The taxi dropped me off in the historic Xuanwu district, <a data-destination-id="85" data-internal-link="destination">in South Beijing</a>, and my eyes were caught by the majestic temple that stands very elegantly in the distance. Built in 1406, with architectural gracefulness as impressive as its arrangement, it's the Temple of Heaven. ﻿

The Temple of Heaven: a wonderful open-air paradise

It's not easy to be a responsible tourist in China! The environment here suffers like nowhere else; historic buildings are destroyed to make way for pale, concrete imitations; and the Chinese love the kind of guided tours that involve large groups of tourists being dragged from one point to another by a guide yelling into a microphone. Oh dear! Adopt a sensible approach, and make yourselves ambassadors for a different kind of tourism!

Yunnan, for sustainable travel in China

Welcome to the biggest and highest plateau in the world. At an average height of 4,200 meters, it is so high that you have trouble breathing. On it you will find the highest mountains in the world, including Everest and Lhotse , which is 8,516 meters high. It's not surprising that very few people live here, but the countryside is magnificent. ﻿

The Tibetan plateau: a harsh life with mountains!

Witness to a long vanished working class architecture, the hutongs are an area of narrow passages and intertwined alleys that remind you what towns used to be like in <a data-destination-id="85" data-internal-link="destination">China</a>.

Beijing's hutongs: fragile pearls of Chinese tradition

Gyangze

Kunming

Lijiang

Yangshuo

Mid-way between Kunming and Lijiang, in the heart of  Yunnan, the town of Dali is nestled between the Cangshan Mountains, to the west  and Erhai Lake, to the east.

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It's situated to the south of Erhai Lake in Yunnan Province. A thirty minute bus ride will get you to the old town, which is on the western bank of the lake, at the feet of Mount Cangshan. Xiaguan, to the east of Yunnan, is an industrial and communications hub that is unavoidable if you're heading to Dali Old Town; this contemporary sprawl has little of interest to tourists. I suggest you go to the old town as soon as you can, with its lanes, market, old houses and amazing Three Pagoda Temple.

Xiaguan or 'New Dali' is the name given to the modern town of Dali, as opposed to the ancient Dali Old Town.

The seat of the Bai Autonomous Prefecture, the town is home to the stunning Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a regional icon. Between its stone ramparts, paved streets, low houses and secret gardens, you'll think you're on movie set (numerous tourists aside). You'll also find several ancient towns in the vicinity that are well worth a detour - Zhoucheng, Weishn, Xizhou and Shaxi to name a few. Did you know? Dali and the Cangshan region are famous country-wide for the production of marble. It's not by chance that the word 'marble' in Chinese is 'dali shi' - literally meaning 'Dali stone'.

Mid-way between Kunming and Lijiang, in the heart of Yunnan, the town of <a href="/china/">Dali</a> is nestled between the Cangshan Mountains, to the west and Erhai Lake, to the east.

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