March 2009 Newsletter

Our March 2009 newsletter was distributed recently. Click here to sign up for future issues.

Gourmet Traveller

GUILIN, CHINA
A short way outside Guilin city centre, set back from the Peach Blossom River beneath Bright Mountain, Reed Flute Cave is the archetypal stuff of local legend, with stalactite and stalagmite piled one upon the other above limpid pools and lit in the sharpest of primary colours. Once a refuge for the citizens of Guilin fleeing Japanese bombs and roaming bandits, more recently a venue for political rallies in the heady days of the Cultural Revolution, the cave is now swarming with tourists during the day, and – on occasion – filled with up to 500 conventioneers who are brought here in the evening for formal black-tie dinners amid such poetically named formations as the Dragon Pagoda and the Crystal Palace. The cave’s transformation – from hosting Mao jackets to dinner jackets – is perhaps one of the best snapshots of the development of Guilin’s cuisine over the past few decades.
To read the full article on Guilin by Edward Peters plus lots more on food, wine and travel simply click on to the digital edition: www.f1colour.co.uk/DE/Food&Travel/APRIL09.htm
Text search "chinese whispers", or go to page 84.
ChinaOneCall have teamed up with Food and Travel magazine, publishers of a fabulous award winning title covering food, wine and travel around the world. To obtain your special subscription at a discount of 20% (down to only £36.48 for 12 issues from £45.60, saving you over £9.00) go to www.subscription.co.uk/foodandtravel/1083 or call +44 (0)1858 438 785 quoting ref 1083.

Interview on Travel Talk Radio

Greg Sinclair was recently interviewed by Sandy Dhuyvetter on Travel Talk Radio about his experiences living in China and how ChinaOneCall can make travel so much easier.

Upcoming UK travel shows

ChinaOneCall’s Marketing Director Michael Sinclair and Marketing Manager Teresa Kwok invite you to meet us at one of the following travel exhibitions to explore potential partnership opportunities.

Destinations London – The Holiday and Travel Show
5-8 February 2009
Earl’s Court, London
Stand no: AP41

Business Travel Show London
10-12 February 2009
Earl’s Court, London
Stand no: 105

Destinations Birmingham – The Holiday and Travel Show
27 Feb-1 Mar 2009
NEC, Birmingham
Stand no: AP34

TNT Travel Show London
7 Mar 2009
9.30am-6pm
New Connaught Rooms, Holborn
Stand no: 84

For your complimentary tickets and to arrange an appointment to see us call +44 (0)845 500 4142 or email ukshow@chinaonecall.com with your name, company and details of which show you wish to attend.

chinaONEcall and World Medical Card

chinaONEcall has teamed up with World Medical Center to bring you a special deal on World Medical Card.

World Medical Card is your independent personal health record. Lack of medical information has proven to be a serious problem when seeking medical treatment. Every year incorrect medical treatment causes the unnecessary and tragic death of thousands of people. Awareness of allergies, medications and previous illnesses is vital information for emergency personnel to provide correct medical treatment.
World Medical Card codes all medical data according to international standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
You can easily register emergency contacts, family members, vaccinations, insurance information, physicians, organ donation and other relevant personal information. You may also give a medical doctor read-only access to the information, by using the “medical access”.
It is your personal responsibility to ensure that your medical information is accessible and updated.
Price £25 p.a.  Total price is £40 for two years inclusive of VAT and delivery.

The price includes these three products:

WMCard   onMobile   onLine

Click here to register for the special offer.

Travel Advice from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Stay safe overseas – know before you go

Whatever your reason for travelling abroad, you’re sure to want a trouble free trip. Many of the things that often go wrong for travellers can be prevented or made less stressful by taking a few simple precautions. So it makes sense to spend a little time getting prepared before you travel – you could save yourself a lot of problems later on.

With this in mind, we are working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to help British nationals stay safe abroad. The FCO website (www.fco.gov.uk/travel) offers straightforward travel advice, top tips and up to date country information to help you plan your holiday.

Tips include:

· Make sure you have valid travel insurance, even if you’re only planning a short trip.

· Visit your GP at least 6 weeks before you travel to get any vaccinations you might need.

· Read up on your destination, including local laws and customs.

· Make photocopies of your passport, visas and insurance details and leave a copy with a relative or friend at home.

You can also find handy checklists to use before you set off and whilst you’re away. Plus it’s worth reading up on what the local British Consulate can do to help you if you run into problems abroad – and what they can’t do.

For all this and more information, visit the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk/travel. Or if you prefer, call the 24 hour FCO travel advice line on 0845 850 2829

The legends of Wind, Flowers, Snow and Moon 风花雪月

Dali (Yunnan Province), one of the most attractive cities in China, has been drawing millions of visitors from around the world for many years. It is famous for four scenes- the wind in Xiàguān, the flowers in Shàngguān, the snow on Mt. Cāngshān, and the moon over Ĕrhăi Lake, which is also known as “dà lĭ sì jué”. Their popularity is not only based on the charming sceneries themselves, but also partly formed by the magic stories behind them. This time we are just focusing on the fantastic legends.

