China People

When most Australians go to live abroad for the first time, they usually take the "safe" option and go to the UK. If they are feeling extra adventurous, maybe they'll go to America or Canada. My best friend and I decided to go to Dalian, China, and I have no doubt in my mind that it was the best experience of my life. When Chinese people refer to Dalian, they allude to one catch-phrase - "Dalian is a beautiful city," or "the pearl of the orient." While the beaches don't have the pristine sands of Western Australia, or the magnificent skyline of Melbourne, Dalian is undoubtedly one of the nicer cities of China. Dalian is one of the smaller Chinese cities with only a population of about 6.2 million(yes this is small), but only has and urban population of about 3 million including a developmental zone. Dalian governs the entire Liaodong Peninsula of North-East China, while mountains surround the northern end of the city, which makes for many-a lovely hiking trip through the mountains and surrounding townships. As Dalian is a seaside city, there are also plently of opportunities for strolls along the coast when weather permits. As with most of China, there is also plenty to do and costs were minimal. As an English teacher, I was able to live on about 500RMB per week(about $70US) and this included eatling out every night, and having an active social life. Having travelled in most provicences of China, Dalian definitely had the best food, as unlike the rest of China, it food was niether sweet or laden with MSG. For $1 US, you could enjoy a tasty Chinese BBQ with lamb sticks and Corn bread, before heading out for an evening of drinking and playing Jenga or connect 4 at Noahs Ark or Dave's Bar. In the summer, Dalian comes alive in it's many paks and squares where you can join in with the locals and play Hacky Sack(with a feathered ball thing), or a version of Duck Duck Goose they play where someone walks around everyone who are standing in a circle and drops the hankey behind you before being chased (sadly I got caught and ended up having to stand in the middle with the other losers singing "We Will Rock You". In Zhongshan Square, in the city, they also do dancing. In our mis-guided attempts however to learn the steps, we ended up leading the locals in dancing the "Nutbush" to their music! Don't get me wrong, Dalian had it's drawbacks. Hygiene in retaurants, a hole in the ground for a toilet, the beaches had pebbles instead of sand, and communicating and accepting the beuracracy of their customs was often frustrating -as you would expect, but overall, Dalian was a fabulous experience, and I highly recommend it.

You gotta see the Forbidden City and venture out to see the Great Wall. It might be better now, but when I was there 5 years ago nobody spoke any English and everyone wanted to take pictures of us cause we looked so different. It can be a bit off putting at the start but you find out that the locals are really friendly. I recoomend finding an English speaking local tour guide and get them to introduce you to people. After that it's great!

WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT SHANGHAI?IM IN LOVE WITH THIS AMAZING CITY!FOR ME IS THE NEW NEW-YORK!AMAZING PEOPLE,AMAZING FOOD,AMAZING CLUBS!IM VERY HAPPY THAT I WAS THERE FOR A LONG TIME WORK IN FASHION BUSSINNES!

When going to the desert, remind yourself that Dunhuang is an oasis, and is surrounded by it. So don't pay the 60 yuan they're asking at the 'official' entrance to the sand dunes! Just walk along the fence until it stops and go into the desert from there. There will be no motor cycles, no people hawking their goods; just you, the desert, and mountains of sand in your shoes!

Don't do a whirlwind tour of the area through CITS agency. It looks cheaper upfront, but it isn't. You must also pay for each entrance fee. You see more places, but are rushed. Emin Minaret is a wonderful walk on the out skirts of town, and is best seen at sunrise. In the bus station lobby there are a few agencies where you can hire a car for the day - don't be afraid to bargain! You should be able to hit up a few places for well under Y200/person. Don't bother paying to see the "Flaming Mountains". You can get your driver to slow down (sometimes local cops keep people from doing so in order for them to buy a Y40+ ticket to see them), and grab a few shots from your window. Tuyok is a must see! There are pictures galore and is best done in the morning due to temperatures. Be careful of taking pictures of locals, they may insist on your paying for the picture. Gaochang ruins can be seen on the way back from your car ride. Jiaohe ruins is a short taxi ride away or a pleasant bike ride. The cheapest and cleanest place to stay is the bus station hotel and its much easier to travel back to Urumqi via bus to catch a train to your next location. The best time to visit is during the fall or spring seasons since the region does get bloody hot and cold.