If you're desperate to find indoor activities for children 'in Taipei (as we were during Typhoon Parma), then Boss Baby is ideal for children aged 3-8. Occupying an entire floor in a mall, Baby Boss is a recreation center with a fifty theme of "occupations" children can choose to try. Note: [The staff speaks English, but the activities are conducted in Mandarin. If your children do not speak Mandarin, you will still enjoy an active and will be able to ...
Suzhou is a city famous throughout China for its gardens. Historically a rich city, in part for its silk industry of large size, many of its inhabitants built classic gardens that are preserved and open to the public today. Nine of the gardens belong to the UNESCO list of Cultural Heritage. Here is a list of famous gardens of Suzhou. Because gardens are so popular? Gardens of Suzhou differ from the parks of Beijing as the imperial Summer Palace in ...
Pearl circles the top of the First Asia Jewelry Plaza near Shanghai Yuyuan Garden and Bazar Yu region. When you exit the escalator on the third floor, you will be overwhelmed by the number of beads and stones in every design you can imagine. The vendors will use you and it will be difficult to get comfortable, then walk, then to a counter seat and start watching. Get your gloves negotiation and purchase of ready-to-wear, or design your own jewelry ...
This little walking tour takes you down two lovely quiet streets in Shanghai that are increasingly becoming full of great cafes and interesting shops. Located in the French Concession, this tour can be combined, or you can do each street separately to ensure you see everything at a leisurely pace. The best thing to do is go around meal-time. There are so many great cafes along these streets, it’s a good idea to walk a little, then duck in for ...
December Overview:Let’s face it, weather-wise, winter is not the ideal time to travel in China. It’s nose-numbing, cheek-freezing cold in the north and it’s bone-chilling damp and chilly across central China. The south can be ok, you’ll have mild temps but it will still be damp in December, but not as damp as it could be later in the winter. The good news is, if you come to Beijing or other parts of northern China, rainfall is in December each ...
I love a good travelogue as much as I do a historical novel. When I first visit a place, I personally find I don’t do much reading about it before I go. I dislike having pre-conceptions about what I’m going to find. That said, I usually end up spending half a day in the English-language bookstores looking for books to read on the place once I’m there. This list should save you that trouble. By all means, read them before ...
Overview: Location: Visit terracotta army made of Xi'an (pronounced She-ASA), the capital of Shaanxi Province. Xi'an lies to the south-west of Beijing. It's about an hour's flight or a night train ride from Beijing. Xian is the first historical capital of China, made the principal city of the first emperor Qin Shi Huang. Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Wariors horses and Museum is located about thirty minutes drive from Xian to the proper machine. History: the terracotta army itself was discovered ...
Visitors to Shanghai in need of some guidance when it comes to shopping. While many shops and markets are obvious, you might not know where to go and buy what you might not even understand what is available. The following lists shopping guides to help you maximize the time for shopping. Warning: You may need to buy an extra suitcase at the end of the trip. Here is a small photo gallery of various traditional (and some non-traditional) Chinese voices ...
Two floors of a shopping complex of eyeglasses and sunglasses. You can go with or without prescription. Optician will check your eyes on the ground and within a day (or week if the prescription is complex), you have a new pair of glasses. Why go? Because you pay a fraction of the price as you would at home. Taxi or metro line 1 – Shanghai Railway Station stop (上海 火车站). The glass market shopping center located across the intersection from ...
ATMs:In larger cities such as Beijing or Shanghai, there are many ATMs accepting foreign bank cards in major shopping centers and international hotels. These ATMs will have signage that states only foreign cards can be used. Some Chinese bank branded ATMs will also accept foreign cards but it can be hit or miss. The ATM will have signage illustrating what cards are accepted. All ATMs will transfer RMB (Chinese currency) fixed. Remember that if you exchange your RMB back to ...