Yunnan MEKONG TRAVEL by Jaffee Yee

TRAVEL 旅游 ARTS 艺术 CULTURE 文化

Cover Story

Yunnan – China’s Gateway to the Greater Mekong Sub-Region

Destination Highlight

Xishuangbanna - China’s Tropical Paradise

Arts, Culture & Heritage

Mountain Masterpieces Nixi Pottery and the Amber Bowl

云南—中国通往大湄公河次区域的门户

Festivals & Lifestyles

旅游重点

The Yi Torch Festival - Playing with Fire

Green Travel

Laos’ New Shade of Green

封面故事

西双版纳—中国的热带天堂

艺术文化山中杰作—香格里拉的黑陶、木碗和唐卡

民俗风情 Inaugural Issue

2011.01 Baht150 / US$5 / ¥15

彝族火把节—与火狂欢

绿色之旅老挝的一抹新绿

Cover photo by Suthep Kritsanavarin

TRAVEL 旅游 ARTS 艺术 CULTURE 文化

Inaugural Issue | Jan/Feb 2011 | Issue #1 3

GREETINGS FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 国外出版人寄语

DATELINE GMS+ 大湄公河纪事

COVER STORY 封面故事 Yunnan - China’s Gateway to the Greater Mekong Sub-Region | by Justin Kiersky 云南 — 中国通往大湄公河次区域的门户

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHT 旅游重点 Xishuangbanna - China’s Tropical Paradise | by Justin Kiersky 西双版纳 — 中国的热带天堂

CONTENTS

PROFILE 机构简介 Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai | by Edward Carter 金三角四季豪华帐篷度假村

INTERVIEW 人物专访 Man of the Mekong: An interview with Mason Florence 梅森•佛罗伦斯专访

ARTS, CULTURE & HERITAGE 艺术文化 Mountain Masterpieces - Nixi Pottery and the Amber Bowl | by Justin Kiersky 山中杰作 — 香格里拉的黑陶、木碗和唐卡

FESTIVALS & LIFESTYLES 民俗风情 The Yi Torch Festival - Playing with Fire | by Justin Kiersky 彝族火把节 — 与火狂欢

GREEN TRAVEL 绿色之旅 Laos’ New Shade of Green | by Bernie Rosenbloom 老挝的一抹新绿

PHOTO ART GALLERY 摄影画廊 Great photography on the mighty Mekong River | by Suthep Kritsanavarin 湄公河影像记录

WINE & DINE 饮食天地 Across the Bridge Noodles - The Pride of Kunming Cuisine | by Justin Kiersky 过桥米线 — 云南美食的代表

SHOPPING & LEISURE 购物休闲 Bangkok - The Greatest Shopping Extravaganza of Them All! | by Liz Smailes 曼谷 — 无可匹比的购物天堂

MyMEKONG 我的湄公河 Cry Me A River | by Stu Lloyd 为我泪流成河

Issue No. 1, Jan/Feb 2011 (Inaugural Issue) | 2011年,第1期,总第1期主管 Executive Parent Organization: 云南出版集团公司 Yunnan Publishing Group Corporation 合办 In-cooperation with and sponsored by: 云南省旅游局 Yunnan Provincial Tourism Administration 合作 Co-published by: 云南画报社 Yunnan Pictorial Press, Yunnan, China 泰国知识传媒集团 Knowledge Media Group, Thailand 编委会 Editorial Advisory Board Members: 朱飞云 Zhu Feiyun, 喻顶成 Yu Dingcheng, 何池康 He Chikang, 汤汉清 Tang Hanqing, 龙雪飞 Long Xuefei, 岑容林 Prof Cen Rong Lin, Prof Edward Carter, Dr Jingjai Hanchanlash, Alan Maung Maung Swe 社长 Director: 闻林华 Wen Linhua 副社长 Deputy Director: 赵丽华 Zhao Lihua 国外出版人 Editor-in-Chief: 余曜辉 Jaffee Yee Yeow-Fei 执行总编 Editor: 崔颖 Cui Ying 执行主编 Managing Editors: 李敏 Li Min, 陈耀宗 Ernest Tan, James Pruess 特约撰稿人 Contributing Writers: Greg Jorgensen, Liz Smailes, Justin Kiersky, Bernie Rosenbloom, Stu Lloyd 图片总监 Photography Consultants: 张有林 Zhang Youlin, Martin Reeves, Olivier Nilsson 设计总监 Art Directors: 庄嘉强 Ch'ng Kiah Kiean, 陈佳 Chen Jia 设计 Graphic Designer: 刘雍恩 Lau Yong En 专题部副主任 Deputy Chief Features Writer: 施展 Shi Zhan 编辑记者 Reporters: 普中华 Pu Zhonghua, 张晓燕 Zhang Xiaoyan, 李思颖 Li Siying, 张柯昱 Zhang Keyu, 何思裕 He Siyu 发行 Circulation Managers: 曹红霞 Cao Hongxia, Yaad Pijadee 刊号: ISSN 1003-692X CN53-1034/Z 地址: 昆明市北京路141号编辑部电话: 0871-3557459 3512372 传真: 0871-3545677 发行部电话: 0871-3528282 邮政编码: 650011 广告登记证: 滇工商广字第0245号制版: 昆明雅昌图文信息技术有限公司印刷: 昆明富新春彩色印务有限公司国内发行处: 云南省邮政局订购处: 全国各地邮电局、所国内代号: 64-5 GMS发行: 泰国知识传媒集团 Knowledge Media Group, Thailand 网站: www.yunnanpictorial.com Email: yunnanpictorial@vip.163.com 网络订阅: 龙源期刊网 www.qikan.com.cn 博看网: www.bookan.com.cn 本刊图文版权所有若转载和使用请与本刊联系本刊凡有印刷装订质量错误，请直接向印刷厂退换。联系人: 刘志海电话: 13708465388 Yunnan Mekong Travel is a co-publication of Yunnan Pictorial Press and Knowledge Media Group Limited www.KnowledgeMediaGroup.com PO Box 188, Chiang Rai 57000, Thailand For advertising, circulation or subscription, please contact: +66 (0)86 181 6668, + 66 (0)53 758578 info@KnowledgeMediaGroup.com Yunnan Mekong Travel is a semi-controlled free and paid circulation magazine. Single copies sale are priced in local currencies approximately in the equivalent of US$5 and subscription rates are given as below. In China and Thailand, complimentary copies of each issue of the magazine are distributed to all embassies and diplomatic services, government tourism bureaus, major airlines lounges of international airports of Bangkok, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Kunming, selected deluxe hotel suites and business centers plus a mailing list of key tourism industry players and affluent individual business and leisure travelers. Annual Subscription Rates 2011 Thailand: 1,000 baht >Asia (except China): US$60.00 >All other territories: US$90.00 All rates are including shipping and handling charges. ISSN# 1003 692X ©2011 by Knowledge Media Group Limited and Yunnan Pictorial Press All materials in this publication are copyrighted by the publishers. Please direct to the publishers all requests for permission to use any part of the contents in any form. Reproduction of any part of the contents is strictly prohibited by law without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers reserve the right to accept or refuse advertising at their discretion. Acceptance of any ad does not imply endorsement by the publishers.

Greetings from the Editor-in-Chief

国外出版人寄语

Finally, we have arrived at a new milestone for tourism in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) by witnessing this newly born travel magazine christened Yunnan Mekong Travel. For the first time ever, a travel magazine for the region in two of the world's most important universal languages, English and Chinese, with world-class travel photography, is brought to you by a team of publishing professionals in China (Yunnan Pictorial Press) and Thailand (Knowledge Media Group). The Greater Mekong Sub-Region is truly an exotic travel destination covering six countries, with the mighty Mekong River spanning 4,909 km, its source at the glaciers of Tibet, flowing through Yunnan, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam into the South China Sea. More than 60 million people pledge their lives to this beloved “mother river,” which has nourished generations for hundreds of years. This is a river feared and loved, worshipped and embraced, by all who live on its banks. Travelers are gradually beginning to appreciate its beauty and enjoy its natural surroundings. And yet, not many understand its mystery and have yet to discover its hidden beauty. Hopefully Yunnan Mekong Travel magazine will play a vital role by gradually introducing all the wonders of this amazing river to the world at large. What you are holding is the inaugural issue of the magazine. For your reading enjoyment, in each issue we intend to bring you topics we believe will be of great interest to you and all other readers. We will open up the hidden treasures bit by bit, telling you what there is to explore, enjoy, and experience, whether it be a famous UNESCO World Heritage site or a new and lesser known emerging destination, a great luxurious resort or a unique nature retreat, sumptuous international cuisine or healthy and delicious local food, shopping for luxury fashion items and accessories such as Louis Vuitton or Patek Philippe, or tips for the best buys in local products. In this issue, we introduce you an exotic destination -Xishuangbanna as China's tropical paradise. We also draw your attention to the healthy Yunnan cuisine and one of its most famous foods, guoqiao mixian; the arts and crafts of a Tibetan minority in Shangri-la; the Yi Torch Festival, shopping in Bangkok to rival Singapore and Hong Kong; The Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai; and more… Enjoy and keep this issue as a collector's item.

《云南画报湄公河旅游》的诞生，标志着大湄公河次区域的旅游文化迈进了一个新的里程碑。由中国的云南画报社和泰国的知识媒体集团携手合作，集合一批专业的旅游出版人和世界级的摄影师，这份前所未有的以中文和英文这两大国际语言为媒介的全新旅游杂志，终于呈现在各位读者面前了。大湄公河次区域涵盖6个国家，是一个极具地域色彩的旅游胜地。在中国境内称为澜沧江的湄公河发源于青藏高原冰川，由北向南蜿蜒逾4909公里，流经中国云南、老挝、缅甸、泰国、柬埔寨，最后穿过越南注入南中国海。它是自古以来养育了两岸世世代代人民的“母亲河”，目前有超过6000万人靠它维生。人们对这条大河既怕又爱，对它敬畏崇拜之余总会忍不住将它拥抱入怀。如今，越来越多游客从世界各地前来发掘它的绝世之美，并接受其自然环境的深情拥抱。然而，人们对其神秘色彩的了解还不够，它那内在的、隐秘的美，也还有待进一步发掘。我们希望《云南画报湄公河旅游》能在这方面扮演一个关键的角色，逐步把这条大河的奇观美景和魅力介绍给全世界。目前你手上拿着的是《云南画报湄公河旅游》的创刊号。在每一期的杂志里，为了让你和所有旅游爱好者享有阅读的乐趣，我们将尽力提供最令人感兴趣的内容，逐一展示大湄公河次区域的神秘文化。著名的联合国教科文组织世界文化遗产以及新兴而不太为人所知的景点，豪华昂贵的酒店以及自然朴实的旅舍，精致奢侈的国际美食以及健康美味的地方小吃，路易威登、百达翡丽等国际时尚名牌以及价廉物美的地方手工艺品，只要是值得探索、品味和体验的，都将成为我们介绍的对象。这本创刊号除了重点介绍中国的热带天堂西双版纳，还介绍了云南著名健康美食过桥米线、香格里拉的民族手工艺品、云南彝族的火把节、可媲美新加坡和香港的购物天堂曼谷、位于泰国清莱的四季金三角豪华帐篷度假村，以及其他精彩的内容。希望这本创刊号不仅能带给你阅读的乐趣，也能成为你书架上的珍藏品。

余曜辉

Jaffee Yee Yeow-Fei

DATELINE GMS+ 大湄公河纪事

THAILAND Bangkok and Chiang Mai voted the world's best and second best cities In a survey completed in March 2010, readers of the US Travel & Leisure magazine voted Bangkok and Chiang Mai the world's best and second best cities for their 2010 World's Best Awards. Bung Kan is Thailand's newest province Thailand welcomes Bung Kan as its 77th province, which is being carved out of Nong Khai province along the mighty Mekong River in the northeast region, commonly called Isaan. It borders Laos and four other Thai provinces. Thailand considers World Expo bid Akapol Sorasuchart, president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), says that the Thai government is going ahead with a feasibility study on the possibility of Thailand hosting the World Expo in 2020 and will be pushing forward with plans to submit a bid in 2011. Thailand lifts its state of emergency The state of emergency in Bangkok imposed in April 2010 during Thailand's worst political violence in decades has been lifted. Visitors are now happily flocking back to the capital. The government expects visitor arrivals for 2010 to hit its target of 15.5 million. Khiri Travel, Thailand, has exciting new programs Khiri Travel has announced twice-a-week guaranteed departures for four itineraries across Indochina: Bangkok to Saigon via Angkor Wat, Bangkok to Luang Prabang via either Luang Namtha or Vientiane, and Luang Prabang to Hanoi via the Plain of Jars. The trips require a minimum of two travelers. Four itineraries are being offered by Khiri Naga, a division of Khiri Travel specializing in flexible FIT travel options for independent and informal travelers on a budget. In the words of Mr. Willem Niemeijer, cofounder and CEO, “travel in the region is easier now and border crossing points between Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam are increasing all the time. Khiri Naga makes use of the improved roads now linking the countries of Indochina. More reliable transport now makes places that were hard to get to easier to reach." For details: www.khiri.com Fly or cruise - new helicopter and boat services A new helicopter service operated by Advanced Aviation has begun operation from Chiang Mai. The six-seat, brand new helicopter flown by highly experienced pilots is available for charter. Contact: www.advanceaviation.co.th Over at Mae Sai, Maekhong Delta Travel is offering a brand new 120-seat boat service plying along the Mekong River up to Jinghong or down to Luang Prabang. Contact: www.maekhongtravel.com

LAOS Laos-China high-speed train project Construction of the US$7 billion, 421km railway from the LaosChina border to Vientiane could begin on April 25, 2011 to mark 4

the 50th anniversary of Laos-China diplomatic relations. The project is slated for completion within four years to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Lao PDR, according to Mr. Somsavat Lengsavad, Standing Deputy Prime Minister. The railway will start at the Laos-China border in Boten and run south to Vientiane. The railway will be a part of the ASEAN-China Railway, which runs from Yunnan province south through Laos to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Vat Phou marks 10th anniversary in February 2011 Vat Phou temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Champasak province, prepares to mark its 10th anniversary with a series of traditional music concerts and performances by invited artists from India, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam from February 14 to 18, 2011. Activities include lighting up the temple complex with four thousand oil lamps and floating candles in the water and lanterns into the night sky.

