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China News
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Contents Industry News Hotel/Restaurant News Imperial Tours News Blast Odds N Ends – Digital Library & Diego Azubel Discovery – Tibet Qinghai Railway |
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Dear Guy, Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, is a beautiful and inspiring city. Visiting it, however, requires a compromise. Sue Trotter (Sterling Travel) was somewhat bemused by this: "so you are saying that the food and accommodation are disappointing, altitude sickness is a concern, and yet that Lhasa is a must-see destination?" Yes, that is what we are saying. Luxury travelers who prioritize cultural exploration will love Lhasa. Ask Karin Hansen's (Frosch Travel) clients who visited Lhasa this September and, in their feedback, report it as the highlight of their trip. But why write about Lhasa now? It hasn't been screamed from the rooftops but on October 15th, about three weeks ago now, the world's highest train line, linking Beijing to Lhasa in a 48 hour train journey, was completed. This raises questions about how Lhasa will change and when luxury travelers should visit it – before the changes or after? To help you address those issues, this newsletter looks at:
But that is one of two momentous events this October. The other was the revolutionary issue of Departuresmagazine. By highlighting the luxurious aspects of contemporary China, this issue has revolutionized luxury travelers' expectations. Imperial Tours is delighted to have been selected as one of three "oustanding outfitters" wholeheartedly recommended by the magazine. In our turn, we advise you pick up a copy to convince customers to visit and enjoy fashionable, trend-setting China. To keep up to date with how China is changing, read on! |
Virtuoso's China Onsite Traveling China…in style Phone us at 888 888 1970 |
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Aviation A step towards peace – In a historic political development, Taiwan's commercial planes were permitted to fly over China, marking an end to the no-fly policy imposed in 1949. Despite increased fuel costs, China's aviation market grew at 16% or twice the world's average over the past year. As a result, four Chinese airlines have recently agreed to purchase another 42 Boeing 787 jets. To accommodate some of the new jets, Hong Kong and China signed a new air services agreement facilitating an immediate 57% capacity increase on all routes. Market News Trips abroad by mainland Chinese visitors increased by 10% in the first six months of this year. Foreign travel agencies and properties are starting to take notice of the growing purchasing power of the Chinese outbound market. Seeing its potential, Travel + Leisure magazine launched its China edition. The US economy is similarly exuberant. Between 2003 and 2004, Americans visiting overseas markets (i.e., excluding Canada and Mexico) increased by 12%, with China ranking as the fourth most popular overseas destination. More exciting is that travel to China grew by 72% over this period making it the destination with the highest growth. Events The combination of Sino-US tourist ties can hardly be better represented than by the September opening of Disney's Hong Kong theme park, attended by the Chinese Vice-President Zeng Qinghong. Macau is being strongly marketed these days. The former Portuguese colony – the only territory in China where gambling is permitted – is hosting the fourth East Asian Games this year. It is also being promoted as a gambling and golf Mecca by various international gambling and hotelier companies. Zhongdian, recently renamed Shangrila, is another Chinese destination receiving a great deal of investment. Ben Wood, the architect behind Xintiandi projects in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chongqing is the driving aesthetic force behind the renovation of its old town. He has also been commissioned to improve the tourist infrastructure of nearby Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is overrun by domestic tourists. Calendar – Luciano Pavarotti, the world's best known opera singer, has decided to hold his farewell concert in Beijing on December 10th at the Capital Gymnasium Theater. Tickets can be bought by clicking here. – From October 10th to the end of the year, one of China's most famous and longest antique paintings will go on display in Beijing's Palace Museum Health News Travelers are concerned about Avian Flu. We would recommend that you consult websites run by the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control, the US government and the UK Department of Health. These information sources give a different picture to that generally available through the mainstream media. Here are some of the facts you will find on these websites:
To summarize: the fear surrounding Bird Flu is not related to something that has happened. It is a fear of something that might happen, but which hasn't over the last 127 years. According to Stratfor (www.stratfor.com), a website evaluating global political and economic risk, the feared pandemic of human to human transmission of Bird Flu is as likely as a meteor strike. |
