text:
Yichang

Yichang (宜昌 Yíchāng) is a city in Hubei Province.

Understand
The population of the Yichang area is around 4 million, with about one and a half million within the city itself and the remainder in the outside areas. The city is located just below the Three Gorges and around 30 km downstream from the dam. It used to be the gateway to the upper Yangze and an important post in the Sino-Japanese war, though not much of those times is visible anymore. Nowadays the city is known as the ending point of the Three Gorges river cruising trip and is less often used for a trip upstream.

Yiling District of Yichang City, known as Yiling in ancient times, is located at the gateway of the Three Gorges.

By bus
Yichang can easily be reached by bus. There is a main bus station, where there are buses from/to main cities in China. There are further bus stations at the docks where the river cruises end/start.

By train
Train is also a very easy way to get to Yichang. The old Yichang Station, located in the city centre, has been closed. The city is now served by the new You can take bus 1 further into the town and then change to bus 23 (these routes should parallel for a while) and then ride to its terminus (Yemingzhu) from which a non-city bus (number 8) goes to the Three Gorges Dam.

Situated on one of China's main east-west high-speed mainlines, Yichang has frequent rail service to the cities along this line (Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chongqing, Chengdu); there are also high-speed and conventional trains to a number of other key destinations around the country, from Beijing to Guangzhou.

By boat/cruise
Many people get in by boat. Most boats arrive around 1-1.30pm at the docks from where it is possible to catch a bus to Wuhan the same night which for most people might be the most interesting option of getting out. There are also many Yangtze Cruises sailing on the Yangtze River between Chongqing and Yichang (see Do Section).

By bus
The locally run buses only cost ¥2 and are regular enough to be relied upon. The bus rapid transit (BRT) lines ride in dedicated lanes at least a part of the time.

By bike
Floating blue Hello bikes can be found around the city. They can be rented by scanning the QR code with the Alipay app. A dedicated cycle lane follows the park on the east bank of the river.

By taxi
Taxi fares begin at ¥8 and then increase in small amounts over time and distance. Taxis may or may not use the meter, if you stay in the downtown limits, rides should not exceed ¥10.

Riverfront
The east bank of the river consists of very long park stretching from the southern new Yangtze bridge up to the smaller dam in the north. It has separate zones for walking and cycling. In the late afternoon and evening people go there to work out, dance or play sports. It also has good views of the hills on the other side of the river which light up after dark.

River Cruises
There are many luxury Yangtze cruises sailing between Yichang and Chongqing lasting three nights downstream and four nights upstream. The cruise fare usually includes shore excursions (Fengdu, Shennong Stream/Lesser Three Gorges, Three Gorges Dam) and all meals on-board the ship except the dinner of the check-in day.

Drink

Connect

 * Yichang consulting service Tel: 0717-6212301
 * Yidu consulting service Tel: 0717-4823601
 * Zhijiang consulting service Tel: 0717-4515960
 * Dangyang consulting service Tel: 0717-3222896
 * Yuan 'an County consulting service Tel: 0717-3821552
 * Xingshan County advisory service Tel: 0717-2584811
 * Zigui County consulting service Tel: 0717-2881208
 * Changyang Tujia County consulting service Tel: 0717-5322464
 * Wufeng Tujia Autonomous County consulting service Tel: 0717-5821620
 * Yiling District consulting service Tel: 0717-7821215
 * Xiling District consulting service Tel: 0717-6927500
 * Wujiagang District consulting service Tel: 0717-6557632

 * Dianjun District consulting service Tel: 0717-6226560

 * Xiaoting District consulting service Tel: 0717-6515859

 * Commodity (service) price, product quality and market order supervision: 0717-12315
 * Environmental Protection Report: 0717-12369
 * Property Service Supervision: 0717-6445920
 * Work safety supervision: 0717-6212350
 * Transportation service Supervision: 0717-12328
 * Petition appeal: 0717-6256784

Go next

 * Shennongjia Forest District, a national park in the mountains, where middle-class urbanites flock in the summer to escape the stifling heat of the Yangtze Valley
 * Chongqing - it's a long trip by boat through the Three Gorges, but a scenic one; or you can get there in 4.5 hours by a high-speed train

title: Yichang


text:
Yichun

There's more than one place called Yichun:

China

 * Yichun (Heilongjiang) - in Heilongjiang Province
 * Yichun (Jiangxi) - in Jiangxi Province

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Yichun


text:
Yiddish phrasebook

Yiddish (ייִדיש / יידיש / אידיש, yidish/idish) is the traditional language of the Ashkenazi Jews. It is spoken as a daily language in some parts of America, mostly in and around New York City, and in Israel. There are also smaller Yiddish-speaking communities in Canada, the United Kingdom, Russia, Australia, South Africa and Argentina. It developed out of Middle High German with many loanwords of Hebrew, Slavic, French, or other origin, making it not fully intelligible to native German speakers. As Yiddish is roughly 75% Germanic in origin, German speakers can understand a large part of it.

Yiddish is written with the same alphabet as Hebrew, with a few additional letters, and is written from right to left. However, unlike Hebrew, which uses an abjad (consonant-only alphabet), Yiddish generally uses the Hebrew alphabet as a full alphabet, vowels and all.

Pronunciation guide
Yiddish has several dialects which differ in their vowel sounds and certain vocabulary items. Words of European origin are spelled out phonemically. On the other hand, words of Semitic (Hebrew and Aramaic) origin are written just as in the original Hebrew or Aramaic, without vowels. In many cases, you must learn how to pronounce these words in Yiddish on a word-by-word basis; you cannot necessarily work it out from their spelling, and they are mostly pronounced differently from Israeli Hebrew.

 * א shtumer alef : silent; used before ו vov and י yud when they are vowels; e.g. איר (ir) you subj.
 * אַ pasekh alef : father
 * אָ komets aleph : own
 * ב beys : like bear
 * בֿ veys : like volume; only used in words of Hebrew or Aramaic origin
 * ג giml : like gone
 * ד daled : like dog
 * ה hey : like harp
 * ו vov : like or or tune
 * וּ melupm vov : used in place of ו vov when it appears beside װ tsvey vovn
 * װ tsvey vovn : like violin
 * ױ vov yud : like boy
 * ז zayin : like zebra
 * ח khes : like the Scottish Gaelic loch, German ach, or as in חנוכּה (khanuke); used only in words of Hebraic or Aramaic origin
 * ט tes : like tuck
 * י yud : like yet (as a consonant) or internet (as a vowel)
 * יִ khirek yud : used beside another vowel instead of י yud, to show that it is to be pronounced separately; e.g. ייִדיש (yidish) Yiddish
 * ײ tsvey yudn : like bay
 * ײַ pasekh tsvey yudn : like pie
 * כּ kof : like keep; used only in words of Hebraic or Aramaic origin
 * כ ך khof : like loch
 * ל lamed : like leave
 * מ ם mem : like mother
 * נ ן nun : like never
 * ס samekh : like some
 * ע ayin : like set
 * פּ pey : like upon
 * פֿ ף fey : like free
 * צ ץ tsadek : like boots
 * ק kuf : like coo, but further back in the throat
 * ר reysh : voiced gargle as in French, can be pronounced as root
 * ש shin : like shoe
 * שׂ sin : like seem; only used in words of Hebrew or Aramaic origin
 * תּ tof : like teeth; only used in words of Hebrew or Aramaic origin
 * ת sof : like smooth; only used in words of Hebrew or Aramaic origin

Basics

 * Hello. : שלום־עליכם (sholem-aleykhem)
 * Hello (in response to a "Hello") : עליכם־שלום (aleykhem-sholem)
 * How are you? : װאָס מאַכסטו? (Vos makhstu?) (informal) / װאָס מאַכט איר? (Vos makht ir?) (formal)
 * Fine, thank you. : גוט, אַ דאַנק (Gut, a dank) גאָט צו דאַנקן (Got tsu danken) ברוך השם (Borukh Hashem)
 * What is your name? : װי הײסטו? (Vi heystu? [informal])/ װי הײסט איר?(Vi heyst ir? [formal])
 * My name is ______ . : איך הײס (Ikh heys ______.)
 * Nice to meet you. : עס פֿרײַט מיר זיך צו קענען אײַך (Es frayt mir zikh tsu kenen aykh [formal]) עס פֿרײַט מיר זיך צו טרעפֿן דיך (Es frayt mir zikh tsu trefen dikh.)
 * Please. : זײַט אַזױ גוט (Zayt azoy gut.)
 * Thank you. : אַ דאַנק (A dank.)
 * You're welcome : נישטאָ פֿאַרװאָס (nishto farvos)
 * Yes. : יאָ (yo)
 * No. : נײן (neyn)
 * Excuse me. (getting attention) : ענטשולדיק (Entshuldik!)
 * Excuse me. (begging pardon) : זײַט זשע מוחל (Zayt zhe moykhl! )
 * I'm sorry. : Zayt mir moykhl (formal) זײַ מיר מוחל (Zay mir moykhl [informal].)
 * Goodbye : זײַ געזונט (Zay gezunt) אַ גרוס אין דער הײם (A grus in der heym.)
 * Goodbye (informal) : אַ גוטן (A gutn.)
 * I can't speak Yiddish [well]. : (איך רעד נישט קײן אידיש (גוט (Ikh red nisht keyn Yidish (gut).)
 * Do you speak English? : רעדסטו ענגליש Redstu English? (informal)/ רעדט איר ענגליש Redt ir English? (formal)
 * Is there someone here who speaks English? : איז עס דאָ עמעץ װאָס רעדט ענגליש Iz es do emetz vos redt English?
 * Help! : הילף Hilf! גװאַלד Gvald!
 * Good morning. : גוטן מאָרגן Gutn morgn.
 * Good evening. : גאָטן אָװענט Gutn ovent.
 * Good night : אַ גוטע נאַכט A gute nakht.
 * I don't understand. : איך פֿאַרשטײ נישט (ikh farshtey nisht)
 * Where is the toilet? : װוּ איז דער באָדצימער/דער װאַנעצימער Vu iz der bodtsimer?/ der vanetsimer?

Problems

 * Leave me alone. : Lozt mir aleyn! ( .)
 * Don't touch me! : Rirt mikh nisht on! ( !)
 * I'll call the police. : Ikh vet telefonirn di politsey. ( .)
 * Police! : Politsey! ( !)
 * Stop! Thief! : Hert oys! Gazlen! ( ! !)
 * I need your help. : Ikh darf dayne hilf hobn. ( .)
 * It's an emergency. : Es iz a noytfal. ( .)
 * I'm lost. : Ikh bin farblondzhet. ( .)
 * I lost my bag. : Ikh hob mayne tash farlirt. ( .)
 * I lost my wallet. : Ikh hob mayn tayster farlirt. ( .)
 * I'm sick. : Ikh bin krank. ( .)
 * I've been injured. : Ikh hob a veytik. ( .)
 * I need a doctor. : Ikh darf a doktor zen. ( .)
 * Can I use your phone? : Meg ikh dayn telefon banitsn? ( ?)
 * Can I use your cell phone? : Meg ikh dayne tselke banitsn? ( ?)

