FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan 28, 2007
Media Contacts:
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U.S. Office: Margot Kong Imperial Tours 888-888-1970 web_inquiry@imperialtours.net
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Germany Office: Marlis Leo Imperial Tours +49 69 864259 web_inquiry@imperialtours.net |
Imperial Tours Opens European Office and Expands U.S. Office
San Francisco, Calif. – Imperial Tours announces the opening of its first European office in Frankfurt, Germany. This office will be headed by Marlis Leo and staffed by Nicole Grundler and Benjamin Ceccarelli. Ms. Leo and her team will be responsible for sales and marketing of Imperial Tours' luxury private tours of China to the German-speaking countries of Europe including Germany, Austria, Luxemburg and German-speaking Switzerland.
"For several years, it has been Imperial Tours intention to grow our European business," commented Guy Rubin, Managing Partner of Imperial Tours. "Marlis is a travel industry veteran and has good contacts in the Beijing government, having organized a tour to Germany for such individuals as the mayor of Beijing. Marlis and Imperial Tours are an excellent match and have very similar ideas about how our tours should operate."
To support Imperial Tours' sales to the German-speaking market, the company has hired a Beijing-based German speaking China Host to lead private tours and plans to recruit additional Hosts this spring. Additionally, the company is launching its websites in Spanish, French and German:
http://www.imperialtours.es
http://www.imperialtours.eu
http://www.imperialtours.de
Imperial Tours has also expanded its U.S. operations by hiring David Goodman-Smith to round out its sales team in their San Francisco office, headed by Margot Kong. Mr. Goodman-Smith, who is half English and half American, recently returned after living and working in Yingkou, China for over a year. He speaks a smattering of Chinese and has had several years of experience in the service and hospitality industries. Mr. Goodman-Smith studied Chinese History at university and is excited to share his passion for China with Imperial Tours' guests.
About Imperial Tours
Imperial Tours offers luxury set-departure and private tours of China, combining local expertise with the high levels of service and quality expected by sophisticated Western travelers. Imperial Tours has first-hand knowledge of world-class hotels and restaurants as well as the history, culture, arts, and little-known exclusive destinations within China. Founded in 1999, Imperial Tours operates out of Beijing, China; San Francisco, California; and Frankfurt, Germany. For more information, visit www.imperialtours.net or call 888-888-1970.
reported by Andrea Bennett
A seat on a sold-out flight. A beachfront room at a hot new resort. That elusive cabin upgrade (at no extra charge). These are a few of the things that a great travel agent can secure for a client. In this easy-to-use pullout guide, you’ll find T+L’s 2006 A-List: 125 travel super-agents the best of the best—specialists who always deliver. In the past year, we’ve interviewed hundreds of agents to find out which ones provide unparalleled service and essential advice. Each is listed by area of specialization, with his or her dream holiday included to inspire a trip that may even change your life. We also added five young agents we have our eye on, and surveyed all the A-List agents on their picks for up-and-coming destinations, exciting hotel openings, and new cruise ports, for insights into where you’ll be heading in the months ahead. So get ready to book your next trip.
China Guy Rubin Dream Trip A dramatic railway journey on the new line between Beijing and Lhasa, the world’s highest train ride, which whisks you from sea level across the Tibetan plateau to the capital of the roof of the world. YEARS AS AGENT 7. CONSULTING FEE $100. * Imperial Tours, Beijing; 8610/8440-7162(or call U.S. director of sales Margot Kong at 888/888-1970); web_inquiry@imperialtours.net
©September 2006 TRAVEL + LEISURE
As it readies for the 2008 Olympics, Beijing strives to redefine its images as an ultra-modern capital city with world-class facilities. As a result, the number of choices in luxury hotel accommodations continues to expand at a dizzying rate. However, most options remain centrally located near Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
Bill Clinton regularly stays at the St. Regis Hotel (http://www.stregis.com/beijing), Known for its personalized service. All accommodations feature warm, inviting colors, luxurious bedding and marble bathrooms with extra-deep tubs. The most requested room may be the Diplomat Deluxe, but Ambassador Suites offer the best vistas, thanks to their corner locations.
All rooms include 24/7 butler service. The butlers have been known to go above and beyond for their guests; one shopped for lamps after hours when a guest didn’t like existing room lighting, and another helped bargain for souvenirs at the nearby Silk Market.
We were dazzled by the marriage of traditional Chinese architecture and modern luxury at the Peninsula Palace Beijing (http://beijing.peninsula.com). For excellent city views, book one of the 18 Duplex Suites on the top floor. Each features a downstairs sitting area with a beautiful wooden staircase leading to an upper-level bedroom.
For the ultimate in sophistication, the recently renovated 10-room, 7,100-square-foot Peninsula Suite features an impressive collection of antiques and a private elevator linked directly to the lobby and hotel restaurants. French President Jacques Chirac was the suite’s first guest.
