All Articles
Sea Fog in Qingdao Turned My Photo Plan into a Walking Plan
When I arrived in Qingdao, I came with a very clear photography plan. In the early morning I would photograph seagulls at Zhanqiao Pier, at noon I would look for old-town corners w
Jingdezhen Ceramics Souvenir Buying Guide
Jingdezhen is the world's porcelain capital with a thousand years of unbroken kiln fire. Buying ceramics here is the most authentic souvenir shopping experience.
Is China Safe for Tourists? An Honest Answer from Someone Who Lives Here
Three years ago, I brought a friend from Europe to China for the first time. Before the trip, he kept asking me the same question: "Is China actually safe?" He'd read too many cont
Waiting for Takeout in an Office Lobby Was the First Time I Learned That Standing Closer Does Not Mean Getting Food Faster
The first time I waited for takeout in the lobby of an office tower in Shanghai, I assumed the most efficient strategy was to stand as close to the entrance as possible. It was a h
China Time Zones and Business Hours
China uses a single time zone — Beijing Time (UTC+8) — across the entire country, even though western regions like Xinjiang and Tibet geographically span multiple time zones. This
Scented Sachet Making: The First Time I Realized Fragrance Could Be Sewn Together with Needle and Thread
As someone from France, I had always assumed that scent belonged naturally in bottles. My understanding of fragrance came from perfume, soap, scented candles, or small herb sachets
A Convenience Store at Night in Shenzhen Showed Me Another Kind of Urban Safety
I landed in Shenzhen close to midnight, when the city should have been folding itself into sleep. Instead, the taxi window showed towers still lit like vertical screens, reflecting
Before Jinan, I Gathered the Few Panic-Making Essentials onto One Screen
The night before going to Jinan, I spent a long time preparing my phone. In the past, I always thought travel preparation meant packing clothes, checking documents, and confirming
Xi'an in One Day: City Wall Cycling, Muslim Quarter, and Big Wild Goose Pagoda
This happens more often than you'd think — many travelers pass through Xi'an by high-speed rail, or their itinerary only leaves one day for this capital of thirteen dynasties. Is o
During Luoyang Peony Season, I Learned to Divide Crowds by the Hour
My first impression of Luoyang’s peony season was not flowers, but time. Before arriving, I thought the plan was simple: choose the right park, catch the blooming period, hope for
After Rain Stopped Along Lijiang’s Eaves, I Began Following the Canals and Stone Lanes Slowly
The rain stopped in the afternoon, and the stone lanes of Lijiang looked as if they had been gently polished, with tiny beads of water resting in the gray-blue cracks. I entered fr
What Most Often Makes Foreign Cameras Linger in Chengdu Is Not the Pandas but the Ease That Begins Once People Sit Down
When foreign creators write about Chinese cities, they are often captured quickly by two categories of place: those driven by scale and those driven by visual wonder. Chengdu is di
Eating Vegetarian in China: Harder Than You Think, Easier Than You Fear
Let's start with the contradiction: many vegetarians arrive in China having heard that "Chinese vegetarian food is terrible," while others insist that "China has the world's oldest
Best Travel Accessories for China
These unassuming items can double your comfort during a China trip. Many can be bought easily and cheaply after arrival.
Guangzhou After Midnight: Stir-Fried Snails at 2am on Huifu East Road
It's 2am on Huifu East Road, and the street is wide awake. Folding tables line both sides of the alley, fluorescent lights blazing overhead. Wok smoke rises from every stall, carry
Walking Slowly Under Xi’an City Wall Made History More Than a Photo
On the morning I arrived in Xi’an, wind came down through the seams of the city wall, carrying a dry smell of earth. I stood outside Yongning Gate and watched the gate tower slowly
On a Rainy Night in Kunming, Mushroom Hot Pot Taught Me What Bright Freshness Means
At 7:05 in the evening, just as Kunming’s rain thickened from a drizzle, I turned into a shining street dragging a suitcase still dusty from the high-speed rail station. Neon refle
I Learned at a Chinese County Bus Station to Watch Where People Flow Before Looking for the Gate
The first time I took an early bus alone at a county bus station in China, it was on a misty morning. Daylight had not fully arrived yet. The tiles outside the waiting hall still h
In a Lantern Workshop: The First Time I Realized Light Can Be Crafted by Hand
I used to assume that the most attractive part of lantern art was the nighttime moment. Of course it is beautiful when illuminated: colors glow, outlines soften, and the whole spac
Shanghai to Suzhou in Two Slow Days: Gardens, Pingtan, and Night Boats
Many people treat Shanghai to Suzhou as a light same-day task: take the train, visit one garden, walk Pingjiang Road, and call it complete. Yet what makes Suzhou memorable is not t
In Suzhou I Learned to Find a Low-Effort Restroom Route First
When people travel in China for the first time, they usually study tickets, metro lines, taxis, queues, and food. Very few treat the “restroom route” as something worth planning. I
RMB Basics: Denominations, Exchange & Counterfeit Tips
The 5th series RMB (2019 edition): bills in ¥100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 1; coins in ¥1, ¥0.5, ¥0.1. The ¥100 note features Mao Zedong on the front and the Great Hall of the People on the
Clay Figurine Experience: The First Time I Felt Earth Was Not a Material, but a Slow Language
I had always felt that earth is an honest material. It does not shine like metal, nor does it immediately suggest refinement the way silk does. In fact, it can seem almost too quie
Why Do Chinese People Care So Much About "Face"?
My first real encounter with the weight of "face" was at a friend's wedding.