43 posts and 16 photo sets later, we’ve reached the end of a long road of reflection on China, an on-the-fly addition to our around-the-world journey.

The impetus to change our itinerary occurred while we were in Central Asia. Several seasoned travelers and experts, having just come from China, convinced us to seize the moment and visit before the Olympics. We're glad we did.

To anyone possessing even a remote interest in seeing traditional China, we offer similar advice: go soon before it disappears under the wrecking ball.

To conclude our reflections: a slideshow of the Best Of China’s Landscapes and Cityscapes plus our Top 10 Authentic China Experiences.

Top 10 Authentic Travel Experiences in China

Our use of the word authentic in the title is deliberate. China’s tourism development officials seem to revel in contriving experiences for visitors, resulting in large tchotchke-filled concrete-poured pavilions called “Tourist Leisure Centers” and newly built or heavily renovated “ancient” temple complexes and old towns.

The antithesis of authenticity perhaps?

For us, the most engaging and touching moments are those that showcase the real lives of people carving their way through daily life. And call us nostalgic, but moments that genuinely speak to bygone eras are satisfying, too.

1. Searching for Audrey's grandfather's house in Qingdao, being questioned by the police (authentic, but not fun) and recovering by eating “Pork with Douche” dumplings.
2. Getting lost amidst testicle stands and duck vendors at the sprawling ethnic markets of Gedong and Chong'An in Guizhou Province.
3. Hiking the Hani terraced rice fields of Yuanyang (Yunnan Province), watching Dan get his chest hair pulled by another man and absorbing the colorful weekly ethnic market in Niujiazhai.
4. Goofing around with kids at a streetside market outside of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna (Yunnan Province)…much relief after a two-day bus trip with the Chinese Olympic Spitting Team.
5. Stumbling upon a Tibetan Opera and a crowd of Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims at Labrang Monestary in Xiahe (Gansu Province).
6. Taking in the animal parade (camels included) at the early-morning opening of the Kashgar Sunday Animal Market (Xinjiang Province) and ending the day with pulled noodles at the night market.
7. Discovering a pocket of freedom of expression at Factory 798 in Beijing.
8. Avoiding the ear cleaner, surviving Sichuan hot pot and finding the pandas amongst the 10 million people of greater Chengdu.
9. Having the Great Wall to ourselves at Jinshanling and hiking 12 km atop the wall to Simatai on a clear and brisk December day.
10. Eating…everywhere!

Photo Gallery: Best of China – Landscapes and Cityscapes

If you'd like more details on any of these photos, go to the Best of China – Landscapes and Cityscapes photo set and check out the description under each photo. If landscapes don't do it for you, but people do, check out The Many Faces of China.

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The arc of our travel experience is shaped by the people we meet. Even the most beautiful food and landscape need a human context. With that in mind, we offer a selection of faces – each with a story – that we will recall whenever we reflect on our travels in China.

The following slideshow is our take on China's ethnic diversity. While these images represent only a fraction of China's 56 official ethnic groups (there are scores more unofficial ones), we hope they give you a better feel for the various people who call China their home.

If you'd like to know more about the people you see in the slideshow, go to our Many Faces of China photo set and click on the individual photos for a full description.

While we're on the subject of cultural diversity in China, do you remember the celebration of ethnic diversity at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic games? You know, the one where all those cute little ethnic minority kids paraded around in their traditional outfits. It seems that the children were not actually members of the ethnic groups they were supposed to represent, but rather Han Chinese children disguised in traditional ethnic outfits.

We assure you that the people featured in our slideshow are for real.

If you are interested in reading about China's ethnic minority areas, check out our Ethnic China Series (see links below).

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To close our Chinese food series, we share a few miscellaneous bits, bites and highlights that we just couldn’t shoehorn into the previous segments. We remember fondly the Chinese dining experience: refrigerator cases full of greens, skyscraper piles of tofu, the flash fry technique, earthy-brown soy and sesame oil chili pepper sauces, and copious condiments.

The Chinese consider the number eight lucky. We can all use a little luck, so we limit our list accordingly.

Grilled Tofu

If you like tofu, you’ll be in heaven in China. If you don’t like tofu, give it another chance since you are virtually guaranteed fresh tofu in China; it's a whole different experience.

In the Yuanyang region of Yunnan Province, grilled tofu stands dot the streets and markets of towns and villages like Xinjie and Niujiazhai. Tofu grill-masters ensure that each tofu pillow is perfectly browned. Serve yourself: snatch the piece of your choice with your chopsticks and dip it in a spicy combination of soy sauce, hot pepper sauce and other condiments.

Cat’s Ears Noodles

Hop outside the old town city walls of Pingyao (near the post office) and you’ll find some hole-in-the-wall local restaurants serving all manner of fascinating noodles typical of Shanxi Province. Our favorite: buckwheat noodles in the form of little buckets or – if you look at them right – cat’s ears. These noodles go by any number of the following names: kao lao lao, lao lao youmian, cat’s ears noodles, and wowo and are sided with a tomato-based sauce.

Pingyao Beef (平遥牛肉)

The history of braised Pingyao beef may be a bit sketchy, but the taste is not. The texture of Pingyao beef resembles that of corned beef. The flavor is difficult to pin down; Pingyao beef is prepared with a five-spice (or five aroma: sweet, sour, bitter, savory, and salty) seasoning which features a combination of cinnamon, cassia, ginger root, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and occasionally Sichuan peppercorns. The result: beef that is tender, fragrant, and delicately rich. Terrific when sided by a decent bottle of Chinese wine (look for Xinjiang labels, stay away from Great Wall and large volume brands, open the bottle and let it breathe).

Where to find it: TianYuanKui Hotel: Although a bit more expensive than some other restaurants in town, the Pingyao beef is spectacular. Address: 73 NanDa Jie, Pingyao. Harmony Guesthouse also offers a different, but still very good, Pingyao beef. Address: No.165 Nan Da Jie Street, Pingyao.

