A favorite haunt of backpackers, hippies and other bohemian types, Dali is like China’s answer to Goa, the “hippie mecca” of India. Centuries ago, this small city was the capital of the kingdom of the Bai, one of China’s many ethnic minorities. They still live here today, and if you visit the shores of Lake Erhai on one side of the town, you can watch Bai fishermen catch fish the traditional way, with specially trained water birds called cormorants. However, these days the Bai are joined by a blend of young Chinese students, artists, musicians and hippified Westerners, all in Dali to chill out and enjoy the city’s laid-back, artsy  vibe.

On the Western side of the city, the Cangshan mountains provide a stunning backdrop and endless opportunities for exploration. According to the Guardian, if you go into the mountains you’ll find “esoteric temples, guesthouse retreats, hot springs and even a secret monastery of kung fu monks.”

One item that you’ll need to get your hands on before you visit is a Chinese tourist visa, or “L” visa. Without the visa, you won’t even be allowed to leave the United States. Here’s what you need to get the visa:

• One completed Chinese visa application
• Your US passport,. You’ll need at least one blank page in the back for the visa, and your passport must have an expiration date at least 6 months in the future. Before you apply for your Chinese visa, add passport pages or renew your passport if necessary.
• A copy of your passport’s information page. This is the page that has your name, birthday and other personal information on it.
• On the application, glue or staple one recent passport photo.

If you are leaving within the next 7 days, include a copy of your travel itinerary. This will allow your Chinese visa to be expedited.

RushMyTravelVisa can make getting a Chinese visa a much faster and less stressful experience. When you apply through us, your visa specialist will assist you with your application and answer any questions you might have, so you don’t have to worry about making a mistake that could delay your application. Then, we deliver your Chinese visa application to the appropriate embassy or consulate for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Chinese visa today!

Tags: China, China visa, Chinese visa

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 16th, 2010 at 8:09 pm and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.