Numbers

 * 1 : (eyn)
 * 2 : (tsvey)
 * 3 : (dray)
 * 4 : (fir)
 * 5 : (finf)
 * 6 : (zeks)
 * 7 : (zibm)
 * 8 : (akht)
 * 9 : (nayn)
 * 10 : (tsen)
 * 11 : (elf)
 * 12 : (tsvelf)
 * 13 : (draytsn)
 * 14 : (fertsn)
 * 15 : (fuftsn)
 * 16 : (zektsn)
 * 17 : (zebetsn)
 * 18 : (akhtsn)
 * 19 : (nayntsn)
 * 20 : (tsvantsik)
 * 21 : (eynontsvantsik )
 * 22 : (tsveyontsvansik)
 * 23 : (drayontsvansik)
 * 30 : (draysik)
 * 40 : (fertsik)
 * 50 : (fuftsik)
 * 60 : (zektsik)
 * 70 : (zibetsik)
 * 80 : (akhtsik)
 * 90 : (nayntsik)
 * 100 : (hundert)
 * 200 : (tsvey hundert)
 * 300 : (dray hundert)
 * 1,000 : (toyznt)
 * 2,000 : (tsvey toysnt)
 * 1,000,000 : (milyon)
 * 1,000,000,000 : (milyard)
 * 1,000,000,000,000 : (bilyon)
 * number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : ( )
 * half : (halb)
 * less : ( )
 * more : (mer)

Time

 * now : (atsind; itst)
 * later : (shpeter)
 * before : (eyder; fardem)
 * morning : (morgn)
 * afternoon : (nokhmitog)
 * evening : (ovnt)
 * night : (nakht)

Clock time

 * one o'clock AM : (eyn a zeyger in der fri)
 * two o'clock AM : (tsvey a zeyger in der fri)
 * noon : (mitogtsayt )
 * one o'clock PM : (eyns a zeyger nokh mitog)
 * two o'clock PM : (tsvey a zeyger nokh mitog)
 * midnight : (mittennakht, khtsos, di halbe nakht )

Duration

 * _____ minute(s) : (minut - מינוט )
 * _____ hour(s) : (sho - שעה )
 * _____ day(s) : (tog - teg [plural])  - (טעג ,טאָג )
 * _____ week(s) : (vokh - vokhn [plural]) - װאָכן ,װאָך )
 * _____ month(s) : (khoydesh - khadoshim [plural]) -   חודשים  ,חודש)
 * _____ year(s) : (yor - yorns [plural])  - יאָרן, יאָר )

Days

 * today : (haynt)
 * yesterday : (nekhtn)
 * tomorrow : (in morgn)
 * this week : (dise vokh)
 * last week : (fargangene vokh)
 * next week : (kumedike vokh)

 * Sunday : (zuntik)
 * Monday : (montik)
 * Tuesday : (dinshtik)
 * Wednesday : (mitvokh)
 * Thursday : (donershtik)
 * Friday : (fraytik)
 * Saturday : (shabes)

Months

 * January : (yanuar)
 * February : (februar)
 * March : (marts)
 * April : (april)
 * May : (may)
 * June : (yuni)
 * July : (yuli)
 * August : (oygust)
 * September : (september)
 * October : (oktober)
 * November : (november)
 * December : (detsember)

Colors
As with many words in Yiddish, colors often have different names due to a difference in dialect. The following colors will be named in both romanized Yiddish, followed by a hyphen (-) and the Yiddish spelling using the Hebraic alphabet.

 * black : (schvarts)  -  (שוואַרץ )
 * white : (vays)  -  (ווײַס)
 * gray : (gro, groy)  -  (גרוי, גראָ )
 * red : (royt)  -  (רויט )
 * blue : (blo, bloy )  -  (בלוי ,בלאָ )
 * yellow : (gel)  -  (געל )
 * green : (green) -  (גרין )
 * orange : (marants)  -  (מאַראַנץ )
 * purple : (lila)  -  (לילאַ )
 * brown : (broyn)  -  (ברוין) )

Bus and train

 * How much is a ticket to _____? : (Vifl kost a bilet keyn ____?)
 * One ticket to _____, please. : (Eyn bilet keyn ____, zayt azoy gut.)
 * Where does this train/bus go? : (Vu geyt di ban/der oytobus?)
 * Where is the train/bus to _____? : (Vu iz di ban/der oytobus keyn ____?)
 * Does this train/bus stop in _____? : (Halt di ban/der oytobus in ____?)
 * When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : (Ven fort di ban/der oytobus aroys far ____?)
 * When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : (Ven vet di ban/der oytobus kumen in ____ on?)

Directions

 * How do I get to _____ ? : (Vi gey ikh keyn ____?)
 * ...the train station? : (di banstatsye/di voksal)
 * ...the bus station? : (di opshtel)
 * ...the airport? : (dos luftfeld)
 * ...downtown? : (untershtot)
 * ...the youth hostel? : ( )
 * ...the _____ hotel? : ( di hotel ____)
 * ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? : (dos amerikanishe/kanadishe/oystralishe/britishe konsulat)
 * Where are there a lot of... : (Vu iz dort fil ...)
 * ...hotels? : (hoteln)
 * ...restaurants? : (restoran)
 * ...bars? : (shenks)
 * ...sites to see? : (platsn tsu zen)
 * Can you show me on the map? : (Megstu bavist mikh oyfn mape?)
 * street : (gas)
 * Turn left. : (farfort oyf links)
 * Turn right. : (farfort oyf rekhts)
 * left : ( )
 * right : ( )
 * straight ahead : ( )
 * towards the _____ : ( )
 * past the _____ : ( )
 * before the _____ : ( )
 * Watch for the _____. : ( )
 * intersection : ( )
 * north :(tsofun)
 * south :(dorem)
 * east :(mizrakh)
 * west :(mayerev)
 * uphill : ( )
 * downhill : ( )

Taxi

 * Taxi! : (Taksi!)
 * Take me to _____, please. : (Brengt mikh keyn ____, zayt azoy gut.)
 * How much does it cost to get to _____? : (Vifl kost es tsu geyn keyn ____?)
 * Take me there, please. : (Brengt mikh dortn, zayt azoy gut.)

Lodging

 * Do you have any rooms available? : ( )
 * How much is a room for one person/two people? : ( )
 * Does the room come with... : ( )
 * ...bedsheets? : ( )
 * ...a bathroom? :(a bodtsimer)
 * ...a telephone? : ( )
 * ...a TV? : ( )
 * May I see the room first? : ( )
 * Do you have anything quieter? : ( )
 * ...bigger? :(greser)
 * ...cleaner? : ( )
 * ...cheaper? : ( )
 * OK, I'll take it. : ( )
 * I will stay for _____ night(s). : ( )
 * Can you suggest another hotel? : ( )
 * Do you have a safe? : ( )
 * ...lockers? : ( )
 * Is breakfast/supper included? : ( )
 * What time is breakfast/supper? : ( )
 * Please clean my room. : ( )
 * Can you wake me at _____? : ( )
 * I want to check out. : ( )

Money

 * Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? : ( )
 * Do you accept British pounds? : ( )
 * Do you accept euros? : ( )
 * Do you accept credit cards? : ( )
 * Can you change money for me? : ( )
 * Where can I get money changed? : ( )
 * Can you change a traveler's check for me? : ( )
 * Where can I get a traveler's check changed? : ( )
 * What is the exchange rate? : ( )
 * Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : ( )

Eating

 * A table for one person/two people, please. : ( )
 * Can I look at the menu, please? : ( )
 * Can I look in the kitchen? : ( )
 * Is there a house specialty? : ( )
 * Is there a local specialty? : ( )
 * I'm a vegetarian. : ( )
 * I don't eat pork. : ( )
 * I don't eat beef. : ( )
 * I only eat kosher food. : ( )
 * Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard) : ( )
 * fixed-price meal : ( )
 * a la carte : ( )
 * breakfast : ( )
 * lunch : ( )
 * tea (meal) : ( )
 * supper : ( )
 * I want _____. : ( )
 * I want a dish containing _____. : ( )
 * chicken : ( )
 * beef : ( )
 * fish :(fish)
 * ham : ( )
 * sausage : ( )
 * cheese :(kez)
 * eggs :(eyer)
 * salad : ( )
 * (fresh) vegetables :  ( )
 * (fresh) fruit : ( )
 * bread : ( )
 * toast : ( )
 * noodles : ( )
 * rice : ( )
 * beans : ( )
 * May I have a glass of _____? : ( )
 * May I have a cup of _____? : ( )
 * May I have a bottle of _____? : ( )
 * coffee :(kave)
 * tea (drink) :(tay)
 * juice :(zaft)
 * (bubbly) water : ( )
 * (still) water :(vaser)
 * beer : ( )
 * red/white wine :(royter/vayser vayn )
 * May I have some _____? : ( )
 * salt :(zalt)
 * black pepper : ( )
 * butter :(puter)
 * Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server): ( )
 * I'm finished. : ( )
 * It was delicious. : ( )
 * Please clear the plates. : ( )
 * The check, please. : ( )

Bars

 * Do you serve alcohol? : ( )
 * Is there table service? : ( )
 * A beer/two beers, please. : ( )
 * A glass of red/white wine, please. : ( )
 * A pint, please. : ( )
 * A bottle, please. : ( )
 * _____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please. : ( )
 * whiskey : ( )
 * vodka : ( )
 * rum : ( )
 * water :(vaser)
 * club soda : ( )
 * tonic water : ( )
 * orange juice : ( )
 * Coke (soda) : ( )
 * Do you have any bar snacks? : ( )
 * One more, please. : ( )
 * Another round, please. : ( )
 * When is closing time? : ( )
 * Cheers! :(l'kheym)

Shopping

 * Do you have this in my size? : ( )
 * How much is this? : ( )
 * That's too expensive. : ( )
 * Would you take _____? : ( )
 * expensive : ( )
 * cheap : ( )
 * I can't afford it. : ( )
 * I don't want it. : ( )
 * You're cheating me. : ( )
 * I'm not interested. : (..)
 * OK, I'll take it. : ( )
 * Can I have a bag? : ( )
 * Do you ship (overseas)? : ( )
 * I need... :(Ikh darf)
 * ...toothpaste. : ( )
 * ...a toothbrush. : ( )
 * ...tampons. : . ( )
 * ...soap. :(zeyf)
 * ...shampoo. : ( )
 * ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen) : ( )
 * ...cold medicine. : ( )
 * ...stomach medicine. : ... ( )
 * ...a razor. : ( )
 * ...an umbrella. : ( )
 * ...sunblock lotion. : ( )
 * ...a postcard. : ( )
 * ...postage stamps. : ( )
 * ...batteries. : ( )
 * ...writing paper. : ( )
 * ...a pen. : ( )
 * ...English-language books. : ( )
 * ...English-language magazines. : ( )
 * ...an English-language newspaper. : ( )
 * ...an English-English dictionary. : ( )

Driving

 * I want to rent a car. : (Ikh vil dingn an oyto.)
 * Can I get insurance? : ( )
 * stop (on a street sign) : (opshtel/hert oyf)
 * one way : (eyn veg)
 * yield : (git nokh)
 * no parking : (nisht parkirn)
 * speed limit : (maksimum gikhkayt)
 * gas (petrol) station : (gaz statsye)
 * petrol : (petrol/petrolyum)
 * diesel : (dizal)

Authority

 * I haven't done anything wrong. : ( )
 * It was a misunderstanding. : ( )
 * Where are you taking me? : ( )
 * Am I under arrest? : ( )
 * I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. : ( )
 * I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. : ( )
 * I want to talk to a lawyer. : ( )
 * Can I just pay a fine now? : ( )

title: Yiddish phrasebook


text:
Yilan

Yilan (宜蘭, also spelled I-lan) is a city on the east coast of Taiwan. As the area was mostly settled by Han Chinese immigrants from Zhangzhou, the local dialect of Taiwanese is noticeably more similar to that of Zhangzhou than in other parts of Taiwan. It is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Taiwanese opera.

