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Testimonials from GCT Customers
Client Information
Name: Dr. Ewald Krainz & Party 7pax
Destinations: Beijing, Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Xian, Xining, Tongren, Xiahe, Dunhuang, Shanghai
Itinerary: The Shaman Festival Tour 2013
Time of Traveling: July 24 to Aug 07, 2013
The Shaman Festival Tour 2013 brought us to Tongren, a remote place in the Amdo-Tibetan area in the province of Qinghai. Tongren is not on the list of the classical must-see places of China, but the festival is a juwel for everyone intersted in ethnology and archaic religious practices. The Shaman Festival is a kind of a thanksgiving festivity and also a collective prayer for the next season from sowing to harvesting, typical for a population living on farming and agricultural products.
Bands of drummers, mostly young men dressed up in colorful costumes were marching/dancing around a fire in the center of a village square, complemented by sacrifications where agricultural products were thrown into the fire. The culmination of the festival took place when a local shaman concentrated on entering into a state of trance with all the observable signs and symptoms coming along with this specific state of mind, thus connecting to a specific mountain god of the village. What for? When the shaman falls into trance the mountain god is present amongst the community of the villagers. This is taken as a good sign, a signal that the the offerings are accepted and that supernatural, spiritual powers are protecting the village in the next season. As an addition some young men underwent ritualistic mutilation, they had their scalp sliced until blood was flowing, thus showing their devotion to the mountain god. Such events are hard to immediately understand for non-Chinese-speaking westerners, the understanding lives from expalanations and interpretations.
And exactly this was the overall title of the project: Trying to understand China. We were travelling as a group. Under John’s organization, guidance and protection we felt not only very well taken care of, but also so well informed about China, from early history to current circumstances. And apart from the informational value it was fun. My personal curiosity grew to such an extent that I decided to make a second trip to China, again organized and supervised by John, and I am already looking forward to it.
Dr. Ewald Krainz
Professor for Group Dynamics and Organization Development,
University of Klagenfurt, Austria
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Client Information
Name: Sven Sandberg and Kiki Thorsell Destinations: Shanghai
Itinerary: Car rental in Shanghai & train tickets booking
Time of Traveling: Nov 17 & Nov 12, 2013
Hi Mandy
Your help was perfect for us. You are so quick to respond when I send you e-mail.
The driver was a very nice person, he had no problem to understand my Chinese. (Many persons have)
The driver came on time, the train tickets was delivered to our hotel.
No problem at all, and we had a very nice time in Shanghai and Beijing
Your website is OK, easy to understand.
Thank you for everything
Sven S.
Client Information
Name: Davina Lach Destinations: Beijing Yunmengshan National Park
Itinerary: Bus Rental in Beijing
Time of Traveling: Nov 10, 2013
Hi Maria,
I would definitely recommend Grand China Travel for those who want to hire a car or van. Maria, our GCT representative answered all of my questions in well and in a timely manner. The driver arrived on time and drove at a safe speed. I gathered a few quotes before deciding to book a van with Grand China Travel. Not only was GCT the cheapest, but also very professional.
Sidenote to Maria: our driver used the GPS when driving. He was writing characters and could have driven into the fence. He should have pulled over for a few minutes when using the GPS.
Thanks,
Davin
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Client Information
Name: Nutttaphon Koryaiglang Nationality: Thailand Destinations: Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou, Huanglonggou,
Itinerary: Bus Rental in Sichuan Province
Time of Traveling: Oct 21 to Oct 26, 2013
Dear Maria
Sorry for late reply
First of all, I have to thank you to you for helping me many things; bus, booking hotel, and help one of my group to meet us at Panda Base.
Service is very good. the car is ok (not bad and not good) and a driver, Mr Xie is very nice. He can't speak English or Thai but he try to communicate with us. He is more than a driver, he help us many things. But the first day, it is difference car and driver, he is not a driver who you have told me before (just so so for the first driver) and I think if there is anything was changed, you should tell me.
Hotel you have booked for us is very good. It is modern, clean and new, The price you gave me is ok but it is very hard to find it.
Totally we give 8 /10 score;)
You ( Maria ) and A Driver (Mr Xie) should be appreciated from your company
If I will go to China again, pls you help me
Best Regard
Beer
Client Information
Name: Teal V. Brown Nationality: USA
Itinerary: Bus Rental with English Speaking Guide Service in Xian, Chengdu and Yunnan
Time of Traveling: Jun 29 to Jul 05, 2013
Hello Mandy,
It was a pleasure to work with you last June to support our trip to Xi’an, Yunnan and Chengdu. We very much enjoyed working with Jewel in Xi’an and I am reaching out now to let you know that we will be returning to Xi’an to take the same journey from Xi’an to Yang Xi’an and into some rural villages. We would be grateful to have the opportunity to work again with Jewel – this time with a larger group of Chinese travelers.
In a separate email I will connect you with my colleague Julie Steinbeiss. She will coordinate with you and our colleagues who live in Yang Xi’an (and are Chinese).
With all best wishes and another email will come to you with specific introduction to Julie for next steps.
Thanks!
Teal
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