Dr. Mark Nan Tu

Mount Kinabalu (Malay: Gunung Kinabalu) is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is located in the east Malaysian state of Sabah and is protected as Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site.

Its summit, Low’s Peak ist 4,095 metres (13,435 ft) above sea level. It can be climbed through the main climbing route without mountaineering equipment.

Climbers must be accompanied by accredited guides at all times due to national park regulations. There are two main starting points for the climb: the Timpohon Gate (5.5 km from Kinabalu Park Headquarters, at an altitude of 1866 m), and the Mesilau Nature Resort. The two trails meet about two kilometres before Laban Rata.

Accommodation is available inside the park near the headquarters. by Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (also known as Sutera Harbour). Sutera is now requiring hikers stay one night at their lodge near the entrance, in addition to a required stay at Laban Rata. The cost to stay is considerably higher than at lodging just outside the park, and includes a mandatory purchase of meals, etc. The higher price means a good view of the mountain at night. If money is a concern, there are plenty of private lodging just outside the park.

Climbers usually arrive in the afternoon and register at the park heard quarter and stay one night at the foot of the mountain. They get up early the second morning. After get the climbing permit and the guide (porter) at the park head quarter, proceed to the Timpohon gate at 1866 m (6,122 ft), either by minibus (most people) or by walking, and then walk to the Laban Rata Resthouse at 3,270 m (10,728 ft). Most people accomplish this part of the climb in 3 to 6 hours. Since there are no roads, the supplies for the Laban Rata Resthouse are carried by porters, who bring up to 30 kilograms of supplies on their backs. Hot food and beverages, hot showers and heated rooms are available at Laban Rata.

The guest house in Laban Rata provides limited space (booking through Sutera Harbour is a must) to ensure space. The room offers two r double deck beds. Climbers usually get to bed around 8pm and prepare the next day summit push.

Climbers usually wake up at 130am the third day. After a buffet breakfast, they will cover he last 2 km (2600 ft), from the Laban Rata Resthouse at 3,270 m to Low’s Peak (summit) at 4,095.2 m,. They will reach the summit before dawn. The last part of the climb is on naked granite rock..

How to get there:
From Kota Kinabalu bus station, there are mini bus that runs to the Mt. Kinabalu park entrance. The cost is 20 RM. The ride is 1.5 hours with the view of the mountain insight.
After getting down the mountain, you can wait for the passing mini bus at the park entrance to either back to Kota Kinabalu or to Poring Hot Springs. However, the waiting time may be extremely long.
Taxi can be called from park head quarter. It costs 200RM to Kota Kinabalu or 160RM to Poring Hot Springs.
Tips:
You can stay outside the park for the first night. Private lodgings are significantly cheaper than inside the park.
You may also choose to arrive at the Park entrance early in the morning by taking an early bus directly from Kota Kinabalu and start hike right away.
There is a possibility that you can climb up and get down the mountain in one day and saving all the lodging and food costs (very expensive). In good physical condition, one can reach climb the mountain in 4-5 hours and get down in 3 hours. The world record for such an activity is slightly over 2 hours. Wow!

Shangchuan_island

Overview: Shangchuan Island (上川岛) is an island on the southern coast of China, southwest of Taishan （台山）, Guangdong Province (广东省). Its name is originated from São João – Saint John in Portuguese. Shangchuan Island was one of the first bases established by the Portuguese off the China coast, during the 16th century. They abandoned this base after the Chinese government gave consent for a permanent and official Portuguese trade base at Macau in 1557.

The Spanish (Navarre) Jesuit Catholic missionary St. Francis Xavier died there on December 2, 1552, on his way to Guangzhou, having died without ever reaching the mainland.

Located 14 km from the mainland, it has a sister island Xiachuan Island (下川岛）.

Shangchuan Island is 157 square kilometers with local population about 16,320. It has 12 beautiful and wonderful beaches. Jinsha beach (金沙滩）, Feisha beach （飞沙滩）, and Yinsha beach （银沙滩）are the most popular vacation sites with relaxing scenery such as palm trees, calm beaches, sea front hostels, and local fishermen’s market.

In the daytime, you can enjoy different kinds of aquatic sports such as swimming, water-skiing, aquatic motorcycle, fishing and so on. Diving is possible, though not officially approved (dive on your own risk) You can play soccer and volleyball or even ride a horse.

At night, you won’t feel bored. You can play with fireworks on the beach (no restrictions). You can hold a bonfire party with your friends on the beach, and you can also rent a tent to sleep on the beach and look at the stars. You can also drink in the beach front bars.

You may want to look around Shangchuang Island for more special scenic sites: Lechuan Big Buddha (乐川大佛）, Shati Fishing Port （渔人码头）, Shalouwan Primitive secondary Forest, Qipan Mount, and Red Tree Forest and Bamboo Cedar Forest.

Shangchuan (上川) and Xiachuan (下川) Islands are great vacation resorts. They are called the Hawaii of the east.

