October and November are preferred months for fall camping as these months are near to the winter environment.

In the other months, snowing starts and these are not preferred for camping. The camper camping in these months feel, as if they are camping in winter season. The period of time in which the leaves start changing colors is the optimum time for Fall camping.

The fall season is not exactly winter or summer; it is an intermediate of both the seasons. The days are not too hot and the nights are not too cold. In this intermediate time, everyone loves outing.

Things to remember while fall camping:

Pack clothes: Pack layered clothes. This season can be fickle, sometimes it may be cold and sometimes it may sweat. So, make clothing arrangements for both the seasons. Pack some t-shirts and light jackets or clothes.

T-shirts add comfort for the camper and make him feel cool if the atmosphere is hot. The jackets provide warmth if the atmosphere is cold.

Different terrains: Be prepared for different terrains, the atmosphere can at once become dry and some times it may even shower. So, if you are camping in this season pack a pair of shoes suitable for both terrains. Tennis shoes and boots will be very useful in the fall camping.

Blankets: As you cannot estimate the climatic conditions in the fall season, pack several thin blankets.

If the climate is cold, you can combine these thin blankets and make a single warm blanket. If the climate is warm, you may not need many blankets and a single blanket will work.

Fall nights are not too cold and you may not need a heater or a generator to make the climate warmer. Carry your sleeping bag also, if the climate changes drastically you can step into the sleeping bag to get a warmer effect.

Swimming: The air in fall season can be cold, but the sun is hot enough to make the water hot. So, swimming is also an extra addition for campers camping in this season.

Swimming in winter is not preferred as water will be too cold and vice versa in summer. Add your swimming suit in your camping list if you go for fall camping.

Fluids: You cannot estimate the climate, so carry a mixture of hot and cold water. The day is hotter and the nights are cold. So, pack water and cool drinks for the day climate and pack coffee, hot chocolate and tea for the night.

The combination of these liquids will help the camper to get along the unexpected changes in the climate.

Activities: Take both indoor and outdoor activities in fall camping. If its cold outside, you can play indoor games, if the climate is in normal conditions you can play outdoor games.

Cards, charades, portable DVD, board games are perfect tent games. Sight seeing, boating, biking and hiking are preferred outdoor activities for autumn.

In this season, you can enjoy the glimpse of both the seasons. So, enjoy both the seasons at one time and capture beautiful camping moments

Aaaah, autumn! It’s the perfect time to entertain outdoors — most of the bugs are gone, the sun isn’t scorching even though it’s warm enough to enjoy an afternoon or evening al fresco, and there’s a bounty of good things to serve for an outdoor meal.

Because the days are shorter in the autumn, outdoor entertaining in the fall calls for special attention to lighting and temperature.

Lighting

The earlier sunset will afford you an ideal opportunity to bathe your outdoor space in evening lights. Use soft light, but use plenty of it. Try dozens of votive candles in jars and glasses to protect the flame from the wind, hurricane lamps, or kerosene lanterns set on low. Create cozy seating areas and equip each with a glowing light source.

Heating

The method you’ll use to chase the chill from the night will vary depending on your climate and your outdoor space. If you have a yard (and community by-laws allow), a campfire is a wonderful informal party setting. In smaller gardens, consider self-contained fire pits or a chimenea.

For a more formal affair, you can install a propane-powered heater. These units are available in a range of heating powers and prices. Or, drape attractive throws or quilts on each chair for your guests to wrap around their shoulders to ward off the night air.

Of course, you’ll want to take advantage of the wonderful colors and textures of autumn in your decorating scheme and table settings.

Color

Autumn’s colors are deep and rich — russet, crimson, burnt orange, gold, dark green, and the color of hay. Use these hues repeatedly in tablecloths and settings, flowers, centerpieces, and even the food. Scoop out pumpkins and other squash and fit them with containers of water to make vases. Mass potted mums in vivid colors. Use orange Chinese lanterns, bright rosehips, stems of red or orange berries, or chilies. Wrap vibrant maple or sumac leaves around votive candleholders or napkin rings. Sunflower heads can be strewn on the tabletop, or left on the flower stalks in a container.

Texture

The textures of fall are earthy and rustic. Especially play these up if your gathering is informal — a corn roast, a bonfire, a jeans and sweater evening. Use burlap or rough cotton to cover your buffet table, and dish towels as napkins. Weigh down your tablecloth with apples or pears hung on rough twine. Or use rattan placemats and wicker baskets. Terracotta pot saucers make great paper plate holders.