CAMBODIA Cambodia and Thailand drop visa requirements Cambodia and Thailand have agreed, with immediate effect, that no visas are required for their citizens to visit each other's country. Cambodia hosts ATF2011 Cambodia will host ASEAN Tourism Forum 2011 in Phnom Penh on January 15-21, 2011. ATF 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of this event since its inauguration in Malaysia in 1981. ATF 2011 will be attended by over 1,600 delegates including 400 international buyers and more than 100 international media. www.atfcambodia.com

CHINA Danxia and Mount Songshan — two new UNESCO World Heritage sites “Danxia Landform of China” is the general name of a Serial Nomination for World Natural Heritage submitted for six geologically and geographically related Danxia landform areas collectively represent the outstanding universal values of Danxia geomorphology in southeast China. The six Danxia landform areas are: Mountain Langshan (Hunan province), Mountain Danxiashan (Guangdong province), Taining (Fujian province), Mountain Longhushan (Jiangxi province), Mountain Chishui (Guizhou province), and Mountain Jianglangshan (Zhejiang province). Mount Songshan is considered to be the central sacred mountain of China. At the foot of this 1500 metre high mountain, close to the city of Dengfeng in Henan province and spread over a 40 squarekilometre circle, stand eight clusters of buildings and sites, including three Han Que gates - remains of the oldest religious edifices in China -, temples, the Zhougong Sundial Platform and the Dengfeng Observatory. Constructed over the course of nine dynasties, these buildings are reflections of different ways of perceiving the centre of heaven and earth and the power of the mountain as a centre for religious devotion. The historical monuments of Dengfeng include some of the best examples of ancient Chinese buildings devoted to ritual, science, technology and education.

泰国

老挝

曼谷和清迈分别被票选为世界最佳旅游城市的第一与第二名

老挝－中国高速铁路计划

根据美国《旅游与休闲》杂志(Travel & Leisure) 2010年3月所

连接老挝－中国边境和万象的铁路将于2011年4月25日动工，

作的一项读者票选活动，曼谷和清迈分别当选为世界最佳旅游城市的第一与第二名。

中国建交五十周年。老挝常务副总理宋沙瓦•棱沙瓦说这项建

汶干被划为泰国最新的一省

设预计四年内完工，正好纪念老挝人民共和国成立40周年。

汶干自泰国西北伊森地区湄公河畔的廊开省被划分出来，成为泰国第七十七个省份。与它交界的是老挝以及泰国其它四个省份。

这条路线始于老挝－中国边界的波腾，往南止于万象，将成为从云南省往南穿过老挝抵达泰国、马来西亚与新加坡的连接东盟与中国铁路的一部分。

泰国欲争取世博会主办权

瓦普庙十周年庆于2011年2月举行

建设这条造价70亿美金、长421公里的高速铁路将纪念老挝和

泰国商展局(TCEB)主席阿卡波•索拉苏切表示，泰国政府正

位于占巴塞省的瓦普庙将于2011年2月14日至18日举行成为名

在研究主办2020年世博会的可行性，并将在2011年交出提案，

列联合国教科文组织世界遗产的十周年庆，期间将有一系列由邀请自印度、泰国、柬埔寨与越南的艺术家所呈现的传统音乐表演与各种演出。四千盏油灯、水上蜡烛及放天灯还将点亮夜晚的老寺庙群。

争取主办权。泰国2010年游客达到预期1550万人次曼谷因为2010年4月发生的一场泰国数十年来最严重的政治动乱而进入国家紧急状态，如今已宣布解除。现在游客再度蜂

柬埔寨

拥进入这个泰国首都。泰国政府期待2010年的游客数量会达

柬埔寨和泰国达成免签证协议

到预期中的1550万人次。

柬埔寨和泰国达成协议，同意双边人民可以免签证进入对方国境。

泰国奇利旅游(Khiri Travel)宣布4条新经济旅游散客路线奇利旅游宣布一周两次前往印度支那的四条固定旅游路线：曼谷出发经由吴哥窟到胡志明市、曼谷出发经由琅南塔或万象到琅勃拉邦，以及琅勃拉邦出发经由石缸平原到河内，两

柬埔寨主办2011年东盟旅游论坛(ATF2011)

人就能成行。提供这四条旅游路线的奇利纳加(Khiri Naga)是

时将有多达1,600位代表参加，包括400位国际买家，并有超

奇利旅游的一个分支，专门提供较有弹性的经济旅游路线给独立的散客。就如执行总裁、共同创办人威廉•尼梅杰所言： “如今在这个地区旅行已经变得越来越方便了，泰国、老挝、柬埔寨以及越南之间的边境过境点也一直在增加。奇利纳加也充分利用了连接印度支那半岛所有国家的已改善道路。更加可靠的交通使得过去难以到达的地方容易抵达。”

过100家国际媒体进行采访。www.atfcambodia.com

详细内容请参考 www.khiri.com 飞行或游船——新的直升机与游船载客服务先进航空(Advanced Aviation)在清迈所提供的新的直升机载客

柬埔寨于2011年1月15日至21日在金边主办东盟旅游论坛。这场论坛将是1981年在马来西亚揭开序幕以来的三十周年，届

中国丹霞与嵩山列入联合国教科文组织世界遗产 “中国丹霞地貌”是一系列世界自然遗产提名的通称，它包含六个在地质与地理上与丹霞地貌相关的区域，这些区域共同呈现出中国东南部丹霞地形的突出价值。这六个丹霞地貌区域是：湖南省的崀山、广东省的丹霞山、福建省的泰宁、江西省的龙虎山、贵州省的赤水山以及浙江省的江郎山。

服务已开始营运。由经验丰富的飞行员所驾驶的全新六人座

位于中国河南省的嵩山，被认为是具有神圣意义的中岳。在

直升机现在开放包机服务。请联系: www.advancedaviation.co.th

海拔1500米的嵩山脚下，距河南省登封市不远，有8座占地共

位于湄赛的湄公三角洲旅游 (Maekhong Delta Travel) 现在提供全新的游船服务，拥有120个座位的游船沿着湄公河来往行驶于景洪与琅勃拉邦之间。请联系: www.maekhongtravel.com

40平方公里的建筑群，其中包括3座汉代古阙，以及中国最古老的道教建筑遗址——中岳庙、周公测景台与登封观星台等等。这些总称“登封‘天地之中’历史古迹”的建筑物历经 9个朝代修建而成，它们不仅以不同的方式展示了天地之中的概念，还体现了嵩山作为虔诚的宗教中心的力量。登封历史建筑群是古代建筑中用于祭祀、科学、技术及教育活动的最佳典范之一。

COVER STORY 封面故事

Yunnan

China’s Gateway to the Greater Mekong Sub-Region

Text / Justin Kiersky

Photo by Jaffee Yee

In the foothills of Qinghai's mysterious Kunlun Mountains, the headwaters of the Mekong River begin a serpentine course

neighbors. The result has meant not only new roads, rail lines,

across the Tibetan plateau before descending into the gorges of

dam projects, and hydro-electric plants—not to mention

northwest Yunnan, carving its way through the province and

concerted efforts toward protecting the fragile environment

spilling its cache into Southeast Asia.

and promoting tourism—the GMS has also served as a platform

The river meanders more than four thousand kilometers through six countries, delineating the borders between China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos before coursing through the

for engaged, open dialogue and ushered in a new era of symbiotic development in the region. With a combined population of nearly 325 million (about 60

heart of Cambodia, spreading into nine tongues and spilling

million living along the river), inter-regional exports topping

into the South China Sea in the estuaries of southern Vietnam.

US$50 billion and collective economic growth hovering around

But while the Mekong is regarded as the defining geographic

5 percent, the Greater Mekong Sub-Region has seen total

feature of Southeast Asia, the river has often been used to

exports increase more than fivefold since 1992 and has

divide the region into sections. That all changed in 1992 with the formation of the Greater

a muddy super-highway linking China with its southern

positioned itself as a major player in international trade and stability.

Mekong Sub-Region (GMS), a geopolitical development project

At the headwaters of the development boom stands Yunnan,

funded by the Asian Development Bank aimed at promoting

also known as Greater Mekong Sub-Region 5. From the global

peace and prosperity in the region. The Mekong has thus shed

entrepreneur to the most intrepid traveler, all eyes are locked on

its image as the “Heart of Darkness” and been transformed into

the remote province in the southwestern wilds of China. With

4,061 kilometers of international borderlands, accounting for

into the center of air travel in western China with routes

one-fifth of China's total frontier, and foreign investment

tentatively scheduled to reach Australia, Europe, and Africa

reaching nearly US$1 billion, Yunnan is well on its way to

when the new airport becomes operational.

shedding its reputation as the exotic periphery of China.

Kunming's Wujiaba Airport presently offers direct service to

It is fitting that the GMS has thrust Yunnan into the spotlight.

thirteen countries with flights to any destination in the Greater

Culturally and geographically, Yunnan is more closely related

Mekong Sub-Region, including Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Luang

to Southeast Asia than Beijing, Shanghai, or even Hong Kong.

Prabang, Vientiane, Siem Reap, Yangon, and Hanoi, taking

Nearly a dozen ethnic minorities call the Yunnan borderlands

less than two hours. Wujiaba, the second oldest airport in

home and the province is situated at the crossroads of some of

China, is located only four kilometers from the city center, and

the world's most ancient trade routes—namely, the Southern

only two kilometers from the train station, making Kunming

Silk Road, the Burma Road, and the Tea and Horse

among the most convenient travel hubs of any major Asian

Caravan—lifelines of commerce and cultural interaction that

city.

have linked China, Tibet, India, and Southeast Asia for millennia. In the center of the web lies Kunming, the capital of Yunnan

When it comes to international overland travel, there is no place in China more ideally located or developing at such an explosive rate. With twenty international ports (and ninety

Province with a growing population of six million. Perched

international trade zones), more provincial airports than

above its southern neighbors at an altitude of 1,760 meters,

anywhere else in China, and a meager three hundred kilometers

Kunming is undergoing unprecedented growth even by Chinese

separating the western border of the province from India,

standards—employing a model for sustainable development

Yunnan is on its way to becoming the bridgehead for China and

and eco-tourism while forging overland regional trade ties that

southern Asia.

resemble a mixture of Thailand and Shenzhen. So far the plan has worked and helped to narrow the economic gap between China's booming east and rough-and-tumble west.

With the construction of high-speed rail lines already underway that will cut travel time between Kunming and Shanghai from thirty-six hours to around ten, the recent

Within the next three years the charming lakeside city of

completion of a Kunming-Lijiang rail line that will extend to

Kunming, known as “The City of Eternal Spring,” will be home

Lhasa, and the monumental Highway R3A that will allow

to two of China's tallest buildings. Construction of the 83-

drivers to travel between Kunming and Bangkok in less than

storey South Asia Gate broke ground two years ago, and in July 2010 the Kunming government announced plans to build a 456-meter-tall skyscraper, which would make it the second tallest building in China behind Shanghai's World Financial Center. Kunming's first subway line is also currently under construction and that's only the beginning. Yunnan's growth has been nothing short of astronomical. Since 2000, when Beijing started implementing its “Go West” policy to curb east-west economic disparity, three new airports have been built in Lincang (2001), Wenshan (2006), and Tengchong (2009), and Kunming is set to open the fourth largest airport in China by the end of 2011. International flights to Dubai, Katmandu, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives have recently opened and plans are underway to transform Kunming

Photo by Zhang Youlin

COVER STORY 封面故事

twenty-four hours, Yunnan keeps pushing forward. But the

watching on Lijiang's Lashi Lake, search for snow leopards in

province hasn't lost touch with its roots.

Shangri-La or trek through primeval forests covered in

Home to twenty-five ethnic minorities, nearly half of the total in China, comprising one-third of the population in the

rhododendrons and towering cypress trees. Along with the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Lijiang and

province, Yunnan is still the exotic land of plenty and continues

the Stone Forest, as well as the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge,

to inspire visions of the Wild West. The province rises to a

there is no lack of world-class tourist destinations. Yunnan now

staggering elevation of 6,740 meters at Meili Xueshan (known

boasts some of Asia's finest golf courses on the shores of

as sacred Kawagebo) on the Tibetan border and plunges to

Yangzong Lake and the highest on the slopes of Jade Dragon

nearly sea level just north of the Golden Triangle, boasting

Snow Mountain to go along with a newly-built ski resort

Himalayan peaks, tropical rain forests, Bronze Age cave

outside Shangri-La and some of the finest natural hot springs

cultures, volcanoes, karst landscapes, and some of the world's

and spas in China. If the bounty of Yunnan seems endless, it is

deepest gorges. In terms of topographic and ethnic diversity,

due in large part to the merging of irrepressible natural beauty

there is nowhere quite like Yunnan. And that's only half the

with sustainable development policies with its partners in the

story.

region.