Lotus Root:

Lotus root sounds exotic. Looks it, too. It's delicate, crispy, and vaguely sweet. The pattern inside a lotus root recalls a stencil from art class. Like any good root, lotus tends to take on the flavors surrounding it; it's often marinated with vinegar or chili sauce and makes for a refreshing starter or palate cleanser.

Where to find it: Xiao Wang’s Home Restaurant serves a pleasant vinegar-marinated version at No 2 Building, GuangHuaDongLi in the Chaoyang area in Beijing.

Peking Duck

Plum sauce, scallions and thin crepe-like pancakes round out the multi-layer meat-and-duck fat deal, yielding a delicate balance of salty and sweet. Although we’d argue that Peking duck isn’t the be-all, end-all of Chinese cuisine, it’s worth a taste and holds its place in the pantheon of familiar Chinese delicacies.

Where to find it: We enjoyed the lean Peking Duck at Xiao Wang’s Home Restaurant in the Chaoyang area of Beijing.

Jian Bing Egg Crepe (鸡蛋灌饼)

Also known as the Beijing breakfast pancake, this treat is special, but not exclusive to Beijing. The savory combination of egg crepe, egg, coriander, spring onion and sesame flipped and doused with chili sauce or sweet bean paste will get wake you up in the morning or tide you over in the afternoon until dinner. As with any good street food, the production process is almost as pleasing as the result.
Where to find it: Best taken from a street cart with a dose of nostalgia in one of Beijing's few remaining low-slung traditional hutong neighborhoods.

Yunnanese Goat Cheese (乳饼 rǔbǐng)

Yes, you read correctly: Chinese goat cheese. Though the goat cheese in Yunnan Province doesn’t quite live up to chevre, its French cousin, it is worth a taste. Braised and served with salt (white salt or sometimes sulfuric black salt) and cracked black pepper, it is relatively mild and looks a bit like braised tofu (similar texture too).

Fresh Soy Beans

You can find this dish anywhere in Yunnan province. Tiny and buttery, shelled fava fresh soy beans are another terrific vegetarian staple available from the capital of Kunming to the hinterlands of Xishuangbanna. Top it off with roasted red chili sauce for a little kick.

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While Sichuan food is available around the world, Sichuan dishes take on an almost electric quality – in both color and flavor – when served in China. Here’s a sample of our favorite Sichuan meals from our travels through the Sichuan Region of China.

Málà – numbing and hot – that’s Sichuan cuisine. The wild Sichuan peppercorn (huājiāo), a little bit pink, a little more purple – really sets Sichuan cuisine apart. Take a bite of one and your mouth tingles as an addictive numbness makes its way to your lips. This is the má. Combine it with the characteristic hot blanket of chili peppers – the là – and you have discovered the magic of Sichuan cuisine.

Gōngbǎo Jīdīng (Kung Pao Chicken)

When you travel to China, memories fade of the goopy generic slop that is often passed off as kung pao in Chinese restaurants throughout Europe and America. The real deal is full of fresh green onions, large red chilies, Sichuan peppers, peanuts and bits of chicken doused in a light sauce.

Where to Find It: In Beijing we tried the kung pao chicken at Xiao Wang’s Home Restaurant. It was good, but the real deal was right around the corner at this hole-in-the-wall restaurant on Guanghua Donglu #11 near Guomao metro station in the Chaoyang area of Beijing. Their versions of Sichuan classics were inexpensive and tasty, and dished out by giggling waitresses.

In Chengdu (Sichuan Province), Grandma Chen’s on Xi Yu Long Jie serves a kung pao plate piled high with chilies, Sichuan peppercorn, fresh green onions and a sprinkling of peanuts.

Try making it at home.

Ganbian Sijidou (Dry Fry Sichuan Green Beans)

Piles of green beans are dry fried with chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger and other spices. Beans are crispy, smoked and sweet; the combination of spices leaves your mouth wondering where these flavors have been all its life.

Where to find it: At the same hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Beijing with the kung pao chicken (Address: Guanghua Donglu #11 near Guomao metro). Unfortunately, green beans weren’t in season during our visit to Sichuan Province, so opportunities to taste them on their home territory were limited.

Try making it at home.

Mápó Dòufǔ (Pockmarked Tofu)

The name of this dish finds its roots in the pockmarked face of its creator, Grandma Chen. Why anyone thought this descriptive appetizing for a dish is beyond us. The dish features soft dimpled tofu in a hot sauce of garlic, minced meat (pork or beef) chili oil, Sichuan peppercorns and fresh green onions. Quality varies widely; if it's not good the first time, try it again elsewhere.

Where to find it: Our best plate of the stuff was served at an outpost of the Chen Mapo Doufu restaurant chain (Chengdu) that supposedly started it all with Grandma Chen’s recipe in 1862. Outlets of this restaurant chain seem to be opening and closing faster than guide books can keep up. Ask your hotel or taxi driver for the nearest location. We went to the one on Xi Yu Long Jie.

Try making it at home.

Xiao Chi (Little Eats):

Sichuan snack food, from barbecued skewers to steamed goodies like transparent dumplings and Zhong’s dumplings.

Check out our piece on Chinese dumplings for more details, including where to find them.

Sichuan Huǒ guō (Sichuan Hot Pot)

Bubbling red broth laden with dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Though Sichuan hot pot hurts so good, it also tastes so good that you might not be able to stop.

Read more about Sichuan hot pot in our article, Hot Pot Fever.

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A checklist: four days, three ethnic village markets, stacks of smoked dogs, and one testicle stand. Guizhou Province exuded tradition; it was China at its most authentic and at times its most eye-popping.

