East Asia is famous worldwide for its street food, and in China, I’ve been to many lovely markets. The best one was in Beijing, but also Qingdao street food market boasted so many delicacies I couldn’t restrain from shamelessly tucking into all of them. OK, maybe not all, but definitely most of them… Qingdao street food is …
I book tour guides very rarely, I do it only when I feel going by myself could make me waste time or not properly appreciate what I’m meant to visit. These are the main reasons why I booked a guided tour to go to the Great Wall in Beijing, China, in August. It’s fair to say …
Just beside glitzy skyscrapers and the fast-paced modernity that is involving the whole China, Shanghai municipality didn’t neglect to celebrate their recent past, much more communist than their present. Among the most fascinating city highlights are definitely Shanghai Communist relics. A hard-to-define system halfway with Capitalism that still clings onto some socialist principles, you can …
Immerse in precious stones and experience Chinese Buddhist rituals with a tour of the stunning Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai.
Not sure what to visit in Beijing? Head to the spectacular royal garden known as the Summer Palace for a glimpse of the life of old Chinese royalty!
The Confucius Temple is one of the most fascinating places to visit in Shanghai. But what’s its purpose and raison d’être? Worshiping in Shanghai can assume very different facets. For a start, there is this sanctuary devoted to Confucius. And although his philosophy is to be admired and studied, he’s not really a god. However, …
As I walked across the Forbidden City’s entrance gate in Beijing I was overwhelmed with expectations. I had read a lot about it and seen many pictures, and yet I was lured in by curiosity. Definitely one of the first things I wanted to visit in China. I decided to visit Beijing’s Forbidden City on …
Taking the decision of learning Mandarin Chinese in Shanghai was pretty easy, but making it into practice was a whole different deal. Yet, despite the hardship, I think it’s one of the best things to do in Shanghai to get to know the city and the culture. I won’t lie, my first encounter was a …
My stay in Beijing was an alternation between tourist attractions and factories, and as a main station of the legendary Silk Road starting right from China, I visited the government-run silk factory to see silk production process steps, alongside pearl and jade factories. While I absolutely adore pearls and jades, what impressed me the most …
From wherever you look at it, be it from a boat or from a cable car running above the islets, Qiandao Lake, known among tourists as China’s Thousand-Island Lake, is a feast of nature and never fails to amaze and bedazzle its visitors. A fantastic day trip from Shanghai, there are so many things to …
Tips and tricks on the art of bargaining in Mandarin and shopping in Shanghai. All Chinese style, easygoing and down-to-earth.
I love getting lost in museums, among immortal paintings, flawless sculptures and those archaic tools that have contributed to “making” human history. Shanghai Museum is one of the best places to visit in Shanghai if you want to journey across China‘s history, culture, art, and architecture. As one of the main museums in Shanghai, it’s …
In my perpetual quest for authentic traditions in China, I ended up delving into a local tea market. And drinking tea became one of my favourite activities in Shanghai. When I thought I was simply going to buy tea, my friend let me know immediately it was not going to be a simple pick-and-pay experience: …
Fascinating and historical, discover some of the most beautiful traditional local markets around the world. Iranian ancient bazaars, Shanghai’s flower and birds markets, Provence weekly markets, Herat bazaar from the Silk Road time. Each local market different products and its own character.
There are countries that get under your skin permanently and indelibly. To me, one of these nations is China. After spending a year in Shanghai studying Mandarin Chinese, I’ve been thinking about how much I have enjoyed my life in China and how sweet it would be to go back to the Middle Kingdom for …