Search Results for: water town

Zhouzhuang – China’s Most Popular Water Town

Zhouzhuang Water Town (周庄) is said to be the oldest water town in China [1] situated in Kunshang City just south of Suzhou and about 90-min bus ride from Shanghai. The old town is famous for its canals and traditional style buildings dating from the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911) of which about 60% remain in excellent condition. Often described as the “Venice of the East”, Zhouzhuang is flooded with tourist who come to experience the historical beauty, shops, and…

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Zhujiajiao Ancient Town

Zhujiajiao 朱家角 is a water town on the western outskirts of Shanghai and was established about 1,700 years ago. Today, the central portion of the area is a popular tourist destination. The old water town is fairly large with a big river in the middle and of course, there is a bridge. The small canals are quite charming with lots of food and shops. The surrounding neighborhoods are more authentic and still lived in and I recommend wandering around a bit….

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A Nice Stroll Around XinChang Ancient Town

XinChang Ancient Town (新场古镇) is a charming water town nearby Shanghai. Take a break from the busy city and enjoy a peaceful lunch next to the canal. That’s what I did. XinChang was also known as Xin Yan Chang which means “New Salt Place”. The town belonged to a salt manufacture that operated nearby the sea. At some point they moved the production to XinChang so it’s called “New Salt Place”. Salt traders would come to the town to do…

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Qibao Old Street: A Shanghai Food Street

Qibao (七宝) is an old water town located about 20 kilometers from downtown Shanghai which has a very popular food street.  Most days, and especially when the weather is good, people flock there to enjoy a stroll and eat traditional snacks. Qibao means, “Seven Treasures” in Chinese and the legend is there were seven of them around the area such as a Gold Lotus Scripture, a magic tree, and a golden chicken to name a few. The old town is…

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Christmas in Picturesque New Zealand

New Zealand surprised me. Before going I did my research, watched videos, and looked at photos of stunning landscapes. None came even close to what we actually experienced. The mountains and countryside drives were simply stunning and beyond anything I imagined. The people seem rather chill and have an interesting sense of humor. Overall, the vibe is very relaxed and natural. Our time was spent on the South island mostly in Queenstown, Milford Sound, and Arthur’s Pass. These areas often…

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Fun and Easy Day Trip to Sheshan Park

Sheshan Park 佘山 is a hill of about 100m high west of Shanghai, China. On top are an old Jesuit observatory (a museum now) and The Sheshan Basilica. The observatory complex was founded by French Mission Catholique in 1872. Sheshan Basilica is the largest Catholic cathedral in Southeast China and was built around 1863. Shanghai is flat as a pancake so this hill, although only 100m, sticks out. Sheshan Park makes for a fun day trip to go hike about, check…

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Eight Delicious Street Snacks in Shanghai

Whoa, yet another listicle of Shanghai food, really? I know, right. There are just so many wonderful street snacks around town I doubt anything less than a thick anthology could capture them all. Of course, there are many books on the subject such as “Glutton Guide Shanghai” which I recommend. However, this blog is about my favorite experiences which I’ll certainly add more as time goes. Most of these are sold at stalls or pop-up stands and are fairly inexpensive….

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Nanxiang Old Street, Birthplace of Xiaolongbao

Nanxiang Old Street 南翔老街 is a well preserved old town about 35 minutes metro ride from central Shanghai. The town was a major business center long ago and claims a history of over 1500 years. You can enjoy scenic walks along cobble stone streets and enjoy shopping, eating and sightseeing. In the center part are two large, stone pagoda and an ancient water well. Nanxiang is the birthplace of the famous dumpling known as Xiaolongbao. There are several restaurants and…

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Visiting China’s Banknote Scenes

Random traveling is great fun, however, a theme or goal can add structure to guide you onward to the next journey of discovery. Therefore, I decided to visit all of the banknote scenes depicted on the back of Chinese yuan bills. My rationale is these places must be interesting and certainly important enough to be featured on the national currency. China’s Bank Note Scenes   The Great Hall of the People, Beijing (100 Yuan Note) The Great Hall of the…

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