Get in
Rail, bus, and taxi are good options for traveling from Yilan to Taipei. The Xueshan tunnel facilitates travel between Yilan and Taipei, shortening the trip to roughly 1½ hr.

Get around
Scooters, cars and bicycles are the main transport around Yilan City (the county seat of Yilan county). There are taxi stands and scooter rental options near the train station. Travel around the county (to destinations such as to Luodong, Suao, and Jiaosi) is easily accomplished by inexpensive rail (US$4).

By scooter
The most convenient way to get around Yilan is by scooter. You can start from Yilan train station and rent one there, but you should first go to the tourist information center and get a map.

By bicycle
You can rent one at Yilan train station. A nice 12-km route may start by riding to Yuan Suan Park (員山公園) which takes about 1 hour. Then you can ride along the riverbank to Jung Shan Bridge (員山橋) before heading back.

Yilan Train Station
The first Yilan Train Station (宜蘭火車站) was constructed in 1919. The original building was destroyed in 1962 by typhoon Opal and rebuilt in the same year. The plaza in front was built in 1997. There are many historical buildings nearby, described below.

Religious festivals
There are various religious festivals and parades of different sizes throughout Yilan, so you may cross one at any moment during weekends. According to believers, the purpose of the parades is to represent that the gods are patrolling the street to see how people doing and to protect people from harm. In order to welcome the gods, the people in charge of the parade set off firecrackers as an announcement that the gods are coming and cast a lot of "ghost money" on the street. Temple workers carry sedans with religious images. You may see traditional musical orchestras.

Usually, the parades are performed by many teams, People can tell which teams a participant belongs to by looking at their t-shirts. The parades consist of different groups of people and each of them are in charge of representing different characters. The characters may vary according to the different festivals. Some of them may do folk dances.

There are about 63 temples, most of them Taoist, and eleven western churches in Yilan County. Historically, there has been freedom in Yilan to practice any religion. Taiwanese celebrate many important traditional festivals. In Yilan the most important celebrations are Cheng-Huang's (城隍) birthday on February 8th of the lunar calendar and Dong-Yue's birthday (東嶽大帝) on March 28th of the lunar calendar. During the festival of Cheng-Huang's birthday, many people from all walks of life usually follow the parade and go around Yilan city and we can see that some people play the characters Chi-ye and Ba-ye (七爺八爺), a traditional Taiwanese myth about friendship. Yilan is the birthplace of Taiwanese opera (歌仔戲), so people can listen to traditional musical instruments during Taiwanese religious festivals.

During these religious parades, visitors can join the festival and take photos, but people should be respectful and observe some taboos. For example, expectant mothers should not join the parade and people should not cross from one side of the parade to the other. For temple workers there are further prohibitions, such as not eating meat before the parade. Parades should not be confused with Chinese funeral, where family members will wear black clothes and there are no images of gods.

There are two temples in Yilan that have regular large-scale festivals. The first is Yilan Cheng-Huang Temple (宜蘭城隍廟) at No.10 Chenghuang St. (城隍街) that holds their major parade every February 8 of the lunar calendar. The temple was established in 1813, and in Chinese culture, Cheng Huang is the Patron saint of cities. The other major temple is Yilan Dong-Yu Temple (宜蘭東獄殿) at No.299, Sec 2, Zhongshan Rd., and their largest parade is held in every March 28 in odd-numbered year of the lunar calendar.

Buy
Books Local specialities
 * One of the local specialties is a delicate cookie referred to as the "Cow Tongue Cookie." This name comes from the shape of the cookie (an oblong, roughly 20 cm or 10 inches long), rather than ingredients. The cookie comes in many flavors, such as coffee, green tea, berry, and sesame.

Shopping malls

Eat

 * Dark ice cream shop (黑店冰店)- On the same street as Luna Plaza, this famous little shop provides 5 flavors but use good quality ingredients. No.63, Sec. 1, Shennong Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County (宜蘭縣宜蘭市神農路二段63號)
 * Garlic meat broth (蒜味肉羹) When you leave the Yilan train station, cross the street to Jiucheng East Rd. (舊城東路), turn right to Jiucheng N Rd.(舊城北路), then walk straight until No. 141 (宜蘭縣宜蘭市舊城北路141號). Ask for garlic meat broth (蒜味肉羹), which is a famous dish in Yilan.
 * Garlic meat broth (蒜味肉羹) When you leave the Yilan train station, cross the street to Jiucheng East Rd. (舊城東路), turn right to Jiucheng N Rd.(舊城北路), then walk straight until No. 141 (宜蘭縣宜蘭市舊城北路141號). Ask for garlic meat broth (蒜味肉羹), which is a famous dish in Yilan.

title: Yilan


text:
Yilan County

Yilan County, (宜蘭縣; Yílán Xiàn, I-lan county) is on the northeast coast of Taiwan.

Cities
Yilan County has only one city - Yilan - although Luodong is where most businesses are located.
 * - the main city, with two big department stores, YouAi and Luna Plaza, National Yilan University, a big sports park, a decent cultural center, a small but tasty nightmarket, and some general great eats.
 * - is known island-wide for it's plentiful hot spring resorts. It's also home to some great hiking trails and waterfalls.
 * - is a popular surfing destination. Offers spectacular sunrise views and is the disembarkation point for whale watching.
 * - has a nice little park that is heavily laterned during the lantern festival.
 * - has one of the most beautiful coastal views in Yilan.
 * - has Yilan's largest aboriginal population and has a few good hiking trails.
 * - Yilan's business center - prospered as a logging town during the Japanese Colonial Era. Also has an impressive nightmarket and beautiful park.
 * - a harbour town famed for its seafood and cold springs.
 * - home to the National Center for Traditional Arts and the DongShan River Waterpark.
 * - a harbour town famed for its seafood and cold springs.
 * - home to the National Center for Traditional Arts and the DongShan River Waterpark.
 * - home to the National Center for Traditional Arts and the DongShan River Waterpark.

Other destinations
Agricultural leisure areas
 * located in Sanshing township of Yilan county, between the Central and Shushang mountains that surround the Lanyang Plain. Because of its geographic location, the climate is fresh and the air is unpolluted . Additionally, this area has a wide range of temperatures, which fosters biodiversity. Tourists can observe hundreds of plants when walking in the area. Moreover, there are abundant natural resources such as fertile soil and abundant water, so the farmers in this area grow various unique agricultural products such as Sanshing green onions and pears. Residents have also developed rafting activities on the En-Nong river.
 * - a famed tea producing region. Has great views of Lanyang Creek and is the entry point to Songluo Lake. A great place to appreciate cherry blossoms.
 * Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area (太平山森林遊樂區) - It is located in the southwest side of Taiping Mountain. Its elevation is about 1950 m. Taiping Mountain was originally one of the three major timber fields in Taiwan before the Forestry Bureau established the forest recreation area in 1982. You can hike along the trail around the forest and enjoy the fresh air and spectacular forest views. Moreover, visitors can enjoy the sunrise, seas of clouds, and the snow scene in the winter.

Understand
Yilan is a county located next to the Taipei metropolitan area. It is famous for its beautiful scenery and Children's Folkore Festival held during the summer.

Get in
By bus

There are 3 operators that offer frequent and efficient services from Taipei to Jiaosi, Yilan, and Luodong. Some buses are express/direct buses and don't stop at all stops so be sure to confirm your destination before boarding. They also start at different stations.

 * Capital Star -- Routes start from Taipei City Hall Bus Station at MRT Taipei City Hall Station. Follow the signs and take exit 2. Ticket counters are to the left. There are no reservations, so it's good to arrive early as there is often a small line. You can purchase your ticket on site or use an IC card. Fares are NT$92 to Jiaosi, and $128 to Yilan or Luodong as of April 2017. Schedules are online
 * Kamalan -- Routes start from Taipei Bus Station at MRT Taipei Main Station. It's quite a maze so do your best to follow the signs. Routes also start from Banqiao bus station (served by MRT and rail) and stop at MRT Technology Building Station. You can make reservations and buy tickets ahead of time. Fares as of April 2017: to Jiaosi (NT$110 from Taipei, $135 from Banqiao), to Yilan ($132 from Taipei, $155 from Banqiao), and to Luodong ($141 from Taipei, $165 from Banqiao) Schedule is online
 * Kuo-Kuang -- Routes start from MRT Yuanshan Station. Take exit 2. There are also stops at MRT Nangang and Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center stations.

By car

The quickest way from Taipei is on the Taipei-Yilan Freeway No.5 (北宜高速公路) south. It takes around 40 minutes on a good day.

By taxi

Taxis outside the West Exit #4 of Taipei Main Station will take you to Yilan or Luodong for NT$ 300, but you can ask for a discount to NT$ 250. These taxis wait for 4 passengers before leaving (which is why the fare is so reasonable).

By train

The rail route is longer than the freeway, but avoids congestion. Take the Yilan Line (宜蘭線) and North-link Line (北迴線) Tzu-chiang train (自強號) to Toucheng, Yilan or Luodong Stations. For other destinations change to a local train (區間車).

Get around
As busses here are irregular and taxis are expensive, the best way to get around is by scooter. There are scooter rental shops near the train stations. Just remember to get a good map and driver's licence is required.

Yilan government has tried to improve its local transportation system to support the popular tourism. The various transportation to get to each popular tourist site is provided (traditional Chinese). The Capital Bus also serves the routes to many spots in Yilan County from Luodong.

See

 * Wufengchi Waterfalls - Yilan County's most famous waterfalls.
 * Annong Creek - white water rafting. Yilan's answer to Xiouguran river in Hualien County.
 * Fushan Botanical Garden - protected forest area. Permit required. Long waiting lists - especially for weekend visits.
 * Honeymoon Bay - Surfing Mecca.
 * Meihua Lake - a wonderful place to stroll and relax. Many B&Bs nearby.
 * Taipingshan Forestry Recreation Area - a historic logging area and one of Taiwan's most scenic spots
 * Turtle Island - protected volcanic island. Great for whale watching. Permit required.
 * Turtle Island - protected volcanic island. Great for whale watching. Permit required.

