan
It’s hard to imagine that the Hiroshima so devastated on August 6, 1945, is now a vibrant forward-looking city visited by millions every year who come from all over the world to pay their respects. The most prominent reminder of that fateful day is the twisted and charred shell of the old Industrial Promotion Hall, now known as the A-Bomb Dome (Genkaku Domu), left in its distressed state as a symbol of humankind’s self-destructiveness. Across the Motoyasu River is the Peace Memorial Park (Heiwa Kinen Koen), dotted with monuments to the victims of the world’s first atomic-bomb attack, and a sobering museum with displays that relive one of the worst days in history, beginning with a watch forever stopped at 8:15 A.M.
The most touching memorial is the Children’s Peace Monument, an elongated dome featuring a statue of a girl holding a giant origami crane, the symbol of happiness and longevity in Japan. The base of the monument is always covered with garlands and origami cranes made by Japanese schoolchildren in honor of Sadako Sasaki, a girl exposed to radiation as a toddler who succumbed to leukemia at age 12. The Flame of Peace under the Memorial Cenotaph will burn until the last nuclear weapon on earth has been banished.
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 80