Yunnan is considered by the Conservation International and

The Greater Mekong Sub-Region has yet to reach the high

the World Wildlife Fund to be one of the world's richest areas of

water mark, but is nevertheless on the cusp of greatness. The

biodiversity, a biological hotspot as crucial to the health of the

GMS has already secured its place as a magical land ripe for

planet as anywhere else on earth. From the endemic Yunnan

discovery and development, one poised to become Asia's next

Golden monkeys to the last remaining South China tigers in the

great hope. And it's only just begun.

wild, Yunnan holds a menagerie of species found nowhere else. You can ride an elephant in Xishuangbanna or go bird

Photo by Zhang Youlin

云南中国通往大湄公河次区域的门户撰文 / Minna

摄影 / 余曜辉

打开一张世界地图，一条美丽的大河—澜沧江/湄公河把6个国家紧紧联相连，而位于中国西南边陲的云南省锁住了大家的目光。云南省处于东亚、南亚和东南亚结合部，与缅甸、越南、老挝三国接壤，边境线总长4061公里，占中国陆上边界的五分之一，是中国毗邻周边国家最多、边境线最长的省份之一。云南的省会昆明与大湄公河次区域5国首都的距离均在2000公里以内，从云南经缅甸到印度边境只有300多公里。云南省有经中国和云南省人民政府批准开放的口岸达到20 个，另有90条边民互市通道。具有面向东南亚、南亚国家开放的区位优势，是中国从陆上通往东南亚、南亚最便捷的通道。事实上，“把云南建设成中国连接东南亚、南亚国际大通道”这一目标已进行了10年，这是云南省在中国提出“西部大开发的战略”所实施的一个重要举措。这有利于缩小中国东西部地区的差距，助推中国经济又快又好地发展。现在，中国政府又进一步提出“要把云南建设成中国向西南开放的桥头堡”，云南省是这样诠释的：“桥是大通道，头是大前沿，堡是大基地。”这个战略的实施将使包括云南在内的中国西南地区，从开放的末端变为开放的前沿，实现开放与开发的双轮驱动，引领云南经济再一次腾飞。这个战略也将使大湄公河次区域国家和地区在寻找自我和融入世界的博弈中

重新描绘自己的模样。随着全面推进公路、铁路、航空和水运交通建设，云南对外开放经脉逐步打开。中越、中老泰、中缅和中印４条国际大通道境内段全部实现高等级化。中越、中泰、中缅、中国经缅甸至南亚的铁路正在开展前期工作。民用机场已经开通 12个，投入使用的民用机场数量位居全国第一，开通国内外航线210多条，建设中的昆明新机场，定位为中国面向东南亚、南亚的西南枢纽门户机场。澜沧江－湄公河通航能力显著提升，中越红河航运开发、中缅伊洛瓦底江水陆联运已经提上议事日程。便捷的交通，云南的物流业也更加便宜快捷，云南与周边国家形成了优势互补、互惠互利的外经外贸关系，“蔬菜换石油”、“鲜花换水果”、“冷果换热果” 的贸易进展顺利，铁路、能源等领域的合作也取得实质性进展。中国还有大批外经企业相继进入周边国家投资，大量承接了对外承包工程、劳务合作等项目。云南最高海拔6740米，最低海拔76.4米，有终年积雪不化的雪山，也有热带雨林；有神秘的恐龙化石，也有可爱的滇金丝猴和孔雀；有众人向往的香格里拉，也有千年古镇……就让湄公河这条大河，作为向导，开始我们的发现与发展之旅。

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHT 旅游重点

XiShuangBanNa

China's Tropical Paradise Text / Justin Kiersky Photos / Zhang Youlin

After carving thousands of kilometers through the gorges of Tibet and northwest Yunnan, the Mekong River slows, widens,

established alliances with city-states as far away as Luang

and slithers lazily into the lowland rain forests of

Prabang, Laos, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. To this day, the

Xishuangbanna.

native Dai people speak Tai, a dialect closely related to Thai and

Up until this point, the mighty river looks like any other alpine river coming out of the Himalayas—deep, fast, and cold. Only after it enters the tropics and the rock faces that have defined its course descend into lush basins and warm sandy river banks

Laotian, build bamboo houses, often on stilts, and practice Hinayana (Theravada) Buddhism, dominant in Southeast Asia, as opposed to Tibetan Mahayana. Many would argue that while Xishuangbanna is as rich in

does the muddy Mekong become recognizable again and roll

culture as anywhere in China, what lurks beneath the cool

lazily into the heart of Southeast Asia.

canopies is equally as intoxicating. Located just south of the

Arguably the most culturally diverse region in the whole of China, Xishuangbanna is also the northernmost point of a bioregion stretching from south of Kunming to Singapore. There are few places in the world so multi-cultural and rich in

Tropic of Cancer, Xishuangbanna is home to China's largest tropical rainforest ecosystem, a biological hotspot coveted by science as a rare gene bank of tropical plant and animal species. The diversity of flora and fauna in Xishuangbanna is even more

biodiversity, nor more ideally suited to serve as a cultural and

extraordinary when you consider that one prefecture

economic highway.

encompassing only 1/500 of the total land area in China is

Xishuangbanna shares a border with Laos and Myanmar, and Jinghong, the main port and capital of the prefecture, is situated only a few hours by boat from the Thai port city of Chiang Saen. The jungle region was once part of the loosely knit

Tai Kingdom (not to be mistaken with “Thai”), which

home to one-half of all rare and endangered plants and animals in the country. Within the tropical menagerie there are Asiatic elephants, leopards, guar, gibbons, snub-nosed monkeys, and some of the last remaining Indo-Chinese tigers in China. The best way to catch a glimpse of these animals is in one of

Xishuangbanna's numerous protected nature reserves, particularly the Wild Elephant Valley. Although the image of Xishuangbanna as an untamed jungle kingdom of plants and animals is untarnished, the region has seen a cascade of tourism, bringing considerable wealth and transforming the remote rain forest into a world-class tourist destination. It retains the jungle mystique desired by off-thebeaten-track travelers and offers a treasure trove of creature comforts for those who don't want to stray too far from the good life. FAST FACTS

Health conscious tourists and savvy travel agents have even taken to calling Banna “China's natural oxygen bar.” One place ideally suited for relaxing is Menglun Botanical Garden, a 900-hectare Eden that leaves you feeling like you are floating down the Mekong on a green cloud. Menglun is not only the largest and most diverse botanical garden in China, it also houses the tropical research facility for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the world's foremost plant and seed banks and a national education center for scientific research where students can participate in projects focusing on conservation and rainforest ecology. When night falls in the jungle, it might seem like the time to roll down the mosquito net and read by candlelight, but not in Jinghong where the party is just getting started. The capital of Xishuangbanna might be the only place in the prefecture with a nightlife scene, but it's certainly not lacking in atmosphere. A riverside bar street now crowds both banks of the Mekong River and there is an ever-increasing number of cafes, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs dotting Manting and Menglong Roads. Don't expect great rock 'n' roll, but you might end up with a front row seat to some of the better Dai, Bulang, and Hani musicians playing languid tunes and find yourself immersed in an exotic celebration of life and culture like nowhere else in China.

Natural Oxygen Bars Mengla Wangtianshu Scenic Area, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Mandian Waterfall Park, Xishuangbanna Virgin Forest Park, Rainforest Valley Scenic Area, Manting Park, Mengyuan Wonderland Shopping Jade, woodcarving, black pottery, tea, and ethnic minorities costumes are available in the Jinghong Ethnic Handcrafts Mall located in the south section of North Jinghong Road. Cultural Melting Pot Among Xishuangbanna's thirteen nationalities, the majority of the population (almost 80 percent) are from Dai, Han, and Hani backgrounds. Other major ethnic groups in the region are the Yi, Lahu, Bulang, Jinuo, Yao, and Miao. A smattering of Bai, Wa, Zhuang, and Hui people also inhabit the region. While they have co-existed for centuries, each nationality has retained its own unique customs, language, and dress. The most famous and populous ethnic group in Xishuanbanna are the Dai. To experience authentic Dai culture, take a trip to Ganlanba, located 37 kilometers (one hour's drive) south of Jinghong in Menghan. The town comprises five Dai villages—Manting, Manchunman, Manga, Manjiang, and Manzha—and is replete with traditional guest houses, restaurants, pagodas, and cultural attractions. If you're looking to get away from the crowds, visit Jinou Mountain, a few hours east of Jinghong, and explore some ethnic Jinuo villages, among Yunnan's least known tribes. Further southeast near the border of Laos, you can also visit the Yao people who inhabit the mountains of Mengla County and Yiwu Village. There are also Hani, Bulang, and Lahu villages concentrated around Xiding, Bada, and Bulang Mountain in Menghai County.

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHT 旅游重点

西双版纳可能是大湄公河次区域国家最为熟悉的云南的一个地方。因为它与缅甸、老挝接壤，一条湄公河沟通着东南亚，山水相接，血脉相连，如跨境而居的民族傣族，就和东南亚国家的傣族说着同样的语言，尊奉着同样的宗教。可是当你来到西双版纳，你会被它深深地吸引，因为它是一个理想，更是一种生活。它是一个不知是建在雨林中的城市，还是雨林从城市中长出来的地方，绿色扑面而来，把世界用绿色填满，这样自然的宁静和喧闹的都市反差太大，一开始可能会让人迷失在绿色中。

西双版纳

中国的热带天堂撰文 / Minna 摄影 / 张有林

在西双版纳的日子，“醉”了，随时都能舒服地睡个饱觉，这要归功于热带雨林这片天然大氧吧的功劳，享受着负氧离子在血液中奔跑的那份畅快。一滴甘霖从天而降，滴落在植物王国的王冠上，化作一枚墨绿的宝石，成就了西双版纳，成就了热带雨林。西双版纳是地球北回归线沙漠带上一片保护完好的绿洲，保存有中国最完整、最典型、面积最大的热带雨林生态系统，是地球上少有的动植物基因库，在这片仅占中国国土面积 1/500的土地上，生存着占中国1/4的野生动物和1/6的野生植物物种资源，是中国生物多样性重点保护地区，也是全球生物多样性保护25个热点地区之一。著名的有亚洲象、印支虎、野牛、金钱豹、小熊猫、金丝猴、犀鸟、熊猴、绿孔雀等。找一把椅子，面对森林坐着，红酒的浪漫、香精的芬芳，在自然面前都略显做作，把负氧离子作为自己的能量因子。选择勐仑植物园，在这个900 公顷的绿色大氧吧里，我们享受着负氧离子的包围，晕乎得仿佛飘在一朵无边无际的绿色云朵里。就让负氧离子强烈地碰撞我们的身体，一次次的“光合作用”后我们长成一棵棵长脚的树。如果能停下来，在西双版纳住上一段日子那是最好，在白天夜晚过不同的生活，白天在自然中感悟，夜晚在城市中感受，磨合出一种新的生活层次，精神也需要吸氧和生活。夜幕西沉，最好的去处是澜沧江边。江的两边就是酒吧街，去坐坐，但不一定要喝酒。去得多了，你会发现，西双版纳的人很会生活，这里更象是他们的乐园。酒吧街当然有自己的驻唱歌手，在架子鼓后面的不是摇滚歌手，却是布朗族歌手。在面向东盟的门户这样一个区位特殊的地方，听着傣族、布朗族、哈尼族等本地少数民族的音乐，听不懂歌词的内容，但我们可以从那热情流畅的旋律中感受到他们对生活的享受，正因为这样，西双版纳才在游客的眼中是时尚之地。

厌倦了红尘俗世，可以出家去当和尚，在南传佛教中，短期出家是人们生活中的一件平常事，就像送孩子上学一样自然不过。橄榄坝的曼听佛塔寺作为中国目前唯一的南传上座部佛教止观禅修道场，这里每个月都举办各种不同的禅修班。 “禅修”就是通过一定的方法，使心得到净化，从而去发现宇宙人生的真谛，提升生命的层次。其实修行就是发现自己弱点、与心作斗争的过程。而不是走走形式，拜拜佛。因为要与自己做斗争，当然是痛苦的。当你战胜了自己，其他事情就小菜一碟，没有你做不成功的事了。时刻关照自己的心，做正确的事情！

链接这些地方可以享受天然氧吧勐腊望天树景区、中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园、西双版纳热带花卉园、西双版纳野象谷、西双版纳原始森林公园、雨林谷景区、曼听公园、勐远仙境、思（茅）小（景洪小勐养）高速。这些地方可以享受城市休闲美食泡吧：傣江南国际风情美食酒吧街、景兰茶城、大曼么、曼听小寨；娱乐：欣赏《澜沧江·湄公河之夜》歌舞篝火晚会、《勐巴拉娜西大型歌舞秀》；购物：景洪北路南段的景洪民族工艺品市场内玉石、木雕、黑陶、茶叶、民族服装都可以买到。这些地方可以感受民族风情西双版纳居住着傣、汉、哈尼、拉祜、彝、布朗、基诺、瑶等 13个民族，每个民族的文化各具特色，看民族风情肯定要到民族村寨。最著名的傣族村寨在橄榄坝，隶属于西双版纳傣族自治州景洪市勐罕镇，勐罕的核心是傣族园，由曼听、曼春满、曼嘎、曼将、曼乍5个傣族村寨构成。基诺族主要聚居在景洪市的基诺山，瑶族主要分布在勐腊县的瑶区、易武等乡镇，哈尼、布朗、拉祜主要生活在勐海县的西定、巴达、布朗山等地。

PROFILE 机构简介

The Four Seasons

Tented Camp Golden Triangle

Text / Edward Carter Photos / Courtesy of Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle

Situated within the jungle canopy, among thick stands of bamboo, and spaced along a one km (0.6 mile) jungle path, are fifteen large, open-concept tents. The tents are on stilts anchored into the hillside above the tree line, offering guests an unobstructed view of the countryside from either their bed or their deck. The fully air-conditioned, custom-designed tents provide all the comforts and accoutrements guests would expect from Four Seasons.

The furnishings and decor are reminiscent of 19th-century

Finally, set amidst the bamboo forests of the San Valley, the

adventure expeditions with handcrafted furniture, mosquito

Camp's Spa includes two open-air salas featuring double

nettings, and hurricane lamps. A signature Four Seasons king-

treatment rooms, spa beds, and a bathtub/shower area. In this

size bed takes up one side of the tent, while an old-fashioned,

environment of simple luxury, guests enjoy traditional Thai

two-person, hand-hammered, copper bathtub stands in the

massages and restorative treatments that incorporate the

middle of the room. A sundeck with two massage beds, a day

healing power of natural mountain botanicals and warming

bed, and an outdoor rain-shower add to the old-world charm.

spices.