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In tribute to Departures China-dedicated issue, Imperial Tours provides ancillary comments to some of the hotels, restaurants and bars mentioned in that edition that we have not previously reviewed in our newsletters. We do this to add a second, independent opinion for your easy reference. Restaurants RBL, Restaurant & Bar, Beijing. RBL, which stands for Restaurant, Bar and Lounge is the latest Handel Lee project following on the heels of the extremely impressive Three on the Bund. We are disappointed by the restaurant at RBL but enjoy the bar's live music. Also, we are increasingly disappointed that the food at Mr Lee's first, award-winning restaurant, The Courtyard, is becoming too inconsistent. Family Li Cuisine, Restaurant, Beijing. The owner of this shabby hutong restaurant is a former Mathematics Professor at Beijing University. He claims to be the grandson of the head of the Imperial Bodyguard, whose responsibility it was to ensure that the Imperial dinner plate was poison-free. It's a great story and forms the basis for the restaurant's Imperial menu. When we visited, the supposedly fresh Peking Duck pancakes were covered in mold, and that was more than enough for us. Li Qun Roast Duck Restaurant, Restaurant, Beijing. On hygiene grounds, we would not recommend this hutong restaurant. Although it is surprisingly popular amongst the expat crowd, they have never inspected the kitchens. Ignorance may be bliss, but it can also be life-threatening. Le Quai, Restaurant, Beijing. This restaurant is very popular with the hip crowd, foreign and Chinese. Located by a lake with a glass structure built around an antique Huizhou home, this restaurant at first served great food but has since seen a decline in culinary standards. The decor is a strange smorgasbord of design concepts. South Silk Road, Restaurants, Beijing. Not one but in fact two restaurants, one on Qianhai Lake, the other inside the SOHO office building. The ownership includes world-famous Chinese artist Wang Guang Yi and the colorful cellist cum restaurateur Bai Fang. The lake location offers Japanese-style grilled foods, the office building location serves spicey Yunnanese fare. Both are decent, informal lunch venues. Laris Restaurant, Shanghai. Like Jean-Georges, Laris can be disappointing at lunchtime. The evening fare is of high quality and to be recommended. How can one not be suspicious of chili-flavored chocs? Nevertheless Laris' wonderfully theatrical chocolaterie is a devilishly tempting introduction to this sophisticated venue. Yong Foo Elite, Restaurant and Private Club, Shanghai. The stylish mansion set in its own garden, with wide-ranging decor and curious antiquities has won the hearts of many Shanghai cognoscenti. Though a delightful place, we were markedly disappointed by the quality of its food. Ye Shanghai, Restaurant, Shanghai. Like Crystal Jade, this restaurant is part of a stylish, East Asian restaurant group. Both offer good quality food and unique environments. TMSK, Restaurant, Shanghai. Incorporating pate de verre in many aspects of its design, TMSK offers a fantastic dining venue. The shortfall lies in the quality of its food. Also, the portion sizes are uncomfortably reminiscent of Cordon Bleu. T8, Restaurant, Shanghai. Part of the group that owns the Fuchun Resort near Hangzhou, T8 offers good fusion food in Xintiandi. In our opinion however, neither the food nor the venue compare to Jean-Georges, Laris, M on the Bund or Sens and Bund. Shanghai Bars. Of the Shanghai bars mentioned in Departures, we would recommend Bar Rouge.Barbarossa Lounge is achieving some renown but we would not recommend it. Cloud 9 in the Grand Hyatt, though not in the magazine, should also be considered. Hotels JW Marriott, Shanghai There is no question that the location of this hotel on the corner of Renmin Square has its advantages, but the quality of this hotel's furniture and fittings disqualify it from consideration amongst the city's best, comprised of the Grand Hyatt, Shanghai and, for those who crave familiarity, the Four Seasons. Whereas the JW Marriott is a secondary hotel in a primary location, the St. Regis, Shanghai, by contrast, is a primary hotel in a secondary location. Fuchun Resort Nestled in the tea fields west of Hangzhou, the Fuchun Resort is one of the first in an upcoming breed of luxury destination resort hotels in China. Modelled on similar properties in South East Asia, its minimalist psuedo-Zen chic feels out of place in Hangzhou. Although this formula is wonderful on an Asian beachside, it is a shame that something more original of Chinese inspiration was not conceived for the capital of Song dynasty China. Unfortunately, this beautiful property is located too far on the wrong side of Hangzhou to be easily incorporated into a touring itinerary. Other Hotel News Travel + Leisure reports that the two women-only floors at the St. Regis, Shanghai have been so successfully received that the hotel is soon to add a third. Congratulations to the Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong on being named the best hotel in Asia's Best Hotels & Resorts guide. Congratulations also to the Grand Hyatt, Shanghai for being nominated the fifth best. The Shangrila Hotel, Shanghai has just completed its US$138 million expansion program. A second glass tower block, neighboring its first in a curve of the Huangpu river, offers 375 rooms and suites in its 36 floors. The Banyan Tree has opened a resort in Zhongdian, now known as Shangrila. We plan to visit next year and will post a review. Hyatt Hotels, Lhasa – Hyatt Hotels are in preliminary talks to open a new five star hotel in Lhasa. Whilst Lhasa's tourist industry is cock-a-hoop by the possibility, the Hyatt group stresses that the project is in its very early stages. |