Museums

 * National Center for Traditional Arts, Wujie - a very large centre that preserves and promotes Taiwanese arts and culture. Features a recreated "old street" selling traditional crafts. Entry NT$150.
 * Lantang Museum, a newly-established museum aimed at presenting Yilan’s overall geographical environment, cultural and humanistic trails. Entry NT$100.
 * Bei Guan Leisure Farm,Toucheng - famous for its crab museum - with unique exhibit of crabs that live in boiling volcanic springs.
 * He Dong Tang Lion Museum, Toucheng - a quaint little museum featuring numerous stone lion statues. Entry: NT$180.
 * Mary Leu Fine Art Carving Gallery, Sanshing - workshop and gallery for renowned artist Mary Leu. Entry: NT$100 - including coffee/tea.
 * Jia Zi Lan Wine Museum, Yilan - a historical distillery that also includes a small museum and gift shop. Entry: Free.
 * Museum of Yilan Government History, Yilan - a group of relics from the Japanese Colonial Era. Entry: NT$30 for the County Prefects House. Others are free.
 * Taiwanese Opera Museum Yilan - located in Yilan's Cultural Center, features exhibits on Traditional Chinese Opera and Puppets. With an ID (passport or Taiwanese ID or ARC card) you can try on traditional opera clothing on the third floor.

Itineraries

 * Caoling Historic Trail - the only remaining hikable section of the ancient Tamalan Trail. Starts in Yuanwangken in Gongliao and finishes in Dali. Length: 8½ km.
 * Linmei Shipan Trail - extremely popular hiking trail in Jiaoxi. Some beautiful waterfalls. Length: 1.7 km.
 * Marian Hiking Trail - breathtaking trail that starts behind the church at Wufengchi waterfalls in Jiaoxi. The trail is divided into two sections: The first winds its way gently through secondary growth forests for 3.7 km - terminating 400 m above sea level at the Tong Tien Bridge. The second section is decidedly more difficult. Although only 1.63 km in length, the rough trail climbs steeply through dense, damp forests. In the last 300 m, the forest gives way to windswept slopes covered in arrow bamboo and tall grasses. The final lookout - when not shrouded in mist - offers stunning views of the Lanyang plain and Turtle Island. The nearby St. Mary's Villa offers toilets and shelter.
 * Sinliao Waterfall Trail - stunning trail of moderate difficulty. Length: 2.3 km - approximately 2 hours. Daily limit of 300 people. Photo ID required.

Do

 * Dongshan Water Park (冬山河親水公園) -- an awesome water park which is a great place to visit during the sweltering summer days. It has various water activities (a giant slide, an octopus with a water-bed like surface underneath to slip and slide on, and an elevated surface with 'jumping' water jets) all complimented by techno music.
 * Luodong Nightmarket -- Many unique clothing stores nestled off the streets, along with lots of "famous" snack foods -- try the Lamb Soup, Baoxin Fenyuan (look for the douhua shop with the hearts on it), runbing (stir fried veggies with dried meat and shaved peanuts wrapped to look like a burrito in a thin, crepe-like wrapping), and ice cream with shaved peanut brittle and cilantro, wrapped in the same wrap as the runbing.

Buy
Arts & crafts

 * National Center for Traditional Arts, Wujie – a great place to pick up that truly Taiwanese gift such as hand puppets, masks, glass and wood sculptures, paintings, clogs, etc.
 * Baimi Clog Village, Suao – famed for producing modern and traditional clogs.

Eat
Must eats

 * Green Onions - most famous produce in Sanshing.
 * NiuSeBing - cow tongue biscuits. So named due to their uncanny resemblance to cow tongues.
 * Gaozha - a tofu-like snack made from chicken lard, pork and starch flour.
 * Yashang - dry, salty smoked duck - sold in most gift shops.
 * Mashed Taro - famous traditional snack.
 * Dangan - dried pigs liver
 * Preserved Kumquats - popular snack with a few flavours.
 * Po-ba - A type of meat sold in Yilan that was complemented for its taste in "Taiwanese cuisine".
 * Hamigua, Wujie - sweet and juicy honey dew melons.
 * BaoXinFenYuan - created in Yilan County - a tapioca like dessert food with red bean centers, served on ice or dou-hua, with various other toppings (such as red beans and boiled peanuts)

Chinese/Yilan cuisine

Drink

 * Tea - Yulan tea and Susin tea popular.
 * Alcohol - Yilan's famous alcohols include Hongluh Chiew and Kumquat Liqueur. Yuanshan is home to Kavalan, Taiwan's most famous whisky distillery that has picked up many prestigious international awards.

title: Yilan County


text:
Yinchuan

Yinchuan (银川; Yínchuān) is the capital of Ningxia Autonomous Region. Located on the Yellow River, it was once the capital of the Western Xia kingdom, also called the Tangut Empire. The city has a population of around 750,000.

Understand
Nicknamed the Phoenix City, Yinchuan is a former Silk Road stop and now the rising capital of the Ningxia Autonomous Region. Being one of a very few parts of China where an ethnic minority (the Hui, Chinese Muslims) hold the power of governance, it is a treasure of Chinese-Muslim culture.

Yinchuan has two parts, the new city, with all of the industry, universities and colleges, is huddled around the main train station while the old city, the more livable of the two, lies 8 km to the east. Rapid growth from foreign investment grow has drawn these two distinct centers together.

Yinchuan used to serve as a trade route town that grew because of for convenient location between Western Chinese cities such as Urumqi and the Eastern ones such as Beijing and Shenyang.

By train
Yinchuan is envisioned as being a high-speed rail hub, with three lines passing through or terminating at a new station which could be open as early as 2020. Until then, Yinchuan's relatively remote location makes rail access time-consuming.

By bus

 * leave across the square from the South Gate.
 * leave across the square from the South Gate.
 * leave across the square from the South Gate.
 * leave across the square from the South Gate.

Get around
Buses ¥1-2, as far you can go. Also small buses, same prices, going longer distances. You can also use the back doors, tickets sold on bus. Ticket girl will ask you how far you wish to go, if you don't know she will tell you when to pay extra money.

Buy
Eight Treasures Tea is a Muslim specialty and in good supply around Yinchuan. Wolfberries found in Yinchuan are said to be the best in the world.

Go next

 * Yongning
 * Zhongwei

title: Yinchuan


text:
Yingge

Yingge (鶯歌區) is in New Taipei in Taiwan. Meaning "parrot song", the name of the town is derived from the parrot shaped rock outcropping slightly north of the town.

Pottery enthusiasts will love Yingge. The town lies roughly an hour south of Taipei by train, and is famous for its high concentration of potters. Some potteries offer lessons in basic pot making.

Plan to spend a full day in Yingge to get the full experience.

By train
Take a south bound train from Taipei Main Station, a journey of about 35 minutes. Trains run approx every 20 minutes (most are local trains). The high-speed rail line does not serve Yingge. Tickets can easily be purchased the day of travel from the automated machines at Taipei main station.

By car
From Formosa Highway (Highway #3), take the exit to "ShanHsia/Yingge". Yingge is the other side of Shanying Bridge and the Ceramic Museum is located on the left.

Get around
Almost all attractions are located within a 10-minute walk of the train station. It is an easy walk, though there is also the option of a bus as the Taoyuan buses make a stop at the Yingge Ceramic Museum.

Do

 * Experience the DIY (do it yourself) pottery making. Go to the Old Street and find some shops who offer the pottery making class/experience. Make and then design your own pottery. Most of them have the service of shipping the finished product. You can not get the finished product right away since it requires few days of drying and firings.

Buy

 * Ceramics of all kind are available for sale. Tea pots, tea sets, dinner plates, bowls, pots for plants etc. Prices vary with quality.

Go next

 * The Yingge station is fairly straightforward. Trains heading back to Taipei all leave from the same platform (platform 2) and depart every 25 min or so.

鶯歌鎮

title: Yingge


text:
Yingkiong

Yingkiong is the administrative headquarters of the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh in North-Eastern India.

Understand
Yingkiong is the administrative center of an area inhabited by the Adi and Memba peoples. It is a small town, and although lacking in any memorable attractions, it is often used as a departure point for travelers heading into the almost mythical land of Pemako, which straddles the border between Nyingchi prefecture in Tibet and Arunachal.

See
Payul Monastery

title: Yingkiong


text:
Yingkou

Yingkou (营口; Yíngkǒu) is a city in Liaoning Province of China.

Get around
Taxis start at ¥6 the first 2.4 km, then ¥1 for every 400 meters.

Do
There is a Wanda Plaza Mall in town with a movie theater.

Eat
This city has great self-barbecue restaurants.

Drink
There is a Starbucks in the Wanda Plaza Mall.

Sleep
There are plenty of empty apartments and hotels.

title: Yingkou


text:
Yining

Yining (Chinese: 伊宁 Yíníng; Uyghur: غۇلجا Ghulja; Kazakh: قۇلجا Qulja) is a city in the Xinjiang Province in China. Though the official Chinese name is Yining, the city is almost never referred to by that name even by the Chinese who live there. Local people call it Ghulja, Kulja or Yili.

Understand
Yining sits on the northern side of the Ili River in the Dzungarian basin, about 70 km (43 mi) east of the border with Kazakhstan and about 710 km (440 mi) west of Ürümqi. The Ili River valley is far wetter than most of Xinjiang and has rich grazing land.

Yining is the chief city and the agricultural and commercial center of the Ili valley. It is an old commercial center trading in tea and cattle and it is still an agricultural area with extensive livestock raising. It has fruit orchards. Iron, coal and uranium are mined nearby.

Climate
Yining has a semi-arid climate. Dry and sunny weather dominates year-round. Winters are cold, with a January average of −8.8 °C (16.2 °F), but the is city warmer than more easterly locales on a similar latitude. Summers are hot, with a July average of 23.1 °C (73.6 °F). Sunshine is abundant and the city receives 2,834 hours of bright sunshine annually.

By bus
The Long Distance Bus Station is at the northwest end of Jiefang Road near the intersection with Ahemaitijiang Road.
 * Almaty, Kazakhstan - takes about 12-15 hours, from Sairan bus station
 * Altai City via Burqin - takes about 48 hours
 * Khorgas - Small bus ¥25, Large bus ¥?. Use this to cross the border to Kazakhstan by foot. Takes about one hour after which you can walk to the border by foot in ten minutes. Once through the Chinese passport control and customs you must use a bus to travel over the border for ¥20. Bribes appear to have been formalised so that you need to pay a further ¥20 after the bus departs. On the Kazakh side there is another little bus that apparently costs 500 Tenge to take you to the taxi-stand. Do not forget to ask for your (apparently) free registration at the Kazakh border, you need two stamps on your immigration card for this. Otherwise it costs 767 Tenge, at least in Almaty, to register. It is not really necessary but can save you a lot of hassle with corrupt officials.
 * Kashgar - takes about 48 hours
 * Korla - takes about 18-30 hours
 * Urumqi - takes about 15 hours, pretty rough road

By train
As of 2013, there are 3 overnight trains between Urumqi and Yining. One of the trains continues beyond Yining to Khorgas, on the Kazakhstan border. (Yining train schedule, in Chinese).

