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Tag: Money Shot

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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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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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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So, I Hiked Up Mount Tai and it was Good

So, I Hiked Up Mount Tai and it was Good

Mount Tai is one of the Five Sacred Mountains of China and happens to be the grandest of them all. Since Mount Tai is the easternmost mountain it is associated with sunrise and renewal. Over time the mountain has become a cornerstone in Chinese religion and for over 3000 years emperors and others have visited to offer sacrifice and pay homage. Because of Mount Tai’s significant cultural importance it is a very popular destination for Chinese and somewhat of a…

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So Much to See and Explore at West Lake in Hangzhou

So Much to See and Explore at West Lake in Hangzhou

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…

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Beijing and The Great Wall

Beijing and The Great Wall

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…

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Visiting China’s Banknote Scenes

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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