The hutongs of Beijing.

N

o, this is not a posting about a famous family in Beijing or the name of a popular Chinese soap opera. Hutongs are an element of urban life that is unique to Beijing.

This posting begins with a bit of a history lesson.....going back to 1215 AD when Genghis Khan and his Golden Horde invaded Beijing and razed the city. The period in Chinese history that followed, during which the Mongols ruled China (1271-1368 AD), is known as the Yuan Dynasty. During this time, a new city was planned out, laid out based on a grid design. Following the Yuan Dynasty, an emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1628 AD) sought to erase all traces of Yuan Dynasty therefore destroyed most of the Mongol palaces but kept the grid that organized the city. Thus, it was during the Ming dynasty that Beijing, as we know it today, was formed.

Steppe-ing into Mongolia.

I

was born and raised in large metropolitan areas. I have spent most of my adult life living in and around Washington. I live a very comfortable life surrounded by buildings and cars and the sound of my cellphone ringing. But every now and again, I wander into nature to try and escape civilization but even around here, nature somehow seems to be bounded by man made things. Us city folk like to explore nature but only if we can have the conveniences of modern life close at hand :-)

Three Gorges.

The Yangtze River or Chang Jiang (長江), at about 6,385 km long, is the longest river in China and Asia and is the third-longest in the world, after the Nile and the Amazon.

My trip through China will take me from Shanghai to Nanjing to Wuhan. All three cities lie alongside the Yangtze River. Of course, I can't be that close to this famous river and somehow not travel it. So, a cruise up the Yangtze is on the itinerary. The Yangtze flows from west to east. I will be doing a 3 day cruise upriver beginning in Yichang.

.....and it was this [<------------------------>] big!

My trip through Mongolia will take me to the Khövsgöl region in northwest Mongolia near the border to Russia. The region is home to Lake Khövsgöl, the Selenge River and Terghin Tsagan Nuur (Great White Lake). My itinerary stops at all three locations and of course, I expect the scenery to be absolutely spectacular - wide open steppes, expansive sky, and pristine blue waters. Though there will be plenty of time to fill in my trip diary and catch up on reading, this part of the trip will be all about enjoying the outdoors. There will be some hiking and horseback riding AND...as I have discovered, opportunities to do some fishing as well!