Xiamen has been an important port city in China’s Fujian Province for several centuries. There were high and low periods. The latest, beginning in the mid-19th century, brought a colonial feel to the southern Chinese city now preserved as China’s … Continued
Southern China was once plagued by roving bands of bandits causing the locals to build near-impenetrable homes known as the Fujian Tulou. These large rammed earth structures were essentially villages, some with around 1,000 people living in them. These UNESCO … Continued
Besides Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the other big attraction or destination in the area is Tianmen Mountain. If you’re familiar with Chinese, you might guess that the mountain has something to do with a door to heaven or the sky. … Continued
After hiking down Tianzi Mountain in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, we still had some evening hours left, so we went to Huanglong Cave (Yellow Dragon Cave). This cave system is part of the UNESCO World Heritage designation and is very … Continued
Our second day in Zhangjiajie took us back up the mountain to do some more hiking around the Yuanjiajie Scenic Zone and the Tianzi Mountain Scenic Zone. Both were recommendations from our hotel. Tianbo Mansion Tianbo Mansion is a set … Continued
Yuanjiajie, our next destination within the park, and final for the day, is probably the most popular and crowded section of the park. Hordes of bus tours crowded the trails squawking and barking and littering their way through. There were … Continued
Slender stone columns reach out of canyons lush with forest transporting visitors to an otherworldly natural wonderland. It inspires the mind to think of alien landscapes from science fiction or the ethereal and mystical images from traditional Chinese ink paintings. … Continued
On my most recent trip to Hong Kong, I accompanied a friend from Beijing to the LDS temple for his first time. It was a glorious experience. I am glad I was able to be there to support him. That … Continued
Precariously hanging on the side of Hengshan, one of China’s five sacred mountains, a 1,500-year-old monastery seems to cling to the rock as effortlessly as a gecko on a wall. The Hengshan hanging temple is as natural on the rock … Continued
Carved in stone outside Datong to the west sit hundreds of Buddhas at Yungang Grottoes. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the fourth of China’s Buddhist grottoes and the last one for me to visit. Bucket list item complete! Granted … Continued