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China’s Buddhist caves: the enduring art of the Silk Road

The Silk Road is well-known as being one of the world’s earliest trade routes, allowing the exchange of goods between China and Europe, via Central Asia...

The Silk Road is well-known as being one of the world’s earliest trade routes, allowing the exchange of goods between China and Europe, via Central Asia. And it was along the Silk Road that Buddhism began spreading into China from India as early as the first century AD. With it came the idea of constructing temples and holy sites by hollowing out rock faces: Buddhist caves and mural art spread across China in this way...

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Below the skyscrapers: finding old Hong Kong on the streets of Central

Impervious to the day-in, day-out waft of incense, a thick flow of sharply suited city workers, selfie-stick-wielding shoppers and giddy bar-hoppers pass below and above a tiny shrine on Peel St as though it were invisible. Nobody ever seems to pause on this stepped slope in Hong Kong’s Central district, but the coiled incense burners hanging from the shrine’s corrugated metal ceiling are always lit...

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Canal life: a guide to China's most picturesque water towns

The water towns of eastern China near Shanghai are renowned for their pretty whitewashed houses, arched stone bridges and bustling canal-side streets...

The water towns of eastern China near Shanghai are renowned for their pretty whitewashed houses, arched stone bridges and bustling canal-side streets. Most are located in a region known as Jiangnan, or 'south of the Yangzi River'. Locals in many of these water towns still maintain their waterside lifestyles, using the Yangzi's offshoot rivers and manmade canals to wash clothes, catch food and for transportation...

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48 hours in Shenyang

The biggest city in northeast China was once – briefly – the capital of the Qing dynasty, before the all-conquering Manchu moved to Beijing in 1644...

The biggest city in northeast China was once – briefly – the capital of the Qing dynasty, before the all-conquering Manchu moved to Beijing in 1644. Shenyang’s magnificent Manchurian legacy is best explored via its Unesco World Heritage palace complex, royal tombs, and hearty, game-rich cuisine, while China’s biggest Korea Town adds a multicultural vibe. Here’s how to spend 48 hours in the buzzing metropolis of Shenyang...

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From the dragon's well: tasting longjing tea in Hangzhou, China

One of China’s most important tourist cities, Hangzhou, in the eastern province of Zhejiang, is renowned for its natural beauty and classical Chinese scenery...

One of China’s most important tourist cities, Hangzhou, in the eastern province of Zhejiang, is renowned for its natural beauty and classical Chinese scenery. While most visitors to Hangzhou are, understandably, drawn to the city’s famous and undeniably beautiful West Lake, the sheer number of tourists in the area can sometimes be overwhelming. Those seeking a respite from the crowds and space to enjoy Hangzhou’s verdant beauty needn’t go far, however...

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Up the stairs: the hidden shops of Hong Kong’s high rises

Above the myriad international brands and neon lights that line Hong Kong’s crowded streets hide a handful of cosy independent shops run by passionate local entrepreneurs...

Above the myriad international brands and neon lights that line Hong Kong’s crowded streets hide a handful of cosy independent shops run by passionate local entrepreneurs. Lurking on upper floors of the city’s high-rise buildings, and separated from glossy stores by a few flights of stairs, these stores mainly sell unique, artisan goods – proof that Hong Kong still has space for a slower lifestyle and curated aesthetics...

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Authentic Macau: exploring old Taipa Village

Poor old Macau. When this 30.5-square-kilometre region is not overshadowed by brasher neighbour Hong Kong, it’s associated only with its Vegas-style casino-stuffed Strip...

Poor old Macau. When this 30.5-square-kilometre region is not overshadowed by brasher neighbour Hong Kong, it’s associated only with its Vegas-style casino-stuffed Strip. But this Special Administrative Region of China was a Portuguese colony for more than 400 years, and thanks to this history has developed a unique culture that blends European and Chinese values, cuisine and architecture...

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Top 10 things to do in Guangzhou, China

China’s third-biggest city, Guangzhou is the beating heart of the megalopolis that is the Pearl River Delta...

China’s third-biggest city, Guangzhou is the beating heart of the megalopolis that is the Pearl River Delta. This location along the South China Sea has long made Guangzhou one of China's most important trading ports with a colonial background and culturally diverse society. But as the region’s population has swelled (around 130 million now call the Pearl River Delta home), so has Guangzhou’s profile...

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Sizzling Sichuan: exploring China's quintessential province

Sichuan (四川) – the ‘China of China’. This far west province is a microcosm of all that draws visitors to the Middle Kingdom...