Each of the tents is uniquely decorated and furnished in a variety of color schemes with coordinated furnishings. The surrounding bamboo forest ensures privacy. Designed for active, adult travelers, the Camp offers many

Is it any wonder that, only three years old, in October 2009 the Camp won the #1 Resort in the World for the second consecutive year in CondĂŠ Nast Traveller's 22nd Annual Readers' Choice Awards!

activities including elephant training lessons, a Golden Triangle excursion, and cooking classes. With no more than thirty guests on the property at one time, guests eat together at locations that may vary from day to day. Breakfast is served at the main restaurant, while lunch can be a picnic in the jungle. Sundowners are served at the Burma Bar, a relaxing time when guests enjoy a drink together while appreciating golden sunsets. Dinner is always an event at the Camp, whether a barbecue under the stars, a five-course formal meal, or a dinner by campfire. Nong Yao is the main restaurant. It is a thatched-roof, open-air pavilion by the riverbank, and offers Thai, Laotian, Burmese, and western cuisine. The Camp also includes a sophisticated wine cellar housed in a local-style, thatched-roof building that can also serve as a wine-tasting room as well as a venue for romantic dinners or small private parties.

PROFILE 机构简介

四季金三角

豪华帐篷度假村撰文 / Edward Carter 摄影 / 四季金三角豪华帐篷度假村提供

在天棚似的树荫下和浓密的竹林中， 15座大型野外营地式的帐篷沿着1公里（0.6英里）长的森林小径而建。这些大帐篷依山势地形高高矗立在树林中，视野开阔，无论从睡床或从阳台上，都能纵览四周的乡野美景。尽管置身野外，在这些精心设计、带有空调装置的大帐篷里，四季酒店的豪华与舒适你都能享受得到。大帐篷的摆设精致而豪华，手工家具、蚊帐、马灯等让住客有如置身19世纪大探险之旅的感觉。帐篷内摆了四季酒店的招牌特大号双人床，正中央立着一个老式的手工铜制双人浴缸。阳台上，按摩床、沙发床和露天淋浴设施，让旧世界的气息更为浓厚。每个帐篷拥有本身独具一格的色调，配以相应的家具和饰品。周边浓密的竹林形成的天然屏障，则充分保护住客的隐私。这里的活动主要为精力充沛的成人所设，其中包括骑象训练、金三角丛林探胜、道地美食烹饪等等。在任何时候，度假村内住客总数都不会超过30位。所有客人被安排一起进餐，地点可能每天都有所不同。早餐通常在度假村的主餐厅享用，午餐则在森林中以野餐的方式进行。黄昏时分，住客在建于高架上的 Burma Bar 一边品尝饮料和点心，一边身心放松地欣赏辉煌的日落。晚餐永远是每一天的重点节目，不论是在星空下烧烤，在篝火旁用餐，或是细品标准五道菜式的西餐，都将为一天的行程画上完美的句点。度假村的主餐厅Nong Yao 建于河畔，采用茅草屋顶和开放式的设计，提供泰国、老挝、缅甸和西方美食。度假村内还有一座设有葡萄酒窖的本地风格茅草顶建筑，它除了作为品酒室，也是浪漫晚餐或小型私人宴会的绝佳场地。在San峡谷的竹林里，还有两个隐秘的开放式SPA 篷亭，其中设有情侣理疗室、SPA 按摩床和沐浴/淋浴室。在低调奢华的环境里，住客可享受传统泰式按摩和修复护理，让具有天然疗效的深山草药和香料精华带入身心舒畅的超然境界。具备这些独特的魅力，开张至今仅3年的四季金三角豪华帐篷度假村在 2009年 10月出炉的 Condé Nast Traveller旅游杂志第 22届年度读者票选排行榜中，连续第二年登上世界最佳度假村榜首，也就不足为奇了。

INTERVIEW 人物专访

Man of the Mekong

An Interview with Mason Florence A native New Yorker, Mason moved to Thailand in 2002 after spending twelve years in Japan as a correspondent for The Japan Times newspaper and a travel guide book author for Lonely Planet publications. As founder of Talisman Media Group, he has created publications including Bangkok 101 magazine (www.bangkok101.com) and the Bangkok Art Map (www.bangkokartmap.com). In 2008, Mason became Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (www.mekongtourism.org), an intergovernmental body uniting the national tourism organizations of the Greater Mekong SubRegion (GMS).

For our readers who may not be familiar, can you explain what the MTCO is? The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) acts as the secretariat for the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) Tourism Working Group. Its primary functions are to coordinate sustainable, pro-poor tourism development projects in the GMS in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and to promote the six countries along the Mekong River – namely Cambodia, China (Yunnan and Guangxi provinces), Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam – as a single, unique travel destination. How did you come to be involved with the MTCO? I'd spent nearly twenty years traveling around Asia – in particular, the Mekong region – as a photographer, travel book writer, tour guide, and publisher, so when I heard about the opening in 2008 it sounded like a dream position, and I successfully applied for the job. What are the short- and long-term goals of the MTCO? We hope to promote traveling in a more responsible manner, where sustainability and community aspects are just as important as sightseeing. We also would like to see more people traveling overland, on multi-country itineraries that take advantage of the vastly improved connectivity between the Mekong countries. Not long ago a trip like this would have been nearly impossible, but now roads are paved, borders open, and facilities better. As a former travel journalist, what would you say the Mekong offers visitors? In short, everything we travel for! The Mekong offers the best of Asia on a plate, including nature, culture, cuisine, cruises, adventure, art, and the world's most welcoming local hosts – an endless stream of truly amazing, authentic travel experiences.

How much further do you think Mekong tourism has to develop? It's less a matter of numbers, and more about how to manage tourism – how we can mitigate its negative social impact, and promote more sustainable forms of travel. Travelers should aim to connect with the people they meet in the local communities, as well as give something back when they leave. In this respect, things are headed in the right direction, and plenty of such travel information can be found on www.ExploreMekong.org With the six countries involved, is it hard to balance national interests? On the contrary, as each of the six GMS countries already has its own National Tourism Organization (NTO) tasked with promoting itself, the role of the MTCO is to instead facilitate collaboration between them and to promote the entire region as a single destination. All of our members are very active and proud to be part of the Mekong Sub-Region. Perhaps no place is this spirit of cooperation more evident than at the annual Mekong Tourism Forum (www.MekongTourismForum.org ), which will next take place on 27-28 May 2011 in Pakse, Champasak province, in southern Laos. Please name your favorite destination in each Mekong country. It's impossible to pick just one. Instead, my ideal journey would be to travel through all six. Starting off in China's Guangxi province, I'd visit the spectacular karst peaks and remote minority communities along the border with Vietnam and around Guilin, and then move on to Xishuangbanna prefecture in neighboring Yunnan province. Following the river south, I'd then head down to the Golden Triangle region where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar converge and make a side trip up to Kengtung in Myanmar's Shan State before heading down river to Luang Prabang and the Lao capital of Vientiane. From there I would cross over into Thailand's Isaan region and work my way south, later crossing back into Laos to explore the ancient ruins and waterfalls in Champasak province. Continuing south, I'd cross over into northeast Cambodia following the Mekong Discovery Trail via Stung Treng and Kratie, and follow the river right down to Phnom Penh and into vast waterways of Vietnam's incredible Mekong Delta. That's a trip of a lifetime! In three words, describe the attractions of the Mekong. Nature. Culture. Adventure.

梅森·佛罗伦斯，土生土长的纽约人，在2002年移居泰国以前，有十二年时间担任日本时报的记者，并曾为 Lonely Planet 撰写旅游指南。作为Talisman媒体集团的创始人，他推出了包括曼谷101杂志 (www.bangkok101.com) 和曼谷艺术地图 (www.bangkokartmap.com) 等出版物。2008年梅森成为湄公河旅游协调办公室的执行主任。湄公河旅游协调办公室 (www.mekongtourism.org) 是一个大湄公河次区域政府内部旅游部门之间的协调联络机构。

你能不能为我们的读者解释一下湄公河旅游协调办公室的性质？湄公河旅游协调办公室 (MTCO, Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office) 是大湄公河次区域 (GMS, Greater Mekong Sub-region) 旅游工作集团的秘书处。它的功能在于协调大湄公河次区域可持续的扶贫旅游发展计划，使之与联合国千年发展目标一致，并且把湄公河流经的六个国家——柬埔寨、中国（云南和广西）、老挝、缅甸、泰国与越南——作为一个单一旅游目的地来宣传。一开始怎么会参与湄公河旅游协调办公室的工作的？我分别以摄影师、旅游作家、导游和出版业者的身份在亚洲旅行了近二十年的时间。2008年当这个职位在招聘时，我知道这是自己梦寐以求的工作，而我也成功地争取到了。湄公河旅游协调办公室的短期和长远目标是什么？我们希望以更负责的态度来促进旅游业发展，我们视可持续性与社区价值和旅游同等重要。同时，我们期待越来越多的人参与跨境和多国旅游，充分利用湄公河流域各国之间已经大大改善的连接条件。即使在不久以前，这样的旅行几乎不可能。现在，道路铺好了，边界开放了，各种设施也改善了。以你过去作为旅游记者的经验来看，湄公河为游客提供了什么？简单地说，就是我们旅行时渴望得到的一切！湄公河把亚洲最好的东西集中起来呈现给游客，包括自然、文化、游船、探险、艺术，还有世界上最好客的东道主，这些结合成一连串令人赞叹的旅游体验。

梅森·佛罗伦斯

专访

你认为湄公河旅游业应该如何更深入发展？关键不是看表面的数据，而是要如何去管理旅游业——如何去缓解它给社会带来的负面冲击，同时去提升可持续的旅游方式。游客应被鼓励和当地社区居民进行交流，在离去时能回报他们，而不是只取不予。如此一来，一切就会循正确的方向发展。这方面的信息可以参考 www.ExploreMekong.org 要协调多达六个国家的利益是不是很困难？恰恰相反。因为这六个国家各自已经有作自我推广的国家旅游组织，湄公河旅游协调办公室的角色是去促进它们之间的合作，把这个区域作为单一旅游目的地来宣传。所有参与的国家都表现得很积极，为自己身为大湄公河次区域的一分子感到骄傲。这种合作精神在一年一度的湄公河旅游论坛表现得最为明显。下一届论坛将于2011年5月27日与28日在老挝南部占巴塞省的巴色市举行。请举出每一个湄公河流域国家你最喜爱的目的地？很难只各挑一个。我心目中理想的旅程是穿越全部六个国家。首先我会从中国的广西省启程，参观桂林壮观的喀斯特地貌并拜访周边沿着越南边境的少数民族村落，然后游览云南的西双版纳。继续沿着河往南走，进入泰国、老挝与缅甸交界的金三角地带，在到达下游的琅勃拉邦以及老挝首都万象之前，先绕道缅甸掸邦的景栋走一遭。随后过河抵达泰国的东北伊森地区，从这儿往南，回到河对岸的老挝探索占巴塞省的古迹和瀑布。再往南，沿着湄公河探索线路经由上丁与桔井渡河进入柬埔寨东北，顺流而下到金边，最后来到越南境内湄公河三角洲不可思议的巨大水路。这将是一段终身难忘的旅程！请以三个词来形容湄公河的旅游景点。大自然，文化，探险。

ARTS, CULTURE & HERITAGE 艺术文化

Mountain Masterpieces Nixi Pottery and the Amber Bowl

Text / Justin Kiersky Photos / Li Donghong

Amidst a landscape at once unforgiving and of paralyzing beauty, the notion of sophistication or “high art” seems out of place. Therein lays the essence of Nixi. From jet black pottery to glinting kazhou knives, every handmade piece is an authentic work of art that is purchased from the master himself. Recent archeological evidence suggests the ancient craft has been alive in Nixi for more than two thousand years; some antiques found in the area have been dated to the Warring States Period. Little has changed over the millennia. The clay is harvested from an auburn-colored hill that rises just three kilometers outside Nixi in the village of Tangdui. Both red and white clay are collected at the site, and then transported back to Nixi where they are mixed together with other natural minerals to produce the famous deep black hue, molded, and then fired in brick kilns. Coveted for its resilience and intricate design, Nixi pottery was traditionally a luxury item reserved for Tibetan nobility and wealthy merchants. While Nixi antiques have become collectors' items in the art world, an authentic clay pot will cost you around US$20 in town. Today, seventy local families continue to preserve their cultural inheritance and new uses for the clay adorn nearly every home. In recent years, local craftsmen have modified their designs to include cooking utensils, flower vases, ash trays, zanba jars and, of course, kettles to serve yak-butter tea. Pottery isn't the only craft passed down through the generations in Nixi; from early summer until late fall, the valley resembles a thriving artists' colony. The market teems with

Beyond the bustling streets of Zhongdian, where the Tibetan frontier roams wild and untouched, Highway 214 winds around Napa Lake and up through the valleys of the Hengduan Mountains toward Lhasa. Just an hour outside Zhongdian

handicrafts, yak horns, Tibetan incense, finely-molded silverware, knives, and Nixi's second claim to fame—handcarved wooden bowls inlaid in amber. The wooden bowls are said to have originated in Shangqiaotou,

(better known as Shangri-La), you come to a small village

literally translated as “Upper Bridgehead,” where tribes of sun

flanked by mammoth peaks where local craftsmen busy

worshippers once used them for offerings to the Sun God. The

themselves in makeshift shops just off the town square and yak

use of the “amber bowl” has wavered considerably over the

graze in the high alpine meadows behind them. You'd never

years, but its aura has remained, and these days it is often

guess, but among the unassuming mountain men lurk some of

attributed to a Tibetan song, a couplet that reads: “Everything

Yunnan's finest artisans—the master craftsmen of Nixi

can be thrown away or left behind, only this wooden bowl can I

(population: 800).

hold like a lover.”

