Yangshuo (阳朔) – Part Three – Li River (漓江) Posted by sasha on Oct 26, 2011
After a fun couple of days enjoying Yangshuo, we headed out of the town for a day trip. Starting from the town of Yangdi, we cruised along the beautiful Li River on a bamboo raft for a few hours, admiring the scenery. Check out some of the highlights in this short video. 一日游 – yí…
Everything But the Table: Lā Miàn Noodles (拉面) Posted by Stephen on Oct 25, 2011
As temperatures continue to plummet, the prospect of finding something hot and spicy to warm your belly becomes all the more appealing. If it wasn’t for today’s elegant yet simplistic dish, 拉面 (lā miàn) or pulled noodles, I don’t know how I could weather the frigid Beijing winter as it approaches. So if you want to…
Chinese Idioms (Vol. 4) Posted by sasha on Oct 25, 2011
It’s been a while since our last post about Chinese idioms (成语 – chéng yǔ). In Chinese, the word for idiom literally means “to become a part of the language.” All idioms are composed of four characters, and most come from ancient literature. As such, the meaning of the idiom itself is usually more than…
Water, water, everywhere? China’s Water Crisis (缺水) Posted by Stephen on Oct 23, 2011
China is facing a dire fresh water crisis and it’s only getting worse. After decades of environmental degradation, desertification and pollution, China’s arable land, waterways and aquifers are drying up, adding to concerns of an eventual water shortage that could have devastating repercussions on the Chinese economy and society. Now with the approach of summer…
Xià hé (夏河) Posted by Stephen on Oct 21, 2011
After waking up in a sand-filled bed, dehydrated and sunburnt, I figured my time spent in Dunhuang was at an end. I was continuing on my Silk Road trip to Xian and still had nearly the entire length (about 1500km) of Gansu province (甘肃) left to traverse. A series of buses and a long train…
Chinese Social Media, pt. 1 Posted by Stephen on Oct 19, 2011
It’s hard to imagine life before the internet. In those dark ages, fundamentally important questions went unanswered (like what is Lebron James thinking?). If you wanted to see a movie or listen to a new album, you’d actually have to physically go to the store or theater and buy it. Mail was used for more…
Yangshuo (阳朔) – Part Two – One Day in Yangshuo Posted by sasha on Oct 19, 2011
For our second day in Yangshuo, we checked out the town, and headed out on bicycle to explore the beautiful countryside. We paid a visit to the Moon Water Cave and the Moon Hill, and we sampled a bit of the nightlife in this popular tourist destination. Check out some of the highlights in this…