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This is the first guidebook specifically written for people who speak no Chinese but would like to go hiking on their own in China off the beaten track. The hikes are through the beautiful Qinling and Daba Mountains in Sichuan and Shaanxi Province along the few remaining stretches of one of China's old imperial roads known as the Road to Shu. There are nineteen hikes, most in the six-hour range, but some two-and three-day hikes as well. There are maps, hotel and restaurant listings, specific information on bus and train travel, and Chinese phrases to help you secure lodgings on your own. There are five handy pages of local menu selections in Chinese, as well.
Also included is some unusual information you won't find in any other guidebook: Is it safe to drink Bad Weather Beer or eat in a restaurant that advertises "Englishmen delicious"? When staying in a Chinese farmhouse should you wash your face and feet in the same basin? The most important question though is: How cheaply can you do this trip? The answer is for as little as $25 a day in cheap lodgings or for $80 a day in costlier ones.
