Trekking in China has grown quickly in the last 10 years or do and is now one of the most popular walking destinations in Asia. The Great Wall and the Himalayan mountains are a big part of the draw – don’t forget Tibet is part of China.
The Great Wall is seldom trekked in its entirety, but some of the best sections can be trekked in week long trips from Beijing and involve walking through traditional Chinese villages This gives you the opportunity to see first hand the fascinating way of life largely unchanged here in hundreds of years. Often the trek will involve staying with host families, although tents and hotels are common alternatives.
Tibet and the Himalayas are the other major trekking destination in China. From here it’s possible to scale Everest, explore the many other peaks of the region and witness Tibetan culture first hand. Mount Kailas, a sacred mountain to both Hindus and Buddhists, is one of the most popular locations for treks here. Longer treks here often involve travelling between Nepal and China and sometimes also Bhutan.
The Three Gorges offers one of the most fantastic riverside treks in the world as the Yangtze River has carved a spectacular path through the mountains. With the construction of the Three Gorges dam underway some of the Trekking will be lost, although even after construction completes much of what makes this area so special will remain.
Those seeking somewhere truly remote for their China trekking should head to Motuo. It is the only part of China not connected to highways. It’s located in south-east Tibet and offers such contrasts as tropical fruit growing close to snowcapped mountains. With a tiny population and beautiful scenery including amazing waterfalls, luscious greenery alongside rivers and lakes this is an undiscovered trekking gem.
