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Category: Neighborhoods

Xining pano
Xining: A Cultural and Geographic Crossroads

Xining: A Cultural and Geographic Crossroads

Xining 西宁市 is the capital city of Qinghai province in western China and the eastern gate of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Xining is a great city to fly into then branch off on adventures to other places of interest such as Zhangye’s Rainbow Mountains, Qinghai Lake, Silk Road tours, and of course the train to Lhasa, Tibet. Xining was a major trading hub along the Silk Road and western stronghold resisting attacks from the west. There are many Muslims and Buddhists who first…

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street pano
Walkabout in the Former French Concession

Walkabout in the Former French Concession

What’s the Former French Concession? The Former French Concession in Shanghai was an area controlled by the French government from around 1849 to 1946. The French obtained the area from the Shanghai government which conceded certain territory for a French settlement. Shanghai was, and still is, an important port city and many foreign governments established themselves in various areas around the city. However, the French Concession remains the most iconic and popular among tourists and expats The area is well…

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fangsheng bridge pano
Zhujiajiao Ancient Town

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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Rice cake pano
Qibao Old Street: A Shanghai Food Street

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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Dafen Oil Painting Village pano
Dafen Oil Painting Village, Shenzhen

Dafen Oil Painting Village, Shenzhen

Dafen Oil Painting Village 大芬 specializes in making large numbers of replicas of oil paintings by masters such as Van Gogh, Dalí, da Vinci, and Rembrandt. Almost certainly any replica painting you’ve seen in an office or hotel somewhere came from Dafen Village. It’s estimated that nearly 60% of the worlds oil paintings are produced in Dafen Village[1] thus giving it the name “World’s Art Factory”. In addition to cranking out replicas, artists do their own styles and take commissioned…

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Holland Village rooftop pano
Holland Village – Odd Dutch Town in Shanghai

Holland Village – Odd Dutch Town in Shanghai

Nestled between factories and Shanghai’s Pilot Free-Trade Zone is Holland Village. The place is one of several theme towns in Shanghai wherein developers replicated buildings and styling similar to the real places[1]. Another theme town is Thames Town. which looks remarkably similar to something you’d find in England. In the early 2000s, Shanghai government created a plan to develop nine or so suburban districts and assigned each project a theme. The idea was to expand Shanghai’s urban sprawl and reduce…

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door carving pano
Explore Gaoqiao West Street for the Authentic Vibe

Explore Gaoqiao West Street for the Authentic Vibe

Gaoqiao West Street is a pretty cool street to visit and part of Gaoqiao Old Town which dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty. Gaoqiao is located at the northern end of Pudong, on the east bank of the Huangpu River. Although still in Shanghai, the city vibe and amount of English drops off dramatically. It’s not a touristy place although quite accommodating and a good respite from the usual activities. I combined my visit with the weird Holland Village…

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Taikang Road pano
Stroll Around Tianzi Fang

Stroll Around Tianzi Fang

The Tianzi Fang (田子坊) neighborhood is a labyrinth of ally ways and old Shikumen style architecture which has been preserved and converted to shops. Although a bit touristy, the area is a fine example of old Shanghai and a lot of fun to walk around in. The area around Tianzi Fang also has much to do and explore such as shops, restaurants, charming neighborhoods and beautiful tree-lined streets. Tianzi Fang is a great place to wander about looking at shops…

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Taipei Weekend Lanterns
Taipei Weekend of Exploration and Discovery

Taipei Weekend of Exploration and Discovery

A bit rainy for our Taipei weekend visit but it turned out to be quite enjoyable. We had so much fun for just spending a couple days there. One of the highlights was climbing up Elephant Hill to get a nice view of the city and have a good hike. Yongkang Street is great and there are many interesting shops and restaurants. There are several popular night markets to buy food and stuff and we enjoyed most the one at…

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Narita Omote Sando
Narita Is More Than An International Airport

Narita Is More Than An International Airport

Narita, Japan is way more than an airport. Of course for most of us that’s all we know because so many international flights transit there. If you have a long layover an overnight or two in Narita is a great way to relax before continuing on. Of course now that I know about this cool little town, I will try to at least stay overnight when possible. It’s really that much fun and a great way to add to your…

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