The guy running Chinafaces does an outstanding job enabling visitors to check out the mythical 'real China.'

I'm based in Beijing so I don't need his help here, but I've used his services to explore parts of Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Yunnan provinces which one wouldn't normally see if they used some cheezy government-run tour operator.

inveniocataya@gmail.com

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Travelling on the high plateaus of Qinghai with Tibetan and Mongolian tribes, along the source of many great rivers and cultures in the not-seen parts of West China can be a thrilling experience.

On to Xinjiang and the heavenly mountains of Tianshan and Kunlin with Central Asian peoples that have persisted here for centuries. Have a look at the photographs here:

picasaweb.google.com/inveniocataya/XiBeiNorthWestChinaTrip

www.chinafaces.net

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It’s worth buying a ticket with an audio tour included at the main entrance. That way you’ll have Roger Moore giving a cool, sophisticated commentary as you stroll around this incredible imperial palace. Also, there’s usually less of a queue here for tickets than the main ticket office.

Pick up an audio tour by the main entrance, coming from Tiananmen Square.

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The Bauhaus-style munitions factory turned contemporary art district is filled with galleries, studios, eateries and wall slogans reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution.

Factory 798, Dashanzi; www.diaf.org/

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