Hello Kitty in China

Guests attend an inauguration ceremony of a Hello Kitty amusement park in Anji, Zhejiang Province.Picuture:  Reuters

Hello Kitty Park will be China's first large scale amusement park and is scheduled to open to the public on New Year's Day 2015.

Read more:

http://www.dramafever.com/news/first-international-hello-kitty-park-opens-in-china/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2852877/It-s-not-quite-Disneyland-China-opens-bleak-looking-Hello-Kitty-theme-park-cost-230MILLION-build.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/11262368/Hello-Kitty-amusement-park-opens-in-China.html

A time to remember and give thanks........

Nagano Earthquake - November 22, 2014

A strong 6.7 earthquake damaged homes and injured residents of Nagano Prefecture this weekend. The hardest-hit area appeared to be Hakuba, which hosted events in the 1998 Olympic games. 

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/11/24/national/damage-worse-than-thought-in-nagano-earthquake/#.VHOGz4vF_a4

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/22/world/asia/japan-earthquake/index.html

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/strong-quake-strikes-central-japans-nagano-city-27101019

Tai'erzhuang - Ancient Canal Town

Tai'erzhuang is renowned for its traditional architecture and water culture.

Located in Zaozhuang city of southwestern Shandong province, Tai'erzhuang has spectacular canal legacies, making it an important part of the application for the World Cultural Heritage list. The ancient town was established in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), however did not really come alive until the Jia Canal was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

For more details:
http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/english/tourism/2014-10/14/content_644578.htm

U.S./China - New, reciprocal 10-year visa policy for tourists and business travelers

Yesterday, the first group of 10-year China visas were issued.

Read on:

http://shanghaiist.com/2014/11/13/china-issues-first-ever-10-year-visas.php

http://thepointsguy.com/2014/11/china-to-start-issuing-10-year-visas/

Presidents Agree - New Visa Policy for China

China visa policy set to change from a year-at-a-time basis.  

Click on the links below for more information.

President Obama and President Xi Jinping
Kim Kyung-Hoon | Reuters

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/10/politics/visa-10-years-obama-announces/index.html
http://money.cnn.com/2014/11/11/news/economy/china-us-business-visa/index.html
http://online.wsj.com/articles/china-u-s-to-grant-each-others-citizens-longer-visas-1415617463
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102170430#.

President Obama in Beijing

President Obama is in Beijing attending the annual 

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit (APEC).  

President Obama with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan.

More details:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/11/10/apec-beijing-obama/18786007/

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/11/10/363006417/two-striking-photos-from-todays-apec-meetings

China's plan to build the world's most secure computer network

China plans to build a long-distance computer network that will be unhackable.  

For details: 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/11216766/China-builds-computer-network-impenetrable-to-hackers.html

Xinjiang High-Speed Rail Opens This Month in Northwest China

The line, which construction began in January 2010, is designed to support high-speed trains solely for transporting passengers at a top speed of 250 km/h.

For more information, click on the links that follow:

http://www.ibtimes.com/chinese-high-speed-railway-test-promises-fast-access-xinjiang-growth-stability-1596243

http://shanghaiist.com/2014/11/06/xinjiang-high-speed-railway.php

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-11/06/content_18878780.htm

APEC - BEIJING - NOV 2014

Read what China has done in preparation for APEC - click on the link for details:
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/ahead-of-international-summit-china-orders-up-a-quiet-and-clean-beijing-616439

Aerial shot of the main venues in Beijing for APEC Nov 2014

Giant Panda - China's National Animal

Take a trip to the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding near Chengdu, and learn about its conservation efforts.

Click on the link for more details:  http://www.panda.org.cn/english/

Third Annual Surf Event returns to Hainan Island

The International Surf Association (ISA) will host the third annual Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival in China from November 23-28, 2014. Hainan Island, located in the South China Sea, is the ideal location for this surf event, which will bring in pro surf teams from around the world, as well as local Chinese surfers. Fernando Aguerre, President of ISA, called the event “the most important global surfing festival in 2014” and noted that China will “become the surfing capital of the world” during the event. Hainan’s tropical conditions, beautiful beaches, and surrounding hotels and restaurants have also helped to bring the event back for a third year. 
For more information, please click on the link that follows:

http://www.aspworldtour.com/posts/76055/surfing-world-to-focus-on-china-during-hainan-wanning-riyue-bay-intl-surfing-festival

Happy Trick O' Treating - Be Scary - Be Spooky - Be Safe

Fall in China

Thailand - Curfew Lifted

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced that all tourism-related businesses and services in destinations throughout the kingdom have resumed normal operations following the lifting of the nationwide curfew as of last Friday, June 13th.

TAT assures all tourists visiting the kingdom that “it’s business as usual in Thailand” and that tourism remains unaffected by the current political transition period.

All tourism-related businesses and services, as well as all airports throughout Thailand, including key destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Ko Samui, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Phang-nga are operating as per normal.

Thailand is always ready to welcome tourists.  

To all our moms.....................

"Mother's Day Specials"

Coming soon is the day that we pay tribute to our mothers. It's the day that we thank them for all their love and support.  By tradition, we usually celebrate this day by taking our mothers out for a meal and giving them flowers - which they all love.

This year, why not give your mother something she will not expect - an exciting trip to China!  Surprise her by taking her on a trip me to see the Great Wall of China in Beijing and the Terracotta Warriors of Xian.  To make it more exciting, add a cruise down the mighty Yangtze River.

You'll be giving her the gift that she will remember for always......she will come back with so many wonderful memories and experiences.

Call us now, and we'll help you to arrange this memorable trip for your mother.  

We're offering special promotions which can add up to a savings of $450 per couple.  Take advantage of this great savings!  This offer expires on May 12, 2014.

China Discovery Tours

866-992-4462

The Davilia Kickstart Group in China

Juyongguan Great Wall

                    Juyongguan Pass, surrounded by mountains, is the nearest section of the Great Wall to Beijing. Long considered a military stronghold, it was a very important strategic place connecting the inner land and the area near the northern border of China. It was also used to defend the ancient city of Beijing. Juyongguan is one of the three greatest passes of the Great Wall of China and in 1987, Juyongguan Pass was enlisted in the World Heritage Directory as a national cultural protection unit.                                                                                            

Juyongguan Great Wall is a pass ('guan" means mountain pass) through the mountains located in an 
18km long valley, about 50km from Beijing.

The Davila Kickstart Kids group visited the Juyongguan Great Wall this Spring.

Watch towers were built at regular intervals along the Great Wall and could be up to 40 feet tall. They were used as lookouts and fortresses as well as for housing garrisons of troops and stockpiled supplies. They were also signal stations, where beacons, smoke, or flags were used for messages. They also represented a tremendous diversity of architectural styles.

Winter at another National Park in China....where am I?

1/2/2014 - Palace in the Winter.....where am I?  Potala Palace, Tibet

Visit our website at:

www.chinadiscoverytours.com

or 

call us at 866-992-4462

Palace in the winter....where am I?

12/31- Where Am I?  -  West Lake, Hangzhou

Visit our website at:

www.chinadiscoverytours.com

or call us at:

866-992-4462