We paid a visit to the province, described in guidebooks as one of China's most underdeveloped, to experience a group of ethnic village markets clustered around the town of Kaili. Although the timing of our visit did not coincide with any ethnic festivals (the standard draw for the relatively few tourists that visit the region), there was no shortage of everyday market pageantry and visual stimulation.

As China carves out its future, life across four villages in eastern Guizhou Province goes on.

Chong’an: Get Your Dentures on the Street, See “The Beautiful Buildings”

The weekly market in Chong’an enveloped the entire village: fishermen assembled by the river, meat vendors (including the dog butchers) congregated in the center, ethnic hat and clothing makers gathered in small courtyards, and traditional medicine men, dentists and barbers lined the streets connecting it all.

A weekly gathering for Gejia and Miao villagers, the Chong’an market left no sales opportunity unturned. Hot body suction treatment and gut-wrenching open-air tooth replacement proved tempting, but we resisted.

A local high school girl befriended us early in the day. Armed with some English skills and an electronic translator, she guided us through her town and the market. Intent on showing us “the beautiful buildings,” she led us to the main road headed out of town.

As we picked through a village slowly being bulldozed to find images of traditional life and architecture, the beautiful buildings appeared: brand-new mixed use concrete structures on the right and a government-built Miao-style village in wood on the left.

Nothing could be more emblematic of Guizhou, and to a greater degree, all of China.

Gedong: Testicle Stands, A Funeral and Late Afternoon Mahjongg

Minutes after our local bus exited the newly-built highway near Gedong, we made our way through a sea of ethnic Miao women navigating a muddy market area in their galoshes. Squealing pigs, indigo dye pots, chickens, ducks, dried fish, piles of incense, and stands devoted solely to animal testicles rounded out a stunningly authentic village market scene.

After drawing looks, shaking hands and holding babies, we headed into the Gedong old town whose traditional single-story houses stood on the hill behind. We were welcomed with curious looks and smiles as a group of locals attended a gathering to mourn the loss of one of their friends. Others played cards and mahjongg in the open front rooms of their family homes.

Gedong featured its own “beautiful buildings” formed in gray concrete and finished with decorative nods to the local traditional architectural style.

Those games of mahjongg will likely be moved to those new buildings in the coming years.

Xijiang: Postcard Views and a Redeeming Lunch

Having braved Guizhou’s rolling hills and switchbacked roads in a local bus, we arrived in the Miao village of Xijiang to the hum of cranes and heavy machinery. Clouds of dust rose from the valley as construction teams built a new tourist center and a string of souvenir shops along the main street.

Xijiang had become the latest preference for Chinese tour buses visiting “ethnic Guizhou.” It was postcard-worthy: traditional wood Miao homes rested on hilltops and overlooked zig-zagging rice fields. But locals had grown noticeably tired and jaded due to the growing tourist traffic.

The redeeming human moment: lunch. A group of Chinese tourists from nearby Hunan Province beckoned us to join them in a what looked like a dining room of a local home. We pointed to “vegetarian” in our phrase book, followed the cook into the kitchen, and pointed at vegetables and tofu to emphasize the point. While the man of the group insisted on piling unidentifiable meat chunks in our bowls, his sister clucked at him that we were vegetarians. She thankfully persisted in removing the meat and replacing it with tofu and green beans.

We didn’t share a common language, but we managed basic conversation, beer toasts, tea and smiles. Upon departing, we exchanged contact information with open invitations to visit them in Shaoshan, the birthplace of Mao Zedong.

Zhouxi: Something Strange

The street market in the village of Zhouxi was in full swing when we arrived, but there was a strange, insular feeling about the place. It felt as if all the local Miao families were somehow connected in that “family tree doesn’t fork” kind of way. All joking aside, we wondered if the industrial center belching smoke nearby had something to do with the odd appearance that persisted throughout the village. The chronic burning in our lungs and noses indicated that it might.

We were approached on a bridge near the outskirts of the village by two young men who spoke some English. Their intentions were clearly very kind. They invited us to lunch and to practice English, but something about their manic speech patterns made us feel uneasy.

We attempted to excuse ourselves from lunch – we weren’t at all hungry – but agreed to take some photos with them. The next thing we knew, we were roped into eating zongzi (sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves). Seated on the family sofa in the English teacher's living room, we unfolded our rice parcels as a roomful of people took in our every move.

Our host, the town’s English teacher, explained that his sister had died of cancer in her 20s and had left a young daughter behind. We again wondered about the effects of the nearby industrial plant.

We politely excused ourselves and expedited the photo session with the teacher and his adult students. The man who initially approached us bounced up and down in our faces as we departed, “I’m very exciting! You are my first Americans. I am so lucky!”

After eighteen months on the road and an endless string of unusual experiences, we’ve learned to trust our gut. This village spooked us. The banjo track from the film Deliverance looped in our heads.

There was nothing threatening happening, but the whole scene just hopped the strangeness threshold. Or maybe we were just over-stimulated. Anyhow, the return bus to Kaili couldn’t leave soon enough.

Kaili: Traditional vs. Modern Shopping

Not to be outdone by the surrounding villages, Kaili bursts with street markets – near the bus station, on side streets, in the old part of town. It was heartening to see traditional markets surviving in the shadows of shiny new shopping complexes.

Maybe Guizhou’s traditional markets and culture will survive all those massive development projects after all.

We can only hope.