If you’re hosting a fancy sit-down outdoor dinner, use the subtler textures of hydrangea blossoms and colored leaves on a linen tablecloth. Try bringing your indoor dining table outdoors for the evening-it will add unexpected elegance to your setting. Paint gold lettering on small gourds to use as place cards. Grace your table with late-blooming roses in crystal vases.

Whether you hold a harvest hoedown or a stylish sit-down dinner party for eight, fall for outside entertaining this autumn!

Debbie Rodgers, the haven maven, owns and operates Paradise Porch, and is dedicated to helping people create outdoor living spaces that nurture and enrich them. Her latest how-to guide “Attracting Butterflies to Your Home and Garden” is now available on her web site.

Built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is well preserved and has become one of the emblems of Xi’an.

Tibet Train Travel The Train to Tibet is one of the tremendous achievements in the industry of train transportation as well as tourism in China.

Between Xining and Golmud the tracks pass by Qinghai Lake – China’s largest. But it’s the Golmud-to-Lhasa sector which offers the most breath-taking scenery.

That segment also offers the record-breakers: the world’s highest passenger railroad (at Tanggula Pass – elevation: 16,640 ft.; 5072m) and the world’s highest railroad tunnel (Fenghuoshan – elevation: 16,093 ft.; 4905m).

Over 80% of the journey is at altitudes above 13,000 feet. The train is equipped with 2 Oxygen sources. One is released throughout the cabins when reaching Golmund and heading into Tibet. Another is the personal oxygen canisters in case you feel light headed and only available from Tibet to Golmund or from Golmund to Tibet.

ChinaTravelDepot.com offers you a good 8 Days Tibet Train Travel Experience Tour.

It starts from Xining, from where you will take the train all the way to Lhasa. In Lhasa, you climb up to Potala Palace, the former political and religious center of Tibet as well as the landmark of Tibet Train Travel Experience.

You visit Tibetan temples and get in touch with mysterious and exotic religious culture. You enjoy the purified scenery at Yamdrok, one of the Holy Lakes of Tibet……

Right on the outskirts of Beijing is a hidden valley where flowers are a way of life and have been for generations. Li Jing smells the roses on Miaofeng Mountain.

The term “rose valley?conjures up a secluded ravine festooned with countless blooms exuding a lingering floral perfume. Bearing this picturesque image in mind, we headed for Rose Valley at the foot of Miaofeng Mountain in Mengtougou district. As we wound our way into the valley, terraced fields of roses appeared on the towering slopes on both sides.

“The road will be packed with cars in a few days when the roses are in full bloom,” said our taxi driver. Although the unseasonal drought and cold had pushed the flowering period later than usual, it is still a soothing ride up the mountainous road, with birdsong in the background, and interesting trees and outcrops dotting the way.

After an hour’s drive from Pingguoyuan metro station, we finally arrived at Jiangou county, the only village at the foot of the Miaofeng Mountain and nestled inside the valley of roses. It may be a favorite destination for flower lovers, but to the residents, the roses here are part of their daily lives. The scent of roses permeates every little detail of life here.

When we asked for water, we were promptly served a cup of rose tea – which the locals consider as common as drinking water.

Villager Wu Fenglin has managed a farmhouse hostel, Dasiheyuan or The Big Courtyard, since 2003. When the roses bloom in June, that’s when his business peaks. He says reservations must be made at least two days in advance to get a room, and the same applies for the dozens of little hostels in the village.

Visitors stop for the roses, but they also come to savor the special cuisine -featuring a floral banquet – that uses rose petals.

There is rose pancake and stir-fried egg with roses. The signature dish is rose-petal fritters, where the rose petals are dipped into an egg and flour batter and then deep-fried till golden brown.

“We make this with fresh-picked rose petals taken from a flowers that have just blossomed,” Wu said. When he was a little boy, Wu’s mother also made rose jam by cooking the rose petals with sugar, “only for special festivals”. These days, rose jam is on sale at every stall lining the valley.

I bought a few bottles at the top of the rose forest reserve at a shop run by 69-year-old florist Wang Shurui.

He assured me the jam is pure and natural and a “green” food without any additives.

“It is made according to our local tradition by brewing fresh rose petals and sugar in a ratio of 1:3. The longer it is kept, the more fragrant it becomes.”

Wang also said we should come again when the purple roses are in bloom.

“The roses will be all over the mountains. It is really intoxicating.”

He said the roses are big and fragrant, with intense color, thick velvety petals and high oil content.

