27 Dec - 2 Jan: Northern Vietnam (Trang An WHS, Ho Citadel WHS, Yen Tu TWHS (aiming for Vinh Nghiem Pagoda near Bac Giang), Hanoi).
2 Jan - 3 Jan: Night train Hanoi tot Ningming in China (I actually need a proper Vietnamese visa for this, as the e-visa is not valid for this exit point!)
3 Jan - visit Zuojiang Huashan WHS, overnight in Nanning
4 Jan - bullet train Nanning - Kunming, overnight in Kunming
5 Jan - Chengjiang WHS, overnight in Kunming
6 Jan - Bus Kunming - Yuanyang, overnight in Yuanyang
7 & 8 Jan - Hani Rice Terraces WHS, overnight in Yuanyang
9 Jan - Bus back to Kunming, evening flight to Xiamen, overnight in Xiamen
10 Jan - Gulangyu WHS, overnight in Xiamen
11 Jan - Quanzhou TWHS, overnight in Xiamen
12 Jan - Bus to Liulian for Fujian Tulou WHS, overnight in a Tulou in Liulian
13 Jan - Bus back to Xiamen, overnight in Xiamen
14 Jan - flight home

How cold? When I look at the weather forecast now for Yuanyang it will be 29 degrees Celsius? Still deliberating what jacket to bring for the full itinerary, it all seems still quite warm in N Vietnam and S China

Honghe is more like 5-15 in January, bring something thick if you want to go out for the sunrise, like a puffer jacket. I like those because I use a vacuum sealer bag to suck out all the air and it's not big in the luggage when not used. Amoi (Xiamen) is always warm.

By the way, I think nowadays you need to book the ferry to Gulangyu else there is a long wait. Gone are the days of a cheap regularly ferry but it's strange because it was never full, it's just that they collected 1 yuan extra for sitting upstairs and nobody wanted to pay so it was crowded only at the lower level...

Try the famous peanut soup near the end of Xiamen's pedestrian road and there is some "famous" pineapple cake shop next to it but I find it too dry. Miss Zhao.

We still have not 100% confirmed China's nomination for 2020 and 2021. Though, reports indicate its likely between these two candidates.

Western Xia Imperial Tombs

City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Interestingly, this article wants the Xi'an City Wall to withdraw from the (Ming & Qing) nomination and become an extension to join the Silk Road sites in Xi'an. This potential complication is about the Xi'an City Walls authenticity as a product of Tang civilization or the Ming Dynasty.

In addition to my review of Zuojiang Huashan, a few practical things to consider for future visitors considering to take the same approach from Vietnam as I did:
· the Vietnamese e-visa is not valid for this border crossing so you have to buy a 'normal' visa at an embassy beforehand (read this)
· I was not able to book a ticket to Ningming online, so I just bought a full-fare ticket to Nanning and asked the train staff 15 minutes beforehand to be let out at Ningming station (I was the only person leaving the train there)
· Stock up on Chinese yuan beforehand or go into Ningming town first. There are 2 atm's near the railway station as well, but I found one out of order and the other did not cater to international cards. I still had some yuan from an earlier trip.
· Only 3 buses a day pass Zhoulian dock. Their reception called a Didi taxi (Chinese uber) costing 50 yuan to take me to Ningming bus station (which lies far in the outskirts on the other side of town), from which there are frequent onward buses to Nanning.
· Zhoulian dock lies only some 8km from the train station. Take the road to the left (it is signposted). After 3km there is a visitor center of some kind, but I did not go there.
· Entrance fee is now 82 yuan (boat tour including entrance)

With the lack of transportation I didn't go to the visitor center either but I'm still curious if the area offers more than the boat ride.

winterkjm
2020 will be quanzhou
2021 will be a natural site

Interesting, any clue which natural site? Did you find a specific article? If you have a reliable source, please let me know. I struggle finding any news about China's world heritage nominations.

winterkjm
The Quanzhou news will be released around 1/2/2019(befre Chineses New Year)
In China, cultural site is nominated by Nationl Cultural Heritage Administration（国家文物局）, and natural site is nominated by National Forestry and Grassland Administration（国家林业和草原局）.
In 2020,the nomination belongs to NCHA. So in 2021, it will turn to NFGA.