The monk’s bones appeared to melt, turning him into a rag doll instead of an actual person. He wrapped his legs into a pretzel and pushed himself onto his fingertips. The crowd hooted and hollered as they took photo after photo, enthralled by the spectacle. I was at Golgulsa (골굴사) for the weekend, and we were …
history
The Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an
A group of farmers worked the earth outside of Xi’an. It was early spring, and they’d need the additional water source for coming summer. But they found something there, buried underground, which would come to be considered one of the greatest archeological discoveries in history. The year was 1974, and the farmers had unearthed one …
The Longji Rice Terraces: Along the Dragon’s Backbone
In the northernmost part of Guangxi province, up along a winding road more harrowing than most, are the fabled Longji Rice Terraces — also known as The Dragon’s Backbone. The name comes from their appearance: like scales on the flanks of a giant dragon lying coiled in the hills. There are actually several terraces connected by …
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Five Things to Do in Shangri-la
It’s a name which evokes a sense of wonderment: Shangri-la. In perhaps the most brazen ploy for tourism revenue in recorded history, the Chinese government renamed the town of Zhongdian in northern Yunnan to Shangri-la in 2001. While the name change was shameless and crass, Shangri-la isn’t entirely undeserving of the moniker. In fact, I’d …
The Hungry Ghost of Xingping
For a more complete experience, read the first in this series: The Haunting at Jangsa Beach. This story jumps the Yellow Sea from the Korean Peninsula to the karst-studded plains of Southern China. While the area now is beautiful and calm, dark secrets lie buried beneath its placid surface. That brings us to this story: …
The Old Town of Lijiang
‘The Black Spot of China’s Tourism Industry’. That’s the moniker often given to the Old Town of Lijiang. Even travel guides mention it. The name has to do with the heavy-handed restoration efforts to local Naxi-style buildings and an influx of Han Chinese putting on traditional Naxi getup to give the place an ‘ethnic’ flair. Perhaps that’s a byproduct …
Five Things to Do in Xingping
Not even a 3 hour ride via high speed rail from the urban sprawl of Guangzhou, the Chinese countryside begins to change. Vast coastal plains shrouded in haze and chewed up by the grinding mouth of urbanization give way to scenes lifted from those old Chinese paintings — sheer limestone karsts topped with hanging greenery …
Day Trip to Lantau Island
Hong Kong is famous for many things: diverse food, bustling markets, fascinating history, tiny hotel rooms… However, there’s a whole other side to the special administrative region just next to Shenzhen, and that’s what I fell in love with on my third trip to the Pearl of the Orient. Outside the main city are a number …
Driving the Southern Scenic Route
I woke to the car shaking from the wind, to the clatter of rain on the roof. It had been a blustery night, parked by the seashore at Moray Terrace, but I’d caught a few hours of sleep and had made the snug confines of Te Namu as comfortable as possible. The day would start …
Driving to the Catlins
Driving past the holiday park leaves me feeling fuzzy — numbed to my actions and what they symbolize. I’m driving to the Catlins and leaving Te Anau. My home for the past 4.5 months, Te Anau is a tiny, buzzing little place popular simply because it’s the closest town to the iconic Milford Sound. Jobs are plentiful …