The YuanYang 元阳 rice terraces, YunNan province

它出淤泥而不染，濯清漣而不妖，一池荷花，一桌菜

A fascinating, hour plus documentary by CCTV's Travelogue (from the English language CCTV9 channel). Dali is a four and a half hours drive from KunMing, the provincial capital of YunNan in south China, or forty minutes by air. By rail it is also connected to nearby LiJiang. We haven't posted a Travelogue for a couple of years, but are very happy to say that it is back to its best - intelligent presenter and beautiful cinematography. Highly recommended. Inhabited predominantly by the Bai and Yi ethnic groups. 1 : Dali Old Town 1/1 In this segment, presenter Katrina Yu tours the artistic cobblestone streets of the Old Town, meeting adventurous travelers along the way -- and shows where you can party with musical locals at night. 1/2 Katrina sails across the serenely beautiful ErHai Lake, enjoying a taste of ethnic Bai culture along the way. She also gets a lesson in an ancient handcraft and peeks inside a luxurious lakeside guesthouse. 1/3 Katrina strolls through the surrounding grounds of Dali's iconic Three Pagodas, and shows audiences the breath-taking view from the top of the soaring CangShan Mountains. 2 : The outskirts of Dali 2/1 Katrina hikes the holy paths of JiZu Mountain, one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in China, and discovers the historic temples which have given the area the nickname of "scented wonderland" 2/2 Katrina visits the traditional ethnic Bai village of XinHua. Join her as she is treated to a colorful 'Eight bowl' Bai banquet and gets a lesson in an age-old handicraft from a master silver maker. 2/3 Katrina wanders through the ancient town of ShaXi. Join her as she savors the sights and tastes of the bustling weekly market, and finds out how this age-old center has succeeded in becoming a modern tourist destination while maintaining its old-world charm. 3 : The 'thousand year old' village of NuoDeng, deep in rural Dali 3/1 Katrina and the crew arrive at the hillside village. They get a taste of Nuodeng's famous salted ham and meet a local man whose character is just as interesting as the temple he guards. 3/2 Katrina visits a unique family museum, and has her pulse checked at a guesthouse where the owners offer holistic health treatments as well as accommodation. 3/3 Katrina plays teacher and student for a day, getting a lesson in local culture at Nuodeng's lively primary school.

With Brian Toon ... With Carl Sagan (1985) ...

HuangShan is well known for its beautiful scenery, sunsets and sunrises, unusually shaped granite peaks, ancient pine trees, hot springs, winter snow, and views of the clouds from above. Some of the peaks rise more than 1,800 meters (6,000 feet). HuangShan is a frequent subject in traditional Chinese paintings and literature. HuangShan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China's most popular tourist destinations. The HuangShan area is also noted for Chinese teas of high quality. In the first film, a group of photographers spend a week on the Yellow Mountain and show that patience and dedication pays off ...

