China Travel blog

China Travel blog

Chinese smog from space

A NASA image of smog over the mainland

Short answer, yes. You should definitely keep breathing. Moving on.

Earlier this week, the US Consulate in Shanghai began issuing hourly reports on the city's air quality, as measured by the monitoring station at the main consulate office on Huaihai Zhong Lu, as reported on their website.

This development was welcomed by health conscious foreigners and locals alike, albeit with trepidation on behalf of some ("Do I really want to know?"), and is the third such program established by a US governmental outpost in China, following in the footsteps of the Beijing Embassy and the Guangzhou Consulate.

Like the Beijing and Guangzhou monitoring stations, the Shanghai data, at least thus far, has the potential to cause some confusion. The Chinese government has its own monitoring stations in Shanghai, run by the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, and their numbers have been consistently move favorable than the new US figures, as published by China's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP).

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Get off the hot pavement and onto the more tolerably hot sand

After Shanghai's six months of tolerable spring weather, the mercury starts climbing, quickly forming a one-two punch with the humidity (add to that urban density and lack of green space and you've got a recipe for a cruel, cruel summer). But there's more to a Shanghai summer than escaping to Mogan Shan or staying inside with the air conditioning on full blast. While the city is certainly no Sanya, there are still places to enjoy soft sand between the toes, a cool drink in hand and a place to take a dip. More after the break....

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China trvavel blog

The man, the myth, the legend

"You can change! In your hearts!" wrote Lu Xun (Lǔ Xùn, 鲁迅) in the short story "Diary of a Madman." "Soon there will be no place for cannibals in the world of ours. And if you don't change, you will all be eaten." "Diary of a Madman", published in 1918, was the first major story ever to be published in the vernacular, or báihuà (白話), as opposed to classical Chinese which only the well educated could read. The account of a man lashing out at the cannibalistic ways of his country served as an allegory for the out-dated feudal system of the Qing Dynasty, and instantly launched Lu Xun into intellectual stardom. So influential did Lu Xun become, that 76 years after his death in 1936, there is now a museum in Shanghai dedicated solely to him, surrounded by the enormous Lu Xun Park.

Lu Xun was a chronic smoker. It is the cherry-on-top of every one of his depictions—the cigarette that dangles brilliantly from his fingertips, its implied orange end emanating the eternal light bulb in his mind. He's like an Asian John Steinbeck, with way better style. In one portrait of Lu Xun during his early career, he sports a magnificent purple sweater. The sweater was deemed so incredibly awesome that it sits folded in a glass case in the museum for all to see. Smoking is also what killed Lu Xun, as he eventually garnered tuberculosis and bronchitic asthma.

Walking through the Lu Xun Museum (Lǔ Xùn Jìniànguǎn, 鲁迅纪念馆) feels like taking a trip through the legendary man's life....

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Chinese fiction

They make these in English, too.

We read a lot about travel over the course of one week and, after much sifting and sorting, we've rounded up a few of our favorites. From news and reviews to great blog posts, unusual destinations and travel stories, read on for our picks. >>>

Earlier this week, I took a look at two pieces of contemporary Chinese fiction in translation, and it lit a bit of a literary-fire under my tush. So I did what any product of my generation would do: I asked the Internet about Chinese fiction in translation. I am pleased to report that the Google turned up a variety of interesting things to read. I was particularly fond of this article by Brendan O'Kane, which was written in response to the controversy surrounding last month's London Book Fair (which had a focus on Chinese literature), and ultimately moves into a long, interesting look at a a few Chinese authors. Definitely a good read, and includes a couple links to translated works (some free, some for sale). After the jump, more of our favorite China stories.>>>>

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Tibetan sky burial

Tibetan sky burial

Summer is rolling in and along with the heat comes, for many travelers, some free time to explore the world. If you're preparing for an upcoming trip, there are few amazing China experiences you might want to consider.

Two weeks ago I recommended heading to the wild west of Sichuan to see the annual Litang Horse Festival, but I never mentioned that while in the hills of Litang you can witness something else equally if not more fascinating: a Tibetan sky burial (tiānzàng, 天葬).

Read on for more on Tibetan sky burials.>>>>

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Ctrip writing contest

Contemporary Chinese fiction

The concrete-devouring dragons in Zhang Xinxin's story may or may not have looked like this....

Our writing contest, My Chengdu Story, is trucking along (the submission period ends 1 June 2012), with a handful of entries making their way to our submission pages in the last few days (see fiction, non-fiction and poetry). Thus far, we've seen a pair of fictional Chinese histories, a roving gang of water-polo-playing foreigners taking Chengdu by storm, one young man's experience as part of a Chinese choir, and a duo of poetic odes to the city of Chengdu. Off to a good start, to be sure, but we want more, more, more! Submit a story and win some prizes, wontcha?

Anyhoo, as we enjoy English-language literature here in China, one of England's largest newspapers recently published a few translations of some of China's biggest names in the world of fiction. The series is a literary gang to be reckoned with: there's "Old Man Xinjiang" by Xue Mo, set in the wild western provincial frontier; the ever-controversial Murong Xuecun and his alarming story, "The Accident;" the sci-fi weirdness of concrete eating dragons in Zhang Xinxin's "Dragonworld;" A Yi's story of the missing chicken, "The Curse;" and finally, Xu Zechen's look back to the countryside of Jiangsu where he grew up, with "Galloping Horses."

Read more about Chinese fiction after the jump>>>

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What to do in Hong Kong

Kowloon Walled City

Hong Kong may be known for its glitzy skyline and plethora of high-end opportunities to blow money like bubbles in the summertime, but that kind of high-flying lifestyle isn't conducive to many (or most) travelers. So we asked Gillian Chu, a Hong Kong based blogger (you'll need a VPN or proxy in China to get around the Great Firewall), for some tips on how to see the city without seeing the bottom of your wallet. Here are a few of her suggestions.>>>

Parts of Hong Kong may be as materialistic as it gets, but the city does offer some non-shopping alternatives for those who would like to explore the city's natural scenery; it may be a surprise to some, but Hong Kong isn't just made up of shopping malls. In fact, it's also famous for the beaches and mountains that surround the city, many of which are within an hour's ride from downtown and the Central Business District. We even get travelers that come over especially for the hiking and surfing. Here are a few secret hideaways known mainly to the locals that won't be a burden your wallet.

Read on after the jump for Gillian's Hong Kong hotspots....

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The Bai: the face of Dali , on 04-May-2012 08:07

Southern China's Miao ethnic minority

A bai girl

With a population of 1.3 billion and counting, China constitutes just under 20% of the world's inhabitants. Making up the vast majority of residents (91.59%) are the ubiquitous Han, leaving just a little over 8% to the 56 ethnic minorities officially recognized by the People's Republic. In Minority Report, we explore the colorful characters, customs and cultures of these fascinating peripheral groups. >>>

The second most populous minority in Yunnan (behind the Yi minority), the Bai people (Báizú, 白族) occupy a roughly triangular region in northwestern Yunnan that incorporates Dali and its surrounding autonomous prefecture, though Bai communities can also be found in nearby Guizhou Province and in smaller numbers in Sichuan and Hunan.

As international and domestic tourism have increasingly made their way to Dali and the surrounding areas, the Bai people and their traditions have become the face of local culture even as urbanization and Han migrants move in from the east.

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