Xīnjiāng Uyghur Autonomous Region (新疆维吾尔自治区) is located in the far North West of China. It is a huge region, much of which is empty mountains and desert with just a few people. However, it is an area steeped in history and culture. The cross roads of Asia, Xinjiang was route of the famous Silk Road. For thousands of years, caravans of camels have traversed this arid land that links China with the the rest of Asia and Europe beyond. It was over this land that Marco Polo travelled some 700 years ago on his way to Xanadu, the then capital of China.

Changsha (长沙) is the capital city of Hunan province in South Central China. It sits beside the Xiang river, which is a tributary of the Yangtze River. The city has been an important trading hub, going back for Qin dynasty and before. It became the provincial capital during the mid 17th century. In the 20th century, the city was the scene of many battles in the war between China and Japan. It was in Changsha that a young Mao Zedong was first introduced to communism.;

Erhai Lake is the second largest in China. It is situated in near Dali city in Yunnan prefecture. The lake is at an altitude of 1,972 metres. It is about 40km long and 7 to 8km wide.