Zhangjiajie, Hunan with kids (part one)

Brand new, futuristic airport

Last weekend we traveled to Zhangjiajie, Hunan province, to see the national park where the movie Avatar was allegedly filmed. It was our first trip to the interior of China and was definitely a new experience for us.

I'm going to share my thoughts and tips in case they can help someone out there. Since I have ok Chinese at this point, I thought we could navigate this trip on our own. As I researched more, however, I realized how incredibly huge and complex the park is, how many different movements there would be, and how confusing it was likely to be. In China, I feel like they unnecessarily complicate things, even simple things, so I realized that doing it on my own with three people relying on me would NOT BE FUN. It would be one thing if I was traveling alone or with a friend and we could just wander. But I was there with my family and had only 3 days. Thus, we hired a guide, Grace from Synotrip, and thank goodness we did.


First, some clarification:

• Zhangjiajie (ZJJ) is a city in Hunan Province. The airport is here (code is DYG). 
• Zhangjiajie National Park (where the famous Hallelujah Mountains are situated) is in Wulingyuan, a small town about 45 minutes away from ZJJ City. 
• Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. It covers an enormous area, including the park, and you can only see a small part of it during a 3 day trip.  
• Most people do a few nights in Wulingyuan and then 1 night in ZJJ city, because the Tianmen Mountain cable car (longest cable car ride in the world) starts in ZJJ. 
• Tianzi Mountain (see day two) is inside ZJJ National Park, not to be confused with Tianmen Mountain, 45 minutes away in ZJJ. 
• Tianmen Mountain (see day three) is a huge mountain with a hole in it. You may have heard about the bird-man flying through the hole  and other stunts. There is also a cool glass walkway here. The brand new glass bridge you may have heard about is not yet finished and that is in the Grand Canyon area. 

Wulingyuan Town is quite lovely

Wulingyuan Hotel

Travel and lodging: We took a 1.5 hour non-stop flight from Guangzhou and arrived at the brand new ZJJ airport in the afternoon. We took a taxi to Wulingyuan town, about 45 min away. There are tons of cheap hotels and it was hard to know what to choose but we were pleased with our choices. We stayed two nights in the Wulingyuan Hotel in Wulingyuan, which is at the base of the mountains. Hard beds and Chinese breakfast but it met our needs and was cheap!

Avatar photo opp!

Walking around town

Zhangjiajie National Park: We followed our guide and this is the itinerary she suggested for us. We saw the highlights with thousands of our friends and also got off the main path for some quieter experiences. There is so much to see, but we were happy with this.

I don't have a wide angle lens on my camera, so photos are not as good as I wish they were. But this is really a place you have to see for yourself.

Day One: 
Yuanjiajie scenic area (apparently the most popular area, hugely congested). It was a little hazy that first day, so photos are not that great. Just to give you an idea of the park's size, getting here required a ~15 minute bus to the elevator, a line to get into the elevator, a smaller elevator and then larger, glass elevator, walking for about 10 minutes, and then, I think you were there. Unless there was one more bus ride. It's all running together in my mind, but you can see why a guide might be helpful...

Here's the glass elevator. Unless you are one of the first people in, you can't see much.

And an idea of the crowds. This was waiting for the first bus.

It's worth it when you get up there, though.

Lunch at an outdoor restaurant- just to give you an idea.

After lunch, our guide led us on a hike of about 2 hours round trip. First a dirt path and then a stone path led us to this awesome staircase and a 360 viewing platform which we shared with just a handful of people. It's called "One Step to Heaven."

Next, we kept going to another viewing platform where we sat on a rock and just took it all in. It's called "Corridor in the Cliff."

At this point, it was about 3pm and Grace suggested that we go to Tianzi Mountain, so that we wouldn't have to pay for the elevator again the next day. But it was still a 45 minute bus ride, I think, plus the sightseeing and the getting back down, and we were too tired. Again, this park is HUGE!

