Travel

Weekend Walk: In the Footsteps of the Emperor

Weekend Walk: In the Footsteps of the Emperor

The Temple of Heaven is one of Beijing’s largest – and liveliest – spaces for a weekend walk, particularly in spring. The surrounding park is over three times the size of the Forbidden City, making it the perfect place to visit on those holiday weekends when the Palace Museum and other popular destinations will be heaving with visitors.

Barbarians at the Gate: Touring China with historian Yajun Mo

Barbarians at the Gate: Touring China with historian Yajun Mo

On the latest episode of Barbarians at the Gate, David and I interview Professor Mo Yajun about her book Touring China: A History of Travel Culture, 1912-1949, a fascinating history of the development of China’s travel industry in the Republican period.

Weekend Walk: Forbidden City Basics

Weekend Walk: Forbidden City Basics

This walk is the simplest and most straightforward way to see the Forbidden City, proceeding from the Meridian Gate in the front, down the main central axis, and exiting at the northern end of the palace across the street from Jingshan Park. Most people (too many people?) take this route, but it’s only a starting point for exploring this massive palace.

Politics Squared: A Look at Tiananmen Square and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial

Politics Squared: A Look at Tiananmen Square and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial

To walk around Tiananmen Square in Beijing or the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial in Taipei is to appreciate the divergent paths these two capitals have taken in the 21st century.

China’s competing legacies on show at National Palace Museums in Beijing and Taipei

China’s competing legacies on show at National Palace Museums in Beijing and Taipei
  • The mid-century scramble to stop priceless art and artefacts falling into the wrong hands saw country’s collection of imperial artefacts splinter

  • Nationalists transported their treasures to Taiwan, while newly minted People’s Republic allowed Forbidden City to preserve posterity

Did Chinese Architect Liang Sicheng Save the Historic Sites of Kyoto?

Did Chinese Architect Liang Sicheng Save the Historic Sites of Kyoto?

Walk down any street in Kyoto and chances are you'll run into an old temple. Did Chinese architect and preservationist save the city from being destroyed in World War II?

Being Thomas Friedman in Taipei

Being Thomas Friedman in Taipei

Nothing is more annoying than the uncritical writer who arrives at a destination and proceeds to gush over the local culture. So when I say I love Taiwan, I do so with the full expectation that I may be simply exorcizing the accumulated demons of a life lived in Beijing. But you know what… I absolutely love Taiwan and let me tell you why.