When I was getting ready for my move to China, people kept sending me articles about the amazing new Binhai Library that opened in Tianjin. It had gone viral because of the stunning looks, and then went viral a second time once people learned the books were all fake. It even made The Time’s list…
Visiting the Forbidden City in Beijing is top of almost all the lists of tourist destinations. It’s an absolutely stunning complex full of history and incredible architecture, located in the heart of the city. The entrance gate at Tiananmen Square, with the portrait of Mao, is an iconic image associated with China. Despite living in…
When looking up potential day trips from Beijing, Nanjing is probably not the first place people would consider given it’s over 1,000km away. Located 300km away from Shanghai, it makes much more sense to visit as a day trip from Shanghai. However, it is entirely possible to do a day trip to Nanjing from Beijing…
The Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang contain some of the most stunning examples of Chinese stone carving. The carvings are spread along both banks of the Yi River in Luoyang, Henan Province. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is definitely worth a visit if you have time! Luoyang is one of the four Great…
Every year, as part of the Ice and Snow Festival, there is a free display of snowmen in Harbin and it is definitely a must-see!
During Harbin’s Ice and Snow Festival, along with the two main locations you can also find a collection of ice sculptures in Zhaolin Park. The park has paths running around the outside and these were all lined with sculptures, along with a few larger ones in some of the larger open areas. There was also…
I’m a huge cat person and so I once I learnt about it, I had to visit Harbin’s Siberian Tiger Park. I saw some posts online about how it was cruel and “gruesome”, but those seemed focused on the “feeding of live animals” which I personally don’t have an issue with. Although I’m not a…
I love snow and ice and so upon discovering Harbin’s Ice and Snow Festival I knew I had to visit it. It was one of the most expensive trips I went on in China but it was definitely worth the cost for such a magical experience. Indeed, I enjoyed the trip so much I would…
If you want to see Pandas in China then the best place to do that is definitely Chengdu which has the Giant Panda research base. However, China is huge and so chances are most people won’t have the time to make it all the way there (or the money). Luckily, you will still be able…