Get around
The police and the military are pretty touchy in Yining. No taking photographs of mosques and obviously don't take pictures of the military. The hassle is mainly due to them being confused how to deal with foreigners - best option seems to be to ask them to take you to your hotel, who can clear things up in about a minute.

Taking a taxi with Didi or just by flagging one down is the easiest method of traveling around.

See

 * The small amusement park at the Yining River is worth a look.
 * The small amusement park at the Yining River is worth a look.

Go next

 * Qapqal - sleepy little village of the tiny Xiao minority (PSB permit required)

title: Yining


text:
Yiwu

Yiwu is a city in Zhejiang, 100 km south of Hangzhou.

Get in

 * Yiwu Airport (YIW), Yiwu, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China, +86 579 8566 5205
 * Bus From Shanghai to Yiwu

If you take a bus, it leaves about every hour and is available at various long distance inter-province bus stations (called chang tu ke yun zhan in Chinese). Some stations got more schedules than others. Make sure you know which station you are going to. Again, the hotel staff should be able to give you directions. You may want to go to either the general station (or Ke yun Zong zhan at No. 1662 of Zhongxing Road) or Pacific Station (tai ping yang station at No. 710 Hengfeng Road.) Actually buses are just fine if you don't get car sick.

Buy
The town has a large market with quite a range of goods. There are few Western residents, but many from India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. Many do some sort of import/export business. Binwang market has cloth, clothing, furnishings. International Trade City and the Futian Market has many small commodities including housewares, jewellery, beads, gifts, religious and seasonal goods.

title: Yiwu


text:
Yixing

Yixing, Jiangsu Province, is a county-level city with a population of 1.1 million (2020). Yixing City is an international eco-tourism city in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and a regional central city at the junction of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui.

Understand
Yixing City is at the southwest end of Jiangsu Province and the center of the Shanghai-Nanjing-Hangzhou Triangle. It is connected to the Taihu Lake in Suzhou to the east, Changxing County of Zhejiang Province to the southeast, and Anhui Province to the southwest. Guangde City borders Liyang City to the west, Jintan District of Changzhou to the northwest, and Wujin District of Changzhou to the north.

The terrain of Yixing City is high in the south and low in the north, with low mountains and hills in the southwest. The highest peak in the city is the top of the Yellow Tower, with an altitude of 611.5 meters. Yixing City has a subtropical monsoon climate, with high temperatures throughout the year, normal precipitation, and normal sunshine.

Yixing has a long history, with a history of more than 7,000 years of pottery making and more than 2,200 years of county founding. Our ancestors were hardworking and simple, leaving behind many cultural relics. The Xixi site in Xushe Town is a large-scale settlement during the Majiabang Culture period. It reflects the peaceful and natural life of our ancestors who worked at sunrise and rested at sunset six or seven thousand years ago. In 2002, it was listed as one of China's six major archaeological discoveries.

Get in
Yixing is on the west side of Lake Tai and is almost at the centre of the triangle consisting of Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou.

By plane
The distances between Yixing and international airports in this area are:

'''Shanghai ''' Hongqiao International Airport  190 km, 2-hour-drive;

Pudong International Airport,   242 km, 2.5-hour-drive;

'''Nanjing ''' Lukou International Airport  108 km, 1.5-hour-drive;

'''Hangzhou ''' Xiaoshan International Airport  180 km, 2-hour-drive;

'''Wuxi ''' Sunan Shuofang International Airport  95 km, 1-hour-drive.

Pudong is a major hub with international flights going all over the world. Nanjing and Hangzhou also have some long-range flights. Hongqiao and Wuxi serve mainly domestic flights plus a few to nearby Asian countries.

By train
The bullet trains on the Nanjing–Hangzhou Intercity Railway route now connect Yixing to those two cities.

By car
Expressways connect Yixing with all main cities in the Yangtze Delta. There are two main routes, the Nanjing-Shanghai Expressway and Nanjing-Hangzhou Expressway.

By bus
There are buses to most major cities nearby -
 * Changzhou ¥21
 * Wuxi ¥25
 * Hangzhou ¥58
 * Nanjing ¥58
 * Suzhou ¥69
 * Shanghai ¥79
 * Hefei ¥105

Do

Buy
Yixing is famous for stoneware, especially teapots, made from the local clay.

Sleep

 * Wuxi Yixing Hotel — Yixing Hotel is a three-star foreign tourist hotel. It has standard rooms, single rooms, standard suites and high-end luxury suites. The environment is quiet and spring-like all year round. The parking lot is wide and easy to enter and exit. It is an ideal place for leisure, business, tourism, conference and other guests.

title: Yixing


text:
Yizhou

Yizhou (宜州; Yízhōu)  is a city in North Guangxi in China. It is in the northwestern area of the province and is situated on the range of stunning karst formations that covers southern China. Foreign tourists rarely visit the city, so do not expect a solid tourist infrastructure. But you will enjoy travelling away from the beaten tracks.

Get in
Yizhou has a train depot and can be reached by bus from Guilin (4 hours) or Nanning (6 hours).

Trains and long-distance buses are available for major regional destinations. The bustling long distance bus station includes frequent buses to Guilin (4 hours), Nanning (6 hours by bus), Guangzhou (12 hours by bus), and Guiyang.

Get around
Taxis are available throughout the city. Three-wheel motorized vehicles (三轮车; san lun che) take you around the city for only a few yuan.

See
One of the best times of the year to visit Yizhou is during Chinese New Year, usually in February. Locals take to the streets in the evening and set off a display of fireworks that resembles a warzone. Accommodation during this time might be a little hard, but not impossible, to find.

Do
The main reason to come to Yizhou is to see the scenic karst formations in the countryside. There is also a stone dam from the Qing Dynasty, and if you get a raft along the river (¥40 per person in September 2010), you can visit some very large water wheels still in use. Your raft will also take you to some very beautiful scenic spots and to some karst caves. If you wish, it is also possible to swim in the river - very clear and beautiful cool water, not too deep.

In the surrounding countryside ethnic minority farmers (Zhuang) plant sugar cane and also breed silk worms. You can visit their villages, but do not expect mud huts - most of the buildings there are now in brick. It is not easy to find one's way to the villages, as there are as yet only dirt roads connecting them, however with a regular bus service by mini buses. It would be advisible to hire a guide to show you around, especially if you want to see the silk worms. You can try Lisa, who could also take you to a raft ride; her cell phone number is +86 13647894828.

In the center of the city is a statue of the legendary Song Dynasty singer Liu Sanjie (刘三姐), renowned for her beautiful singing voice.

Consider visiting Hechi Xueyuan (a college), there are some foreign teachers there that would probably happily guide you around. Just ask any student to help you find them.

Buy
Nothing special as yet. Maybe you can get hold of some homemade rum (see "Drink").

Eat
Nothing special, but fresh fish from the river is said to be very good.

Drink
Perhaps you can get some home produced rum, made from sugarcane. But it may be devilish.

Sleep
Expensive plush hotels and cheap dives are available throughout Yizhou.

Congregated around the bus station are a number of cheap to mid-range hotels.

title: Yizhou


text:
Ylläs

Ylläs is a popular ski resort in the municipality of Kolari in Finnish Lapland.

Understand

Ylläs is a fell (Finnish: tunturi), a gently rounded mountain whose top is above the treeline — the English word "tundra" comes from the native Kildin Sami word tūndâr. This characteristically Lappish landscape was created during the Ice Age, when kilometre-thick ice scraped away at what were once mountains, wearing them down.

The village of Ylläsjärvi ("Lake Ylläs") lies to the south of the fell and the village of Äkäslompolo ("Lake Äkäs") to the north, about 10 km apart as the bird flies.

Climate
Located north of the Arctic Circle, Ylläs experiences over a month of Polar Night in December and January. This is also the coldest time of year, with an average high of and average lows of, not factoring in the considerable wind chill atop the treeless fell if you're skiing. Among the Finns, the most popular time of the year to visit is the Easter holidays in March or April, when average temperatures are closer to zero and on a good day you can ski in a T-shirt. (Just watch out for sunburn!)

The season for Northern Lights (Aurora borealis) runs from late August to early April. On average, they can be spotted 150 nights per year, although this depends on cloud conditions and just plain luck. Check the space weather forecast before heading out into the Arctic night.

See Lapland for the other seasons.

By plane
Kittilä airport, about 50 km east from Ylläs, has regular flights from Helsinki and occasional charters elsewhere in high season. Rundgren buses meet most incoming flights; the trip to Ylläs takes about 40 minutes with a flat fare of €13.80. Metered taxis are also available, that ride costs around €100.

Another possibility is to fly in Sweden from Stockholm to Luleå and from there to Pajala airport. There you may take an airport taxi for the 30-km trip to Finland.

The nearest larger airport/town is Rovaniemi some 170 km away, but the journey requires either an expensive taxi ride or at least three separate buses.

By train
Kolari is the northernmost train station in Finland. During the winter season there is a direct train connection daily from Helsinki via Tampere, Oulu and Tornio; at 995 km, this is the longest single train route in Finland. An overnight trip takes 13 hours and is most comfortable in a sleeping cabin. From Turku, you usually change trains in Tampere. Sometimes the train contains a special club car serving as a nightclub during the trip. A sleeper cabin for 3 passengers (in the old one-storey cars) costs around €200. You can also drive your car on board (fee from €39), which can be handy if you'd like to spare yourself a 1000-km drive in winter conditions.

From Kolari there is a Rundgren bus for the remaining 35 km. Tickets cost €13.80, the ride takes about an hour and stops at most major hotels.

By car
From Helsinki, drive by E75 to the north. Switch to E8 after Kemi. Drive to Kolari and follow signs to Ylläsjärvi (road 939). Alternatively you can come via Kittilä.

From Sweden there are bridges, e.g. at Haparanda/Tornio, Övertorneå/Ylitornio (Aavasaksa), Pello and Pajala/Kolari.

Get around
Ylläs is divided into four areas. There are two ski resort areas at the base of the lifts: the larger of the two,, is on the south-east side of the fell, while is on the north-west side. The town of ("Lake Äkäs", covered in its own article) is about 4 km north of the ski resort of the same name, while the smaller village of  ("Lake Ylläs") lies about 5 km south of its resort.

If you don't have your own wheels, the only practical way to get around is the Ski Bus, which loops between the four roughly hourly during the ski season. Single tickets are a steep €6, but if you buy a ski pass, you can top it up with an area ticket that gives unlimited rides for just €2/day.

Downhill skiers can use the Kuru lift to connect across the top of the fell between the Ylläs and Äkäslompolo resorts. There's also an extensive network of cross-country trails, but while you can easily ski down from the resorts to the villages, it's a long uphill slog to get back.

By taxi

Talk
Most Finns are fluent in English, and Ylläs is no exception. Russian is also spoken by some people, due to large numbers of Russian tourists.

Winter sports

With 463 m of elevation difference and runs up to 3 km long, Ylläs Ski Resort is not exactly the Swiss Alps, but there are still 63 slopes and 28 lifts to explore. Thanks to the rounded shape of the mountain, most runs are quite easy and the resort is known for being family friendly. The network of ski tracks around the fells there is the largest in Finland (330 km). While there is one gondola (on the Ylläs side) and one chairlift (on the Äkäslompolo side), all other lifts are slow T-bars. All higher lifts are subject to closure in windy weather. Day pass rates including use of all lifts start from €48.

