Six months after the earthquake, China's Sichuan province is more-or-less ready for visitors.

They've even got earthquake tourism started with an earthquake relic park now open in Qingchuan County, the hardest hit region. Instead of six villages they've now got 36 lakes in this area; tourists can visit for free although they're considered charging in the future.

As far as tourism is concerned, Sichuan officials were pretty pleased that no World Heritage Sites were seriously damaged--they also breathed a big sigh of relief that none of the 55,000 foreign tourists there at the time were killed. (We might point out that 88,000 Chinese people were, but apparently that's not on the agenda of tourism officials.) And as odd as it might be, they're probably expecting a boost in tourist numbers now that we all know where kung pao chicken actually comes from.

Related Stories:
· Quake Relic Park Opens in Sichuan [Shanghai Daily]
· Where Is the Epicenter of the China Earthquake? [Jaunted]
· China Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: Shanghai Daily]]]> amandak 2008-11-18T09:30:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/30/111136/214

Travel industry personality Chris McGinnis, who's worked everywhere from CNN Headline News to Expedia, had a particularly travel-y LA earthquake experience yesterday:

I was in the security screening area at LAX and my bag was in the x-ray machine. All of a sudden every machine and magnetometer started beeping and blinking red wildly and the overhead monitors were shaking and the TSA folks were yelling "STOP, STOP, ALL STOP."

We all sorta looked at each other as the quake rolled by. I was ready to jump under the metal table it if got any worse. The Japanese lady with her two kids in front of me with Hello Kitty bags looked at me like "So what's the big deal here?"

About two minutes went by, and the machines came back on and my bag popped out and I packed up, put my shoes on and carried on. Everyone was shaking their heads and saying things like "Welcome to California, folks."

Where did McGinnis publish his first-hand account? Facebook, obviously.

Related Stories:
· My LAX Earthquake Experience [Facebook]
· Where Was the LA Earthquake? [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-07-30T11:15:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/29/153455/327

At 11:42 local time, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake shook up Los Angeles, making us glad that the White Knight Two reveal was yesterday instead of today. We don't like hiding under desks!

The epicenter, mapped above, was just two miles from Chino Hills and 29 miles from the LA Civic Center downtown. While 5.8 isn't that strong, it did manage to shake up buildings and locals alike. There were no serious injuries reported, but Disneyland has closed its rides for inspections.

As for people trying to flee LA, they're in luck: Flights out of LAX continue to operate normally.

Related Stories:
· Earthquake Details from the USGS [Official Site]
· Earthquake Rocks Los Angeles [CNN]
· Moderate Earthquake Shakes LA [Reuters]
· Google Maps/Where Is... coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-07-29T15:39:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/27/85230/4540

And out of disaster comes... a new tourist destination. Thanks to the May 12 earthquake, Beichuan county got a large new lake, and Chinese scientists and government officials are already figuring out how to maximize its tourism potential.

Tangjiashan Lake was formed after the side of a mountain fell in and blocked a river. It's already been decided that it's safe and stable, so the next step is to decide how to keep it a scenic spot ripe for tourists.

We see plenty of potential for poorly-translated Chinglish signs here and perhaps a few new rules for tourists to follow. Or, here's an idea, let's just have a pretty lake with a few picnic tables. How about it, China?

Related Stories:
· China Quake Lake to be Tourist Spot [AP, via Google]
· Where is the Epicenter of the China Earthquake? [Jaunted]
· China Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Karen from Michigan]]]> amandak 2008-06-27T08:52:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/14/171847/424

China continues to deal with the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake, while aid continues to trickle into also-suffering Myanmar. In China, officials are worried that the Zipingpu Dam may have been damaged by the 7.9-magnitude quake. We're not engineers, but it seems likely: One look at our map shows how close it was to the epicenter of the May 12 temblor.

The endangered dam sits just upstream from Dujiangyan, a city of several thousand people that is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Dujiangyan Irrigation System was built in 256 BC and is still in use today.

Hundreds of other dams in Sichuan may have been damaged, but officials say the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei Province is safe. The monumental construction project/environmental disaster-in-waiting sits about 350 miles east the earthquake epicenter.

Related Stories:
· Dam Cracks Add to China Quake Fears [TPA, via Google]
· China Says Troops Rush to Plug Dam [AP, via Google]
· Dujiangyan Irrigation System [Wikipedia]
· China Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-05-14T17:30:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/12/17146/5382

Asia is having a tragically terrible month. Days after a cyclone ripped Myanmar to shreds, a powerful earthquake rattled China, killing thousands in the western province of Sichuan. Home to the famous Wolong Nature Reserve, the region is also known for its eponymous cooking style, epitomized in kung pao chicken.

Offices in Beijing--more than 950 miles from the epicenter--swayed for more than two minutes, and the quake was felt as far away as Bangkok, Hanoi and Taipei. Rescue efforts are ongoing.

Related Stories:
· USGS Information on the Quake [Official Site]
· Death Toll in China Earthquake up to 9,000 [AP, via Google]
· China Quake Brings out Citizen Journalists [Telegraph]
· Among the Pandas in Wolong [The Atlantic]
· Asia Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-05-12T17:18:43-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/7/17342/67510

A series of fairly powerful earthquakes hit Japan today, rocking Ibaraki Prefecture, just north of Tokyo. There were no fatalities and no fear of a tsunami, though tremors could continue in the coming hours. The last earthquake of this magnitude hit the island nation last year; it killed 11 people.

Even though damage this time was light, it must've been an interesting experience for the most high-profile tourist in Tokyo right now: Chinese President Hu Jintao. The leader is meeting with his Japanese counterparts in an effort to smooth relations between the two countries, which have been frosty for the past decade.

Related Stories:
· Strong Earthquake Rocks Tokyo Region [AFP, via Google]
· 6.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Near Tokyo [AP, via Google]
· Hu Jintao and Yasuo Fukuda Make Friends [UK Times]
· China, Japan Sign Joint Statement on Ties [Xinhua]
· Japan Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: randomidea]]]> pbb 2008-05-07T17:15:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/