Photo Essay: The Markets and Villages of Guizhou Province

Kaili and Guizhou Travel Information: Transportation, Accommodation, Markets

• Finding Markets: Go to the tourist information office (CITS) on Zhongguo Guoji Luxingshe in Kaili and ask for the schedule of ethnic markets. Make sure you also ask them to write down the names of the towns and their corresponding departing bus stations (there are several in Kaili) in Mandarin characters.
• How to Get There: Kaili is on several main train lines. We arrived by train from Kunming and continued later to Shanghai. From the train station, take the local bus into town. Most buses to nearby towns and markets leave from the long-distance bus station on Wenhua Beilu.
• Where to Stay: We didn’t find a lot of choice in the budget range in Kaili, so we stayed at the Petroleum Hotel (or Shiyou Binguan) on the corner of Yingpan Donglu and Wenhua Beilu. We negotiated 70 RMB for a double room (ensuite bathroom). Make sure you get a key. It wasn’t the cleanest place we have ever stayed, but as long as we wore our slippers on the rug it was fine. There’s an unsecured wi-fi signal in the building. Book a hotel in Kaili.
• Where to Eat: There’s a great dumpling stand on Wenhua Beilu near the corner with Yingpan Donglu. Several soup stands operate on Yingpan Donglu. Then, there is fantastic and cheap hot pot. When a motorbike with four smoked dogs strapped to the back zoomed by us as we exited our hotel, we stuck with vegetarian options.

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Steamed, fried or boiled; round, crescent, or amorphous; meat or veg; thin-skinned or thick, dumplings in China form a universe all their own.

By no means are we experts in Chinese dumplings. That's a life's work. But we can offer a brief primer and the best of our dumpling experiences in China.

A Brief Chinese Dumpling Glossary

• Jiaozi – crescent-shaped dumplings generally folded from circles of thinly-rolled dough; served boiled or steamed.
• Guo Tie – pot stickers, or fried jiaozi.
• Bāozi – steamed buns. For contrast and flavor, meat bāozi occasionally feature a little nutmeg or star anise (if you notice something sweet).
• Xiaolongbao – smooth, translucent steamed buns made from unraised flour. Filled with meat, seafood, or vegetables and often a splash of broth.
• Shaomai – unsealed dumplings, meaning that the filling shows through the top. Stuffed with just about anything, including meat, vegetables or flavored sticky rice.
• Dim Sum – Cantonese-style (Guangdong Province) dumplings, often steamed and served as snacks or with tea.

Top 10 Chinese Dumpling Experiences (in chronological order)

1. Manti – Kashgar, Xinjiang

Similar to Central Asian manti. The seasonal variety served in Kashgar during our autumn visit featured sweet, diced pumpkin. Delicious when served with thick plain yogurt and roasted red pepper sesame oil.

2. Train Bāozi – Urumqi to Lanzhou

Tiring of noodle soup buckets on our 24-hour train ride from Urumqi to Lanzhou, Dan jumped off at one of the stations, rolled the dice on a bag of freshly steamed bāozi from a platform vendor, and scored. Filled with meat, carrots, onions and a tad of nutmeg, they provided a much-needed change for our train-weary tastebuds. And they went perfectly with a cold beer.

3. Tibetan Momos – Xiahe, Gansu

We were introduced to Tibetan dumplings (momos) at Gesar Restaurant near Labrang Monastery. The cabbage and carrot-stuffed variety delivered comfort and warmth on a cold night when paired with a zippy roasted red pepper sauce. Honorable Mention: A dessert of freshly made apple momos.

4. Midnight Dim Sum – Xi’an

Xin Wang’s Cantonese Dim Sum in downtown Xi’an serves dim sum from 9:30 PM – 2:00 AM. Is it worth the wait? Absolutely. The dim sum stuffed with shrimp and greens were exceptional. Scallops weren't bad either. You can find Xin Wang’s Cantonese Dim Sum on Dong Dajie on the right-hand side as you walk from the Bell Tower (second floor in a huge shopping center).

5. Breakfast Dumplings – Pingyao

You might be asking, “Dumplings for breakfast?” Indeed. And more than once. Harmony Guest House (No.165 Nan Da Jie Street, Pingyao) serves up uniquely square-shaped pan-fried vegetarian bāozi all day long. Perfect with a little dip of soy sauce.

6. 5-Star and Local Dumplings – Beijing

The Beijing outpost of the world-famous Taiwanese Din Tai Fung restaurant chain served up our first dose of dumplings in the big city. Although decent, they were expensive by any measure. And here’s the thing: an unpretentious local cafe on a side street from Guanghua Lu (around the corner from Guomao metro station in the Chaoyang business district) served simple, tasty, dressed-down dumplings that were twice as good and 1/10 the price. We enjoy good food and we love good value. Lesson: food before fancy.

7. Qingdao Jiaozi

Everywhere we turned in Qingdao, we ran into dumpling restaurants. Da Yu’s menu featured some unintended humor, but offered a plate of 20 hand-made shrimp, pork and greens jiaozi for $1.70. Another restaurant on Zhongyuan Meishi offered a dozen different varieties for about the same price. A duo of women in the back cranked out trays of beautifully formed jiaozi in record time.

8. Chengdu Snack Food

Large transparent shaomai are stuffed with perfectly herbed pork and served with a soy and vinegar dipping sauce. Our favorite: Longchaoshou Canting on the corner of Chunxi Lu and Shandong Dajie in downtown Chengdu’s shopping district. The Zhong dumplings were also very tasty. Though not quite as good, the café at the Chendgu People's Park features similar Chengdu-style snacks and dumplings.

9. Street Dumplings – Kunming, Yunnan

Trays of steamed jiaozi and bāozi served with soy, hot pepper, vinegar and fresh cilantro dipping sauces form the cornerstone of a inexpensive, street-side restaurant on DaGuan Lu. Try also the freshly rolled rice noodles stuffed with pork floss (threads of pork).

10. Dumpling Salvation – Kaili, Guizhou

If you take the overnight train from Kunming to Kaili (Guizhou Province), hop the downtown bus when you arrive and alight in the midst of a line of stir fry and soup joints on Wenhua Beilu. Look for the stack of bamboo steamers to find great jiaozi and guo tie. The mother and daughter dumpling team – and their customers – laughed as we scarfed down two trays of steamed jiaozi served with a dipping sauce of roasted crushed chilies, spring onions, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, Sichuan pepper and a tad of sugar. We returned daily during our stay in Kaili.

