Lessons from doing it alone

Chen Meiling shares her experiences on the road in Lijiang, Yunnan province.

The bar singer at the old town of Lijiang actually thought that I was hurt (either by a breakup, family trouble or getting laid off), or I wouldn't have traveled alone, especially to "the town of romantic affairs" in Southwest China.

But I explained: "No, I was just attracted by the beauty of the place."

He didn't seem to buy it.

The term "solo traveler" is, to some extent, seen as odd in a traditional Chinese context. And there is also concern for the safety of single female travelers.

However, about 59 percent of the Chinese women surveyed have traveled alone between two and five times in their lives, with about half doing long journeys, according to a report by British Airways in October.