At the Grand Hyatt Beijing (http://www.beijing.grand.hyatt.com/), nothing beats relaxing at Club Oasis, where guests can take a dip in China’s largest hotel swimming pool. The tropical theme includes underwater music and a “virtual sky” that replicates different weather phenomena.
The innovatively prepared meals at Made in China are just as distinctive, but it’s the classic Peking Duck that can’t be missed. Make reservation 24 to 48 hours in advance.
Guest rooms, including the popular Grand Suite, are designed for comfort with relaxing colors, genuine goose-down duvets, crisp linens, rich woods and local works of art.
Advisor Insight
“There is a wide gamut of exclusive and special activities to experience in Beijing,” says Nancy Kim, managing partner of Imperial Tours, which specializes in high-tech travel throughout China. “The key issue is deciphering which is appropriate to the particular demands of each high-end traveler, with whom we engage on an individual basis.”
The Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven top the must-see list for most travelers, but “supposing that these neatly describe Beijing is akin to pigeonholing New York with a visit to MoMA, the Met and the Statue of Liberty.”
For a unique experience, Kim suggests strolling through the contemporary art galleries of the Dashanzi Art District, a growing arts and culture center. 798 Space (http://798space.net) is housed in a former state-owned, Bauhaus-style factory built in the early 1950s.
For relaxation, visitors can indulge in a reflexology foot massage or practice Tai Chinin one of the city’s parks. (web_inquiry@imperialtours.net; www.imperialtours.net).
© July/August 2006 Luxury Travel Advisor
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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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Sophy Roberts profiles 10 super-agents- travel experts who can give their customers access to the most exclusive accommodation and events.
Some of us turn to personal shoppers, others to yoga teachers. For travelers, the guru de jour is the super-agent, shorthand for the connector who can get us into the best private houses in the world’s most compelling regions.
These people are not for everyone. Because their client lists are generally small, their prices are usually high “It’s about being quality-driven, rather than price-driven, which is the current scourge of the travel industry.” Says Mark Robinson. Who was formerly behind the private travel division of Abercrombie & Kent but has now launched his own business. The Private Travel Company, based in London.
It was in Seville that I realized how vitally important private access can be. This is a city I had previously thought frustrating (I am not a Spanish speaker). Recently, thanks to super-agent Cedric Reversade. I experienced the city at a different level. Reversade books clients into Casa Real Alcazar, a private, nine-suite boutique palace—all the rooms have en suite bathrooms; the sitting rooms are packed with precious family antiques; balconies overflow with flowers and there is an equally exotic courtyard garden. He briefed me on the culture of the tapas bar: what to order, where to go. He also took me to shops where the best mantillas, the lace scarves characteristic of Spain, are sold.
Is it worth it? Super-agents are specialists who limit themselves deliberately so they can know their subject intimately. Of those below, I have traveled with seven. To improve the geographical spread. I have added three: Guy Rubin and Nancy Kim in China, Africa specialist Will Jones and Jonny Bealby, who focuses on countries off the regular travel trail. All three have been repeatedly recommended to me.
Imperial Tours
China has only a smattering of specialists who can deliver more than run-of-the-mill itineraries. Beijing based Imperial Tours, headed up by Guy Rubin, a Briton, and his Korean-American wife, Nancy Kim, stands out from the pack. The company does only deluxe China, from Lhasa to Xi’an , but won’t risk the back country of, say , Sichuan, unless it can be sure of a comfortable hotel (by experience, the local grading doesn’t quite cut it).
The couple don’t just book restaurants for clients: they secure a specific table (their culinary tours are highly recommended). And because they live in China, they know what’s hot, what’s not, which includes where the swankiest Chinese are eating (especially important in Shanghai and Beijing). Be sure to ask them about the new Hotel of Modern Art in Guilin. Tel: +1 88-88881970, email: guy@ imperialtours.net
© November 2005 Financial Times
Outstanding Outfitters : who to call
by Sophy Roberts
“I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed meeting and being with you and how absolutely well, imperial everything was. You are indeed a remarkable company and I hope to convey my enthusiasm and awe in the October issue.”—Richard David Story, Editor in Chief
Beyond American Express Platinum Travel Service, we can wholeheartedly recommend the following three companies: Each offers a variety of programs, has different specialities, and can tailor itineraries to most needs. But what really makes them stand out is their laudable understanding of the demanding American, their ability to deal with the complexities of travel in China’s outback (not only the hotels but also bad roads and tedious officialdom), and their conspicuous talent for bringing to life the country’s immense history and fast changing culture. This is when good guides are invaluable and China, in all its glory, becomes one of the most memorable experiences of your life.