Chinese Dumplings Photo Essay

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Two days of roller-coaster travel on unpaved roads and in old buses. It was a long road to Xishuangbanna.

Tucked in the deep south of China's Yunnan Province, the Xishuangbanna region conjured images of thatched huts, tropical jungle, and a rainbow of ethnic minorities. But when we arrived in Jinghong, the regional capital, our hearts sank. We got the impression that we had arrived too late.

With the exception of ethnic Dai script and Mandarin Chinese characters competing for space on signs splattered across the city, Jinghong's atmosphere was anything but exotic; it looked like any other highly-developed city in China.

So we dodged our disappointment in urban Chinese homogeneity and over-development and headed for the hills and rural markets.

Gasa Market: Pig Face Salon

Armed with good-looking but overworked bicycles, we set off into the nearby countryside. Our first impromptu stop: the daily market at Gasa, an outpost of the ethnic Dai community. After surveying a typical market scene – rows of vegetables, gelatinous mounds, strands of local tobacco, electronic ducks laying eggs as they waddled – we found the highlight: a woman delicately plucking hairs from the head of a slaughtered pig. Her movements were quick and precise and recalled an ancient craft. She poked and pulled inside the pig's ears and dug into the crevices of its skin. The skin flopped like a Halloween mask, but it was real and it would appear at a local dinner table soon. We were mesmerized and repulsed.

Camera Shy, Camera Hams

We left behind the asphalt of Gasa and the thick red clay and the day’s flash rainstorms conspired to engulf our tires and shoes.

As we carved and sloshed our way through the surrounding Dai villages, children waved and greeted us, but disappeared each time we pulled out the camera. Perhaps they were genuinely shy, or maybe just tired of the occasional tourist and their not-so-occasional shutterbug mentality. We understand.

The children we met at a street-side market on our return to Jinghong were anything but shy. Dan was a star; the girls posed with their dog, grinned at the camera, giggled and gamed.

As the market emptied and wound down for the day, a woman whose stall was stocked with greens and fresh tofu served us a delicious and outrageously inexpensive meal. Good thing too, as we soon learned that our evening dining plans were toast: Jinghong’s night market had been razed recently to make way for even more development.

The Menghun Sunday Market

Early the following morning, we set out by local bus for the village of Menghun to catch the weekly Sunday market. Compared to the color and bustle of the ethnic markets in Yuanyang, the Menghun market seemed muted. But as we took a voyeur’s seat to the side of the action, the aggressive souvenir vendors – ethnic women decked out in elaborate head-wear and purses – ignored us and the market appeared an ecosystem with its own complex fluidity.

Though the outfits in Menghun didn’t live up to the dazzle of those on display in Yuanyang, the range of ethnicities compensated for the color deficit. The differences in facial structures were subtle, some appearing Tibetan or Turkic. People carried their history in their features and expressions.

In the thick of tradition, women sold vegetables and fruit while men sold tobacco and knives. Vendors counted their money and buyers balanced goods on their heads and backs. Traditional head-wraps and gallows-style sack-carriers co-existed with the practicality of modern bags and shoes. Pigs squealed as their owners shuttled them home in “pig suitcases” – imagine a natural fiber briefcase with pig feet poking through the gaps.

We returned to Jinghong in a small, shared minivan, packed with locals. The back seat and trunk were filled to the brim with goods.

Market day comes only but once a week.

Xishuangbanna Photo Essay

Practical Details for Villages and Ethnic Markets in Xishuangbanna

• How to Get There: Overnight bus from Kunming or two days of brutal bus travel from Yuanyang (Yuanyang to Luchun, Luchun to Jiangcheng and spend the night, Jiangcheng to Jinghong). It's actually faster to take the bus from Yuanyang to Kunming and then Kunming to Jinghong, but you miss the adventure.
• What to Do: Xishuangbanna offers endless options for treks, bicycle rides and tours. Go to Mei Mei Cafe on Manting Lu or Mekong Cafe on Menglong Road and peruse their extensive information binders for details on tours, weekly markets and options for independent travel (cycling routes). Trekking guides hang out at the cafes. Relax with a massage at the Blind Massage School on the corner of Mengle Dadao and Jingde Lu. These guys have strong hands!
• Where to Stay: Several cheap guest houses cluster around Mei Mei Cafe on Manting Lu. We stayed at a guest house across the street from Mei Mei's for 35 RMB (double room with bathroom and A/C). Beware of the grumpy, old owner. He will walk into your room without knocking and sit down right next to you while you're in your underwear and ask you to fill out the registry. File under “too close for comfort.”
• Where to Eat: Mei Mei's on Manting Lu serves western breakfast, local dishes and western comfort food. The Xinjiang place a few doors down from Mei Mei's features the friendliest laghman (pulled noodles) maker on the planet. His smile alone is worth a visit, but the Xinjiang food he serves up with his wife is delicious and cheap. Several food stalls operate on Manting Lu down the street from Mei Mei's.
• Getting to Menghun Sunday Market: Buses leave every 20 minutes from the No. 2 (Local) Bus Station (different from the Long Distance and New Bus Stations). Buses also leave from the New Bus Station, but very occasionally.

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Clinging to the theme of sweaty, shirtless men, we bring you our reflections on hot pot in China.

Women, don’t be repulsed. Men, don’t toss your shirts just yet. Although hot pot (huǒ guō) protocol does not require men to doff their shirts, it’s not uncommon to spy rooms of topless, red-faced men through fogged windows of hot pot restaurants across China.

Do not be deterred. Hot pot – the taste and the experience – is too good to pass up.

