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
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