If you’re looking to know exactly how much it’ll cost to travel China for 7 weeks, I’m going to disappoint you. That’s because the truth is, there’s no good way to really tell you how much it costs to travel in China. It’s a huge country with diverse topography, 56 ethnic groups, and thousands of years of… Read More Budget Breakdown: How Much I Spent Traveling China for 7 Weeks
One of my most poignant observations when I was in China in spring 2012 was how the state of the Chinese rail system reflected the country’s growing wealth gap. As I rode a variety of trains in China between September and November 2017, this disparity only became clearer. There are extremely old trains that rattle… Read More A Guide to Trains in China, from the Old-School to the High-Speed
While Beijing may hold the historical treasures of China’s millennia-long history and Shanghai may be its global hub and largest city, it is Nanjing that holds the core of what China is today. Unless you or your relatives have lived in China in the past century or extensively studied the history of this period, you… Read More Why You Must Visit the Nanjing Massacre Memorial to Understand Modern China
The southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou captured my attention as soon as I learned that it was one of the most ethnically diverse provinces in China but wasn’t as commercialized as the ever-popular Yunnan province. So after exploring the gorgeous natural wonders of Guangxi, we hopped on a train from Guilin to the city of… Read More The Last Gun-Toting People of China
Most people only think of eastern seaboard cities such as Beijing and Shanghai when they think of China. But if you’ve been following my Instagram the past couple of months, you know that there’s much more to the Middle Kingdom. One of my favorite parts of my two-month stay in China this fall was a road… Read More 5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Northwestern China, and How to Do It
This is ZhangYe Danxia Geopark in the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu. It’s also known as the Rainbow Mountains of China. This is also ZhangYe Danxia Geopark. In fact, it’s the exact same peak. And oh wait, this is the same place in ZhangYe Danxia Geopark yet again. The only difference, of course, is that… Read More ZhangYe Danxia, the Rainbow Mountains of China
When I think of Chinese art, my mind goes to the classical brush paintings and classical sculptures of Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian figures. So when the World Sculpture Park in Changchun, one of northern China’s biggest cuties, was first introduced to me, I was a little skeptical. But I am so glad I was persuaded… Read More Modern Art for a Modern China: A Walk Through the Changchun World Sculpture Park
I have arrived in Manchuria! Before I start snapping away, I wanted to share some of my favorite photos from past trips to China. I’m super excited to explore other parts of the extremely large country on this trip, including some areas that aren’t as frequently visited, especially by those in the West. Please bear… Read More My Favorite Snaps from China Trips Past
Originally posted Monday, April 9, 2012 China, communism, church and capitalism. Quick, which one doesn’t belong? A couple of decades ago, there would have been two answers, but since the seeds of capitalism began to sprout in the past decade, the only misfit that remains is the church. China is officially an atheist state, and… Read More A Church in China
When the Danish flavors of Solvang drew us to California’s Central Coast earlier this year, we chose to make San Luis Obispo our home base. It was the perfect choice as there are so many fun and free things to do in San Luis Obispo and in nearby cities. Affectionally called SLO, this college town… Read More Exploring The Best of San Luis Obispo