Hot Pot Basics

Hot pot (think Chinese style broth fondue) is a simple concept. The steps, roughly:

1. Choose your broth: Your choices might include plain broth, spicy, sour or yin-yang split pot where you can enjoy two different styles simultaneously.
2. Choose your food: Raw meat, vegetables, noodles, and tofu are usually arranged on skewers or small plates. Some hot pot restaurants allow you to order from a menu, while most others operate open buffet-style whereby you select skewers yourself.
3. Do-it-yourself cooking: place the skewers in the broth pot. If your pot is sectioned, you can cook meat and vegetables separately.
4. Extracting food: When your food is cooked to your taste, remove your skewers from the broth. Take the food with your chopsticks, drag it through any hot sauces or cooling agents, and chow down.

As you might imagine, hot pot is not only an eating experience, it’s a social activity.

Our best hot pot experiences in China:

“Welcome to China” Hot Pot – Urumqi (Xinjiang Province)

Hot pot is not native to Xinjiang, but the town of Urumqi is where we chose to lose our hot pot virginity. Good choice, too. Our waitress took over when she realized we were neophytes. She held our hands as we chose our skewers from a dazzling array of every meat and green on planet China. She clued us into which greens, noodles, tofu and meat were tastiest and visited our table often to reign in our over- and under-cooking tendencies.

Families from neighboring tables smiled and waved to us as we clumsily made our way through our meal – a lost piece of tofu here and a drowning noodle there.

Although we stumbled in our inaugural experience, we were hooked on hot pot.

Where to Find Hot Pot in Urumqi: Three Flowers and is located on Kelamayi Xilu around the corner from the Silver Birches Hostel (on the left hand side of the street, coming from the Hostel). Look for the big red sign with three dancing cats.

Street-Side Hot Pot – Qingdao (Shandong Province)

We didn't seek hot pot in Qingdao. Instead, it found us at a street corner on a cold, winter night. Makeshift tents covered small groups of people seated at steaming community broth pots bristling with wooden skewers.

We assumed our kindergarten-sized seats next to some young women. We smiled and toasted each other with bottles of locally brewed beer. A hot pot toastmaster (roastmaster?) monitored and rotated the skewers, removing them when the impaled chunks of food were properly cooked.

After filling our stomachs with greens, tofu and fish balls, we counted our empty skewers and paid our satisfyingly small bill.

Where to Find Qingdao Hot Pot: Walk along Jiaozhou Lu towards Zhongshan Lu near Qingdao's old town and look for the small tents with steam pouring out.

The Mother of All Hot Pots: Sichuan Hot Pot – Chengdu (Sichuan Province)

The most (in)famous of hot pots, Sichuan hot pot is an absolute must for any visit to Sichuan Province — and not just because it's home to the highest density of shirtless diners and red faces.

On our second night in Chengdu, we joined some Belgian and Israeli tourists for a full blown hot pot experience. The air just outside the restaurant we chose was arrestingly thick with Sichuan pepper exhaust; the windows were fogged.

We ordered a selection of raw meats, tofu, dumplings and greens from a menu thankfully outfitted with photos. Our waitress placed a large pot of bubbling broth, sectioned with metal dividers, in the middle of the table. Both foreboding and inviting, the broth featured a healthy dose of Sichuan peppers and dried chili flakes that signaled fair warning as they floated on top. A second waitress fixed us concoctions of peanut oil, cilantro, ginger and garlic in small saucers.

Our Israeli travel mate took his first taste of broth-drenched greens. Immediately, red bags of fire welled up under his eyes. In minutes, pepper hives and welts broke out across his face as the full thrust of the Sichuan pepper accelerant took effect.

Sichuan peppers (huā jiāo) impart a mild numbing and tingling sensation. Many love it, some hate it. We quickly became addicts of the “hurts so good” sensation that those potent little pepper corns delivered.

Our Israeli friend had different feelings: “I am doing my part to represent Israel honorably in this international gathering. I might come from the Middle East, but my relatives were Romanian and Polish! I’m not accustomed to such spice!”

The rest of us smiled empathetically. We too were red-faced and unsuccessfully trying to play it cool. Honestly, we wondered whether he’d make it through the evening.

Noticing some distress, our waitress advised that we dab our freshly cooked food with the garlic-cilantro-ginger mixture she fixed for us earlier. The cooling agent’s efficacy at taking the edge off was surprising, ingenious and delicious.

Perspiration, mouths on fire, and shirtless diners may draw images of a torture session rather than a night out of eating pleasure. Don't listen to your instincts. Seize the opportunity that is Sichuan hot pot!

“How about the day after?” you ask? We’ll refrain from excruciating detail. We’re told, however, that peanut milk (huasheng nai) serves as a local hot pot prophylactic; it helps to soothe the stomach.

Where to Find Sichuan Hot Pot in Chengdu: Hot pot restaurants are everywhere in Chengdu. We visited the one around the corner from Mix Hostel. Just ask for a recommendation at your hostel, guest house or hotel.

Hot Pot Social Club – Kaili (Guizhou Province)

We credit a Kaili Tourist Information Office recommendation for this casual, fun, and inexpensive hot pot experience. The energy level was high; it felt like hot pot happy hour.

After stepping inside, we pointed to a pot of fiery broth at another table and settled into the routine: we chose our food, the staff supplied ample beer and water, and we made certain not to overcook our food.

While the waitresses delivered our beers with school-girl giggles, the aging cleaning lady really took care of us. When the rest of the staff wasn’t watching, she snuck over to our table and mixed a Guizhou-style spice bowl with crushed red chilies, spring onions, and a mysterious root. She finished it off with some of our hotpot broth and showed us how to drag our cooked meat and vegetables through the spices before eating.

Who knew that hot pot residue could be so tasty? For us, this took hot pot to a new level. We learned a secret, an ancient Chinese secret. And from the cleaning lady, no less!