Imperial Tour
When Nancy Kim started Imperial Tours six years ago with her husband, Guy Rubin, she used her mother-an ineffably chic and well-traveled woman-as her reference point for the ideal but demanding customer. “She went with us every where,” Kim says. “I wanted her reaction-and sometimes she would say, ‘Dear, that’s a very “interesting” restaurant, but I don’t think so.’” To this day, there are certain, sometimes even popular, destinations that Imperial believes are just too uncomfortable for many Americans.” If we aren’t happy with the accommodations, we simply don’t believe our customers will be either,” Rubin explains. That the company is operated and owned by Kim and Rubin imparts an exquisite immediacy that’s just impossible to duplicate. The fact that it is based in China but run by Westerners is equally appealing. www.imperialtours.net: 888-888-1970
© October 2005 Departures
Select Asia for those cruise clients who have done it all; they're sure to return impressed
by Lauren Price
Margot Kong at Imperial Tours in San Francisco has plenty of Hong Kong favorites, but renting a junk in Hong Kong Harbor for a romantic evening sipping cocktails, antique hunting along Hollywood Road and private cooking lessons at the Hong Kong Culinary Institute top of her list.
In Beijing, Kong has arranged for white-linen banquets to be held on a secluded section of the Great Wall. She’s also booked Peking duck dinners at the China Club, visits to the Imperial family’s kite-maker, a martial-arts performance inside a little-known Buddhist temple by Shoalin Monks and Taiqi lessons inside the Temple of Heaven.
© June 2005 Luxury Travel Advisor
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Contents China Travel News Hotel/Restaurant News Calendar Odds N Ends Discovery – Braille Without Borders |
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Dear Guy, This April issue includes:
Additionally, we congratulate the actors and actresses nominated for this year's Academy Awards with a gift of a private Imperial tour to China. We look forward to welcoming them. First, some travel news: |
Virtuoso's China Onsite Traveling China…in style Phone us at 888 888 1970 |
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China Travel News Okay Airlines, a new budget airline in China, was recently launched. With 2 Boeing 737-900s and plans for another 4, this privately owned airline plans to link lesser known provincial airports. This is not China's first budget airline, but it is the first of a new breed of low cost carriers that seek to compare themselves to western models. (We note that their maiden flight touched down 1 hour late.) Facts & Stats On The Chinese Outbound Travel Market The China outbound market is growing by an average of 21% per year with Australia (32%), France (27%) and the U.S. (21%) as Beijingers' top three overseas destinations. The average expenditure of Chinese tourists is also increasing: since 2003 mainland Chinese have been outspending American tourists in Hong Kong. According to Glenn Tilton, CEO of United Airlines, China is creating 6 million new air passengers every year. China Requests U.S. Help To Curb Smuggling of China's Art While Christie's and Sotheby's report a doubling in sales of Chinese antiquities and art between 2003 and 2004, China's government is showing new steel in curbing the theft and subsequent smuggling of objects from China's provincial museums and grave-sites. Under a proposed new customs regime, American visitors will only be able to import items less than a hundred years old. It remains to be seen if the U.S. customs will go along with China's plea for help. Imperial Tours Airport Pick-ups Imperial Tours is now arranging to pick up all your customers from the airplane gangway as soon as their plane docks at Beijing International Airport. This service will be automatically included in all our itineraries arriving at this airport. Customers who wish to expedite their passage through Chinese customs at Beijing Airport by using a special channel can apply for this service, which Imperial Tours offers for an additional charge. Please inquire for details. Airline News The 36% increase in (highly profitable) passenger traffic between the U.S. and China between 2003 and 2004 is provoking competition between the financially straitened US airlines for new air routes. Continental Airlines has announced that it received approval to become the first U.S. passenger carrier to offer daily, direct flights to Beijing from its hub at New York/Newark Liberty International Airport beginning June 15th. Meanwhile American Airline's triumphant application for a direct flight from Chicago to Shanghai came at the expense of Atlanta airport from which there is still no direct service to China. In the European market, Lufthansa German Airlines on March 27th started a new daily non-stop flight between Frankfurt and Guangzhou linking the two countries' industrial heartlands. Cathay Pacific, the British carrier based in Hong Kong, reported that 2004 provided its second best year of profits ever. Since then it has bought a 10% stake in Air China, mainland China's flag carrier. News From the WTO The least known of the three WTOs, the "World Toilet Organization", is delighted by the US$48 million that Beijing has earmarked to build 2,800 brand new public toilets for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Sources report that the spokesman for Singapore, which sees itself as a trail-blazer in toilet technology, pooh-poohed China's sanitary success. |
