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…
Sri Lanka really surprised me with it’s rich history and culture. Before arriving, I knew very little about the country other than where it is and Ceylon tea comes from there. However, after ten days of traveling around the Central region I was blown away by what I discovered. I learned about the long, rich history of Sri Lanka people, the food, landscape, and culture. It truly was life changing and I look forward to another visit to Sri Lanka….
West Lake in Hangzhou has many sights and activities to enjoy. If you like to wander and explore then you’ll be quite happy here. It’s really a great place to visit – so much beautiful nature, parks, historical sights, and restaurants, all concentrated in one relatively small area. West Lake is a large, shallow lake (2.5 square miles or 6.5 km² and 3 meters deep) flanked on three sides by forest and Hangzhou city to the northeast. We stayed one…
We took the bullet train from Shanghai to Beijing. I much prefer riding the bullet trains because they are on-time, fast and comfortable. Not to mention you go through much less hassle at the station. After we arrived to Beijing South station we took a 45-minute taxi ride to The Opposite House hotel. We really like the hotel’s modernist styling and personal service. The decor and artwork all around gives the hotel an interesting charm and didn’t feel sterile as…
Although a large city, Suzhou has a few enclaves where you can go to experience its ancient heritage and lifestyle. Beware of the fact, however, that this also attracts many other tourists like you. Suzhou has many beautiful gardens, parks and historical sights, and seeing all of them in one day would be daunting. Instead we did a quick day trip, spending about five hours strolling along Pingjiang Road and ending at The Humble Administrator’s Garden (Zhuo Zheng Yuan 拙政园). Getting…
Shanghai Botanical Garden 上海植物园 is a very large park and garden in the southwestern part of Shanghai. The 82 hectare gardens contain a diverse collection of plants and flowers. The Tropical and Four Seasons Conservatories are two large green houses filled with tropical and desert plants. Getting There Shanghai Botanical Garden No.1111 Longwu Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200231, China 上海植物园 200231徐汇区龙吴路1111号 Use Google Maps Use Smart Shanghai iPhone app for a taxi-friendly address. Take metro line 3 to Shilong Road…