After about a 45 minute taxi ride, our first furniture vendor, Royal (the English name he has taken), greeted us at an intersection in his part of the metropolis and then drove us in his van to his furniture warehouse. His warehouse offered us rows and rows of stacked furniture to choose from. Not being air conditioned, the place was hot, humid, dimly lit and dusty; ah, warehouse shopping in Shanghai. Hand-selecting our furniture is very important to us and we think to our customers. This process allows us to inspect each piece by seeing and touching, looking inside drawers, testing finishes, accessing the craftsmanship and to ask questions from the suppliers. We have rejected many pieces because they did not meet with our standards.

We felt comfortable with Royal's knowledge of the furniture and the furniture business. Royal's true passion is designing furniture with a new interpretation of Chinese style. We learned that he personally collects furniture, from around China, and restores and/or repairs the piece as needed in his warehouse. Over the centuries, much of the antique stock of furniture, in China, has been damaged due to neglect and the conditions in which they have been housed. We hand-selected about 45 pieces of furniture from his collection

If you want to get some furniture from him, contact 13901685220.

Yongding is a county in Fujian Province, being famous for its unique Hakkas culture, especially for the unique earthen buildings, which had been included in the UNSCO’s world heritage list. Last month (in the early September), I was lucky enough to visit these buildings.

The earthen building is either round or square, and was originally designed as large fortress and apartment building in one. These buildings were built with the mixture of clay and sandy soil, and the wall could be thicker than 1 meter (3.3 feet). The inside structure is made of wood. Almost all the earthen buildings are 4-storey buildings. Below is the bird’s-eye view of the earthen buildings.

On September 6, we boarded on the flight to Xiamen at 10:55 and left Guilin.

September 9

After 3-day tour in Xiamen, we took a bus to Yongding: our destination for visiting the unique earthen buildings, at the middle noon of September 9. The length of the time for the voyage direct between Xiamen and Yongding is about 3 hours. On our way to Yongding, we visit a famous earthen building complex in Nanjin County (a county neighbors Yongding): Tianluokeng Earthen Building Complex (田螺坑土楼群). We did not enter the earthen buildings for the limited visiting time. However, we viewed the earthen building complex at two viewing decks (the upper one and the lower one). See the photos below.

September 10

Hongkeng Earthen Building Complex

We visited the Hongkeng Earthen Building Complex (洪坑土楼群), which is a village and has been developed into a tourist attraction. There are tens of earthen buildings built in various structures in the village, and all of them are quite harmonious with the green hills, clean rivers and verdant trees. Externally, these buildings are largely identical but with minor differences. However, they have their own styles of decoration and inside structure.

The length of the time from Yongding County to the attraction is about 2-hour drive. The gate of the attraction is about 1 kilometer from the nearest earthen building: Qingyun Building (庆云楼). Visitors can take a storage battery car to get there, and the fee is 10 yuan.

Tip: There is an inn in Fuyu Building, and the accommodation condition is definitely not as good as that in a hotel. However, the small rooms are quite clean and wireless network is available.

Chengqi Building

Chengqi Building is about 15-minute drive from Hongkeng Earthen Building Complex. It is the largest earthen building in Fujian Province, and the construction time is long as half century, developed by three generations. First built in 1640s, the building is the resident of Jiang family (江姓家族). There are still the descendants of Jiang family living in the building today.

The diameter of the round building is 73 meters. Chengqi Building has four rings: the outer ring has 4 storeys, with 72 rooms in every storey; the second ring has two storeys, with 40 rooms each storey; the third ring has only one storey and 32 rooms; and the center is the ancestor’s hall. During the period of great prosperity, there were 800 people living inside the building. You can check the photos below.

Chuxi Earthen Building Complex (初溪土楼群)

After lunch, we set off to Chuxi Earthen Building Complex, which is located in Chuxi Village, Xiayang Town, Yongding County, and consists of five round buildings and tens of square buildings. Built in the mountainside, Chuxi Earthen Building Complex should be the most graceful earthen building complex in Yongding. One earthen building, Wu Hua Tian Bao (/woo hwa tyen baoww/ has been developed into a museum, which shows the history and the historic relics related to Hakkas.

September 11

We went back to Xiamen, and then took a flight returning to Guilin.

Following are some photos for the delicious snacks in Yongding.

Notice: It is better to join in a tour group to visit the earthen buildings, because it is really inconvenient to transfer buses according to your trip. This time, we have rented a bus, that’s why we could arrange our tour freely and conveniently.

Hong Kong. Less than two hours from Manila. Bustling. Modern. Contrasting. Sampan on the one hand. Sky 100 on the other. Two faces. Yin and yang. The perfect place to experience something old, something new, something borrowed, and well, something blue.

Something old. The junks that ply the waters of Hong Kong's quaint little fishing village are a throwback to an era where traditional travel through this unique boat moved people and products across. It lent a semblance of tradition and old world charm.

Something new. Sky 100. Gleaming skyscraper. Concrete. Steel. Glass. All coming together to make one work of art and science. People come. To work. To marvel. To taste cuisine. To live life, all at 100 floors above ground.

Something borrowed. Stones shaken and prayers offered. Then let go to fall, like dark plums. The fortune is cast. the answer given. The temples of the past give assurance for the future. In oneness with Buddha, in his gilded house guarded by dragons, the heavens are asked. For graces. For blessings. For luck.

Something blue. A typical noodle house. Steaming blue bowls. Yards and yards of noodles. Plop each topping goes to the cauldron. A napkin. A pair of chop sticks. Time to dig in. To enjoy more, and linger more. Ah, the sweet, salty, spicy taste of the broth, the toppings and the story that will go with the meal

These are the memories I have of my Hong Kong trip! And I can't wait to go back. Soon!

During my travel from Beijing to Kashgar, i had a fantastic variety of cuisines which were the most delicious. Being of Guangdong descent, I have only known of cantonese cuisine which is the most known here in the United States. How I was amazed at the tastiness of all the foods in China. Everything was fresh, organic is beyond the words especially in Xianjiang--where yogurt are made fresh daily. Beijing is the most cosmopolitan of all cities with its international cuisine. There even a French restaurant from famed Chef Daniel Boulud. There were many choices to choose from, I found the Muslim restaruants in Beijing were the most interesting and was wonderful adventure from its traditional Chinese cuisine. Equally said of Shanghai! Xianjiang was the most spectacular in food. The fruit and vegetables were fresh and tasty. i tried the melons with my guide in Kashgar were the most delicious I ever ate. The nan bread were out of this world. Thank you Nur, my guide in Turpan. I have a few photos to prove it!

When traveling in China, don't just admire the great scenery, but open your eyes and heart to its culinary richness of China. From East to West, it was a journey worth taking.

Thanks China Highlights for making my first trip a memorable and tasty one. Now that I am tempted by the beauty of the land and its people, and the fanastic food--I am planning another journey. I would love to travel and see more of Xianjiang. The historical sights and culture are what makes this region so fascinating.

Chinese Culture Activities in Mandarin Garden School. China has a long and illustrious history and she has seen many changes. Culture Course aim to help you understand more about China and her people, culture and customs, Mandarin Garden offers acculturation courses so that we can get to know more Chinese people’s lives and improve your life in China more easier and interesting. The culture courses focus on specific aspects of traditional Chinese culture, such as Chinese calligraphy, painting, Tai Chi, cooking Chinese food, mahjong and so on. We already made a lot of good activities for Chinese Festival like the Spring festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Children’s Day. We got a lot of high praise from our students.