General Tips: 

• We went after the national holiday, in October, and crowds were still overwhelming for us. I do not recommend going between April/May and September or on a Chinese holiday! Our guide told us lines were like 6 hours long just to get from one stage to the next. The viewing platforms are small and you will be fighting for space. I think the best time would be late October/ November. Cooler weather, less crowds, lower chance of rain. I heard the middle of winter is beautiful, but you also have the possibility of snow/ice (roads are winding and I would not want to be on a bus if there was ice) and some transport methods being closed. 
• The park is huge. There are lots of transport methods and lots of lines to get from one to the other. Definitely find a way to do some hiking other than just looking at the viewing platforms. On the second day, it was like 3pm before we felt like we had actually gotten out and moved our bodies- it was all bus to elevator to bus to cable car ride etc. 
• Lodging and food are cheap, but tickets for the parks and the rides like cable car and glass elevator are not. The entrance ticket for the ZJJ park is RMB250 per adult, kids under 1.3m are free. Same for the Tianmen Mountain cable car. There are lots of other expenses. We estimate we spent about $800 USD for a family of four for 3 days, not including hotel, but including the tour guide. 
• There is not a big Western presence here. Don't expect anyone to speak English or any Western food in Wulingyuan. 
• There are restrooms everywhere (only squatty potties for the most part) but no soap or toilet paper. Come prepared!
• In ZJJ National Park, there is a McDonald's on Tianzi Mountain (not to be confused with Tianmen Mountain in ZJJ city) but otherwise there is only Chinese street food. I was quite concerned about food safety. In Yuanjiajie, there are some very basic, outdoor sit down restaurants. Consider bringing your own food if you are not down with these options. 

Stay tuned for days two and three!

Hong Kong with kids and friends (Part Two- Lamma Island)

On our second day in Hong Kong, we finally fulfilled another goal- hiking in Hong Kong! We followed these instructions and took a ferry to Lamma Island to try the 'Family Trail.' My friend wasn't feeling so well, they were mostly carrying their toddler, and it was really hot at 2pm when we were doing the uphill part, so they may never go hiking with me again, but hopefully they still had fun.

This outing is great in that you take the ferry to one side (Yung Shue Wan), hike for about 1-1.5 hours), finish at an area with a bunch of seafood restaurants (Sok Kwu Wan), have a great lunch/dinner, and take the ferry from that side of the island. I mean, really, that is my kind of hike. You could do it the other way around, too. 

It starts out with an easy walk through the town, where you can stock up on snacks and drinks, and buy a hat or two. It's a cute little town! You keep walking down an easy path and arrive at a lovely beach pretty soon (maybe 20 minutes?). 

The beach is well equipped with nice changing areas/bathrooms and some shady spots. The water was so refreshing!

After an hour at the beach, we headed up the mountain, hugging the shore. This is where it got more intense. It was HOT and quite steep, but luckily, at the top of the mountain, there was a guy selling frozen pineapple and drinks. The view was exquisite. I don't think the uphill part was more than 20-30 minutes, but I could be wrong. 

Then you start going downhill to Sok Kwu Wan village and end up there for lunch. 

I really loved Lamma Island and would like to do this hike again in cooler weather. HK just has so much to offer. 

Hong Kong with kids and friends (Part One)

Over Labor Day weekend, we went to Hong Kong again, this time to meet up with my dear friend who served with me in the Dominican Republic and her family. It was wonderful to see them and their adorable baby! We lucked out with warm, sunny days. This time, we stayed at the Cosmopolitan Hotel,  one of the few hotels I could find that provided 2 queen beds in a room and didn't break the bank. It's about a 10-15 min walk to Causeway Bay MTR station; they also provide shuttles to some major spots. If only they included breakfast I would stay there every time- the room and beds were very comfortable.

After breakfast, we headed to the Peak, one of Hong Kong's top tourist attractions but a place we had never been. It was a long, hot wait in line by the time we arrived, but it was worth it! Again, cool transportation options are key, and we all loved the tram ride up. I didn't realize there would be so much at the top- shopping, food, even a park and playground- and you could easily stay there for hours. What a view! I'd like to come back early in the morning and at dusk and watch the city change.

 During our weekend, we also ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Din Tai Fung, a chain famous for its soup and other dumplings. We have a branch here in Guangzhou and I just love their soup dumpling mascot!

We also saw the daily 8pm light show at Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, which honestly, wasn't anything to write home about. The view is gorgeous at any hour without a bunch of lights trying to shine to the beat!

Macau with kids (Part Two)

If you go to Macau with kids, I highly recommend you spend a few hours at the Guia Fortress, a 17th century colonial military fort, chapel, and lighthouse complex. It's a short cable car ride up to the top, where you can visit a museum and a chapel, take a lovely shaded walk with great views of Macau, and lock your brother in a military jail.

