I've lived in Beijing for the last year and spent a great deal of this time traveling through the country. As much as I love China's nature, I've grown to dislike the mass tourism and Disneylandification of national parks and other landmarks up to the point where I couldn't see the magic of the country anymore. Historical towns seem to have become a mass meeting point for cheap Taobao-goods vendors, and most national parks allow you to 'hike' on paved ways after taking a mandatory 80RMB+ bus or cable car. The sense of authenticity is just completely gone, which to me personally takes away the whole idea of experiencing a country.
There have been exceptions, though, which convinces me that the country still has SO MUCH to offer to those who - like me - want to avoid mass tourism. I particularly enjoyed venturing out of Jinhong in Xishuangbanna (Yunnan) to surrounding jungle border villages, and really enjoyed traveling through Ningxia & Gansu (where even the major landmarks like Zhangye are still very much worth a visit).
I would be really excited to read about some destination advice or personal stories of a more authentic experience of the country side; real historical towns or minority villages where you can get a good taste of how the locals live; or national parks where human interference is as limited as possible. I've read that the Western part of Hunan is well worth a visit; or Yading in Southwest Sichuan. Qinghai supposedly also has breathtaking nature, but the bad infrastructure makes it a very costly trip (and where do you even begin to make an itinerary on land this vast?). Any tips?
Thanks!!