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Restaurant News Shanghai For Glam sor, Beijing For Glory With "Jean-Georges" and "Sens & Bund" stealing the limelight in recent months, it has seemed as though Shanghai was taking all the press in China's vibrant restaurant scene. Beijing has responded wonderfully with "Jin Feng Gu Yun". Situated inside the precincts of a Buddhist temple with a history of over a thousand years, the kitchen – inside which the restaurant is located – was used in the eighteenth century to serve Qing dynasty Emperors. This restaurant, now between its soft and hard opening, is hard to find and so not appropriate for independent travelers to Beijing. Although its food and ambiance is wonderful for corporate entertainment and high end foreign visitors, the wine list is currently limited. We have been assured that this will be remedied before the restaurant's grand opening in May. Travel To Lhasa With A Private Chef Of Historic Significance Imperial Tours is pleased to welcome Chef Jin to its China-based staff. Chef Jin previously worked as the Executive Chef at the Peninsula Palace Hotel in Beijing. He is qualified to the highest level in both Chinese and Western cuisine. As well as taking responsibility for Imperial Tours' privately catered meals – such as our signature white-linen banquet atop the Great Wall – Chef Jin is available to accompany private tours around China, especially pertinent for trips to Lhasa. History buffs will find it fascinating to meet Chef Jin since he formerly worked as the personal chef of General Zhang Zhen, a key military leader during China's civil war and a supporter of Deng Xiao Ping during the reform era thirty years later, Hotel News Marriott's Worldwide Expansion Continues Apace In China With 30 hotels in China already, Marriott foresees itself adding six or seven new properties annually. Review of Hotels In The Guilin Area The third in our hotel review series looks at Guilin. This is prompted by the recent opening of the Hotel of Modern Art. Hotel of Modern Art, Yuzi Paradise – "Very seldom do I walk around with my mouth hanging down. There's major art money in Fortworth but they don't have anything like this,"commented Valerie Riefenstahl of Sanders Travel during her recent visit. Yuzi Paradise is a contemporary art production and exhibition complex located within 1,650 acres of stunning karst scenery. With a busily functioning atelier producing glass, bronze, ceramics and stoneware as well as prints and photography, this contemporary art center, which boasts 115 monumental sculptures by internationally renowned artists from 25 countries, is more than just a place to spend the night. It offers a fascinating journey into China's contemporary art scene. The Hotel of Modern Art has only just opened and is in the process of appying for five star status. The new hotel wing with standardized rooms is not scheduled to open until June 2005. Currently, Imperial Tours is using rooms in the owner's private residence for FITs by special arrangement. Their suites range from 300 to 1700 square feet. Group tours are accommodated in the Reception Center in a variety of rooms ranging from 250 to 325 square feet. Sheraton Hotel, Guilin – Originally constructed by the Korean company, Daewoo, the Sheraton Hotel in Guilin has long been the premier five star hotel in Guilin. At its opening in 1988, it was no doubt a startling innovation in Guilin, which at the time only offered basic amenities. However, the bedrooms are quite dated now. That said, the service at this hotel, run by Guilin's most experienced staff, is good. Standard rooms start at 270 square feet and the largest suite is 530 square feet. The Waterfall Hotel, Guilin – This three star hotel was completely rebuilt and renovated to Chinese five star standards at the end of 2002. The opening fanfare was accompanied by the international attention garnered by the hotel's trumpeting of the world's tallest artificial waterfall. However, maintenance is not what it could be, and as a result this comparatively new hotel is already starting to look down at heel. Standard rooms range from 250 – 300 square feet, the suites from 300 – 400 square feet. Bailelai Paradise Resort Hotel, Yangshuo – Once a quiet market town, Yangshuo has mushroomed into a bustling tourist center. The Bailelai Paradise Resort Hotel has expanded with it, introducing four star bedrooms in 1999. These are clean and spacious (300 square feet). However, the major selling point of this hotel is in having the option to accommodate guests in the midst of this area's scenic countryside rather than in the more stressful, urban environment of Guilin city. |
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Beijing April 20 -23: Beijing's International Tourism and Travel Market at the National Agricultural Exhibition Center creates a forum for businesses keen to tap into the opportunities of China's outbound travel market. Click here for details. May 3 – May 7: Yang Li Ping, one of China's best known contemporary dancers, performs his own works at the Poly Theater. Price: RMB280, 380, 580, 780, 980. May 7 – 8: La Bayadere, a ballet performed by the Royal Ballet Van Flanders of Belgium at the Tianqiao Theater. Price: RMB120, 280, 380, 580, 680, 880. May 15: Patricia Kaas performs a solo concert at The Great Hall Of The People by Tiananmen Square. Price: RMB280, 480, 680, 1280, 1880. June 18: Britcham Ascot in Beijing combines the sartorial grace of Britain's Royal Ascot horse race with the competitiveness of Hong Kong Jockey Club's racers at Beijing Jockey Club's race track. Price: RMB 980 Shanghai April 15: The Byron Berline Band 2005 Shanghai Concert, starring three time US national fiddle champion, Byrone Berline at the Shanghai Center Theater. Price: RMB 60, 120, 180, 240. April 26- 27: Latin Jazz Queen, Laura Fygi's Shanghai Nights at Shanghai's Concert Hall. Price: RMB 180, 280, 380, 520, 680, 1280. April 27: Ballet, Romeo and Juliet, a ballet by Ballet Prelojocaj, France at Shanghai Majestic Theater. Price: RMB 80, 180, 280, 380, 500. May 4 – 9: The Stolen Show, a series of contemporary dances performed by Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal at the Shanghai Center Theater. Price: RMB 100, 180, 280, 380, 480. May 5 – 7: Opera, La Vie Parisienne, an opera by Opera Comique Theatre Musical Populaire at the Lyric Theater of the Shanghai Grand Theater. Price: RMB 100, 200, 380, 500, 680, 880. |
