Archive for 'Travel & Geography'
Chinese Blog Greatest Hits: Volume 2 Posted by sasha on Jul 26, 2022
There’s an old Chinese idiom that goes “Time flies like an arrow” (光阴似箭 guāngyīnsìjiàn). I can totally relate to that one at the moment. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that I moved to Beijing the day before the start of the 2008 Summer Olympics (夏季奥运会 xiàjì àoyùnhuì). Not too long after…
Chinese Blog Greatest Hits: Volume 1 Posted by sasha on Jul 12, 2022
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 12 years since I started writing for the Chinese Language Blog. At the time, I was an English teacher (英语老师 yīngyǔ lǎoshī) in Beijing. I had a personal blog (博客 bókè), but it was just for fun. Since then, I’ve probably written thousands of blog posts for various…
A Beach Trip from Beijing: Visiting Beidaihe and Nandaihe Posted by sasha on Jun 28, 2022
The summer heat can be intense in the concrete jungle of Beijing, but thankfully there’s a beach (海滩 hǎi tān) escape not too far away. A few hours on a train or bus can bring you to the popular beach towns of Beidaihe (北戴河 běi dài hé) and Nandaihe (南戴河 nán dài hé). While Beidaihe…
Beijing vs. Shanghai Posted by sasha on May 26, 2022
Beijing and Shanghai are the two biggest and most famous Chinese cities. One is an ancient city known for its cultural icons, while the other is a modern metropolis full of futuristic skyscrapers. So which city is better? Well, you’ll just have to visit them both and decide for yourself! This post is actually all…
Visiting the Ancient City of Pingyao Posted by sasha on Apr 28, 2022
For those interested in Chinese history and culture, a great place to visit is the Ancient City of Pingyao (平遥古城 píng yáo gǔ chéng), located in central Shanxi province (山西省 shān xī shěng). Although the small city of the same name will be of little interest to travelers, the old town is a fantastic UNESCO World…
A Perfect Day in Beijing Posted by sasha on Mar 16, 2022
Beijing is a massive, sprawling city that’s home to over 20 million people. As such, it can be an overwhelming place to explore. Having spent half a decade calling the city home, I’m here to help you plan a trip to the Chinese capital. In this post, I’ll share my advice for how to spend…
A Visit to Badachu in Beijing Posted by sasha on Oct 20, 2021
While there’s enough to see in the city to keep you busy for at least a week, Beijing also has quite a few excellent day trip opportunities. Of course, the most popular option is a visit to the Great Wall (长城 cháng chéng). There’s much more to see and do on the outskirts of the…