Nixi is one of those rare places that manage to receive attention and remain unburdened by new faces and increasing demands. Tourist buses run steadily in and out of Zhongdian, coming from and going to Kawagebo (6,740m sacred Meili Xue Shan) or Dongzhulin Yellow Hat Monastery. Mountains Institute and several other NGOs are involved in community development

Where to Eat, Stay, and Play in Zhongdian Going up the mountain — Turtle Mountain Gear (just off the central square in the Old Town) Mountain climbing gear, tents, kayaks, skis, mini-motorcycles, side cars, jeep treks, and maps. AKA: Whatever you need to get wild.

projects in the area. And yet the integrity of the village and

Going shopping — Dropenling Tibetan Handicraft Center (next

crafts is maintained.

to the Long March Museum)

The notoriety and the NGO presence have meant the inhabitants of Nixi are better prepared to deal with the influx of tourists and business. Where it was once nearly impossible to agree on a price, don't be surprised if you find yourself in the

Non-profit social enterprise project selling handicrafts and artwork from artists all over Tibet. One of those places where you're delighted to lighten your wallet. Going to sleep — Songtsam Retreat and Banyan Tree Ringa

back of a workshop, listening to an old potter tell tales that

Staggering locations, Tibetan architectural designs, private

have been passed down for ages, or haggling -- in English.

chalets, and world-class spas. There's nothing else like them in

As northwest Yunnan becomes a bona fide tourism destination and handicrafts like pottery and amber bowls become art, there

Shangri-La. Just wandering — Songzan Monastery and Napa Lake

is poetic justice knowing that neither fame nor fortune will

Built in 1664, the oldest and largest monastery in Yunnan

disturb what is of real value to the people of Nixi: a nameless

overlooks 3,200m Napa Lake.

mound of clay among mountains.

Soak it up — Xiagei and Tianshenqiao Hot Springs

How to Get There

For an alternative perspective on hotpot, the natural hot

Shangri-La can be reached by bus or 45-minute flight from

springs are a local favorite all year.

Kunming. Rental cars are available for day trips to Nixi. You can also hop on any bus going to Benzilan or Deqin. Day Trippers If you continue northwest on Highway 214, you'll arrive at Yunnan's only “ski resort.” The Alps, it is not. But if you're craving to hit the slopes, it will do for a day. When you get back to Shangri-La, warm yourself up with some dried yak meat and barley wine or settle in for some Nixi hotpot. A feast fit for kings. Highly recommended. For a day trip, you can also travel thirteen kilometers east of Zhongdian, in the opposite direction of Nixi, to the village of Xiagei near Bita Lake. Meaning “White Cliff” in Tibetan, Xiagei is known for its celebrated painters of Buddhist tangkas. It is also among the most biologically diverse regions of Yunnan, but be forewarned: despite the quality of work, Xiagei is a pit stop on the road to Pudacuo National Park and has all the signs of a tourist trap. As always, locals know best.

ARTS, CULTURE & HERITAGE 艺术文化

敦厚黑陶在一个遥远古朴的地方，有一种特有的红土与白土，它们混合制成的黑陶从春秋战国时期就已出现。自古以来，无论普通藏民还是土司贵族，都爱它一成不变的黑色。它就是位于云南省迪庆藏族自治州香格里拉县尼西汤堆（地名）的土陶山。尼西黑陶犹如藏族大汉，奔放豪爽。除了有烧水煮饭熬茶的烹煮器皿、花瓶、烟缸等小件，还有糌粑罐、奶茶壶、炭炉等藏族生活必不可少的居家用品。安坐在路边时光里的敦实土陶，一字排开，犹如一溜老屋、一行老树投下的阴影或者街对面枯坐的老人，岁月静好，何须多言。如果说黑陶在幽暗的沉默中向我们暗示着生本虚无的话，那么，情人木碗则张开了关于世俗生活的热情怀抱。情人木碗

山中杰作

香格里拉的黑陶、木碗和唐卡撰文 / Minna 摄影 / 张有林

听到这样一首古老的藏族诗歌，叫《情人般的木碗》。诗只有两句——“丢也丢不下，带也带不走；情人是木碗该多好，可以揣在怀里头”。如此动人的情怀惊诧到战栗心惊。拨动心弦的事物，都有相通的共性，我开始钟爱木碗。有着“太阳部落”之称的香格里拉县尼西上桥头（地名）是尼西情人木碗的生产制作发源地。藏民酷爱饮茶，也酷爱饮茶的茶具——木碗。茶碗有瓷碗、银碗、玉碗、木碗之说。香格里拉尼西乡出产的木碗是最好的木碗之一，其色如琥珀，经久耐用。虔诚唐卡

我终于明白，市井与香格里拉的区别，一个人声，一个物语。香格里拉的一切默不作声，美丽的雪山、幽深的峡谷、茂密的森林和迷人的草甸湖泊默不作声，我们只能在款款物语中试图触摸她的柔美与粗犷。香格里拉大地，是充满语言的宁静，是黑陶的呢喃、木碗的歌唱，或是卡卓刀的凌厉与唐卡的神韵。神奇灵秀的山川和古老的民族文化积淀，孕育出香格里拉各民族善良、旷达的性格，生活在这里的26个民族，9个世居民族，用他们智慧的双手描摹着这片净土，生活中每一个小用品、每一个宗教器具都成为他们手中无声的光彩，变成了悠久而不朽的艺术。黑陶、木碗、木器艺、唐卡、牦牛角骨雕、藏香、藏银、银器和刀具等工艺品惟妙惟肖生动活泼，仔细倾听，似窃窃私语，又觉含情脉脉。

与尼西的细腻清甜相比，这个碧塔海旁的村庄宛如青稞酒一般浓烈奔放。“霞给”（地名），藏语意为“白色的崖子”，位于香格里拉县建塘红坡（地名），距香格里拉县城 13公里。“霞给藏族文化生态旅游村” 享有“香格里拉第一村”的称号，典型的藏民村落、藏区习俗和一系列手工作坊使人如临奇境。来到霞给唐卡院中，藏族女孩央宗卓玛正在专心地绘制唐卡。她说，生活在高原上信奉藏传佛教的藏族人多是游牧民族，为了随时朝拜、念经，就把佛陀的画像用矿物颜料做成画，随身携带、随时参拜，就形成了唐卡。她说：“唐卡的魅力在于这些色彩的鲜艳，它还有奇特的光环。”我相信，这种光环不仅在唐卡中，更是一种召唤灵魂的光芒，点亮内心。

FESTIVALS & LIFESTYLES FESTIVALS & LIFESTYLES 民俗风情

The Yi Torch Festival

Playing with Fire Text / Justin Kiersky Photos / Zhang Youlin

Once an annual gathering of far-flung clans, the Yi Torch Festival is today more carnival than family affair, attracting huge crowds to bull fights, wrestling matches, horse races, beauty pageants, and spectacular fireworks displays. Come nightfall, the party really gets started, as throngs of revelers take to the streets to witness shamans ignite massive bonfires

Every late summer in Yunnan, ethnic Yi villages erupt in flames for a wild three-day celebration of fire and ancestor worship called Huoba Jie, the Torch Festival.

and banish evil spirits in a fury of flames. Falling in late July or early August (the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month according to the lunar calendar), nearly eight million Yi from more than fifty clans celebrate the Torch Festival, but the origins remain obscure, and many clans maintain their own version of the story. The prevailing legend has it that a god named Atilaba sprinkled five seeds on the earth for man. This angered the King of Heaven, who sent a bull-deity named Dali to destroy the harvest. Atilaba defeated the bull-deity in a wrestling match, but before ascending back to Heaven, Dali left behind him incense that turned into locusts and began devouring the crops. The Yi people fought back with torches, setting fire to their harvests, killing the locusts, and ensuring a bountiful harvest the following year. Once reviled as slave-owning “barbarians” who worshipped animal spirits, ate on the ground, and tore meat apart with their hands, the Yi were defined by their lack of civility and labeled yeren, or “wild men.” Fierce isolationism and “primitive” animist beliefs, however, masked a complex civilization that has influenced Yunnan as profoundly as any other minority culture. As tales of the Torch Festival have spread, so has some of the fear and mystique that have shrouded these shamanistic people for millennia.

With “fire fights” engulfing the streets of Dali in flames and

The first day of the festival, known as the Welcoming Fire, is

the Stone Forest lit up like the Las Vegas Strip, the Torch

reserved for a ritual sacrifice. After the animals have been

Festival is gaining a reputation as one of the most exotic—and,

slaughtered, the women prepare an enormous feast: pots of

at times, harrowing—festivals in Yunnan. Fortunately, the

pork and chicken, plates of corn and boiled whole potatoes,

Torch Festival hasn't lost its village charm. And for intrepid

stacks of sweetened buckwheat bread and bowls of sour

travelers looking to experience an authentic slice of minority

vegetable soup. The meal feels more like an American

Yunnan, there are literally hundreds of villages in the highlands

Thanksgiving dinner than a traditional Chinese banquet. Rice

where celebrations transport you back to an age of animal

is not served, dry chili powder is provided as a condiment, and

spirits and capricious gods.

chopsticks are, well, reserved for Chinese guests. Men are

expected to stuff themselves with fistfuls of meat, while raising toasts of buckwheat moonshine and corn whisky to ancestors, family, and a bountiful harvest. On the second day, called the Day of Respect, extended families gather for another feast to renew old friendships and pray at the graves of their ancestors. At nightfall, bonfires are lit in front of each house and everyone takes to the streets with torches to play music, dance, and throw rosin—a highly flammable sap collected from pine trees—at one another. For ahei (unmarried men) or ashima (girls as beautiful as gold), darkness marks their opportunity to sneak away into the fields for a night of romantic trysts. The final day is known as the Farewell Fire. Once the horse races and wrestling matches have ended, the time comes to prepare the Torch Festival bonfires. Young men in a procession carry twenty-meter-long totem poles made out of pine trees into the town square to erect a wooden pyramid. A shaman clad in black follows in their wake. He begins by praying for a bountiful harvest, and then bestows offerings upon the gods for their benevolence before climbing into the pyramid and setting it aflame. Even after two thousand years, erecting the bonfire pyramid is still not an exact science. In rare cases, the poles collapse and the failure is interpreted as a bad omen. But if the fire catches and the poles stand true, revelers continue their frenzied dance

TORCH FESTIVAL HOTSPOTS Dali Ethnic Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan With balls of fiery rosin flying all over Renmin Lu and fireworks fights outside the Bad Monkey, Dali is without hesitation the most insane Huoba Jie in the land. Wear a fire-retardant suit. If you're looking for a vestige of sanity, you'll find the celebration in Xizhou, twenty kilometers north of the Old Town, far more suitable. Chuxiong Ethnic Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan This is the place to go on the last night of the Torch Festival. Thousands gather in Chuxiong's central square to light the gargantuan bonfire and dance around the flame in a riotous procession. A photographer's dream. Stone Forest (enshrined as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009), Yunnan This is the most exotic location to experience the Torch Festival, which is set amid Shilin's bizarre karst landscape. Highlights include beautiful “courting” dances, traditional costumes, and a surreal rotten-tooth backdrop. Xichang Liang Shan Ethnic Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Tens of thousands gather to celebrate the Torch Festival on the banks of Qiong Hai Lake in southern Sichuan. A center of Yi arts and culture, Xichang is the most lavish Huoba Jie outside of Yunnan.

around the roaring flames, singing, waving torches, and lighting fireworks. Mobs of torchbearers burst into the streets and surrounding fields, flooding the darkness with light until daybreak. While the Torch Festival is becoming one of China's hottest late summer festivals, the secret to traveling in Yunnan is that behind every mountain lies something astounding. If you're looking to experience a more traditional Torch Festival, or find a slice of wild Yunnan, just get as far away from the roads as possible.

FESTIVALS & LIFESTYLES FESTIVALS & LIFESTYLES 民俗风情

大理的街道被火光淹没了，夜晚的石林如拉斯维加斯大道般明亮 ——火把节已经被公认为是云南最迷人的节日。幸运的，它从不曾失去村落特有的魅力。高原上数百个村庄的庆典足以让渴望见识少数民族真实生活面的无所畏惧的旅者们重返那充满万物有灵与多神变幻无常的时代。

彝族火把节

与火狂欢撰文 / Justin Kiersky 摄影 / 张有林

曾经是民族的传统节日，今天的火把节更像个嘉年华会，吸引无数的不同民族的人们聚集到一起斗牛、摔跤、赛马、选美、欣赏灿烂的烟火。入夜后，好戏开始上演，狂欢的人群从街道涌入，目睹毕摩点燃巨大的篝火祛邪。火把节通常是在七月下旬与八月上旬之间（农历六月二十四日），有近千万来自数十个支系的彝族人共同庆祝。然而这个节日的起源众说纷纭。其中一个流行的版本是这样的：话说有个神叫阿提拉巴，他赐予人类五种作物的种子。这一举动激怒了天庭的王，他于是派遣名叫大力的牛神去破坏作物收成。虽然大力牛神最后在摔跤比赛中被阿提拉巴所击败，重返

天庭时他在身后释出一种薰香，这薰香旋即化为蝗虫，并开始啃噬人类的庄稼。彝族人用火把抵御，放火烧谷物杀死了蝗虫，并且在来年迎来大丰收。彝族崇拜万物有灵，事实上，他们有为云南带来深刻影响不亚于其它少数民族的复杂文明。随着火把节传说的流传，彝族神秘的民族文化也开始为世人窥见。火把节的头一天称“迎火”，是献祭仪式。献祭的牲畜被屠宰后，女人开始准备丰盛的宴席：一锅锅的猪肉与鸡肉，盛在盘里的包谷及土豆，还有许多甜荞麦粑粑和酸菜汤。感觉不像传统的中国盛宴，反倒像美国的感恩节大餐。没有米饭，辣椒粉作佐料，筷子也为惯用筷子的中国客人特别准备好了。男人大口吃着坨坨肉，举起

云南大理白族自治州大理无疑有最疯狂的火把节。烧着的松香火球在人民路间飞蹿，坏猴子酒吧外则烟火横行。身上的衣服得耐火才行。假使你想找一处清醒的地方，建议你去喜洲，在大理古城二十公里开外。云南楚雄彝族自治州火把节最后一天最值得的去处。成千上万的人群聚集在楚雄的中央广场升起巨大的火把和篝火，欢腾地围绕着它跳舞。摄影师梦寐以求的画面。云南石林彝族自治县（2009年被列为联合国教科文组织世界遗产）石林奇特的石灰岩地貌是举行火把节最具情调的地方了。精彩的部分包括三弦舞、传统服饰以及奇特的喀斯特地貌。

