Shanghai’s iconic Fairmont Peace Hotel began life in 1929 as Sassoon House, named after its owner Sir Victor Sassoon, a British real estate mogul. While Mr. Sassoon lived in the 10th floor penthouse, the rest of the building was dominated by the prestigious Cathay Hotel. The Chinese government took over the building (and all the […]
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Tomb of Emperor Jingdi, Xi’an
While in Xi’an, we paid a visit to the Han Jing Mausoleum, the final resting place of Emperor Jingdi, the fifth Han emperor, who ruled China from 157-141 BC, and his wife. The impressive tomb, which covers 20 square kilometers, is still being excavated and the museum is designed to give visitors an incredible glimpse […]
Visiting China’s Great Terracotta Army
We have just returned from Xi’an where we had the incredible opportunity to visit one of the world’s most important historical sights. The Army of Terracotta Warriors stand guard over the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the unifier of ancient China and builder of the Great Wall. This incredible army remained buried underground for […]
A Walk in a Shanghai Sculpture Park
I recently read about the Jing’an Sculpture Park in Shanghai, and though it wasn’t mentioned in my guidebook or shown on any map, I had to try to find it and the two dozen sculptures housed within. The magazine article thoughtfully included the address (128 Shimen Er Lu) so it was relatively easy to find. We […]
Fun at a Chinese Grocery Store
You might ask how a mundane chore such as grocery shopping could be fun. Well when the grocery store in question is a four story food mart emporium in Shanghai that’s painted to look like a French village, there is plenty of fun to be had! For example, you could pick up the meat needed […]