China

China Guides Travel

How to go to China for a short holiday WITHOUT getting a visa in advance*!

NOTE: Last updated July 31st 2022 The information in this article was valid before the commencement of COVID-19. Regulations have changed, particularly in pandemic times and some links may not be working anymore. Visas are legal documents and you should do your own research. Stay safe and out of trouble! DISCLAIMERPLEASE NOTE: Visas are legal […]

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China Transport Xiamen

How to get to Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, Fujian, China

If you want to go to Gulangyu Island, you should probably read this article first. This guide will provide you with some in-depth details on how to actually get there. Gulangyu IslandGulangyu is a small, car free, residential island on the west coast of Xiamen main island in Fujian Province in China. It is also […]

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Architecture China Photography Travel Xiamen

Yun Shui Yao Tulou in Fujian, China

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Tulou buildings in Fujian, China. Typical photos show large round buildings made of soil and mud, with dark roofs and an internal circular courtyard. Tulou in Chinese technically means “soil building”, thus can exist as rectangular buildings as well as round ones. These unique buildings are found only in […]

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China Travel Xiamen

Xiamen Tea Fair Spring Edition

A few weeks ago, I went to Xiamen on a whim to the Xiamen Tea Fair. I found out about it on my Xiamen airlines flight to Harbin in February for the winter festival. I wanted to go, then forgot about it until 1 week before it was due to start. I could just make […]

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China Guides Transport Travel Xiamen

Reading bus timetables in China

In this article, I’ll explain how to read bus timetables in China. Of all the bus timetables I’ve seen in various cities in China, they are all in this same format, so hopefully it will give you some guidance, but I can’t guarantee all bus timetables in China are like this. This example photo was […]

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Accommodation China China Accommodation Travel

Somerset Software Park Hotel, Xiamen

Revised 0ctober 4th 2020 This post is about one of the hotels I stayed at in Xiamen, the Somerset Software Park Hotel. Watch the video to see a tour of the room. The Somerset Software Park Hotel is, as listed on Booking.com, an apartment, and on their business card, a serviced apartment. I‘d say the […]

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Architecture China Photo Posts (feast your eyes) Photography Travel

Nan Putuo Temple, Xiamen, in Fujian, China

Overview:Attraction type: Architectural, Chinese Buddhist temple, lookouts over the cityEntry is freeHow to get here: Any bus that goes to Xia Da Nan Putuo “夏大(南普陀)站” Accessibility: With help, you can bring a pram. I did see multiple prams here, but being China, wheelchair accessibility might be harder as the ramps are generally steep and are […]

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Accommodation China China Accommodation

I stayed at a Chinese Holiday Rental Apartment: Review of Xiamen Exhibition Center Hotel

Updated 25/08/2021: Unfortunately this place is no longer listed on Booking.com, but you can find plenty more places to stay in Xiamen, including the Somerset Software Park Hotel. In May 2019, I went on a last minute week long trip to Xiamen, Fujian, China, without pre-applying for a Chinese visa. At the time, certain tourist […]

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China Harbin Travel

Winter Fun in Harbin, China

Located in the far north east, Harbin is a city in Heilongjiang province in China. Heilongjiang is the food bowl of China, producing the vast majority of crops in China. Werbung: jetzt-drucken-lassen.de In particular, there is an area there that produces the delicious Wuchang rice, named after the location it is grown in. The name […]

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China Photography Travel

Wuzhen Water town Scenic area, China

You can now buy prints of my photos! More coming, stay tuned! Click here to view and buy my prints! Free postage within Australia! Wuzhen, 乌镇 wū zhèn, is a historic scenic water town in Zhe Jiang Province, China. It is in the triangle formed by the 3 cities, Shanghai, Suzhou and HangZhou, and has over 1000 […]

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