Travel Guides & Tips in this video
Katherine and her husband Asadon cycle through northern China, moving from Gansu Province into Ningxia. Their route includes river valleys, mountain roads, small Buddha caves, and mosques with glass and columns that combine Islamic and Chinese styles. They visit a market selling paper offerings for ancestors, including houses, cars, and massage chairs, and encounter two funeral processions. In Pingyang, they explore a night market and see an underground trash system. After crossing a mountain into Ningxia, they stay at a rural village inn and try local snacks. Katherine also notes that locals are often surprised to meet an American couple in the area.
Next travel video:
More about the current video:()
Markets, caves, and funeral customs
Katherine and Asadon cycle through northern China, starting in Gansu and heading toward Ningxia. The landscape changes from river valleys and temples to mountain roads and mosques. Along the route, they visit a market for goods used in ancestor offerings. Paper money, houses, cars, and even massage chairs are among the items for sale. Katherine describes how the funeral market keeps developing new objects that people can burn for the deceased. They encounter two funeral processions, which appear colorful and celebratory.
The couple also stop at small caves containing Buddha carvings, many of which are unmarked and free to visit. One site has dozens of carvings. In Pingyang, they explore a night market and discover an underground trash system.
Crossing into Ningxia
The next day, Katherine and Asadon cross a mountain into Ningxia. The landscape changes again, and they stay at a rural village inn where they try a sticky sweet block and spicy, oily latiao. Katherine befriends village grandpas and reflects on the surprise locals express at seeing an American woman married to a man from another part of the world. The inn offers a quiet view of rural mountain life, and some village lodgings also provide electric-car charging overnight.
The trip combines cycling, local markets, religious architecture, and conversations with residents. Katherine recommends small caves as quieter stops and describes the ancestor market as a window into funeral customs. Flat river valleys make for easier riding before the mountain crossing, while the route into Ningxia brings a different landscape and architectural mix.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What was the strangest food Katherine tried?
- A: She tries a sticky sweet block that reminds her of styrofoam, though she says it tastes good. She also samples spicy, oily latiao in the village.
- Q: What surprised Katherine about the ancestor market?
- A: She is struck by the range of offerings, including massage chairs and cardboard tombstones. The market reflects continuing innovation in goods for funeral customs.
- Q: How did local people react to the travelers?
- A: Katherine and Asadon say residents were often surprised to see them in the area, and some people had never met an American before.
