Guess where I may be going this May?
Give up?
People's Republic of China, bitches.
It'll be a "study tour" of the Long March route, covering 5,000 miles in 33 days by bus, train, and plane. I will be travelling with expert guide (and fluent English speaker) Mr. Ma Tongchun, who is one of the most sought-after guides in Yunnan Province. Mr. Ma is well versed in the history of the Long March and is knowledgeable not only about virtually any aspect of China, but also the U.S., international affairs, politics, economics, anthropology, literature and geography.
And the best part? I'll be getting school credit for being there, so I can get financial aid to help cover the costs. God, I love loopholes.
The tentative itenerary:
MAY 1: Arrive in Shanghai, transfer and check into a 5* hotel, free evening for relax after a long flight.
MAY 2: Visit the First National Congress Site of the Communist Party of China, where the CPC was founded on January 7, 1921, the Jiaxing Lake congress site. Take evening train to Jinggangshan, Jiangxi Province (1104km, 15 hrs ride).
MAY 3: Arrive in Ji'an, bus transfer to Jinggangshan, Visit the battlefield Huangyangjie Observation Post, Dajing, Xiaojing, former residences of Chairman Mao Zedong and Marshal Zhu De. Stay in Jinggangshan Hotel.
MAY 4: Visit the Revolutionary Museum, Red Army Street, red evening party, Mao's Poem singing. Stay in Jinggangshan Hotel.
MAY 5: Bus ride tour from Jinggangshan to Shaoshan (438km, 8 hrs bus ride.) Check into Shaoshan Guest House (Changsha-Shaoshan, 131km, 3hrs ride.).
MAY 6: visit the former residence of Chairman Mao, Brass Statue Square, Shaoshan Summit, Stele Forest of Chairman Mao's hand writing of his poem, Dishuidong Cave, Ancestral Temple of Mao Family, Memorial Hall, stay in Shaoshan Hotel.
MAY 7: Bus drive from Shaoshan to Changsha, visit the No. 1 Normal School of Hunan Province, Juzizhou Islet, former residence of Mao at Qingshuitang. Stay in Changsha Hotel.
MAY 8: Travel on train from Changsha to Zunyi via Guiyang (1112km: Changsha/Guiyang 957km, Guiyang/zunyi 155km, 15hrs ride.)
MAY 9: Arrive in Zunyi, visit Zunyi Meeting site, Red Army's Hill, former residence of Bogu, the site of General Political Department, Xifeng Jail. Stay in Zunyi Hotel.
MAY 10: Train ride from Zunyi to Kunming (794km, 16hrs).
MAY 11: Arrive in Kunming, Western Hill sightseeing (Dragon Gate & Huating Temple), City tour, Minority cultural show, Green Lake Hotel 5*.
MAY 12: Dian cultural tour around the Dianchi Lake or Stone Forest tour. Green Lake Hotel 5*.
MAY 13: Bus ride from Kunming to Jiaopingdu Ferry at Jinshajiang River (217km 6hrs bus ride), evening party with locals, Yi music & dance Song of Yangtze (Kunming/Xichang 543km), stay in local hotel.
MAY 14: Cross the river by wood boat, bus ride to Huili (85km 4 hrs), stay in Huili Government hostel.
MAY 15: Bus ride. from Huili to Xichang, Mianning (183km, 5hrs), evening party, Song of Pheonix, stay in Mianning Gov. Hostel.
MAY 16: Xichang-Mianning-Dadu River, (188km 5hrs), stay overnight at a 2 star hotel of Shimian County seat (10km from Anshunchang).
MAY 17: Bus ride from Dadu River Shimian to Ludingqiao (Chain Suspension Bridge) (120 km 4hrs), stay one night at Luding.
MAY 18: Bus ride from Luding to Baosing County Seat (40km from Qiaoqii, 237km, 6hrs.) Stay overnight at Changzheng Miaopu Long March Nursery.
