The capital of Gansu province, Lanzhou is a key gateway to northwestern China (your other option is Urumqi). These days Lanzhou is just a 2.5 hour plane ride or 9-hour high speed train from Beijing. It’s the perfect starting point to visit the famous Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, experience the Silk Road at Mingsha Mountain… Read More 1 Day in Lanzhou: What to Do and Eat
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
From the west came not only Silk Road traders who came to Dunhuang and passed by Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Oasis, but also monks. Monks who would forever change the people and landscape of this Silk Road garrison. Today, we know their legacy as the Mogao Caves, or Thousand Buddha Grottos. It is the largest and… Read More Treasures Along the Silk Road: the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang
From Marco Polo to camels and caravans, stories of the Silk Road have always been full of allure and mystery. So it was with much exuberance that I finally arrived in Dunhuang, located at the former junction of two key routes of the Silk Road network. One of its major draws is something I’ve always… Read More Treasures Along the Silk Road: Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Oasis
When it comes to vast expanses of salt, Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni is iconic and the best known. Americans may also be aware of the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. But this is not Bolivia or Utah. Instead, this is in Chaka, tucked away in the western Chinese province of Qinghai. The keen observer will… Read More This is Not Bolivia: the Salt Lake You Never Knew About
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
The Manchu people consider it the birthplace of Bukuri Yongson, the ancestor of the Jurchens and modern Manchus. The Korean people consider it the birthplace of Dan’gun, the legendary founder of Gojoseon, the first ever Korean kingdom. Changbaishan, literally perpetually white mountain, is a mountain range that sits on top of the border of China and North… Read More The Mountain Across From North Korea
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
I’m fascinated by new places, people, and experiences, and like a bug drawn to the light, I’ve always wanted to go. Anywhere and everywhere. Go here, see this, try that. It’s one reason why travel, especially international travel, has always been so important to me. Without it, I feel like a fish out of water,… Read More FUNemployment Adventures