Shangchuan island Location

Tips:
1: Come during the off season.
The peak season starts in May and lasts through October. Most visitors come here to enjoy the beaches. You can swim in the open sea during these five months. I recommend that you visit the island during the off season between Novembers to April as the relaxed atmosphere returns after the busy season. You can enjoy a quite walk through mile long beaches and hotels and food are reasonably priced. I found myself as the lone person walking on the beach during my trip to Xiachuan Island in Dec. 2007.
2: Check the weather before boarding the speed boat.
Since the island is only accessable by speed boat from Shanzhu Port (山咀港) in Taishan (台山), Guangdong province, make sure that you check the weather ahead of time . During the summer season, you may be stucked on the island for days waiting for your ride home which is stopped by high wind.
3: There are public buses that connects from the port to Feisha beach （飞沙滩）. But you need to hire private transportations (mini bus, car or a motocycle) to get to scenic spots around the island (locals provide motocycle rides for a fee).

How to get there:
A weekend getaway starts from the early Saturday morning arriving at Shanzhu Port (山咀港) (you may wish to stay in Taishan 台山 on Friday night) and take the speed boat to the island and ends on Sunday afternoon returing to Shanzhu Port (山咀港).
Shangchuan Island is connected to Shanzhu Port (山咀港) by speed boat. The schedule is:
山咀港→上川岛 上川岛→山咀港
Shanzhu -> Shangchuan -> Shanzhu
08：30 08：00
09：30 09：00
10：30 10：00
11：30 11：00
12：30 12：00
13：30 13：00
14：30 14：00
15：30 15：00
16：30 16：00
17：30 17：00
18：30 18：00
The speed boat ride is about 30 minutes.
After you get off the speed boat, you can take a local mini bus (5RMB) from the sea port to Jingsha Beach (金沙滩) where most of the hotels are. There is additional entrance fee for the beach: 30RMB/person.

By car: follow the West Coast Express Way (西部沿海高速）, exit on Shangchuan/xiachuan and follow route 365 to Shanzhu Port (山咀港）. You can leave your car on the port’s parking lot overnight.
By bus: Taishan bus station (台山总站） is connected to Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Zhuhai with multiple buses every day. From Taishan bus station, you can transfer to a local bus that goes to Shanzhu Port (山咀港）. It is about 1 hour ride from Taishan bus station to Shanzhu Port. In total, please plan for 5-6 hours on the road from Guangzhou (or Shenzhen) to the Xiachuan island if you go by bus.

Food and lodging:
The beach-view double rooms in the hostels cost around 100RMB/night (2 star standard) during off season and may go up as much as 250-350RMB during holidays in the peak season such as May 1st holiday. During off peak season, there is no need to book ahead. Go there, check out the rooms and negotiate the best possible price for any sea view rooms. I found myself to be the only guest in the 100 + room hotel during my Dec. 2007 visit to the Xiachuan island and April 2011 visit to Shangchuan island.
If you go during the peak season (May to Oct.) please make sure you call and make a reservation for rooms. http://www.chuandao.cn/order/.川岛镇下川王府洲旅游区(529266) Tel: 电话：0750-5678281 13630499092. My friends had to camp on the beach during their May 2011 visit to Xiachuan Island as all the hotels are over booked. All the local hotels are about the same (2-3 stars) (American style Motel 8 or similar). Nothing fancy but clean and reasonably confortable. If you call, make sure that you ask for the location of the hotel and insist that you only stay if the hotel is right in front of the beach.

Eating: There are many local sea food restaurants to choose from. Some of them located on the port and others in jinshan tan (金沙滩) where all the hotels are located. They are priced similar to those in Shenzhen or Guangzhou. There is no western style restaurants on the island. Chinese food (mostly sea food) is the only option.

Swim, surfing, cannoning, kayaking, fishing or any water sports
Swim on your own risk, there is no life guard on duty. Surfing, cannoning and kayaking are not developed and you shall share your experience as you may be the first person to try them around the island. Fishing is possible by renting a local boat and go off the island. I think it is possible to cannon from Shanzhu Port (山咀港）to either xiachuan (下川) or Shangchuan (上川) Island in calm water.

For more geo-tagged pictures (photos with exact location on the map), please visit my guide and pictures at:
http://www.everytrail.com/guide/sightseeing-trip-to-shangchuan-island-hawaii-of-the-east-
11年4月 广东 台山 上川岛 Guangdong, Shangchuan Island

Chaozhou (Chinese: 潮州) is a city in eastern Guangdong province of the People’s Republic of China. It borders Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, the province of Fujian to the east, and the South China Sea to the southeast.

Chaozhou is a famous historical and cultural city in the country. The city’s feature is known as “Classic Tourist City” which receives numerous tourists both from abroad and home. The following is the guide for this “classic city tour”. You can hire a human powered tricycle which will take you to a few historic relics in the “old city”. You can also rent a bike or walk to enjoy the relics and unique culture of Chaozhou. The “old city” is well preserved. Many local people still lives in those old houses along the narrow alleyways.

