If you like circus performances then the Chimelong International Circus in Guangzhou is one place you should visit. Featuring a large cast of international performers and animals, this is a treat for all kids and the kid in all of us.
Continue reading “The Circus”
Continuing on my previous blog on Guangzhou, this one is about Shamian (沙面) Island, a former enclave of the European powers in the city. Given the historical context of the Opium Wars, rise of Communism and the Cultural Revolution, it’s a wonder that the colonial buildings here were not demolished in a fit of nationalistic rage.
Continue reading “The Sandy Island”
I haven’t been back to the Middle Kingdom since 6 years ago, so this trip to China was to be an eye opener into the changes that have overtaken the country. This was also my first time visiting the city of Guangzhou, one of China’s largest cities after Beijing and Shanghai.
Continue reading “Guangzhou (Canton)”
One of the best ways to enjoy Hong Kong’s city skyline is to take one of the many harbor cruises that ply Victoria Harbor. There are a multitude of cruises to choose from ranging from standard cruises to dinner cruises, sitting on the Star Ferry or a traditional Chinese junk.
Mention Hong Kong and almost everyone will have in their mind a city full of skyscrapers, crowded streets and millions of people. However, Hong Kong does have it’s fair share of nature reserves, beaches and islands which are unfortunately missed out by most travelers. Continue reading “Taking the Island Cruise in Sai Kung”
Often referred to as the Roof of the World, Tibet is an unique destination due to its location and history. I finally got my chance to visit Tibet in August 2014 by following a packaged tour with Chan Brothers (www.chanbrothers.com). The tour actually took us to Lanzhou and Xining for 3 days first to acclimatize to higher altitudes before taking the train to Lhasa, capital of Tibet. Although the trip included Lanzhou, Qinghai and Xining, I will just talk about Tibet in this blog post since this was the main highlight of the trip.
This blog post has been updated with a link to a local tour operator that specializes in inbound tours for English speaking visitors to Tibet. Go to the end of the post for details.
Here is Part 2 of our journey through the legendary Silk Route. You can read Part 1 here where we started from the ancient capital of Xi’an.
When I told my Chinese colleague that I was going to Xinjiang, he wasn’t too impressed. He said I was going to get killed by the Uygurs because I’m of Chinese ethnicity. Well, I survived and lived to write about this trip. We took the flight from Xian to Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang. Urumqi was one of the major hubs along the Silk Route and is the most remote city from any sea – 2,500km from the nearest coastline. Situated at 800m above sea level, the city is quite cooling at 25°C despite being summer in the desert. The flight time from Xian to Urumqi itself takes 3 hrs and it really gave me a sense of how large China is. For more about Xi’an, you can refer to my previous post. Continue reading “Chinese Legends – Journey to the West”
As a child I have always been fascinated by stories of Marco Polo’s journeys and the Silk Route. The opportunity came in 2011 and we got to go on our own little Journey to the West. The first stop was Xi’an, the ancient capital of China and the resting place of the First Emperor of China, Qin Shihuang, and his army of terra cotta warriors. This city is also one of the stops along the ancient Silk Route. Continue reading “Chinese Legends – The First Emperor and Shaolin Temple”
My first time travelling in China with nothing but a backpack was in 1998 when after an industrial exhibition in Shanghai, myself and 2 other colleagues decided that it would be a worthwhile adventure to visit Huangshan. Planning for the trip was minimal. We only applied for vacation leave, a quick check on the weather conditions in Huangshan and we were off. What else could go wrong? Continue reading “Trekking the Yellow Mountains (黄山)”
After my first trip to Beijing, I made another trip in 2002 but this time it was for leisure. There were a lot of changes to the city back then. Cars were now the kings of the road and the humble bicycles were slowly but surely disappearing from sight, while skyscrapers were sprouting out of the ground everywhere. As the modernization of Beijing progressed, I took some time to see some of the disappearing sights.
Beyond the Little Red Dot 