Don't miss it ... 00:06 北京故宫千秋亭 (Beijing Forbidden City, QianQiu Pavilion) 00:12 紫禁城 (Forbidden city) 00:19 甘肃嘉峪关 (Gansu Jiayuguan) 00:29 中国台湾竹林山观音寺 (Guanyin Temple, Zhulin Mountain, Taiwan, China) 00:37 江苏无锡灵山大佛 (Jiangsu Wuxi Lingshan Buddha) 00:46 四川稻城白塔 (Sichuan Daocheng Baita) 00:50 山西太原蒙山大佛 (Mengshan Buddha, Taiyuan, Shanxi) 01:11 四川巴塘措普湖 (Sichuan Batang Thomp Lake) 01:20 云南泸沽湖里格半岛 (Yunnan Lihu Peninsula) 01:29 西藏羊卓雍措 (Tibet Yangzhuo) 01:37 河南王屋山 (Henan Wangwushan) 01:42 江西庐山 (Jiangxi Lushan) 01:47 江西婺源 (Jiangxi Wuyuan) 01:51 湖南张家界 (Zhangjiajie, Hunan) 01:59 四川那玛峰 (Naama Peak, Sichuan) 02:13 乌鲁木齐天格尔峰 (Urumqi Tiangle Peak) 02:22 四川雅哈垭口 (Sichuan Yaha Pass) 02:34 杭州西湖曲院风荷 (Hangzhou West Lake Quyuan Fenghe) 02:43 江西新余 (Jiangxi Xinyu) 02:47 广西桂林 (Guilin) 02:58 湖北武汉东湖 (Wuhan East Lake, Hubei) 03:03 海南三亚海上观音 (Hainan Sanya Sea Goddess of Mercy) 03:07 贵州千户苗寨 (Guizhou Qianhu Miao Village) 03:12 浙江宁波 (Ningbo, Zhejiang) 03:16 南京美龄宫 (Nanjing Meiling Palace) 03:20 上海 (Shanghai) 03:24 江苏苏州 (Suzhou, Jiangsu) 03:28 广东广州 (Guangzhou, Guangdong) 03:33 中国香港 (Hong Kong, China) 03:38 中国澳门 (Macao, China) 03:40 北京三里屯 (Beijing Sanlitun) 03:41 宁夏银川鼓楼 (Ningxia Yinchuan Drum Tower) 03:44 黑龙江哈尔滨大教堂 (Harbin Cathedral, Heilongjiang Province) 03:46 云南昆明官渡古镇 (Guandu Ancient Town, Kunming, Yunnan) 03:48 广东广州中山纪念堂 (Zhongshan Memorial Hall, Guangzhou, Guangdong) 03:51 天津小白楼 (Tianjin Xiaobai Building) 03:53 湖北襄阳唐城 (Tangyang City, Hubei Province) 03:55 安徽歙县 (Yixian County, Anhui Province) 03:59 吉林长白山天池 (Jilin Changbai Mountain Tianchi) 04:04 湖南张家界武陵源 (Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie, Hunan) 04:12 重庆潼南 (Chongqing Weinan) 04:15 北京大兴机场 (Beijing Daxing Airport) 04:17 青海昆仑眼 (Qinghai Kunlun Eye) 04:19 南海三沙蓝洞 (Nansha Sansha Blue Cave) 04:21 上海陆家嘴环路 (Shanghai Lujiazui Ring Road) 04:23 陕西西安钟楼 (Xi'an Bell Tower, Shaanxi) 04:25 重庆洪崖洞 (Chongqing Hongyadong) 04:27 山西临汾华门 (Linyi Huamen, Shanxi) 04:30 陕西雨岔大陕谷 (Shaanxi Rainy Dashan Valley) 04:32 新疆开都河 (Kaidu River, Xinjiang) 04:34 新疆伊犁新源 (Xinjiang Yili Xinyuan) 04:36 云南文山普者黑 (Yunnan Wenshan Puzhehei) 04:39 新疆昌吉江布拉克 (Xinjiang Changji River Braque) 04:41 浙江台州大陈岛荧光海 (Fluorescent Sea, Dachen Island, Taizhou, Zhejiang) 04:43 新疆禾木 (Xinjiang Hemu) 04:46 安徽黄山 (Anhui Huangshan) 04:48 安徽休宁县 (Xiuning County, Anhui Province) 04:49 江西武功山 (Jiangxi Wugong Mountain) 04:50 福建厦门 (Fujian Xiamen) 04:51 福建土楼 (Fujian Tulou) 04:52 甘肃七彩丹霞 (Gansu colorful Danxia) 04:53 甘肃敦煌月牙泉 (Gansu Dunhuang Crescent Spring) 04:54 贵州黄果树瀑布 (Guizhou Huangguoshu Waterfall) 04:55 贵州贵阳 (Guiyang, Guizhou) 04:56 贵州FAST天眼望远镜 (Guizhou FAST sky telescope) 04:58 广东汕尾凤山妈祖像 (Guangdong Shanwei Fengshan Mazu statue) 04:59 广东惠州汉月湾 (Huizhou Hanyue Bay, Guangdong) 05:00 广东南沙大桥 (Guangdong Nansha Bridge) 05:01 广东广州中轴线 (Guangdong Guangzhou Central axis) 05:02 广东深圳华润总部 (Guangdong Shenzhen China Resources Headquarters) 05:03 广东深圳机场 (Guangdong Shenzhen Airport) 05:04 湖北武汉长江 (Wuhan Yangtze River, Hubei) 05:05 湖北武汉黄鹤楼 (Yellow Crane Tower, Wuhan, Hubei) 05:06 湖北武汉东湖樱园 (Wuhan East Lake Sakura Garden, Hubei) 05:07 湖北长阳天柱山 (Tianzhu Mountain, Changyang, Hubei) 05:08 湖北荆州古城 (Ancient city of Jingzhou, Hubei) 05:10 宁夏中华黄河楼 (Ningxia Zhonghua Yellow River Building) 05:11 河南老君山 (Laojun Mountain, Henan) 05:12 河南龙门石窟 (Longmen Grottoes, Henan) 05:13 黑龙江哈尔滨冰雪大世界 (Harbin Ice and Snow World in Heilongjiang Province) 05:14 黑龙江大庆芍药花海 (Heilongjiang Daqing peony flower sea) 05:15 湖南长沙大剧院 (Hunan Changsha Grand Theatre) 05:16 湖南凤凰古镇 (Fenghuang Ancient Town, Hunan) 05:17 吉林集安 (Jilin Ji'an) 05:18 辽宁沈阳 (Shenyang, Liaoning) 05:20 辽宁大连星海湾大桥 (Dalian Xinghai Bay Bridge, Liaoning) 05:21 辽宁大连长兴岛 (Changxing Island, Dalian, Liaoning) 05:22 江苏扬州瘦西湖 (Slender West Lake, Yangzhou, Jiangsu) 05:23 江苏苏州十里斜塘 (Suzhou Shili Liantang) 05:24 江苏南京灵谷寺萤火虫 (Fireflies in Linggu Temple, Nanjing, Jiangsu) 05:25 江苏南京平流雾 (Nanjing Nanjing River) 05:26 广西柳州 (Liuzhou, Guangxi) 05:27 广西桂林相公山 (Xianggong Mountain, Guilin, Guangxi) 05:28 广西德天瀑布 (Guangxi Detian Waterfall) 05:29 广西百色福禄河 (Guangxi Baise Fulu River) 05:30 青海格尔木河 (Qinghai Golmud River) 05:32 青海俄博梁 (Qinghai Russian Boliang) 05:33 青海哈拉湖 (Qinghai Lake Hala) 05:34 青海湖 (Qinghai Lake)

Plus DunHuang oasis and ZhangYe DanXia GeoPark, all in GanSu province.

Awesome music by these two Italians ...

Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. This film is from 2015 ...

JuYong Pass is an interesting section of the Great Wall, close to Beijing (slightly nearer than BaDaLing along the same valley), has a steep climb on the west side.