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New Shopping Venues Agnes Tamissier is a French jewelry designer we have recently discovered in Beijing. She does not have a shop but sells her beautiful objets d¡¯art from her home on an appointment basis. Younik is a new craft store in Shanghai, one of whose designers is responsible for jewelry for Dolce & Gabbana. Tour News Although we are not an adventure company, Imperial Tours sometimes receives highly adventurous clients. For these, we are now able to offer white water rafting near Lhasa. One half day trip visits Class II and III level rapids. Another full day trip features Class III and IV level rapids. Please note that water levels dictate that whitewater rafting can only be enjoyed between June 1st and September 30th. If you are a travel agent and you wish to participate on our Educational trip (FAM), please note that places remain on our March 2006 Educational. Contact Margot Kong at 888 888 1970 or at Margot for details. Foodies should make a note of our Culinary Tour, departing May 12th, 2006. Visiting the four centers of Chinese cuisine, the tour includes lessons, lectures and delectable dining! Please click here for details. Imperial Tours completed a successful incentive tour for a US financial services firm this October. We look forward to expanding this side of our business, and hope you will think of us for private tours, monthly departure group tours & incentive tours. Company News On November 23rd, Imperial Tours expands its forays into Chinese culture by sponsoring a philosophy lecture series in Beijing. Our first lecture looks at Zhuangzi, a disciple of Laozi. A synopsis of the lecture will be published on our website. We are excited to introduce two new tour directors. Jamie Greenbaum, who has a Phd in Chinese History, has started to tour direct for us in order to fund his post-doctoral thesis. Having already been featured as an expert lecturer on Oxford and Cambridge tours, he is already familiar with the tour industry. He lead his first tour this October. Jordi Morell, who grew up in Majorca, Spain and was educated in London, U.K. and Beijing, China is a native speaker of both Spanish and English. He has already led tours in both English and Spanish for Imperial Tours this year. Together with Karin Hansen (Frosch Travel), Imperial Tours is delighted to have been selected by Travel + Leisure as a China expert in its 2005 listing of Super Agents. We try hard to satisfy customers and travel agents in the luxury segment but we cannot do this without feedback from you to learn how we can improve in the future. Please provide feedback, good and bad, and ask guests to complete our feedback forms. |
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Retracing The Footstep Of Nain Singh: An Expedition by Diego Azubel Our November 2004 Newsletter introduced Diego Azubel's second expedition in which he recreated the trek of Nain Singh, a nineteenth century Indian mapmaker across 2,000 miles of the Himalayan mountain range. At that time, I pointed out the dangers posed by the Nepali civil war, mastiff guard dogs, the Himalayan gales and the challenge of carrying a 60lb backpack across 15,000 foot passes in the depths of winter. You will be heartened to know that this determined expeditionist has now completed his second solo trek. He negotiated his way past Maoist guerillas in the monkey-infested Nepali jungle and lost a chunk of his calf to a fierce mastiff guard dog in the Himalayas where he suffered severe frostbite and was laid up for four weeks with acute tendonitis. Despite it all, Diego clung stubbornly to his goal, returning to Beijing 34lb lighter than when he left. We can now share his amazing journey through spectacular photos which you can see by clicking here. The Tibetan Himalayan Digital Library The University of Virginia, the oldest public university in the U.S., is a world leader in "Humanities Computing". David Germano, its dynamic Associate Professor of Tibetan Studies based in Lhasa, is applying information technology to Tibetan studies in an attempt to make a real contribution to Tibet's development. And we in the travel industry have a role to play in this vision. The Tibetan Himalayan Digital Library (www.thdl.org) is a project in which he is engaged together with Tibet University and the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences. As well as an encyclopedic depositary and publisher of Tibetan culture, including music, poetry, medicine, etc., this website also aims to channel economic benefits to the Tibetan community. His idea is to empower the knowledge of academia with the know-how of commerce and to infuse the power of government with the noble ambitions of NGOs. Professor Germano hopes his website will provide a forum for these four parties to meet, share information and conduct their affairs to the material and cultural advantage of Tibetans. Travel agents and agencies can contribute to his project by promoting wider and greater travel in Tibet. For the moment, we in the travel industry can visit www.thdl.org to learn more about Tibetan culture. By May 2006, Professor Germano is planning to provide various tools and forums to enhance the quality and number of travel opportunities in Tibet. When this happens, we will tell you. |