Both resorts maintain snow parks for freestyle snowboarding. These parks contain various sizes of jumps (kickers) for beginners and pros. There are also a good selection of jibbing rails (especially on the south side, i.e. Ylläsjärvi). However, half-pipes are usually absent. There's also excellent cross-country skiing, with 330 km of maintained trails connecting to the tracks of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park.

The slopes are usually opened sometimes in November and the season runs until May. In summer, Ylläs turns into a mountain biking park, with gondolas ferrying bikers up, and trails up to 4 km long.

Snow safari
Ylläs travel agencies offer Lappish activities like husky or reindeer sleigh trips, visits to reindeer farms and traditional Sami lávvus, as well as snowmobile safaris.

Concerts
The Ylläs area hosts two major music festivals: Ylläs Jazz Blues in February and Ylläs Soikoon in July. There are also concerts in the larger restaurants and nightclubs.

Buy
The only grocery in the ski resorts is Antin Mini-Market in the Hotel Saaga building, which is also the only place that sells takeaway alcohol (beer and other drinks under 5.5% ABV only), but has a very limited selection of food. For larger shopping sprees, use your own wheels or the Ski Bus to go shop in the villages, or order online from in Äkäslompolo.

 * Lakkalikööri, a signature Lappish cloudberry liqueur, from Äkäslompolo Alko store.
 * Cloudberry jam or sauce, from any retail store.
 * Cloudberry jam or sauce, from any retail store.

Eat
Breakfast is usually included for visitors staying in the hotels. In the resort area, the only budget options are self-catering (see ) or ubiquitous Finnish fast food outlet Hesburger.

Drink
Ylläs markets itself as a family-friendly resort and the après-ski scene here is much quieter than at party town Levi.

Sleep
The Ylläs area is one of the largest winter sport resorts in Finland and it has a great variety of accommodation opportunities. Äkäslompolo, covered separately, has the largest range on offer ranging from hostel dorms to luxury lodges.

Go next

 * Levi — just north of Kittilä, for more skiing.
 * Lainio Snow Village in Kittilä, halfway to Kittilä centre. Admire the ice sculptures or spend the night among them in a warm sleeping bag.

title: Ylläs


text:
Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta — despite the official spelling, the name is usually pronounced and not uncommonly written Jogjakarta or just Jogja (JOG-jah) — is a major tourist destination in Java, Indonesia. It is the capital of Yogyakarta Special Region, to the south of Central Java province.

Understand
Yogyakarta is a bustling town of some 375,000 people (2020) and the most popular tourist destination on Java, largely thanks to its proximity to the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan. The city is a centre of art and education, offers some good shopping and has a wide range of tourist facilities. It is named after the city of Ayodhya in India, where Rama, an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu is said to have had his capital, and whose rule is considered by Hindus to be the epitome of good governance and a moral society.

The city (kota) of Yogyakarta is one of five districts in the semi-autonomous province of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY), the "Yogyakarta Special Region". The other districts are the regencies of:

 * Sleman on the slopes of fiery Mount Merapi to the north
 * Bantul all the way to the sea to the south
 * The hills of Gunung Kidul to the east
 * The lowlands of Kulon Progo to the West

This special status is thanks to the Sultanate of Hamengkubuwono, which has ruled the area since 1749 and steered the state through difficult times of occupation and revolution. During the Indonesian war of independence, Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX offered the fledgeling Indonesian government his enclave as a capital city. Yogyakarta became the revolutionary capital of the republic from 1946 to 1949 when Jakarta was still occupied by the Dutch. As a result, the newly-independent Indonesia appointed the Sultan as the governor of the province of DIY — the only one in Indonesia that is not elected directly by the people. The Indonesian central government has tried to weaken the sultan's power by calling for direct elections for the governor. The present sultan, Hamengkubuwono X, was chosen by an overwhelming majority.

Yogyakarta lies in one of the most seismically active parts of Java and has been repeatedly struck by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The worst in recent times was the earthquake of 27 May 2006, which killed over 6,000 people and flattened over 300,000 houses. The epicentre was south of the city, which avoided the worst of the quake. A very effective disaster recovery effort repaired most of the physical damage quickly.

Yogyakarta is full of domestic tourists during school holidays, with tourist buses on the visitor hotspots of shopping street Jl Malioboro and the northern palace square, or alun-alun, trapped in heavy traffic. Vehicles, parking and vendors contribute to the traffic jams.

Tourist information
There are three information offices, one at the airport, one at the main railway station, and this main one:

By plane

Getting into the city
Since Adisucipto International Airport is closer to the city centre, there are numerous possibilities to get into the city:

By bus

 * TransJogja bus 1A goes to the main Tugu train station and Jl Malioboro for Rp3,500. Buy the ticket at the bus stop.

By taxi
Airport taxis cost around Rp50,000 depending on destination. Pay at the desk in the arrival terminal and head for the rank. Give the receipt to your driver, there is no need for any additional payment. It is about half the price to use a taxi dropping passengers off at the departure terminal — insist on using the meter. Expect to pay the Rp2,000 airport entrance fee, even though this has already been paid by the previous passenger on the way in.

By rail
Take the KRL commuter train that runs between Surakarta and Jogja, from Maguwo station, a few minutes' walk from airport arrivals. In Yogyakarta, the train calls at the main Tugu station, just off Jl Malioboro, and Lempuyangan station. In Solo, it calls at Balapan and Purwosari stations.

Ride-hailing services
You can use ride-hailing apps to get picked up but you will be picked up outside the airport in front of the Class I Immigration Office on Jl Solo, an eight-minute walk from the terminal.

By train

 * Yogyakarta and Solo are connected by the KRL commuter train. The train stops at Prambanan station, even though it is rather far from the temple complex. The KRL also stops at Maguwo station for Adisucipto airport. A one-way trip costs Rp8,000. To ride the train, you can use a refillable multi-trip card that can be purchased at a ticket counter or vending machine at the station for Rp30,000 (initial balance contains Rp10,000). The multi-trip card is also valid for KRL commuter trains in Jakarta. Electronic money or bank-issued prepaid cards are a better alternative, as any credits are also usable for purchases at major retailers and convenience stores, the toll road, parking, and other public transportation (MRT and Transjakarta in Jakarta). Bank Mandiri's e-money or e-toll card, BCA's Flazz, BNI's tap-cash, BRI's BRIZZI, or Bank DKI's JakCard, are obtainable at the respective banks and minimarts such as Alfamart and Indomaret.
 * Trains from Jakarta take at least seven hours. The Argo-class trains (Argo Lawu and Argo Dwipangga) are the fastest and most comfortable, Rp375,000 (~8 hr, including mineral water and snacks). Taksaka is almost as good at Rp350,000. The line between Kroya and Prupuk is scenic, where the line crosses the main backbone mountains of Java. Business (Eksekutif) class trains from Jakarta ( 8 hr) now cost from Rp260,000 and from Surabaya from Rp110,000. A ticket on a 3rd class train from Jakarta to Yogyakarta costs from Rp85,000 and from Surabaya Rp50,000.
 * Passengers from Bandung to Yogyakarta can choose among 6 trains per day and need about 8-8.5 hours for the journey. You see a scenic part of Java during daylight. Mineral water and snacks are provided for Eksekutif train class.
 * Passengers from Surabaya are served by the twice-daily Sancaka service departing in the morning and afternoon.
 * Passengers from Surabaya are served by the twice-daily Sancaka service departing in the morning and afternoon.

By bus

Small shuttle buses called travel ply the routes from Semarang and Solo. One such service is Joglosemar (Jogja-Solo-Semarang), Rp45,000 from Semarang, and Rp25,000 from Solo.

Get around
Yogyakarta is a relatively small city, so travelling around town should not be too expensive. If you are travelling on foot, a street sign facing you at a corner indicates the name of the street you are entering, not the cross street.

By bus
Medium and small buses are the main public transport in Yogyakarta.

The TransJogja rapid transit system operates from 05:30 to 21:30 and stops only at designated shelters. They are air-conditioned and generally safe. Tickets can be bought at the kiosks, and the cost for a single trip is Rp3,600. You can buy regular trip cards which cut the per trip cost to Rp3,000, and allow transit to other shelters. Get a free route map for the TransJogja buses at the Tourist Information Centre on Jl Malioboro.

Buses other than TransJogja normally operate 06:00 to 17:00, or 21:00 for some long routes. The cost for a single trip is Rp3,000 regardless of distance (within the city). Usually on a bus there will be a driver and a helper who will hang from the side of the bus and handle money and try to attract passengers. The helper will usually tap you on the shoulder to indicate you should pay him. If there is no helper you can pay the driver directly. When you are ready to get off a bus, tell the driver or helper "kiri" (KIH-ree) which means left.

By car or motorbike
There are several car and motorbike rental agencies just outside Tugu Station, on the street that runs east-west just south of the station. A car or motorbike delivery and pick-up at the airport remain the best way to rent them.

Driving a car in Indonesia is never a rewarding experience. But for those that would like to, a Toyota Avanza or Daihatsu Xenia (6 passengers) can be rented for around Rp250,000-300,000 for 24 hours, or Rp175,000-225,000 for 12 hours. A new green car, Toyota Agya or Daihatsu Ayla, can be rented for Rp150,000 for 24 hours. Most of the companies will ask you for the driving licence and ID cards for security reasons.

Renting a car with a driver is a more relaxing proposition. A driver will cost an additional Rp50,000-200,000 a day. The cost of a car with a driver may vary depending on whether fuel is included for a set distance or for the whole itinerary. Prices are always subject to negotiation and may increase or decrease due to local demand, type and age of vehicle and your individual requirements at the time. The normal rates (not the high season/peak season) will be around Rp450,000-500,000 per 12 hours' service.

A near new semi-automatic (clutchless) motorbike can be rented for Rp60,000 per 24 hours; older bikes may come for less, and fully automatic bikes such as a Honda Vario or Yamaha Mio may sometimes cost Rp5,000-10,000 more. Many roads outside Yogyakarta are unpaved, especially around the Mount Merapi area, so many motorcycle rentals offer a semi-offroad automatic bike with a daily fee around Rp75,000.

By taxi
Yogyakarta's taxis are metered and most drivers are trustworthy. All taxis have a flagfall of Rp7,000 for the first kilometre and then Rp4,250 for every subsequent kilometre. Most trips around the centre should not cost more than Rp20,000. If you find a driver you feel comfortable with, ask for their mobile number so next time you need to travel you can call him directly. Most drivers are more than happy to do this.

By ojek
Motorcycle taxis are widespread. They usually gather at designated spots (pangkalan), where you will haggle your way to a ride. Not comfortable or convenient for carrying luggage, but quicker if the traffic is heavy.

