Sometimes, Shanghai shouts! It is a city with a huge voice, larger than life, grand vistas, impressive towers, sweeping views. A loud, demanding, engaging global voice! Day and night. Shanghai shouts. But also… Shanghai is resplendent with Chinese art and architecture that has a more accented voice- the voice of culture and tradition. More refined. I seek it out naturally. The European … Continue reading Shanghai Speaks to Me
I have a weakness for ancient river towns in China. I love them and you will see why! Zhouzhuang Ancient Town is – on one hand – a major tourist attraction, and people flock into town to stroll the alleys, enjoy the local cuisine, and ride the canal boats. And to shop…Zhouzhang is famous for it’s wine, among other things. All sorts … Continue reading Let me show you Zhouzhuang Ancient Town
March 2018 These are sites and services I can recommend for travel in China. But before you go: Critical web`tools and apps Be sure to download at least 2 free VPN before you leave home, maybe even a paid service. So many sites you are used to are blocked: Google, Facebook, …. Be sure to get a China sim card in the airport and let … Continue reading TravelEd – my sites for China travel
The Fujian tulou, from where I live in Hefei, are a 6 hour high speed train, a 1 hour local train, then a 2 hour drive up winding mountain roads under repair. I had concluded I was completely lost when suddenly they appeared as we dropped into a wide, forested mountain valley just before sunset. Large forts, both round and square, 3 or 4 stories … Continue reading Tulou – Fascinating Fujian Forts
While exploring the fascinating tulou in Fujian, I came upon this. I wasn’t sure what was happening. Outside the tulou, there were elaborate floral arrangements. People were coming and going, but I noticed a smaller house in the middle and I was directed to go inside. That’s what made it Unexpected. I have been shooed away from funeral spectacles before. Fascinating – and … Continue reading Unexpected Funeral in Fujian
It’s a spring holiday at the university, so I make my 2017 pilgrimage to glorious Beijing. A long weekend in Beijing starts with a 5-hour train trip from Hefei. Photos are hard to capture at 208 kms per hour! This time I am staying at the Lu Song Yuan Hotel in the Banchang Hutong. It’s just off the end of Nanluoguxiang Hutong where I have … Continue reading Long weekend in Beijing – my 2017 pilgrimage
I am always learning about China because China is always changing. Five years now, I have been spending time in Enchanting China, but each time it feels like a different place! To keep up and to understand, I read, and here’s a book I really recommend: Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos. “In 1949, the average life expectancy … Continue reading Age of Ambition – Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos
Waking up in Hefei in China.. it’s quieter than one would expect. One thinks about China and the masses of people and thinks that morning would be noisy but its not, at least here on the campus of USTC. It’s chirpy birds – the tentative chirps of almost-spring. And then muffled firecrackers in the distance. Every event seems to start with firecrackers to chase away … Continue reading Waking up in China
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