自酿的荞麦酒和包谷酒向祖先以及家族敬酒，祈求丰

四川凉山彝族自治州

收。

成千上万的人们聚集在四川南部的邛海两岸庆祝火把节。西昌是彝族文化与艺术的中心，在云南之外就数这儿的火把节最盛大了。

第二天为“传火”，久别的家族聚集在一起联系情感，在祖先坟前祈祷。到了夜晚篝火在每家门前点燃，人人举着火把走上街头，载歌载舞，彼此投掷易燃的松香到火把上。彝族小伙子和姑娘们就着夜色在草地谈情说爱。

火把节热门点

第三天是“送火”。待赛马与摔跤结束，就是准备大火把的时候了。一个年轻男子的行列抬着一根二十米长的松木柱进入市镇中心广场，在其它木头支撑下将它树立起来，成金字塔状。随后一个着黑衣的毕摩开始为丰收祈祷，向神明奉献祭品，然后爬上“金字塔”把火把点燃。即使这仪式已持续了两千年，树立火把仍无法像科学般精准。曾有那么几次，火把倾倒了，被视为是坏兆头。如果火把顺利点着，始终屹立，人们就会围着熊熊烈火继续唱歌跳舞，挥舞手中的火把并放起烟花。成千上万的火把从四面八方涌入街道及广场，黑夜变得白昼般光明，通宵达旦。到云南旅游要知道在每一个山头后面隐藏着不同的惊喜。如今火把节已成为中国夏末最热门的节日之一，对于想体验更传统的火把节或云南狂野的一面的游客来说，秘诀就是越深入云南越好。

GREEN TRAVEL 绿色之旅

Nothing but a choppy green ocean of mountains flowed as far

Laos' New Shade of Green Text & photo / Bernie Rosenbloom

as I could see. Our viewpoint, Nam Phae Village in northwest Laos' Luang Namtha Province, presented an uninterrupted vista stretching southwest to the Golden Triangle, Thailand, and Myanmar. And though the forested sea took our breath away, the climb to 2,094 meters was easy. We rode in a van. But isn't Laos about trekking and benefiting poor villages? That endless green canopy hid rivers and streams, waterfalls, caves, rare wildlife, and the communities of some twenty distinct ethnic groups. Women still wove intricately patterned textiles on age-old looms. Men scoured the jungle for food, medicinal herbs, and bamboo. Surely one must hike for days to experience this side of Laos. Well, yes and no. Luang Namtha offers more than twenty treks with overnight village home stays, and all follow a communitybased tourism (CBT) model that guarantees locals directly benefit. In fact, they run the show, acting as caretakers of the trails and attractions. Trained provincial guides lead trekkers to ethnic villages, which provide food and lodging, and present their lifestyles and traditions. Local guides delve deeper into the forest and explain its natural products. Essentially, you step into an authentic cultural and natural experience, and learn loads along the way. Luang Namtha is not alone in offering CBT treks. With more than twenty National Protected Areas (NPAs) covering some fifteen percent of Laos, and most of the rest carpeted by forest, twelve of the country's eighteen provinces already offer multiday CBT adventures. They can include longboat rides, elephant treks, mountain biking, and rafting. More provinces are coming on line. So how does my drive on Laos' paved Route 3 connecting Thailand to China via Bokeo and Luang Namtha Provinces get coated in green? By hitting the ten highlights along “The Tea Caravan Trail” being developed by the Lao National Tourism Administration and the Asian Development Bank's Sustainable Tourism Development Project. The Tea Caravan Trail – Route 3 – follows an ancient trade route that winds from Bokeo's Mekong riverside border

checkpoint with Chiang Rai, Thailand, in Houei Xai Town through the mountains to Luang Namtha Town and the Route 13 turnoff to Yunnan, China. The 180-km drive only takes four hours, but plan on spending a few days in clean comfortable accommodation at both ends to really explore the trail. At the southern end stands Houei Xai's 100-year-old French colonial garrison, Fort Carnot. The northernmost highlight, Nam Dee Waterfalls in Luang Namtha Town's outskirts, is a five-minute walk from a Lanten village, where visitors can shop for handicrafts.

and boat. Some might mumble about carbon emissions when suggesting motorized travel to pristine wilderness, but others counter by pointing out the benefits for villages and their visitors. Laos is creating a balance in green travel by attracting more than just young trekkers and hardcore adventure travellers. Shouldn't flash-packers and baby boomers also have a crack at pro-poor CBT without so much strain? From my mountain viewpoint, green tourism in Laos follows its trails as well as its roads.

In between, ethnic villages produce and sell woven goods, rattan basketry, and bamboo paper. The list also includes Bor Kung Nature Park's springs and trails, 700-year-old Vat Mahaphot Temple ruins, and Nam Eng Cave – one of Laos' longest mapped underground mazes. The Tea Caravan Trail presents another side to green travel: the mainstreaming of sustainable, responsible tourism practices as stated in the Vientiane Declaration at the 2009 World Ecotourism Conference.

VISITOR INFORMATION: • www.tourismlaos.org • www.ecotourismlaos.com • www.stdplaos.com/web-based

Today, plenty of Laos' natural, cultural, and historical attractions and activities can be reached by road. The Northern Heritage Route takes travellers from Luang Prabang to the Plain of Jars and further east to Viengxay's “Hidden Cave City,” with ethnic villages, waterfalls, hot springs, and CBT treks along the way. Locally operated boats navigate Konglor Cave, a 7.5-kilometer tunnel in central Laos' Khammouane Province, easily reached by car or CBT trek. Konglor Village offers overnight stays in a simple lodge. Further south, the Savannakhet Historic Trail presents five walking-biking-driving, self-guided or guided circuits, which take in some fifty locally maintained sites. The province's ecoguide unit offers eight CBT trekking and cycling programs with overnight home stays. Southernmost Champassak Province's top attractions – the Vat Phou UNESCO World Heritage Landscape, 4,000 Islands, and Khone Pha Pheng Waterfalls – are all accessible by road

GREEN TRAVEL GREEN TRAVEL 绿色之旅

式。当地向导则带领游客深入森林里，解说森林的自然产物。于是游客不但能真切体验当地文化与自然，一路上还学到不少东西。并不是只有琅南塔省提供CBT徒步旅行步道。老挝境内共有超过二十个国家保护区，它们占去全国百分之十五的土地，大部分为森林所覆盖。全国的十八个省份有十二个省已经开始提供长达数日的CBT探险旅游。内容包括乘坐大艇、乘大象、自行车登山以及划橡皮艇。有更多省份也即将加入。我这趟沿着老挝连接泰国与中国的3号公路行驶，经由为绿色覆盖的博胶省与琅南塔省的旅程如何呢？一路上我把由老挝国家旅游局与亚洲发展银行永续旅游发展计划开发的“茶马道”的十个景点看遍了。茶马道——3号公路——追随古代的一条贸易路线，它从博胶省呼艾夏镇与泰国清莱交界的湄公河畔的边检转弯，穿过群 Luang Namtha

山到琅南塔城，再从13号公路进入中国云南。180公里的车程只需四小时，然而这条路径值得花数日细细探索，在两端有干净舒适的旅店解决住宿问题。

老挝的一抹新绿撰文 / Bernie Rosenbloom 摄影 / Adri Berger

在我眼前是一望无际波浪般起伏的山峦。我们正站在老挝琅南塔省的南珐村，从这里的视野往西南延伸可以把泰国金三角以及缅甸也收入眼底。我们开了部箱型车，穿越令人屏息

在茶马道南端矗立着呼艾夏镇里百年历史的法殖民时期要塞——卡诺堡垒。最北的景点南迪瀑布在琅南塔城的郊外，离一个老会族村落班南迪村只有五分钟的徒步距离，游客可以在村落里淘些手工艺品。其间有一些少数民族村落出售自制的织品、藤篮与竹纸。值得一看的还有普欣本山国家自然保护区的溪流与步道、七百年的法玛哈夫庙及坦贡洛洞穴——老挝最长的地下迷宫之一。

的林海爬升到2,094米的高度倒不是难事。覆盖在那片无边无际的绿色大伞底下是河流、瀑布、洞穴、稀有动物，以及许多包含二十来个不同部落的社区。女人仍然使用老织布机织出图案复杂的布料，男人在丛林里搜寻食物、药草以及竹子。只有徒步好几天深入其中才能见到老挝的这一面。来到老挝难道不就是要徒步旅行以及援助贫困村落吗？是与不是。琅南塔省境内有二十个以上沿路提供民舍的旅行步道，它们都依照以社区为主的旅游业（CBT, communitybased tourism)模式而建立，这种模式是为了保证当地居民直接受益。事实上，居民本身主持一切，他们是这些旅行步道及观光景点的看管者。省里受过训练的导游把徒步旅行的游客带到少数民族的村落，这些村落提供吃住，让游客体会他们的传统及生活方

Nong Khiaw

The Mekong River, Luang Prabang

茶马道还呈现绿色旅游的另一面，就如同在2009年世界生态旅游会议的《万象宣言》里所声明的：永续负责的旅游业。今天，老挝的许多自然的、文化的与历史的景观与活动都有公路通达。北方遗产公路带游客从琅勃拉邦进入到石缸平原，往东更远到芒咸县的“隐形洞穴城市”，在这之间还有一些少数民族村落、瀑布、温泉和CBT徒步路径。

有些人可能会嘀咕发动机化旅游的碳排放会污染清新的大自然，另一些人则会指出这些旅游为村民与游客带来的好处。老挝的绿色旅游创造了一种平衡，它吸引的不止是年轻的旅者或冒险家，奢华背包客与婴儿潮的一代也来到这里放松神经。从我所在的山上望去，老挝的绿色旅游业跟着它的步道走，也跟着它的公路走。

当地操作的船只航行入甘蒙省长7.5公里的坦贡洛洞穴，这里开车或经由CBT路径可以轻易抵达。空罗村有简单的旅舍供游客过夜。再往南走是包含五条步行－自行车－汽车道的沙湾拿吉历史道，可以自助游或跟随导游。这儿共有五十个由当地人看管的景点。该省生态旅游单位还提供八条带民舍的CBT步道与自行车路径。占巴塞省最南端有数个极佳景点——瓦普世界教科文组织世界文化遗产、四千岛以及昆帕蓬瀑布，都可以经由公路与船只到达。

相关网站： • www.tourismlaos.org • www.ecotourismlaos.com • www.stdplaos.com/web-based

PHOTO ART GALLERY 摄影画廊

Suthep Kritsanavarin Suthep Kritsanavarin is one of Thailand's leading photojournalists who has covered environment, social and humanitarian issues in Southeast Asia for almost two decades. His award-winning photographs have been published world-

泰国顶尖的摄影记者，20年来专门从事东南亚环保、社

wide, including in the New York Times, the International Herald

会及人道议题的拍摄，作品发表于世界各地的报刊杂

Tribune, National Geographic Thailand, the Japan Times,

志，包括《纽约时报》、《国际先驱论坛报》、《国家

Geographical and Aera. Suthep's work is founded on his firm belief that a photojournalist must act as a conscientious observer of society and culture, and contribute towards social change at a local and global level. He achieves these goals by

地理杂志》泰国版、《日本时报》、《地理杂志》、《AERA》新闻周刊等，并曾多次得奖。他认为摄影记者应扮演尽责的社会文化观察者的角色，为地方及全球

working on projects over a long duration, thus establishing

社会的改革做出贡献。秉持着这样的理念，他的拍摄计

trust with the communities he works with and building a deep

划都是长期性的，以便与他所拍摄的社群建立互信，并

understanding about the issues that he is documenting.

深入了解拍摄的题材和对象。

Suthep has exhibited his photography in Thailand, Cambodia,

素帖曾在泰国、柬埔寨、中国、日本、德国和法国举行

China, Japan, Germany and France. His exhibitions have

摄影展，展出的系列作品包括《圭与大象：一个挣扎求

included: Kuay and Elephants - Struggling for Survival; Life in

存的故事》、《新疆生活纪实》、《泰国的猎人与僧

Xinjiang, China; Hunters and Monks in Thailand; and

侣》、《四千美岛：面临威胁的湄公河捕鱼活动》等。

Siphandone - Mekong Fishing under Threat.

素帖花3年时间在老挝南部湄公河流域的四千美岛地区

Suthep's photo essay about the Siphandone area on the

以相机记录大型大型水坝工程对当地传统捕鱼社群和野

Mekong River in Southern Laos, shot over a three-year period,

生动物的威胁，引起了世人的关注。目前，世界自然基

is a vital documentation that draws attention to the threats

金会、国际河流组织、生态恢复和区域联盟等国际和区

posed by large hydropower dams to traditional fishing communities and wildlife. These images have been used by international and regional organizations, including the World

域组织借助这些照片，希望加强公众对湄公河流域大型水坝工程所造成的环境冲击的认识。

Wildlife Fund, International Rivers and Towards Ecological

素帖的影像记录寓意深刻且震撼人心。过去那些长期拍

Recovery and Regional Alliance (TERRA), to raise public

摄计划，都是他自费且自发进行的。如今，湄公河纪实

awareness about the impacts of the proposed dams on the

摄影系列获得了美国蓝色地球联盟的资助。他也在

Mekong mainstream.

2008年获得美国国家摄影记者协会最佳新闻摄影奖和国

Suthep's powerful images create in-depth documentary essays

际摄影大奖赛环保组第二名，2009年又荣获日本摄影杂

that are shot over protracted periods of time on his own funding

志《Days Japan》举办的国际新闻摄影大奖赛特别奖，

and initiative. His Mekong River photo documentary has now

以及中国举办的人类贡献奖年赛大奖。

been awarded a grant by the Blue Earth Alliance. In 2008, Suthep was awarded a Best of Photojournalism award from the US National Press Photographers Association and 2nd prize on Environment Issues by International Photography Awards and a Days Japan International Photojournalism Special Prize and Grand Award for Humanity Photo Awards 2009 from China.

