The Most Chinese Things About China: 16 Quirks And Hints From 18 Years Of Visits China. A country requiring travelers to have open-mindedness and resilience like no other. 22 provinces. Five autonomous regions. 56 ethnicities. 302 living languages. 255 national parks. As Lonely Planet puts it, “You’ll see things you’ve never seen before, eat things you’ve never heard of and drink things that could lift a rocket into orbit.” [su_spacer… Read More
Seclusion In Kanas I wandered through the magnificence while keeping within the constraints of the tourist-friendly paths, taking breaks to luxuriate in my own solitude. I was secluded because I chose to—paused my life to, even—but I was also secluded because I was excluded. [su_spacer size=”40″] [su_spacer size=”40″] While I looked like any other Chinese on two legs… Read More
Blood Intestines, Living Deities, And Other Tibetan Impressions Blood Intestines, Living Buddha, And Other Tibetan Impressions Connecting The Dots In My Life Who knew that four years ago, as I fought my body to finish climbing Kilimanjaro, I had made a friend who had connections with a living deity? Tibetan living Buddha sometimes show their Chinese-city-friends around their home. Such an occasion… Read More
Backpack Qinghai On A Budget Destinations Ta’er Monastery 塔尔寺（Tā’ěr sì） [su_expand more_text=”More” less_text=”Less” height=”75″ link_color=”#2e9673″] Also known as Kumbum Monastery, this most recognized Tibetan landmark of Qinghai sits just 25 kilometers outside of the provincial capital city, Xining. Nearly 450 years old, the Ta’er Monastery is a maze of shrines, temples, and residential housing of student lamas, or monks, belonging… Read More
The World’s Best Beef Noodles A wide, steamy bowl of broth. Winter radish and bits of chopped beef blended in. A nest of soft, thin, hand-pulled noodles. A dark puddle of chili oil. Green onion garnish. [su_spacer size=”45″] [su_spacer size=”45″] The World’s Best Beef Noodles 牛肉面 (niú ròu miàn). Beef noodles. A cornerstone dish to the Chinese cuisine, for three… Read More
Like A Local: Taking The Train In China It was on the slow trains of China where I fell in love with the country. As my fatigued body was slowly rocked from side to side through thousands of kilometers of countryside, I stared at the vibrant train culture that took place before me. Then, I joined in. Like A Local: Taking… Read More
Pairs Of Children Make My Day Pairs Of Children Make My Day Have I ever had a bad day while traveling? Is like asking myself, do I eat ice cream? All the time. Medical mishaps, immigration errors, bed bugs, fallouts with new friends and old friends. I can honestly say that in less than two years on the road, I’ve outlasted… Read More
24 Hours In A Tibetan Tent I encountered the most authentic, unique experience of my travels without expecting or asking for it. No amount of tashi deleks* could answer for the real and exclusive Tibetan hospitality I received. From the modest interior of a nomadic tent on a rainy August afternoon, I was introduced to how a family could sustain itself… Read More
Guilin: Oil Tea And Odd Geology My aunt grew up amongst the deformed-gumdrop-looking karst formations in the Guangxi province of China, just north of Vietnam. She was raised with strong ties to family and village farming, and her life was uniquely set against the Dr. Seuss level scenery that has now been recognized by UNESCO World Heritage and printed onto the… Read More
The Ultimate Chinese Snack Sunflower seeds are the holy grail of Chinese munchies. Locals tow bags of roasted sunflower seeds with them wherever they go. Whether bored, gossiping about who got accepted to what university, playing mahjong, drinking tea, drinking, or especially when taking the train, I assure you that they will be cracking these things. The Ultimate Chinese Snack… Read More