On our 1996 trip to China, my brother Dave and I both had mentioned Xi'an and Tibet as alluring travel destinations that couldn't be fit into that trip due to time constraints. So this year, along with his son Mike, we visited Xi'an, Tibet, and Beijing (our point of entry & departure from China). The trip lasted from August 11th to August 24th 2000.
I met up with Dave and Mike in Beijing (they'd already been there a few days, having been in Japan for several days before that). After two nights in Beijing we flew to Xi'an and after two nights there we flew to Lhasa. After six nights in Tibet we flew back to Beijing, and shortly after that we flew home.
We explored on our own in Beijing, but had guides in Xi'an and Lhasa, which worked out well. Special thanks to my brother Dave for inviting me along and doing a lot of the preparation and organization. I've also put together a list of tips and editorial comments about traveling to China and Tibet.
Highlights of the trip are shown at the below pages, broken out by region. Each page has a link to the next & previous pages. I've opted for a low-tech, frame-free layout that should work for everyone. Enjoy, and feel free to send me comments or questions.
Beijing: The Great Wall of China at Simatai (click on this link to start!)
Xi'an: The Terra Cotta Warriors and city sights
Lhasa, Tibet: The Potala and Norbulingka
Lhasa, Tibet: The Barkhor Market
Lhasa, Tibet: Drepung Monastery
Tibet: The (High!) Road from Lhasa to Gyantse
Gyantse, Tibet: Pelkor Chöde Monastery and the Kumbum
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Any comments or random thoughts? Send me some e-mail at
cflaat@msn.com.
All content copyright 2000 by Christopher A. Flaat.