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China's contemporary art scene has been hot for some time now with major collections in Hong Kong and Basel receiving world plaudits. As a result, international dealers are snapping up works as they appear at top galleries in Beijing and Shanghai. Recently, we conducted an interview with one of China's most successful artists, Zheng Zai Dong, at his Shanghai studio (Translated from Chinese). Imperial Tours (IT): Your recent series depicts various landscapes. Which mountain ranges do you paint and why? Zheng Zai Dong (ZZD): Chinese landscape painting asks an artist to add an element of his individuality to the depiction of a landscape. For this reason, since ancient times Chinese artists have favored less celebrated mountain ranges. For example, I would not paint a landscape of Huangshan (Yellow Mountains) because each view is so celebrated in its own right that it would be impossible for me to paint my own interpretation. Usually, you find that famous ancient artists have chosen to paint unprepossessing landscapes in order to give themselves the freedom to express their own vision. IT: You have painted this stunning series of West Lake paintings. (Click here to view these.) Why have you never painted the scenery around Guilin? ZZD: Guilin was considered a barbarian area until the Ming dynasty. Prior to that time, Chinese artists did not consider painting it. It was only in the Ming dynasty that Chinese painters began to depict it. And so although I have done a series of small sketches, I have never been inspired to give it the same attention as Hangzhou's West Lake. IT: Many of your paintings refer to Buddhist themes and stories? Are you a Buddhist? ZZD: I am not a Buddhist. I use famous Buddhist themes and stories in my paintings, but it is usually to play with them or to satirize them. IT: Tibet has some stunning scenery. It is also a fashionable destination for Chinese artists. Why have you not painted any Tibetan subjects? ZZD: Chinese and Tibetan painting styles are very different. I have traveled to Tibet and find it very beautiful, but it hasn't inspired me to paint it. IT: Where would you like your next trip to be? ZZD: Li Bai, the 8th century poet, is celebrated for the poems he wrote during his travels from the city of Nanjing south west into Anhui province. You can still follow the trail of his poems. No one else follows this route, so this would make the trip even better. |
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Discovery – Braille Without Borders Meeting Sabriye Tenberken and Paul Kronenberg, founders of "Braille Without Borders", is an amazing voyage into fearlessness, resolve and compassion. Their no-nonsense approach to helping the blind people of Tibet has earned them the respect of the many organizations that originally said this could not be done. Sabriye, who became blind as a young adult, invented a Braille script for the Tibetan language as part of her studies at Bonn University, Germany. When she arrived in Tibet a few years later, she was as surprised by the high incidence of blindness as by how poorly-equipped local institutions were to deal with this enduring problem. For example, Sabriye tells a story of visiting a family's home to find their blind daughter tied to a bed! Sabriye and Paul were determined to help, and the local government recognizing the woeful plight of Tibetan blind people swiftly welcomed their brave efforts to establish educational and rehabilitation programs. "Braille Without Borders" is characterized by pragmatism. For example, by working with a Tibetan scholar, Sabriye further developed her syllable-based Braille script for Tibet's community of the blind. As soon as Paul transferred this into a software program, Sabriye implemented it at the Preparatory School for the Blind that they have set up in Lhasa. Apart from teaching Tibetan blind children and adults vocational skills (from handicrafts to music to agriculture to information technology) that will increase their status within their local communities, the educational programs they have created at their school and farm instill vital confidence and hope in young people who would otherwise find themselves in a forbidding situation. That Sabriye has achieved so much that various countries' aid agencies are asking for her assistance is inspirational for her young students. Similarly, Paul's compassion and engineering skills have helped implement a dream dedicated to marvelously revolutionizing the lives of so many blind persons. To find out more about Braille Without Borders, please visit their web site by clicking here. To listen to an interview of Sabriye on NPR, please click here. During our visits to Lhasa, Imperial Tours takes guests to visit the Preparatory School for the Blind and to meet Sabriye and Paul, when their schedules permit. (Please note that whenever Imperial Tours visits a charity, we make a donation on behalf of our clients so that guests do not feel as though they are being asked for money.) If you would like to make a financial contribution to Braille Without Borders, you will find banking information on their website. |