MAY 19: Get over Jiajinshan Snow Mountain to Dawei and drive to Maogong (Xiaojin--60km). stay overnight at Maogong
MAY 20: Bus ride. from Maogong (Xiaojin) to Hongyuan. Visit Zhuokeji on the way (259km, 6hrs drive), stay in Hongyuan Guest House for 2 nights.
MAY 21: Interview meeting with local officials in charge of local history and tourism.
MAY 22: Hongyuan to Gaerma (193km), Maoergai by bus, (132km), Nuoergai (244 km), stay in the best local hotel.
MAY 23: Gaerma to Banyou, 30km trekking over the marshland if possible. Stay in the best local hotel at Banyou.
MAY 24: Banyou to Lazikou and Hadapu (167km by bus). Stay over night at Hadapu.
MAY 25: Hadapu to Tongwei by bus (259 km), local hotel.
MAY 26: Tongwei to Guyuan by bus (273 km), local hotel.
MAY 27: Guyuan to Huanxian (159 km), Wuqi (249 km, total 408km) local hotel.
MAY 28: Wuqi to Yan'an (154 km). Stay in Cave hotel.
MAY 29: Visit the revolutionary sacred places of Yan'an. Cave hotel.
MAY 30: Yan'an to Huangdi Tomb, Xi'an by bus (400 km), stay in a 5* hotel in Xi'an.
MAY 31: whole day Xi'an tour. Terre-cotta, wild goose Pagoda and city sightseeing, evening flight to Beijing, stay in a 5* hotel.
JUNE 1: Great Wall, Ming Tomb, The Summer Palace.
JUNE 2: Heavenly Temple, Forbidden City, Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall, evening flight back to USA. Tour end.
__
Yeah, okay, so I'll technically be there as a "guest" of the Communist Party of China, so obviously most of the sites visited will be ones of particular significance to the Chinese revolution. But who cares? It's thirty-three days in China (and "independent study" credit) that financial aid is paying for! What more can I ask for?
Of course, there are still several more bureaucratic hurdles to overcome before this can become a reality, so keep your fingers crossed. I'll keep you all posted...
Give up?
People's Republic of China, bitches.
It'll be a "study tour" of the Long March route, covering 5,000 miles in 33 days by bus, train, and plane. I will be travelling with expert guide (and fluent English speaker) Mr. Ma Tongchun, who is one of the most sought-after guides in Yunnan Province. Mr. Ma is well versed in the history of the Long March and is knowledgeable not only about virtually any aspect of China, but also the U.S., international affairs, politics, economics, anthropology, literature and geography.
And the best part? I'll be getting school credit for being there, so I can get financial aid to help cover the costs. God, I love loopholes.
The tentative itenerary:
MAY 1: Arrive in Shanghai, transfer and check into a 5* hotel, free evening for relax after a long flight.
MAY 2: Visit the First National Congress Site of the Communist Party of China, where the CPC was founded on January 7, 1921, the Jiaxing Lake congress site. Take evening train to Jinggangshan, Jiangxi Province (1104km, 15 hrs ride).
MAY 3: Arrive in Ji'an, bus transfer to Jinggangshan, Visit the battlefield Huangyangjie Observation Post, Dajing, Xiaojing, former residences of Chairman Mao Zedong and Marshal Zhu De. Stay in Jinggangshan Hotel.
MAY 4: Visit the Revolutionary Museum, Red Army Street, red evening party, Mao's Poem singing. Stay in Jinggangshan Hotel.
MAY 5: Bus ride tour from Jinggangshan to Shaoshan (438km, 8 hrs bus ride.) Check into Shaoshan Guest House (Changsha-Shaoshan, 131km, 3hrs ride.).
MAY 6: visit the former residence of Chairman Mao, Brass Statue Square, Shaoshan Summit, Stele Forest of Chairman Mao's hand writing of his poem, Dishuidong Cave, Ancestral Temple of Mao Family, Memorial Hall, stay in Shaoshan Hotel.
MAY 7: Bus drive from Shaoshan to Changsha, visit the No. 1 Normal School of Hunan Province, Juzizhou Islet, former residence of Mao at Qingshuitang. Stay in Changsha Hotel.