素帖·吉沙那瓦林

PHOTO ART GALLERY 摄影画廊

WINE & DINE 饮食天地

Across the Bridge Noodles (Guo qiao mixian) might not be the “sexiest” dish in Yunnan—a land celebrated for matsutake mushroom hotpot and spicy Dai dishes—but when it comes to Kunming cuisine there is nothing like a bowl of rice noodles (mixian) and a fresh assortment of a la carte meats, vegetables and fungus that makes locals drool. While Across the Bridge Noodles is the pride of Spring City cuisine, and many Kunmingers claim the dish as their own, the origins of the simple delicacy are obscure and contentious. Most frequently, the first bowl is traced back to a romantic tale set far southeast of the capital. Legend has is that Across The Bridge Noodles originated by accident hundreds of years ago in Mengzi County when a young scholar retreated to a small island in South Lake in order to prepare for the national examination. Every day his wife had to cross a bridge to bring him his meals while he was busy studying, but by the time she reached his refuge the soup would often be cold. One day while cooking a pot of chicken soup she mistakenly spilled oil into the broth. She thought nothing of it,

Across the Bridge Noodles:

The Pride of Kunming Cuisine Text / Justin Kiersky Photos / Zhang Youlin

however, when she arrived at her husband's retreat she discovered that the layer of oil from the spilled chicken broth had retained the soup's heat. Not only was the soup warm, it was still hot enough to cook the raw slices of fish and meat. From that time on she made a habit of adding a thin layer of oil to the broth whenever she delivered the platters of fresh meats, vegetables and rice noodles to her husband. As Across the Bridge Noodles have gained notoriety the soup has evolved to meet the ever-increasing desires of Kunming's food crazy locals. These days you can choose from a wide assortment of seafood, spices, fungus and vegetables in nearly any restaurant of the city. You won't find a consensus on the “authentic” taste or ingredients of Across the Bridge Noodles, but rest assured there are a few time-honored traditions that locals keep in the Spring City. First a broth is prepared by stewing pork ribs in a large pot of boiling water for over five hours. No spices are added in order to retain the natural aroma and flavor. Ingredients are laid out on a platter and raw foods are added to the broth first. Afterwards, the fresh meats are added, typically quail eggs,

chicken meat, sliced pork, pork liver and fish. After waiting about a minute for the meat to cook, next comes the cooked meats, usually duck, chicken legs and deep fried pork. The third step is to add the potatoes and large raw vegetables. Cabbage, onions, tofu skin, coriander, been sprouts, carrots, leeks are served a la carte. Lastly, add in the rice noodles. Oil, chili and vinegar and other condiments are left up to personal preference. Whereas in the old days a master chef would have been on site to display his technique by slicing the pork in front of you as thin and evenly as a piece of transparent paper, there are only a few restaurants in Kunming that go so far as to bring a chef to your table. One way you can still determine the skill of the chefs, or the quality of the kitchen, is to see if the pork does not curve when placed in the boiling soup. Today you can find two varieties of Kunming-style rice mixian—”plain” made from white rice and “colored” made from purple rice—as well well as two different textures: “dry” and “sour” paste noodles. For a taste of old Across the Bridge Noodle order the latter, which elders tend to prefer due to the softer texture of the noodles. There is always room for debate when it comes to texture and taste in cuisine, and Kunming locals treat, and critique, their cuisine like an Olympic sport. Volumes have been written about guo qiao mixian and most locals will be able to tell you where to find the best bowl of noodles in a matter of seconds. But if

you're looking for a little adventure, take a walk through the city and decide for yourself. You can even visit even the mixian exhibit at the Kunming Museum. Prices range from 10 yuan for a bowl on the street to several hundred in some of Kunming's finer dining establishments. A word to the wise, while in Yunnan, a province where exotic cultures and cuisine converge, the amount that you pay for a dish is negligible. Across the Bridge Noodles is one of those definitive dishes that locals would never order anywhere else—not in Lijiang nor Beijing's swankiest Yunnan restaurant—if not for the lack of authenticity, fresh meats and vegetables or southwest China ambiance, than simply as a point of pride.

WINE & DINE 饮食天地

过桥米线

云南美食的代表撰文 / Minna 摄影 / 张有林

对于云南的饮食风味，很难用一个词来准确概况。26个少数民族的饮食各有各的特色，苦、辣、酸、甜各有各的滋味。还有很多是你想也想不到的吃法，基诺族有凉拌茶，白族吃生皮生肉，哈尼族有长街宴，彝族爱吃坨坨肉……众口实在难调，可有一样，新鲜、绿色是对所有食材的基本要求。如果非要找出一种在云南大部分人都喜爱，都很普及的食物，那就要数过桥米线了，是中国及世界华人公认的云南的标志性美食。在云南，早餐时间，很多人会选择去吃上一碗过桥米线。米线是一种古老的食物，已有300多年的历史。稻作文明的发达带来了米线的产生和发展。在中国很多地方都有米线这种食物，只是叫法不同，在广东叫米粉，在广西叫米干，但只有在云南，才把米线这种美食发挥到了淋漓尽致。过桥米线的名字就很有来头，这是一个动人而温馨的故事。早在300多年前，有一个书生在一个小岛上独居苦读。他的妻子每天要经过一座小桥为他送午餐。一次，妻子准备了鸡汤、米线和肉片，没想到由于汤面浮了一层油，虽然经过了很远的路，到达小岛上时汤还很烫，竟然连生肉片放入汤中也一烫而熟，吃起来味道很不错。从此这种充满着关爱的食

物，就被称为过桥米线。第一次吃过桥米线的人会有点不知所措，当看到大大小小的十多个盘子碟子，真不知该如何下手。过桥米线最讲究的便是汤，把上好的排骨、筒子骨、五花肉和鸡肉放在一起炖，最少要熬5个小时，不能加任何香料，要的就是那种原汁原味。以前的大户人家，米线是要现做现吃的，还要请上好的开肉师傅，脊肉开得好坏完全要看开脊肉师傅的手艺。脊肉的厚薄要与汤配合，开得上好的脊肉迎着光象纸一样的透明，放入汤中也不能卷曲。

起了家，有的人为过桥米线著书立说，建立博物馆。过桥米线不仅名列云南十大名小吃之首，连在美国、法国等国，过桥米线也作为中国小吃的代表之一亮丽登场。无论是街边小馆里几块钱碗的，还是高级餐厅里几百块一碗的，都有着云南人浓浓的情结。那熟悉的味道是云南的乡情，那平实的滋味一如人生。用长长的过桥米线，作为云南人的邀请函。

要吃出过桥米线真正的“过桥”滋味来，还有专业技术。先把生的鹌鹑蛋、鸡脯肉片、猪脊肉片、肝片、猪腰花片、肚头片、鲜鱼片放入滚烫的高汤中烫熟，再把做好的香酥、鸡腿、油炸肉也放进去，还有蔬菜类的配料，豆腐皮、香菜、豆芽、胡萝卜、韭菜，还有最具特色的菊花、豆坨、草芽等都依次放入，最后才放入米线。而最正宗的吃法是要把米线和汤分碗装，把配料在汤碗里烫熟后，从米线碗里挑几根出来放入汤碗稍烫一下，然后把米线和汤一起吃进去。那米线每次从小碗里过到汤碗里，都好象是过了一个桥一样。云南人在小小的米线身上做了大文章，有的人靠做米线餐饮

SHOPPING & LEISURE 购物休闲

Sukhumvit Road is the shopping lifeline for the tourist, lined with malls, each brimming with desirable brand names – Gucci, Prada, Todd's, Marc Jacob, and Karen Millen, to name a few. The marathon stretch is serviced by a sky train for rapid movement between the malls, where the shopper's itinerary begins at Phrom Phong station with The Emporium. Here Gucci and Louis Vuitton rub shoulders with Thailand's home-grown brand, Jim Thompson. A recent newcomer is the American brand, Gap. Next stop is Chidlom for the flagship Central Department Store, where desired cosmetic and clothing brands can all be found under one roof. With endless celebrations, shopping festivals, and a tourists' shopping pass with discount percentages, Central brings their customers to a new level of shopping-friendly experience. If it's the company of some of the most revered and irresistible fashion names in history that you are seeking, and if you also

BANGKOK

want to inconspicuously check out top Thai designers, hop next door to Gaysorn Plaza. Quality and finesse flow over several floors tempting shoppers with the sparkle of jewels, the lure of a Persian rug, and the scent of luxury skin care. Opposite this

The Greatest Shopping Extravaganza of Them All!

shopper's perfect pit stop to refuel the energy for the final

Text / Liz Smailes Photos / Jaffee Yee

stretch.

one-stop luxury house is the Erawan Centre, where Burberry and Bally feed the appetite for more bags and the award winning Erawan Tea Room served by the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok takes the weight off the feet. This is the professional

Central World, once shaken but not stirred, has been restored

Bangkok quite simply sends the shop-a-holic delirious. Where does one start in a city that never goes to bed? Attracted by midnight sales and bargains galore, people from every corner of the globe converge on this iconic metropolis 24 hours a day to visit one of the greatest cities in Asia and stock up on international brands and uniquely Asian products.

to its former glory. Worthy of a day in itself, it's the Disney World of shopping where chain stores from all corners of the world come together – River Island, British India, Marks & Spencer, Lacoste, and Zara – to compete floor after floor after floor with fashion designers, watch makers, gadget geeks and footwear for the well-heeled. At the pinnacle of the Sukhumvit shopping spree is Siam Paragon, six floors encompassing the pride of Bangkok where

an underground aquarium entertains children for hours while

great selection of just about everything that's edible, from

shoppers above disappear into a warren of exclusivity that

high-quality ingredients to a decent dish of curry. Tourists in

includes a luxury car room for the likes of Ferrari and Bugatti.

particular are drawn to their amazing selection of shellfish and

When seeking unique design pieces for your personal living

domestic fruits from Rayong and other nearby provinces.

space itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth taking the 40 minute taxi ride from central Bangkok to Ekamai Ramintra for the Crystal Design Center (CDC) showcasing architectural, interior, decorating and construction products. This one-stop shopping district for customers, designers, architects, project owners, importers and exporters in sourcing new and innovative materials will keep you up-to-date on new design trends, all housed in several distinctive designed buildings integrated within a posh landscape design district. Bangkok has so much to offer those of every taste and budget. Research and plan your days well and you can have a great time in this wonderful city. Just remember to arrive with at least one empty suitcase!

Not on the main street So many shopping delights are hidden away somewhere in the

Markets

maze of Bangkok. Here are three noteworthy businesses off the

To keep budget shoppers happy day and night, there are a

beaten path.

myriad of markets in every corner of the city. Two in particular you won't want to miss.

Bambou This one offers eco-friendly and contemporary home

Chatuchak Weekend Market

accessories made in Vietnam from rattan and bamboo

This market is particularly popular for Thai handicrafts. The

products. The head office in Bangkok has a stunning showroom

range is huge, the quality is high, and the intense competition

and factory outlet on Asoke Road, just off Sukhumvit Road.

keeps the prices low. The scale is enormous: the market covers

www.bambou-limited.com

an area of 70 rai (35 acres) and contains more than 15,000 shops and stalls. There are over 200,000 visitors each day, and they spend an estimated total of 30 million baht (approximately US$1 million). It isn't the most comfortable shopping experience, but for most people the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Go early in the day when it is a bit cooler. Or Tor Kor

Gems With 80 percent of the world's gems passing through Bangkok at some point of the production and design process, the scam market is active and it's buyer beware. Mark Power is a certified gemologist from the Gemology Institute of America and has teamed up with jewellery designer Laurie Hardoon Adulayavichitr to produce some genuinely stunning pieces for

When shopping feeds the appetite and hunger sets in, wander

your personal treasure trove. Visit their office in the Silom gem

across from Chatuchak Market to Or Tor Kor open daily from 6

district, by appointment only.

AM to 8 PM. In this super clean fresh market you will find a

www.markpowergems.com

SHOPPING & LEISURE 购物休闲

曼谷

无可匹比的购物天堂撰文 / Liz Smailes 摄影 / 余曜辉

曼谷是一个随时能让购物狂不能自已的不夜城。每天24小时，许多人从世界各地飞抵亚洲最大城市之一的曼谷，为的就是在午夜大折扣或各种名目的促销活动中，把各种国际时尚名牌和独特的亚洲商品纳入怀抱。素坤逸路是曼谷最主要的购物街。在沿着这条大街矗立的多座购物中心里，可找到各种国际时尚名牌的专卖店，如 Plan Toys

Gucci、Prada、Todd's、Marc Jacob、Karen Millen等。要逛遍这

Producing innovative educational toys for every developmental

些购物中心和精品店，最好的方式是搭乘高架捷运。购物之

stage of childhood, PlanToys® incorporates thoughtful design

旅的第一站是位于Phrom Phong捷运站的The Emporium。在这

and age-appropriate challenges to stimulate children's

里，Gucci和LV与泰国本土名牌Jim Thompson比肩而立，美国

creativity. This Thai company has been manufacturing environmentally friendly wooden toys (sold largely in the USA

名牌Gap不久前也已进驻其中。

and Europe) for 30 years. Their small factory outlet can be

下一站是Central百货公司的旗舰店。这家位于Chidlom捷运站

found at the head office on Sathorn Soi 10.

旁的百货公司汇聚了各种品牌的化妆品和服饰，可说是应有尽有。它提供持有外国游客折扣卡的顾客各种优惠，加上终年不断的各种节庆促销活动和购物节，让你有宾至如归的感觉。

www.plantoys.com

假如你要找那些在欧美时尚史上最受推崇的名牌，以及当今泰国最顶尖的设计师品牌，那你就不能错过与Central百货公 VAT refund a shoppers' paradise

Apart from sometimes unbelievably good prices you can also enjoy the benefits of discount cards at many malls and department stores. Goods purchased in Thailand are VAT inclusive. However, foreign visitors receive a VAT refund on luxury goods. When you see a “VAT Refund for Tourists” sign, you can receive a 7 percent refund of the VAT levied on goods at the shop. Certain conditions apply, and you won't be able to claim your refund until you leave Thailand from an international airport.