Sichuan (四川) – the ‘China of China’. This far west province is a microcosm of all that draws visitors to the Middle Kingdom. Fiery food, sleepy pandas, a diverse set of ancient cultures and wild natural landscapes are just a handful of Sichuan's perennial attractions. In 2018 there are more reasons than ever to travel to the land of four (四) rivers (川)...

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Garden to linger in: Suzhou's elegant classical Chinese gardens

As well as being known as the ‘Venice of the East’, thanks to its network of picturesque canals, the elegant city of Suzhou on China's eastern seaboard is also famed for its classical gardens...

As well as being known as the ‘Venice of the East’, thanks to its network of picturesque canals, the elegant city of Suzhou on China's eastern seaboard is also famed for its classical gardens. There are currently 69 gardens preserved in Suzhou, with nine designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site...

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Designer Shenzhen: exploring China's creative capital

Just three decades ago, Shenzhen was a drowsy fishing village on the fringe of Hong Kong, across the water in mainland China...

Just three decades ago, Shenzhen was a drowsy fishing village on the fringe of Hong Kong, across the water in mainland China. Today, it’s one of the country's economic powerhouse cities, at the mouth of the rapidly developing Pearl River Delta region, with over 12 million people calling the city home. China’s richest city, Shenzhen made its name as the world’s factory floor when it was set up as an economic free zone at the end of the 1980s...

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How to celebrate Chinese New Year in Hong Kong

On 16 February 2018, China marks a new year in the lunar calendar: the Year of the Dog, the 11th animal in the Chinese zodiac...

On 16 February 2018, China marks a new year in the lunar calendar: the Year of the Dog, the 11th animal in the Chinese zodiac. Otherwise known as the spring festival, Chinese New Year is, for hard-working, hard-playing Hongkongers, a time to eat, drink, catch up with family and give red packets – lai see – stuffed full of money (and receive them, if you’ve been good)...

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Hong Kong’s top 10 speakeasies

Big, brash and bombastic Hong Kong speaks another language when it comes to drinking establishments...

Big, brash and bombastic Hong Kong speaks another language when it comes to drinking establishments. Its burgeoning breed of speakeasies are sexy, chic – and thanks to Hong Kong’s labyrinthine alleyways, streets and myriad commercial buildings – devilishly hard to find. Here are Hong Kong’s 10 best Prohibition-style sips...

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Lovely Lantau: secrets of Hong Kong's biggest island

Many visitors to Hong Kong only experience Lantau Island on the way elsewhere – touching down at Hong Kong International Airport, built on reclaimed land just off the island’s north coast, before swiftly jumping into ...

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Cool Xisi: Beijing's up-and-coming neighbourhood

Xisi (literally ‘West Four’) is a neighbourhood in western Beijing, so called for its four richly carved paifang (sign gates) that once straddled the crossroads at Xisi Dajie and Fuchengmennei Dajie. Sadly, the gates are gone (an ersatz version stands above the Xisi subway entrance), but the ‘hood remains a rich depository of old public buildings, temples, and delightfully winding hutong alleyways, offering a laconic, local vibe in an oft overlooked part of the city...

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A Trans-Mongolian adventure: riding the rails from Moscow to Beijing

Click-clacking along the tracks for thousands of kilometres, getting a glimpse into some of the most intriguing places on earth – it’s easy to understand why the Trans-Siberian Railway is right up there as one of the world’s most dreamed about train rides. There are several routes to choose from when deciding on your itinerary, but the Trans-Mongolian is arguably the standout one...

China travel tips & articles

China’s Buddhist caves: the enduring art of the Silk Road

Below the skyscrapers: finding old Hong Kong on the streets of Central

Canal life: a guide to China's most picturesque water towns

48 hours in Shenyang

From the dragon's well: tasting longjing tea in Hangzhou, China

Up the stairs: the hidden shops of Hong Kong’s high rises

Authentic Macau: exploring old Taipa Village

Top 10 things to do in Guangzhou, China

Sizzling Sichuan: exploring China's quintessential province

Garden to linger in: Suzhou's elegant classical Chinese gardens

Designer Shenzhen: exploring China's creative capital

How to celebrate Chinese New Year in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s top 10 speakeasies

Lovely Lantau: secrets of Hong Kong's biggest island

Cool Xisi: Beijing's up-and-coming neighbourhood

A Trans-Mongolian adventure: riding the rails from Moscow to Beijing

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