August 31st, 2011 | by admin | published in where am i
Have been a little tardy with the updates this year! Or perhaps just getting really lazy
After a few months back in the Middle Kingdom earlier this year, in both Yangshuo and Guangzhou, am back in Melbourne for a while copywriting up a storm with Intrepid Travel.
Am trying to get a bit more balance [...]
August 25th, 2011 | by admin | published in places
Surrounded by river on 3 sides this seemingly lost ancient hamlet ensconced amongst lush fields of sugar cane and banana plantations just 30 kilometres from Nanning is packed with mementos of a colourful past.
Founded in the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 AD) Yangmei slowly developed over hundreds of years finally transitioning into a prosperous river [...]
August 15th, 2011 | by admin | published in things to do & see
Branded a fool over his decision some 13 years ago to create a large scale art park amongst the ethereal landscape of Guilin, Rhy Chang Tsao’s pet project, affectionately named “Fools Paradise”, now boasts more than 200 magnificently sculptured artworks that dot manicured grounds like rare species of flowers.
Whilst it may be somewhat difficult to [...]
July 28th, 2011 | by admin | published in latest posts, things to do & see
Nanning is a vibrant, dynamic modern city with some 40% of its land mass dedicated to green spaces thus earning its reputation as China’s premier “green city”. Getting a genuine taste of this relaxed and friendly destination is simply a matter of venturing into one of the many parks or gardens.
Qingxiu Mountain is affectionately known [...]
July 15th, 2011 | by admin | published in latest posts, things to do & see
Imagine strolling through a verdant, well maintained garden and being wowed by the range of uses each plant has in traditional healing methods.
The meticulously maintained Guangxi Medicinal Herb Botanical Garden is the largest facility of its type in Asia and is the place to see around 4,000 varieties of plants. The garden is arranged [...]
June 30th, 2011 | by admin | published in things to do & see
Shrouded in mystery the ancient rock paintings of Huashan were created some 2,000 years ago by the Luoyue people, ancestors of the modern day Zhuang minority.
Accessible by boat, the journey along the Ming River is a scenic amble that allows you to take in the sights of rural life along the way. Locals glide [...]
June 28th, 2011 | by admin | published in latest posts, things to do & see
A lion appeared at the opposite end of the courtyard. Standing for a few moments then dramatically jumping up onto the first set of poles which looked to be around a metre high. Within moments he had bounded a further two or three times in perfect unison to the beating drum. This initial burst of [...]
June 5th, 2011 | by admin | published in latest posts, things to do & see
You don’t often find many “special” temples in the more populated cities of China anymore. Most are over-touristed and lack any authentic atmosphere. The Hualin temple in Guangzhou’s old Liwan district definitely managed to impress me. To be more accurate, the 500 Arhat Hall was the standout for this entire ancient complex.
Walking inside the hall [...]
June 4th, 2011 | by admin | published in latest posts, other stuff
My latest published article has just been released in the June 2011 issue of Qatar Airways inflight magazine – Oryx.
It is a short introduction to one of my favorite areas in Guangzhou.
To read the full piece, My Favourite Street, Guangzhou – click here.
May 23rd, 2011 | by admin | published in latest posts, middle kingdom life
Having been in China for quite some time now I think I might have become almost immune to the unexpected or unusual sights. One afternoon recently when strolling across a bridge over the Pearl River, duly accompanied by cars and buses whizzing past I saw this guy pushing his fully laden bicycle along the far [...]
