One of Vietnam’s most visited cities, Hoi An is perhaps also the easiest, most comfortable introduction to the country. In contrast to the chaotic hustle and bustle of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, which can make even the most seasoned travelers wary, Hoi An feels calmer and more inviting. Its cobblestone streets and well-preserved, UNESCO-recognized… Read More The City of Lanterns: Experiencing the Best of Hoi An in 3 Days
I don’t know when I first heard of the Longhorn Miao. I just know that once I learned of the ethnic minority, it was hard to forget their distinctive headdresses. But I didn’t know much more about the Longhorn Miao, other than that they lived in southwestern China like so many of China’s other ethnic… Read More A Visit with the Longhorn Miao
Besides the Miao ethnic minority, Congjiang is also home to many Dong tribes. In fact, Congjiang is part of Guizhou’s Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture. This means that as with other autonomous areas of China, Congjiang has more Miao and Dong people than Han Chinese, the ethnic majority in China. So after visiting the… Read More Hear the Grand Choir of the Xiaohuang Dong
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
Growing up, I don’t think I had a conscious awareness of race until we moved to Florida, where the ugly legacy of slavery and Jim Crow made race something that was much more obvious. But while race wasn’t on my mind, I had always been fascinated with ethnicity. Not race or nationality, but ethnicity. China’s… Read More Does Cultural Tourism Help or Hurt Ethnic Minorities?
Originally posted Wednesday, August 1, 2012 Formerly an official state language during the Qing Dynasty, China’s last imperial dynasty, the Manchu language is now on the verge of extinction. There are more than 10 million ethnic Manchus in China, yet fewer than 20 native speakers remain. Introducing…In Search of Manchuria For those who have followed… Read More In Search of Manchuria: Introducing “The Words of the Emperor”