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ow that China has been opened to the West for awhile, many of us have gotten to know China—Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xian, Beijing. An excellent start, but there is so much more to explore in this nation responsible for a fifth of the world's population.

R. Crusoe & Son has put together two journeys about which we're tremendously excited. One is a 10-day foray to Yunnan Province, where a colorful mix of China's ethnic minorities have lived for centuries. The other is a journey from Sichuan Province up to the Himalayas and into Tibet, for a look at Tibetan Buddhism.

Go where few have ventured in China. See what most Westerners miss. Discover China's quieter side, its traditions and poetry. And get there before the 2008 Summer Olympics, when things are bound to change...

On the 10-day Real Shangri-La (by Order of the State Council of the Chinese Government), begin in Kunming, HQ of China's minority peoples. Explore the Western Hills, home to the Bamboo Temple. Dali next, home of the Bai minority peoples and a favorite haunt of Kublai Khan. Wenshan gives up a window into life in this region as it was lived centuries ago. Activity within this ancient walled town is astounding.

Xizhou village is filled with mansions that once housed properous tea merchants. We use the opportunity to participate in a three-tea ceremony (that includes a philosophy lesson, but you'll see). See ceremonial dancing in a traditional Bai house, and taste Xizhou bread, some salty and some sweet.

Lijiang, cultural hub and capital of the Naxi people, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Learn about the Naxis' distinctive language and their own, distinctive music traditions. Hear what all that's about.

In Baisha village, Naxi frescoes educate us; in Yuhu village, tour the former home of the late Dr. Joseph Rock, a botanist and foremost expert on the Naxi people and their ways.

On to the "real" Shangri-La, 10,800 feet above sea level in magical Tibet. Magnificence abounds. The Valley of Ringha, just over the border back in China, offers unspoiled scenery­ golden-roofed Buddhist monasteries, flapping prayer flags, and yak-clogged streets.

Take tea with a Tibetan family back in Shangri-La before driving the Yunnan Tibet Highway toward the Tibetan border. In Nishi, see how tsampa bowls are made by hand. Then head home or continue to points beyond in China.

Or perhaps you'd like to follow R. Crusoe's five-day route, the High Road: Sichuan to Tibet? Begins in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province. Take dinner in a Sichuan restaurant that Gourmet magazine calls the best food anywhere in China. Tour the Sanxungdui Museum's Neolithic treasures. Observe giant pandas at a breeding center.

Then fly to Lhasa, Tibet, for a look at life in the Himalayas. Jokhang Temple inspires awe. Wander the labyrinthine Potala Palace, once the winter home of the Dalai Lama. Learn all about Tibetan Buddhism at other temples, and see a debating session in which monks trade ideas and discuss the tenets of their religion. There's an opportunity to ask questions yourself, too. Visit the (very) rural home of a Tibetan family outside of town before heading home.

R. Crusoe offers these two itineraries as stand-alone journeys. Or combine them as one splendid, off-the-beaten-path trip. Or add one or both of them to an R. Crusoe Small, Select Group Tour to China.

Your choice.

The Real Shangri-la (by Order of the State Council of the Chinese Government). 10 Days.

The High Road: Sichuan to Tibet. 5 Days.