After counting our pile of skewers and four beers, the tab for this fabulous food experience: $8 for the two of us.

We returned two nights later for our last meal in Kaili. Huge smiles from the wait staff, photographs of us and of them, and more large groups of young Chinese just having fun.

We departed on a hot pot high.

Where to Find Hot Pot in Kaili: The hot pot restaurant is on the second floor of a modern open-air shopping center, west of Shaoshan Beilu between Yingpan Xilu and Beijing Xilu. Print this and ask people on the street to help you find it. That's what we did.

The post Hot Pot Fever appeared first on Uncornered Market.

When a jovial, inebriated, shirtless man boarded our bus with a meter-long pipe (think Cheech and Chong go to China), we figured we were slipping even further off China’s organized tourist trail.

Our destination: the rice terraces of Yuanyang in southern China’s Yunnan Province, where dazzling colors, luxuriant terraced rice fields, elaborately-dressed women, and sweaty, shirtless men awaited.

Life on Xinjie's Main Square

A lively atmosphere greeted us upon our evening arrival in Xinjie, the traditional capital of the Yuanyang region.

Reminiscent of Sapa and Bac Ha in Vietnam, Xinjie’s Hani women dress traditionally in bright hand-embroidered necklines, colorful baby carriers and elaborate head-wear.

Life on the main square seemed universal – children played, old women huddled together to share the latest gossip, young couples made their rounds, and mothers snuggled with their babies as the sun set over the valley.

A Walk to the Rice Fields

Equipped with a hand-drawn map, we headed out of town on foot to witness life in the fields the following day. Water buffalo moved glacially in the mid-afternoon sun as their owners whistled commands. The terraces, some cultivated for over one thousand years by the Hani people, are an extension of the natural landscape and represent a balance between nature and human will.

From the reaction of locals, we concluded that tourists don’t often strike out on foot. Always lost, we repeated the following comic routine: butcher the name of our next village destination in high and low tones, receive confused looks and giggles from the locals, and hope that someone would eventually guide us to the turn-off for the next village. We took a few wrong turns, but somehow made our way.

On our return to Xinjie in the early evening, workers returning from the rice fields greeted us with smiles and motioned for us to follow them home and join them for something to eat and a place to sleep.

Excursion to the Ethnic Market

On our final day, we took the traditional route and hired a car to catch the sunrise over some rice terraces a bit further afield (Duoyishu and Bada). Though the rice terraces were beautiful, our human interaction was limited to some empty exchanges with desperate egg and souvenir vendors longing for the tourist flow of high season (in winter, when the terraces are flooded with water).

We were rewarded in the afternoon, however, by an outdoor ethnic market teeming with Hani, Yi and Dai market-goers. The market schedule in Yuanyang rotates between villages based on the Chinese calendar. Match the animals on the calendar with a market schedule to determine the village in which the market is scheduled that day. The day of our excursion belonged to the tiger, horse or dog, placing the market in the village Niujiazhai (“Ox Horn” village) according to a delightfully confusing map provided by our guest house.

Upon arrival at the market, we had flashbacks to the ethnic minority markets of northern Vietnam. Amidst the standard market trappings, vendors sold local moonshine from gas jugs and street-side dentists made quick work to fashion dentures and replace broken teeth. Men smoked stringy local tobacco through long, locally-carved wooden pipes, while young women haggled for yarns and threads for their embroidery endeavors.

Tofu and Sweaty Men

As we looked around for something to eat, a shirtless man waved us over to the food stall where he was having a snack.

He took a liking to Dan and asked us to join him for some grilled tofu. At one point, he curiously pulled Dan’s arm hair, offering a smile and a thumbs up. Unsatiated, he reached further for Dan’s chest hair – with the same curious tug. Apparently, some men in this part of the world are intrigued by body hair, something which many of them lack.

We stuffed ourselves on squares of grilled tofu dipped in spices and soy sauce while we entertained a charade-driven conversation. When it came time to leave, we said our goodbyes. The man wanted us to stay with him at his house, but we motioned to the van waiting to take us back.

Another genuine offer we unfortunately couldn't accept. We thanked him profusely and charaded, “Next time.”

Photos from Yuanyang in Yunnan Province, China

Yuanyang Travel Information: Transport, Accommodation and How to Visit the Rice Fields

• When to Go: Most Chinese and western tourists visit as part of a tour group and go in winter or early spring when the fields are flooded. We were on our own and it was June; for us, it was just right.
• How to Get There: Take a bus from Kunming bus station at around 10:30 AM or 7:30 PM (sleeper bus). Takes 5-8 hours, depending upon the driver and how often he has to stop to repair the bus en route.
• Where to Stay: We stayed at Yuanyang Chenjia Fangshe guest house right next to the old bus station. Rooms are reasonably priced and there's a lovely terrace to eat breakfast overlooking the rice fields. You can compare prices of other accommodation in Yuanyang here.
• Where to Eat: We kept returning to Sichuan Canting Guan on the main square. A super friendly husband-and-wife team run the restaurant. There is a simple menu in English, but it's more fun to point to what you want in their fresh case. We stuffed ourselves on very tasty vegetarian and tofu dishes for just a few dollars.
• Day Hike: Window of Yuanyang shop near the market has a very knowledgeable English speaking volunteer. He can advise you on day hikes and draw you a map. Stock up on fair trade souvenirs or use the internet while you're at it.
• Arranging Driver: We arranged our driver at our hotel. The standard price is 200 RMB for a sunrise drive to the rice fields, return to Xinjie for lunch and then a sunset drive. We negotiated 200 RMB for the sunrise drive plus the journey to Niujiazhai market. Shared between six people, it was a good deal. We heard from another group of tourists that some drivers take people by “tourist villages” where an entrance fee is required and the driver presumably gets a commission. Just be clear up front that you don't want any tourist villages.
• Map of Yuanyang rice fields and ethnic markets: Download a PDF map of Yuanyang's rice fields and ethnic market location and schedule. The credit for these maps goes to Yuanyang Chenjia Fangshe guest house.

