Lonely Planet Six Degrees

- Season 1

(2011)

Lonely Planet's star report Oli Pettigrew starts a journey to discover China trough six major cities in Shanghai, a true metropolis with a history of cosmopolitanism unrivaled in mainland China since the colonial age and a huge, active ex-pats population which is surprisingly well integrated, as proved in a charitable boxing benefit. A versatile, major artist shows Oli a dazzling glitter world of business and society networking. Oli overcomes his initial reserves to the bizarre experience of a luxury spa.

Oli continues his tour of China's great cities in Chengdu, an ancient imperial capital, in the central province of Sechuan, a fertile agricultural region since a major river diversion é" centuries ago. Oli is amazed by its relatively large ex-pat community and cosmopolitan musical and nightlife scene. He also takes to its hot-spicy cuisine, based on scorching peppers and organic vegetables. He enjoys trying out calligraphy and a spectacular traditional tea-house, regrets a professional ear cleaning and still volunteers to get his son's name tattooed and play a small ...

Oli enjoys a visit to Nanjing, China's ninth metropolis, land-inward from Shanghai on the mighty Yangtze and a tributary, with the world's largest city wall. The dating scene is gruesome, due to a structural girls deficit allowing them excessive arrogance against Confucian tradition. Oli volunteers as sword fight sparring partner but really enjoys co-modeling for a modern designer who contributed to reviving the city's traditional industry, gold brocade (actually with silver and silk), traditionally reserved for the imperial family.

Xiamen, the former Amoy, isn't really big by Chinese standard with about 3.5 million inhabitants. The South Chinese Sea port opposite Formosa (Taiwan's main island) was a major treaty port, the main outlet for the vast Chinese tea export. Its many colonial regimes left a remarkable patrimony, contributing to its touristic popularity. Chinese flock to the old city island, where motorized transport is forbidden, as an ideal site for elaborate wedding pictures photo-shoots.

Xi'an, formerly the imperial capital Chang'an, is among the oldest inland metropolises, having grown rich as easter start of the silk route from northern China to Central Asia, Middle East and Europe. It proudly preserves a huge city wall and developed a vast tourist business around the thousands of terracotta statues, mainly warrior guards, from the tomb of the first emperor, who unified the empire. Exposed to numerous (Turkic, Mongol...) incursion from the north, it has a mixed population with distinct traditions, including a highly Sinified form of Islam, an ...

The former German, later Japanese treaty port now known as Qingdao has a very cosmopolitan heritage, in both architecture and daily life. The Bavarian input includes beer, in fact China's largest brewery, which exports 80% of its production. The locals enjoy a surprisingly relaxed beach culture, complete with motorbiking, and extensive body culture, with open-air gym.