The guardian city on the Pearl River nurtures both classics and new-age marvels, as Li Jing discovers.
Our visit at the Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou began with the pick-up service. Because of a flight delay, we arrived in Guangzhou three hours behind schedule. As soon as we walked out of the arrivals hall, we were greeted by smiling hotel workers who ushered us to a waiting car, and thoughtfully offered us bottles of water.
It is verdant country laced with soothing streams and blanketed in evergreen trees and bamboos. Moganshan used to be a favorite summer retreat for the rich and royal of Shanghai in the past, and a sprawl of villas varying in style from medieval castles to country manors equipped with tennis courts, swimming pools and indoor ballrooms testify to that era of grand living.
Last summer, tour specialist Zou Wenwen helped organize a driving trip for a group of 10 Chinese travelers in Italy. But it was no ordinary tour - her clients paid 200,000 yuan ($30,300) each for a weeklong luxury package that centered on driving Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati supercars along the Italian Riviera. "These were ultra high-end customers," Zou says. "They were mostly from the real estate and investment sectors. We also had people from the restaurant business as well as a sculptor."
The upside of visiting an emerging destination is pristine landscapes, reasonable ?if not decidedly cheap ?prices and the rare opportunity to experience the authenticity of a place before it's overrun by tourists. There are, however, trade-offs: the lack of a good transport infrastructure, rudimentary hotel service and poor medical facilities. Timing a visit can also be tricky in countries where political stability is a relative term. But with an adventurous attitude, the benefits of exploring new places usually outweigh the struggles involved. Ready to lay claim to the next great place? Here are four to visit in the coming year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263 Registration Number: 20100000002731 
Raymond Zhou
Op Rana
Berlin Fang
Zhu Yuan
Huang Xiangyang
Chen Weihua