More Stories on Traveling Independently Through China

As for the rest of China, here's what we saw (forgive us for our use of the word authentic), what we ate (Chinese food in China is such a joy compared to some of the goop served at Chinese restaurants abroad) and the many people we met (China is more diverse than you might imagine) during our three month journey across this rapidly changing country.

The post Terraced Rice Fields and Ethnic Markets of Yuanyang, China appeared first on Uncornered Market.

We begin our Chinese food series in the same place we entered China: in the city of Kashgar in China's western frontier province of Xinjiang. Like the native Uighur people and their culture, food in Xinjiang province resembles Central Asian and Turkic cuisine more than stereotypical Chinese food.

Top 10 Xinjiang Food Highlights

1. Laghman (lamian in Chinese)

Noodle wallahs artistically work dough balls of high-quality wheat flour and water into continuously thinner ropes until something like spaghetti emerges. It's almost as much fun to watch their preparation as it is to eat.

2. Suoman gush siz

A pile of laghman noodles smothered in peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, green beans and spices. A dependable vegetarian Xinjiang dish. For meat-eaters, it's often served with mutton (called simply suoman). Make sure you pile on the roasted red pepper paste – more roasted than fiery – that you'll find on most tables in Xinjiang province. Kashgar’s Intizar Restaurant (see below) served some of the best.

3. Nokot

A light chickpea-based salad served with shredded carrots, a tangy vinegar dressing and topped with piles of fresh herbs. A highlight of the Kashgar night market.

4. Serik ash

Bright yellow, handmade noodles rolled into rounds and cut into wide strips for cold noodle soups and noodle salads. You'll often find them served with a combination of tangy vinegar and chili sauces and – of course – beautiful fresh herbs.

5. Green and herb dumplings

Chopped greens, herbs and a touch of mutton tucked into a dough ball which is cooked on a flat skillet. Slightly crunchy on the top and bottom, soft everywhere else. A big hit at the night market – queue with the locals for a seat at this popular stand.

6. Kawa manta (manti)

Pumpkin-stuffed Turkish style steamed dumplings. Great with thick plain yogurt and roasted red pepper sauce. Intizar Restaurant cranks them out all day long. Unfortunately, the staff could not understand why we requested a portion without meat, so they kept sneaking in chunks of mutton fat — even after Audrey's dramatic “no meat” dance (shaking her head and waving her arms in the form of an “X” above the piles of meat).

7. Girde nan (a.k.a the Uighur bagel)

The first time we witnessed girde nan being plucked from the inside of a large ceramic oven (think Indian tandoor), we wondered, “Bagels! In China?!” Not quite a New York bagel (or bialy), but full of flavor. Served hot and fresh with a perfect crunchy bottom crust. You can find them across Kashgar’s old town.

8. Nan:

Large, round flat breads cooked in ceramic ovens (similar Indian tandoors). Just like in Central Asia.

9. Pomegranate juice

Stands selling fresh, delicious, cleansing pomegranate juice line the edge of Kashgar’s night market. Vendors sell shot-sized glasses for 1-2Y ($0.15-$0.30). Avoid the rip-off artists by the Sunday market who sell for three times the going rate.

10. Mantang:

Pressed nougat featuring combinations of fresh honey, nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios) and raisins. The equivalent of a natural power bar. Walnut and almond varieties were our favorites.

Other Typical Uighur Dishes

Opke:

A clear soup swirling with goat head fragments and other fascinating bits. Correction (thanks, Elise!): Incorrectly named in the Lonely Planet, opke hessip is a dish of lung and intestinal sausage. Opke stands at the Kashgar night market Sunday Market are popular with the locals.

Goat Head Soup:

After our goat dining experience in Kyrgyzstan, we gave it a pass.

Hoshang dumplings

Looks a lot like its Central Asian cousin, the somsa. Although somsas look and smell delicious, the quality of meat used varies widely – from lean certainty to fat-laden mystery.

Polo (or plov, pilaf)

Rice simmered with spices and meat, and optionally carrots, chick peas and raisins. Look for the characteristically large polo pans. A favorite dish in Kashgar, but we got our fill of this while in Central Asia and focused on finding dishes in Xinjiang that were new to us.

Kebabs (chuanr or chuan’r):

You’ll find men fanning kebab skewers outside virtually every Uighur restaurant, filling the streets with mutton and lamb-laden curls of smoke.

Photo Essay: Xinjiang Cuisine

Eating Local in Kashgar

The Kashgar night market serves as an ideal starting point for Xinjiang cuisine and adventurous dining opportunities with the local Uighurs. The market is located behind the main square (near the mosque and large LED screen). Also check out Intizar Restaurant on the corner of Renmin Xilu and Yintizaer streets.

As you travel throughout China, keep an eye out for signs adorned with an image of a mosque and Arabic-looking script – sure indications that you have found a Xinjiang-style restaurant serving Uighur cuisine. They usually offer hearty, spicy and inexpensive fare – and a change of pace from ubiquitous Chinese soups and stir-frys.

Video: Kashgar's Night Food Market

Bearded men, women in headscarves, pulled laghman noodles, pressed pomegranates, a boy who prepares his own vinegar sauce, and two Hoshang dumpling makers doing a dance around a traditional ceramic oven. This is China's Kashgar night market.

Given the amount of attention we've paid to Kashgar and China's Xinjiang Province, you might think us obsessed, or suspect that we're being paid by the Kashgar Tourism Board. You can decide about the former, but we can firmly deny the latter.

But this is our last word on the place, at least for a while. Enjoy the video.

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