MAY 8: Travel on train from Changsha to Zunyi via Guiyang (1112km: Changsha/Guiyang 957km, Guiyang/zunyi 155km, 15hrs ride.)
MAY 9: Arrive in Zunyi, visit Zunyi Meeting site, Red Army's Hill, former residence of Bogu, the site of General Political Department, Xifeng Jail. Stay in Zunyi Hotel.
MAY 10: Train ride from Zunyi to Kunming (794km, 16hrs).
MAY 11: Arrive in Kunming, Western Hill sightseeing (Dragon Gate & Huating Temple), City tour, Minority cultural show, Green Lake Hotel 5*.
MAY 12: Dian cultural tour around the Dianchi Lake or Stone Forest tour. Green Lake Hotel 5*.
MAY 13: Bus ride from Kunming to Jiaopingdu Ferry at Jinshajiang River (217km 6hrs bus ride), evening party with locals, Yi music & dance Song of Yangtze (Kunming/Xichang 543km), stay in local hotel.
MAY 14: Cross the river by wood boat, bus ride to Huili (85km 4 hrs), stay in Huili Government hostel.
MAY 15: Bus ride. from Huili to Xichang, Mianning (183km, 5hrs), evening party, Song of Pheonix, stay in Mianning Gov. Hostel.
MAY 16: Xichang-Mianning-Dadu River, (188km 5hrs), stay overnight at a 2 star hotel of Shimian County seat (10km from Anshunchang).
MAY 17: Bus ride from Dadu River Shimian to Ludingqiao (Chain Suspension Bridge) (120 km 4hrs), stay one night at Luding.
MAY 18: Bus ride from Luding to Baosing County Seat (40km from Qiaoqii, 237km, 6hrs.) Stay overnight at Changzheng Miaopu Long March Nursery.
MAY 19: Get over Jiajinshan Snow Mountain to Dawei and drive to Maogong (Xiaojin--60km). stay overnight at Maogong
MAY 20: Bus ride. from Maogong (Xiaojin) to Hongyuan. Visit Zhuokeji on the way (259km, 6hrs drive), stay in Hongyuan Guest House for 2 nights.
MAY 21: Interview meeting with local officials in charge of local history and tourism.
MAY 22: Hongyuan to Gaerma (193km), Maoergai by bus, (132km), Nuoergai (244 km), stay in the best local hotel.
MAY 23: Gaerma to Banyou, 30km trekking over the marshland if possible. Stay in the best local hotel at Banyou.
MAY 24: Banyou to Lazikou and Hadapu (167km by bus). Stay over night at Hadapu.
MAY 25: Hadapu to Tongwei by bus (259 km), local hotel.
MAY 26: Tongwei to Guyuan by bus (273 km), local hotel.
MAY 27: Guyuan to Huanxian (159 km), Wuqi (249 km, total 408km) local hotel.
MAY 28: Wuqi to Yan'an (154 km). Stay in Cave hotel.
MAY 29: Visit the revolutionary sacred places of Yan'an. Cave hotel.
MAY 30: Yan'an to Huangdi Tomb, Xi'an by bus (400 km), stay in a 5* hotel in Xi'an.
MAY 31: whole day Xi'an tour. Terre-cotta, wild goose Pagoda and city sightseeing, evening flight to Beijing, stay in a 5* hotel.
JUNE 1: Great Wall, Ming Tomb, The Summer Palace.
JUNE 2: Heavenly Temple, Forbidden City, Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall, evening flight back to USA. Tour end.
__
Yeah, okay, so I'll technically be there as a "guest" of the Communist Party of China, so obviously most of the sites visited will be ones of particular significance to the Chinese revolution. But who cares? It's thirty-three days in China (and "independent study" credit) that financial aid is paying for! What more can I ask for?
Of course, there are still several more bureaucratic hurdles to overcome before this can become a reality, so keep your fingers crossed. I'll keep you all posted...
_tab:
Damn, thats awesome! Hope it works out for ya
phrogg:
You bitch! (Just kidding... I guess I'm jealous!) That sounds like an amazing trip. Hope it all comes together. Financial Aid picks up the tab... sweet!