Category: Culture

The 20 weeks of preparation (read: fear) leading up to our Everest trek finally dwindled down toward “game time”. We (over)packed—everything from emergency blankets and whistles to about 25 Snickers bars—and were off to Nepal. Everest Base Camp was a milestone to mark the big 30 and it did just that! We took a flight from...

 What’s that you say? Why is the photo of the week one of wintry characteristics during a summer of sunshine and lollipops? Well, I think they generally call it wishful thinking. This week in Shanghai, the temperature is—technically speaking—hotter than an angry goat’s hoof in the noonday Tennessee sun. You might be wondering what I...

Most tourists to China try to get themselves to the Great Wall or the Forbidden City and with good reason. Since China opened up to the foreign travel market in the 1980s, people haven’t limited themselves to the most well known spots and traveled to the grasslands of Inner Mongolia and the more remote towns of Yunnan. But sometimes, it’s nice to see something...

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Can you feel it? The cool breeze, the sunshine? The old brick walkway under your feet, the grass ambling upwards between the cracks and in between your toes? You must be on the shores of Heavenly Lake, or Tian Chi, breathing deep under the whitewashed clouds and reveling in the beauty of the world. That, people,...

 The Tibetan travel permits are currently only being issued to foreign groups of three or more travelers, and every member of the tour group must be either of the same nationality or part of one family. As traveling in Tibet can be an expensive trip (all foreigners are required to travel by private vehicle, with...

Once the Eight Banners of the Manchu military force ruled All Under Heaven. Today only small parts of the northeastern China can still be called “Manchu territory,” and they have largely assimilated and scattered over the last century such that for much of modern China’s history, most Manchu identified themselves as Han Chinese. However, the Manchu...

Foreign tourist until July 25, 2011 Recent events in northern Sichuan’s Aba Prefecture, and reverberations from the past events of March 2008 are currently hampering foreign (Western) travel to several areas of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) and Tibetan regions of Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. Many counties are closed to foreigners and some people have reported being turned...

This one’s for all you lovers out there! It’s Valentine’s Day so this photo entitled “Romance” really ought to get the attention it deserves. A beautiful shot by photographer Vincent Tandijo Saputro of Beijing’s Summer Palace… the lake, the hazy light, the couple walking hand in hand along the water. It’s enough to make a girl swoon....

you don’t immediately think “romance”. But a trip to the Great Wall needn’t be all bustling crowds, tour guides and cheap souvenirs. There’s gasp-inducing scenery, amazing dining and wonderful authentic culture to take in here as well, both in China’s great modern cities and off the beaten path. And near China’s most romantic destinations, there...