There is no shortage of ancient water towns in Shanghai. Tom Cruise even filmed Mission Impossible 3 in Xitang Water Town. But Qibao Water Town (七宝老街), also known as Qibao Ancient Town (七宝古镇), is the real hidden gem in Shanghai. Qibao is Chinese for 'seven treasures', and there are different ...
China
How To Prepare For Your Big Move To China
This is a guest blog post I wrote for Opportunity China, a portal where English teachers, university lecturers, students and au pairs can find exciting and enriching opportunities in China. You have a new job in a new country and you're ready to live as an expat! Now what? As you ...
Shanghai City Highlights
Whether you’re in Shanghai for a day or more, there will be plenty of attractions to see and do. It's best to cluster sights by proximity to make commuting easier. Shanghai's subway system is super convenient to use, and in most cases, subway exits are close enough to the attractions. Here is my ...
Yu Garden Bazaar Shanghai Travel Guide
The Low Down Yu Garden (豫园), also known as Yuyuan Garden is definitely worth visiting in Shanghai for its architecture and culture. Before the communist rule tightened in 1949, Shanghai was divided into foreign concessions where foreigners were not subject to Chinese laws; Yu Garden ...
Art Basel Hong Kong 2016
Over the March Break, I had a whirlwind trip to Hong Kong. Sitting in a hipster café in Sheung Wan, I flipped through an issue of HK Magazine and stared incredulously at the ad for Art Basel HK, March 24-26, 2016. I was in shock that I could actually attend one of the world's leading contemporary ...
Beijing Day 3: Summer Palace, Hutong, 798 Art Zone, Kung Fu Show
Day 3 was our final day with our private tour guide and driver. The tour company we had worked with offered the flexibility of customizing our itinerary. I've always wanted to visit a Hutong so naturally I requested a Hutong visit. As well, I wanted to explore the art scene in Beijing given the ...
Practical Tips for the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu
If you've decided to visit Mutianyu, you've made a wise choice! On my first visit to the Great Wall of China, I chose to visit Mutianyu over Badaling and Juyongguan; all of which are located within close proximity to Beijing. Mutianyu stood out to me because it's less crowded (who wouldn't want ...
Beijing Day 2: Sacred Way, Ming Tombs, Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China was the number one attraction I was most looking forward to on my first visit to China. The Day 2 itinerary took us a long away from Beijing and it made the most sense to cluster the following attractions into the same day. Since Beijing is notorious for its traffic, our ...
Beijing Day 1: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Temple of Heaven
Welcome to Beijing, China! This past summer, I finally visited China for the very first time after collecting 43 other countries' stamps in my passport. I was extremely excited to visit a country with such a dynamic history, strong culture and traditions, and the country of my heritage. For my ...
10 Things You Should Know Before Traveling to China
You don't need to be a seasoned traveler to visit China, but there are some things you should anticipate in order to acclimatize to the local culture, which will allow you to enjoy your time in China. During my trip to China this summer, I experienced both travelling with a private ...