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Mei’s Advice

Beautiful night in an old town in Yunnan

Defer, Don’t Cancel Your China Trip

Photo: Andres Vargas The moment I knew it was time to close the office was when our contractor vanished. Work stopped on our half-done office renovation, newspaper lying on the ground to catch paint drops,...
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Girl praying at an ancient temple

A note from WildChina founder Mei Zhang on the coronavirus outbreak

Dear Friends, In the past twenty days, the coronavirus and the fight against it have become so much more personal. The initial instinct to hunker down to survive has been completely replaced with humility and...
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Winter Travel in China for Misanthropes

The Seashore Library, also called the “Lonely Library,” in Beidaihe in northern China. Photo: Courtesy of Aranya I can safely categorize myself as a misanthrope — a person who hates other people. Well, not exactly,...
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The Wineries Transforming the Tourism in Ningxia’s dusty landscape

For years, Changyu, Great Wall, and Dynasty — the three major state-owned brands — established the reputation of Chinese wines as alcoholic grape juice. Things are changing, as the country’s vineyards increasingly produce wines that...
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Tibetan Buddhism Flags

Gansu’s Mogao Caves: A Desert Sanctuary a Millennium in the Making

Originally posted on Caixin Global Buddhism came to China in many waves and through many routes. It brought not just a philosophy, but a cultural milieu of art, sculpture, festivals, and literature. Nowhere is the influence...
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Chinese door in Hutong alley

Five Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling in China With Your Family

Originally posted on Caixin Global   The end of the year is nearing, and before that, the great migration of Golden Week. If you are like me, you bought flights months ago for your winter, if...
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Beautiful night in an old town in Yunnan

Why are China’s ‘Old Towns so Boring?

The Brown Sugar Craft Shop designed by architect Xu Tiantian in Songyang in 2017. Photo: Wang Ziling “Stop barking,” an old man yelled at his dog, who was voicing his objection to my photo-taking. The...
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Chinese door in Hutong alley

The Three Most Overrated China Travel Experiences

Originally posted on Caixin Global   On January 3, 2019, the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory cautioning people to be more vigilant when traveling to China. China is now, according to the State...
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Ethnic Minorities of China

Why You Should Still Travel to China Amid the Trade War

Originally posted on Caixin Global A few weeks back, I took my daughters back to China to visit their grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins — the usual sprawling Chinese family. Eager to curb the girls’...
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A camel resting in the Gobi Desert

Why You Should Still Travel to China Amid Trade War

Tourists take photos among flowers in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province on March 31. Photo: IC Photo A few weeks back, I took my daughters back to China to visit their grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins —...
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