Dusk at the Shwedagon Pagoda – Yangon, Myanmar
I grew up near Rudyard Kipling’s house in southern England, and the first time I heard of the Shwedagon Pagoda was as a child, reading one of his travel books.
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Random notes from Shanxi Province
It's not all polluted - a few observations about dire driving, confused conversations and the sumptuous scenery from our recent road trip across Shanxi Province
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Qiao’s Family-Unfriendly Courtyard – Pingyao, Shanxi Province
In addition to all the merchant homes in Pingyao, the most successful families built compounds out of town. The best known of those is the Qiao Family Courtyard, Qiao Jia Dayuan.
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A Rant of Two Cities – Pingyao Ancient Walled City, Shanxi Province
PingYao is one of China’s most loved domestic tourist destinations. People come away describing the dream-like qualities of the old cobbled streets, the peaceful courtyards of the historic buildings and the friendly openness of the people.
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QiKou KeZhan and the Black Dragon Temple – QiKouzhen, Shanxi
Our hotel in QiKouZhen was the QiKou Kezhan, an imposing former merchants house on the steep banks overlooking the Yellow River.
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Qikou Trading Post on the Yellow River – Shanxi Province
On the bare banks of the Yellow River, deep in the middle of nowhere in Shanxi Province, lies what's left of the once mighty Qikou zhen trading post.
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Staying in Cave dwellings at Lijiashan Village, near Qikou zhen
A few kilometres up the road from Qikou zhen is Lijiashan cave dwelling village, home to the extended Li family.
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Yellow River Rock Paintings, or the worst £45 I’ve spent on a day trip.
The Yellow River Rock Paintings are a series of amazing rock art slightly up river from QiKouZhen, or so we were told.
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In Photos: Wutaishan Scenic Area, Shanxi, China
Wutai Shan (or Five Plateau Mountain) refers to Buddhism’s sacred northern mountain range. The area is considered the earthly abode of Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. It’s a popular pilgrimage destination for Buddhists and Chinese tourists alike.
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Visitor Tips to Wutai Mountain Scenic Area
Made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, WuTai Shan is the most holy of the four Buddhist mountains in China.
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