Travel Research - Things to See in Taiyuan

I've been doing a little research because I can't go ALL THE WAY TO CHINA and see only the BMX track and the team hotel.....although that's mostly what I'll be seeing!

So I looked on TravelChinaGuide.com and found a few things to see in the city of Taiyuan. But first a little background on where I'm going:

*Taiyuan is the capital of Shanxi Province.

*Bounded on 3 sides by mountains.

*In ancient times was an important military town.

*Currently one of China's heavy industrial cities.

*Accounts for more than half of China's national coal mining output.

Ok, so now that we know a little background info. here are some of the main tourist attractions:

*Jinci Temple

*Shuangta Si (Twin-Pagoda Temple)

*Tianlong Shan Stone Caves which contains sculptures dating from the Tang Dynasty (618-907)

*Foods (Shanxi Noodles, Tou Nao - steamed dumpling, saucages, and mutton soup)

So, even though I most likely won't get to do a lot of sightseeing, there are still a few interesting places to see around the city I will be staying and racing in!

International BMX Racing License

The ball is now officially rolling - I purchased my UCI International BMX Racing License online today! The next step is to register for the 2008 Worlds through USA Cycling. Registration opens for those of us who qualified by making our mains at the 2007 Worlds on March 1.

My BMX Bio

Dear Potential Sponsor:

My name is Bethany Plummer. I am 27 years old and have been a BMX racer since I was 14. Aside from my eight year old daughter, BMX is my number one passion in life. Over the past three seasons, my BMX career has begun to flourish. In 2004 I participated in the national finals for the first time. I finished 5th overall in my age group. The following year I repeated with an overall 5th place finish. In 2006 and again in 2007 I finished in 1st overall in my age group!

Last season I decided to go after the World Title in my class (25-29 women cruisers). I traveled to qualifiers in Las Vegas and the California bay area and finished with enough points to be eligible for the US Team. In July I traveled to Victoria, BC, Canada to compete in the World Championships. I was the silver medal finisher. This finish automatically qualified me for Team USA for the 2008 World Championships.

I will be traveling to Taiyuan, CHINA May 26-June 1 to compete in the 2008 BMX World Championships. My goal is to bring home the World Title in 25-29 women cruisers! This is a tough task, but I have been working hard and training consistently so that I am in top form to compete.

Traveling to China for the Worlds is an expensive but worthwhile endeavor. Any monetary support that you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and go USA!

Sincerely,


Bethany Plummer