Laoshan Qingdao: The Taoist Mountain Above the Coast
Laoshan is the Taoist mountain that rises from the sea east of Qingdao, with temples, a cable car, and tea on its slopes. Here is how to visit it from the city.
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Huanglong Valley: The Terraced Calcium Pools Above Jiuzhaigou
Huanglong Valley above Jiuzhaigou: the terraced travertine pools and Five-Colour Pools, the cable car plan, the altitude you must respect, and how to pair it with Jiuzhaigou.
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Xilingol Grassland: The Pasture Closest to Beijing
Xilingol grassland in Inner Mongolia: how to reach it from Beijing, where to sleep in a yurt, what to eat, and the best months for green steppe and quiet camps
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Thousand Island Lake: Qiandaohu Beyond the Postcard
Thousand Island Lake near Hangzhou is a 1950s reservoir with over 1,000 forested islands, boat circuits, and a famous freshwater fish head soup.
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Danxia Mountain Shaoguan: Red Cliffs and Yinyuanshi
Danxia Mountain near Shaoguan: the red sandstone cliffs that named the danxia landform, the Yangyuan and Yinyuan rocks, the Jinjiang boat ride, and how to reach it from Guangzhou.
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Changbai Mountain: The Volcanic Lake Between China and Korea
Changbai Mountain and Heavenly Lake: a border volcano crater lake often hidden by cloud, with slope choices, hot springs, best months, and how to reach the summit
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Chaka Salt Lake: Walking on a Mirror
Chaka Salt Lake guide: why the mirror forms, how to get there from Xining, altitude and the best season, costs, and pairing it with Qinghai Lake.
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Heavenly Lake Urumqi: The Mountain Tarn Below Bogda
Heavenly Lake near Urumqi: the shuttle system and ticket costs, Bogda Peak at 5445 m, what to do at the lake, when to go, and where to eat after
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Lugu Lake: The Matriarchal Villages on the Sichuan Border
Lugu Lake on the Yunnan and Sichuan border: which village to stay in, dugout canoe trips, Mosuo culture handled with respect, and highland Mosuo dishes to order
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Karakul Lake Kashgar: Mirrored Cones on the Karakoram Road
Karakul Lake at 3,600 metres near Kashgar: the drive up the Karakoram Highway, staying in a Kyrgyz yurt, altitude and permit notes, and what to eat on the Pamir road
