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What's New for the Smiths?
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The impressive view of the Pudong Skyline as seen from the Bund on a warm August night in the summer of 2010
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Winter in Harbin!
It's basically a right of passage for expats living in China to go to Harbin in the winter to experience the Snow & Ice Festival. The Smiths did just that during an icy February weekend in 2012! The festival was a blast and strolling the boulevards of charming Harbin was a great way to spend a weekend for sure. And seeing the spectacular Siberian Tigers was both troubling and amazing. And "Unit 731" was....well...
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Thanksgiving In Fujian!
One evening while watching the BBC series, "Wild China" Som mentioned how interesting some strange circular mud structures in Fujian Province were. After doing a bit of research, the next thing you know, we were there! While seeing the phenomenal Hakka Tolou villages of Fujian we also trekked Meihuashan Nature Reserve and even scored some new mammals and birds! And we got a chance to see some of the last surviving Amoy tigers in their natural habitat at the Meihuashan Tiger Breeding Center.
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Beijing
Well, after my first two trips to
Beijing, I vowed to NEVER return, but here I was again, June 2011, in Beijing.
But this time I was with my wife, son, mom and dad and nephew Phil, so it
was different. Actually, while I may loathe Beijing the city, there is
just too much history and amazing architecture there to simply not go...It is
worth it for sure!
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Inner Mongolia
In the spring of 2011, I had the
unique pleasure of traveling to China's Inner Mongolia with our local chapter
of Roots & Shoots. Spending several days in this amazing province
with a couple dozen outstanding young students and colleagues was a special treat
and a wonderful travel experience.
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Panda Tracking in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi Province!
There is little doubt that one of the most sought after mammal species for any mammal enthusiast is the Giant Panda. It was a goal of mine for many decades to see one in the wild. And on this expedition, the entire Smith family was fortunate to see one! We spent a week in the spectacular Qinling Mountains in Foping Nature Reserve searching for Pandas and many other species. This was truly an experience of a lifetime!
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Wawu Shan Mountain & Sichuan!
May of 2011 was spent with 23 lovely 9th graders from SAS exploring Wawu Mountain and Sichuan in search of Red & Giant Pandas! While the Red Pandas remain elusive, the trip was a spectacular journey through on of Sichuans most biodiverse and spectacular regions!
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Wildlife Weekend in Yancheng, Jiangsu!
Just a few hours north of Shanghai, one can find an excellent wildlife destination in Yancheng. Home to the wintering grounds for the spectacular Red-crowned Crane and to the last remaining herds of Pere David's Deer, Yancheng is an excellent way to spend a couple rainy winter days! Enjoy this trip report from Yancheng, China.
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Wildlife Expedition to Yunnan!
Chinese New Years may not be the best time to travel in China but it sure didn't stop our incredible luck in finding our targets! We had great times with the Black-crested Gibbons, Black-necked Cranes and the Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkeys of this amazing province. Nine days with great guides and phenomenal experiences made this one of our best trips ever!
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Birding Expedition to Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province!
Our first major wildlife outing since arriving in China was a great success! During our trip to Poyang Lake, one of the largests lakes in China, we witnessed a wildlife spectacle extraordinaire. Thousands of Siberian Cranes and three other cranes species was an experience we will never forget! And that's not to mention the hundreds of thousands of other birds seen in this phenomenal region.
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Chongming Island
Our first major adventure involved a day trip out in to the middle of the Yangtze River on to Chongming Island. Chongming is home to Dongtan Wetlands Reserve. This trip allowed us to experience one of Shanghai's "wildlife hotspots". We had a great day exploring the reeds and habitats of Dongtan!
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Rudong County
Rudong County, Nankou Town in specific, is located along China's coast and is home to a very impressive migration event every fall. On our expedition to Rudong, we were privileged to see such amazing species as the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Nordmann's Greenshank among others.
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