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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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Dear Guy, Happy Chinese New Year of the Rooster! The top restaurant in Zagat's new guide for Shanghai is "Jean-Georges", reviewed in our July 2004 email broadcast. To continue to keep you one step ahead of your competitors, this edition contains the following China luxury travel information:
The Hotel of Modern Art will be included on our upcoming March Educational trip on which there are still a few places left. There are also places left on our April Group Tour – not only will you earn a 15% commission, but also the thanks of your clients for introducing them to the most up to date and dynamic luxury group tour in China. Contact us for details. Some travel news: |
Virtuoso's China Onsite Traveling China…in style Phone us at 888 888 1970 |
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China Travel News IATA announced that passenger traffic grew 15.3% in 2004. Asia Pacific led the charge with growth of 20.5%. The North American market was second with growth of 14.8% and the European region boasted growth of 10.1%. Within Asia Pacific, China is the fastest growing aviation market in the world. Subsequently, airlines are increasing capacity here. In the November newsletter, I detailed the applications made by US airlines, particularly Continental Airlines. The table below provides additional information. New Flights To Be Offered In Summer 2005 Airline (Route) Current Weekly Flights +Additional Flights British Airways (London – Shanghai) 0 +5 Yet More Five -Star Hotels Are Announced For China Prompted by the Beijing 2008 Olympics and the phenomenal growth in business and leisure travel, many five star hotel chains have plans to expand. Ritz Carlton is to open two new hotels in Beijing in Autumn 2006 and 2007, and one in Guangzhou to open in early 2007. J.W. Marriot has announced a 591 room hotel to open in Beijing in 2007. Meanwhile, the Peninsula Hotel Group has confirmed that it is investing in a new US$360 million development at the northern end of Shanghai's Bund adjacent to the former British consulate. Silk Market Alley Now A Plaza Silk Market Alley was a street of market stalls in central Beijing. Several years ago visitors could buy high quality silk, cashmere and pashmina products here as well as low-priced knock-offs of Western brands, particularly Timberland and Northface products. The better quality stalls moved out of Silk Alley two to three years ago, but it was only on 5th January this year that the remaining stalls were shut down. They have now been replaced by a modern, multi-story shopping plaza named Silk Market Plaza. Officially this opened in February 2005. If it becomes as celebrated a shopping mecca as its predecessor, we will be sure to let you know. China Southern – The First Chinese Airline To Join A Global Alliance Guangzhou-based China Southern, one of the three largest airlines in China, is to enter SkyTeam, the alliance whose members include Air France, Delta Air Lines and Korean Air. China Southern will share networks, connections and code shares as well as sell partner airline tickets and participate in the frequent-flyer program. |
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Restaurant News Zagat's Shanghai Guide – First Edition Out Now! The publication of Zagat's first Shanghai guide enhances the prestige of Shanghai's restaurant scene. Considering this is a first edition, we congratulate them on a job well done! Since we work with many of Shanghai's top restaurants and hotels on a daily basis, we inevitably found ourselves questioning some of Zagat's restaurant and hotel conclusions. That said, Imperial Tours' selected restaurants did well in the survey. Zagat's rated 12 of the 13 restaurants we used in 2004 on our group and private tours "very good to perfection". The remaining 1 restaurant was rated "good to very good". Sens & Bund The Pourcel brothers, who run the Michelin three-star rated "Le Jardin des Sens" in Montpellier, France recently opened "Sens & Bund" in Shanghai. Zagat's went to press before "Sens & Bund" opened and as a result, this restaurant was unable to compete with "Jean-Georges" for the guide's top spot. While the decor of "Jean-Georges" makes a strong claim to the more glamorous sense of sight,"Sens & Bund" steals the show in the realm of flavor. There is a directness and simplicity to its appealing flavors. Amongst the appetizers, we were impressed by the risotto and also by the richness of the pumpkin soup. The generosity and quality of the foie gras de canard appetizer was welcome. Of the entrees, both the roasted pigeon and monk fish were excellent. Red meat lovers will be pleased with the skewered beef and lamb rack. For dessert, we enjoyed the chocolate cake. Tarte tatin aficionados will have their curiosity piqued by the Mango Tarte tatin. Hotel News New Hotel in Guilin Area We introduce you to the new "Hotel of Modern Art" or HOMA outside Guilin. Our next broadcast will provide details of this fascinating project — the dream of a Taiwanese tycoon — which combines a contemporary art destination park with a five-star boutique hotel. Imperial Tours is so impressed that we are negotiating to use this property straight away! Agents on our March Educational will stay at this new property rather than at the Beilelai Hotel. Review Of Hangzhou's Top Hotels The second in our hotel review series looks at the beautiful city of Hangzhou. This is prompted by the soft opening of the Hyatt Regency Hotel here. Shangri-la Hotel – On the north-western shore of the West Lake inside beautiful grounds, this five-star hotel offers poetic seclusion. However the years of its monopoly as the only lakeside five star hotel have taken a toll: service is inconsistent and the hotel has a reputation for categorizing its