Over the holiday, I had the chance to go check out a few hot springs resorts in Tangshan, 30 km outside of Nanjing.

People have been getting naked there for 1,500 years, due to the hot springs and their famously curative waters. It was fenced off as a royal ... Read more »

People always want to know where the travel editor takes his holidays, so here goes. This Spring Festival I am heading to Chiang Rai in northern Thailand.

Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is over and done, overrun by backpackers, druggies and package tourists. The city gets upwards of a million ... Read more »

If you think you’re totally over the Olympics, think again. For those in the know, the Winter Olympics are the fun, festive and cheap versions of the ones Beijing held a year and a half ago. And, guess what, there are plenty of tickets yet to be had for ... Read more »

Now is prime time to plan your Chinese New Year travel. This year, forget the beach and go for something spiritual and cultural. Something like Losar.

Losar is Tibetan New Year. It’s a two-week celebration which, this year, coincides with Chinese New Year (February 14). It’s a major ... Read more »

The Surfing Hainan Open is back for its second year, Nov. 6-8 at Riyuewan Bay, an hour away from Sanya proper. It’s a legit competition with super pro surfers expected to show the locals how it’s done. The first Open was held in January this year, check the ... Read more »

On August 15, the annual Qingdao Beer Festival kicks open the taps. It may not be quite as raucous as Munich in October, but with Tsingtao Beer, ocean waves, cool breeze, and blue sky, China’s best beer festival is the premier way to celebrate the last days of summer ... Read more »

Shrouded in mist, with three peaks resembling the gods of Daoism, Sanqing Mountain ("Three Pure Ones") in Jiangxi province makes for a serene, otherworldly climb.

Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site last year, it houses over 1,000 varieties of plant life and has a history dating back to the ... Read more »

Suzhou’s answer to Taikang Lu is Pingjiang Lu–a thriving little neighborhood carved out of a centuries-old residential quarter of the city. Running alongside a canal, it’s a fantastic place to chill for an afternoon.

Most of the buildings have been completely rebuilt, but they stay true to ... Read more »

Jingdezhen is the worst city in China. I felt it when I arrived and the feeling only intensified. The Pottery Workshop is the only oasis. My simple advice: if you’re not throwing pots, don’t go.

Jingdezhen is one of the oldest continuously industrial cities in the world and ... Read more »

Jingdezhen is for potters. People who pot or want to learn to pot. And if you want to throw some pots, then The Pottery Workshop is THE place to do it. Located inside The Sculpture Factory (雕塑瓷厂) (also called the Mingqing Yuan) on the east side of town (139 Xinchang ... Read more »

Ah yes, the stars. The weather was again beautiful today as I pointed myself south toward Jingdezhen. As is often the case with travel, you have to choose one thing or the other. I chose Jingdezhen because 1) I’ve never been to Jiangxi and 2) I was fiending to ... Read more »

For most people, Anhui is either the cloud-wrapped peaks of Huangshan or the quaint village of Hongcun which is so well-preserved, the entire village is UNESCO-listed. And that’s a pretty accurate picture. Hongcun is famous for its amazing farmhouses, the best examples of which date back 300 years. I ... Read more »

Peasants are good at many things—raising chickens, telling jokes and farming come to mind—apparently meteorology is not one of their skills. Before going to bed last night I asked Mr Yang, who is also the local bao’an, about the forecast. He said more rain and he was ... Read more »

Day 2 – The Huihang Gudao

Today started the way yesterday ended: wet. For a moment I questioned the wisdom of heading off on a totally unknown over-night over-mountain hike into Anhui in the middle of bad weather. So I did the only sensible thing: I bought a rain slicker and ... Read more »

Once again I am live-blogging my holiday, as every self-respecting travel editor should. Over the next week I'll be on the road, on top of mountains, on trains, in weird hotels and meeting all sorts of people as I make my way from Shanghai to Jingdezhen (hopefully). Here we ... Read more »

Weifang, Shandong

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

The annual Weifang International Kite Festival takes place from April 20-25. It’s a favorite trip for kite fans and families alike. The highlight is hundreds of kite lovers taking their winged creations to the beach and sending them into the sky ... Read more »

Three stupidly good travel deals from Excursion Travel. Act now or forever regret it.

Sanya

Flight plus three nights in the Marriott Resort & Spa: RMB3,800/person (based on two people traveling together). Leave on Friday April 3, come back Monday April 6, fly Shanghai Airlines.

Hong Kong

Flight only ... Read more »

Myanmar

Gem Country

Myanmar is one of the gem capitals of Asia, renowned for everything from perfect jades to glittering sapphires. As a result of the booming gem trade, the government recently opened a massive gem museum in the new national capital of Nay Pyi Taw. Covering 12 acres and ... Read more »

You heard the rumors are they are true: Hainan has the best surfing in the world. Okay maybe not, but as you can see from the video of the recently-concluded Hainan Open 2009, it’s not too shabby. During the winter, the Hainan surf is stronger than in the summer ... Read more »

A lot of bad things can happen on a trip, but one of the worst must be getting trapped in an airport on your way back home. This is exactly what happened to Wheeee! blogger Dan Ouyang a couple nights ago. Her flight from Shenzhen arrived late and through some ... Read more »

John McKenna of Travel the Real China reports that Tibet has been closed to tourists for the entire month of March. Seems there is some sensitivity around the 50th anniversary of the failed uprising. Other sources suggest that the ban is less of a ban and more of a passive ... Read more »

We’ve got a three day weekend coming up and a whole winter’s worth of grit to get out of our lungs. I’ve scanned the options and found four great short trip ideas that I highly recommend, all of which happen to be in Zhejiang.

Hike Xin’an ... Read more »

Taipei

48 Hours

Start with a visit to National Taipei Democracy Memorial Hall honoring Chiang Kai-shek, then ascend Taipei 101, the world’s tallest building to catch the sunset. For dinner, what else but shaolongbao at the original Ding Tai Fung? Then stroll Yongkang Street and sample cua bing at ... Read more »