The historical importance of Xi’an cannot be understated. The starting point for the ancient Silk Road that extended from Asia to Europe, Xi’an played an enormous role in the cultural exchange between East and West. Having served as one of China’s seven ancient capitals, Xi’an was the capital city under 12 Dynasties spanning more than…Continue reading China – Xi’an
Category: Asia
China – Guilin
Highly touted as one of China’s most scenic locales, Guilin boasts a handsome town with a meandering river flanked by spectacular limestone crops. Nearby, the Lijiang River has been described as the soul of Guilin scenery, flowing like a jade ribbon from Guilin to Yangshuo. Boating on the Li River is one of the region’s…Continue reading China – Guilin
China – Yangtze River
This section of our China trip gave us a brief introduction to the Three Gorges Dam (a controversial hydroelectric project that displaced over 1.9 million people in the attempt to become the world’s largest dam), Shennong Stream (a 60 kilometer tributary off the Yangtze River that is home to various Minority groups and is most…Continue reading China – Yangtze River
China – Shanghai
Highlights of our visit to this corner of China included the aesthetically appealing Bund (a myriad of European styled buildings that face the Huang Pu River), Nanjing Road (Shanghai’s main shopping district), Shanghai Museum (China’s largest museum), the Suzhou Grand Canal (an amazing engineering accomplishment as this is the longest man-made waterway in the entire…Continue reading China – Shanghai
Myanmar
There is great controversy about whether to visit Myanmar or not. Political activists claim that a boycott of Myanmar is a must because of the “human rights violations committed upon its people by an illegal military junta that thirsts only for money and power”. The junta seized power in a 1962 coup, and its rights…Continue reading Myanmar