Discover China

Why not take a trip to some small towns far from the big cities and enjoy a slow, relaxed way of life? The Shenzhen Daily features some quiet rural places with few visitors and a great environment for slowing down:

• Slow down for an easy break (I)
• Slow down for an easy break (II)

Read Wang Yuanyuan’s Shenzhen Daily article Some quiet and cool ancient towns to find out how to visit some ancient towns that are little known and quiet and offer cool relief from the summer heat – Heijing in Yunnan, Huangyao in Guangxi and Anchang in Zhejiang .

The China Daily article Refreshingly beautiful profiles Gaoligong Mountain In Yunnan Province, which offers a pristine environment for climbing, exploring ancient Southern Silk Road trails and bathing in natural hot springs. Chen Liang reports that the Zaotang He (Bathhouse River) hot springs, tucked away in the scenic and fairly remote Gaoligong Mountain valley, are among the best.

The Shenzhen Daily article A country-style getaway describes two great holiday destinations where you can experience a rural lifestyle in a beautiful and well-facilitated holiday resort without any noise or disturbances – just clean air and fresh food.

Yunnan province’s Chengjiang fossils site and the site of Inner Mongolia’s Yuan Dynasty Upper Capital have both made application to UNESCO to make the coveted World Heritage list in 2012. Find out what makes these sites so special in the CNTV Culture Express story Two new applications for UNESCO World Heritage list. Last year’s two applications, the Hangzhou Westlake and Five Linked Lakes in Heilongjiang province, will be reviewed at the World Heritage Conference this June.