The tour starts in the Kaiyuan Temple (開元寺) and ends in the same spot. Therefore, you may choose to visit the Kaiyuan temple last.

Stop 1: The first stop is the Ming city wall (明城墻) which is rebuilt in the 1990s. There is a section of the old wall remain. You can compare it to the newly build wall. You shall walk up the wall in Guangji Men (广济门城楼). From the top of the wall, you will get a good view of the Guangji Bridge (廣濟橋) and the Mazhu temple (妈祖庙). You can also see the Han River which was named after the great Chinese poet lived in the Tang dynasty. The Guangji Bridge connects the Ming city wall with the Hangong Shire.

1. The Ming city wall (明城墻), 2.6 kilometers long.
2. The Mazhu temple (妈祖庙)， built inside the Ming wall worships the Mazhu who is a goddess lived in Chaoshan region who was believed to performed many good deeds for the locals. She is worshipped as a goddess after her death mainly in the southeast China and for Chinese in Southeast Asian countries.
3. Guangzi Bridge (廣濟橋), built in the Southern Song Dynasty (1170 A.D.) was reconstructed in the 1990s.
4. Hangong Ci(韩公祠) is located along Hangjiang river and west of Bijia mountain. This shrine had been constructed since Song Dynasty and become the oldest existing and the most completed reservation memorial of Han Yu, who is the great poet in Tang Dynasty.

In the year of A.D.819, for some political reason, Han Yu was exiled to Chaozhou, a backland at that time. But he was not depressed by this, he helped local people to develop education, agriculture, irrigation and release slaves. To memorize what he had contributed to the development of Chaozhou, people constructed this shrine and name him “Hanwengong” respectfully. 　　
　
Stop 2: After an easy stroll on the Ming city wall, you can follow the trail through the old alleyways of the “old Chaozhou city”. The next stop is: Haiyang County Confusion Temple (海阳县儒学宫) or Chaozhou Museum and Changli Old Arch (昌黎旧治坊).
1. Haiyang County Confusion Temple (海阳县儒学宫) was built in the Song Dynasty (1278AD) and was destroyed in a fire. It was rebuild in the Ming Dynasty (1369AD). Its architecture is heavily influenced by the east Guangdong style with intricate and colorful carvings decorate the ceiling joints. The Chaozhou Museum is located inside the temple.
2. Changli Old Arch(昌黎旧治坊) is located just opposite the gate of the Haiyang County Confusion Temple. This arch was built in Ming Dynasty. There are carvings both in front and at the back. Changli is the other name for Hangyu. This arch is built in memory of the Tang dynasty poet Hangyu.

You may choose to rest and chipping the Gongfu tea in many stores in front of the Haiyang County Confusion Temple. There is no obligation to buy. If you wish to purchase, please be sure to bargain.

Stop 3: The next stop is Huang Jilue Temple (己略黃公祠)
Huang Jilue Temple (己略黃公祠) is famous for its intricate wood and stone carvings. It was built in Qing dynasty. It is a great example of the architecture style of the East Guangdong.

Stop 4 (last stop): Back to the beginning is the Kaiyuan Temple (開元寺)
Kaiyuan Temple (開元寺) is a Buddhist center embodied with the quintessence of the architectural art of various dynasties such as the Tang, the Song, the Yuan and the Qing. This temple is over 200 years old. The temple is also home to the most influential Buddhism Study Institute in Southeast China. Inside, handsome calligraphy and inscribed steles remind visitors that this temple once functioned as the record keeper of the city.

Still want to see more? There is also another place worth visit: Xu, Imperial Son-in-law, Mansion (許駙馬府). I will leave that to you to find out the location. It will give you a bit more adventure in this trip.

Xu, Imperial Son-in-law, Mansion (許駙馬府), which retains the basic pattern of the architecture of the Song Dynasty.

Tips:
How to get there:
By Air: Chaozhou has no airport. The closest airport is located in Shantou which is only 30km to Chaozhou city. Every 10 minutes, Shantou bus station has an express bus to Chaozhou.
By train: Guangzhou has 3 trains that connect to Chaozhou
By bus: This is actually the preferred ways to go to Chaozhou. It is very easy to find buses that connect Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xiamen and many other cities.
By boat: Chaozhou is connected to Hongkong and Xiamen by boat.

Travel in the city:
Taxi: Chaozhou old town is very small. The Chaozhou railway station is close to the Kaiyuan temple. The taxis are metered.
Bus: The public bus system is well developed. However, the signs are in Chinese.
By tricycle: this human powered tricycle is another way to enjoy the city. The drivers will usually explain to you the “secret stories” of the Chaozhou. The “old city tricycle tour” costs 30RMB for 1.5 hour round trip that starts in Kaiyuan temple.
By bike: Bikes are offered for rent in many small shops.