East Asia
China
China travel
Hiking in Xingping, Guangxi
I often think back to more “innocent” times, such as when I used to travel in China. Several years ago when I was working in Hong Kong, I decided to go to Guangxi for Christmas. Guangxi’s karst mountains and rivers are some of […]
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Taiwan
Taiwan travel
Enjoying Tainan’s historic sites
As Taiwan’s oldest city with almost 400 years of history, Tainan features the most historical sites out of all of Taiwan’s cities. There are a lot, with the most prominent being two former Dutch forts, but here I’ll feature four other interesting historical places. Of these four, two are former Japanese colonial buildings, while the […]
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Cities
Taiwan
Taiwan travel
Travel
Enjoying art in Tainan, Taiwan’s most historic city
As Taiwan’s oldest city and first capital, Tainan is considered the island country’s cultural and historical hub. Established by the Dutch in the early 17th century as a fort and trading hub when they colonized southern Taiwan, Tainan has almost 400 years of history that has included Qing Dynasty rule, Japanese colonization and the 20th […]
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Taiwan
Taiwan travel
Travel
Visiting Beitou, Taipei’s hot spring district
Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, is both a bustling East Asian metropolis and one filled with nature including hills and mountains, wetlands and natural hot springs. Beitou, Taipei’s northernmost and most mountainous district, is famous for its hot springs. Beitou’s name is derived from the area’s aboriginal name, Kipatauw, which means witch, probably because […]
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Museums
Taiwan
Taiwan travel
Travel
Visiting the National Museum of Taiwan History
As a young island country, Taiwan actually has a complex history of 400 years that includes Dutch colonization, Qing Dynasty rule, Japanese colonization, and a brutal martial law era. Taiwan went through a lot before it became today’s thriving democracy. All this is covered in the National Museum of Taiwan History, located not in the […]
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Hikes
Hong Kong travel
Travel
Hiking the Dragon’s Back on Hong Kong
For such a tiny place, Hong Kong has some really great hikes. The Dragon’s Back is probably one of the world’s most scenic and pleasant coastal hikes. Located on the southeastern tip of Hong Kong Island on a peninsula jutting out into the sea, Dragon’s Back is a mountain ridge that overlooks Shek O Bay. […]
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Hikes
Japan travel
Travel
Hiking Mount Misen on Miyajima
The sacred Japanese island of Miyajima (Itsukushima), which lies off the coast near Hiroshima, is famous for its “floating” torii gate and shrines. However, Miyajima also has a 535m-high mountain, Mount Misen, that features small temples, a waterfall, and great views of the Inland Sea. There are three routes up Mt Misen, with the one […]
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