Two visits to the Mountain Bar Resort – Huairou, Shentangyu
North of Beijing, in the Nightless Valley, lies the disparate collection of restaurants around the Mountain Bar Resort. Some are better than others...
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travel
How not to eat well in Beijing
Being home alone for three weeks, with little to do, has given me ample opportunity to try a few of the less popular foods I've seen around, many of which my better-informed partner refuses to touch. Don't tell anyone, but she was right.
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Failing to Learn Chinese: Beyond the tipping point
After a sudden burst of learning Chinese on an intensive course, I became caught up in work and barely practiced for a month. Inevitably, starting one-to-one lessons with the same tutor was an exercise in embarrassment as I’d nearly forgotten everything she’d taught me that wasn’t related to ordering in restaurants.
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Avoiding horse rides in Weichang Scenic Area – Hebei Province
A visit to Weichang Scenic Area, a few language mistakes and a lot of avoiding horses.
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Notes from a drive to Weichang, in Hebei Province
For the October week of holidays we left behind the partially deserted confines of Beijing to drive up to Weichang Scenic Area, about 450km north. A few observations along the way:
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The Laowai Death Stare
The Laowai Death Stare, also known as Marco Polo syndrome, when foreigners are upset about meeting other foreigners in their own little corner of the world
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A visit to the bank – Beijing, China
Due to way too many rules and regulations on foreign currency, a visit to the bank in China can be a random and long-winded process
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Tips for visitors to The Forbidden City in Beijing
The Forbidden City is probably China’s most famous museum, and second only to the Great Wall as a tourist attraction. For nearly 500 years the 10m high walls have housed the Ming and Qing emperors up until 1911. It was opened to the public in 1925 and made a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987.
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Mythology at the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival – Longtan Park, Beijing
On the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese calendar, people all over China celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. The celebration takes many forms such as hanging lanterns, getting together with family, exchanging mooncakes, dancing and matchmaking.
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Failing to learn Chinese: Trying too hard
After some time not really learning Chinese, then taking a rapid leap forward online, I decided to try an Intensive Mandarin Course.
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