exploration and fun

Shapotou, situated in Zhongwei County, lies on the north bank of the Yellow River where it crosses the southeastern border of the Tengger Desert. Administratively it falls under Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region-some 150 km (93 miles) south of Yinchuan City. Shapotou Tourism Area is regarded as one of the five most beautiful deserts in China, and is widely recognized as the Capital of Sand. Standing on the sand hill, one can see the desert extending to the north, and to the south, a boundless oasis. Both the grandeur of the north of China and the elegance of the south come together in this lovely place.
The Yellow River DriftFloating along the Yellow River on a sheepskin raft*-the most unpretentious of vehicles-is something of a special thrill. The feat requires great courage, but this does not mean that it is unsafe. Experienced boatmen will make sure that you cannot only sense the excitement but also enjoy the fascinating scenery along the way. The ruins of a part of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) are there, as is the site of ancient waterwheels-an image of the Yellow River culture.
Sand SlideShapotou International Sand Slide Center is the biggest natural sand slide field in China. It is also one of China's Four Sounding Sand Fields. It has a length of about 1000 meters (about 1094 yards), a height of over 100 meters (about 109 yards) and a slope of 60 degrees. When the weather is fine, people sliding down the sand hill can hear the sound of sand underneath them, for all the world like tolling bells. It is adventurous, breathtaking, strange and heady experience-not designed for the weak of heart.
Yellow River Cableway SlideThe cableway slide across the Yellow River at Shapotou has won fame as the First Yellow River Cableway Slide. The cableway here is 820 meters (about 897 yards) long, 54 meters (about 59 yards) high above the water and the slide is at an average speed of 8 m/s (about 26 feet per second). The cableway at Shapotou is unique in China, in that it depends totally on gravity to set it in motion.
Besides, tourists can enjoy the beauty and mystery of the desert from the vantage point of a camel's back. Sunset on the Yellow River and sunrise in the desert are particularly memorable. One can spend an evening in a Mongolian camp or sit by a bonfire enjoying an ethnic-style performance or even take part in a dance. If one prefers a more gentle experience, one can take a yacht along the Yellow River and visit the show of local sand-controlling achievements.
* When a sheep is killed the locals will remove the skin and skillfully make a balloon out of it. A number of these balloons are strung together to form a buoyant base for a floor of bamboos. This sheepskin raft may look flimsy, but it is eminently safe.

Info about Yinchuan

Yinchuan Travel Guide

Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, lies to the west of the Yellow River and to the east of Helan Mountain. The landform is divided into two main parts, the mountainous region in the west and south and the plains in the north and east. The average altitude of Yinchuan is 1,100 meters (about 3,609 feet). Lying in the central section of Ningxia Plain which is irrigated by the Yellow River, Yinchuan holds abundant water resources and enjoys the reputation of 'a land of fish and rice in the frontier'.
The city that has a history of more than 1,300 years was originally founded in 678. It was called Western Xia from the establishment in 1038 by the leader of Dangxiang ethnic group and had created splendid culture as well as gorgeous architecture.
Yinchuan is a multi-nationality city including Han, Hui, Manchu, Mongolian, and Chaoxian peoples. Among them, the Hui people account for 26.3 percent of the total population and they have maintained the traditional folk customs and life style that are unique to other ethnic group.
A brilliant culture has contributed to Yinchuan being a famous tourist city. There are over 60 historical sites including mosques, pagodas, pavilions, temples, and imperial tombs as well as natural scenery such as Helan Mountain, Sand Lake Scenic Resort (Sha Hu) and Shapotou, etc.
A transportation system of highway, railway and airlines in Yinchuan provides speed and convenience. There are several national highways leading to all parts of the country and more than 125 kilometers (about 78 miles) of expressways within the boundaries of the city. Baolan Railway (Baotou in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to Lanzhou in Gansu Province) and Zhongbao Railway (Zhongwei in Yinchuan Province to Baoji in Shaanxi Province) connect with all railway lines to every destination. In addition, flights from Yinchuan Hedong Airport take you to all the major cities of China.
Here you can taste the local dishes or snacks of rich Islamic flavor, such as Yangrou Paomo and Shouzhua Yangrou. Hotels of different grades are available to visitors, providing you warm and comfortable places to relax yourself.

Getting ready to go to China!

Our early posts will be about who we are, and about our preparations to travel to China to meet our new friends. At the right is a photo of our traveling group; Mel, from the Menands Rotary Club, and Helen, Frank and Larry from the Rotary Club of Glenville. For anyone reading this who is not familiar with our area, both towns are in the Albany, NY area. Menands lies just to the north of Albany, and Glenville is west, and a little north of Schenectady.

We came to be involved in this project through Rotary, and the Rotary Foundation will pay for our travel expenses so that we can assess the viability of several proposed projects. Please visit the Rotary website at http://www.rotary.org/

We will depart Albany on a Delta flight to Atlanta early on April 6, 2008. From Atlanta, we will fly directly to Shanghai, where we will arrive mid-day Monday. There is a 12 hour time difference, and our flight from Atlanta to Shanghai is 15 hours and 40 minutes.

We will meet our Shanghai Rotary counterparts and join them for their meeting on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, we will fly to Yinchuan, the capital of the NingXia Hui autonomous region. Keep reading, we'll tell you more about the area as we progress!!