The wind in Xiàguān

The cool and strong wind can be experienced effortlessly the moment you arrive in the city. The wind mainly blows from the southwest due to a natural bridge. There are several legends about the wind. One of them goes like this. A long time ago, the princess of Nanzhao kingdom fell in love with a hunter; but their love was strongly opposed by her father, the King. He ordered the enchanter in Luóquán temple to banish the hunter to the bottom of the Ĕrhăi Lake. In order to save her lover, the princess borrowed 6 bottles of wind from Guānyīn, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, to blow dry the water in Ĕrhăi Lake. Worrying about her lover, she ran in a hurry. Accidentally, she fell down on the ground and broke 5 of them when she reached the natural bridge. From that time until now, gales still howl all year round.

The flowers in Shàngguān

People living in Shangguan have a special penchant for cultivating flowers. It is said that there were a couple living in Shàngguān. Every time when the husband went to the mountain to chop wood, he would share his meal with an old man dwelling there. Once his wife suffered from a difficult birth, the old man gave him a bead and asked his wife to put it into her mouth. But, his wife dropped the bead on the ground by accident. At that time, the bead changed into a beautiful tree. The flower on the tree was as big as a water lily, and the aroma could be smelt as far away as ten kilometres. This news was heard by the emperor. He wanted to take the tree as his own. So, he then sent his solders there and forced the couple to hand over the tree. The couple could barely stand the oppression from the bureaucracy. They eventually cut down this tree with great sorrow. This flower was later confirmed as the Michelia floribunda.

The snow on Mt. Cāngshān

No matter how hot it is, the snow covering on the top of the Mt. Cangshan never melts away. The white and bright snow is often considered as the top of the four famous scenes. Legend has it that in ancient times, an influx of plague devils crashed into a village and spread diseases. The locals were entangled with their miserable lives. To save the villagers from the devils, a brother and sister went to learn the magic skills from Guānyīn. When they got back, they ousted the plague devils from the village and cooped them up at the top of Mt. Cāngshān. The plague devils were frozen to death. The sister became the Goddess of snow later and stayed there to keep the plague devils from returning.

The moon over Ĕrhăi Lake

It is charming to go boating on Erhai Lake on a clear night. People can greedily enjoy the moon and stars mirrored on the lake. As for the moon, the locals said that a princess living in the heaven palace was attracted by the people’s life on the ground and therefore she came down to a village and tied the knot with a fisherman. So that the locals could be well-fed and well-clothed, she placed her magic mirror at the bottom of Ĕrhăi Lake. The bright light reflected the shoals of fish so fishermen could easily catch them with their nets. Later, the mirror turned into the golden moon on the lake.

A tale of two ancient cities

In December 1997 Lijiang in Yunnan Province and Pingyao in Shanxi Province were both designated as World Culture Heritage sites by UNESCO. They became world heritage sites at the same time but they both have their own unique charm.

Old Town of Lijiang

Lijiang is an old town which was built about 800 years ago in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province. Local Naxi people have kept their culture and traditions. In 2003, Naxi Dongba Literature Manuscript was recommended for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register in 2003.

Snow-capped mountains, ancient architecture and streetscapes, canals and waterways, the Naxi people and their distinct culture have attracted hundreds and thousands of tourists from all around the world. The most popular scenic spots and tourist attractions in and around Lijiang are Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the Old Man Peak, the Black Dragon Pool, the Jade Peak Monastery and the Tiger Leaping Gorge. There are also some wonderful sites slightly further away from Lijiang, some of which can be reached by cycling or hiking.

Ancient City of Ping Yao

Pingyao in Shanxi Province, located on the trade route between Beijing and Xi’an, is famous for its ancient city wall and folk architecture. It was established in the Ming Dynasty and has been left almost untouched.

Ancient narrow, small temples and courtyard houses offer a unique architectural style and show the town planning of imperial China. Pingyao was also known as a merchant centre and is where China’s earliest banks set up. These institutions in Pingyao were the first in China to use cheques. In the 19th century the city became the financial centre of the Qing government.

To see a full list of World Heritage sites in China please click here.

Shadow Show

Chinese Pinyin: Pi Ying, literally translation: Leather Silhouette

You may have heard of the Chinese traditional handcraft of paper-cutting and you may have even watched Chinese local operas. What I am going to talk about is an ancient dramatic art form that combines these two significant Chinese elements. This is known as Chinese Shadow Show.

Shadow Show, also called “Shadow Play,” has a history of more than 1,000 years. It uses light to cast the shadow of leather-cut figures (Piying) on a white curtain. Its repertoire and tunes are interrelated with local operas. The artisan operates the Piying while singing. Under the influence of different regions, many styles of Shadow Show have appeared, mostly in northwest of China.

   The most popular material of such leather puppets is donkey skin. The images painted on the Piying are usually figures coming from historical plays or myths. Despite its differences in style from diverse areas in China, Piying has the following characteristics in common: highly precise carving, simple shapes and exaggerated decorative patterns. These together form an artistic charm.

It is not difficult to find these shadow puppets to bring home from China as souvenirs. Many shops have Piying on sale which have already been framed. However it is also possible to find the original Piying and move them around into your chosen position for framing.