Nowadays, organized ojek are strong competitors to taxis and ojek pangkalan. Pickup is free and you pay according to the printout from the meter. No haggling. Try:

Disability ojeks are also available in Yogyakarta. The system is run by disabled persons, including the drivers. Using motorcycles with sidecars, the can carry a person with a wheelchair. Spacious enough, so two slim non-disabled people can also use it. Try:

By ride-hailing
You can request car or motorbike rides with ride-hailing apps such as Gojek, Grab and Maxim. They are typically cheaper than taxis, have short waiting times in the central area, and are mostly straightforward to use; however, expect very little English from most drivers. When you request a car or motorbike using one of these apps, it's handy to have an Indonesian speaker to help you communicate with the driver, or learn some of the keywords and phrases used in this situation. See the Indonesian phrasebook.

By becak
Three-wheeled pedal-powered trishaws or pedicabs, known as becak (BAY-cha'), can be found in most parts of Yogyakarta, for shortish journeys (remember there is some poor guy pedalling away behind you). Haggle furiously before getting in. Be sure to determine whether the price is for a one-way or return (pulang) trip and if you want the driver to wait while you conduct your shopping or business. The journey from within the city to the Malioboro shopping precinct should not cost more than Rp10,000.

By andong
The two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage is still found in Jogja. While happy to do a tourist jaunt, they are mostly used by the Jogjanese for shortish trips around their neighbourhoods, to and from the market, for example. There is also a "Grab Andong" service which you can order via the app and can be ordered along the Malioboro area.

On foot
As in the rest of Indonesia, walking in Jogja is probably one of the least convenient and least popular ways of transport, with two remarkable exceptions:
 * Jalan Malioboro, with its vibrant street life, colourful shop facades, large walkways and street artists;
 * The charming Kampung Taman Sari neighborhood containing the remains of the Taman Sari Water Castle.

See

Being one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, Yogyakarta has many heritage buildings and monuments and the centre was listed as a in 2023.

The number one must-see attraction is Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono's palace, better known as Kraton Ngayogyakarta. Near the palace are a number of other heritage buildings : the BNI '46 building, the Central Post Office and Bank Indonesia.

Other notable landmarks and attractions are:

The Kraton
The Sultan's palace or Kraton encompasses the main palace, the sultan's residential buildings, two alun-alun (palace squares), and a large residential area where the sultan's servants used to live.

 * Siti Hinggil Selatan. This somehow-muted palace is rarely used for forml occasions. You can catch a shadow puppet performance during weekend mornings and nights. There is no admission charge for the show and you can come and go as you please, which you may well want to do as the show is long and somewhat difficult to follow if you do not speak Indonesian.

Also worth seeing is the prince's palace to the SE of the main palace.

Yogyakarta was designed so that the main elements of the city form an imaginary line. This straight line starts from Parangtritis on the coast, through the Kraton and Tugu Monument, and finally to Mount Merapi. This represents the Sultan's strong relationship with the guardian spirits of Mount Merapi and the ocean at Parangtritis.

Do

 * Horse-drawn carriage rides — traditional horse-drawn carriages, the four-wheeled andhong and the two-wheeled horsecart call dokar, wait for tourists outside hotspots like the train station, the Kraton and Mal Malioboro. Haggle furiously. The traditional route is from Jl Malioboro to the Kraton. Andhong often want to take you to shop for fake Dagadu t-shirts at hefty prices in Ngasem. The cost for a round trip is about Rp20,000. They usually ask for Rp30,000 but may settle for less. While andhong primarily serve the tourist market, dokar are used more generally by the Jogjanese but are still happy to give you a tourist jaunt. Andhong can hold up to five adults, while a dokar will take about two only.
 * Masangin (masuk antara dua beringin, passing between the two banyan trees) — you can play this simple, fun game on the southern alun-alun. Participants are blindfolded and must walk straight between the two ancient banyan trees. It sounds easy but most participants usually fail.
 * Reflexology — achieve soothing experience by having a short reflexology massage. One of the hippest among Jogjanese.
 * Street chess— when it's quiet, particularly around the end of Jalan Malioboro near the Kraton, the becak drivers will play chess on the street with large wooden sets. You are welcome to challenge them and it's fun. This is how they pass the time between fares, so some play for several hours each day - you'll be up against some stiff competition. Don't offer or accept any bets on the outcome - it takes the fun out of a good way to interact with the locals and pass the time.
 * Sunday morning on the university boulevard — every Sunday, the main boulevard in the Gadjah Mada university campus is thronged with students, joggers and martial arts enthusiasts. Get there between 07:00-09:00 for a bit of exercise. After that, replace the calories you lost by sampling the foods from the many stalls. The choice includes opor ayam' (chicken curry with rice cake), bubur ayam (rice porridge with chicken), 'siomay (fish dumplings) and sate ambal (chicken satay with tempeh sauce). Don't forget to check the flea market nearby.
 * Yoga & meditation — widely available including:

Learn
Jogja is a city of education as well as culture.

Universities
Jogja is a home to at least four universities. It may be possible for non-Indonesians to study at these universities through the Indonesian-government Dharmasiswa scheme. Studies in Indonesian performing arts are a particular focus for recipients of this support.

Language courses
Jogja is well-known for its language schools. There are many to choose from, including:

Buy
Jogja is the home of batik, traditional wayang puppets, sculpture, ceramics and silverware. Handicrafts from outside Jogja can also be found. Alternatively, as a modern city, there are stylish malls offering interesting goods and services at a reasonable cost.

Batik
There are some excellent batik galleries selling hand-made paintings on cotton and silk. The cloth folds up easily for transport and can be ironed later. There are also several scams which you should avoid. Authentic batik should look vivid on both sides of the cloth; whereas stamped batik will only look vivid on one side. To get the best price, visit a gallery where they grade the quality of the pieces, usually using a scale from A-Z. Prices range from Rp50,000 for A (small student paintings), to Rp1,000,000 for Z paintings (usually large pieces done by master artists). You may be able to haggle an extra 25% off the marked price. Beware shops which buy and resell the paintings, marking up the prices for Z-level artwork to Rp8,000,000 — this is massively overpriced.

Eat
Yogyakarta food used to be known for its sweetness. However, as more and more people move to Jogja, the city starts seeing more diversity in flavor. Now you can find many kinds of interesting dishes, from sweet, spicy, to fiery. Sometimes a fusion from other cuisines such as Chinese or Western can be found. Since the influx of people from around the country, you can find some restaurants and cafes that open until 23:00 in the centre.

If you want to eat the traditional way, head to Malioboro for a lesehan dinner in front of the closed shophouses, similar to the Japanese eating style on a tatami, but you sit on a mat and eat with your hands (you can ask for cutlery though). The food is ready to serve, — vegetables, fried and grilled meat (satay, seafood) are the most common, served with white rice. You can also order traditional gudeg. While this is a favorite among locals for the mingle for hours, do not expect very cheap prices.

Local delicacies
The following dishes are recommended:

 * Gudeg, a sweet and dry curry of jackfruit, chicken and egg served with rice, and the most famous local dish. Goopy slop in various shades of brown, the stuff does not look particularly appetizing, but it can be tasty if done right. There are many gudeg restaurants, but the most popular are: Gudeg Wijilan, Gudeg Juminten, Gudeg Bu Tjitro, Gudeg Tugu, Gudeg Bu Ahmad. If you can wake up early in the morning, you may find small stalls serving Gudeg just at the corner of the street, or close to traditional markets. If you can't sleep at night, you can go to Jalan Janturan and enjoy the Gudeg Pawon (enjoying gudeg inside the old style kitchen) that open in late night. Due to the heavy fiber content of young jackfruit and the thick coconut milk, those who have a weak stomach may have trouble with gudeg.
 * Ayam geprek, the original can be found just outside the city limit at Ayam Geprek Bu Rum, deep-fried chicken with crispy batter which is then crushed under pestle along with chili peppers, salt, and garlic and served with rice. Various side dish can be added to the chicken such as grated cheddar, fried eggplant, tempeh, or tofu.
 * Oseng mercon, spicy stir fried beef and offal.
 * Brongkos, sweet beef and bean in a keluak nut soup.
 * Enthok slenget, spicy muscovy duck soup.
 * Nasi langgi, locally known as sego langgi (langgi rice). Warm rice served with various side dishes. Can be found in small stall in Gandekan St.
 * Kipo, bite-size snacks made of green tapioca dough filled with sweetened grated coconut. Can be found in Kotagede.
 * Bakpia, another bite-size snack made from sweetened green bean paste wrapped with thin dough pastry. The most popular bakpia is known as Bakpia Patuk, which not surprisingly, are sold in Pathuk street, also known as Jl. Aip K.S. Tubun.
 * Jadah tempe, sandwich of rice cake and sweet beancake. Can be found in Kaliurang.
 * Es rujak or rujak es krim, a fruit salad made from mangos, papayas, apples, pineapples, cucumbers etc., mixed with palm sugar, lime juice, salt, chillies and (of course) ice cream (es krim). All flavours (sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, salty) in one plate. In case you are at UGM campus, have a look along Jalan Kaliurang. Small foodstalls sell es rujak there (only very late morning to early afternoon). If you are not close to UGM, keep your eyes open.

Budget
Yogyakarta is a heaven of inexpensive foods, and some tasty and filling dishes can cost as little as Rp5,000. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of hawker stalls offering inexpensive foods.

