Afternoon tea is a quintessential Shanghai experience, but what is a non-tea drinker like my mom to do? She and I stumbled onto the answer one day while exploring the Sinan Mansions neighborhood and nearby Fuxing Park. After a blistering day of sightseeing, we were desperate for some ice cream. We walked into the nicest […]
Asia
The Art of Chinese Flower Arranging
The Chinese have long had an appreciation for nature and flower arranging has been considered an art form for centuries. Mom and I had the pleasure of attending a course in this ancient practice during her visit to Shanghai. The day’s lesson focused on the construction of a “bird’s nest” base for an arrangement of […]
Chengdu Street Food, in Photos
We spent several hours exploring the charming and relatively quiet old streets of the neighborhood surrounding our hotel in Chengdu, near Wenshu Temple. Consisting of alleyways snaking through two city blocks, it was a great place to buy souvenirs and sample the local snacks, if you dare. I drank a cup of freshly pressed sugar […]
Things to Do in Chengdu, China
Our hotel was located in Chengdu’s old town, right down the street from Wenshu Temple. Originally built during the Tang Dynasty (618-690 AD), it is the largest and best-preserved Buddhist temple in the city. Among its most precious relics are a Burmese jade Buddha and the skull of a Tang Dynasty monk. The temple also […]
Chen’s Mapo Doufu, a Chengdu Institution
Chengdu is deep in the heart of Sichuan province, which is known the world over for its spicy cuisine. The Sichuan pepper is different from regular black pepper in that it has anesthetizing properties and a pink hue. One of the most popular dishes to utilize this pepper is 马坡豆腐 (mapo doufu), soft squares of […]