“If you take a few in your hand, the fragrance will stay for as long as three days.”

Miaofeng Mountain is known for its reputation as the “land of roses” in China, and the flowers here are recognized as “a wonder in North China.”

The yearly yield amounts to tens of thousands of kilograms, and local farmers have to bring in migrant workers to harvest the roses in June.

The Sacred Golden Summit on Miaofeng Mountain is just next to the rose park, and it has a different appeal. It is popular among pilgrims who come in the thousands from all over China to worship some really ancient deities in its shrines. A century ago, the Empress Dowager Cixi was among them.

The faithful come to pray for good luck, prosperity and to the maternal goddesses who reside on the summit.

Travelers can now either follow a century-old pilgrim’s trail to reach the summit or take the easy way up on a shuttle bus.

There had been no more monks at the temple since it was rebuilt in the 1980s, but the annual temple fair is among the largest in the northern part of the country, a tradition preserved since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is held on the first to 15th day of the fourth lunar month.

During the temple fairs, tea stalls sprout like spring grass along the pathways up the mountain, and at nightfall, their lamps shine like a string of fairy lights.

The main shrine at the summit houses Bixiayuanjun, also known as niangniang, or Royal Lady. She was the daughter of the god of Tai Shan and her many miracles on the sacred mountain have cemented her reputation.

Apart from the ancient rituals at the temple, some young people also go to Miaofeng Mountain for a very modern pursuit. We met 25-year-old Yang Tao, who had ridden his motorcycle from downtown Beijing with three friends. They were about to race up to the top.

“There are few people or trucks on the paved road. It is a great place for speed amid all the natural beauty.”

The Chongwen branch of the Lady Book Saloon is nestled into a corner of the second floor in the New World Lady’s Mall. The Chongwen branch of the Lady Book Saloon has plenty of plush lavender chairs where visitors can curl up with a book on a lazy afternoon or relax during one of the store’s movie screenings. Books, including domestic and international titles, are arranged according to their relationship to women at the Lady Book Saloon. A children’s play area is equipped and ready to distract playful tots that come with their mothers to the Chonwen branch of the Lady Book Saloon. Access to the extensive DVD rental library is one of many benefits Lady Book Saloon members enjoy.The Lady Book Saloon also houses a café where readers can enjoy a cup of tea or a bite to eat

An old adage says “a woman’s work is never done.” The phrase is just as true, if not more so, today as it was over 300 years ago when the phrase first came about. In addition to traditional roles as wives, mothers, and daughters, today’s women are also under pressure to achieve professional success.

As women take on all these roles, it’s not surprising that a retreat that allows women to escape their busy lives and focus on personal development would be in demand. While women’s bookstores have long been established, they’re a rarity in China.

The Lady Book Saloon in Beijing is working to fill that void. While shying away from the word “feminist,” planning director Sun Tingting says the bookstore, now expanded to three branches, fills a special need that women have. “Reading is an effective method for spiritual growth,” she explains. “Through reading and communicating, women obtain an inner strength to be better employees, better wives, better daughters, and better mothers.”

The first branch, on Chengfu Road near Tsinghua University, opened in 2007, and the concept has been wildly successful. The bookstore’s membership numbers over 1,600 and about a million women have signed up to receive the store’s newsletter.

Members pay an annual fee, but in return get access to free books and a DVD library, food and beverage discounts and event discounts. They can even join in planning some of the store’s events and classes.

On a normal day, women can curl up with a book in the store’s reading area, relax in the house café, or surf the internet using the store’s Wi-Fi network. There is even a play area for women who bring along their tots. Events and educational classes are popular, focusing on subjects from art to food and even relationships. One recently-held class taught women how to use essential oils in home beauty treatments.

The Chongwen branch is tucked into a corner on the second floor of the New World Lady’s Mall. A free shuttle car runs between the subway exit and the entrance to the mall. With a soft lavender-themed interior and feminine decorations such as tea sets and scented candles for sale, there’s no mistake about the target audience. The books here are divided into sections, “Books written by women,” “Books written for women” and “Books women should read.” They include both domestic and international titles. The Lady Book Saloon is most popular with women aged between 20 and 45. Sun explains that women in this age group are experiencing changes in family and professional relationships, but still need to focus on inner growth.

Bookstores are facing increasing pressure from online book outlets, but Sun is confident that the Lady Book Saloon’s niche market and unique service will continue to allow the company to grow. “We don’t have a price advantage, so we take a more personal approach with warmer service and a more intimate experience,” she says. “Technology makes life more convenient, but the need for personal communication can not be replaced.”