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Discovery – Tibet Qinghai Railway This article is based on a lecture on October 26 by Li Guo Cheng of the China Academy of Sciences Since 1975, the Chinese government has been planning to link Lhasa to Beijing by train. In 1985, the first phase of this project was completed with a 530 mile (860 km) rail link from Golmud on the Tibetan border to Xinning in Qinghai province. On October 15th, 2005, the second phase of this grandiose project was triumphantly concluded when tracks were laid between Golmud to Lhasa. One of the primary motivations for this rail line is said to be tourism. The government projects 900,000 new tourist arrivals per year along the single-gauge railway line, on which passenger service is planned to begin operation in July 2006. Tourists will travel on two types of train, normal and luxury, with a top speed of 100 km/h. Like a jet airplane, the carriages will be sealed and pressurized. This is necessary since 80% of the US$3 billion rail line is at an elevation of over 13,000 feet (4,000m). In fact, at one point the track rises to a vertiginous 16,640 feet (5072m) above sea level! Were the carriages to be open, atmospheric pressure and oxygen content would fall to uncomfortably low levels. Why did the government wait so long before completing this project? The reason lies in the technical domain. 340 miles (550km) of the recently laid track lie on a bed of melting ice. Laying rail track on permafrost is not unique: this is also evident in Alaska, Canada and Siberia. What differentiates the Chinese project is that unlike those other locales the permafrost in China, subject to higher temperatures in summer, is liable to melt. Building a railway on melting ice seems an impossible challenge! But Chinese engineers are confident that they have squared this circle through various stratagems, for example bridging the areas of permafrost most liable to melt. From the get-go, environmental protection has been a much trumpeted factor of this engineering masterpiece. The migratory routes, particularly of species unique to the Tibetan Qinghai plateau, such as the endangered Tibetan antelope (whose fur is used to make the highly priced and illegal shatoush), were closely studied and incorporated into the design of the track and its 34 stations. Various structures, such as tunnels and bridges, have been built for the use of deer, antelope, gazelle, snow leopard and other fauna in this precious eco-system. Cameras lining the railway route continuously monitor the migratory routes of all such animals to enable further fine-tuning of ancillary structures. Similarly, the four different types of vegetative environment, characteristic of the area, namely desert, steppe, meadow and shrub, have been accommodated in the design. What will this train line mean for Lhasa and Tibet as a whole? There are various consequences. Firstly, it will now be possible for government and private companies to export the mineral deposits long known to be present in the Tibetan mountains, most particularly chromium and gold. This will establish a strong economic platform for the region. Secondly, the price of goods in Lhasa will drop. This will be welcomed by locals and tourists alike, who are likely to see an increase in value for money and quality. Thirdly, Lhasa as a city and as a tourist destination is likely to prosper. Since there will be reluctance to limit tourist access, the most famous tourist sites are likely to be ever more highly priced and subject to over-crowding. At the same time, we should expect facilities to improve in the travel sector. Fourthly, in order to foster international tourism, we can expect some liberalization of the situation in Tibet. Many Tibetan travel industry professionals moot the removal of the current, restrictive permit system in Tibet. There are even whispers of a resolution of the underlying political question, which has so undermined the development of the tourism industry there. |
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We hope you enjoyed this newsletter. As always, please do write back with any feedback that you would like us to incorporate. Alternatively, please call Margot Kong, our Director of Sales and Marketing, in San Francisco, at 888 888 1970. With Best Regards, To forward this newsletter to a friend, please click here. |
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