Everyone's excited about the cable car!

The whole crew!

Summer recap, Part Two

After soaking up as much family love, clean air, blue skies, and good food as possible, we raced back to China so the kids could start school two days later. My parents and two brothers had been in Mongolia for a 11 day REI trip (which they report was amazing, btw). They then split up and arrived in Guangzhou on different days. Although the comings and goings were a little chaotic, it was nice to have time with each of them rather than all four at once. 

I took a day off and visited the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees for the first time with my parents. It was really quite lovely and peaceful. From there, we walked to the Museum of the Nanyue Kings, also a really interesting place and a decent walk, if it wasn't for the heat and humidity...

Poor Pop was dying in the humidity...but he was a trooper.

 Around the corner from the museum, we found an enormous Middle Eastern restaurant with no one inside it. We were intrigued and hot, though, so we ventured inside and had a delicious meal. My pop was so delighted to have an Egyptian dish that his grandmother used to make for him.

My parents left and my brothers arrived from Shanghai in the middle of the night, but they quickly caught up on sleep and were raring to go. We took them to Bingsheng too, because, seriously, the pork buns are out of this world. 

This is my baby brother. :) 

Below is a more accurate depiction of my brothers, although, strangely, the goofiest one is actually smiling normally here...

Me and my handsome brothers at the Mall of the World

We went to Macau with my brothers for about 36 hours (different blog post to come) and then they went to Hong Kong while we kept on with our normal life. They came back for one more night and then sadly flew home. 

It was hard to let my family leave, after a whole year of not seeing them and not knowing if it will be another year. I'm really hoping my mom and pop will come back. 

Summer recap, Part One

The last five months really flew by. But they were intense. I was tapped to lead the planning of the Consulate's July 4th event with ~500 guests, so from about March on, I was really busy. I was also working in adoptions, which was a longtime dream of mine and very rewarding. But it would have been better if those two didn't occur at the same time, as adoptions is also quite intense. For the last two months or so, I had to stop my Chinese lessons and stay late most days. It was hard on the family, as I often was not home in time to tuck in the kids, but at least I knew it would stop in July.

We were delighted to welcome D's father and his friend in April and his sister and her family in June. We had a lot of fun showing them our Guangzhou and were really touched that they made the trip all the way here to see us.

D's sister and family came all the way from Alaska and the Guangzhou humidity hit them hard! The teenager is smiling in these pictures but let's just say some of the time he was not feeling so smiley...

Shamian Island

Shamian Island

Siblings- aren't they cute?

Delicious dinner at Bingsheng with my SIL and BIL

Beautiful Oregon: Every year I fall a little more in love with you. 

In mid-July, D and the kids went to Oregon for about three weeks. I enjoyed some time alone and then met them for the last week. Due to our heavy visa demand in the summertime, each consular officer was only allowed to take 10 working days of vacation, which I do think is reasonable. However, since my parents were coming right after we returned to China, I had to save a few vacation days for them too...which meant I was in OR for only 9 days, plus travel days. I confess, I was worried it would not be worth it given the jet lag- SO RIDICULOUS. Oh, it was worth it. Every year we reunite with D's family in Sunriver, Oregon. We rent a gigantic house and spend our days bike riding, walking the trails, and swimming. It is truly idyllic and we all love this place.

Riding Cover Girl...

The kids loved fishing with Papa W...

 On my second day in the USA, we visited the Beaverton Farmers Market, which is pretty awesome to Oregonians too, but to a person just arrived from China, it is seriously HEAVEN. Look at all these Oregon berries! My sister in law and I ate a breakfast Mexican omelet and bought fresh produce and fruit to die for. I wish I were there right now.

My little riding buddy. This is one of my favorite places in the world- Sunriver, OR.

We held our second B family 5K, with t-shirts and course designed by our awesome niece and nephews. My kids really feel proud and excited about this event. Last time two years ago, my little L couldn't finish the course on her bike with training wheels. This year, she finished the 5K with no training wheels!

Looking at our photos and thinking back over the last few months makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about our R&R again. We are so lucky to have a home to return to (thanks Maga and Papa W!), family that loves us, and a beautiful state to visit every year! We love and miss you all!