Keeping with the idea of a personal experience, the Lady Book Saloon holds monthly meetings to get feedback and suggestions from customers to better expand services in the future. Sun envisions future bookstores as being cultural landmarks. “We will develop into a women’s club, where like-minded women can make friends and improve themselves through reading and communication,” she says of her plans for the bookstore chain.

The formula seems to be working. A new branch is set to open this fall in Beijing’s Xinjiekou neighborhood.

Yaoli’s natural beauty makes it a famous tourist attraction in Jingdezhen. It is also the place of the age-old ceramic civilization of Jingdezhen

Due to the improving living standards and changes of traditional ideas, travelling during the Spring Festival holiday has become a way to celebrate for more and more people, whether it is snow viewing, seaside excursion or taking children to the playground.

No.1 choice: ski!

Where to go: Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest)

Activity: the 2nd Bird Nest Snow Season

In winter, the Bird’s Nest becomes a white world. The 2nd Bird Nest Snow Season has already started. During the Chinese New Year holiday, visitors can see a different Bird’s Nest. The various snow sports will offer you a dynamic Spring Festival holiday.

There are 16 entertainments in the main venue and outfield to meet the requirements of visitors of different ages and tastes. Compared to last year, this year’s event has the new skating zone and Snow Dodgem. Covering a big area of 1150 square meters, the Snow Cartoon Castle takes visitors to enter to a fabulous world.

Opening period: till the middle of February

Opening hours: 09:00 – 18:00 (ticket selling stops at 17:00)

No.2 choice: experiencing strong Chinese New Year flavor

Where to go: Wuzhen, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province

Activity: long street banquet

During the Spring Festival, the streets in Wuzhen are illuminated for the celebration. People put up posters on their doors and walls. Many customs of the lunar New Year holidays are inherited in the town. The most distinctive one is the “long street banquet”. In the past, wealthy families would hold banquets for guests in the Spring Festival. The neighbors set out tables and chairs along the street. The connected tables formed the lively and colorful “long street banquet”.

Today, the “long street banquet” is still held in Wuzhen town with more splendid dishes. The most indispensable one is the well-known braised sheep. It is a usual practice to put up a pot and boil sheep meat. The scent penetrates the whole street. Visitors are strongly advised to taste this gourmet.

Other activities in the town: worshipping the kitchen god (Dec.23 on the lunar new year); pasting spring couplets, setting off fireworks and holding the reunion dinner (on the eve of the lunar new year); burning the first incense, watching traditional Chinese opera, enjoying festive lanterns, attending the temple fair and the lantern festival in January.

No.3 choice: trip of minority flavor

Where to go: Tibet

The Tibet in winter is actually not cold with temperatures of 18 C in the daytime. The climate in Shannan is much like the autumn in Jiangnan (south of Yangtze River).

The Nyingchi in southeastern Tibet is always praised as Jiangnan in the plateau. When there, do not miss the gorgeous valley of Yarlungzangbo River, the villages hidden in the valley and alpine pastures.

In winter, Lhasa is less crowded. Visitors can tour the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple at a leisurely pace. December to March is the best season to see the awe-inspiring sight of Mount Qomolangma. A must-see attraction is the flag cloud floating above the peak, where visitors can see it in the mountain camp.

No.4 choice: family tour

Where to go: Disneyland, Hong Kong

Hong Kong Disneyland is an ideal choice for a family tour especially with children. At the age of five, the Disneyland will formally start the grand ceremony “Leaping Wonders” (Feiyue Qimiao). The Disney Flying Cruise which has never been seen before, will appear.

Tips: the brand new “square fashion shop” in American Town will be opened on Jan.21.

No.5 choice: express rail travel

Where to go: Wuguang (Wuhan – Guangzhou) Express Rail

The Wuguang (Wuhan – Guangzhou) Express Rail connects Wuhan, Changsha and Guangzhou. It shortens the distance between the two ends into three hours and sixteen minutes. The best scenery along the journey is Hengshan Mountain (Hengyang, Hunan Province) where visitors can enjoy the snow sight, appreciate the Zhurong Peak and search for the mysterious Fangguang Temple.

Delicacies along the way: Baoqing pork blood balls, Maojia braised pork, Hunan preserved fish, Wuhan hot dry noodles, Wuchang fish, Wuhan Doupi (a kind of snack made from sticky rice, beef, mushrooms and beans) and Jingwu duck neck.