Oops! It appears that you have disabled your Javascript. In order for you to see this page as it is meant to appear, we ask that you please re-enable your Javascript!

China

Exploring Lijiang Old Town

We head to Old Town Lijiang. Surrounded by lush green hills and sheer jade peaks, this incredibly enchanting and well preserved mountain town (and UNESCO world heritage site) is a must visit.

Xian and the Terracotta Warriors

Despite Xi’an being a virtually unrecognizable shadow of its former glorious self, it is nonetheless a modern and very agreeable city, not to mention host to a very old and famous subterranean army.

Pingyao Ancient City

Pingyao is a world in itself, frozen in time somewhere in the middle of the last two Dynasties. If we had to choose one place in China to spend almost a week of our trip, we certainly could have done a lot worse.

Beijing

Beijing turned out to be a great place to lay low for a few days, and turns out our timing was perfect. 10 days after our departure the entire city was submerged by massive widespread flooding.

Classical Gardens Of Suzhou

Suzhou has long been known for its incredible classical gardens. This post covers three of the best: The huge Humble Administrator’s Garden, the old Master of the Nets garden, and the ancient Panmen complex.

Suzhou By Day

We arrived in Suzhou hoping to beat the July heat, but to no avail. The good news is that Old Town Suzhou seems made for slow strolling with plenty of cool shops, tea houses and cafes when the heat becomes too much.

Shanghai Old City

Yu Yuan Garden, coupled with a meander around Shanghai’s Old City, made for a perfect morning excursion before the afternoon heat (and crowds) set in.

Shanghai: The Bund & People’s Square

We flew into Shanghai from the U.S. and spent four nights in this strange and wonderful place. Shanghai, perhaps more than any other place in the country, epitomizes the mind-bogglingly rapid rise of modern China.

Arrival In China

Both maddeningly beautiful, and apocalyptic and terrifying (how?), the Chinese landscape screams by our bullet train window at 150mph. After months of preparation, the big trip has finally begun. First stop, China!