I recently went back to revisit Suzhou after 5-6 years of being away. First time I visited it was cold and gloomy, and on top of that there was heavy pollution, making it very difficult for me to enjoy the
Bethmann Park’s Chinese Garden : Frankfurt am Main
A Chinese garden is not exactly one of the highlights I expected to find in Frankfurt, but the Chinese garden at Bethmann Park is rather large and surprisingly charming. Over 4000sqm in space it was aimed to mirror the Shiukou Gardens
Revisiting Dafen Copycat Artist Village : Shenzhen
Just before leaving Hong Kong I was invited to join an artist friend to revisit the surreal Dafen Artist Oil Painting Village in Shenzhen. It’s the place where you can get any painting faked for pennies. The artist friend was
Beijing University Campus Walk
Mid winter I was invited to Beijing University to give an academic talk and took this opportunity to get to know this beatiful and historical campus. To those who don’t know, Beijing University is among the best – if not
Xishiku Church of the Saviour Cathedral : Beijing
To my surprise, Beijing has a bit of a religious diversity. I wasn’t expecting to find anything other than Daoist, Buddhist or Confucian temples, but it turns out the colonial powers have managed to infiltrate in and somehow survive communism.
Kun Iam Temple : Macau
A bit off the beaten track for the casino hungry Macau tourist and not as well known as A-Ma temple is the very old Kun Iam Temple dating back to the 17th (some say 14th) century before the Portuguese took
2012 New Year in Hong Kong : Dragon-Lion Dance Parade
Happy new year! hope you had yourselves a grand celebration. In Hong Kong, as usual, we’ve got some of the world’s top festivities. Amazing fireworks, great parties and some nice cultural events. But that’s just a teaser for the real
Shenzhen – China : 6 Days Travel Itinerary
Most people visiting this region target Hong Kong and Macau, as well they should, but contrary to what most people might think, there are also some terrific things to do in the nearby Shenzhen and if you have a few
Yap Sandiego Heritage House : Cebu City
Not too sure what to call the Yap Sandiego Heritage House in Cebu City . When I finally found it after venturing uncomfortably on foot through Cebu City I was a bit surprised. True, it was the first “attraction” I
Macau – Europe meets Las Vegas in China
Macau is a fascinating place. With a surreal mixture of European Portuguese architecture next to monstrous shiny world-class casinos in a Chinese atmosphere, it all gets quite overwhelming. Somehow, those striking contrasts co-exists in Macau in an appealing balance. Last