China - People’s Republic of China (PRC)

From China

People’s Republic of China (PRC)

Peaches of Immortality

After Christmas last year, I spent a couple of days in the small town of Jiaoxie (角斜), close to Nantong (南通), three hours west of Shanghai. Read more

Master of Nets

On an overcast day in July this year I made a return day trip to Suzhou, a city west of Shanghai, known for its canals, bridges and classical gardens. Read more

Sha Tin Public Housing Estates

In Hong Kong, public housing has been one of the major government policies since the 1950’s – about 30 percent of the city’s 7.8 million population currently lives in one of these affordable apartments. Read more

Waibaidu Bridge

Back in February I spent Chinese New Year in Shanghai and, having eaten more than my fair share, decided that brisk walk was in order. Heading to The Bund we took a leisurely stroll along North Suzhou Road. Read more

Oi Man Estate in Hong Kong

In the 1950’s Hong Kong had a problem – facing a surge of immigration from Mainland China it didn’t have enough affordable housing stock. In 1953 the problems were compounded when a fire burned down a large slum area in Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon, leaving thousands homeless. Read more

Neon Hong Kong

As long-term readers will know I have a bit of an obsession about the neon signage which gives many cities in Asia their unique and seductive streetscapes. The epitome of this has to be Hong Kong where the dense and chaotic texture of its neon have brought the city to life at night since the 1950s. Read more

China 72-Hour Visa-Free Transit Guide

Yesterday I entered China for the first time without a visa. Considering all the time and money I’ve spent in the past applying for them this was quite a revolution. Read more

The History of Film & Jing’an Villa in Shanghai

Last month I spent a week in Shanghai, just before one of the harshest heatwaves in recent history (40ºC+) hit the city. Even then it will still stifling hot and I spent most of the week indoors (watching old episodes of Miss Marple bizarrely). Read more

Kings Road Then & Now

King’s Road (英皇道) in Hong Kong is the major street which runs east-west along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, extending all the way from Causeway Bay to Sai Wan Ho. If you visit HK you’ll likely end up travelling along the street at some point, whether it be by foot, bus or tram above ground or MTR underground. Read more

Quarry Bay Then & Now

During my two years in Hong Kong I lived on the east side of Hong Kong Island in an apartment complex called Kornhill which lies within Quarry Bay. It wasn’t until shortly before I left in March this year that I discovered the area has an interesting history and I decided to take a closer look… Read more