Top Ten China Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventures

Stalk the elusive Snow Leopard in the Changbai Nature Reserve, the last refuge in China for snow leopards, sables, and tigers. This reserve—far to the north, where the frontiers of China, Siberia and Korea intersect—also features Baitushan, a towering mountain sacred to Koreans and Manchus, as well as meandering trails that lead to waterfalls and a crater lake where the Chinese cousin of the Loch Ness monster is said to live.

Guides can be hired to take you to spots along the reserve's many streams where the big cats come to drink at dusk. Though there's no guarantee that you'll see a leopard or tiger, this is the only place you'll even have a shot—Changbai is the last place in China where the leopards roam freely.