Category: Culture

The month of March marks the third anniversary of anti-government riots and unrest in the troubled region in 2008, themselves an anniversary of the failed uprising in 1959. In light of this, Beijing has decreed (through a some somewhat botched PR spiel laying the blame on cold weather and overcrowding in the TAR) that foreign…

These two smiling monks were snapped by photographer Lhasa in Tibet. We love their rich crimson robes against the green mountains draped in the background and the blue Tibetan sky, what an awesome shot. If you recognize Sarah’s name, that’s probably because we recently featured her in our China Through My Lens series where the…

Monastic student, Ganzi Roger Jones teaches English at Sichuan University, in Chengdu, Sichuan. A resident of China since 2006, he has survived culture shock, language difficulties, and midlife crisis. Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, USA, he gained an M.A. in art history before moving to Los Angeles, California. After many years as an employee of…

When one thinks of the Forbidden City, the image of the palace in Beijing comes to mind. However, few know of the other Forbidden City that lies in the city of Shenyang in Manchuria, also known as Mukden Palace. As an ethnic Manchu myself, I decided to go visit this historical site…. Shenyang’s Forbidden City,…

Unearthly blue of Lake Yamdrok-tso behind and below, one very photogenic yak shows off in its Tibetan finery. Lake Yamdrok (Jade Lake) is one of Tibet’s three largest lakes. About 100km south of Lhasa and 4400m above sea level, it’s not the easiest place in the world to visit, but its astonishing beauty and purity…

Dunhuang desert The sand dunes of Dunhuang were one of the most incredible sights I’ve ever seen in my life. Where is Dunhuang, you ask? Dunhuang is a town in the north west of Gansu province, 15 hours by train from Lanzhou. It’s definitely quite a trek out to Dunhuang, and once there, even further…

Qiantang tidal bore, hangzhou, silver dragon 2010 Yesterday I encountered a mythical beast. A beast so powerful it has been feared for two millennia. A beast that in the last ten years has claimed the lives of Zhejiang, engulfing everything in its path. Ok, ok, enough of the melodrama… what I am in fact referring…

While wandering around on my bike this Sunday I came across a little Japanese restaurant, Miyako No Mori, tucked away in Yu Garden Park (not actually in Yu Garden, which you must pay to enter, but just east of it towards the Bund promenade).Didn’t try the food there, (I stood there for 10 minutes and…

spectacular natural scenery to historic (and prehistoric) wonders going back to the Middle Pleistocene. In this four-part series, we explore the best of China, starting with Beijing’s World Heritage Sites. We’ll follow up with China’s holy mountains, historical sites beyond Beijing, and the best of China’s natural parks and scenery. Stonehenge, Egypt’s pyramids at Giza,…

Welcome to Day 2 of our 48-hour insider guide to Beijing. See Part 1 of to take it from the top. For more self-guided Beijing tours, click here.Day 2 – 8:00 am – 9:30 am The same breakfast and survival pack recommendations from day one apply.10:00 am – Choose Your Own Adventure We all have…