Here in China, one of the many things I miss from living in the UK is heading out into the countryside to go hiking. Armed with only a hiking guidebook or an Ordnance Survey map it’s possible to find and follow thousands of trails all across the UK, safe in the knowledge that you’re heading somewhere. […]
Zhejiang
The world’s largest (big smiling) Buddha
Xuedou Temple 雪窦寺 near the town of Xikou in Zhejiang is one of the 10 most important Zen temples in the world. It is home to the impressively big, infectiously smiley copper Maitreya Buddha. At 56.74 metres high, he is the world’s largest version of his particular type of Buddha – “big smiling” – and his whole body […]
Great walls of China: the Middle Kingdom’s enduring city walls
I love me a Chinese wall! So much so, in fact, that I wrote about the greatest walls in the Middle Kingdom for Lonely Planet – there are more around the country than just the one near Beijing, you know! There’s something just so epic about an ancient wall, the idea of a city or […]
A spring weekend in Danshan Chisui
This article originally appeared in the February 2015 edition of Ningbo Focus. Spring is just around the corner. Soon the weather will get warmer, the days longer, and trees all around Ningbo will erupt in displays of beautiful blossom. To truly appreciate this seasonal awakening you need to get out of the city and into […]
These photos show why autumn is the best time to visit Hangzhou
There’s no doubt about it, Hangzhou in east China is beautiful. One of the greenest cities in China, it is a pleasure to walk along its leafy streets at any time of the year. But, autumn really is the season when it, and much of the rest of China, is at its best. If you’re […]