Every night, 600 people give life to a magic light show on the waters of the Li River, in Yangshuo. Impression Sanjie Liu uses the surreal shape of karst mountains as a natural backdrop for what has become the biggest open-air theatre in the world. But is it worth to […]
Read moreAuthor: Paolinosan
My List of Useful Apps for the World Traveler
Here is a short list of smartphone apps that I found useful during my travels, so far, and a little playful suggestion right at the end. New entries and regular updates are to be expected 😉 A little bit for need, a little bit by talking to other travellers, and […]
Read moreHow to Extend your Chinese Visa in Chengdu
Extending the Chinese visa when already in China is a relatively easy and straightforward process, in this post I explain how to do it The Chinese visa policy is as much as a mystery to me as, say, mathematics. Perhaps there is a logic behind, or a probability, but I […]
Read moreThe Strength of Superstition: Taoism in Modern China
The materialistic vision of the new Chinese society might have won over religion, but not over the strength of superstition, and thousands of years of cultural heritage. Taoism has remained in this form, but is the original wisdom completely lost? One thing can be said for sure: many, many Chinese […]
Read moreGood Vibes in Chengdu: What to See and Do
Nightlife and great food, temples and opera, and of course Pandas. Chengdo is the Sichuan Province capital, and with its surrounding area rich of giant Buddhas and holy mountains, it is emerging as the place to visit for both Chinese and western tourists. A place with a wide cultural heritage, […]
Read moreThe Two Holy Mountains of Buddhism and Taoism
Mount Emei and Qingcheng are both UNESCO-listed sites, and holy. The first for Buddhists and the second Taoists, as much as these two philosophies still exist and are understood in China. Here’s how to go and visit them. Mount Emei is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China. […]
Read moreThe Sichuan Opera Experience
This is one unmissable thing in your travel to Chengdu. The show is a melange of beautiful costumes and different type of performing arts. Some are spectacular, some fun, some will take you back to your childhood. I loved to go to the opera in Chengdu. Specifically, I went to […]
Read moreYeah, Yeah… Pandas!
A short post to explain how to go and see pandas nearby Chengdu, in the Sichuan province, and some extra considerations about these breeding centres. One of the most known facts about Chengdu and the whole Sichuan province is that it is possible to see pandas. The most frequented place […]
Read moreLiving and Working Off the Grid on a Tibetan Plateau
A cosy travellers’ hideout at 3900 m above sea level, in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of western Sichuan, China, which works completely off the grid with clean energies? Yes, it’s possible, and it’s providing an example to follow to the locals. I have visited it and had the chance […]
Read more4 Days of Solitude: Trekking Yading Nature Reserve
Three holy mountains, breathtaking landscapes, a solo adventure hike through unparalleled beauty, capricious weather, and high passes. Yading Nature Reserve is a real wonder of China! Here’s all you need to know about it, may you be a trekker or a regular visitor. For my first solo trek I chose, […]
Read moreShangri-La, where China meets Tibet?
Lovely Shangri-La makes for a nice pit stop in your Yunnan travel itinerary: good food, charming temples, the biggest prayer wheel in the world, and rain are on the menu for this visit. It’s here that China meets Tibet, not strictly in a geographical sense… I’ll be honest, I have […]
Read moreMarvel of Yunnan: Trekking at the Tiger Leaping Gorge
A spectacular two-days trek above and along the deepest river gorge in China, with a drop of 3,900 m from the mountain peak to the river bed. Here’s all you need to know about it. If you are travelling in north-west Yunnan, between Lijiang and Shangri La city, you can […]
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