司毗邻的Gaysorn Plaza。在这高档购物中心里，闪亮的珠宝首饰、诱人的波斯地毯、芬芳迷人的护肤用品等高档商品，足以让你流连忘返。它的对面是Erawan Centre。若想买个时尚包包，里面的Burberry 和 Bally 可能有适合你品味的。走累了，可在曼谷君悦酒店的得奖下午茶餐厅Erawan Tea Room稍作休息，补充精力后再做最后一轮的冲刺。接下来的Central World购物中心曾遭红衫军纵火，目前已恢复其光鲜亮丽的色彩。这里聚集了多家全球著名的名牌店，包括 River Island、 British India、 Marks & Spencers、 Lacoste、 Zara等。出自世界级设计师之手的各种时尚服装、钟表和鞋子在此争艳斗丽，足以让手头阔绰者流连一整天。

给素坤逸路购物之旅划上完美句点的，是Siam Paragon。这座 6层楼的购物中心是曼谷购物精华荟萃之地。它的地下层有一座水族馆，足以让小朋友留连好几个小时。而楼上的各个精品店，包括停放着法拉利、布加迪等豪华跑车的汽车展示厅，绝对足以满足你的购物欲。若你想为生活空间增添创意，可搭乘出租车到40分钟车程外 Ekamai Ramintra 路上的水晶设计中心采购各种建筑、室内设计和装饰用品。这里是和设计相关的产品的集散地，设计一流的建筑物内展示了各种最新、最具创意的设计品，绝对是设计师、建筑师、进出口商和一般消费者认识最新设计潮流和采购设计材料及创意商品的首选之地。曼谷是应有尽有的购物天堂，任何品味和预算的游客都能在这里获得满足。只需稍微收集相关的信息，规划好行程，你一定能在这座精彩的城市里享有一趟美好的旅程。当然，别忘了多带至少一件空行李箱！

其它购物地点除了上述几个主要购物场所，曼谷的大街小巷里还隐藏着许多鲜为人知但绝对值得一逛的购物地点，下面介绍其中三个。 Bambou 售卖以藤和竹为材料的环保又时尚的居家用品。产品在越南制造，总部设在曼谷与素坤逸路交接的亚速克路上，其陈列室兼专卖店非常精致迷人。 www.bambou-limited.com Gems 曼谷是全世界80%的珠宝在设计和生产过程中的必经之地，因此假货泛滥，购买时务必特别小心。Mark Power是获得美国宝石学院认证的宝石专家，他与首饰设计师 Laurie Hardoon Adulayavichitr联手，为客户量身定制珠宝首饰。他们的办事处位于曼谷是隆路珠宝区，需预约。

市集

www.markpowergems.com

不管是在白天还是晚上，曼谷各个角落都有各式各样的市集能满足低预算游客的购物需求。其中有两个市集不容错过。

Plan Toys

Chatuchak 周末市集以售卖泰国手工艺品闻名。这里的手工艺品不仅选择多质量好，而且因为竞争激烈，价格都被压低了。整个市集占地 35英亩，拥有多达15,000个店铺和摊位，每天客流量高达20万

制造适合各成长阶段儿童的教育性创意玩具，借由深思熟虑的设计来激发儿童的创造力。这家公司由泰国人经营，过去 30年来所生产的环保木制玩具主要销售到美国和欧洲。其曼谷总部设有小型专卖店，地址是Sathorn Soi 10。 www.plantoys.com

人，日营业额估计达3000万泰铢（约100万美元）。尽管购物环境不是很舒适，但东西价廉物美，绝对让你不虚此行。建议在上午天气还不太热的时候前往。 Or Tor Kor 鲜货市场在 Chatuchak 逛到肚子饿了，可到对面的 Or Tor Kor 找东西

增值税退税优惠

吃。这里每天从早上6点营业至晚上10点，不仅环境干净整洁，而且食品琳琅满目，从山珍海味到普通咖喱皆一应俱全。来自罗勇府等地区的各种贝壳类海鲜和新鲜水果，最让游客流连忘返。

外国游客在泰国购物除了不时可享有令人难以置信的超低价格，还可使用游客折扣卡在特定的百货公司和购物中心获得折扣。所有商品的价格已包含7%的增值税，但外国游客购买奢侈品可享有增值税退税优惠。在贴有“VAT Refund for Tourists” （游客增值税退税）标志的商店购物，可申请7%的增值税退税。退税申请须符合特定条件，所退税款须在从国际机场离境时才能申领。

MY MEKONG 我的湄公河

I am reading The Lover

Cry Me A River

Text & photos / Stu Lloyd

(the French classic known as L'Amant) by Marguerite Duras. It is set in pre-World War II Indochina and details a “forbidden fruit” affair between an adolescent French girl and a Chinese man she meets on a ferry ride up the Mekong. Reality and fiction blur as we step aboard the RV Mekong Pandaw, an accurate facsimile of the colonial-era Irrawaddy

and the house of her lover still stands. We walk through fruit

Steamship Flotilla, which dates back to 1860s Burma. Think

markets bursting with the largest tropical produce you could

teak paneling, brass fittings, crew in snappy white outfits.

imagine: pineapples, dragon fruit, tamarinds, bananas,

Marry this with the mystique of the mighty Mekong River –

baguettes, coffee, and live frogs and snails.

which I've long desired to cover from its nine-tributary mouth to its mountain source – and it's a truly enchanting journey. My mother sometimes tells me that never in my whole life shall I ever again see rivers as beautiful and big and wild as these. In the surrounding flatness stretching as far as the eye can see, the rivers flow as fast as if the earth sloped downward. Duras's words still ring true, as we cast off from My Tho in the Mekong Delta, the seafood basket of Asia, with US$2.5 billion of seafood hauled out of its fish farms annually.

Duras spent six years in the town of Sadec where her novel is set

He says he's just back from Paris where he was a student, that he lives in Sadec too, on this same river, the big house with the big terraces with blue-tiled balustrades. And here is the house formerly belonging to Monsieur Huynh Thuy Le. Gaudy as a Chinese temple, with gold leaf flourishes and floral tiles. Ceilings and walls are ornately carved with bat motifs, a symbol of prosperity. Monsieur Huynh was indeed prosperous, but when South

Vietnam fell to the Communists his family made a run for the

boasts one of the oldest Otis elevators still in use in the world,

West and the house was converted into a police station.

and Citroens of similar vintage.

French architecture punctuates the shoreline; a cathedral spire

But Siem Reap has zoomed ahead. Unthinkably cool shops and

here, a house there. And on Giang Island, a raft of monastery

restaurants, like Café Indochine, line its streets. Boom Boom

buildings dating back to 1890. Church bells ring out with a

Room is a funky favorite – no, not what you think … this shop

melancholy chime of former grandeur allowed to flake and

burns albums straight into your iPod for US$1 each. Talk about

fade.

leapfrogging a generation.

On the Pandaw, you are time-warped back to the colonial era,

Then the boat bid farewell, uttering its terrible mysteriously

especially as you watch another magical blood-orange Mekong

sad wails that made everybody weep.

sun set to the tinkling soundtrack of ice in long gin-and-tonic glasses. We cruise the more languid sections of the Mekong described by Duras:

In all, My Mekong is a modern reality that enjoys a much happier ending than Duras's fiction could ever manage.

In the misty sun of the river, the sun of the hot season, the banks have faded away, the river seems to reach the horizon. It flows quietly, without a sound, like the blood in the body. At Chau Doc, a flash new pier adjoins the promenade where the colonial-looking Victoria Hotel holds forth. French music, in the Edith Piaf mould, blares from tannoys. A trishaw ride puts us further into The Quiet American colonial oeuvre. Raffish Phnom Penh is the capital of a once-powerful kingdom that ruled much of Southeast Asia. Fishermen work the waters, laying nets in the morning mist. Several of Cambodia's six thousand pagodas from the 6th-9th centuries come into sharp focus. Then the French-inspired buildings of the renascent city... From the main temple in the 1860's Royal Palace, with French tinges in its Cambodian grace, to the National Museum designed by the French in 1920, louver-shuttered buildings and white-washed tree bases along Norodom Boulevard, and countless chic cafes along the waterfront transforming this into “The Chilling Fields.” Then on to the Tonle River, where an ocean-sized lake swells and recedes seasonally. Floating villages with schools, churches, libraries, and even a basketball court, drift by. Siem Reap was a forgotten town when the remains of Angkor Wat were uncovered, and the Great Age of Travel arrived with the Grand Hotel d'Angkor constructed in the early 1930s. It

STU LLOYD | www.stulloyd.com Stu Lloyd was born in Zimbabwe and has since travelled to fifty-five countries and lived in seven of them, spending roughly one third of his life in Africa, one third in Australasia, and one third in Southeast Asia. The travel writer/ author now calls Chiang Mai home, from where he can explore the countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-Region, preferably on his BMW650 GS motorcycle.

MY MEKONG 我的湄公河

为我泪流成河撰文 • 摄影 / Stu Lloyd

我正在读玛格丽特杜拉斯的《情人》(L'Amant,法国小说)，故事的背景设于二战前的印度支那，描述一个法国少女与她在湄公河渡轮上遇见的一个中国男人之间禁忌的恋情。一旦登上湄公河邦岛游轮，现实与虚构的界限就开始模糊了，呈现眼前的画面是可以回溯到吉卜林与奥威尔时代 1865年缅甸殖民时期依洛瓦底江游轮船队的逼真缩影。遍览湄公河的九条支流一直到其山中源头是我长久以来内心的渴望。想象那柚木嵌板、黄铜装饰和穿着漂亮白色制服的船员，再把它们与辽阔神秘的湄公河结合起来，这着实是段迷人的旅程。母亲有时对我说，在我有生之年再不可能见到像湄公河这么美丽、辽阔与狂野的河流了。在围绕着它的一望无际的平原之上，河流仿佛向下倾倒般迅速地奔流着。当游轮从湄公河三角洲的美萩解缆启程，杜拉斯的文字依然符合真实。这儿是亚洲的鱼仓，每年养殖场出产价值二十五亿美金的鱼产品。杜拉斯在沙沥住了六年，小说的背景正设于此，而她爱人的房子依然矗立。我们走进水果市场，所有你想象得到的热带食物在这里都找得到：菠萝、火龙果、罗望子、香蕉、长棍面包、咖啡、活青蛙与蜗牛。他说他才从巴黎留学回来，现在也住在沙沥，就在这条河边上那幢有着蓝色瓷砖扶手的宽敞露台的大房子里。眼前就是这幢房子，过去为余度乐先生所拥有。用金箔与花卉瓷砖装饰的它看起来如同中国庙宇般华丽，天花板与墙满是精雕细琢的蝙蝠图案，象征着幸福昌盛。余先生当年是很成功，越南统一后，他的家族去了西方国家，房子后来被改头换面成了公安局。

在朱笃，一个崭新的码头与殖民风格的维多利亚旅馆所在的大道毗连。依迪丝皮亚芙风格的法国音乐从谭诺伊扬声器流泻出来。一趟三轮车之旅把我们带回到《安静的美国人》一书描述的殖民时期氛围。美艳的金边是过去统治大部分东南亚的一个强大王国的首都。水上的渔民忙着在晨雾中撒网。柬埔寨有六千座宝塔建于六到九世纪间，其中的数个清楚地映入眼帘。然后是新生的城市里那些受法国风格影响的建筑…… 从1860年建成，带法国色彩的、优雅的柬埔寨皇宫里的主庙，到1920年由法国人所设计的国家博物馆，诺罗敦大道上的卢浮宫式建筑及洗白的种了树的地面，还有无数沿着河滨时髦的咖啡店让气氛如此与众不同。然后是洞里萨河，这里有个像海洋那么大的湖随着季节变化涨落。有着学校、教堂、图书馆甚至篮球场的漂浮的村庄从眼前漂流而过。当吴哥窟被发现时，暹粒还只是个被遗忘的城市。随着吴哥窟大饭店在1930年代初的建成，旅游的大时代于焉来临。暹粒号称有世界上最老的，仍在使用中的奥的斯电梯以及雪铁龙汽车。暹粒往前跑得更远。像Café Indochine这种超乎想象的时髦商店及餐厅排满街道。独树一帜的 Boom Boom Room很讨好——别想错了……它为你的iPod灌入音乐，一张专辑收费美金一元。这是个向前跳跃的时代。然后这船向众人道别，它那可怕的，神秘的哀鸣使每个人潸然泪下。然而，我的湄公河可是个现代的存在，比起杜拉斯的小说来，有个快乐得多的结局。

沿岸有一些法式建筑，一会儿是一处教堂尖塔，一会儿是一栋楼房。江岛上还有许多盖于1890年代的修道院式的房屋。教堂忧郁的钟鸣回荡着逝去的辉煌。在邦岛游轮上，时光仿佛回到了殖民地时代，特别是望着又一个神奇的、血橙红的湄公河夕阳在手中琴汤尼里冰块的叮当碰撞声中缓缓落下的时候。此时我们来到了杜拉斯笔下较慵懒部分的湄公河：在这条河上朦胧的、炎热季节的太阳底下，河岸仿佛消失了，无尽的河水延伸到天边，静静地流，像人身体里的血液。

作者简介 Stu Lloyd 出生于津巴布韦，至今到过五十五个国家旅行，在其中七个居住过，大约有三分之一的时间待在非洲，三分之一在澳大拉西亚，还有三分之一在东南亚。目前这位游记作家视清迈为家，从这儿他可以探索围绕着大湄公河区的国家——骑着他的BMW650 GS摩托车。

An Illustrated map of THE MEKONG Published by:

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