Qingdao is a beautiful coastal city in China with a unique colonial history. With over nine million inhabitants, it is the capital of the Shandong Province. A bee line from Qingdao across the Yellow Sea, and you reach South Korea. May Fourth Square, with its whirling red sculpture which represents the winds…
Category: China
China
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Farewell to the Majestic Huangshan: China’s Ethereal Ink Painting
This is the second part in my series on hiking China’s Yellow Mountains. Start from the beginning here. This is the last time I’ll be talking about the Yellow Mountains. For now at least… This mountain range in the Anhui province of China is the natural embodiment of Chinese landscape…
China
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Colorful Characters along the Road to the Yellow Mountains
Inspiration comes when we least expect it. Conversations at a bar, on the street, or in a hostel lobby might one day fester in your mind and send you on a half-baked adventure flying by the seat of your pants. This was how I ended up going to the Yellow…
China
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Huangshan: My Spontaneous Trip to China’s Yellow Mountains
The main appeal for staying in hostels is the likelihood of getting to know the most spectacular of world travelers and grand individuals. I’ve met an English banker turned stuntman who spent six months training at the Shaolin temple; a Swiss watchmaker competing for the Olympic Wushu team; a hairy hitchhiker who…
China
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Exploring China’s World of Fakes: From Restaurants to Bargain Markets
Fake Burger King I was in a fake Burger King in the Nanjing train station. It was hard to tell for sure, and they did a good job at camouflaging. There were some telltale signs though. For example, they didn’t have any burgers on the menu. There was a “Burger…
China
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Eating My Way Through Nanjing: A Journey Of Flavor, Courage, And Surprise
After spending about a month in Shanghai, my bones had that familiar aching feeling that meant it was time to hit the road once again. I was too comfortable in the city I now knew well and played things too safe. I wasn’t using my Chinese enough, and the luxuries…
China
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Yangshuo Unveiled: Do’s and Don’ts for Navigating China’s Hidden Gem
While Guilin gets all the acclaim associated with the Guangxi province in China, Yangshuo is the underappreciated little brother to the south that actually houses the breathtaking mountains and lush rivers that dominate the region. Still, I had a lot to learn in order to fully experience Yangshuo without feeling…
China
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Best Under the Heavens – Lessons Learned in Guilin
桂林山水甲天下 (Guìlín shānshuǐ jiǎ tiānxià) Everywhere I went in China, people repeated this phrase to me when I mentioned my intentions to travel to Guilin Yangshuo next. “Guilin’s mountains and water are the best under the heavens”. Guilin and Yangshuo are two different cities but are usually packaged as one;…
China
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Hitchhiking In China, Part 3: Battling Toll Roads and the Cold
This is the final part in my series on hitchiking in China. Start from the beginning here. Let’s jump back to where we left off. I was in Xing’An, having just spent the day with a family who picked me up and took me to this rural town outside of…
China
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Hitchhiking in China, Part 2: A Family’s Generosity and the Secrets of an Ancient Canal
This is the second part in my series on hitchiking in China. Start from the beginning here. If you ask me, the phrase “go with the flow” is misleading and should not be one’s personal motto because it implies that if you wait around long enough, good things will happen. I…