Arrival & First Impressions
Touching down in the capital, navigating the metro, and finding local street food near the hotel.
Read the entry →Mutianyu Section & Evening Transit
Early morning ascent, ridge walks, and preparing for the overnight sleeper train south.
Read the entry →Settling into the Ancient Capital
Touching down in Xi'an and checking into a courtyard guesthouse near the old city walls.
Read the entry →The Terracotta Army
A dawn queue for Emperor Qinshihuang's mausoleum — thousands of clay soldiers standing guard beneath Mount Li.
Read the entry →Overnight to Chongqing
Boarding the high-speed rail into the mountains, trading Xi'an's walls for Chongqing's neon skyline.
Read the entry →West to Zhangjiajie
Onward by rail toward the sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie, chasing the landscapes that inspired Avatar.
Read the entry →