Many of us visited China’s classic destinations in the early and mid-’80s, when the sheer majesty and—for us Occidentals—newness of the country were enthralling. That newness just keeps on getting newer, with massive development just about everywhere and tourism, both domestic and foreign, on a sharp rise. Frankly, we give the authorities a mixed report card on how well they’re maintaining the charm of those classic destinations. Mindful that our travelers tend to shy away from crowds and exercises in touristic gee-gawing, we constantly search for ways to sidestep the teeming paths and hunt out more serene spots—like the rare places in Sichuan Province we describe below—in the cities as well as in the countryside.

Follow the Dragon begins with sojourns to Beijing’s signature monuments: the Great Wall (seeing it for the first time, Jan Morris, like many of us, “felt I was breaking some strange and lifelong dream”), the history-saturated Forbidden City, and the stunning, catapulting modern city itself.

Now we’re off to Sichuan, deep in the country’s interior, overnighting in the provincial capital of Chengdu, where we visit a panda breeding center. Then onward to a couple of remarkable days in Jiuzhaigou National Park (sister national park, in formal alliance and sheer spectacle, to our Yosemite)—a deservedly popular extravaganza of luminous blue lakes, streaming waterfalls, lush forests, and outstanding views of the snowy peaks that rise up on the Tibetan Plateau’s eastern edge. On our second day there, we’ll head over to the extremely (for now) little visited Zharu Valley, paying our respects at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, wandering through a village, and walking along forested trails, contemplating as we ramble that this valley is home to representatives of a mind-boggling 40 percent of all the plant species found in China

We fly from Chengdu to Guilin for a lovely river cruise on the Li River, meandering beneath the region’s delicately monumental karsts, some of the most astonishing sights on earth, to the bustling little town of Yangshuo, nestled in a forest of karsts. Then to Longsheng and the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces, an extraordinary example of extreme rice terracing. We end with a day in the beehive metropolis of Shanghai before heading home.

Day 1: arrive in Beijing • Days 2 & 3: Beijing • Day 4: Beijing to Chengdu • Day 5 Chengdu Panda Base • Day 6: on to Jiuzhaigou Day 7: Jiuzhaigou and Zharu Valley • Day 8: to Guilin • Day 9: Li River cruise to Yangshuo • Day 10: Yangshuo to Longsheng • Day 11: Longsheng and environs • Day 12: Longsheng to Shanghai via Guilin • Day 13: Shanghai • Day 14: depart Shanghai.

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