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Category: Sights & Landmarks

Journey to Lhasa and the Roof of the World

Journey to Lhasa and the Roof of the World

Lhasa and the world-famous Potala Palace marks the final destination on my quest to see all the sites depicted on the back of the Chinese bank notes (the Palace is on the 50-yuan bill). What started as a fun personal goal ended very well as Lhasa and Tibet are certainly at the top of my list of favorite places. Tibet is called the “roof of the world” for good reason as the plateau rises sharply with an average height of 4500…

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Shanghai 1933 Slaughterhouse

Shanghai 1933 Slaughterhouse

In Shanghai’s Hongkou district is a building of such interesting mystique and history that it stands out prominently among the thousands of others in the city. The 1933 Slaughterhouse combines function with intriguing design elements that some describe as eerie and “Escheresque“. The building was designed and used to slaughter and process perhaps millions of animals up to about 1960 when it closed. After some years of abandon and disrepair, the building was resurected in 1998 to become an events…

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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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Awesome Yangtze River Cruise

Awesome Yangtze River Cruise

The Yangtze River is China’s longest river at 6380 kilometers from western China to the Pacific ocean and the third longest in the world. The river has a long cultural and economic importance for China and was prone flooding and fast flowing rapids prior to the Three Gorges Dam project completed around 2009. The river also forms a natural dividing line between North and South China lending to quite different climate and culture. For our cruise we started in Chongqing…

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Exploring the Famous Longjing Tea Village

Exploring the Famous Longjing Tea Village

Longjing or Dragon Well is a small village up in the hills just west of Hangzhou’s West Lake. This is the place where the most famous tea in China comes from. Every spring when the tea bushes wake up from their winter sleep and start budding, millions of enthusiasts clamor for a taste of this very special tea. So, What is Longjing Tea? Legend from during the Qing dynasty has it that dragons lived in a well at Longjing Village and…

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Zhouzhuang – China’s Most Popular 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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Guilin, Yangshuo and the Money Shot

Guilin, Yangshuo and the Money Shot

Guilin is a scenic city in North Guangxi, China and very well known tourist destination and starting point for the Li River cruise. Guilin means “Forest of Sweet Osmanthus”, owing to the large number of fragrant sweet osmanthus trees located in the city. We flew into Guilin city and stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel for a couple nights. Afterward we drove to Yangshuo to spend a few nights at Zen Garden Resort. Andy of Yangshuo Private Tours was our driver…

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Thames Town Crazy English Town

Thames Town Crazy English Town

The little town known as Thames Town is in the suburbs of Songjiang district just west of Shanghai. The town is a replica of English style architecture and was completed in 2006. It’s named after the Thames River in London. In the town center there are cobblestone streets, Victorian style buildings, pubs, and shops. The most recognized building is a large church that is directly copied from the Christ Church, Clifton Down in Bristol, England. Other buildings such as a…

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Xi’an Terracotta Warriors and Villages

Xi’an Terracotta Warriors and Villages

Our journey to Xi’an was with a tour company called Insiders Experience. First day breakfast we stopped for delicious local foods on our way to see the famous Terracotta Army. Afterward we visited an ancient Taoist temple in the Lishan Mountains and then a local lunch. After lunch and the next day we drove around the countryside visiting small villages and exploring rural China. Xi’an Terracotta Warriors The official name for the “museum” is Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor…

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A Nice Stroll Around XinChang Ancient Town

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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