Mid-range

 * Gudeg Sagan, An eating place in Jalan Sagan (in front of Toko Sagan Baru) offering rice, seasoned porridge, gudeg, areh sauce, sambal goreng krecek, complete with chicken and brown hard-boiled egg.
 * Quali Resto, Plaza Ambarrukmo, 3rd floor, near the foodcourt. Serves various kind of Chinese dishes, but their specialty is kwetiaw (wide noodles). Rp20,000.
 * Sapi Bali, Jl. Umbul Permai, Mudal, Sariharjo, Ngaglik, Sleman, Yogyakarta, . Serves Balinese style ribs, although a little too hot and spicy for some foreigners. If you do not like hot and spicy food, opt for the Soy Sauce Ribs. Rp25,000.
 * Via Via, Jl. Prawirotaman, An excellent traveller's cafe, there are clocks on the wall showing the time in other Via Via cafes around the world and a mix of travellers and Indonesian locals. Offers a range of western dishes (good French onion soup) and specialty Indonesian dishes at a good price. Caters very well to vegetarians (tofu and tempe). Cane chairs and lots of space and games. Rp30,000-100,000.
 * Quali Resto, Plaza Ambarrukmo, 3rd floor, near the foodcourt. Serves various kind of Chinese dishes, but their specialty is kwetiaw (wide noodles). Rp20,000.
 * Sapi Bali, Jl. Umbul Permai, Mudal, Sariharjo, Ngaglik, Sleman, Yogyakarta, . Serves Balinese style ribs, although a little too hot and spicy for some foreigners. If you do not like hot and spicy food, opt for the Soy Sauce Ribs. Rp25,000.
 * Via Via, Jl. Prawirotaman, An excellent traveller's cafe, there are clocks on the wall showing the time in other Via Via cafes around the world and a mix of travellers and Indonesian locals. Offers a range of western dishes (good French onion soup) and specialty Indonesian dishes at a good price. Caters very well to vegetarians (tofu and tempe). Cane chairs and lots of space and games. Rp30,000-100,000.
 * Quali Resto, Plaza Ambarrukmo, 3rd floor, near the foodcourt. Serves various kind of Chinese dishes, but their specialty is kwetiaw (wide noodles). Rp20,000.
 * Sapi Bali, Jl. Umbul Permai, Mudal, Sariharjo, Ngaglik, Sleman, Yogyakarta, . Serves Balinese style ribs, although a little too hot and spicy for some foreigners. If you do not like hot and spicy food, opt for the Soy Sauce Ribs. Rp25,000.
 * Via Via, Jl. Prawirotaman, An excellent traveller's cafe, there are clocks on the wall showing the time in other Via Via cafes around the world and a mix of travellers and Indonesian locals. Offers a range of western dishes (good French onion soup) and specialty Indonesian dishes at a good price. Caters very well to vegetarians (tofu and tempe). Cane chairs and lots of space and games. Rp30,000-100,000.
 * Sapi Bali, Jl. Umbul Permai, Mudal, Sariharjo, Ngaglik, Sleman, Yogyakarta, . Serves Balinese style ribs, although a little too hot and spicy for some foreigners. If you do not like hot and spicy food, opt for the Soy Sauce Ribs. Rp25,000.
 * Via Via, Jl. Prawirotaman, An excellent traveller's cafe, there are clocks on the wall showing the time in other Via Via cafes around the world and a mix of travellers and Indonesian locals. Offers a range of western dishes (good French onion soup) and specialty Indonesian dishes at a good price. Caters very well to vegetarians (tofu and tempe). Cane chairs and lots of space and games. Rp30,000-100,000.
 * Via Via, Jl. Prawirotaman, An excellent traveller's cafe, there are clocks on the wall showing the time in other Via Via cafes around the world and a mix of travellers and Indonesian locals. Offers a range of western dishes (good French onion soup) and specialty Indonesian dishes at a good price. Caters very well to vegetarians (tofu and tempe). Cane chairs and lots of space and games. Rp30,000-100,000.
 * Via Via, Jl. Prawirotaman, An excellent traveller's cafe, there are clocks on the wall showing the time in other Via Via cafes around the world and a mix of travellers and Indonesian locals. Offers a range of western dishes (good French onion soup) and specialty Indonesian dishes at a good price. Caters very well to vegetarians (tofu and tempe). Cane chairs and lots of space and games. Rp30,000-100,000.

Splurge
Jogja has many 'high-end' restaurants serving western to Asian to Asian-fusion cuisines.

Clubs
Usually all clubs are willing to give free entry before midnight if you call and ask for a guestlist, unless on an important event night.

Lounges & bars
Lounges and cafes are found throughout Indonesia's trendy inner city environments.

 * Corner of Jl. Parangtritis & Prawirotaman A bunch of casual street bars are found here, some of them with loud music and bar girls.
 * Corner of Jl. Parangtritis & Prawirotaman A bunch of casual street bars are found here, some of them with loud music and bar girls.

Sleep
There are hundreds of hotels in Jogja. All the major international and national chains are represented — Accor, Sheraton, Hyatt, Melia — but there is much of local interest at all budget levels.

Budget under Rp250,000
Most of the budget accommodation is on Jl Sosrowijayan (adjacent to Jl Malioboro) and in the Jl Prawirotaman area, about to the south of the centre.

Malioboro and Sosrowijayan
Many backpackers find places to stay on the alleys around Gang Sosrowijayan, close to the Tugu train station and Jl Malioboro. Gang-3 is a red light area. The 'losmen' tariff is from Rp100,000 a day in low season and up to Rp250,000 a day for a losmen with facilities: aircon, en-suite bathroom and TV. The gangs are 10-15 minutes walk from the train station. If you follow one of the touts advertising cheap accommodation your stay might be more expensive as they will get a commission for bringing you there.

Stay safe
Jogja has its share of petty crime like pickpocketing, especially in city buses and along Jalan Malioboro when crowded.

Watch out for gallery scams and street sellers trying to get a commission for batik. These tend to occur around the Kraton and Malioboro areas. Scammers will approach tourists and tell them about a government art centre and will hire cheap transport to the 'genuine' gallery. If you're interested in buying batik, this isn't necessarily bad, but you are, in essence, being manipulated. These scams mainly occur on Jalan Malioboro. They have people waiting on the streets approaching foreigners, even if you're with a local companion. General rule of thumb is if they're approaching you in English, they're trying to get something out of you.

Be cautious when walking in the city. Traffic is brutal! You might have difficulty crossing roads and streets, especially in crowded places. Pavements, even where they exist, are in poor condition, and signs over the pavement hang lower than head height for many foreigners, so watch your feet and your head. At night, street lighting will usually be poor, making it even harder.

Mount Merapi volcano looms over the city. The last eruption was in May 2018, spewing ashes about 6km high. Although it wasn't as big and destructive as in 2010.

Try to travel in groups if going to or from Parangtritis beach. The long stretch between Jogja and the beach can be dangerous at night. You may get stopped by someone riding a motorcycle trying to rob you. There are few police stations along the road, and often unoccupied.

Never swim at Parangtritis beach due to strong rip currents.

Telephone
The area code for Yogyakarta is 0274.

Internet
There are many internet cafes in Yogyakarta which offer speedy access. Some hotels provide free wifi in the lobby. The Taman Sari foodcourt at Ambarrukmo Plaza, locally known as Amplas, offers free Wifi.

The 24-hour Indomaret on Jalan Malioboro offers free Wifi and wall sockets, but can be a little noisy.

Emergency

List of hospitals with 24 hours emergency room (ER), (UGD):

North

 * The massive Buddhist temple of Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument in the world, is 40 minutes away by car and one of the main drawcards for visitors to Yogyakarta. Many tour buses (minivans) leave Yogyakarta at 05:00 for an early visit to Borobudur. This is a convenient way to skip the crowds which arrive mid morning, although a little more expensive: Rp45,000-50,000 (including a simple breakfast). However, the extra cost could save you money if tour participants chip in for a tour guide.

 * Gereja Ayam (Chicken Church). Near Magelang. In response to what he claimed was a divine vision in 1988, Daniel Alamsjah, a devout Christian, spent every weekend over nearly a decade overseeing the construction of this multi-dominical bird-shaped prayer house. Alamsjah’s vision had been of a dove, but the its resemblance to a giant chicken has earned it its better-known moniker, Gereja Ayam – Chicken Church. Alamsjah ran out of funds in 2000 to complete it and left it to fall into decay. However over the next 15 years, curious visitors to nearby Borobudur began seeking it out. Increasing visitor numbers encouraged Alamsjah to return and begin work on completing the structure. The interior has been decorated in a style that may not be to everyone’s taste. From the parking lot it is 15 minute walk up a steep hill to the building (for which it is advisable to bring closed footwear). Shuttle rides are offered up the hill but these can be expensive. It is often included in tours to Borobodur. Open daily 05:00 to 16:30. The entrance fee is Rp30,000 (+ Rp10,000 parking fees for a car).

 * Kaliurang in Sleman Regency is the closest settlement on the southern slope of Mount Merapi. One reason to visit this town is the Ullen Sentalu Museum, an exotic museum dedicated to the culture and life of Javanese royalty. The museum is built into the surrounding landscape, with gardens, sculptures and an overall tranquil and natural environment. There is also a colonial-themed restaurant in the grounds called Beukenhof.

 * Ketep Pass, a pass located in the slope between Mount Merapi and Mount Merbabu offers a great vantage point for a spectacular view of both mountains. This site has a small cinema that regularly shows an interesting documentary of Mount Merapi. East of Borobudur, 40 minutes from Yogyakarta by car.

 * Salatiga, about 2½ hours from Yogyakarta, is closer to Semarang (1 hour) than Yogyakarta. Salatiga is a mountain resort town with several good resort-style spa hotels mainly aimed at people looking for a tranquil and relaxing escape from the city life. Activities in Salatiga include trying the famous "ronde" drink and Havana horses.

East

 * The Hindu temples of Prambanan, 20 minutes away, are a close second to Borobudur. The smaller temples of Kalasan and others are on the way to Prambanan. The entrance to Borobundur or Prambanan Temple costs Rp362,500 each.
 * The city of Surakarta aka Solo, a 45-min drive (also accessible with the Prambanan Ekspres train or the Joglosemar bus — see ) to the east is Yogya's royal twin and home to two royal kingdoms that are ancestrally related to Yogyakarta's Kingdom. The city's royal past is indicated through the two major keraton or palaces that are able to visited: the sprawling Keraton Kasunanan Surakarta, where the Pakubuwono kings live and the smaller but equally grand Pura Mangkunegaran palace, seat of Prince Mangkunegara. It is also a thriving arts and cultural center, home to the biggest batik manufacturers in Indonesia, and the Danar Hadi Batik Museum, which has the most diverse batik collection in Indonesia. Last but not least Solo offers a wealth of culinary experiences such as timlo (meat soup), its own soto or the fabled serabi (Javanese pancakes).

 * Ratu Boko palace, 2 km south of Prambanan. An ancient royal palace complex, similar in architectural layout with other Kratons or palaces in Java. Magnificently located on top of a hill, Ratu Boko has been restored.

South

 * Parangtritis, on the south coast, is one of the better known black sand beaches. Local folklore suggests that this beach is the palace of the legendary Nyai Loro Kidul or 'Queen of the South'. It is common knowledge among locals not to wear anything green in color, or the Queen will entice the wearer into the ocean to drown. Warning: Never swim at Parangtritis beach. Its wild waves are known to be deadly (rip currents): many people have died who ignored these precautions. There are also other beaches with white sands, but you have to arrange with a travel agent to rent a car with the driver as their locations are quite remote (2 hours from the city centre) in the hilly Gunung Kidul region. These beaches are pristine and sometimes off-the-beaten-path, such as Kukup beach, Krakal beach, Drini, Sundak beach and Baron, but the swimming warning still applies.

 * Ngobaran Beach at Gunung Kidul region, 50 km from Yogyakarta. This is a pure beach with a number of marine attractions to explore. When the tide is low in the morning, the visitors can join the local fishermen to collect seaweed or go fishing for stranded fish between the reefs at the beach. Some believe that somewhere in the beach lie the remains of King Brawijaya's fort and his men “Sabdo Palon Ngoyogenggong”. This beach includes a cave, which leads its explorers to a striking underground stream. If you go to Ngrenehan Beach for the grilled fish just drop by Ngobaran Beach, it has a high cliff and is around 2 km from Ngrenehan Beach. Many sea animal species are present in the coral reef and inter-tidal zones, ranging from sea urchin, starfish, to various types of cockleshells.

 * Ngrenehan Beach at Kanigoro Village, Saptosari. (about 30 km south of Wonosari). A small bay surrounded by rocky hills that has fascinating panorama and swirling waves hitting the white sandy beach and rocky edge of the hills. The local fishermen can prepare fresh or grilled fish for visitors.

West
Jakarta — The Argo Lawu train makes the 7-hr train ride.

title: Yogyakarta