Spring roll

1 December 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon appétit Reading Time:  15 minutes

Chicken and shrimp spring rolls © flickr.com - jeffreyw/cc-by-2.0

Chicken and shrimp spring rolls © flickr.com – jeffreyw/cc-by-2.0

Spring rolls are rolled appetizers or dim sum commonly found in Chinese, Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cuisines. The kind of wrapper, fillings, and cooking technique used, as well as the name, vary considerably depending on the region’s culture, though they are generally filled with vegetables.   read more…

Huzhou in China

20 November 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  4 minutes

Re-built 'old Huzhou' © Mathewstory/cc-by-sa-4.0

Re-built ‘old Huzhou’ © Mathewstory/cc-by-sa-4.0

Huzhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province (Hangzhou–Jiaxing–Huzhou Plain, China). Lying south of the Lake Tai, it borders Jiaxing to the east, Hangzhou to the south, and the provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu to the west and north respectively. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,367,579 inhabitants, of whom 1,015,937 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of Wuxing District as Nanxun District is not being conurbated yet.   read more…

Fanjingshan in China

1 November 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

© Mande5255881/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Mande5255881/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Fanjingshan or Mount Fanjing, located in Tongren, Guizhou province, is the highest peak of the Wuling Mountains in southeastern China, at an elevation of 2,570 m (8,430 ft). The Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve was established in 1978 and designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1986. Fanjingshan is a sacred mountain in Chinese Buddhism, considered to be the bodhimaṇḍa of the Maitreya Buddha. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018.   read more…

Portrait: Confucius, a Chinese philosopher

28 August 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Portrait, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Confucius - Portrait by Qiu Ying (1494–1552) © chinatimes.com

Confucius – Portrait by Qiu Ying (1494–1552) © chinatimes.com

Confucius, born Kong Qiu, was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages, as well as the first teacher in China to advocate for mass education. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the philosophy and teachings of Confucius. His philosophical teachings, called Confucianism, emphasized personal and governmental morality, harmonious social relationships, righteousness, kindness, sincerity, and a ruler’s responsibilities to lead by virtue.   read more…

Hangzhou, China’s Silicon Valley

27 July 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

West Lake and its surrounding mountains © Wanderingchina/cc-by-4.0

West Lake and its surrounding mountains © Wanderingchina/cc-by-4.0

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northeastern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, which separates Shanghai and Ningbo. Its West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site west of the city, is among its best-known attractions.   read more…

Wonton

30 June 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon appétit Reading Time:  8 minutes

Cantonese Wonton noodle soup © flickr.com - avlxyz/cc-by-sa-2.0

Cantonese Wonton noodle soup © flickr.com – avlxyz/cc-by-sa-2.0

A wonton is a type of Chinese dumpling commonly found across regional styles of Chinese cuisine. It is also spelled wantan or wuntun in transliteration from Cantonese and wenden from Shanghainese. Even though there are many different styles of wonton served throughout China, Cantonese wontons are the most popular in the West due to the predominance of Cantonese restaurants overseas.   read more…

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and the Terracotta Army

29 March 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Tomb of the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di © flickr.com - wit/cc-by-sa-2.0

Tomb of the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di © flickr.com – wit/cc-by-sa-2.0

The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (pinyin: Qínshǐhuáng Líng) is the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty.   read more…

Tiananmen Square in Beijing

5 June 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions Reading Time:  5 minutes

National Museum of China © flickr.com - Nagyman/cc-by-2.0

National Museum of China © flickr.com – Nagyman/cc-by-2.0

Tiananmen Square or Tian’anmen Square is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the eponymous Tiananmen (“Gate of Heavenly Peace”) located to its north, which separates it from the Forbidden City. The square contains the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China in the square on 1 October 1949; the anniversary of this event is still observed there. The size of Tiananmen Square is 765 x 282 meters (215,730 m² or 53.31 acres). It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history.   read more…

Dali City in China

16 November 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  11 minutes

The Tree Pagodas © panoramio.com - 江上清风1961/cc-by-3.0

The Tree Pagodas © panoramio.com – 江上清风1961/cc-by-3.0

Dali City is the county-level seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Yunnan. Dali City is administered through 12 township-level districts, two of which are also commonly referred to as Dali. Xiaguan formerly known as Hsia-kuan, is the modern city centre and usually conflated with Dali City by virtue of being its seat. This town is the destination of most long-distance transportation heading to Dali and is sometimes referred to as Dali New Town to avoid confusion. Dali Town formerly known as Tali, is another division of Dali City, located 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Xiaguan. This town, commonly referred to as Dali Old Town to distinguish it from the city seat in Xiaguan, is usually the Dali referred to in tourist publications. The old town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Yunnan, known for its natural scenery, historical and cultural heritage, and vibrant nightlife.   read more…

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