How to Plan your Trip to China or Asia in 2018 with Xiamen Airlines

Having spent a year living and traveling around Southeast Asia back in 2013 and 2014, Kach and I are no strangers to the magnetic pull of eastern travel. Although we traveled all over Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, we have always wanted to expand our horizons north to China. Something tells us that 2018 might just be our year!

Obviously one of the first things that we started looking into was how to travel to China and which airline to fly with, especially since China is such a huge country with so many destinations within it. When we began to search for airlines flying to China from the United States (where most of our travels start from these days) one name stood out, Xiamen Airlines.

With their fleet of 188 aircraft, with ten intercontinental flights, they should be able to get us to and from China, as well as allowing us to jet around within the country with ease.

Here are just a few of the amazing destinations we want to visit in China:

1. The Great Wall of China

Often referred to as the World’s greatest engineering achievement, the Great Wall of China stretches in its entirety from east to west across China, marking the ancient and much-fought border between China and Mongolia. While much of the wall is no longer continuous and has fallen into disrepair, the most famous and well-recognized portion of the wall winds over the hills overlooking the Beijing municipality.

2. The Forbidden City

Located in the very core of Beijing and of Chinese history, the Forbidden City is a Unesco Heritage site and the former home to two dynasties of Emperors before the Qing dynasty was overthrown in the early 1900’s. China’s last emperor was finally evicted from the palace in 1925. More and more of this vast complex opens each year as restoration continues. Now you can enter through the Meridian Gate, which was traditionally reserved for the emperor and his entourage.

3. The Terracotta Army

This incredible archaeological site in Xi’An was first discovered by farmers trying to dig a well. There are thousands of soldiers and horses arranged in battle formation, buried in an underground tomb with the Chinese Emperor Qin She Huang.

4. The Giant Pandas

Pandas and synonymous with China and the long-standing fight to grow their numbers is stronger than ever. The Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in Chengdu, Sichuan is home to around 120 giant pandas and over 70 red pandas. 36 new baby giant pandas were born in 2017, so it looks like the program could be working and the giant panda will continue to be with us!

5. Tiger Leaping Gorge

The most unmissable trek of southern China, Tiger Leaping Gorge on the Jinsha River is only 60 kilometers north of Lilang City in southwest China. At its deepest, the canyon is almost 4000 meters deep from the mountain peak to the river below. The gorge is one of the most spectacular hiking destinations in China, attracting adventurous hikers from all over the world. 

Here are some of the international departure points that you can use to fly to China with Xiamen Airlines:

Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Vancouver, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Australia, Singapore, and Tokyo… to name just a few of them. Xiamen Airlines now has up to 26 international routes. Not only that, if you happen to be flying on one of their brand new Boeing 787-9 then you can try out the new business class seat, which has all be updated to the new pod type design.

Traveling Sustainably

One of the biggest considerations for worldwide travelers these days is sustainability, whether its supporting local services, taking public transportation, or minimizing your carbon travel footprint!

Xiamen Airlines became an official partner of the UN Sustainable Development Goals program in 2017 and the newest Boeing 787 aircraft is one of the first to wear the UN livery with the symbol of the Sustainable Development Goals, which were adopted by the UN in 2015 with the aim of ‘ending poverty, hunger and ensuring prosperity worldwide.’ The fact that Xiamen Airlines was the first airline in the world to cooperate with the UN to promote sustainable development is a clear sign that they are thinking about their own sustainable future.

Traveling in Comfort

Note: We love to end on a fun note, so check out these awesome travel accessories you can pick up when you fly with Xiamen Airlines!

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Note: This article is written in collaboration with Xiamen Airlines.