So I think that I'll have more time than I was expecting.

Suppose I go to Shanghai and Beijing, and I guess Xian. Is there something else you think I should try to fit in this trip?

I've skimmed some reports and some have gone to Yangshou and Lijiang. I didn't see any mention of Three Gorges. Is this no longer worth it with the alteration of the landscape?

I don't really know China so am looking forward to the suggestions. Thanks.

>I didn't see any mention of Three Gorges. Is this no longer worth it with the alteration of the landscape?

Yangtze & three gorges are out!

The last "farewell Yangtze three gorge" cruise took off more than 10 years ago.

Today, most of the original artifacts are gone.

The mother river, Yangtze and her tributories are heavily polluted, most sections are filled with factory discharge, human waste & dead animal bodies.

Local people are doing their laundries along the 3 gorge reservoir.

See pics.
http://img3.pcpop.com/upimg3/2009/3/22/0006980566.jpg
http://img3.pcpop.com/upimg3/2009/3/22/0006980569.jpg
http://img3.pcpop.com/upimg3/2009/3/22/0006980573.jpg


Cruise ship passengers often get sick from contaminated food & water.

Xian, Guilin, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Guangzhou are the good places to travel in China other than Beijing and Shanghai.

Thanks. Tells you how much I know! Interesting that a link like this one still covers the area, but it's probably a mere shadow of its former self.

http://www.friendlyplanet.com/best-of-china.html

I have decided not to go to Xian. Next trip!

Is Suzhou doable in a day trip? It looks like the train takes 1-1.5 hours? I guess Hangzhou is further from Shanghai. Thinking it's a 2-2.5 hour train ride? Frommer's seems to think it's doable in a day trip.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations...717020791.html

Suzhou can be a day trip.
A leisure trip to Hangzhou has to be overnight.

The trip from Shanghai to Suzhou will pass by Yangcheng Lake.

Yangcheng Lake is the most famous area for the Chinese hairy crabs.

From now until the end of October is the season for Chinese hairy crabs.

Chinese spend hundreds of rmb just to taste a small crab from that lake.

They love to eat hairy crabs with a local warm yellow rice wine.

That sounds like fun. You don't have to go to the lake to have this, I assume?

There are places like Maine Avenue Fish Market in Washington DC along Yangcheng lake.

How did Mango's response disappear? Did he/she delete it or is this thread being monitored?