hen China first opened its doors to visitors from abroad some twenty years ago, you could not buy a postcard at the Great Wall, there was no coca-cola in the hotel bars, the best hotels were plainly appointed, the local guides spoke good English but their knowledge of their own culture appeared limited and refreshingly they did not accept tips, you shopped in the Friendship store, bicycles moved out of the way of the few tourist buses and travel arrangements were often unpredictable.

However such limitations were easily overlooked as the sights were awe-inspiring. The enthusiasm and curiosity with which the visitor was greeted were entrancing and afforded a sense of privilege at witnessing the first stirrings of an awakening China.

Today the visitor to China will find freeways and traffic jams in the big cities, gleaming skyscrapers and luxury hotels, teeming shops and markets, well-informed and elegant guides, all the proprietary brands of soft drinks and imported wines you could wish for, air-conditioned buses and an altogether smoother operation. Some regular visitors or those returning after a few years feel that something has been lost.

How does the first time visitor make that voyage of discovery, which reveals the other side of China? How far from your hotel do you need to venture or how deep into the countryside before you will find a quiet temple, a bridge over a canal, an ox-drawn plough plodding through the fields, where will you find timeless skills still practised ?

While October 1999 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the revolution and the founding of the People's Republic, China is a place where change is ceaseless, where the young seek knowledge and wealth, where the middle-aged harbour their memories of the turbulent sixties and seventies and where the elderly still recall pre-liberation days and are held in high esteem.

It is not that we think the visitor should only seek the past, modern China is a complex and exciting society, but needs some skill to navigate one's way around.

With our excellent local knowledge and contacts our aim is to make China accessible to the visitor from abroad by organizing small groups tailored to your particular interest.