rooms (330 feet – 390 feet) unfairly. Though the West Wing was renovated in 2000, the hotel's bathrooms do not offer a separate shower stall. In this respect, together with the partialness of the views from some of its Lake View rooms, the Shangri-la is at a disadvantage. Hyatt Regency Hotel – We visited this five-star hotel last week, three months before its formal grand opening this May. The service problems we encountered are inevitable at this early stage, and so we dismiss them. As a property, the Hyatt is well-located on the north-east corner of West Lake. Hotel residents can easily walk into the city or along the lake. The views from the rooms in the middle of the curved building on the upper floors are better than those available at the Shangri-la. The fitness center oddly positioned in front of the hotel building deprives lower floor rooms of views of the lake. The room size starting at 360 square feet is generous and the new bathrooms comfortable. There is a general feeling of comfort and ease at this new property. Radisson Hotel – The five-star Radisson claims that some of its high floor suites have lake views. I can't blame them for trying, but advise you to bring a good pair of binoculars if you book these rooms. The Radisson's service compensates in part for the limited size of its rooms (230 – 270 square feet for rooms and 280 – 300 square feet for the suites). As well as not affording lake views, the Radisson has the frenetic lobby busy-ness of a corporate hotel. Sofitel Westlake Hangzhou – We include this four-star hotel by merit of its location on the north eastern corner of the West Lake. Some of its ample suites (from 600 feet to 2,000 square feet) have excellent lake views. While the front desk service is good for a four star, this hotel falls down in its food and beverage. Breakfast is disappointing and the quality of the food at the rooftop dinner is not equal to its spectacular lakescape. |
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Beijing Feb 25 – 26, 2005: Bejart Ballet, Swiss contemporary ballet company performs avant-garde interpretations at Beijing Exhibition Amphitheater. Price: RMB180, RMB380, RMB680, RMB880, RMB1000, RMB1280 March 7, 2005: Norah Jones Concert at The Worker's Gymnasium. Price: RMB380, RMB480,RMB580, RMB880, RMB1800. Shanghai March 3, 2005: Youth Choir of the Paris Opera performs "Marco Polo and The Chinese Princess" at the Shanghai Majestic Theatre. Price: RMB40, RMB80, RMB120 March 9, 2005: Norah Jones Concert at Shanghai International Gymnastic Center. Price: RMB380,RMB480,RMB580,RMB1800(VIP) March 13, 2005: Jazz Violin Diva, Regina Carter, performs at the Shanghai Concert Hall Price: RMB100, RMB200, RMB300, RMB400, RMB600 March 19, 2005: Bernhard Gueller Conducts Bruckner Symphony No.4 at the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre-Concert Hall Price: RMB80, RMB120, RMB180, RMB240, RMB300, RMB480(VIP). March 26, 2005: Peter-Lukas Graf Plays & Conducts W.Mozart/ Reinecke/ Schubert-at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center-Concert Hall. Price: RMB80, RMB120, RMB180, RMB240, RMB300, RMB480(VIP). April 2, 2005: Solo Concert of the Jazz's Top-selling Female Singer, Diana Krall opens Shanghai International Jazz Week at Zhongshan Park. Price:RMB180, RMB280, RMB480(gifts), RMB580(gifts), RMB880(cocktail party), RMB1280(cocatail party) Imperial Tours' Group Tour Calendar March 2005 China Educational Tour – To read an itinerary for this trip, please click here. April 2005 Imperial Tour – To read about this trip, please click here. July 2005 China Family Tour – Please click here to read an itinerary. May 2006 China Culinary Tour – Please click here for an itinerary. |
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Some will be astounded, others impressed and still others appalled that communist China is becoming one of the world's leading importers of super-luxury vehicles. Showrooms for Bentley, Rolls Royce and Maybach are proliferating across this vast and increasingly successful country. Since entering the Chinese market in 2002, Bentley China has sold 85 limousines. In so doing, it has broken three company records: firstly, China has Bentley's largest sales volume in the Asia-Pacific Region (more than Japan); secondly, Bentley sales in China are growing faster than anywhere else in the world; and thirdly, the Bentley 728, the world's most expensive vehicle, is sold more in China than elsewhere in the world. The Bentley 728, which is also known as the Arnage limousine, costs more than US$1million. Only seven have ever been made: six were sold in China. Students of China will not be surprised to learn that Beijing's Bentley dealership is its most successful in Asia, selling 17 of the 50 Bentleys sold in China last year. According to its owner, there are concerns that the Bentley factory in UK will not be able to keep up with China's sales! The Odds N'Ends section in November 2004 featured young Argentinian explorer Diego Azubel. Please note that footage from his previous expedition, "The Great Walk," will be aired on the National Geographic Channel Asia on March 13th at 22:00 hrs. |
