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.

The Cultural Temple Fair of the West Market in the Tang Dynasty is usually held from the second day to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month during Spring Festival in Xi’an of Shaanxi Province every year, attracting a crowd of tourists from everywhere. During the temple fair, visitors can admire the exotic performances from other countries and some traditional folk activities, including Xi’an City Walls performances, Big and Small Wild Goose Pagodas performances, the lion and dragon dance performance, and some exclusive performances by local skilled performers.

The Cultural Temple Fair of the West Market in the Tang Dynasty is a comprehensive temple fair with Xishi culture, the prosperous Tang culture, China’sSilk Road culture, and the exotic culture. From the first day to the seventh day of the first lunar month, there are characteristic snacks at home and abroad, folk exclusive performances, the exhibition and sale of merchandise, and the like, especially the exhibition of exotic cultur.  It has the Tang culture as its historical characteristic, the Silk Road as its cultural characteristic and the fashion as its era characteristic. From the eighth day to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, there are the lantern shows and the fireworks displays.

Hot spring spas during a cold winter day offer one of the best experiences a hot tub owner can have. As snow falls on a crisp winter breeze, one can stay warm and relaxed in a hot spring spa, just as if it were balmy weather. The hot steam that lifts off of the tub and from the body melts the falling snow into little rain drops. Each person becomes their own hot spot in a cold setting.

However, there are some important considerations when using hot spring spas during days with freezing temperatures or below. Obviously, freezing hazards have to be addressed. In addition, heating up water that has been sitting out in cold air is much more expensive and time consuming; different techniques to provide thermal insulation to a hot tub will make winter hot spring spa usage more feasible.

Hot Water For Cold Days

Keeping hot tub water at the right temperature can be a challenge all by itself during the winter season. The heater will run more often and at higher power during the winter, consuming energy and requiring a longer start-up time. The best way to mitigate this issue is to preserve any heat that is made and keep it in the tub itself.

The best way to provide thermal insulation for a tub is with a thick, insulating cover. A floating thermal blanket can also be laid directly on the water surface for an additional layer. Snow accumulation should be removed from any cover. Snow is deceptively heavy when it begins to form deep piles. A plastic tarp can be used as a good snow cover and then pulled off to remove accumulated snow.

Freezing Water Hazard Protection

The biggest hazard from freezing water is within the pipes and pumps. The actual tub will usually not suffer damage from the formation of ice, but if a pipe freezes up, the water will expand and destroy the internal piping and machinery. Some hot tubs come equipped with a special mode to prevent freezing in the winter. Using this setting will ensure that the heating elements will fire whenever the water temperature begins to drop.

However, for a system without an automatic mode with feedback sensors, a timer should be manually set. A good rule of thumb is to have the hot spring spa run for 15 minutes every hour that freezing temperatures are present. In the northern latitudes, however, 15 minutes may not be enough. For temperatures colder than negative 10 degrees, it is advisable to run the hot tub much more often or even consider draining the system completely rather than risk damage to the piping.

Following these two guidelines for keeping hot tub water warm to prevent damage and to save on energy costs is the best way to enjoy this luxury through an extra season each year.

As all sections of the Wall are located some 100km from downtown, one may ask how to explore the Wall at lowest costs. There are several ways to do so:

1. Take public bus- The public bus system is quite well-developed in Beijing while it will be a problem for English speakers that no people can understand English. It is quite hard to know where to get off the bus. Normal cost for public bus will be some US$1 per trip per person.
2. Take a taxi – One should discuss the cost with the taxi driver for a round trip transfer from downtown Beijing to Great Wall and return. The cost for a whole day transfer will incur a cost of some US$91.
3. Join in a group – I assume this is the best way to low down your cost for your trip to Great Wall of China around Beijing. The group tour is from 6 to 15 English-speaking passengers and it is daily departs from your hotel or residence in Beijing. Great Wall Group Tour will cost US$20 per person only which covers admission fees to Great Wall at Badaling Section, a typical Chinese lunch arranged at local restuarant, an English-speaking tour guide, and vehicle. On the way back to your residence or hotel in Beijing, one can also take an exterior tour to the Olympic Green, the iconic spot of Beijing including “Bird Nest” as well as “Water Cube”.

Organic foods are becoming more popular again as people realize that our bodies don’t need the extra burden of harmful chemicals. Some foods are more likely to be contaminated by pesticides. Also, certain foods are more likely to contain GMOs. Avoiding those foods will also reduce your exposure, but that approach is getting more difficult, especially with GMOs since there is no labeling requirement. Buying organic foods from sources that you can trust is the best way to promote healthy foods. Beware of cut-rate vendors that offer “organic” products from overseas that may not really meet expected organic standards. Some unscrupulous producers and vendors may also falsely label food as organic. So knowing your food source is ideal – another good reason to buy local foods from producers that you know and trust.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is probably the largest organization that promotes organic food and defends organic standards. OCA has a wealth of information on their web site and is worthy of consideration for your support. The video below about organic food was included in a recent OCA newsletter.