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Discovery – Religious Tea Ceremony Hangzhou is celebrated for its incredible Buddhist carvings at Lingyin Temple and the serene elegance of its West Lake. Lesser known is its modern contribution to the preservation of the religious tea ceremony. (The Japanese tea ceremony is based on the Chinese ceremony for making powdered tea, exported to Japan in the seventh century.) China boasts two different schools for tea ceremonies. One is the Chan school. (The term "Chan", pronounced "Zen" in Japanese, refers to the Buddhist practice of "meditation".) The second school is the "Taiqi" school. People who have heard of Chan or Zen Buddhism and have heard speak of the importance of "qi" (pronounced "chi") to fengshui or Chinese geomancy will have already guessed a connection between these two schools and Buddhist and Daoist practice. Although the tea ceremony is often included in Buddhist and Daoist rituals, its function has no direct link to a particular divinity. Tea's role in China's religions is more mundane; it stems from its medicinal attributes and history. Tea was discovered 7,000 years ago, and for the first 5,000 years of its history was used in China as a medicine. (Western doctors now recognise its capacity to lower cholesterol and blood pressure and aid digestion.) Over two thousand years ago, during the Han dynasty, tea began to be enjoyed as a beverage in aristocratic circles. It appealed particularly to highly-educated scholars who found that it aided meditation. By the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 – 1279) – when China's capital was at Hangzhou – the tea ceremony had become so widely popular and highly valued that it became the focus of the traditional Chinese wedding ceremony, as it remains to this day. (The bride and groom pour tea for senior members of their families.) Tea's medicinal properties and social heritage, combined with its widespread availability, encouraged its adoption by the religious community. The Chan school maintains that tea, by facilitating meditation, aids the search for enlightenment. The Taiqi school claims that, by maintaining one's health, tea helps release one's natural essence. Tea culture is as alive now in Hangzhou as it was in the Song dynasty. People – young and old – all meet in one of the many tea houses across town. It should then come as no surprise that Hangzhou is deeply involved in the preservation of historic religious tea ceremonies. (China residents can watch tea ceremonies broadcast from a Hangzhou tea house every Sunday lunchtime on CCTV2, as part of a 20 episode series.) Buddhist monks from Korea and Japan, academics from the USA, and monks from other parts of China and the globe meet in Hangzhou to learn and perfect their practice of the ancient tea ceremonies. |
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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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by Hilary Stafford-Clark
Once in China it becomes obvious that for all but the most intrepid first-timer, a guided tour is almost essential. There is just too much to see, too much to absorb, in this vast country where 5,000 years of history are colliding head-on with the 21st century. Guidebooks, particularly those to Shanghai, are mainly out of date; few people speak English; and signs, except in the cities, are in Mandarin. The Beijing-based Imperial Tours, run by Guy Rubin and his wife, Nancy, specialises in luxury guided tours for groups and individuals. Having met at Beijing University in 1997 and after two years of acting as unpaid host and guides to a growing flood of friends and acquaintances, they decided to put their knowledge and expertise to work.
Our tour of four cities –Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin and Shanghai- is seamlessly planned. We turn up, as if by magic, in all the right places at just the right time, always accompanied by local experts. Our foray to the Great Wall is a spectacular success. We have an entire stretch-winding dragonlike from horizon to horizon through misty hills-to ourselves, with lunch laid on starched white tablecloths on one of the great watchtowners. Tow days later, after internal flight to Xi’an and a night at the Sheraton-and while the hordes of mainly Japanese tourists are still in bed-we have a private view of another wonder of the eastern world: the terracotta warriors.
After a short flight south, we check into the perfectly named Paradise at Yangshuo, nestling among lush, tooth-shaped green hills outside Guilin. Here we float on bamboo rafts past cormorant-fishermen in coolie hats and sleek, grey-brown water buffalo, standing knee-deep to drink between ploughing shifts.
In our short time in China we have consumed a staggering eight lunches and nine dinners. There was a 10-coures banquet at Beijing’s China Club: a 17th-century palace, converted into a restaurant 45 years ago and now owned by the entrepreneur David Tang. After a performance by red-robed, cartwheeling mentalbar-breaking Shaolin monks(one of Imperial Tours’ little surprises), we were led into the lantern-lit interior to be served shark-fin soup in a papaya, and peking duck, by the same waitress who regularly served Mao’s successor, Deng Xiaoping. Then there was the glorious anarchy of the Green T House in Beijing, with its 30ft dining table, around which our chairs with their 10ft-hight backs formed a virtual cage, penetrated with difficulty by the waiters. Succulent, slow-baked leg of lamb is a speciality of one of Shanghai’s hottest tables, the Conranesque M on the Bund, with its balcony overlooking the lights along the waterfront, besides the restored deco building where Armani recently set up shop.
Above it all, the elegant pagoda-like pinnacles of the Jin Mao Tower reigns supreme. And after three nights in Room 6017, thought I still haven’t parted the curtains, my knees no longer turn to jelly when the lift shoots me here at an ear popping 1.3 floors a second. After a couple of glasses of champagne, sitting with my bake to the windows, I’ve even managed a banquet on the 88th floor. And I’ve swum, all alone, in a palatial pool on the 57th. On my last morning, I think the time has come to open those curtains. I draw them aside, sit back in the armchair and take in that magnificent view.
©January 23, 2005 The Sunday Times Magazine
